Puppies Week 4~Sound Desensitization, Potty Training and Weening ~Raising a Litter

WEEK 4: Sound desensitization begins and potty training continues with rates of success increasing daily. Weening occurs now and gruel consistency thickens. Legs are learning to run, wrestling is a favorite and human interaction is desired. Follow the entire process from breeding, to whelping, to raising a litter to seven weeks at THE RETRIEVER NATION, Jasmine's Journey.
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Puppy fencing we use:
www.petsmart.com/dog/crates-g...
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[@terrialexander8141]

Oh man, we have 11 lab pups, and they are so much fun. I love watching them all come up and want to get a little attention.

[@panka54]

Hey are sooo cute! I will also do sound desensitization on my puppies! Thanks for the idea

[@naelm7797]

Love it! Where did you guys get that fencing you have around the play area?

[@TheRetrieverNation]

Here is the link to the product. We picked it up directly at the store. www.petsmart.com/dog/crates-gates-and-containment/houses-and-pens/north-statesandtrade-petyard-8-panel-pet-pen-32438.html

[@sethdavis1714]

Great videos! THANK YOU for posting. Curious what you use for the puppy chow when transitioning away from only milk, and how many times a day you offer it to them? Thanks!

[@TheRetrieverNation]

Thank you for watching! When transitioning away from milk and offering gruel, we make ours just by softening puppy food. The brand we like is Nutri Source Puppy. At right around 3 and a half weeks when the sharp teeth come in I offer it beginning with twice daily for a few days and increase from there. The schedule becomes a nursing -gruel- nursing -gruel and so on rotation with the goal of increasing the gruel as the nursing decreases. At the beginning I like to start and end the day with nursing just to help Momma eliminate some built up pressure. The goal is to eventually get Momma to twice a day twelve hours apart, then once a day, then nothing all the while filling in the other time with gruel. The consistency of the gruel will change also over the weeks from really liquidy to soft, and finally at six/seven weeks dry. The most important thing, though, is to offer water to the pups from the beginning of weening and lots of it. Always available to them. I've read some people just use heavy glass pie plates, or even chicken waterers. They go through a lot. (If you haven't introduced them to water, you may need to show them and dip their noses in). I hope this information helps!!! Good luck!

[@sethdavis1714]

@@TheRetrieverNation Wow! Thank you for such a thorough reply--SO helpful. I really appreciate it.

[@sethdavis1714]

@@TheRetrieverNation one more quick question if you don’t mind: When introducing gruel and potty training, do you have the pups sleep in the crate without mama at night?

[@TheRetrieverNation]

Great question. Yes. In a crate and without Momma. We have the pups sleep in a crate in a large pen. The crate is open 24/7 meaning they can go in and out as please all the time, to drink, pee, and poop. (Sometimes we help by placing them in it at days end, but we leave it completely open.) Puppies will not typically pee or poop where they sleep, so they need to be able to leave and get to the litter pan or at least attempt to get close to it (success with this will improve with each passing week). If they don't make it to the litter pan, they will be at least doing their duties outside of the crate (I leave pee pads outside the crate as they are learning this). Regarding Momma, she has free access in and out of this large play pen area (containing the crate and litter pan) at first but at this timeframe is not choosing to sleep with them at night. Around 3 weeks is when she is beginning to spacing herself from them a bit, maybe even sleeping in a completely different area of house. Letting her have access in and out (by a lowered crossing area) allows for this, you can remove access in upcoming weeks. She won't be bothered by this as it really gets to be too much for her to continue feeding them. You'll see. Feel free to ask any other questions! We love hearing from people!

[@sethdavis1714]

@@TheRetrieverNation This information is golden! Again, thank you SO MUCH!!