What next....8 weeks old?
 

Bella Mia's puppies have graduated from the "kiddie pool" to a 6X8 square area in our living room. Shaun and I bought a 6X8 section of cheap linolieum. We put the linolieum in a corner of our living room against two walls and used the Xpen to enclose the other two sides. We put a doggie bed in one corner, a washable peepad (duct tapped to the linolieum because it is the only way the puppies will leave the peepad alone, it is changed 3 x a day), all acidents are removed quickly and teh linolieum is mopped immediately, the other corner is kibble and water. Puppies had their first shots and individual vet check-ups all did great and are healthy. They get a bath weekly. Momma has pretty much weaned them...she growls if they try to nurse but every odd moment she will let them suckle for a minute or two. They have met the cat and Yogi boy our rescued doggie (DEFINATELY SUPERVISED VISITS). We take them out individually to play with them but it seems like they all want out all the time. What is next for them?? Should we have them out in the living room all together? Are we supposed to be socializing them in anyother way? Any other suggestions for them?

when you have them locked in the x-pen do you leave mom in there also? My boy just turned 7 weeks but in a couple of weeks I will no longer have a babysitter for him and was wondering if when I lock him up in the kitchen if I should have mom in with him or no? I'm afraid if I do, she will eat his food.

No I do not leave Momma in there. She HATES being caged/crated or penned up. She goes absolutely berzerk!!! She will sit outside and watch them. Sometimes she will bark to be let in with the puppies but as soon as we let her in she cries to get out. She does eat their food for a minute or two but it is puppy food and she has puppy food too. (We have just started to slowly switch her back to adult food and home cooking). The 5 puppies all gang up on her when she goes into the "puppy palace" and she doesnt like that. Since she has weaned the pups she likes to play with them especially when they are in the living room playing with us. It is even better if it is only 1 or 2 of the puppies.

Miracle does play with Rebel for a bit and than will scold him when she has had enough. I feel bad for him since the lost of his sister last week but he seems to be adjusting very well. I will put some to toys in there with him so he has something to play with. I am going to try to make it home for lunch the three days my daughter works, and my stepdaughter will be home at 3:00 everyday so I think it will be ok.

Since we all do it different, you must do what is best for you and the pups. The key is making sure they have plenty of mom time. 8 to 12 weeks she is teaching them so much, discipline, where they all in the pack, etc. The other thing you must watch is that they don't get over tired. Since I usually begin bringing mine into the kitchen at 8 weeks of age, they are allowed out or an hour then back to their play pen for rest for 2 hours.....Hyperglycemia is a threat during this period and these little guys don't know when to quit.

Time wise what is enough time with mom? I certainly do not want to deprive the pups of their momma!!!! When you let your guys out for the hour is it all together?

Thank you Mardelin, I have read up and am very concerned about hyperglycemia, I actually loss my husband to diabetes, due to low blood sugar. I put karo syrup in his water and on his food. I allow him to play with momma and family for about an hour and then I put his down to rest of on next to me if I am sitting.

I have done some reading on raising singleton pups, since that what he is now and they say it is harder work because they do not learn from their litter mates only momma and she gets tired at about 3 weeks, so I have also been trying to mimic their play and told my family to slow down on holding him all the time as not to spoil him.

I have been letting him roam more since his sister passed last week but ALWAYS keep a close eye on him.

I will do my best to give him AS MUCH mom time as I can, the thing is right now she doesn't spend ALOT of time with him. She is all about me before I leave and when I get home, I have been encouraging play with all three of us before I go to work and when I get home (do you think this is ok?)

thank you all for you help, you are all so wonderful to me. :)

Mmmmm are you speaking during the day? I usually allow mom with them for the hour I allow them out......But, then I watch to see if they are getting what I call the crazies and she's just getting overwhelmed. That signals me that they're overtired and she needs time away from them. So, sometimes the playtime can be shorter......But, this continues until the day they go home.

Hyperglycemia can also be triggered by handling....so, be careful in overhandling too. He should be put down in a quiet place, to get a good rest...

Since my girls are raised a bit different, because they were show dogs.....even though they are pets too.....they aren't treated the same way as my pet, pets...they spayed ones....I don't know how to explain it. They are loved, played with, but, never had access to the complete house, never allowed to sleep on my bed or furniture......So, I was not their primary focal point and when it came to having litters they are very reluctant to let go of their pups at a young age....very content to stay with them until the pups go home.

As a matter of fact I just had a recent litter and my recently spayed girl hears the pups crying and she wants to get in the room where they're at. Once a mother always a mother.

Does this sound good......At the very minimum....
I get up at 5am clean up the pen, change water, food etc, then I sit down with puppies in the pen for 15 minutes minimum..a time or two it was much longer and I was late for work...time flys with the puppies....7am Shaun cleans up any new pee or poo and visits with the puppies for 15 minutes max. Bella Mia has a quick visit 5 to 10 minutes. 12pm Shaun is home for lunch cleans pen, feeds and waters if needed and sits in the pen 15 minutes, Bella Mia visits inside pen until she wants out (useually not more than 15 minutes). 3pm I clean the pen, feed and water if needed and then sit in the pen for about 30 minutes. 6pm all puppies are out to run in the living room with me, Shaun, Bella Mia and Raeann (Shaun's 11 year old daughter) for about 30 minutes. 8pm Shaun and I clean pen place fresh water and food play with all puppies for about 15 minutes. If at any time Bella Mia wants in we let her but she doesnt stay long and wants out as the puppies overwhelm her. I have an 18 old son who mingles in and out of all this depending on his work schedule. Sherman is taken out for longer periods of time by Shaun and they do some little training exercises like sit, learning his name, follow the leader...cute little things that Shaun thinks Sherman is learning and I think Sherman does it just because he wants the treat. What do you think do we need more mom time??

Angela,

If this is working out for you and puppies are well adjusted, socialized and mom is doing ok.....then stick with your program.

Ah, Ha, I did it right! I actually just read that they should not be handled to much because that also causes excitement, also that it could lead to being a spoiled dog. I just told my family NOT to hold him to much they can hold him for a couple of minutes a few times during the day but that is it!!

Having not been a breeder or no anything regarding showing dogs, I do understand what your saying. Since joining this forum I have read ALOT of posts and learning that dogs raised for breeding purposes and dogs raised for show are different and require different types of care.

I have another question for you, I feed my baby 4 times a day he gets about a tablespoon of food or so each feeding with a drop of Karo Syrup on it and then I mix it up. Does that sound like enough food? According to the labels he should be getting about 1/8 of a cup of food a day but I can't find that amount on any of my measuring untensils so I am not sure how much that is.

He is eating 90% of what I put in his bowl and sometimes he eats it all.