So much has changed with the puppies in the last two weeks, and they are becoming a lot of fun! (A lot more work, but that’s okay.) I am beginning to see personalities, and the puppies can finally play for more than a minute or two at a time before getting tired out. They show interest in people, and they are starting to explore their world by sniffing, licking, and, of course, chewing.

Here are some of the highlights of the past two weeks:

• Potty training! I use the Misty Method of early house training, which establishes a sleep area, a play/eating area, and a potty area. This gives the puppies a solid foundation for crate and house training once they go to their new homes. I’ll be honest, though- this litter has been a bit slower than some to catch on to potty training. Things are improving, but I had a very frustrating few days where they decided to sleep in the stinky potty box and pee on their bed. 😦 After a lot of insistence, I have convinced most of them to stop peeing on their bed. They are certainly far from perfect, but I am seeing definite progress.
• Weaning time! This really shows how much the puppies have developed. They are now ready to begin transitioning off of Momma’s milk. I start with one meal a day and slowly work up to three meals a day, while decreasing the number of times they nurse from Mia. Right now, the food is softened while the puppies master how to chew. Because nutrition is such a huge part of a puppy’s overall health and well-being, I am very particular about the food I give them. For healthy puppies, we must start with a healthy diet. The puppies are starting on Life’s Abundance Small & Medium Breed Puppy Food. This food is jam-packed full of vitamins, minerals, and essential nutrients. There are high quality proteins (so important!), DHA, antioxidants, guaranteed probiotics, prebiotic fiber, Omega-3, dietary fiber, and a host of healthy fruits and vegetables. I find that my puppies do very well on this food. With my past litters, I have not had trouble with vomiting, diarrhea, bloating, or constipation. I attribute a lot of that to Life’s Abundance food. Its excellent nutrition does very well for a puppy’s young and sensitive digestive system.
  

  

Coming up in the next couple of weeks, we will continue weaning the puppies with the goal of having them fully weaned on unsoftened kibble by 7 weeks old. The puppies will also be getting their first vaccinations, their health exams, and they will be introduced to lots of new sights and sounds. I try to expose them to a variety of household and outdoor experiences to help get them accustomed to strange sights and sounds. This helps foster a calm and confident temperament. Of course, there is still a lot of socializing that needs to happen after the puppies leave my home at 8 weeks old, but I try to give them the best start that I can.

Also, one of the best things that I can do for the puppies in the next month is play with them! Simple, positive human interaction is one of the easiest and best ways to socialize young puppies. Reese is certainly having a lot of fun playing with the puppies now that they do more than just sleep. I have given them a few toys chew on and play with, but they truly enjoy getting human attention, whether its snuggling on an open lap, getting a belly scratch, or playing a little game of chase.

Yesterday, I took some pictures of the puppies. The individual pictures went very well (you can see them here), so I decided to try a group shot of all of the puppies. I have seen adorable pictures of puppies all lined up and looking sweetly at the camera. I thought surely I could get a picture like that. However, I learned that this is not a one-person job.

Perhaps I’ll try this again another day when I have someone to help me. 🙂

And one more picture for today. This little pup was SO tired after getting his picture taken. I hope the rest of your week is as relaxing as this!