Oh my, how life has become intensely busy here at the Mariwyl homestead! We are puppy "servants" now, and cater to their cries, needs, wants, whims, etc. LOL
I have begun feeding the WHOLE crew, 14 of them (both litters) together in my kitchen. Everyone is marked clearly, so I know which puppy belongs to which dam! It takes less of my time at home to clean their boxes while they eat and play. Of course, when that is all done, then I wash my floor! I bet I do 3 or 4 loads of puppy laundry a day, and that's when I'm HOME! But, the more work there is, the cuter they get!
We are moving them downstairs today to the finished (almost) basement. It has a tile floor, so the cleaning is a bit easier. They won't be in their whelping "cribs" anymore. I have pens to put them in, and it will have a "litter" box with wood pellets for their "duties." The litter is called Equine Fresh, wood pellets used in horse stalls. It is very absorbent, and has a fresh odor. Certainly better than eau de puppy poop! I fill their pens with toys, crates, cots, water bottles (the rabbit type...makes for less spillage), and of course, newspaper. The puppies have always been very good about doing their business in the litter area. I clean it daily, but it's easier than moving everyone from the box to the kitchen and back again, and it keeps their eating, sleeping, play area cleaner.
The puppies all know the sound of their feeding dishes, too. What a shriek of voices when it's feeding time! LOL I'm sure the decibel level is near that of an F-14 Tomcat taking off! Only shriller. LOL
We start feeding everyone 3 times a day now, and backing the moms down to twice a day with less food. The goal for the moms is to be back at their regular meal size and type by the time the puppies are 8 weeks. The puppies are completely weaned by then, though it doesn't mean they don't try to still nurse! By that time, it looks pretty funny to see a miniature dog nursing on an adult dog! The puppies no longer look like little infant babies.
Also, this week, albeit a week later than usual, we have started worming puppies. This time around I've used the Safeguard liquid for goats (same as Panacur for dogs) in puppy doses according to their weights. This is given 3 days in a row for 3 weeks orally by syringe. I mix it with equal amounts of corn syrup, since it tastes very bitter. It takes care of all the worms that plague dogs, and is effective. Then it's up to the new families to continue to check and treat, if needed, for worms periodically. I treat my kennel twice yearly.
We have our first vet appointment for check ups, vaccines, fecal exam, etc next week after they are 6-7 weeks old. I will have their vaccine documents for each one to give to their new families, and a list of dates of worming, as well.
This is the first time I have bred and whelped 2 litters together. It wasn't as horrendous as I'd thought it might be, mainly because the litters were delivered 3 days apart. This is like raising a very large litter. I think if I had bred them weeks apart, it would be much harder to manage them and the dams at different stages of development and nursing. Plus, I DO have help from my puppy sitter, Lynette!!!! Thanks, Lynette!
Well, it's now time to start cleaning the basement and trekking puppies downstairs. That also means that my 2 older girls, Wist and Wren, who have been living in the basement kennel, get to move back upstairs. I KNOW they will be ever so grateful for that! Now next on my agenda is to have a puppy room built to accommodate puppies, dams, so that EVERYONE gets to stay inside. It's been very, very cold this winter to leave my dogs in the indoor/outdoor kennel. The garage (the indoor part of the indoor/outdoor kennel) is not insulated, so the kennel dogs come inside when the temp is below freezing. We plan to insulate the garage and add heat this summer for next winter. All the comforts of home! Oh, and there IS a/c in there, too!
Don't forget Westminster this week!!! Tuesday on USA is the sporting group! Also, on the westminsterkennelclub.org you can see the actual breed videos showing before BOB is awarded for that dog to compete at night in the group! That is uploaded after the group is judged, of course.
Pictures to come later this weekend!!!
I have begun feeding the WHOLE crew, 14 of them (both litters) together in my kitchen. Everyone is marked clearly, so I know which puppy belongs to which dam! It takes less of my time at home to clean their boxes while they eat and play. Of course, when that is all done, then I wash my floor! I bet I do 3 or 4 loads of puppy laundry a day, and that's when I'm HOME! But, the more work there is, the cuter they get!
We are moving them downstairs today to the finished (almost) basement. It has a tile floor, so the cleaning is a bit easier. They won't be in their whelping "cribs" anymore. I have pens to put them in, and it will have a "litter" box with wood pellets for their "duties." The litter is called Equine Fresh, wood pellets used in horse stalls. It is very absorbent, and has a fresh odor. Certainly better than eau de puppy poop! I fill their pens with toys, crates, cots, water bottles (the rabbit type...makes for less spillage), and of course, newspaper. The puppies have always been very good about doing their business in the litter area. I clean it daily, but it's easier than moving everyone from the box to the kitchen and back again, and it keeps their eating, sleeping, play area cleaner.
The puppies all know the sound of their feeding dishes, too. What a shriek of voices when it's feeding time! LOL I'm sure the decibel level is near that of an F-14 Tomcat taking off! Only shriller. LOL
We start feeding everyone 3 times a day now, and backing the moms down to twice a day with less food. The goal for the moms is to be back at their regular meal size and type by the time the puppies are 8 weeks. The puppies are completely weaned by then, though it doesn't mean they don't try to still nurse! By that time, it looks pretty funny to see a miniature dog nursing on an adult dog! The puppies no longer look like little infant babies.
Also, this week, albeit a week later than usual, we have started worming puppies. This time around I've used the Safeguard liquid for goats (same as Panacur for dogs) in puppy doses according to their weights. This is given 3 days in a row for 3 weeks orally by syringe. I mix it with equal amounts of corn syrup, since it tastes very bitter. It takes care of all the worms that plague dogs, and is effective. Then it's up to the new families to continue to check and treat, if needed, for worms periodically. I treat my kennel twice yearly.
We have our first vet appointment for check ups, vaccines, fecal exam, etc next week after they are 6-7 weeks old. I will have their vaccine documents for each one to give to their new families, and a list of dates of worming, as well.
This is the first time I have bred and whelped 2 litters together. It wasn't as horrendous as I'd thought it might be, mainly because the litters were delivered 3 days apart. This is like raising a very large litter. I think if I had bred them weeks apart, it would be much harder to manage them and the dams at different stages of development and nursing. Plus, I DO have help from my puppy sitter, Lynette!!!! Thanks, Lynette!
Well, it's now time to start cleaning the basement and trekking puppies downstairs. That also means that my 2 older girls, Wist and Wren, who have been living in the basement kennel, get to move back upstairs. I KNOW they will be ever so grateful for that! Now next on my agenda is to have a puppy room built to accommodate puppies, dams, so that EVERYONE gets to stay inside. It's been very, very cold this winter to leave my dogs in the indoor/outdoor kennel. The garage (the indoor part of the indoor/outdoor kennel) is not insulated, so the kennel dogs come inside when the temp is below freezing. We plan to insulate the garage and add heat this summer for next winter. All the comforts of home! Oh, and there IS a/c in there, too!
Don't forget Westminster this week!!! Tuesday on USA is the sporting group! Also, on the westminsterkennelclub.org you can see the actual breed videos showing before BOB is awarded for that dog to compete at night in the group! That is uploaded after the group is judged, of course.
Pictures to come later this weekend!!!
posted by Mariwyl Labradors | 9:43 AM
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