The "Lemaitre Litter", born 9/21/19 - 6 beautiful puppies (4 girls, 2 boys)
Purple Boy ("Stewart") moved to Texas to live at Hill Country Pugs.
White Boy ("Winston") now lives in Florida as a companion pug.
Yellow Girl ("Coco") now lives in Michigan as a companion pug.
Pink Girl ("Marie Claire") stayed with us at Pickwick Pugs.
Black Girl ("Stella Artois") stayed with us at Pickwick Pugs.
Natural Girl ("Rocket Girl") now lives in Michigan as a companion pug.
White Boy ("Winston") now lives in Florida as a companion pug.
Yellow Girl ("Coco") now lives in Michigan as a companion pug.
Pink Girl ("Marie Claire") stayed with us at Pickwick Pugs.
Black Girl ("Stella Artois") stayed with us at Pickwick Pugs.
Natural Girl ("Rocket Girl") now lives in Michigan as a companion pug.
Here’s a chronicle of the 1st 12 weeks of their lives ... from the womb to going to their forever homes!
Guest list of visitors and people met: Mimi, Deb, Susan, Phil, Kate, Jimmy, Doc, Janet, Dr B, Dr N, Jana, Karen, John, 5 different Vet techs (does this count?!), Elise, Evie, Sally, 2 year old Tilly, Elaine, Pat, Amanda, Nia, Ginger, the Cook's Pest Control man, Dr. F., Dr F.'s techs, Kristy, Kevin, (and informal greetings of people at Home Depot, bank teller, fast food drive throughs) Julia, Annie, Kate, Emory, Amy E., Ellie Ann, Allison, Leah, Reverend Susan, 10 choir members, Abigail, Henry, Perry, Perry's dad, Pender, Pender's dad, Bella, Maryn, Isaiah, Mrs. Joe, Elianna, Ariella, Pender's Mom, Dee, Steve, Mr. McGuire, Denise, Rosie, Rosalyn, Evelyn, Heather, Ashley, Rian
Day 82: Painting, Training, Bathing, and Titering!
Today's trip to Well Being Medicine for Animals (Dr. Natalie) was amazing. Titers showed antibody levels excellent and Rocket Girl got some special acupuncture and other treatments as well as special herbs and powder supplements. Winston (King Winston) had a final training session and got a bath after his "painting session". He painted a very special painting for his new masters who will be picking him up tomorrow. We have loved you with all our heart Winston. Go, live, love, and smile deep in your heart for your whole life long!
Day 81: Teacher's Aides!
Day 80: Nummy Nummy Breakfast!
Day 79: Piano Studio Teacher's Aides!
Day 78: Pink Attends her 1st Christmas Choir Concert and Party!
Day 77: Loose Leash Walking Sessions For Everyone!
Day 76: The Pups Learn How to Decorate the Christmas Tree!
The pups also got to attend a Piano Pizza Performance Party and were a TOTAL hit with all the piano students!
Day 75: The Pups Learn How to "Drive" a "Car"!!
As per Puppy Culture protocol, everyday we try to introduce a new experience or object. Today the pups learned how to drive a car! (Well, maybe they need a few more lessons before hitting the highways!)
Here are some random scenes from the day. Their car, their new "giggle ball" toy, and some excerpts from Coco's training session. Each pup gets an individual training session (and most days 2 sessions). Coco is a superstar. Well, they all are! They absolutely love learning with positive, clicker training, and yummy treats and praise and play. Their favorite time of the day!
Miss Dior was a champion at patience with the pups today. She even took a stab at the driving the car, too! We try to only let the pugs we trust spend time (closely supervised time) with the pups. Miss Dior is the most playful of all and just seems to "get" how to be gentle and patient. They love her.
Day 74:
Here are some excerpts from some of today's training sessions. Such smart puppies and so fun to train!
Day 73:
All the pups got to go to work today! They were so well behaved and hardly made any noise at all once they settled in. They met so many folks and made so many people happy with their incredible cuteness!
White Boy (now named Winston!) took a solo trip in the car to the bank and drive through today. He was such a brave boy and the fellow at Zaxby's just about fell over with delight seeing him.
Day 72:
The pups took another trip to the vet today to get their 2nd round of vaccinations. They didn't like the stuff they put in their noses but they'll only have one more set of shots they'll get around December 21 (in 3 weeks) with their new owners. About a week after than (so after Christmas time) they'll be all set to be safe to go fun places but until then, they need to be careful to avoid places like pet stores and dog parks so they don't catch Parvo or another nasty, (deadly to pups) disease. Around 16 weeks they'll get their rabbies vaccinations and then they'll really be big boys and girls!
