If I have learned anything in the past few weeks it has been that everyone needs a Golden Irish. Seriously, these puppies are ADORABLE! I see so many of the great attributes of both parent breeds all mixed together in a litter of floppy-eared puppy sweetness.

The puppies have the playful and confident Irish Setter nature, but it’s toned down just a bit by the affectionate and gentle Golden Retriever personality. All these puppies want to do is play and love on whoever is close by. When I bring food to the puppies in the morning, I am greeting with happy barks and wagging tails, and my feet are swarmed by a mob of fluffy, wiggly puppies. (Not a bad start to the day. I highly recommend it!)

And I’m certainly not the only one enjoying the puppies! At least a dozen times a day, my daughter asks to go play with them. This is definitely one of the biggest benefits of family-raised puppies. Every day the puppies are loved on (and carted around by) a toddler. Although my daughter does very well with the puppies, she’s still a toddler. Gentleness is a tough concept to grasp. The puppies become very accustomed to being picked up and squeezed by little arms. They aren’t frightened by her loud squeals and giggles. In fact, they learn to LOVE it!

Besides playing and enjoying all the sweetness, there is a lot of work going on with the puppies, as well! At five weeks old, the puppies are well on their way to being weaned. I begin weaning at four weeks old, and I transition them slowly off of mama’s milk with the goal of having them fully weaned between six and seven weeks old.

Right now, the puppies are eating Life’s Abundance Large Breed Puppy Food mixed with raw goat milk. For the first while, the food needs to be softened. Once the puppies are used to chewing and using those needle-sharp teeth, I stop adding the goat milk. I like using goat milk over just water, because goat milk adds nutrients, protein, and healthy fat. This is beneficial for the puppies who are slower to wean.

Once the puppies are weaned off of their mother’s milk, their immunity is weakened. Because of this, each of the puppies will be started on NuVet Plus Immune System Supplements. These supplements help build and protect the young immune systems. Because of the antioxidants in the supplement, it’s also beneficial for the puppies to be receiving them during while getting their puppy shots. Some studies have shown that puppies who have received antioxidant supplements are able to give a better immune system response to their puppy vaccines.

In addition to the weaning process, the puppies are continuing their early training and socializing. They are getting to interact with our other dogs, and they are getting to experience new sights and sounds like lawn mowers, thunder, and vacuum cleaners. Next week, I will also begin crate training! I’m very pleased with how the puppies are doing with their potty training so far; and I’m sure that by eight weeks old, they will have a solid foundation to begin the house breaking process at their new homes.

This litter has been a lot of fun so far, and Jade has done a wonderful job as a first time momma! I am looking forward to the weeks ahead with these sweet little pups!