Jack x Edie Litter: Week Eight / Nine and Heading off to Their New Homes

This is always an incredibly busy week with a litter of puppies.  Temperament testing, long car rides, structural evaluations and adventures!  Thank you to Susan And Erik Luyendyk for all your help and support on evaluation day. 

At this age the pups have truly become "little dogs". They bark and play and yip and run and do everything with great enthusiasm! In our home we refer to this as the week that's all about containment and entertainment for the puppies!

We focus on giving them fun experiences and were thankful for the very nice weather we had which allowed them to spend many hours outside playing in the fresh air and sunshine.

Novelty is important at this age so we rotate their toys, let them explore different areas in the home and give them the opportunity to experience new sounds, smells, textures, footing etc.  

The puppies have very few accidents and with many trips outside throughout the day they are well on their way to being housebroken by the time they are ready to leave the nest. 

The evening before then went home the puppies all had baths and for the most part they handled the experience quite well. The one part that I always enjoy is the snuggle and cuddle time afterwards when I get to spend all that lovely one on one time with each puppy while they are being dried off.

The go home bags for the puppies are prepared and filled with a blanket and snuggle buddy that has the scent of their litter mates, along with some treats and toys and  information about caring for their new puppy.

It's a bittersweet time knowing that they will soon be departing for their new homes and that our time with them is at an end. We have enjoyed this litter so very much.

They are all such good puppies with sweet and loving temperaments and I look forward to hearing about all of their new adventures with the families that have welcomed them into their hearts and homes. Thank you all for welcoming one of these precious puppies into your hearts and homes.

It is my pleasure to introduce the puppies with their new names, from top left to bottom right: 

Louis: Northrock's Ollie called Ollie

Hugo: Northrock's One Love called Raffi

Belle: Northrock's Once Upon A Time called Belle

Gaston: Northrock's On Cloud Nine called Finnegan

Eloise: Northrock's One In A Million called Ellie

Camille: Northrock's Oh La La called Lola

Claude: Northrock's On Top Of The World called Hugo 

Adele: Northrock's Overture At Rosebush Springs called Molly

Pascal: Northrock's Olympian called Apollo

The Jack x Edie Puppies: Week Seven

The Jack and Edie puppies had a great week - they were able to spend time playing outside and I'm please to say that they are doing very well with going out to potty. When inside they consistently use the litter boxes to eliminate in but they have multiple opportunities to go to the bathroom outside.

The weather has been nice and we've enjoyed going out to play many times a day.

Mealtime on October 30th

The mealtime routine is much more civilized than it was a few short weeks ago.  

Enjoying some recreational bones in the laundry room while the washer was going gave the Jack and Edie puppies an opportunity to acclimate to a new environment whilst enjoying something pleasant.

The puppies have a larger wire crate in their pen and they are getting used to going in there for naps.

The puppies are socialized to a select group of people who are within our pandemic bubble so they are meeting and visiting with people besides our immediate family.  We are grateful to them for helping us to give these puppies a great start. Of course our own family is in charge of the bedtime cuddles. 

The puppies are getting used to being placed on the grooming table which helps them to become familiar with being up high in preparation for their vet visit and for the future grooming sessions. Check back next week for our next diary entry with the Jack x Edie puppies.

These puppies have all been spoken for. If you would like to follow the litter's progress please join us on Facebook and like our Northrock Barbets page to see frequent updates and photos. 

The Jack x Edie Puppies: Week Six

Boy oh boy have we ever seen a real change in the coordination and increased stamina of these five week old puppies.  They race through the tunnel, climb over the makeshift bridge, go up and down the slide with ease and skill now.  They are so much fun to watch!

In addition to all of the toys and equipment in their indoor and outdoor pens we also provide auditory enrichment for the puppies and play lots of different soundtracks which have recordings from fairs, thunderstorms, fireworks, trucks and cars on them.  We back onto an elementary school and throughout the weekdays the puppies hear the sounds of children playing and screaming, the school bell and PA system.  A radio that is rotated around the room is tuned to different stations and plays regularly. 

Nap time in their indoor space

Their indoor spaces is quite a bit larger now during the day and they are doing a great job with keeping it clean and using the potty boxes to eliminate in.  We have a plastic crate set up in their pen and the puppies will sometimes choose to go in there for a little nap.

The pups are eating solid foods four times a day and we vary the dishes they eat from and where they have their meals. 

