Week 1 is crucial to keeping puppies alive. The puppies are completely dependant on their mom for food and care. The puppies eyes and ears are still closed. I sleep next to the puppies whelping pool the first few weeks to help with hourly feedings and supplemental bottle feedings every hour.

Goals: Keeping up with the daily weights, keeping the puppies warm, supplementing with additional nutrients and karo syrup to avoid hypoglycemia. 

Week 2 is similar to week 1. 

Goals: making sure the puppies are gaining weight is their main goal. They should be double the weight they were when they were born. Keeping the puppies warm is crucial. They are still not able to regulate their own temperature. 

Mama Doodle- My mama doodles and poodles are working hard to keep their babies alive. This week I will give them a light bath to wash away the birth gunk. 

Eyes are opening and we are starting to litter box train. As soon as the puppies feed from their mom and scoot away to potty we place them in the litter box to release. Early training is so important to increase the chance of successful trained puppies. The puppies are now eating every 3-4 hours. 

Goal:

• slowly start weaning

• introduce the litter box

• First individual Puppy Pictures 

Week 4 is so exciting! Everyone is alert. Eyes are open, and the puppies are curious. They are awake longer learning and hearing new sounds. Mental stimulation overload this week! Instead of scooting, the puppies are standing up and wobble walking. 

Goal-

Deworming is administered and feeding is every 3-4 hours still. Puppies are still getting help with litter box training 

Probiotics are given 

The puppies are fully mobile and learning independence. They are playing with their littermates and learning to use their voice (bark). At this stage depending on their size, we will transition them into a larger playpen. The puppies become more curious and want to explore the world beyond the whelping pool. We will continue their litter box training. 

Goal:

Solids are introduced

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Week 6 we will start the weaning process. 1 meal will include warm water diluted puppy food. This is where the fun starts for us! Once the mama doodle realizes her puppies are weaning and don't rely solely on her as a food source, she will stop cleaning them and will rely on our family to help. The kennel is introduced.

Goal : ​

• deworming administered. Introduce the kennel

• Vet Apt Scheduled

• Microchip inserted

• Get paperwork finalized

• Curbside Puppy Visits 

By week 7 the puppies should be fully litter box trained. Mama doodle is no longer feeding her pups and the pups are given 3 meals a day of solid puppy food and water. 

The puppies have made it this far with our care and guidance and is now time for you to take them home and continue their training. Their vet visit is scheduled where they will receive their first round of shots and insert their microchips.