Puppy Update-4 Weeks Old!

This litter was born on January 4, 2013! There are adorable, chocolate, fleece-coated, medium-sized Australian Labradoodles. There are 7 puppies in this litter-6 boys and 1 girl. They are all FOUR WEEKS OLD NOW!

The little ones are fine and thriving, and they are turning into real puppies now! They’re up on their feet, wagging their tales, seeing, hearing, playing with toys, romping, and chewing on each other (and biting each other’s ears, which hurts with those sharp puppy teeth).  They’re getting much more 1:1 time with us, apart from each other, and we’re beginning gentle redirection on things like puppy biting and jumping to which they are responding quite well (they are *so* eager to please!).

They’re still nursing, but we’ll slowly introduce them to solid food toward the end of this week with the goal of transitioning them completely by the time they’re six weeks old. They should be weaned by their six-week-old vet visit for check-ups and vaccines.

Just two days ago, on a sunny 65-degree day, we carried each outside to experience the feel of the sun and breeze and the sounds of planes overhead, wind chimes, and bird calls.  All were appropriately timid at first but seemed to relax and enjoy the adventure. They now love to romp around in the grass and follow us around.

Socialization: Four to Six Weeks

From four to six weeks, puppies continue to be influenced by their mother and littermates. They learn to play, gaining needed social skills from littermates, such as inhibited biting (biting to play, not to hurt). The puppies also learn the ins and outs of group structure and ranking within the group.  The puppies are being socialized with humans, have a variety of people interacting with them – young (with supervision) and old, male and female. House-training can begin as early as five weeks, when puppies will follow their mother through a dog door or can be taken out for elimination lessons. At approximately six weeks, puppies can begin in-home training.  His first collar and lead will be introduced, he will be encouraged to come using his name, and reward him with praise and treats. At this age, you can also start training puppies with positive reinforcement methods: using a clicker, praise, and rewards.

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Update from the Whelping Box-Week 3

Though I know well that the third week of a pup’s life is marked by huge milestones. It’s like they turn into puppies (as most people think of puppies) overnight.

This litter was born on January 4, 2013! There are adorable, chocolate, fleece-coated, medium-sized Australian Labradoodles. There are 7 puppies in this litter-6 boys and 1 girl. They are all THREE WEEKS OLD NOW!

Here it is, Day 21 or Week 3, and just look at what’s happened:

• Walking has become the preferred method of ambulation (instead of crawling).  Granted, it’s still a drunken-sailor walk, but they’re up on all fours!
• Elimination and voiding is now something they do on their own. Fiona is cleaning less; the humans are cleaning more.
• The pups get up from where they’re sleeping and waddle over to a different part of the whelping box to potty, then waddle back to the puppy pile. They’re instinctively pottying in places other than where they sleep.
• Their vision is becoming usable. When they “see” things now, they react appropriately with sniffs or puzzlement or growls or barks or pounces.
• They recognize each other (oh boy, litter mates!).
• They play with each other. Okay, so it doesn’t last very long, but they do “play” for short stretches.
• They wrassle. :O)
• They’re feeling secure with their humans, not just with Fiona.
• They can pant and lap.
• They have started to grow in (ouch! for Fiona) teeth!  Their baby teeth are just poking through their gums, and just like human babies, this is uncomfortable for them.  They’re beginning to feel the need to chew (look out world!)
• They can voluntarily sit, stand, roll over, scratch, paw, wag their tails, chew, investigate objects they “see” (still blurry, but visible), and are just beginning to climb.
• This morning, I noticed that the puppies might be responding to sound, so I suspect their ears may be starting to unseal.
• We will be giving the puppies their litter names this weeks also!

We are accepting deposits for this litter now!

Here are some pictures of the adorable puppies!

 

Update from the Whelping Box

Here’s the update from the Whelping Box:

We are adorable, chocolate Australian Labradoodles. There are 7 puppies in this litter-6 boys and 1 girl. We’re all ONE WEEK OLD now. You might think we haven’t been doing much for these first seven days of our lives, but we’ve been quite busy. Just look:

• We lost what was left of our umbilical cords (what a nuisance — glad that’s gone!)
• We’ve discovered that we have hind legs that work.
• We’ve all more than doubled our weight, just as we should.
• We have round rumps now (unlike those bony bottoms we had when we popped out)
• We can squiggle like salamanders and we can push with our back legs, too (instead of just pulling ourselves with our front legs like we did before).
• We’ve learned how to find each other now (we sniff and feel our ways to each other).
• We can make a puppy pile!  (Oooooo…so roasty toasty warm!)
• We’re experimenting with making noises. We grunt and sigh and sing and call out for Momma Fiona. We yelp when Momma Fiona steps on us, and we sometimes bark in our sleep (but we don’t know what that is yet).
• We’re all willing to be cuddled regularly, too.
• We sleep 90% of the time now, and we’re mostly happy and content.