Stella got to take a solo trip to work with her mama today. She met lots of piano students who study at the church where she works on Mondays. She was a hit in her cute pink sweater. Sadly, phone was dead so no photos or videos of today.
Stella got to take a solo trip to work with her mama today. She met lots of piano students who study at the church where she works on Mondays. She was a hit in her cute pink sweater. Sadly, phone was dead so no photos or videos of today.
Day 71:
The pups enjoyed going to church! They sat in the parlor, not the sanctuary. They're pretty quiet pups actually but, sometimes they try out their new "barks" and squeals of delight. We played it safe. :) They were a total hit with all the choir members afterwards and got LOTS of socialization and loving.
Day 70:
The pups enjoyed their trip to Home Depot. The Iron Bowl is the perfect time to head to stores on Black Friday Weekend!
A nice day for an outing. Wind kicking in but not too cold yet. Still breezy enough for our fancy sweaters!
Day 69 (last day to be "9 weeks and something"!)
Excerpts from today's training sessions . . . . .
Day 68: The Puppies' 1st Thanksgiving!
Day 67:
Day 66:
Semi-nice weather (a bit warmer!) means time to put on new sweaters and spend some quality time outside. (In cloroxed protected area of course! Just to be safe.) (These are photos of Rocket Girl ... she will be staying with us at Pickwick Pugs along with Black Girl, "Stella Artois". Sorry no other photos ... the Cook's Pest Control guy came to do termite inspection and interrupted our photo session!)
Day 65:
Hello Day 65! What are we going to learn today?! OK, just skip ahead to the TREATS!!!
Day 64:
Susan B from Pensacola and her sister who was visiting from Denver came for a visit! Susan and her husband have 1st pick and they have been struggling to decide. She really loved them all! It eventually came down to White Boy (who we've been calling Cosmo, after his registered name "Pickwick's Cosmic Constellation in the Sky"). They are naming him Winston ("King Winston"!) after Winston Churchill. They couldn't have picked a more perfect name for him! We are so blessed that this family came into our lives and will be giving white boy such an amazing home. Winston will be joining his "brother", 1 year old Roux who is evidently a super happy pug. As Winston can tend to be on the quiet, more thoughtful side sometimes, we know Roux will give him courage and confidence.
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Day 63:
We are learning how to "drop" Christmas ornaments, bows, decorations, extension cords. Evidently, humans don't like us to chew these things! We always like the "trade off" so much though. Origen freeze-dried treats taste MUCH better than wrapping paper. :)
Puppy is good at "positive interruptor" and "touch" to redirect. No need to yell or do anything negative ... just redirect and make whatever you have much more interesting (treats! love! toys! fetch!) . . . . .
Day 62:
The pups sure like helping me cook! The smell of food was making them ready for dinner though, so manning (sitting, not jumping) was difficult ...so one of them was "talking" a little bit. But they really were hungry :)
Day 61:
Finally, nice enough weather for an outing!
Not afraid of the leaf blower! Thank you Puppy Culture Protocol!
Day 60:
Mop Muses!
Day 59:
Day 58:
Pink Poof Beds in the Piano Studio!
Days 54-57:
Day 54 morning were the pups' temperament evaluations, then we hit the road later that afternoon to head to Texas. The amazing, highly certified trainer, Abigail Witthauer did such a fabulous job as usual with the evaluations (individual videos of each pup's session are being posted on each pup's page).
The trip to Llano, Texas was looooong and I know it was tough on the pups even though we stopped over and setup nice xpens in hotel (with plastic tarp on ground). The sire's breeder needed to evaluate the litter so that she could choose her pick. She honestly had a very difficult time making the decision as she really liked them all, but purple boy was the final choice. She loved his bone, topline, and other things. The show world should be easy for him, too, as his personality is pretty unflappable. He is adjusting well and loving his new home and they are leaning toward naming him "Stewart". I think it fits perfectly! He wasn't so sure about the pig snout (on his page)
The trip to Llano, Texas was looooong and I know it was tough on the pups even though we stopped over and setup nice xpens in hotel (with plastic tarp on ground). The sire's breeder needed to evaluate the litter so that she could choose her pick. She honestly had a very difficult time making the decision as she really liked them all, but purple boy was the final choice. She loved his bone, topline, and other things. The show world should be easy for him, too, as his personality is pretty unflappable. He is adjusting well and loving his new home and they are leaning toward naming him "Stewart". I think it fits perfectly! He wasn't so sure about the pig snout (on his page)
Day 53 PDE Tests results! coming soon. All N/S and N/N.
