This was brought up with me at the “puppy party” last Sunday. One of my guests was telling me how he was interested in “testing” one of his dogs after he brought the dog home (I don’t recall what age he was “testing” this puppy/dog?) I responded that yes, we do do “early neurological stimulation”. Does it make a big difference long term? Is it really worth doing it? Hmm…
My feeling has always been that it can’t hurt the puppies. And if it helps puppies have a better tolerance to stress and a greater resistance to disease later in life, why not do the early stimulation! And because “I breed for myself”, I’m down for anything that will make MY puppy a better dog!
The stimulation I am talking about is from the “bio sensor” program first developed by the military for their canine program. It consists of five types of early tactile stimulation done to puppies to stimulate their neurological system. The stimulations is done once per day from day three until pups are sixteen days old. It is just something we do for every litter.
There are five exercises or stimulations:
Tactile stimulation (between toes)
Head held erect
Head pointed down
Supine position
Thermal stimulation
The benefits of Stimulation:
Improved cardio vascular performance (heart rate)
Stronger heat beats
Stronger adrenal glands
More tolerance to stress
Greater resistance to disease
These early stimulations are then followed up with various socializing activities (many I’ve already mentioned in the puppy packets). The “window of opportunity” for socializing puppy to those various things that he/she will likely encounter during his/her lifetime is relatively narrow but well worth the effort to get puppy exposed to as many of those things mentioned previously as possible.
And as far as the benefits of that early neurological stimulation… I prefer to err on the side of providing it than neglecting to do it. Here’s hoping that all of “my” puppies grow up to be “super dogs”!
(Link below if anyone cares to read more about this… )
I’m using one of my favorites lenses for the below photos. This lens gives a velvety soft look to the shot which may not be the best for moving puppies (the lens requires manually focusing!) Still, it was fun to “play around” taking puppy photos!
Potty box or play box? Pups are playing harder with each other nowAnd they are experimenting with their mouths/teeth!
Great time meeting all the new families last Sunday who are getting a puppy from this litter! It COULD HAVE BEEN a bit cooler but all-in-all, we swung with the weather and still had a good time! I know the puppies had fun; they were all exhausted after all the guests left and slept soundly… Until the next meal that is!
Who doesn’t love watching those sleeping puppies?!
LOTS of info sent out yesterday (Puppy Packets + Contracts) along with another email packed with info… Things I wanted to make sure I said on Sunday and may have forgotten?
Puppy Weights this week (4 weeks old):
Blue (M): 4 lbs 10.6 oz
Black (M): 4 lbs 14.8 oz
Purple (M): 4 lbs 3.6 oz
Green (M): 4 lbs 6.4 oz
Pink (F): 4 lbs 13.0 oz
Lime (F): 4 lbs 9.0 oz
Red (F): 4 lbs 12.0 oz
Yellow (F): 4 lbs 6.0 oz
Orange (F): 4 lbs 6.4 oz
So our “biggest” puppy is Black Boy (4 lbs 14.8 oz) and our lightest puppy is Yellow Girl (4 lbs 6.0 oz). Essentially, the puppies are only ounces different in weight from each other! All are “chunky monkeys” and doing well eating solid food. We’ve now increased the amount in each feeding and have increased the number of times puppies are being fed per day. We have quit the goat’s milk substituting water to make sure pups stay hydrated. ALL have sharp puppy teeth; Deja is very grateful for the “help” in feeding her babies!
Speaking of sharp puppy teeth, everyone needs to make sure they buy “teething” chew toys (Nylabones are great!). This is a great way to substitute chewing on hands or clothes that puppy will likely do. And those puppy teeth are SHARP! When puppy puts their mouth on hands, just put the chew toy in their mouths (and remove your hands) instead! Pups will soon learn that hands are a “no!” but chew toys are all right to chew. You will definitely want to make sure they are chewing on these types of toys and NOT your furniture! Goldens are definitely “chewers”. And for those with kids, have them be consistent with substituting chew toys also. I would suggest that when you go to pet puppy, have a chew toy in your other hand as they will likely respond to your petting with chewing first!
After their initial bout of teething, pups will again teeth at around 4 months of age when their permanent teeth start coming in. Have those chew toys handy! ESPECIALLY for the kids when playing with puppy!!
As I may have mentioned to some folks on Sunday, we have a visiting girl with us this week. Rooster is quite enamored with his new girlfriend! I want to specifically thank Terri for helping stack puppies “just for fun”. We were just playing around and only did a few puppies but Terri has promised to come back to help evaluate puppies when they are older. This is great as I can’t stack puppies and take photos at the same time! Terri’s method of stacking puppies is very different from the way I stack puppies… I was very pleased at how well the pups did her way!
