The puppies love to follow and get under foot. We
are making sure they get plenty of time outside in the sunshine.
They are still very clumsy and the grass tends to trip them up. They are in a
puppy pen that we move around the yard all day long, to give them some shade and
keep them in a clean area. Playtime is brief and then they nap, eat, drink,
potty, play and back to sleep. The first thing they do when they wake up is
potty.
When you get your puppy, he/she will be used to pottying on grass. If you
remember to carry your puppy out the door right away when he/ she wakes
up...potty training will be a breeze. Each day we try to introduce something
new, either a toy or activity, but everyday we have run time and play time with
Mama Coco. She is teaching them many important things right now that will impact
how they get along with other dogs as adults, how they treat their humans and
how well they play in a group. For this reason we don't let puppies go home
under 7 1/2 weeks. They would miss too much of their all important education
with Mama. Mama Coco is nursing about 3 to four times a day and has completely
blown her coat. You can see her new hair coming in. She is finally starting to
put on a few pounds. The puppies take a lot out of her, so we give Coco lots of
extra nutritional treats and special meals. The puppies need the immunization
from their mother's milk and Mama Coco seems to want to continue the nursing.
It's important to let the mama lead the way on how much and how often she still
wants to nurse. Some mamas are done with nursing and not too interested in their
pups, even to play with, when they get their teeth at three weeks.
I think it's a sign of an exceptional mama that wants to nurse and play with her
puppies everyday. Her devotion will make these puppies wonderful outgoing
friendly adults that are confident and happy.