Welcome to Rosemary's Puppy Page!

Puppy Updates

Week 1: Here is our first puppy update! Rosemary's puppies are one week old today. It has been a tough week for us, unfortunately we did have some male pups that did not make it through the first week. It's tough to know exactly why at this age since, but it does happen and is actually very common in large litters like this. Thankfully, it does not affect Rosemary psychologically, she doesn't even know.  

Otherwise, the puppies have been gaining weight and feeding off of mama constantly. We are also supplementing with formula due to the large litter size, to make sure they are being fed adequately and not draining mama too much. We started ENS (early neurological stimulation) and ESI (early scent introduction) at 3 days old, and this will continue for around 2 weeks. Mama Rosemary is doing really well, she is up and about and already wanting to play with our other dogs. She is an amazing mom, and takes such good care of her pups.

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Week 2: Rosemary's puppies are 2 weeks old today! They are in the “Transitional Period”, meaning their little eyes begin to open and they begin toddling. I start loud noise exposure near the end of the week, since they are starting to get their sense of hearing this week. It is brief (such as dropping a dog food bowl on the ground) and it is good to get them accustomed to these sounds while small. At this early age, puppies do not yet fear sound, so we use this opportunity to get a jump start on desensitization of loud noises. Overall, puppies are growing quickly, and mama Rosemary is also doing well.

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Week 3: Puppies are 3 weeks old, time is flying! They are in their “Awareness Identification” period, where their eyes are open and they are walking around. We are starting to introduce tactile items for their enrichment, so they can see and smell toys/common objects with different textures and sounds. The puppies are now able to hear well, so we are also introducing them to new sounds every day (vacuum, dropping items on the floor, different types of music, etc). We are also starting new handling exercises with the pups, to get them accustomed to the human touch. Pups are introduced to the pine pellet tray, to start learning early potty training. 

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Week 4: The puppies have reached 4 weeks old, and the fourth week is a fun one! Puppies really come alive and engage. While puppies' ears and eyes opened almost two weeks ago, they were not fully developed or functional. Now, sight and hearing have greatly improved. Some puppies love to hear their own voice! They will practice different types of vocalizing, specifically barking. As puppies become more aware of their surroundings, they start mouthing and playing with each other and begin wagging their tails. They start building muscle strength and control, which helps to develop more balanced and coordinated walking. Pups can move forwards and backwards, and they will also start to acknowledge voices. Puppies have low fear at this age as well. 

During what we call the “Socialization Period,” we continue with much of the same protocol as the prior period, with slight changes to accommodate growing puppies with changing needs. By exposing them to a variety of tactile (footing) options, situations, shapes, sizes, and movement, we begin to foster confidence in puppies, encouraging them to believe in their own abilities. 

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Pups are eating their puppy mush and loving it! Pictures are difficult to get at this age. They are constantly moving! They just had a bath before this weeks pics, so they are a little wet :)

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Week 5: Puppies are now 5 weeks old, and this is when they move into another phase of curriculum— a little more advanced, a little bit more unpredictable. They are introduced to items with wheels, snuffle mats, items that move, etc. They are becoming more confident by the day, it is tons of fun seeing them interact with different toys and items! They are also doing amazing on their potty training to go in a litter box. 

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Week 6: The pups are 6 weeks old! They are starting to eat more solid kibble now, as their teeth are fully erupted and they are loving chewing on new things! Puppies’ individual temperaments have been emerging and this is the time that the puppies start going through a growth spurt right before going home.​

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Puppy picking is soon, which is a very exciting day! I wanted to outline some things below in order to better prepare you for that day.

1. You will be given 30 minutes to choose your puppy. Please show up at your scheduled time, as we have back to back appointments scheduled and want you to be able to utilize all of your time to choose your pup!

2. Before visiting, please do not spend time with any dogs or puppies (except for your own), or visit ANY pet stores, shelters, humane societies, dog parks etc, for a minimum of 72 hours prior. Parvo is a very dangerous, highly contagious canine virus that can be innocently transmitted on clothing and shoes. It will kill an entire litter, if they are exposed.

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Our sanitation protocol is as follows:​

1. Before entering the house, you will be asked to remove your shoes completely and leave them outside.

2. When you enter, you will be directed to the sink to wash and sanitize your hands

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Thank you so much for partaking in our efforts to keep our home clean and free from parvovirus and other harmful germs! It really does make a big difference. Please let me know that you read through this before you come next week. The address is 7530 South Pkwy. Sacramento, CA 95823.

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Week 7: Coming around 1/29​​​​​​​​​​​​​

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