 |
||||||||
|
How Our Puppies Are Raised
Puppies
at Aloha Labradors are raised in my home
from
birth to 8 weeks, when they are usually ready to go to their new
families. They begin life in a large whelping box with their
mother and me. The whelping box is in my bedroom.
We make sure everyone is well-fed and cared for the first weeks of life.
Puppies
begin to climb out of
the whelping box at
around 3 to 4 weeks of age. Then they graduate to a large
kennel area with a crate to sleep in and a play area fenced off from
other dogs. Only their mom may visit.
Puppies are weaned by their mothers when the dam is ready, which is often around 4 weeks when they get their baby teeth but in Ella's case is never, because her puppies are still nursing when they leave us. Even though 95+% of the puppies' nutrition comes from solid food, at 8 weeks they still appreciate the closeness of nursing on their mom.
At 3 weeks, puppies are introduced to semi-solid food -- cereals, eggs, and meat -- which they all love. By 4 weeks, they are hungrily slurping up every bit of food in sight in 4 or 5 feedings per day. They eat the cooked and raw vegetables, cottage cheese, and raw meats I feed the adult dogs, along with probiotic sprinkles on their food (see Homemade Food for Dogs and What Your Puppy Eats). By 6 weeks they are eating three meals a day, which I maintain till 4 months of age, when they get 2 meals a day until 12 months of age.
Puppies get their first inoculations and thorough vet examinations at 6 to 7 weeks. They are sent to their new families with health certificates and a schedule of inoculations they will need to be fully immunized.
From 4 to 8 weeks, the puppies are introduced to the other dogs and put in the house yard to play (dig, wrestle, jump, chase, etc.). They are socialized from birth to be friendly, calm, fearless, and well-behaved (mostly) babies. They know the sounds of the vacuum cleaner, telephone, television, children's voices, and many adults in conversation. In brief, they are prepared to be family companions.
Puppies are weaned by their mothers when the dam is ready, which is often around 4 weeks when they get their baby teeth but in Ella's case is never, because her puppies are still nursing when they leave us. Even though 95+% of the puppies' nutrition comes from solid food, at 8 weeks they still appreciate the closeness of nursing on their mom.
At 3 weeks, puppies are introduced to semi-solid food -- cereals, eggs, and meat -- which they all love. By 4 weeks, they are hungrily slurping up every bit of food in sight in 4 or 5 feedings per day. They eat the cooked and raw vegetables, cottage cheese, and raw meats I feed the adult dogs, along with probiotic sprinkles on their food (see Homemade Food for Dogs and What Your Puppy Eats). By 6 weeks they are eating three meals a day, which I maintain till 4 months of age, when they get 2 meals a day until 12 months of age.
Puppies get their first inoculations and thorough vet examinations at 6 to 7 weeks. They are sent to their new families with health certificates and a schedule of inoculations they will need to be fully immunized.
From 4 to 8 weeks, the puppies are introduced to the other dogs and put in the house yard to play (dig, wrestle, jump, chase, etc.). They are socialized from birth to be friendly, calm, fearless, and well-behaved (mostly) babies. They know the sounds of the vacuum cleaner, telephone, television, children's voices, and many adults in conversation. In brief, they are prepared to be family companions.
 Food Costs |
 What Your Puppy Eats |
 Home Made Food |
 Your New Puppy |
Aloha
Labradors • 78-6915 Palekana Road •
Holualoa,
HI 96725
(808) 322 9445 • FAX (808) 322 9445
(808) 322 9445 • FAX (808) 322 9445