Along the way, we will observe:
When newborn puppies open their eyes
House training a puppy (or as we affectionately call it - potty training a puppy)
Puppy Biting
Puppy Vaccinations
Puppy Grooming
Newborn puppy care
Puppy Training
Puppy Weaning
Puppy Behavior
Habituation
It will be an experience going on this journey with you. As you follow along, please share your thoughts on the bottom of the pages. Did you learn anything? How has your experience been different or been the same?
Let's begin our journey.
We chose to follow two first-time mothers. For even experienced breeders, there is an apprehension in the air with first timers. No one really knows how the mother will whelp, or what kind of mother she will be to her newborn puppies.
There is much more to learn from doing things the first time. Let's meet the mothers.
The mother of the first litter is Buttercup. Buttercup is an English Goldendoodle. She is almost 3 years old, and this is her first litter. Typically, she is relaxed and mellow, and very sociable with other dogs.
It will be interesting to see how her sociability transfers to her care of her puppies.
An ultrasound earlier on in her pregnancy showed at least 5-6 puppies. To know with any certainty with ultrasound, the only thing you can accurately go by is how many puppies you can see on the screen at the same time. Otherwise, you may come around and be seeing the same puppy from a different angle. The most puppies we could count at one time were 5 to 6.
Her due date is December 14th. In the last few days before whelping, she is extremely large. Observations were made that if she looks like that with only 6 puppies, we would hate to see what 14 puppies would make her look like!
The mother of the second litter is Coconut. She is an F1 Teddy Bear Goldendoodle. She is 2 years old, and this also is her first litter. By personality, she loves people of any age, but is slow to warm up to other dogs. It often takes her a few hours with a strange dog before she will go and play.
Will she have the same timidity towards her own puppies?
An ultrasound on Coconut showed 2 puppies. The technician felt quite confident that there would be only two because from every angle, it seemed to be the same two shapes showing up side by side.
The concerns on everyone's minds in the last week before whelping were if there are only two puppies, and there is no competition for nutrients, would puppy development be great enough that they grow so large she would not be able to deliver them.
By the end of her pregnancy, she has not grown very much, which confirms our suspicions that there will be a small litter.
Her due date is December 11th, and the nights before were quite sleepless. Keeping an eye on her was of utmost importance, as we were afraid of an emergency c-section at any time.
The time has drawn near, and whelping is imminent. The journey of puppy development continues with meeting the newborn puppies.
Puppy development is fascinating. How can such small, helpless creatures that are dependent on their mothers for everything become wonderful dogs that steal our hearts and become our best friends?
Though the scientific and technical elements of how puppies develop are interesting, it's not very exciting. Knowing how many people would like to have a litter of puppies at home for themselves and for their children; wouldn't it be great if parents and children alike can watch a litter of puppies grow?
By creating this experience, hopefully this will allow people the joy and pleasure of raising a litter of puppies without the stress of whelping, and without putting more puppies at risk of being in shelters.
Throughout the weeks that follow, we are going to follow the journey of two litters of English Goldendoodle puppies. Their story will begin as newborn puppies. Throughout the weeks to follow, we will keep track of their puppy development, observing their changes from baby puppies by following their puppy growth rate as they head off to meet the big, wide world.
Contents
Exploring the Fascinating World of Puppy Development
© 2015 Canadian English Goldendoodles: Calgary, Alberta, Canada, T2Z1W7, 403-335-5915