Puppies are the future - they have all the potential to be everything you ever dreamed of. That being said, they are also a lot of work to train to be that perfect companion. The labor of love starts with planning the breeding - picking parents who compliment each other, then waiting to see what comes of it.
Once the puppies are born, their mother takes care of them for the first couple of weeks - they really don't need a lot from us other than staying close by all the time (just in case). We pick them up daily, making sure all is well.
When their eyes and ears open, we start to expose them to different sights and sounds, just like it would be in your home. As soon as they start eating puppy food (a mash to begin with) and are less dependent on their mother and nursing, they move from the bedroom to the living room. Now the fun starts! They begin to teeter around, trying out different surfaces and begin to actually play with each other. We like to have people come out, visit, and play with the puppies - the puppies learn about different people and different ways of being held; different sounds and sights; people coming and going; television and so on.
All this is to try to open their minds to changes - they will learn the fastest prior to twelve weeks of age, and we want to be sure they have the opportunity to do as much as possible while they are here with us. Some of the newer research is indicating socialization should start at 3 weeks of age - so we try to plan "puppy parties" each weekend so people can meet the dogs, play with the puppies, and get a general idea of our philosophies.
Dreaming of puppies.......
We will breed Rosie when she comes in season... check back for updates!
