Miniature Labradoodles
Naper Doodles
May I always be
the kind of person
that my dog thinks I am.
~Author Unknown
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Miniature Labradoodles |
May I always be |
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4/5/07 Six Weeks
old:         We had families visit this weekend -- and they all brought their crates. The pups received their first immunization at 6 weeks; this series should be completed around 16 weeks and before they are taken to public stores/parks. They are scheduled for Early Spay & Neuter on April 11th. They will be ready to go home on April 19th, 2007. |
4/1/07 Five Weeks
old:         The puppies are terrific and looking forward to meeting everyone on our Wait List. They have had time on the deck this week when it was 80 degrees, and loads of time in the kitchen (see pics of playtime on the Photos page). They have been introduced to two crates and are choosing to sleep in them on their own. Since their teeth emerged they are starting to play a bit rougher, chewing at toes and fingers some, so we have already initiated "OUCH!" and removal of the chewable extremity. Our children love on the pups daily. Each puppy gets carried around the house and yard (by me only). They still nurse 4-5 times per day but are eating their dry Canidae kibble very well, nothing is "mushy" anymore. They use the potty area VERY well if the space is limited (at night) but some still squat anywhere when their space is extended in the big playpen. We have asked local families to bring their own crate during their visit, and we have crates available for our distance families. |
3/22/07 Four Weeks
old:         Each of the pups
gained 30-35% of their body weight in the last week. Their
world has expanded with a baby-fence added to the whelping
pen. Toys have been added and they spend longer spurts awake
(but they still sleep a lot!). Our
Socialization Committee has been hard at
work. Remember to go to the
Photos page for more pictures! |
3/15/07 Three Weeks
old:         All eyes are open, and everybody can walk on four legs. I didn't include the tennis ball in the individual photos this week because they are walking so well that it's tough enough just to get a puppy in the frame, much less a prop! I did take photos of everyone in the whelping pen with the tennis ball for sizing, please see the Photos page for more cute shots. I also changed from Ric Rac to Litter Mates collars now that they are bigger-- puppies stayed the same color for identification. The puppies are 300-400% heavier than their birth weights, and they gain about 60% of their body weight per week. Joy is eating like a horse and drinking 2 gallons of water per day. She's such a good mama, and encourages them to 'exercise' by following her around the pen, hollering for milk, while she carefully licks each one. She is fine with people she knows handling the pups but watches carefully if I move one away from the others (like during our photo sessions). When she lays down there is a feeding fest. I will mail out contracts this week, they will be due with your balance when the pups are 6 weeks old. 3/19/07 Three and a half weeks: I'm so proud of our puppies! Yesterday I put down a rubber pad with a ridge around it, and placed paper towels down on top. The puppies figured out within hours that they should only potty there and keep their play/sleeping area clean! I'm floored at how quickly they "got" it! |
| 3/8/07 Two Weeks old: Narrowing down to these nine pictures from the 150 or so that I take each week is difficult! Please look at our Photos page for additional pictures.          Two pups have started opening their eyes. All will probably have open eyes in their 3 week photos. Their coats are noticeably longer to the touch and as cuddly as you can imagine. They have gone from just pushing with their hind legs to get places, to actually lifting weight on their front legs and pulling. Personalities are starting to develop and I am keeping careful notes. I am very pleased to say that all nine pups from this litter have deposits and will live in terrific forever-homes. Our next litter is expected in early August and will go to their homes in early October-- we are accepting applications now. |
3/1/07 One Week old:          Their paws and noses are turning black and their nails need to be clipped tomorrow. Please see the Photos page for more 1 week-old photos! I will be calling some of the Wait List families this weekend for decisions on whether they want to open up their gender preferences or wait for the next litter. I will know by next week how many of these male puppies are available to bless a home. 3/5/07 One and a half weeks: Oh my goodness are they growing! They are fat, sleepy, happy little puppies now. It was suggested by one of our owners-to-be that I include a standard item in the photos, like a tennis ball, so you can gauge the puppies size and growth. Will do! I clipped all of their nails (162 to be exact) so they won't scratch Joy when they nurse. They are starting to haul their milk-filled tummies around on shaky little legs to find either Mama or the Puppy Pile for warmth, but they still pretty much just eat and sleep. Joy continues to be a fantastic mom and can settle herself among them without stepping or laying on anyone. Just today they started actually wagging their little tails as they nurse! |
2/23/07 Newborn photos:
          
2/26/07 4 days old: Little noses and paws are starting to turn black today. All nine pups gained 30-50% over their original birth weight in these four days-- can you imagine that gain on a human?!? They are good suckers, and Joy has an ample diet of meat, goat's milk, yogurt and vitamins to keep her supply up. She seems amazed to be able to run again-- she had gained so much weight that running wasn't an option for most of February-- but all she is lugging around now is milk. Joy is a very good Mama and will take a short break but wants back inside to her puppies after a few minutes. She is very comfortable with the gentle attention and holding that we pore over her beautiful babies. Our whelping pen is fabulous and the "pig rails" have come in handy when a puppy gets around the backside of Joy. I sleep about five feet away and help Joy when one strays from Mama's warmth and milk during the night. |
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2/20/07 Getting ready: |
God...sat down for a
moment when the dog was finished in order to watch it...
and to know that it was good, that nothing was lacking,
that it could not have been made better.
~Rainer Maria Rilke, Austro-German lyric poet
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©2006 Naper Doodles
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