As They Grow

Whelping

Every litter is raised in our nursery, and they start their lives with constant supervision. At five weeks of age, the puppies are moved from the nursery to the puppy playroom, where they are introduced to stimuli, children, and cats. Not much will phase or startle these puppies later on in life once they have lived their first couple of months in our house.

Weaning

I start to introduce food to the pups around five weeks of age. When Momma is outside, the puppies are offered food several times a day. By the time I wean the puppies, they are doing very well on their puppy food.

Momma spends less and less time with them during the fifth week, and by six weeks of age, I like to have the babies fully weaned. This leaves them with two weeks to spend on their own without Momma before they start moving to new homes at eight weeks old.

6-8 Weeks of Age

This is not only a critical time for the puppies but it’s also one of the most demanding periods for our family. This is when our daughters step in and play an important role. After our puppies have been weaned, I split up the litter into groups of two or three puppies. This helps them learn how to be more independent instead of relying on the pack mentality.

With this technique, I have found that the puppies end up exhibiting less dominance, submission, and passive behavior, resulting in very even-tempered puppies. At six weeks of age, they have started potty- and crate-training. At this point, they are introduced to potty pads when they are inside, and weather-permitting, they take lots of trips outside to play with the girls.

In the evenings, all of our puppies are put in their crates, tucked in as soft music plays in the background, and left alone undisturbed until the morning.

Health Care & Prevention

The health of our puppies is critical to us. Every puppy has its own individual file and detailed records that follow each puppy to their new family. We make sure all routine medical needs are met for each puppy until they arrive at their next home.

• Weeks 2, 4, 6, 8: The puppies are dewormed with Pyrantel.
• Weeks 6, 8, 10, 12: All puppies are vaccinated for Distemper and Parvo.
• Week 8: Puppies are vaccinated for Bordetella.
• Week 12: All puppies receive Frontline for flea and tick prevention.
• Week 12: The puppies receive Heartgard for the prevention of heartworms.

Health Certificate

I work very closely with Dr. Boyd Mills of Durant Animal Hospital and Dr. Joe Ferguson of Ferguson Animal Health. Two of our local veterinarians, they perform a complete exam on every one of my puppies before each puppy goes to their new family.

At this visit, the vet signs a health certificate stating that he feels our puppies are healthy and free of infectious diseases. During these exams, the vet checks the functioning of each puppy’s heart, lungs, eyes, ears, bite, throat, and hip flexion. He also looks at the condition of each puppy’s skin, coat, and body. Each puppy’s temperature is recorded, and the puppy is checked for external parasites, such as fleas, ticks, and ear mites.

I can say with 100% certainty that every one of our puppies has passed their puppy exam with flying colors!

Microchipping

We offer the option to have your new puppy microchipped before they come home with you. We don’t like to think about it, but disasters do happen, and sometimes, dogs get lost, go missing, or are stolen. Thankfully, microchips offer a permanent form of identification that can help you reunite with your dog if any of these instances arise.

We use AKC Reunite microchips, and we take care of the paperwork on your behalf. Your puppy will have a lifelong membership to AKC Reunite, meaning you won’t have to worry about any annual fees. We currently offer this service for a one-time fee of $50.

“One out of three pets will go missing in its lifetime. Make sure your pet has every chance possible of making it home safely.”

– AKC REUNITE

Since we never know when one of our puppies will be adopted, we pride ourselves on raising every one of them like they are staying with us forever. The puppy that you receive will be healthy, happy, and well-socialized.

We appreciate your interest in taking home one of ours and making them one of yours. If any of your questions have not been answered, please don’t hesitate to give us a call. We would be more than happy to speak with you!

Nanny Service

Many families either drive to us or fly in when they come to pick up their new puppy, but we understand that this is not always an option. For many years, I have flown puppies via airlines with great success, and even though that is still an option, we are excited to announce that we will now be offering a puppy nanny service as well.

This service will provide your new puppy with one-on-one attention as they make their trip to you. Your puppy will fly in the cabin, not alone in the cargo hold. We will transport your puppy in a comfortable carrier complete with a snuggly blanket.

We will be available to clean up any accidents, provide water or food as needed, and make time for potty breaks during layovers while offering lots of love and comfort along the way. It would be our pleasure to deliver a happy, healthy puppy straight into your arms. The price of this service is dependent on the available flights, the time of year, and your location.