We begin this week’s “RUFF TAILS” featuring 7 beautiful 5-week-old Goldendoodle puppies ………
Hello, Pup Enthusiasts!
Gabriella here, excited to share the delightful journey of our Goldendoodle puppies' first five weeks of life! With Skye, our certified therapy dog, as the proud mama, these pups are thriving under her loving care. Skye has been balancing her mom duties like a pro, and once she’s done with her well-deserved maternity leave, she’ll be continuing her journey as a service dog. Let’s dive into what these furballs have been up to!
Week 1: A Busy Start! – July 30, 2024
What Happened: Skye welcomed 7 adorable puppies into the world, and from the very beginning, she was a natural. This was her first litter, but you’d never know it. She knew exactly how to groom them, stimulate them to go to the washroom, and when and how much they needed to eat. Watching her in action was truly phenomenal!
Our Role: We monitored their health with daily weight check-ins and ensured their comfort. We also began key developmental practices:
Early Neurological Stimulation: Starting on day three, we introduced gentle exercises like head tilts and limb movements to give the puppies a head start on their neurological development.
Early Scent Introduction: We started exposing the puppies to various scents, helping them develop their sense of smell—essential for their sensory and cognitive growth.
Week 2: Eyes Opening and Potty Training Begins
What Happened: The puppies' eyes began to open, and they started to explore their little world. And guess what? Skye didn’t slow down one bit! She had perfected her rhythm and continued to care for her pups with the same dedication and love.
Our Role: Potty training started early—two weeks in, and these pups were already learning where to go! We kept up with daily weight check-ins and made sure the puppies received their first round of deworming to keep them healthy and strong.
Week 3: Playtime, Puppy Mush, and Continued Training
What Happened: The puppies began to wobble around, testing out their newfound mobility. Skye was right there with them, always ready to catch them if they stumbled. She’s a pro at helping them find their footing! We introduced puppy mush, enriched with goat milk, but Skye, being the devoted mom she is, was still all about giving them milk and tried to sneak the mush for herself.
Our Role: We continued early neurological stimulation and scent introduction, but playtime took center stage! We introduced a cat tunnel and tent for their first “fun” crate experience and started desensitizing them to loud noises. Skye also started teaching her little ones the basics of playtime etiquette—like how to bow when you want to play.
Week 4: Outdoor Safety, Potty Training Progress, and More Deworming
What Happened: As the puppies grew more curious, they began to explore the outdoors. Skye’s role shifted to teaching them playtime etiquette, making sure everyone knew the rules of gentle play.
Our Role: We focused on outdoor safety, letting the puppies experience the grass under their paws. Potty training continued, and they received their second round of deworming. The puppies were ready for the next step in crate training with the introduction of soft crates. By now, they had also started napping in their cozy cat tunnel and tent, which meant they were getting more comfortable with crate-like spaces.
Week 5: Socialization, Indoor Exploration, and a New Menu
What Happened: The puppies were ready for more adventures, and we let them roam freely in the living room and basement. Some even tackled a couple of stairs and began learning the dos and don'ts of couch behavior—yes, we’re proud couch-sharers here! Skye also began to step back from feeding the pups as they transitioned to soaked kibble, which they absolutely loved. Lastly, we introduced some Halloween costumes, it was absolutely adorable!
*********************BONUS FEATURE**********************
K9 Corner with the Chief
Caissie Canine Instruction has had the honour of assisting different security and law enforcement businesses with their working dog programs over the years.
C.C.I. will oversee their Detection or Patrol Dog Programs on a consistent basis. It is paramount to ensure that these programs are reliable, and the quality assurance is at a high level, to perform the tasks, asked of by the K9 handler and their K9.
I have enjoyed seeing the results of committed training to only be amazed at the potential of working dogs. They are invaluable in the duties of Security and Law Enforcement.
Patrol/Law Enforcement Dogs are trained to have a high level of obedience. They are also trained to apprehend and have a bark response upon command. Many are also trained to conduct tracking, area and building search, and detection for human scent. It is paramount to ensure these standards are maintained throughout the calendar year and certify annually.
I have had the honour to train Detection Dogs to detect odours of narcotics, firearms, explosives and human remains. Canines can be trained to detect just about anything. With the nasal capacity of over 300 million olfactory receptors compared to 6 million in humans, K9’s scent ability is about 40 times greater than their humans.
It does make me accountable to provide professional dog training to my corporate clients. With my many years of experience and passion in this specialized profile it allows me to exceed and offer high standards.
****************************************************************
Welcome to Doggie Dialogue
Training a new puppy can be exhausting and will require patience and consistency. You will want to create and encourage positive behaviour in your new puppy.
Here are a few tips to help you along to encourage good behaviour.
First, you can start with treats. Puppies do understand something “yummy in my tummy”. You can use treat reinforcement in most situations from potty training to socialization. This will allow your puppy to understand that whenever they do something desirable, they get a treat.
If you are not big on “treats” you can give your pup lots of affection and love. A good belly rub, excited voice, and telling them they did a job well done goes a long way.
Secondly, games are a wonderful form of positive reinforcement for your puppy. Something as simple as tug-of-war, playing tag, throwing a frisbee, or rolling a ball along the floor, will keep your puppy engaged and they can be rewarded with “playtime”.
When your puppy is rewarded with “playtime” this will help when travelling for long periods of time, as they will know when they arrive at their destination, it will be “playtime”. You can make this a habit every time you travel.
When it’s time to socialize your puppy, it is important to have your puppy get accustomed to seeing other dogs and new people. Some of our clients have enrolled their puppy in “puppy yoga” to introduce them to a new environment and new people in a fun and carefree surroundings.
You can also schedule a playdate with another friend’s puppy at your home to start. If they are good in the first few weeks with the playdate at your home, then encourage them to go over to meet some of your other friends or family members.
Remember to start slowly. Not every puppy is going to be comfortable with other K9’s or people. Do not force them to meet each other. Let this happen naturally, in your puppy’s own timing.
Comments