Black BoyBlue BoyGreen Boy
Meanwhile, I was worried about pup’s “going home” packages. I’m happy to report that everyone will receive a Royal Canin sampler pack courtesy of Royal Canin! These sample packs are now on order and should arrive soon! YEAH!!
Hot Pink GirlRed Girl
(Pups were sleepy when we woke them up to stack them. But for the first time being stacked, they all did very well. We only stacked these puppies this time; we’ll do all of them when they are older!)
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve counted to “nine”! 1, 2, 3, 4 and then over there, 5, 6. There is 7 & 8. Where is 9?! Where is NINE! Oh, there is 9… Whew! Checking puppies happens a LOT here! I check them when mom is in with them and I check them when mom is NOT with them! I check to see if they are too hot or too cold. I just check them ALL THE TIME! And I count to nine!
Today was “paperwork” day. I tried to make something I had “work” but that darn “editable” PDF really wasn’t so “editable”! So, I re-typed my intro out and found/corrected several typos. Oops! In reality, it needed retyping anyways. There are always “new things” to add; I would be remiss if I didn’t go over new things too. My “puppy contracts” are up-to-date and ready to be filled in by the new owners. That is another thing I wanted to “get ready”. And the info AKC mandates I have on every new home in every litter, well, my “boxes” are getting filled in which will help not only for the contracts but also for the AKC paperwork I will fill out later.
Meanwhile, folks are locking in their registered and call names. Such fun, great names so far! To the folks who haven’t decided, keep thinking! Yes, you do have time yet; I don’t absolutely NEED your names now but… If your are sure and ready, definitely let me know. We have:
Jema’s Journey of Vim, Vigor, and Valor; call name “Vee”
Jema’s Journey to the Finish; call name “Finn”
Jema’s Lost Paddle Journey; call name “Eddy”
I also chatted with Journey’s owner, Shannon, today. It has been a while since we’ve “touched base”; so nice to catch up! Shannon has been such a wonderful breeder to work with; we ALL are very lucky in that regard! We can never forget “dad” who is why we are where we are today!
I “think” we are ready for the upcoming “puppy party”? I KNOW my dogs are going to LOVE all the extra attention! And the puppies… they play hard and then they sleep but then they wake up again so it will be a fun time giving them lots of extra attention too! Crossing fingers we have nice weather to take them outside! Not too hot and not too cold!!
As everyone knows, pups have started on solid food. I wean pups on Royal Canin Starter Mousse. I swear, this is THE BEST product in the world! Okay, it is a bit “stinky” but that is why the pups probably enjoy it so much? Easy to digest; easy to eat; just the right consistency! The last thing I want is for one of my babies to choke on a home-made “gruel” that might be too thick! This stuff is the best!
Deja helps “clean up” any remainder of the food not eaten by pups and does try to clean pups a bit too! I admit, I help her out wiping faces and cleaning paws. Learning to eat is a messy business! And I’ve started “brushing” puppies. I am sure this must be a strange sensation to them but… It helps get the food out of their fluffy coats and it IS something they will need for the rest of their lives!
Speaking of Deja, now is the time we are REALLY watching her closely (well, really, when have we not watched her closely?!) She now has less demand for milk so should produce less but it is better to have a gradual drying-off period. This is the main time mastitis rears its head with her body thinking it should continue producing as much milk as she has up to now. What I really want to happen is those back nipples (the really “good ones”) to get emptied to prevent any chance of mastitis from coming back! I might say put one of the hefty boys on those back nipples but in reality, the girls are keeping up with the boys in weight. My “lighter” girls are not so light any longer!
Which brings me to 3-Week Weights:
Blue (M): 3 lbs 0.6 oz
Black (M): 2 lbs 14.2 oz
Purple (M): 2 lbs 12.6 oz
Green (M): 2 lb 12.2 oz
Hot Pink (F): 3 lb 2.8 oz
Lime Green (F): 3 lb 0.6 oz
Red (F): 2 lb 13.2 oz
Orange (F): 2 lbs 7.6 oz
Sometimes there is a “runt” in a litter. Not in this litter though! Every puppy has had a good nursing reflex and has been a strong “fighter” to get the best nipple. And once on, s/he doesn’t allow another puppy to knock them off! At one point, I thought Lime Girl was a little behind so I “helped”. To see her go after the solid food now, she is a moose! I will probably “help” orange girl over the next few days; I’m sure she’ll pick up a few extra ounces to catch up to her mates soon enough! Seeing the pups grow, it is definitely time to help Deja out and start the pups on solid food!
