The Socialization and Curiosity Period – 5 to 6 weeks.

Today the puppies turned 6 weeks old.  They have grown enormously during the past week.  At the weigh in today we had two puppies over 8 pounds, 7 puppies over 7 pounds and two puppies over 6 ½ pounds.  They are certainly an armful! 

The socialization of these puppies is in full swing.  At this point we regularly have repeat visitors which are always lovely but the introduction of new people to the puppies has also continued.  It’s very important that the puppies have as many positive interactions with strangers as possible during this critical period.  They need to “habituate” to all sorts of people.  I want these puppies to be happy to meet anyone regardless of how they look, move or sound.  Needless to say it’s pretty busy at our house.

In addition to socialization to people the puppies have continued to have exposure to various different noises.  They are spending time outside each day and this week they heard the loud sounds of the lawnmower, power tools, school bells ringing and noisy children playing outside at recess.  Having neighbours doing renovation work and backing onto to an elementary school have been a real bonus!  These puppies are learning not to be concerned by loud sounds.  They merrily continue doing what they were doing when the noise starts up, whether this is playing or sleeping or eating.  It’s no big deal to these pups.

New toys are regularly introduced to the puppies.  They enjoyed splashing in the baby pool, playing on their balance board and the skateboard and rolling, tugging and carrying around the various smaller toys.  It’s fun to watch them explore their environment.  Of course at this age garden pots, leaves and twigs are also fascinating toys! 

They spend time with the big dogs each day too and together Coco, Sophie and Quincy are helping to teach the puppies important dog-dog social skills.

The pups are having regular time up on the grooming table and are getting used to being combed and brushed and having their ears, feet and mouths examined. 

The week ended with the pups turning 6 weeks old. With the help of my friends Chris and Sandra we were able to get stacked side and front photos of the puppies.  Not an easy task and I am very thankful to them for their help!

The A-Team Boys

Pupdate: The End of the Second Awareness / Identification Week (28 – 35 days)

It has been a busy week here for the Coco and Dougy puppies.  Our Northrock “A” Litter has done a lot of growing over the last several days with all of the puppies now weighing over 5 pounds and some of them crossing over into the 6 pound range.   They’ve got sharp little teeth and they are learning how to use them!  I now venture into the puppy pen with socks on my feet.

 4 and 1/2 weeks old.

The puppies make a wide range of vocalizations from wimpers to yips to little puppy growls.  They are also much more agile and are able to climb up onto the stools and the overturned bin.  They are much quicker on their feet and it's fun to watch them when they really get going.  I’m pleased to say the litter training is going very well.  We’ve expanded their litter area and they now have a large 2’ x 4’ pan in which to do their business.  They haven’t made any poops in their whelping box for days now and although we do sometimes get a poop outside of the litter box it is not very frequent so I’d say for puppies that have just turned 5 weeks old this is a good success rate. 

The puppy pen at 4 1/2 weeks (day 32).

We’ve gradually been making their puppy pen larger not wanting to give them too much space too quickly so as to keep them using their litter area.  Now the pen is almost 9’ x 9’ which is a decent size for them to romp around in. We may get a few more pees and poops outside the box with the larger space but they are very smart puppies and I think they will adjust well.  New toys are regularly added and they are enjoying the cat tunnel. 

Puppy pen - day 35.

We’ve continued to have people over to visit with the puppies and we’ve begun taking the puppies outside for some fresh air.  In addition to some of the families that will be adopting puppies we’ve also had several visits from friends and neighbours which is so nice. 

Here are a few videos from the past week:

Day 32

Day 35

Day 35

Pupdate: The End of the Awareness or Identification Period (21-28 days)

Mr. Yellow

The puppies have had a wonderful 3rd week. They enjoyed a larger space filled with stimulating toys and were exposed to lots more sounds and visitors. During the 3rd week the puppies do not yet know what it means to be “afraid”. They hear a loud noise and they may startle but they just go back to doing what they were doing before their heard it. This is one of the reasons why I love the toy piano. They step on a key and it makes a noise but the puppies learn it’s no big deal.

Miss. Maroon - Day 28

Coco continues to be a great mother and washes and nurses her puppies with great patience and care.  The pups teeth have all begun to emerge and they are using their mouths to explore their world.  They play fight with each other and grab at each others legs and tails with their mouths.  They are also interacting more with their toys.  A couple have even picked them up and carried them for a very short distance.  They are more agile and have gotten quite good at backing up, it’s fun to see them zipping around then throw themselves into reverse. 

