So many new things...

For those of you that investigated the link on the PWDCA website to Dr. Lore Haug's behavioral Q&A, you will enjoy the additional information on the Texas Veterinary Behavior website.

Here are some of our new things from this week:

Sounds: coffee grinder, immersion blender

Footing: dirt, grass, laminate floor, tile

Grooming table: spent a short amount of time practicing stacking.

Clippers:  They had a "sanitary" trim to the area under their tails and under their eyes.   For those of you that have or want some of your own grooming equipment, I absolutely adore my Wahl Bravura clipper which is quiet, light and cordless.  It charges quickly and can operate plugged in if needed.  

The stairs on the back patio presented an insurmountable obstacle for a while, but we now have a gate across.  Humphrey was the first to try to navigate his way up, but sister Flo was first to succeed.  The stairs are too much to puppy joints right now, although they will get a small amount of additional exposure to them in a few weeks before they go home.

A ride in the car.  Four per crate.

We have a crate in our pen now.

New feeding station with a bowl for each pup.

A new tunnel.

We got a cot and learned to get on, off and under it.

We went on an adventure in the back yard.

A new cat house to nap in.

Humphrey tried the stairs (but Flo was 1st to the top)

Patio Adventures

Links to photo albums and some interesting behavioral information are at the bottom of this post.

Otis

Humphrey

Our paws are getting very hairy!

Each pup had a 5 minute adventure on the patio last night.  They were all quite brave about the big new world and trotted around checking out their surroundings.

Today they will each spend a few minutes on the grooming table getting used to it.

Tomorrow we plan to load them in the van for a little and perhaps take a short drive around the neighborhood.

We've moved them yet again and now they are in the dining room area of the house where they can hear all the kitchen noises.  We've added to their area:

•  an electronic children's toy that talks and plays music if they step on the buttons
• litter box trays to aid in potty training

Your links:

Week 4 Photos

Week 5 Photos

PWDCA Canine Behavior Links -  There is a link to Dr.Dunbar's book "Before You Get Your Puppy" and a link to a Q&A which took place on a PWD email list years ago that is fabulous.  Be sure to check both of these resources out.

Minnie

Widening horizons

The pups have had new surfaces to walk on (yoga mat, concrete, laminate floor).  We quickly covered the laminate with something with more traction, because sliding on slippery surfaces is not good for developing joints.

They were exposed to new sounds (vacuum cleaner, steam cleaner, ice cubes dropping in kitchen fridge, pressure washer).

They are meeting new people.  We had 4 visits over the last few days, being careful to employ masks, hand sanitizer and 6 foot distancing to keep everyone safe.  

They spent some time on the patio on Friday when the weather was warm and dry, and are spending time in the living room each day.

Visitors on the patio

They had their first "real" meal yesterday with a raw meat/vegetable grind mixed into their formula.

There is meat and veggies in our formula tonight!

This marks the beginning of the second Awareness/Identification week when play becomes more sophisticated.  Vision is much improved.  The pups will need things to move, chew on, climb onand carry this week, helping to develop strength, agility and problem solving abilities.  We will start to spend a bit of time alone with each pup apart from the litter this week.

Divot checks out a toy.

Chunk tugs on the blanket.

TLC for Kodi and First Time "Dining Out"

First time eating formula.  Reggie chose to go wading in it.

 The Chiropractor came yesterday and adjusted both Kodi and Delta.  We are lucky we have someone in our area who will come to our house.  We take advantage of that by having the dogs adjusted proactively several times a year and always if we notice any type of discomfort.  Yesterday, Delta had a rib "out" and Kodi's pelvis was rotated and she needed quite a few other adjustments.  Hardly surprising that Kodi needed some TLC after carrying and giving birth to 8 chunky little puppies.

With a smaller Mama dog and lots of pups to feed, we started supplementing with formula a little sooner than we usually do in order to relieve a little demand on Kodi.   The pups caught on quickly and drank their formula with gusto!

Here is a link for Week 4 Photos with several added this morning.

Keeping Up

Time goes by quickly when you have puppies and a Mama dog to care for.  We are trying to make sure to make time to enjoy the pups, as they grow and change so quickly.

We expanded their area a bit yesterday, opening up one side of the whelping box and adding a pen area that is about as large as the whelping box.  We are planning to litter box train these pups, which is a first for us. We have not put the litter boxes in their area, but have added pee pads, strategically placed to encourage them to pee there instead of in the area where they sleep.

Starting in the next day we will offer the pups some puppy formula out of a shallow dish to encourage them to drink.  Supplementing them a bit will help relieve a little of the burden of feeding from Kodi and begin the weaning process.  Offerings will start with formula, then transition over the next week or so to a gruel with a little rice cereal added.  The next change will be to add a ground raw meat blend or soaked puppy kibble.

The pups already have lots of appointments on their calendars for their final weeks with us (starting on Week 7) which will allow us to make informed decisions on which pup is the best fit for each home.  We do a temperament test, a structural evaluation, an eye exam and finally a "well puppy" visit to the vet for a checkup and first vaccination.  Whew!  We expect those appointments to take place between 10/31 and around 11/11.  Once we have all the information from those checks, we'll let each of our puppy homes know who will be going home with them.