Although Edie is still nursing them we have to be sure to put her in with her puppies before she has eaten her own meal. If not she is very likely to regurgitate for her pups to help feed them herself.  It's a perfectly natural instinct but one we can do without dealing with. 

All in all it's been a wonderful week with these precious puppies and we look forward to our remaining time with these puppies as they continue to develop and grow ❤️

These puppies have all been spoken for. If you would like to follow the litter's progress please join us on Facebook and like our Northrock Barbets page to see frequent updates and photos.  

The Jack x Edie Puppies: Week Five

 

Well another week with the Jack and Edie puppies is in the books.  The puppies are an absolute delight. They are now eating solid foods four times a day as well as nursing from their dam.  They are very good pups, curious about the world around them and it's ever so entertaining to watch them play with one another, their mother and the toys in their environment.

The puppies got outside several times this past week for short intervals.  Exploring the outdoors with their mother helps to build their confidence and nursing in the fresh air and sunshine was a good experience for them. We are looking forward to being able to extend their outdoor playtime in the weeks to come.  There are a lot of leaves blowing into the pen which they are enjoying chasing after and carrying around!

 

Inside there are lots of toys for the puppies to play with. Toys to chew on and carry, to climb over and under.  They love playing with the objects that hang from their adventure box. Edie is a very attentive mother and now as the puppies are getting older it's so nice to watch her playing with them. Next will will bring even more development and adventures for these puppies.  

These puppies have all been spoken for. If you would like to follow the litter's progress please join us on Facebook and like our Northrock Barbets page to see frequent updates and photos.  

The Jack x Edie Puppies: Week Four

 

The puppies are growing up! 

What a fun week we've had with the puppies in their new space.  Located right next to the kitchen they have gotten to hear lots of new sounds, including all the preparations for our family Thanksgiving Dinner pots and pans clanging, timers going off, exhaust fans running and even the smoke detector (oops).

We also play music and different sounds for the puppies moving the speaker around the room so the sounds come from different areas. The puppies are becoming great explorers and every day interacting more and more with their mother (playing with her beard and tail) each other (bitey face is always a popular game) and the objects in their pen.  Towards the end of this week they even started picking lighter weight toys up and carrying them around.

Their inner pen is kept small to facility potty training but they have lots of time outside that space in a larger area where they can play and explore and interact with Edie.It's incredible how their coordination has improved from the beginning of the week to the end of the week.  At first they are still fairly unsteady on their legs but at the end, they are quite sure of themselves and their footing, running and turning easily and even backing up.  We keep several blankets and mats down for them at this age because without them the floor is just a little bit too slick for them to be walking on right now. 

Another big milestone happened this week when we introduced solid food to the puppies.  Although their first few meals were rather messy they sure did enjoy them! They still nurse several times a day but now they are also enjoying the more filling solid food. 

They spend a lot of time sleeping but their stamina has increased and they are now awake and playing for longer periods of time each day.  Next week will be another exciting week of growth and development for the puppies. Check back here to see what new experiences they have.

These puppies have all been spoken for. If you would like to follow the litter's progress please join us on Facebook and like our Northrock Barbets page to see frequent updates and photos.  

The Jack x Edie Puppies: Week Three

What a week it's been for the Jack and Edie puppies.  All of their senses have finally come online.  Eyes were all open at the beginning of the week and midway through the week they were able to hear.  Although they are still very nearsighted and their hearing isn't perfect, it's still a very big step forward. These new senses team up with their being able to feel, taste and smell which they could do from birth. Oh and instead of the quiet cries and chirps and trills the puppies would sometimes make, now their voices are projecting all sorts of yips and yodels and baby dog barks.

They can toddle about the box and are able to climb out so a door that their mom is able to step over has been put into the entry of the box to keep everyone contained and safe.  The puppies sleep a lot but when they are awake for a bit after having nursed they are very entertaining. Now the puppies have begun to play with one another and their mother.  I truly could sit and watch them for hours on end.

I'm still weighing the puppies twice a day to make sure that everyone is gaining as they should. I'm very glad to say that by the end of the week the puppies all weighed more than four times their birth weight and are doing well. 

Edie is a really wonderful mother to her little ones. These days she spends more time outside of the whelping box but goes in regularly to feed and clean up after her puppies. I continue to support her with a whole lot of food, fresh cold water and a great deal of love and affection.  

Another milestone was achieved this week which was the beginning stages of potty training. Pee pads were added to one side of their box and the puppies have been very good at going over to them to eliminate. 

We've a had a few visitors this week which is good for the puppies and Edie seems quite happy to show off her little family and was very welcoming to our close family friends who came to say hello.