There were a couple of times this week when Coco threw up  her food which is all part of the transition to weaning.  In the wild the mothers would regurgitate partially digested food for their babies to eat.  She is still nursing her pups but not as frequently as she did in the beginning and will at times just get up and walk out of the pen when she has decided they are done at the milk bar.  There is inevitably one last hanger-on that valiantly tries to remain attached to the nipple but alas he or she falls off with a resounding plop as the suction is released.  The pups had a great week of steady growth and are now all over four pounds.

One of our biggest priorities at Northrock is the socialization of our puppies.  The critical period of socialization ends when puppies are between 12 and 13 weeks old.  Since our puppies don’t leave for their new homes until between 9 and 10 weeks that leaves a huge burden of responsibility on us to do our utmost best to give these puppies the best start we can.  When the puppies were neonates even before they could see and hear they were handled a lot by our family and by some visitors that came by to see them.  Of course germ control was always carried out and hands were well washed beforehand but the puppies were accustomed to gentle handling from birth.   Music was played regularly and the t.v. was often on in the room so that as their ears began to open they would also become accustomed to loud noises.

Neonate Mr. Brown

Now that their eyes and ears have opened and they are scampering about the puppy pen we have ramped up the things we are doing to maximize their confidence.    Socialization to people is a top priority and during their time here with us they will be exposed to many different people especially men and children.   When visitors are over the puppies learn to enjoy being handled by people.   Our guests are happy to pet and cuddle the puppies.  They gently touch their ears and tails, rub their bellies and look into their eyes.   When the puppies are older they will be given tasty treats by our visitors and they will learn that strangers are WONDERFUL! 

Because young puppies are so vulnerable to germs visitors are asked not to come over if they have been to a high traffic dog area such as dog parks, petsmart stores, dog shows or another kennel.  They are to arrive wearing clean clothes and leave their shoes outdoors.  Hands are carefully washed and sanitized prior to handling puppies.   The risk that puppies could get sick from having visitors to our home to socialize them does exist but we feel that the risk that puppies could grow up to be fearful, shy or wary of strangers is greater if they are not adequately socialized before this critical window closes. 

The radio in the “puppy room” is tuned to a classical radio station so the pups get a steady diet of classical and operatic pieces.  There have been studies done that have shown that classical music can help to relax our dogs and perhaps it does help.  Here is an article that outlines some of the benefits of playing music for our canines. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bj-gallagher/dog-music_b_1410579.html  although our family likes this type of music the pups also listen to a bunch of other selections.  The kitchen radio is tuned to jazz (a personal favourite) and the pop music that the kids sing along too gets heard regularly as well. 

The puppies are also exposed to other sounds that they will encounter once they leave our home.  Some sounds they will hear by nature of living in the “heart of the home” sounds like the doorbell, phone ringing, dishwasher, vacuum cleaner, oven timer, t.v., blender, and microwave beeping.  They hear the cat meowing for her dinner and the other dogs barking.  Our house backs onto a school yard so come next week the puppies will also hear the sounds of children playing at recess, announcements over the loudspeaker and the school bell ringing.  The room where the puppies are located is at the back of the house so in the warmer months they also hear the lawnmower going.  We have a cd that has sounds from a hunt test with guns and duck calls, people’s voices and dog’s barking. And, because the pups are growing up in a home with young children they also hear lots of sounds that come with kids such as toy trains, fire engines, piano practice and the high pitched voices of little kids laughing and at times crying too.  Here is a short video that was taken this past week...

Pupdate: The End of the Transitional Period (14 - 21 days)

Well the puppies are 21 days old today and we are through the Transitional Period (14 – 21 days).  Lots of growth has happened with the gang this past week.  All of the puppies finished opening their eyes and they are able to hear sounds now too.  Their co-ordination has skyrocketed and they are much more nimble on their feet.  They climb over one another with ease and are even able to move backwards.  What is really fun to watch is the beginnings of play as they grab at each other and Coco’s ears.  We’ve seen their little tails wag and they can make a whole symphony of sounds though my daughter still says they sound like a bunch of monkeys more than anything else!

They are all gaining well and it’s something to see them jostling one another at the milk bar as they push and shove to get the nipples they want.  I can’t help but feel that there are so many benefits to this sibling rivalry that goes on in the whelping box.  Couple the pushing and shoving and tunneling over and under littermates with Coco’s enthusiastic washing of her babies and it is quite a scene. Not only are the puppies working their muscles they are experiencing some mild stresses in the process which will help to strengthen their neurological systems.  I am ever watchful of the “feeding frenzy” and after the first frantic moments they do settle in to nurse contentedly.   Because I have been weighing the puppies every day I am constantly aware of who is gaining the most and who may need a little more nursing time and help out accordingly.

