Noah and Forest

Don't mind my son running around in his underwear ;)

The paperwork has arrived!

I just got back from my mailbox. To my great surprise, the AKC paperwork has already arrived. I will therefore be able to give it to everyone who will pick up a puppy. The others will receive it via mail.



Here is a little video of some evening fun. The video says Forest and Chopin, but it is actually Victoria and Chopin.

Happy Thanksgiving!

We are thankful that we can provide the puppies with so much socialization with children. And we are thankful that I can provide those children with the experience of interacting with puppies, and teaching them how to handle them carefully and responsibly! And no, those are not all my children...  :)

Payment due

Families,

please don't forget that the final payment is due on Thursday. Please let me know if you have any questions about this.

This weekend I will create the contracts, and I will also start booking flights if they are already available. Please send me an email with

• last name
• first name
• birth date
• current address
• email address

to vanessa.kairuz@hotmail.com. Please put the name of your puppy in the email so I won't mix things up.

Important: If your puppy ships out, please also provide me with the address on your driver's license, if it is different from your current living address!

A sunny afternoon in the backyard

We spent a good hour in the backyard today, accompanied by our adorable puppies. It was a precious hour for the little ones, because all three adult Whippet's have been with them. That means that there was plenty of playing and also plenty of social learning. Mommy is there for nursing, aunt Ada is there for silly playing and Daddy Domino is there to show them a thing or two about hierarchy!

Noah has been pushed around in the trailer today

And it was eventually Donatella's turn. She didn't like it.

Nicholas liked it though!

All dark brindles in one picture :)

Yes, he fell out just 2 seconds later.

Harper sniffing around.

Chopin feel into a hole right after I took the picture.

That's Ice Age Candy there, getting her a** whooped

Victoria enjoyed our ornamental grass plant today!

Donatella 

Forest trying to get up after he got his a** whooped!

Ice Age Candy getting love

Forest giving love!

Do you have questions?

I know you are all getting ready for the big day, so I wanted to share these FAQ's with you. This should answer some of the questions you might have right now.

What and how are the puppies currently being fed?
We currently feed Purina ProPlan puppy kibble along with fresh raw meat. Once a week the puppies receive greek yoghurt mixed with honey and egg. Once a month we also add food grade fossil shell flour (diatomaceous earth) to their food, to prevent internal parasites and for a calcium boost. Changing your dog's diet should occur over a period of time to prevent your dog from developing gastrointestinal upset and vomiting.
The puppies have access to kibble 24/7. We usually offer our dogs access to food at all times until the age of 8 months, and then start feeding them 3 times a day at first. Around 11 months of age we change to 2 meals a day.

How do I go about potty training my puppy?
From six weeks of age and on our puppies usually got the idea of where to eliminate, and that it is sometimes necessary to hold it. For example, we currently have a 1.5 hours rest period during noon in which the puppies only have a nest, but no potty or play area. After the rest period we would take them outside to eliminate. We didn't have an accident during the rest period in over a week. I personally like to crate a puppy in order to help with the potty training. If the crate is set up as the resting space, the puppy will wait until he leaves the crate to eliminate. Here are some rules:

• take the puppy outside to eliminate every 30 - 60 minutes. 
• take the puppy outside immediately after he finished a meal or drank water
• always take your puppy to the same potty spot, so he understands what you expect him to do
• do not play with the puppy during potty breaks, as it will distract him
• praise your puppy once he eliminated

A lot of people say that a dog with 8 or 10 weeks should be potty trained. That is non sense! Most puppies do not have proper control of their bladder or bowels until the age of 12 weeks. While they are old enough to start understanding the concept of potty training, their bodies are not yet capable of holding it for very long. Potty training usually takes 4 - 6 months. 

How do I crate train my puppy?

Luckily, we start crate training our puppies from 4 weeks and on by giving them a big kennel as their nest during the day. This helps tremendously with getting them used to the kennel itself, and they actually enjoy sleeping in such a protected environment. Once they turn 7 weeks old, we start putting 2 puppies in one kennel at night (if number of dogs in litter is even...). We also give each puppy a few minutes of individual time in the kennel each day until they are 8 weeks old. Once your puppy arrives at your home, he or she will recognize a kennel and accept it as a retreat. Important: no food or water should be inside the dogs kennel. It interferes with potty training.

