Mariah’s Puppy Journey – RUN, Puppy RUN!!!
The pups are now almost 5 weeks old and the best way to describe them is FAST! They eat fast, they run fast, they escape fast and they learn FAST! Every day, I am chasing them as they try escape from their giant exercise pen in the house to chase Mariah!
They are now being weaned by Mariah because they have teeth that are incredibly sharp! She no longer wants them to nurse and hasn’t for the last week. She is still determined to spend time with them, but they chase her down and use those sharp teeth. It is amazing to watch her correct them with a “maternal correction” where she puts her mouth over the top of their muzzles to let them know she doesn’t like it. She even growls at them sometimes, and she will cry out loud to get them to stop as well. Their appetites far exceed what she can give them by nursing and honestly, they are too big to even fit on her!
It is critical in their development that Mariah is able to teach them about having a soft mouth. While I highly recommend a slow weaning process so the mother can teach the puppies what that means, it is extremely difficult to balance that with Mariah’s comfort. It is critical right now that they be in their litter together and with their mother to learn what “bite inhibition” is. When puppies leave the litter at 6 or 7 weeks old, they have not finished this important piece of growing up.
I do not “redirect” their biting on me because I see giving them a new toy for biting as a reward. Instead, I remove my affection from them, or give it to another puppy. When they stop trying to bite me, then I reward that with soft petting. Right now, they are thoroughly enjoying pets on their tummies. It is so rewarding to see them roll over to get pets on their tummies. For puppies and dogs, being on their back can be vulnerable for them, but these puppies feel safe and confident enough that they are willing to do that. There are also times they will roll over on their back to submit to another puppy. The art of play, as well as dominating and submitting is another critical development at this age.
Now that they are physically able to do so many things, I expose them to something new every day! Simple new things like a paper towel role, plastic spoons, and especially things that make noise and things they can move and bite. I am challenged to keep adding new items for them to explore.
Huge learning is going on right now! I don’t reward biting, nor do I reward jumping with petting or attention. They do love to cuddle and I embrace that! Sure makes my blood pressure go down!
This is also a time that I am introducing them to my “pack”. New dog exposure is another developmental process that occurs at this time in their lives. It can be difficult to find dogs that Mariah accepts and that are healthy and kind to puppies. The pups have been introduced to their father, Kalidor, who has touched them with many of the duties Mariah is unable to do now because of their biting. Kalidor gently licks them clean and will play with them. If they bite, he too, will give them gentle discipline.
Raising a litter of puppies is HUGE work! It is so important that breeders are there to observe and understand each phase of growth and provide learning opportunities so that a litter may blend into with their new homes easily!
Caption: Kalidor gentle nudges his son during this very special time the pups need to socialize with dogs other than their mother.
