Our training has started.

Wow! It's amazing how quickly these little ones are gaining in weight and strength. Jenga is doing such an incredible good job being a mom that the puppies rarely fuss. She isn't laying with them 24/7 anymore but lays outside the whelping box only a few short steps away.


So with that information their weights today were:
Puppy #1 - Black & tan male - 379 grams
Puppy #2 - Tan/gold female - 279 grams
Puppy #3 - Black & tan female with white feet - 354 grams
Puppy #4 - Black & tan female no white feet - 312 grams
Puppy #5 - Red/Gold male - 390 grams

The girls - note their pigmentation is starting to come in.

Our littlest girl

The boys

I think this big boy is going to be a 'chocolate'!!

I had to do group pictures as the pups weren't comfortable being by themselves and I didn't want to upset the puppies or Mom.

So what kind of training does a person do with 5 day old puppies? When I raised Tennessee Walking Horses, I did 'Imprinting' which is a desensitization that led to sensitivity training. I loved the results so much I learned about the Neurological Stimulation Program for puppies which basically is the same but for canines. To learn more about the benefits of this program check out the link at http://www.breedingbetterdogs.com/articles/early_neurological_stimulation_en.php.

Today was the first day of the stimulation but I also believe in not stressing a newborn and creating a problem so at this point I'm only doing the first four out of the five activities. I perform the tactical stimulation, head held erect, head pointed down, and supine position. I'll hold off on the thermal stimulation until the puppies are better able to regulate their temperature.

We are tracking the results and will share at a later date.