Time to talk about what the puppies are being weaned on and fed as they grow ... etc.
Remember to order your NuVet vitamins and the Potty Park from our website. The potty park takes a while to get, so plan ahead.
The puppies are very good with the potty park, however, a small puppy doesn't have complete control of their bladder until they are 12-16 wks old and can be expected to know what to do by the time they are 20 wks old with reliable training. A doggy door is an excellent way to teach lifetime good habits.
A small puppy can be distracted and easily exciteable, it's all in the planning for a new puppy. Remember to give your puppy lots of time to relieve themselves with solid boundaries where to "go" and where not to go. It really doesn't take as long as it sounds, just be fair to the puppy and give them a way to make good lifetime habits.
Best lifetime habits for a new puppy is "earned" and not giving the whole house right away. They will need their safe area that they can't make a mistake. I use exercise pens, potty parks, outside time that's ALWAYS observed unless they have a safe area already scanned for dangerous things and escape routes. A small puppy will eat anything: rocks, wood, grass, poisonous household things kept in the garage or shed. Take this time to puppy proof your home for the new puppy coming home. Set aside a place during the day in all weather that's a safe zone and inside sleeping area that they are comfortable and know it's there safe zone.
Please remember until your puppy has ALL of their puppy shots AND rabies shot, they are VERY susceptible to EVERTHING.
No parks or public places until the puppy has all of their shots plus their rabies shot. Always protect your puppy/doggie.
Right now I have the big puppies (11 wks old) 8x8x4' tall kennel with two exercise pens that they can play with Pippa. When there's "mistakes" of poo and pee elsewhere I make it smaller to remind them it's done on the potty park or outside, no exceptions. Believe it or not ... they get it. Poodles are smart, my adult poodles know when they haven't been completely good without being yelled at. Poodles DO NOT need a heavy hand, they are naturally affectionate, cuddly and innately intelligent with good training. If your poodle seems out of control ... it's something you are doing ... or not doing ... take them to a good quality positive dog training.
What is my puppy eating?
Puppies will be weaned on rice baby cereal in about a week. Few days later I mix with chicken or lamb baby food and then a few days after that, beef. About a week or so, I soften and squish in Fromm Puppy kibble. About six weeks old I start to introduce just kibble which is crunchy and sharpens and keeps their teeth strong.
By 8 wks old, they will be use to (and spoiled) with Fromm puppy kibble, Orijin kibble, Stella & Chewy's meat patties, NuVet vitamins, they will know what raw dog food is like, cooked chicken breast, etc. They will have eaten many times the "DE" (momma has had it from before they were conceived). They will be extremely familiar to the potty park and expected to use it.
more details...
You can find "Fromm puppy kibble" at some pet stores. To get the larger bag, I have to order it online. PetFlow.com and PetFoodDirect.com have free shipping on order over $49. If that's not something you want to do, puppies will also be feed "Orijin". I feed our poodles holistic and organic kibble (Origin or Arcana). I also add into the adult's food "Stella & Chewy" holistic patties which the puppies will also be introduced to as they grow.
I also ask that the new owners treat their new puppies as "holistic" as possible. No topicals for fleas/ticks, no flea dips at the groomers, use hydrating (baby shampoo at first) shampoos, look for "holistic" and "organic" products. I have our house sprayed "organically" instead of putting anything directly on the poodles. I DO NOT HAVE FLEAS. However, during the spring I can have problems with ticks which is very dangerous to the doggies ... Lyme Disease ... so, what I do a couple of times a month I add DiatomaceousEarth.com (www.HowToUseDiatomaceousEarth.com) human grade (very important to be "human grade"). to their food. It's ordorless and colorless. Please see the website before using, I suggest it.
The "DE (DitomaceousEarth) is a natural organic product from the floor of the ocean. My husband mixes it with his morning drink.
BUT, I have to say, it helps 100% with ticks. I have found a little bump on my poodles and sure enough it's a tick that dies instantly on the skin as soon as they try to feed on their blood, it works! It's also effective limiting fleas, makes their poo less smelly and with using less grain or grain free foods, their poo will be 50% less than feeding the graining kibble (Eukanuba, Kirkland, etc.). I suggest looking the overall for a great life with your puppy/doggie. Who wants excess poo in the yard? no me!
Another reason to feed less grain, holistically and organically is bloat. It is not hereditary but what the doggie is fed. When you feed only grainy kibble, the aweful rawhide toys (I do not suggest rawhide), etc., the doggie's belly will swell and flip twisting at each end. It's horrible. I lost my Irish Setter to bloat at seven years old, and honestly it was our fault she died like that. I am adamant about what to feed my poodles, and so should you be.
There is no way to save a doggie with bloat. The Pet Food Recall of 2007 and 2009 has changed how many people feed their doggies. Since the "recalls" of so many of the dog foods (kibble & canned), most breeders started feeding "holistic, grain free" kibble and raw dog food. I personally like raw dog food for the peaceful thought of not causing bloat. However you have to add the raw chicken neck to their diet so their stools aren't too loose. I don't like raw chicken necks, I know many breeders do, but I don't. My poodles choke afterwards, I don't buy them.
I do however love the meaty raw "lamb bones" that OC Raw sells. But, again, they are about 1.5 hours away and do not ship, so I have take a half of a day to have it on hand, and I have to have an additional freezer which during the hot months of summer we loose power and I don't want to have a full freezer of raw dog food go bad ... hence why I use and suggest the "Stella & Chewy" patties.
Another idea if raw dog food does not appeal to you?
A previous puppy owner's son is a veterinarian here in California and has formulated a mixture you add to cooked meat. Search on "Balance It" Mercedes has given "Roxy" (on our website) this mixture for quite some time and is very happy with it. One of these days I will give it a try, but with five poodles and puppies, we are back to the additional freezer idea.
Always research for yourself
see BARF for the raw dog food
www.HowToUseDiatomaceousEarth.com
Pet Food Recalls and Food Safety
The massive pet food recalls of 2007 and more recently the pet food recalls of October 2009 have created new interest in the subject of pet food. Is it safe? How can we be sure?
Many people decided to feed raw foods (commonly called BARF - Bones and Raw Foods or Biologically Appropriate Raw Foods). Others decided to feed their pets home-cooked meals (Balance-It).
the other thing I tell my new puppy owners is to be proactive about over vaccinating your puppy. Even my vet suggests soooooo many products for the poodles and PUPPIES! I just about throw up!
so that's all for now, puppies are up walking, barking and playing. I put them in the large whelping box in the kitchen and walk by slowly, I have several little faces watching me with their heads "foggily" using their eyes to follow me. Their eyes look clear to me, but their little heads will kind of bounce as they follow me walk back and forth. Three weeks old today!
I swear they are the cutest little puppies ever!
- pictures coming soon -