We wrapped up the Bio-Sensor exercises on day 16.  The U.S. Military implemented this program with their puppies and their findings  demonstrated  that various stimulation exercises had many lasting benefits for the pups.  Although there is some doubt as to the effectiveness of  early neurological stimulation I felt that that it certainly couldn’t hurt and since it may help our puppies I was all for it.   Studies have shown that puppies who received early neurological stimulation were stronger physiologically and were more self-confident. To learn more about the Bio-Sensor techniques that we implemented please feel free to visit Dr. Carmen Battaglia’s website and look under the Articles tab for his article: Early Neurological Stimulation (Revised).

The puppies also had lots of individual cuddle time and I can’t forget more nail trimming, which when you’re talking about 198 nails it is a lot of clipping.  The puppies were showing an interest in Coco’s food and we introduced them to ground chicken and goats milk which was well received.  Some were a little more enthusiastic than others.  There were a couple of puppies who tentatively lapped at the mix and headed back to the milk bar while others literally and figuratively dove right in!  Eagerly lapping and smacking back the meal.  Thankfully Coco helps clean everyone up afterwards because it gets downright messy at mealtime.

The week ended with the A-Team moving downstairs into our dining room which is adjacent to the kitchen and living room.  They are now in the “heart of the home” and privy to all the hustle and bustle and noises that go hand in hand with their new location.   Their new set up still has a whelping box in it but they also have more play space and a potty area.  There are toys and a snuggly bed and the other dogs can go right up to them although I haven’t allowed them to get in the pen with the puppies.  Quincy is rather indifferent to the whole pile of pups and looks at me with an expression on his aging face that says quite plainly “seriously?????”.   Cousin Sophie on the other hand is in “in love”,  she play bows at the puppies and wags her tail and is practically glued to the other side of the pen watching their every move. 

I am missing Club Barbet Canada’s First National Specialty which takes place today in Long Sault, Ontario and my thoughts are with all the competitors and spectators alike and I wish everyone a marvelous time.  As sad as I am that I can’t be there to join in the celebration, the reason I’m not able to attend is a good one. .. I am enjoying Coco and her 11 babies tremendously and they put a smile on my face every time I walk past their pen or hold a puppy next to my heart.

Pupdate: The End of the Neo-Natal Period (1-14 days)

Well a lot has happened here over the last 14 days.  Coco and Dougy's puppies are growing by leaps and bounds.  By the end of the day yesterday they were all weighing in at 2 pounds or more.  When they were first born there was very little they could do other than eat and sleep.  They were able to crawl around moving towards their mum or away from or towards the heat source.  They not only needed Coco as their food source but they also needed her to help them eliminate.  They spend so much time with their mother and even at this very early age she is teaching them the behavior they will need as adult dogs.  Research has shown that "the position used by the puppy when licked by its mother when she is cleaning it and activating the elimination reflex will actually become a ritualized submission position used to stop agonistic behavior as a grown up dog." (Pat Hastings, Another Piece of the Puzzle: Puppy Development p.20)

Mr. Brown getting a little help from Coco

Now the puppies are toddling about and all but 2 of them have opened their eyes. I imagine it won't be long before Mr. White and Mr. Brown show us their peepers...

Here are a few more photos taken in the last few days...

Puppy Pile Up - Day 12

Puppies hang out in the laundry basket for safe keeping while I clean the whelping box.

Miss. Orange manged to find her way into my bed on day 13.



Pupdate: Northrock A-Litter - Day 8

weigh-in on day 6

Our Northrock A-litter puppies are now 8 days old.  They are strong pups and getting quite quick at moving around in the whelping box.  They have grown so much since they were born.  All but two have already doubled their birth weights and I image by the end of the day today Miss. Red and Miss. Tan will also have doubled their weight as they are not far off the mark.

Miss. Orange - Day 8

Mr. Blue - Day 8

Mr. White - Day 8

Although the puppies cannot see and hear yet they can feel, taste and smell.  As soon as Coco enters the box it’s amazing how fast they can motor over to her and latch on to a nipple.   My daughter had some friends over this weekend and the girls had the opportunity to sit and cuddle with puppies.  The time is going by so quickly and I am enjoying every minute of it.

Miss. Red snuggles up after a long feeding.

The Milky Way

Eleven puppies require a lot of milk!  The good thing is that when it comes to breast milk, the more you nurse the more your milk supply builds up to meet the demand. 

