A Doodle Litter's Journey

During her 9 week pregnancy, we devote ourselves to the loving care of our Mama Doodle. She is given balanced meals, special healthy treats, daily massages, privacy or company as she prefers, and appropriate exercise and play depending on the stage of pregnancy.  We select for excellent mothering instincts in our Mama Doodles - this is so important in giving our puppies the best start.
 

When Mama is ready, we provide a cozy, safe whelping bed, and stay with her to help as needed. 

The first two weeks are all about settling in - we weigh the puppies twice a day, and make sure everyone is safe, warm, and healthy.

Before our puppies can see or hear, they learn to know and trust our scent and touch.

We raise our Doodles using Puppy Culture protocols and our gentle daily handling progressively accustoms them to everything they'll need to accept in their lives as a companion.

Puppy Culture is an internationally recognized science-based puppy raising method that prepares our Doodles for a lifetime of vet visits, grooming, positive daily contact with people, and thriving in our modern world.

The puppies' eyes will usually open by around fourteen to sixteen days, and they'll hear sounds by twenty-one days.

They'll also steadily gain strength and ability as they toddle around.

During this exciting stage, we introduce potty training with puppy pads (and as the litter matures, we graduate them to potty trays and then litter boxes). This process helps in transitioning to outdoor potty areas. Puppies naturally want to keep the nest area clean, and early potty training gives them a wonderful head start.

 At about twenty-one to twenty-eight days the puppies' baby teeth emerge and they are ready to try out solid foods. We begin with puppy formula and increase the quantity and variety of foods as they are ready.

Our goal once they start solid foods is to prepare their digestive systems - known as populating the gut microbiome - for a lifetime of good health.

We also introduce soft toys at this stage - the urge to chew arrives at the same time as those little teeth! 

Near the beginning of this stage, the puppies are upgraded to a large toddler suite, offering them additional space for play and exploration. New toys and experiences are introduced daily.

Mama starts naturally taking longer breaks away from the puppies, and we start introductions to our gentle adult "auntie" Doodles and our very dog-friendly cats.

Between five and six weeks we add daily play and learning time in our safe outdoor puppy play yard.

A partial list of their "schoolwork" during this period includes: introduction to new sights, sounds, scents and weather, climbing steps, standing on wobbly items, walking on different types of surfaces - plastic, wood, metal, gratings, paper, sand - climbing ramps and balancing on low beams, navigating tunnels, water play, a wide variety of objects to investigate and interact with, scent work and scent toys, lick mats and problem solving puzzles, balloons and umbrellas for desensitization to overhead objects, introduction to high value chewies for conditioning against resource guarding, grooming practice, dog crates and self-soothing, conditioning to come when called, and learning time with our gentle adult dogs.

All curriculum is presented based on the puppies' developmental stage, but never forced. Puppies learn at their own speed.

Between six and seven weeks we begin taking the puppies off our property a few times each week.

We limit these excursions to car rides, stroller rides, and backpack rides because until they are fully vaccinated, puppy paws and noses should not touch public ground.

On these adventures, our puppies are able to experience many new sights, scents, and sounds.

Some of our usual destinations are dog-friendly office buildings and retail stores, and outdoor downtown areas. 

Between seven and eight weeks we get ready to pass the torch to our puppy families. Starting at forty-nine days we formally assess each puppy's behavior and temperament. At seven and one-half weeks the puppies meet our veterinarian to receive a nose to tail health exam, their first vaccinations, and their microchip.

And last but not least, at eight weeks our puppies join their new families, or if they are staying with us for training we begin to help them adjust from their lives as one of a litter of puppies to true individuals, each receiving their own training and experiences.

The socialization period in puppies continues for up to sixteen weeks of age, and by providing as many positive interactions and encounters as possible, we and our puppy families can give our Doodles their very best start for a long, happy life.