The Nursery
The Schedule of Raising Puppies
| Est. 21 days before whelp: | Dam is given a private den area away from other dogs. She is offered constant food, raw food, gentle affection and massage, daily exercise. Possible x-ray, ultrasound and blood work on an as needed basis. |
| 3-7 days pre expected date of whelp: | Someone is within moments reach of dam as we wait for the delivery all day and night. She has around the clock observation, coat cut back for cleaner nursing and birth, whelping box set up. |
| Whelp: | Monitored by one adult and one child (we always use this as a learning experience) We believe in silent birth with dim lights and minimal intervention. Puppies are usually born about 15 minutes apart with up to an hour break. The average delivery occurs at night and lasts about 6 hours. Dam will diligently clean and remove all of the products of birth. We assist to ensure that each puppy is allowed oxygen and heat expeditiously. Each breeder has his or her own tricks for working with distressed newborns. Any variations are noted for further monitoring. Once the births are complete we replace all soiled bedding and place a heating pad beneath the dam to assist in temperature control. To date we have intervened and delivered puppies via Emergency C-section on four occasions. We are often in the room to assist in surgical deliveries. |
| 3 days post whelp: | This is "mommy's time". We observe the puppies, but believe in minimal involvement. No pictures or bedding changes. We allow the dam to rest and love her babies. Dam needs water, but minimal food. We will weigh the puppies at least once a day and provide any necessary medical care (IE; cord care, supplemental feedings)The dam will typically refuse to leave babies the first 36 hours, even to go potty. Puppies that make it through these days will have a higher chance of survival. If puppy has a defect or has inhaled fluids death will often occur within these days. Along with the miracle of life each breeder and their family must come to respect the beauty of life and accept death. |
| The first 3 weeks postpartum: | Dam is groomed, puppies are weighed. Dam is offered a dynamic diet, rest and privacy so as to physically recover and emotionally adjust. We give her consistent affirmation and praise to help her emotionally recover. The puppies should gain about 2 oz. a day. By the end of this period the puppies' eyes will open and they will receive their first de-worming. The Dam's primary interest is in keeping her pups clean, safe, and fed. She knows each of them and will not tolerate any perceived danger. The Dam possesses maternal instincts of protection, care and affection that any mom could learn from. |
| During the 2nd month of life(week 4,5,6,7,8): | The Dam's body starts to show the stress of nursing. Her coat
has shed as a primal way to supply bedding to the puppies. She may feel
"post-partum" and get edgy or depressed. She may want to return to her
normal life and become seemingly annoyed with the puppies' demands.
Our task is to tend to mommy and babies. She
is allowed greater time away from the puppies, and is given rawhide to chew
away some stress. The puppies' 1st vaccinations begin at week 4. See
chart below. Puppies will begin to eat RAW FOOD at about 4 weeks. When
necessary we will add goat milk, yogurt, etc. We are less concerned with
weighing the puppies and allow the children to cuddle and handle them
through-out the day; introducing them to new experiences while keeping
their safety in mind. By the end of this month dam is almost completely weaned. The puppies will receive the 2nd Neopar booster and start on standard puppy shots. At this time they still see themselves as a part of the litter and not an individual. Separating them form the litter at this time can cause various lifelong compulsive temperament disorders and significant stress on the puppy's systems. |
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During the 3rd month of life(week 9,10,11,12): |
The Dam gets to return to her canine family in the day time,
though she is very much aware of when her puppies are leaving. She
could still pick out her own pup in a crowd of 100.
At night she will still cuddle with her babies. This is a unique
approach that we take. We believe it is best for mom and babies' health
to be together at night. This may require the pups to have one
additional course of de-worming. The puppies will begin to show personality and attempt to establish pack orders. They are eating kibble as well as raw. They will be examined by a Licensed Veterinarian. We will now begin to settle on homes for each puppy and expose them to families. The puppies that have gone home need to be considered newborns and kept from over stimulation and public exposure. |
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During the 4th month of life(week 13,14,15,16): |
Over 50% of our pups have gone home at this time. By this point the puppies understand that they are individuals. Their temperament and looks are pronounced. By the end of this month the puppy should have completed his/her puppy shots and catch on to housebreaking rapidly. This is a great time to get a puppy if you do not have someone home during the day. |
| During the 5th month |
Puppy's immune system is near mature. He/she should understand what is expected within the family. This is a good time to use pubic training methods IE classes and neighborhood walks. |
NOTE: We do not allow our puppies any public exposure until after the second vaccination.
This means that no visitors are allowed around the puppies until about 7 weeks old.
We share your disappointment in not being able to visit the puppies while they are young, however it is our duty to keep them safe as their immune systems develop.
Thank you for your understanding.
We typically do not take many photos of the babes in the early weeks.
However, momma tolerated us snapping a couple of pictures at one week of age.
Their color looks a darker/red color in these pictures due to the heat lamp lighting. Please scroll down for pictures of puppies from her last litter.
More pictures can also be viewed on our Placed Puppies page.
Standard Vaccination Schedule
| Neopar: | The highest quality Parvo vaccine available. It is administered at est.5 weeks. http://www.neotechvaccines.com/neopar.htm |
|
Duramune Max 5 |
This is the 5-way shot we prefer. It does not contain Lepto or Corona. It is done at every 2-4 weeks between 7 and 16 weeks. |
| Rabies: | Rabies can only be administered by a license Vet and must be done to attain proper licensing. Administer at: 16 weeks, One year, and Three years. |
| Limitations |
As indicated in our Puppy Covenant we urge our clients to continue careful vaccination. We are not comfortable with Leptosporisis or the Corona type vaccine. This simply requires clients to request a 5-way shot instead of a 7-way shot (this is common practice) We also do not want the puppies receiving any product manufactured by Galaxy brand. |
Standard De-worming Schedule
| Fenbendazole: | Starting at 3 weeks of age over Can be given between 3-10 days. There is some concern that this deworming might cause or worsen some forms of intestinal upset |
| Pyrantal: | A one dose treatment provided about every 2-4 weeks starting at 2 weeks.* |
| Ivermectin: |
Used on the First of each month. for larger puppies/dogs* |
| Albon: | Is used often with Fenbendazole 7-10 days. May be sent home for prophylactic use |
| Metronidazole: |
Antibiotic used to treat Giardiah. Occasionally given prophylactic. |
* These are the same ingredients as found in HeartGuard+
Veterinary Examination
| Veterinary examination includes: |
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Confirmation and Assessment of proper:
A fecal test is also done to eliminate the presence of parasites. Puppy can continue to develop parasites and should be monitored and treated until 16 weeks minimum. |
Temperament Assessment
| Mutual agreement by each family member of temperament as experienced with each puppy during daily handling, observation with litter mates and dam. A complete assessment can not be made until about the 10th-11th week. Various assessment techniques are used to clarify temperaments. |
| Click here to learn more about the Volhard Puppy Aptitude Test. |
