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Welcome to Millie's Diary
Date: Friday 23rd of October. Delivery day. The labour began early Friday morning. Lots of scruffing, pacing and unsettledness. 9.30 am. time to sit and reflect - lots of wall starring and at 9.32 the delivery of one beautiful black boy weighing in at: 316 grams. Not a bad start. Fifty minutes later, the arrival of a black sister - weighing in at 202 grams. A family of all blacks soon to change with the arrival of a gold boy at 11.47, the next biggest pup weighing in at 260 grams. And finally less than 20 minutes later to create a matching set, a golden girl weighing in at 256 grams. With a family of four, time for a well-deserved sleep. Later on in the day, a visit to the Vet and the receipt of perfect bill of health. 7 pm - With the pups are all feeding well and the room at a pleasant 24 degrees, it is time to enjoy the quiet pleasure of a 'job well done'.
Date: Saturday 7th of November. Two weeks old. Millie is such a great mum, a real natural - a throughly modern mother. Nursing her babies one moment and running around chasing a ball or carrying her favourite toy, the next. Well - she is a young mum, got to expect that.
The first stage in puppy development covers the first 3 weeks of your puppy's life.
All pups are born blind, deaf and without teeth and these first weeks are a very important time in his development. For most of the first 2 - 3 weeks, the puppies' needs are simple; food and sleep. The majority of their growth takes place while they sleep, so this is a critical period.
At about 2 weeks old, puppies will begin to open their eyes, and by 3 weeks his ears should also be open and tiny teeth will be appearing. Bt the end of this first puppy stage, he is aware of the world around him and is trying to crawl, bark and interact with his littermates.
Date: Monday 16th of November. Three weeks old. The pups all have their eyes open and have teeth. I began weaning this week by introducing puppy mousse. The pups now spend time playing with each other and make small growling noises. They are also escape artists and I have modified the whelping area to meet the needs of their new found mobility. They can recognise my voice and wake up when I speak to them, some of the pups are beginning to wag their tail and when placed on the training pads after eating, will eliminate there. How quickly they have grown and developed.
During this period, the puppy's muscular development increases to the point where he can walk, run, and pounce on his littermates. It is a period of endless exploration, and the puppy's interaction with his siblings teaches him a lot, including when he's biting too hard - which elicits a tough response from a littermate - and where he belongs in the aristocracy of the pack - he will alternately sleep at the bottom and top of the puppy pile.
If the puppy is misbehaving, Mum occasionally may get involved by growling at him. This discipline sharpens the puppy's sense of right and wrong, which can make training easier.
The puppy is likely to stop suckling during this time as his teeth develop.
The fourth week is usually the time when fear is developed: Most of a puppy's fears are picked up by instinct from his mother.
Monday 23rd of November. Four weeks old now and playing, sleeping, eating, eliminating is the routine through-out the day. All the pups are healthy - chubby even! And, they have had their first excursion outside. During the first visit, there was a lot of sitting and contemplating, but the next time they were off; running into the bushes, pulling off leaves, fighting with their siblings and climbing up my legs. Beautiful, happy puppies - the biggest time wasters of all time. You could watch them for hours and never be bored.
Monday 7th of December. Six weeks old - how we have changed. We are big kids now. Very independent from our canine mum who only sometimes pays us a visit. We play with each other and with our human parents whom we love to crawl all over and if they lay down we bite their hair and clothes - its all in good fun though! We have names now - Gatsby, Daisy, Winston and Sailor (nee: Georgia) and we have had our first injections and microchipping. Our registration papers have been sent into the VCA. Three of us will be staying on at Glenbrook Kennels for awhile as we all have 'showing' potential.
From four to twelve weeks, a puppy's interaction with people becomes more influential. With littermates, the puppy learns to play, develops social skills, learns the inhibited bite, explores his or her social boundaries and hierarchy, and improves physical coordination.
By five to seven weeks, a puppy needs positive human interaction as he or she develops curiosity and explores new experiences
A puppy has full use of his or her senses by seven to nine weeks. A puppy is refining his or her coordination and physical ability, and can begin to be housetrained.
At eight to ten weeks, a puppy can experience real fear involving everyday objects and experiences. During this stage, a puppy needs support and positive reinforcement
Enhancing responses, advancing social skills with littermates (proper contact), and investigating the surroundings and items takes place from nine to twelve weeks. This is a good time to begin training as a puppy will begin to focus on the people around them.
26th December. The pups are off and ready for their new homes. Where did the time go?
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