Deja isn’t afraid of fireworks but she isn’t going to miss a chance to be on the bed and cuddled either!
I hope everyone has a wonderful 4th of July celebration with family, friends, and neighbors today. Happy Birthday, America!! I really hope we don’t have anyone who thinks it is “all right” to set off fireworks tonight!! Our ground is dry; the grasses brown! Plus, it just isn’t good if you have animals. So like most years, Mark and I will be home with our critters ensuring everyone stays safe and out of harms way!
Have a SAFE 4th of July celebration everyone!
Sweet, sweet puppy… They LOVE to be held, cuddled, and petted
Definitely “kissable”! Love this puppy’s personality!
UPDATE (and a day late but…): Puppies have now been introduced to (and are doing very well) on the kibble they are being weaned on… Royal Canin Starter Food. The kibble is soaked until “mushy” then mixed in with the Royal Canin Mousse. And because we haven’t given them water yet (but will today), a nice drizzle of goat’s milk around the bowl. ALL puppies are chewing the softened food and drinking/licking the milk.
Then, Deja comes in to clean up any “leftovers” and helps clean puppies’ faces. Pups are now nursing while she is standing and on the move! Again, we want to make sure Deja doesn’t “explode” but pups are getting the majority of their nutrition from solid food.
And puppies… They readily seek people out for cuddling. They are all barking more and becoming more inquisitive about their surroundings which is now filled with interactive toys. They eat, they play, and they sleep! What a life, eh?!
Naming your new puppy is a BIG endeavor! There is the “registered name” and then the “call” name; what you call your puppy every day. Having a “theme” for a registered name helps folks see that these puppies, later dogs, are related. That they are part of a bigger picture. ALL the puppies whether they be the next big show dog or are the family’s companion are listed in a data base where there names show the world not only their pedigree but also that they are “family”. I am personally very proud of all of my puppies in this database whatever their future holds for them and their people!
For me, naming a puppy gets harder and harder. We’ve played the “name game” on numerous long car rides with my then young kids. The joke in our family is that my husband ALWAYS comes up with the name, “Cassiopia”! And he is always shut down when he suggests this name, LOL! For years, my son’s favorite name was “Astro”. I’m not sure if it was because of his interest in astronomy or the Jetson’s? When asked now if he thinks that is a good name for a puppy, he says no. But we laugh at how these were the names that always came up playing the “name game”!
For this litter, the theme is “Journey” as a credit to the sire of the litter; it’s his call name. I did have an idea of going into this theme but as usual, that idea evolved into something totally different. I don’t usually “announce” my name until after all the puppies have gone to their new homes and I know which puppy I am keeping but… I will here! My new puppy girl will be: Jema’s Journey Of Vim, Vigor, and Valor; her call name will be “Vee”. (Now I haven’t registered any puppies in a while, I need to double check with AKC to make sure I’m within my letter limits? But this is the name I would like to use.)
In Other News:
Pups have moved OUT of the whelping box and into their bigger space. We soon realized that the space may be a little TOO BIG right now! So, we divided that space to keep pups relatively contained mainly so they wake up when Deja is with them to feed them. It has been very hot here lately which is great knowing the pups are warm enough but the box was maybe a bit TOO WARM for Deja.
So… the following photos show the bigger space (and toys) pups will have soon probably when they are eating on their own. Several puppies have started to “lick” us which means we can start introducing solid food soon.
On to photos…
With eyes and ears now open, pups realize there is a much bigger world outside their box! They ALL have “escaped” at one time or another!Black Boy: Does this surprise anyone?! Puppy is “singing”! One of their favorite places to snoozeOh Deja! That is a puppy toy and a puppy potty box! Attentive Mommy!I just LOVE the elephant pillowAnd so does this puppy! BIG YAWN!I wonder what Deja is thinking? Probably that the pups are TOO spread out now? Curious KittyAll pups vying for the best spotDeja is a GREAT mom but she is very aware of all that is going on around her (and the puppies!) There’s ALWAYS that one puppy!Dividing the area in half. This makes it much easier for pups to find mom and for Deja to keep track of them too!
Treating Deja for mastitis… First time for everything!
What a day (and night)! It started off great celebrating the puppies First Week Birthday. Posted photos, answered emails, spent time with the other critters… And then I’m watching Deja who is in with her puppies but not letting them nurse? I sit with Deja and examine her belly… Is her C-section incision bothering her? Instead, I noticed a lump in one of her nipples. A definite hard nodule that concerned me. In addition, she had a hardened area on her belly?