I am treasuring each day with Edie and her puppies.  It's always a wonder and a joy to witness the growth and development of each puppy and the tenderness their mother shows to them.

These puppies have all been spoken for. If you would like to follow the litter's progress please join us on Facebook and like our Northrock Barbets page to see frequent updates and photos.  

The Jack x Edie Puppies: Week Two

It's been a calm and peaceful week here at Northrock.  I look after Edie and she looks after her puppies....ok with a litter of nine it's a bit more involved than that but you get the gist of it.  She had a spa day with a long bath and conditioning treatment and was all brushed out and feeling quite fabulous I'm sure.  

Mother care is still hugely important and this week Edie ate about 250 to 300% of her maintenance amount of food. That's a lot of room service!  She is a diligent mom and although she has begun to spend less time in the whelping box she will regularly go in to feed and clean her puppies.  Although we spend a bit of time together in the yard most of her day is spent in the nursery where she can be close to her little ones and at hand to attend to their needs.  

Cleanliness is really important and the whelping box is wiped down and the bedding washed every day.  Puppies are weighed twice daily and private nursing sessions are given to the smallest pups or the ones that hadn't gained as much the previous day.  I'm glad they are all doing well and with this little bit of extra juggling we are seeing very consistent gains and not a huge disparity in weights among the puppies. 

Their nails are done about every three days and this week I switched from the human nails clippers to the dremel which I love in part because it has a little light on the end of it so I can better see what I'm doing but mostly because the nails are kept very smooth - this lessens the chance of the puppies scratching their mother's breast tissue which could lead to infection.

Early Scent Introduction and the Early Neurological Stimulation exercises which were started last week continued through this week as well.  Plus lots of cuddle time with the pups with family members. 

Although most of the time all you see is puppies eating and sleeping, a lot of development is happening with the puppies. By the end of the week most of the puppies have tripled their birth weights and all are up on leg toddling about the box.  We added soft toys as  obstacles for the puppies to move over and around. All but one of the puppies have their eyes open and soon their hearing will come on line as well.  

The coming week will bring even more change and development so check back next weekend for another puppy update from the whelping box!

These puppies have all been spoken for. If you would like to follow the litter's progress please join us on Facebook and like our Northrock Barbets page to see frequent updates and photos.  

The Jack x Edie Puppies: Week One

 

The puppies have had a terrific first week.  Edie has settled into her new role beautifully.  She is calm and relaxed with her puppies and attentive to their needs, lovingly feeding and cleaning them throughout the day.  

The miracle of birth and transition into motherhood is awe inspiring and I am filled with appreciation and wonder with every litter. The puppies are so vulnerable at this age.  They cannot see, nor hear and are not yet able to regulate their own body temperature.  A supportive and safe environment is essential. 

It’s a fairly quiet week in the whelping room.  Our focus is to provide supportive care to Edie.  I bring cool, fresh water for her to drink and multiple meals throughout the day to her in the box. During the first few days she doesn’t want to leave her puppies but will happily eat and drink if I provide room service.

I clean the whelping box and wash the bedding daily and towards the end of the first week I begin to add some larger stuffed animals for the pups to navigate around. 

I have started trimming puppy nails every three days and on day three I start doing Early Neurological Stimulation exercises which will continue until the puppies are sixteen days old. I've also begun implementing Early Scent Introduction in which novel scents are introduced to the neonate puppies. So far the scents they have reacted to most were lavender and a smelly sock!

The puppies all have french names as the theme for this litter!

These puppies have all been spoken for. If you would like to follow the litter's progress please join us on Facebook and like our Northrock Barbets page to see frequent updates and photos.  

Welcome Jack x Edie Puppies!

 Northrock's "O" Litter - Born September 18, 2020

*** These puppies have all been spoken for***

GCH Treebeard's Jack Of All Trades x 
CH Northrock's Homegrown Honey

On September 18, 2020 nine sweet Barbet puppies were whelped at Northrock Barbets. Born to CH Northrock’s Homegrown Honey by GCH Treebeard’s Jack of All Trades we welcome 5 males and 4 females to the world. We are very grateful to Edie’s co-owner Matt McWilliams for helping to make this litter possible. And of course we also extend our thanks to Jack’s owners, Brittany Grolle, Karsten Grolle and his breeder, Janet Black Evans. We all look forward to watching these puppies grow and develop .

If you would like to follow the litter's progress please join us on Facebook and like our Northrock Barbets page to see frequent updates and photos.