Hey Everybody!
Is it just me or did these past 7 weeks fly by?!? I feel like just yesterday they were little babies that slept majority of the time...fast forward to our week 7 video and boy did that change :)
Couple things that I go over in the video that I want to put in writing because I know it's hard not to focus on the cute pups running around- don't worry your week 7 video is below all this fun text
Feeding- when your puppy comes home at 8 weeks old they will need to eat 1 cup of TLC puppy food in the AM (we feed at 7:00am) and 1 cup of TLC puppy food in the PM (we feed at 5:00 pm). We are currently adding a little room temperature water to their food to help them chew it. This is just enough to wet the food....you can slowly remove the water over the next week. These puppies are growing quickly so their food will need to increased. Each puppies grows at a different rate so I cannot tell you an exact date to increase. The main thing is we do not want an obese puppy...this is really bad on their hips. We want to be able to see a defined waist (but not their ribs). If you puppy is active then adding a lunch feeding is recommended. If your puppy is finishing their food and searching for more then this will be a good indicator it's time to increase. If your puppy has soft stools after eating then this can be an indicator that they are getting too much food or their body is not having enough time to break it down before the next meal. For potty training purposes make sure to take your pup out right after they finish eating
Remember when your puppy arrives that this is all new to them. This is the first time they have been away from their siblings and us. Give them time to adjust and do not overwhelm them. If you have small children try to make this transition as calm as possible. Also, make sure your home is puppy proof. They are curious and also teething...so it is VERY important to make sure they are in a safe area.
Potty training: The fun fun part of a new baby puppy :)
Patience is key. Remember they have to learn it is not okay to go potty inside your house...they have no clue where their designated "potty spot" is at their new home. Do not give them free roam of the house as this will confuse them. As they get bigger and have learned where their "potty spot" is you can expand the amount of room inside your home that they can freely go to. Use your crate...I promise this helps a ton for potty training. They do not want to go potty where they have to sleep. Set your divider where they have enough room to stand up, turn around and lay back down. Let them nap in their crate and let them sleep there during the night. Take them out of the crate and immediately to their "potty spot"...make sure to give them lots of praise when they go outside.
Rule of thumb is that a puppy can hold their potty for 1 hour per month of age. Make sure you don't ask them to hold it too much past that. At night they can typically make it an additional hour but you will need to set an alarm to take them out. We don't want to wait until they cry out as this teaches them if I cry someone will let me out. If you have any questions about this just let me know and I am happy to help. If you make a plan and stick to it you will have a potty trained puppy in no time. At this point, you do not have to crate them ;)
Last but definitely not least is creating a well behaved puppy. Always ask yourself- I know this behavior may be cute now but will it be cute when they are 70 + pounds?!? For example, if a cute little puppy jumps up on your leg and your initial response is to pet them or pick them up then you are rewarding that behavior and they do not understand why they are no longer allowed to do that when they are 12 months old. So, no jumping or chewing....make sure to correct these behaviors from the beginning.
If you have any questions at any time please do not hesitate to ask....we are here to help in any way possible.
Enjoy your new puppy and please keep us posted on how they are doing!
Now for the part you've been waiting for...happy week 7 video :)
Thank you,
Alyson Stuart
Southland Goldens
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