What should I prepare for my puppy?
Food (preferably Purina ProPlan), kennel with bedding, small bones, a toy and paper towel ;) Your puppy will comes with a puppy collar and matching leash, so you won't have to be concerned about that until your puppy is a little older. Preferably, you try to make as much time for your puppy as possible. Your puppy spent the last 8 weeks with his mother, siblings, other dogs and our family. He or she really needs you know, in order to replace all of what he had to leave behind.

Also, please puppy proof your home! One of the most important things is to prevent the puppy from chewing on electric cables!

What should I bring when I pick up my puppy at your home/the airport?

Two or three soft towels so you can wrap your puppy up and make him feel secure. Wipes to clean up accidents, and a soft voice so you can whisper in his ear that everything is going to be fine. 
IMPORTANT: Please protect your puppy from canine parvovirus and do not stop for potty breaks unless absolutely necessary. If you have to stop, take the puppy to an area that is not frequently used by other dogs or has a lot of foot traffic. 

What shots will the puppy have?
Combination vaccine (DHPP) to protect from: canine distemper, infectious hepatitis, parainfluenza, and parvovirus infection. The puppy will also be dewormed and microchipped.

Do you give your puppies the shots/microchip?
No, we leave all this as well as the deworming to our veterinarian. 

Will the puppies be health tested?
Yes, each puppy has to undergo a health screening, no matter if the puppy gets shipped or picked up. The vet will take a look at the overall appearance of the dog, and pay special attention to their heart, eyes and ears (deafness). You will receive a document with any sort of issue the vet might have noticed.

Puppies, a toddler and a piece of apple

We are having rain today... again. So we decided to have some major family play time with the puppies, while I cleaned and sanitized their run and put out fresh newspaper and pine shavings.

Gabriel, my younger son, had a blast trying to protect his apple from the puppies. 

Introduction to 2 new living areas and first solid food

Good morning families!

Several things have happened over the last couple of days, and I just wanted to give you a general overview of what has changed for the puppies.

Graduating to preschool
Now that the puppies are almost 5 weeks old they are able to climb out of their bed. Some puppies learn quicker than others but this litter seems to have learned it at the same time, because Monday morning (of course it had to be Monday.... uggghh) I walked into my living room and had 7 tiny Whippets all over the room. It was definitely time to move to their new home, which is a heated run that we set up in our garage. This is an important step because that is how potty training begins! The puppies now had to learn to sleep in their bed inside the run, but pee and poop  o u t s i d e  their bed. Not easy if you consider that up to this point, their bed was also their bathroom at the same time which mommy tried to keep clean. Now, only three days later, I can proudly announce that they all got that part down. They haven't soiled their bed in two days now. Wohooo! 

Time for fresh air
The weather has been kind to us lately, and we can enjoy mild temperatures in the later morning and the afternoon, along with plenty of sun. Yesterday I have introduced the puppies to their kennel in the backyard, where they can run, play and grow up with exposure to the outdoors! Since the puppies are not used yet to wind and the changing temperatures outside, we will gradually increase the amount of time they can spend there. 

First solid food
Around 5 weeks we also introduce the first solid food to the puppies. When it comes to weaning from the mother, we are one of the breeders that lets the puppies nurse up to their seventh week of life. A lot of breeders wean puppies abruptly at around 4 weeks of age. That can cause mastitis and other issues in the bitch, and I consider it emotionally unhealthy for the puppies to do so.
We now provide food and water for the puppies twice a day, so their stomach can get used to eating solid food. The food amount provided will gradually increase, while the amount nursed will gradually decrease. We had great success with this very slow weaning process. As a certified lactation consultant (for humans, not dogs), I know how important mother's milk is for any growing creature. From experience I can say that Moneypenny is getting sick of nursing between 6 and 7 weeks, and from then and on she would completely distance herself from her puppies and just wants them gone ;)

Meeting with the family
Now that the puppies have their own run, daddy and aunt Ada visit them to play and teach them important lessons. Several times a day we would visit the puppies, take them out of the run and let them have free roam of the garage, talk to them, run with them and pet them. This is primary to provide them with increasing physical exercise. During those times we also teach them some basic manners such as: we do not bite socks, we do not bite humans, we do not bite cables, etc

Several times a day, and especially in the evenings, I take one or two puppies inside the house where they can follow me around. Sometimes I would carry them around, have them sit on my lap while I write on my assignments or let them sleep on my tummy while I watch TV. I consider this as a crucial part of bonding between dog and human, and I also think it is important that each dog gets his fair share of individual attention.

That was a long post! I will write another one either tonight or tomorrow about the final 3 weeks!