Day 52:
The delicious lamb bones we use for working on resource guarding. (The pups have to learn to allow humans to take food away -- we treat, then return bone. We worked on "drop" command with the rocks .... they're catching on pretty fast!
Day 51:
What a big day for these guys today! They got their 1st set of vaccinations, vet listened to hearts/lungs etc. (they're doing great!), and we started their 2nd round of worming meds.
Day 50:
Our night time final "exercise" for pups was to snuggle/watch a little tv individually with dad, followed by some extra water syringe, and another clicker training session. They also had their nails cut today (not their favorite thing but there was lots of puppy Kong treats involved so they liked that!)
Training Continues!
We are still awaiting the results of the PDE test but, hopefully, they will arrive in the coming week. (Since the dam is N/N and the sire is N/S there can be a mix of the results and it will be a helpful bonus for the sire's breeders when making their pick of the litter.)
Continuing with the amazing Puppy Culture's "Communication Trinity", we had a day off in order to show Princess Buttercup at a conformation show. This worked well though as the day off really seemed to be beneficial. At this point, the puppies still work well with even social reinforcers. They SO want to play and receive praise and love. But when we introduced the raw Lamb bone for the "resource guarding" exercise, they are definitely food motivated now!
Take-a-Treat is a fun protocol for them but it also helps them have a much softer mouth (not biting as hard). Future owners will really appreciate this we hope! But they are mostly getting the hang of this. We have prepared some clorox bleached potty areas for outside, however, the weather turned EXTREMELY cold (for Alabama, but really for anywhere) so we are delaying the outdoor trips for now to avoid getting sick. However, we did introduce a litter box and are continuing to work on stacking, and attention.
The finger nail polish at the base of their tails has mostly worn off and, since they are all SO similar in looks (really! they all look so much like the dad!) we decided we needed to get something to help us more easily identify them. Ribbons or strings run too dangerous a risk of them choking or being strangled (the play rough sometimes!) so we found these elastic hair bands (for humans) at the dollar store. They are working out great! Colors:
purple boy (Manny)
pink girl (Aria)
yellow girl (Clicquot)
natural girl (Rocket Girl) (no collar)
black girl (Star)
white boy (Cosmo) - now has a GREEN collar (since they didn't have a white hairband!)
Continuing with the amazing Puppy Culture's "Communication Trinity", we had a day off in order to show Princess Buttercup at a conformation show. This worked well though as the day off really seemed to be beneficial. At this point, the puppies still work well with even social reinforcers. They SO want to play and receive praise and love. But when we introduced the raw Lamb bone for the "resource guarding" exercise, they are definitely food motivated now!
Take-a-Treat is a fun protocol for them but it also helps them have a much softer mouth (not biting as hard). Future owners will really appreciate this we hope! But they are mostly getting the hang of this. We have prepared some clorox bleached potty areas for outside, however, the weather turned EXTREMELY cold (for Alabama, but really for anywhere) so we are delaying the outdoor trips for now to avoid getting sick. However, we did introduce a litter box and are continuing to work on stacking, and attention.
The finger nail polish at the base of their tails has mostly worn off and, since they are all SO similar in looks (really! they all look so much like the dad!) we decided we needed to get something to help us more easily identify them. Ribbons or strings run too dangerous a risk of them choking or being strangled (the play rough sometimes!) so we found these elastic hair bands (for humans) at the dollar store. They are working out great! Colors:
purple boy (Manny)
pink girl (Aria)
yellow girl (Clicquot)
natural girl (Rocket Girl) (no collar)
black girl (Star)
white boy (Cosmo) - now has a GREEN collar (since they didn't have a white hairband!)
A Training Session for Aria - Pink Girl
The Fit Paws soft "balance disc" is awesome for building core and balance. The new challenges for this session were the disc and the ramp (which is used for the adult pugs to get onto and off sofa.)
A Training Session for Clicquot - Yellow Girl
For the "shaping" exercise for this training session we used the stacking blocks wooden box instead of the usual cardboard box top. Might as well kill 2 birds with 1 stone by getting pup familiar with the stacking blocks in case this is the future show pup!
Day 49 - New Identification Collars!
