Birth, Rearing and Good Background – the foundation for life!
The puppies are born in our house and grow up in our two and four legged family unit. For this purpose we transformed our large, bright studio into a puppy room. Mother and puppies can find calm here during their first three weeks, yet we are close to them all of the time.
When the puppies get more mobile, we extend the scope of action and the little explorers may also use our large garden for fun and games.
Basically a good background early on for puppies is extremely important. Never before have the demand for dogs been as high as today and it is our job as a breeder to help them find their place in our modern world. This task is a high priority for us.
Not only the genotype determines the nature of the dog. Rather, it is the interaction between the animal and the environment that determines their behavioural development.
The journey of learning begins at birth!
1st and 2nd week of life
At birth, the nervous system of puppies is not fully developed. They are blind and deaf, but the sense of touch and smell is already so well developed that newborns are able to feel the radiant warmth and the smell of their mother. The first learning and achievement is to find and reach the source of milk and maternal closeness.
In the first two weeks of life, the puppies spend their time in the shelter of the mother and littermates for eating, growing and sleeping.
3rd week of life
Their little eyes open and the puppies perceive their environment also acoustically. The first wobbly walks and attempts at playing are made. The puppies are now consciously in touch with their mother, siblings and breeders. The milk teeth will penetrate and we start feeding the puppies with little meatballs. This is so they learn step by step to eat independently.
4th to the 16th weeks of life
In the 4th week the most intense time of imprinting begins. The puppies are already quite strong and mobile, they leave the litter and expand their area of exploration. This is our most important task, because there are only 5 or 6 weeks left until the puppies move to their new families.
- The puppies discover life outside their puppy room. They will learn to walk on various types of terrain, such as tiles, wooden floors, grass, gravel, earth, etc. and also conquer the garden.
- Visitors from the very young to the very old and from the very small to the very tall are welcome now.
- Challenging play opportunities, such as tunnels, climbing ropes, hiding places and toys within a different environment are now available for our young explorers.
- Gradually, the youngsters are integrated into the routine of the household and accustomed to new sounds: doorbell, telephone, dishwasher, vacuum cleaner, radio and television none of these are not strange for our puppies when they go out into the great world.
- All processes will be practiced first in the group“, then increasingly also as an individual. So they learn to “survive” without their mother and siblings.
- The puppies will be used to wearing a collar and a harness.
- In 7th and 8th week our “young guns“ do the first short rides in the car with their mother.
As the puppies move into their new home, usually in the 9th or 10th week, it is great for the new families to meet their puppy in the remaining time of this important stage of development. In this period the foundations for the whole dog’s life are created!