This is when less experienced breeders run into problems. They may not recognize something is wrong? Now I’ve never had a girl have problems with mastitis nor did Deja have this problem with her first litter but… Something was wrong!
I did a quick google search; funny how that is now easier than looking up a chapter in any book. And I put myself “out there” asking a question in a “group”. LOTS of immediate responses! I knew about cabbage wraps but wasn’t sure how they were applied; question asked and answered! Texted hubby to pick up cabbage on his way home from work.
Cabbage is frozen then applied along her mammary chain as a cold compress
Meanwhile, I had already started the standard things one can do… warm compresses to the hardened area and massage. I put one of the puppies on the effected nipple to drain it. Of course, this made it difficult to manually express it myself to really examine what the ducts were producing! And then I get a response from a gal who commented on one of the photos that she would love to “puppy sit”. Her intentions were to “help” and to spend time with the puppies but I was thinking, she wouldn’t notice nor know what to do for this problem. That would make me more nervous than anything!
And then “worse case scenario” photos posted to “help me”? OMGosh… Now I am beginning to panic! What if this is that scenario?! Privately, I’m being messaged what helped someone else in this situation. Sound advice!
Hubby gets home with the cabbage and we do the sequence of cold compresses, warm compresses, massage, and puppies nursing. And… hubby calls the vet to get Deja in NOW!
We load up Deja and pups to go to the vet. Deja is such a good girl; she complies with what we ask her to do. The puppies are now almost too big for the warming box I use to bring home puppies; their little heads are pushing up trying to get to “mom” next to them in her crate. Their eyes and ears are not yet open but they can smell her. And they are crying for her too! Deja sees her pups and knows that they are safe next to her so is not worried.
Deja’s temp was normal until I started the massage. I am sure I caused some inflammation that pushed some of the bacteria into her blood stream that now caused the rise in temperature. Of course we’ve been taking Deja’s temp regularly since puppies arrived.
Deja is examined by the vet tech and vet upon our arrival. Antibiotics prescribed along with what I was currently doing. NOT DOING the compresses/massage would have made this situation worse. And I’m reassured this is NOT the “worse case scenario”! Although we brought with us a sample of the gunk from one of the ducts, a new sample is obtained to send in for a culture. We won’t have the results back for a few weeks and I’m thinking… Hopefully by the time we get the results back, this will be a distant bad memory?
In addition to the cold cabbage/warm compresses/massage/nursing cycle and the antibiotics, Deja is now on a probiotic that will also pass to the puppies through her milk. Although Deja’s antibiotic is safe for the puppies, it could give them diarrhea killing off the “good” flora in their guts. I had already ordered probiotics for the pups in a gel form to wipe on their tongues. At this age, they may have difficulty swallowing so care will be needed to not let them aspirate the gel probiotic. But the last thing I want to happen is for the puppies to start having diarrhea!
I also ordered Lecithin (from sunflowers) that is supposed to help with mastitis and the ducts. My vet had not heard of this but hearing this from the collective wisdom of my group, it will be started. While at the vet, I asked for a light-laser treatment. This promotes healing and is cumulative. I will likely take Deja in to the vet again soon for another laser treatment. I want that hardened mass to soften and disappear as soon as possible!
Tag-teaming with hubby, Deja’s “treatements” were done every two hours throughout the night by hubby. The hardened area is already beginning to soften. Deja is feeling better herself and ate this morning (which also included her probiotic). And being the good mommy that she is, she is back to nursing her babies. Now ALL of the puppies have a good nursing reflex but we put one of the bigger boys on the effected nipple to help drain it. We need to clear that duct(s) and get that nipple working again! And her temp is back down to “normal”.
I’ll continue the compresses/massage today and was thinking… This is why puppies are in THE MOST accessible area in our house! Puppies are not raised in a basement, garage, or barn/out building! I don’t know how people do that and are able to monitor/watch mom and pups? Had we waited or not noticed the problem until it was more severe, the outcome could have been much worse. I still can’t get the “worse case scenario” photos out of my head! Scary, scary thing to happen! Fortunately, Deja is already improved and hopefully will continue to improve. And this is now just another experience I’ve had “raising puppies”. It is definitely a labor of love!
Jennifer
P.S. Puppies are now getting up on all 4’s! Since their eyes are not open, they can’t really see where they are going so… they look like little drunk potatoes! LOL!
Photos of puppies (and other dogs) taken during pups first week.
Puppies are one week old today; this week seems to have flown by! I’ve talked to a LOT of people, answered a LOT of emails, monitored puppies (and mom)! Fortunately, I’ve had a lot of help too! Today is hubby’s first day back to work (half day) so someone is always here with mom and pups (and to help take care of the other critters too!)