Day 48: Balloons and Awesome Recalls!
Day 47: Genius Pugcassos
Day 46: Thanks for charging the Ipad!
Day 45 - Baby shark pugs:
Day 44:
Day 43:
Day 42:
Day 41 - 6 Week Old Piano Prodigies!
Day 40:
Day 39:
Day 38:
Breakfast is Served!
Day 37:
More fun with Puppy Culture challenges:
When we saw the pups running to food dish, we added a "Barrier Challenge" and the "Puppy Call". Yes! Pups starting to learn "come" at such an early age, but it works! Introducing water with "rabbit bottles" and other "no drip" bowls helped, but we supplemented with a syringe as well to make sure each pup was getting enough hydration as some pups caught onto the rabbit water feeder quicker than others. When we saw the pups begin to run and jump and shake (the potty pad lol!) we introduced more interactive toys, like the "walkable keyboard".
And, the heart of puppy culture, we worked on the "Communication Trinity" . . . .
And, the heart of puppy culture, we worked on the "Communication Trinity" . . . .
- Power Up Clicker (Load the clicker)
- Box Games and shaping
- Manding
As we are not going outside yet, we did our own version of scent work abut we worked on shaping emotional responses and the "Happy CER Hit Parade" with . . .
- Exchanges
- Pick up/interrupt and treat (resource guarding)
- Touch all parts of body and treat
- Gently restrain and treat
- Treat on grooming table
Baby Sharks!
Ofcourse the pups had PLENTY of things to chew on. Learning bite inhibition seemed to come pretty quickly with this larger litter (or is coming lol ... a process for certain!) than with the previous smaller litter or singleton etc. We hear occasional "yelps" from the puppy pen as they teach their siblings that a particular bite was just a little too hard! "Ouch"! And we use a high yelp as well sometimes, immediately offering something even better (thank you Nylabone!) to chew on. Fortunately, we don't wear Louis Vuitton but, if we did, now would be the time to wear $5 sweaters from Salvation Army! (And we advise future puppy owners to gather some of the finest Salvation Army garments they can find as well!)
Day 36:
The pups at 5 Weeks:
Day 35:
This video is actually from a couple of days earlier but it is indicative of our current challenges! But with twice (or 4 times?) the mess as their tummies get used to real food. But that’s what washing machines and mops are for! We just rotate pens and constantly change out pads and linens, (which gives us more time to snuggle with each pup during the transfers!!) And, of course, take stock out in baby wipes 🤪!
Day 34:
Now that the pups’ teeth have come in we are able to start the heart of puppy culture protocol. These next weeks will be busy in different ways ... more puppy parties, and training begins! Today = barrier challenge #1 (all had a pretty easy time but pink girl ... I set the food bowl too far from the end and she got stuck in a rut). We also had a visit from an amazing 2 year old name Tilly who was SO gentle and sweet. Thank you grandma for bringing her!! And, lastly, we started to load the clicker!
Barrier Challenge #1:
Barrier Challenge #1:
Loading the clicker!
Day 33:
Suppertime! With the bottom teeth in now and some healthy biting going on, we decided to introduce puppy gruel! They took to it like fish in water and are doing so well!
Day 32:
As these final feeds are more and more precious, this special video is more lengthy to capture one of their favorite pastimes over the past month. They are getting more and more beautiful everyday.... tremendous representations of the breed with the most adorable personalities beginning to emerging. What special pugs these are! Thank you Vallarie Cuttie Smith for entrusting us with beautiful KK, and allowing us to love her these last years, encouraging us to show her and earn her championship in conformation, and supporting us through her adventures in motherhood, and thank you Kristy and Kevin Ratliff for allowing us to use your exceptional champion boy as the sire.
Day 31:
Yellow girl decided she would take the Dalmatian robot toy on!
Day 30:
Socialization Periods:
The Transitional Period ended once we say the first pup being startled upon hearing a sudden sound.
During this period we used sound protocols in 4 ways to shape emotional responses:
1) Classical Music - background for the most part of the day
2) Habituation recordings/television no more than an hour a day (they watched dvds or youtube videos for dogs on the Ipad or their dvd player)
3) Quiet room for sleeping at night
4) Startle Recover exercises
We did specific, planned exercises during this time, like dropping books or banging pots, or popping a bag, running the blow dryer, or vacuum cleaner, until we got a "whatever" response. One pot, a big metal ice bucket, was a bit too loud, though, so we won't be using that in the future! As Puppy Culture explains, "you should never be scaring your puppies. At all times the startle should be definite but moderate and recovery should be virtually instantaneous. Your puppy should look like he was jerked on a string but immediately go back to what he was doing. Sometimes all you will see is a tiny flick of an ear and that is enough. If the puppies startle violently or appear to take a few seconds or more to recover, discontinue the exercises and/or ramp back the sound until the desired 'small startle and immediate recovery' is achieved."
