Raising Our Puppies

We realize the enormous responsibility we have raising our puppies for the first 8 weeks of their life.  A dog's brain is wired by 16 weeks of age and so we strive to give them the best possible start.

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The following is a breakdown of how we raise our puppies week by week:

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Weeks 1 & 2 - their eyes and ears are closed and they use their smell and touch to start discovering the world.  During this time we touch them, hold them and cuddle with them.  We also move them through various positions to help develop their brains.  We tickle their toes and we introduce different smells to them each day.

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Weeks 3 & 4 - Their eyes and ears are now open.  We encourage development of seeing and listening.  We frequently play Mozart and other similar classical music in the puppy room.  This helps their brains develop and starts the puppy on the track of being calm and not scared of the big wide world.  Toys will be introduced to the puppies during these weeks so that they can explore different surfaces and touch and feel different things.

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Weeks 5 & 6 - Now that the puppies know the world is kind and not scary, we introduce sound triggers while they are doing happy things that they feel comfortable with, like nursing with Momma.  The sounds we play in their room are doors opening/closing - car horns - garage doors - fireworks - sirens etc.  When the puppy encounters these big scary things in your family, it won't be so scary for them as they will associate the noise with pleasant things.  We will also continue to introduce different toys to them that they can explore.

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Weeks 7 & 8 - Now things will be explored outside the puppy room and house.  We will go for a couple of car rides and also a Vet visit.  We will go for walks in the puppy stroller with their Momma.  We will explore outside like grass, snow and yes, even mud!

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Throughout the 8 weeks we provide the best medical care we can.  We deworm our puppies and start their course of vaccinations.