Onto a photo collection of shots taken this week:
Orange GirlSuch a fun photo! Pigment at 4 days of age!! Some may have noticed? Red Girl is the lightest puppy of the litter. I would say all puppies are “medium” colored except for Red Girl who is “light”.Sweet puppy face! I wish the “sparkles” of gold showed up better in this shot on his head!Green Boy plowing his way through the “pile” (Red Girl underneath has great pigment also!)Where Red Girl is the lightest, Lime Green girl is the darkest. Everyone else is the color of Blue Boy on the left. Purple BoyOut playing with the other dogs. Here is Pixel; a “puppy” from Deja’s first litter.And our token French Bulldog, Beanie! She is a hoot!
As we are making our way through the first week of the puppies lives, I almost feel like celebrating… ALMOST! That first week is so criticial for the puppies; I feel like we are “watching them” constantly! And mom too!
First the puppies:
All are gaining weight each day; a very good sign!
All are very mobile moving all around the whelping box (and have no problem finding the “milk bar” when mom is in the box with them
And all survived having dew claws removed yesterday (day 3); sites look great today!
And then there is mom, Deja:
It is hot here, Deja is panting constantly (the “up side” of this is that the puppies are definitely NOT chilled!) We have the AC on for Deja but are making sure pups are not in any drafts. Regardless, I have now removed the heating pad in the whelping box… Pups are all spread out indicating they are definitely NOT cold!
Deja’s incision looks good; is healing well. We did pull out 4 staples that were “falling out” but the incision where these staples were has healed; is looking good.
Milk has “come in” as evidence by the puppies all gaining weight.
The “bad news” is Deja has Hot Spots on both thighs and her groin. More shaving for Deja, drying out of these areas, and treating the area w/ topical medication. Poor mama! We are keeping a very close eye on these areas!
New Families:
Thanks for all touching base with me!
I will be putting together “puppy packets” that I will send to everyone via email (in the next few weeks). This will give everyone a chance to read over info and get questions asked/answered long before puppies go to their new homes!
The “theme” for this litter’s registered names will be names that signify a journey (because it certainly has been a journey for us!) Preceding this name will be our kennel name, “Jema”. The “call name” for your puppy can be anything you want and what you will call your puppy/dog on a daily basis. An example of what I’m talking about will be one of the boy’s names: Jema’s Journey To The River; call name: “Fischer” (I hope I got that right, Terri?!) It is nice if you want to have the call name be part of the registered name but you do not have to do this. Coming up with names is a fun, family activity we usually play on long car rides or when anticipating puppy’s arrival.
As always, if you have any questions of me, please don’t hesitate to ask 🙂
Green Boy & Black BoyHow funny that they use each other as “obstacles”!Blue BoyGreen Boy again (he just happened to be in camera range; no preferences, REALLY!)“Puppy Pile!” (A good place to have pups “hang out” while I change bedding)
Hot Pink Girl (puppy nails getting clipped tonight!)A-L-M-O-S-T up and over and then, she fell asleep! Deja is SUCH a good mommy! She is very good with the puppies!
Getting clean for upcoming puppies means… BATH TIME!
Six days to go before… PUPPIES!
Puppy pen is set up and ready; supplies disinfected and waiting. Miss Deja had a bath over the weekend with disinfecting shampoo… WHEW! Special care was given to her belly/nipple area to clean all the cracks and crevices. The last thing I need to do is shave her belly to make it easier for pups to find the “milk bar”.
Deja’s ultrasound appointment is tomorrow, June 6th. We’ll get a “head count” (literally) to know how many puppies to expect on the big day! This will help in the throws of whelping to know whether she is done or not with delivering the puppies. (And if she acts like she is done but we know she still has undelivered puppies yet to go!)
It’s sort of funny… She doesn’t look overly big in these photos or when wet? In reality, she is HUGE!
In this last stage of pregnancy, Deja is sleeping alot!
So much to do yet… OH BOY! Thank goodness it is almost the weekend! It’s time to get things “set up”!
Twelve days to go and…
We got puppy movement!
We got milk!
Rooster is sniffing Deja’s ear wondering why she is always “resting”?
Deja’s wet feet from the morning dew. She thinks she will pick out the place to have her babies! No, sweet girl… You are NOT having puppies under that tree! PLEASE stop digging!!
P.S. ALL the dogs LOVE lying on the concrete floor even though they have more comfortable places to lie/sleep on! The concrete is nice and cool especially when the temps rise!
Jema Golden Retrievers 