For our puppy music playlist, we chose a lot of Classical music (sorry, no Heavy Metal), but also some smooth Jazz, light pops, and (at the request of a future puppy owner) some Allison Kraus! (Nice choice!) The puppies had quiet time too though, as Puppy Culture explains "bombarding puppies with constant noise, even "soothing" noise is not constructive -- like all of us, puppies need quiet time for resting and settling. But about an hour of classical music from time to time is great for keeping things relaxed!"
During this period we used sound protocols in 4 ways to shape emotional responses:
1) Classical Music - background for the most part of the day
2) Habituation recordings/television no more than an hour a day (they watched dvds or youtube videos for dogs on the Ipad or their dvd player)
3) Quiet room for sleeping at night
4) Startle Recover exercises
We did specific, planned exercises during this time, like dropping books or banging pots, or popping a bag, running the blow dryer, or vacuum cleaner, until we got a "whatever" response. One pot, a big metal ice bucket, was a bit too loud, though, so we won't be using that in the future! As Puppy Culture explains, "you should never be scaring your puppies. At all times the startle should be definite but moderate and recovery should be virtually instantaneous. Your puppy should look like he was jerked on a string but immediately go back to what he was doing. Sometimes all you will see is a tiny flick of an ear and that is enough. If the puppies startle violently or appear to take a few seconds or more to recover, discontinue the exercises and/or ramp back the sound until the desired 'small startle and immediate recovery' is achieved."
For our puppy music playlist, we chose a lot of Classical music (sorry, no Heavy Metal), but also some smooth Jazz, light pops, and (at the request of a future puppy owner) some Allison Kraus! (Nice choice!) The puppies had quiet time too though, as Puppy Culture explains "bombarding puppies with constant noise, even "soothing" noise is not constructive -- like all of us, puppies need quiet time for resting and settling. But about an hour of classical music from time to time is great for keeping things relaxed!"
4 weeks old! Eliminating on their own. Expanding the pen. Teeth coming in. More curious and interactive and their personalities are emerging!
Day 29:
Trying on trick or treat costumes!
Day 28: |
Happy tails!
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Day 27:
Today the pups watched some “tv for puppies” on YouTube while I had to go into town to teach for a few hours. I found these videos peaceful myself and it made me want to go for a walk! It wasn’t this video exactly but something similar:
Buttercup (and Miss Dior) are SO fascinated with these pups. Buttercup finally couldn’t handle it and jumped up into the chair and into the pen. She quietly watched her mother Kk nurse the pups, then eventually joined in with the licking. Now she’s being a perfect mother hen.
Day 26:
At 3 and a half weeks of age the puppies are exploring and playing more and improving upon their “walking” skills! They are visiting their bigger pen a few times a day and having fun investigating new objects and toys and, of course, listening to their puppy playlist of music. Today they got to sniff half-sisters Buttercup and Miss Dior through the play pen and, so far, their guest list includes: Deb, Mimi, The Bodens, Amanda, Jimmy, The Bentons, Kate, Janet (who wouldn’t share Purple boy 😜!), Doc, and someone I’m forgetting.
Day 25:
Day 25:
Trying out their new scale!
KK says “being a mama can be a tough job, but I like my yogurt snacks!” We usually use Greek Gods probiotic honey vanilla mixed with a crushed DocRoy calcium tablet (as recommended by a fabulous neonatal pug expert who has been one of the most amazing mentors anyone could ask for.)
Transitional Period:
Approximately 14-21 Days Old
At Puppy Culture's recommendation, we gathered things like Scrubs, and Booties (for visitor biosafety) (Actually, one of the future puppy owners brought us a huge box of scrubs and masks and booties as he is a surgeon .... THANK YOU!!), toys, objects, and began scheduling carefully supervised in home socialization. They visited a bit earlier than planned since this would be their one chance because of their schedules to visit, but the socialization began in earnest about a week after their eyes opened. Visitors removed shoes (wore booties), washed hands and arms with hot water and special soap, wore scrubs, and wore clothing which was clean ...and had not been worn to a vet/dog park/boarding facility/training area etc. prior to visit.
