Puppies in the Snow
We all went outside again and enjoyed the warmish (35 F) temperatures. The puppies LOVE it outside and chewed up the sticks poking out of the snow. They still can’t stay out for more than 10 or 15 minutes but they really enjoyed themselves while they could. I brought them in when more than three puppies were shivering. Vixen even figured out that the door we came out of was the door worth trying to get back into and scratched at it! I was impressed.
I counted and at least 5 of the 8 took advantage of the great outdoors and pooped. I tell you, house training these dogs is going to be a breeze if the new families stick to my two principles of house training: read my House Training Your Puppy post.
House Training Your Puppy
For anyone adopting a new puppy, here are my two principles of house training:
1) Keep your puppy nearby (attached by leash is best) for the first few days you get him and EVERY SINGLE TIME he starts sniffing around take him outside to the same spot and give the same command (“go pee”, “go potty outside”, “hurry up” or whatever you want).
2) For the first month or so, after every transition, take your puppy outside (see #1 above). That means after waking, playing, eating, drinking, chewing, coming out of the crate, or snuggling. Do this every single time. I know it sounds terrible and it is true, you do end up taking the puppy out (more…)
Mop Versus Puppies
Here is a very cute video clip of the now 6-week old pups having fun with clean up time! Watch as they dance and dart around the mop in their play room.
Puppy Personalities Shining Through
Puppy personalities are really starting to come to the surface. Here’s my description of the puppies’ personalities thus far:
- Dancer and Cupid – A tie for most energy, most nippy and most rascally! They will be a lot of fun but will need to have their energy burned off daily I predict.
- Vixen – a close second for energy. SO sweet! Will cuddle and when she wags her stub of a tail her whole body moves back and forth! She is adorable looking! My friend’s favorite.
- Dasher – will settle well and likes tummy rubs. One of my favorites.
- Donner will be the last one standing when my son is playing with them. He’s the one he is teaching all the tricks to. A medium nipper, will stop if you squeal. Will be a very beautiful (more…)
Pups Get Some Fresh Air
We took the puppies outside today for the first time! The weather was warmish (temps in the 50’s!) and wet but they all took to exploring immediately! They loved it and I felt proud of my instinct to wait until now to introduce them to outside. Their noses took over and everyone of them explored the snow. A couple pooped immediately (yeah!) and most ate snow and ran around. It was fun but short lived. They were all wet and shivery within 10 minutes so we went back inside and they promptly fell asleep.
Puppy Socialization
pups at play
With the holidays there has been a lot of opportunity for the pups to play with many different people – kids and adults alike. This has been really good for them. The first time they met others outside our family they were shy and subdued. But now that they get the idea of how much fun people can be they are digging it! So, if you know who we are and want to come by to help with this socialization project, please do not hesitate to call us up!
For the past 24 hours they had a super marathon of play with our cousin Kendall. She and Ryan played for hours with them and were convinced that they had taught them many things including how to give their paw (both front AND back paws!), how to go down the Little Tikes slide (LOVE Little Tikes toys- great for kids, great for puppies!) and how to dance. I’m not sure how much of those lessons the puppies retained but I do know that the puppies learned that playing with kids is WAY fun and interesting. (more…)