Cold fresh water...room service style

Coco is being such a good mother to her puppies.  We are making sure that she gets lots of rest and plenty to drink.  We are providing her with lots of water and also a milk mixture consisting of goats milk, raw egg, oil and a bit of honey.  She is eating good wholesome meals spread out in smaller portions several times a day.  Mother care is of prime importance.  Stress and fatigue can interfere with milk production so we are not having visitors right now and the other dogs are kept downstairs so that Coco can focus on looking after her babies. 

Nursing puppies requires an increased intake of fluids.  When I was nursing my children I always made sure I had a glass of water with me.  Because she spends so much time in the whelping box, I will often bring Coco her water directly to her.  She prefers it to be cold and fresh - every time.  Yes Ma'am!  Whatever it takes to make sure you are drinking enough :0) 



All of Coco and Dougy's puppies are doing well. Here they are in the whelping box on day 4.

I am so thankful that Coco and her babies are doing well and we are doing our best to keep things going as smoothly as possible.

Northrock's A-Team has arrived!

Pre-labour...waiting for puppies in the whelping pool.

Northrock's A litter has arrived safe and sound.  Yesterday, August 4th, 2012 we welcomed Coco and Dougy's puppies to the world.  Active labour began around 2:15pm with Coco having a few small contractions which combined with squinty eyes and heavy panting gave me a pretty good feeling I would be seeing a puppy soon.   At 2:25 Coco delivered her first pup.  Mr. Blue arrived head first and weighed 10 1/4 oz.  At 6:10pm puppy # 9, Miss. Maroon was born.  Coco seemed to be finished and I cleaned up and moved the gang out of the pool and into the whelping box.  I thank God for the ease of this whelping as all pups were born strong and healthy and are doing great.

Coco with her 9 babes...thought we were done LOL

Well apparently Coco wasn't quite done having pups.  At 7:40 pm she whelped Mr. Gray followed shortly thereafter by his sister Miss. Tan.  At last, the A-Team had arrived!  Here are the 6 boys and 5 girls (all black) listed in birth order:

Mr. Blue, born at 2:25pm - 10 1/4 oz
Mr. Green, born at 3:23 pm - 11 1/2 oz
Mr. Yellow, born at 4:12 pm - 12 1/4 oz
Miss. Purple, born at 4:38pm - 11 1/2 oz
Mr. White, born at 4:51 pm - 10 3/4 oz
Miss. Red, born at 5:10 pm - 11 1/2 oz
Mr. Brown, born at 5:25 pm - 9 1/4 oz
Miss. Orange, born at 6:00pm - 10 1/4 oz
Miss. Maroon, born at 6:10pm - 10 1/2 oz
Mr. Gray, born at 7:40pm - 10 7/8 oz
Miss. Tan, born at 8:05pm - 12 3/4 oz

Northrock's A Litter - Born August 4, 2012

Thanks to everyone who has helped make this blessed event possible; Pam, Michel, Bobby & Sylvie, Julie and Kevin, Michelle and Chris...and everyone else who's support and encouragement means the world to me.  Thank you all!

Happy Coco with her rainbow of pups.

Coco's due date is fast approaching...

Today I took Coco to the vet for a puppy count x-ray.  She is 58 days from her first breeding on June 3rd (which also was very likely her ovultion date).  Coco will whelp her pups 63 days +/- day from the day she ovulated which was either June 3rd or 4th.  We like to do a pre-whelp x-ray so that we can check the number, size and position of the pups.  So far everything looks good.  How many pups can you see?

Here is a photo of Coco that was taken yesterday.  She is looking bigger that's for sure!

Coco and Dougy…together…like a wink and a smile

Coco

Dougy

This past week I travelled to Quebec to take Coco (CH Bayport Coco Chanel) to Dougy (FCC/Can CH Barbugaulois Daragon) to be bred.  She is so good to travel with and we had a really nice trip.  We had a wonderful visit with Dougy’s owners Bobby Souchereau and Sylvie Marlow and his breeder Michel Raymond.  I just love Dougy.   He is a strong healthy Barbet in great physical condition.  Not only has he proven himself in the show ring but Bobby and Sylvie take him everywhere with them and his temperament is fantastic.   I’m excited about the puppies that we could get from this combination.  

Now all there is to do is enjoy this summer weather with the dogs while we wait and pray for puppies.  It's cooling off a little right now so my daughter and I and Coco and Sophie are going to go for an evening walk to go watch my son's soccer practice.