As their eyes began to open, we made sure to avoid bright lights and upped the number of individual cuddle sessions each day as well. We introduced new tactile items and new experiences each day and, eventually, expanded the nest area with a larger pen. At this point, the pups can't carry, shake, or interact much, and they can't hear yet, so we tried to choose things with different "feels" .... Puppy Culture suggests ...
Big, soft toys with crackle paper and/or bungee inside
Big soft toys with large, soft squeaker
Pieces of fleece
Different high-traction footing (rubber, fabric)
Foil over a soft/fleece surface
Baby wipe container
And we also had things like rope balls/ and eventually cat toys.
We always tried to keep the pen free of lots of clutter, only introducing one or 2 items at a time, then removing it after a few minutes. Because they would need to have lots of uncluttered space to learn to walk! Puppy Culture: "The most productive enrichment at this stage involves the presentation of novel objects so you get the startle/recover/curiosity/exploration cycle."
As far as new experiences, sometimes they got to walk outside the pen (with no other dogs present), sometimes we carried them around the house to different rooms (always covered up to avoid drafts), and we gradually added additional pens for them to explore, tunnels, boxes, and other fun adventures. Of course, meeting and being snuggled by new people was novel to them as well!
When we started to notice a puppy being startled upon hearing a sudden sound, we knew it was time to move onto the 'Socialization Period".
As their eyes began to open, we made sure to avoid bright lights and upped the number of individual cuddle sessions each day as well. We introduced new tactile items and new experiences each day and, eventually, expanded the nest area with a larger pen. At this point, the pups can't carry, shake, or interact much, and they can't hear yet, so we tried to choose things with different "feels" .... Puppy Culture suggests ...
Big, soft toys with crackle paper and/or bungee inside
Big soft toys with large, soft squeaker
Pieces of fleece
Different high-traction footing (rubber, fabric)
Foil over a soft/fleece surface
Baby wipe container
And we also had things like rope balls/ and eventually cat toys.
We always tried to keep the pen free of lots of clutter, only introducing one or 2 items at a time, then removing it after a few minutes. Because they would need to have lots of uncluttered space to learn to walk! Puppy Culture: "The most productive enrichment at this stage involves the presentation of novel objects so you get the startle/recover/curiosity/exploration cycle."
As far as new experiences, sometimes they got to walk outside the pen (with no other dogs present), sometimes we carried them around the house to different rooms (always covered up to avoid drafts), and we gradually added additional pens for them to explore, tunnels, boxes, and other fun adventures. Of course, meeting and being snuggled by new people was novel to them as well!
When we started to notice a puppy being startled upon hearing a sudden sound, we knew it was time to move onto the 'Socialization Period".
Random Scenes Days 14-24:
Day 24:
4 AM feeding
Day 23:
In between Days 21 & 22
(3 AM feeding):
Day 21:
The pups got to meet the most wonderful couple today, and one of these lucky fluffy blessed souls will get to live out their lives with these amazing people.
Day 20:
The pups all got a checkup with Dr Borden today and he said they are all healthy, healthy pups! He listened to their hearts, lungs, and did all sorts of things. They are starting their 1st dosage of strongid...1st of many. (Shamefully, I didn’t get any photos of them this day so repeating the videos of them yesterday, but without any editing.)
Day 19:
They’re starting to “almost” 😉walk! And their personalities are starting to shine through just a bit!
Day 18:
Day 17:
Finding the best sleeping positions can be challenging sometimes!
Day 16:
Day 15:
Puppy playlist! As a musician, I love putting together each litter’s playlist. Lots of calm classical music and some other great jazz and mellow pop as well.
Research shows that longer notes tend to be calming versus staccato notes stimulating. Pure tones and regular rhythms are associated with positive states versus harsh, noisy ones (so no heavy metal!) and irregular rhythms (so no Ligetti or Bartok Out of Doors Suite!) with negative states. And a tempo that matches an animal’s resting heart rate (respiration) tends to be calming.
But I threw in a few peppy pieces which are positive and fun for the humans involved!
Neonatal Period:
We will never be able to thank a wonderful woman and pug neonatal expert, Beth Ballard, enough for her help during this challenging and sometimes very frightening period from about Day 0-14. For years she wrote the column about Neonatal Care in the Pug Talk Magazine and she knows as much if not more about helpful tips for than any vet around. For example, her tip on how to get KK's milk to drop by preparing baked chicken with 2 spoons dark beer, or recommendations for room temperature, how to deal with milk aspiration, and more. Thank you Beth. Thank you.
