The puppies are in a running, pouncing, and jumping stage. They like to crouch low and back up for a running start to attack another puppy. Soon they will be ambushing each other. They do not have the best coordination, though. They often are seen trying to jump over something, but landing straight on top of it, instead of clearing it. Or trying to jump and misjudging the landing. There is no whining or crying or harm; they are brave and just get up and try it again. Their coordination will be growing quickly this week as long as there are enough dry days to play in the space outside. Meanwhile, I've expanded their indoor area to include a feeding/play area and placed a wobble board in it to keep them challenged. They are learning bite inhibition quite well, as I hear a whole lot less yelping from them during their play. The rain & cold has been keeping all of us mostly inside, but it also pushes for creative outlets. Stroller walks have begun, and many puppies had a blast the other evening following & chasing me around in an enclosed courtyard, and playing hide and seek with other, hiding behind bushes, etc. The puppies are getting into a really fun stage, similar to what they will be like when they come home with you.
Training:
Potty: They are doing much better with potty training. They hit the mark most of the time both indoor and outdoor. It's key to give them the right size area to live and play in. If it's bigger than they need, they won't make the effort to go to the potty spot. Take note because that concept is true at home too. This year, instead of using pine pellets alone indoor, we've been using a large Pet Loo with K9grass on top. There is no perfect solution for 2 litters (especially indoors), but all things considered, it is working well. They are used to the artificial turf and they are used to the scent of pine outdoors as their potty area there is from the pine pellets. We also put pine pellets inside the catch of the Pet Loo to trap the waste that accumulates there. I'm not necessarily recommending the Pet Loo and K9grass unless you need a long term indoor/patio solution; they are relatively costly and with 2 litters, the grass needs to be traded out and power washed and sprayed at least once or twice a day. If you need a permanent indoor or patio solution and you are enviro conscious, it's a much better long term solution than potty pads. And if you are going to use turf indoors, the k9 grass works better than any other turf I've used. It has an antibacterial coating to the blades that helps with smell & cleanliness and is fully thatched so it drains really, really well. TMI perhaps, but pottying is usually a big concern with owners since we all face it, and so I tend to talk about it!
Training with treats: I'm trying to get puppies to take treats from my hand which is going slow but sure. Once they efficiently take treats by hand I will be charging the clicker and introducing them to clicker training and shaping.
Environmental training: Noise habituation will continue through the time they are with me. This week I will introduce the puppies to an open crate, so that crates are not so foreign to them. Soon I'll put some simple harnesses on them so they can begin to get accustomed to having straps on their body. I'll also place training leads on their harnesses to help with training them to acclimate to a sense of pull/drag on their harness and to help dissuade them with jumping tendencies. The puppies love to pull on each other's harnesses and they all learn they are subject to and affected by others, in addition to getting some leash pressure acclimation.
Logistics:
Vet appointments are next week. Temperament testing for Maya's litter will also be next week, and then puppies will be matched. If we haven't set up a meeting appointment and a take home appointment yet, please contact me! Puppies go home in only two weeks! Please make sure you have a bag of Nutro Ultra puppy food, a collar, ID tag, leash, and a secure spot for puppy to be kept safe at night and if you have to leave him/her (ie: crate, exercise pen, puppy proofed laundry room, etc). Be thinking also about how your dog will travel in your car. They need to be secured so they can't roam into the driver area, and so that they are not loose, becoming a projectile if you stop fast or are in an accident. I'm looking forward to meeting everyone! At the meeting appointment I'll have you fill out an info sheet with puppy owner name(s), contact info, and name of puppy if you have chosen a name. This information is needed for me to register your puppy's microchip in case he/she is ever lost. After puppies are all matched, contracts will be sent and final payment will be due.
Growth:
At 6 weeks old,
Maya's puppies weigh ~ 6 - 7 1/2 #
Gloria's puppies weigh ~ 6 - 8 1/2#
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