Puppy Culture:
OMG, and did I mention how helpful the charts and tips in Puppy Culture are for this period as well? Things like tips for daily cuddle sessions, Early Neurological Stimulation days 3-16, when and how to clip nails, and when to move onto the "Transitional Chapter" once the puppies eyes open.
Tips to weigh at approximately the same time each day. Tips on how to "supplement" the dam's licking (which she is too tired to do this at all, or sufficiently) in order to release the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) gene which helps regulate and control responses to stress. At birth, the gene is "dormant" and licking stimulates the gene to demethylate, making the gene more active. The "licked pups" grow up to be more relaxed in response to stress. But puppy culture explains that tactile stimulation can be simulated with a soft brush during the neonatal period, so we did lots of soft strokes using a makeup brush.
The charts for daily weight and ENS are INVALUABLE because the sleep deprivation during this time is painful since you are having to wake-up every 90-120 minutes to oversee the nursing, then help stimulate each puppy to eliminate, then aspirate noses, and sometimes do additional oxygen, humidifier, and other treatments, plus incubator time. Most pug breeders recommend that the dam be kept separate from the puppies when you can not supervise 100% because pugs can often accidentally step on or sit on a pup and smother. This means, the human must be there at all times to supervise every feeding and cleaning.
Honestly, there is no way we could have successfully survived this time period without the organization of the Puppy Culture workbook or something similar that was prepared in advance.
Tips to weigh at approximately the same time each day. Tips on how to "supplement" the dam's licking (which she is too tired to do this at all, or sufficiently) in order to release the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) gene which helps regulate and control responses to stress. At birth, the gene is "dormant" and licking stimulates the gene to demethylate, making the gene more active. The "licked pups" grow up to be more relaxed in response to stress. But puppy culture explains that tactile stimulation can be simulated with a soft brush during the neonatal period, so we did lots of soft strokes using a makeup brush.
The charts for daily weight and ENS are INVALUABLE because the sleep deprivation during this time is painful since you are having to wake-up every 90-120 minutes to oversee the nursing, then help stimulate each puppy to eliminate, then aspirate noses, and sometimes do additional oxygen, humidifier, and other treatments, plus incubator time. Most pug breeders recommend that the dam be kept separate from the puppies when you can not supervise 100% because pugs can often accidentally step on or sit on a pup and smother. This means, the human must be there at all times to supervise every feeding and cleaning.
Honestly, there is no way we could have successfully survived this time period without the organization of the Puppy Culture workbook or something similar that was prepared in advance.
Day 14:
2 weeks old! Praise Jesus! Here are some scenes from their 2nd week of life.
Day 13:
Another wonderful day! Each pup got to experience how a warm (not hot) hair dryer felt.... before their ears open and the sound is stressful. They liked it :) Nails trimmed yesterday and they’re getting fatter and fatter!
Day 12:
At the 4 AM feeding, we noticed that one of Natural Girl’s (Rocket Girl) eyes started to open. This means the litter is now beginning to move out of the neonatal period and into the transitional period.
We will avoid bright light as their eyes open and gradually start to introduce at least one new thing/texture each day... things like big, soft toys with crackle paper, pieces of fleece, different high-traction footing (rubber, fabric), baby wipe container. From Puppy Culture: “The most productive enrichment at this stage involves the presentation of novel objects so you get the startle/recover/ curiosity/exploration cycle.”
Once they are strong enough, we will start to get ready to expand the nest area since they’ll be learning to walk later in this period and will need unobstructed space. Most importantly, we need to start thinking about planning puppy parties because in-home socialization needs to occur weeks 3-4!
Day 11:
Day 10:
Important weigh-in with goal of having doubled birth weight:
Day 9:
Stimulating the GR gene (hopefully) by gently stroking pups with soft brush. KK is nursing a lot and tired, so helping in the effort! From Puppy Culture: “Being licked during the neonatal period stimulates a change in a glucocorticoid receptor (GR) gene. The GR gene, if activated, regulates and controls responses to stress. At birth, the gene is “dormant”. Licking stimulates the gene to demethylate, making the gene more active. The “licked pups” grow up to be more relaxed in response to stress. Research shows tactile stimulation can be simulated with a soft brush during the neonatal period.”
Day 8:
Adding breathing therapy a few times a day with nebulizer to be as safe as possible with all the milky faces during feedings.
The new electric occobaby suction tool is SO helpful and much easier and efficient than suction bulbs or other devices.
Day 7:
6 AM feeding - the start!
6 AM feeding - 15 minutes later .....
6 AM feeding - nearing the end ...
6:30ish - and we’re done....
Day 6:
Day 5:
Day 4 - Vet checkup (all are thriving!) and dew claw removal day. Dr. Nicki Williams and Jana at Galleria Animal Clinic are amazing. In “real life” Dr. Williams also sews and makes beautiful dog collars, detailed clay creations, and other crafts, so it’s no wonder that kk’s incision was meticulously beautiful!:
Day 3: Milk is plentiful! Hanging at the bar:
Purple boy worked his way into this adorable position photo op all by himself.
Day 2:
Day 1 - 9 hours old:
Throughout the night, all the pups nursed every 1-2 hours and KK did well recovering. Blue Boy, the tinniest pup enjoyed a feeding at 8:15 AM on 9-22, went back in his whelping box to rest with his siblings, then decided to take a permanent rest at around 9:30 AM. He was a blessed little creature and will be missed greatly.
Birthday, 9-21-19:
Puppy Culture - Chapter 1: Prenatal Period
Planning, Breeding and Pregnancy
Day 58 of pregnancy - Happy and Healthy
Day 57 of pregnancy - KK enjoyed her bath!
KK loves her daddy so much. She needs to have her nails cut but we didn't want to stress her out this week. (Hoping we can address this after the C-section!) She was so full she could hardly get out of her poof bed! She is still eating, but only a few bites and ONLY if some steak or chicken is added to her Farmina N&D Kibble (switching over from Ocean to Puppy formula). The other dogs were upset that we didn't let them out first but KK deserved the first wake-up call and potty break!
Weeks before:
- Puppy Culture had some fabulous tips on how to keep the mama comfortable and calm prior to the due date. It also provides fantastic lists of things that will need to be gathered and how to setup the puppy room and whelping box. We also bought/gathered things like incubator, oxygen concentrator, humidifier, and supplies like thermometers, scales, alcohol wipes, baby wipes. iodine, oral cal, calcium chews, goats milk, beef liver, baby nose aspirator, towels, lenny pads, lysol, clorox, heat lamp, battery operated small fan for KK, karo syrup, pedialyte, distilled water, and on and on and on.
- Stocking fridge and pantry with plenty of easy to make food. Planning work leave for 2 weeks of "submersion" in puppy room.
- Later, another trip to our vet for exam. And then another trip to vet for to see how many pups and schedule C-section.
- Another trip to vet for scheduled C-section.
- And then the fun began!
Months in advance:
- Supplementing with Folix Acid, Oxymate, and other important diet changes for KK
- Another wellness check with our vet to make sure KK was still in great health
- Lots of trips to our vet for progesterone testing
KK always makes friends at the vet!
- Another trip to Texas to get ready for the breeding.
- A trip to the stud breeder's vet for another progesterone test.
- These trips usually involve several days to a week of staying at an airbnb or hotel while waiting for the progesterone level to be just right.
We found a wonderful place to stay in Texas and there was the most spectacular Live Oak Tree in the backyard that was supposedly older than the town itself. It wasn't far from the downtown so we enjoyed working on "heeling" during our walks into town.
- AI with selected stud .... and another AI 2 days later.
- And then the wait . . . . . . to see if it "took" ..... and another trip to our vet for pregnancy test
Years in advance:
- Lots of travel and expense and entry fees to show mama KK in conformation to earn her AKC Championship. This verified, with her selection as "Winners Bitch" "Best of Winners" "Best Puppy" "Best of Breed" and other awards that numerous experienced judges (some pug breeder judges as well) thought she was a magnificent example of a pug and should be bred.
- Health testing for hips, knees, PDE, PK, eyes, heart etc. to make sure KK was a healthy pug and not just beautiful!
- Lots of classes and training, and more trips and expense and entry fees to earn her "Rally Obedience" Title and other fun things to see how she learns, and understand her temperament even more.
- Searching for the right stud. Contacting breeders and studying pedigrees.
- Trips to Texas for selected stud breeder to get to know KK and "sleep on" which stud would best compliment her. This was agony for her as she has so many amazing boys.
If you would like to become a part of the Pickwick Pugs family please contact us or, if you are interested in being considered as a future Pickwick pug owner, please complete the inquiry form so that we can get to know you better! We look forward to hearing from you!