Speaking of sleep, that’s enough for now.  *yawn*  We’re tired, and we gotta get back to the hard work of growing. We’ll check in with you next week for another puppy report.

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Puppies!!!

Fiona produced a litter of 7 puppies last night-January 4, 2013! There are 6 boys and 1 girl in this litter! They are all medium-sized, chocolate-colored, fleece-coated Australian Labradoodles! Beautiful dogs that are non-shedding, hypoallergenic, and highly intelligent!

As breeders of these extraordinarily friendly family companions we want to extend to others the joy and companionship these dogs bring into our lives.

The Labradoodles are so popular because:

• Extraordinarily friendly family companions
• Non-shedding
• Social with people and other dogs
• Playful and witty in personality
• Allergy friendly
• Eager to learn and please
• Excellent water dogs and retrievers

As a small family breeder our dogs and puppies enjoy socialization by our family. As part of our family, our doodles not only enjoy our property they also join us at all kinds of extracurricular activities, such as football, and swim team, which also allows us to socialize our dogs in the public too.

Feel free to contact me at the following for more information!

Phone- 1 (307) 413-5891

Email-clancyaussiedoodles@hotmail.com

Clancy Aussie Doodles on Facebook- www.facebook.com/ClancyAussieDoodles

Pinterest- http://pinterest.com/clancydoodles/

Our pictures on Flickr- http://www.flickr.com/photos/clancyaussiedoodles/

Cleaning Dog Toys

If your dog toys do not get destroyed within the week, then from time to time, your dog toys need to be cleaned. After weeks of being chewed and carried around the house and outside, they get dirty. Washing off germs and bacteria will keep your dog healthy, the dog toys looking better and your home cleaner.

1. Collect all your dog’s toys from around the house including soft plush toys, vinyl, plastic and even bones. Look under couches, tables and beds. Go outside and collect toys that are hidden under decks, trees and bushes.
2. Sort the dog toys into groups. Put all plush, fabric and cloth toys into a laundry basket. Put all vinyl, plastic, rubber and nylon toys in a mop bucket. Place all natural bones in the kitchen sink. Discard any toys that are broken, torn or have small parts hanging loose. They may pose a choking hazard.
3. Fill the mop bucket with hot water. Add one-half cup of bleach to the bucket and let the toys soak in the bleach water solution. After they have soaked for at least 30 minutes, use the scrub brush to loosen any dirt. Dump the bucket of bleach water, and refill with clean, clear hot water. Let the toys soak another 30 minutes. Remove the toys from the bucket, and hand rinse each toy under a faucet. Be sure no smell of bleach is left on the toys. Allow the dog toys to dry on a towel before giving them back to your pet.
4. Use the scrub brush and hot water to clean the natural bones in the sink. Loosen any mud or dirt from outdoor play. Do not use any chemical cleaners on natural bones. Allow the bones to dry on a towel before giving them to your dog.
5. Start a load of laundry for your plush and fabric dog toys. Select the hot water wash, and a partial load if you don’t have many dog toys. Add your laundry detergent before the toys so they don’t absorb all the soap. Add a small amount of bleach to the water. After the wash cycle is complete, put the dog toys into the dryer on the hottest drying cycle. This will help kill any germs and bacteria on the toys.

Teaching Children to Care for Pets

 

You’ve finally gotten that family pet that you and your children have always wanted. A pet can be a wonderful experience for children, teaching them about responsibility, love and how to care for another living thing. But it can take some work from you to teach children how to care for pets.

You may want to make a pet care chart in order to keep track of your child’s responsibilities.

Instructions

1. Talk to your child about their responsibilities regarding the pet.  Decide with your child what your child’s chores will be when caring for the pet. Be willing to negotiate and compromise. Perhaps you will take care of cleaning up after the pet, if your children take care of feeding and watering the pet.
2. Make sure your children’s chores are age appropriate. A 5-year-old child may be able to help you clean a hamster cage, but they won’t be able to do it on their own.
3. Make up a pet care chart that clearly explains your child’s chores. Whenever your children take care of a chore, check off a box or put a sticker on the chore chart. Give them a prize, such as a movie out or a pizza night whenever they get a certain amount of stickers or checks.
4. Teach children the benefits of having pets. Not only should they have the responsibilities associated with pets, but they should have the joys too. Teach young children how to pet dogs and cats and show them how to hold smaller animals such as guinea pigs and hamsters. Teach children to be gentle around the pet so your pet doesn’t fear your child. Allow children to feed, train, give treats and play with the pets so your pets become bonded to the children and not only to you.
5. Expect to remind your children of their responsibilities in caring for the pet. In a perfect world, you would not have to remind your children over and over again to do their chores, but children need the repetition. Expect to have to remind them, but don’t expect to have to do the chore yourself, unless your children are very young.

Tips & Warnings

•  A pet that has gone through some training will be easier for your child to care for.
•  If a pet becomes aggressive with a child, separate your child from the pet.

How to Get Rid of Fleas with Home Remedies

Fleas not only drive your poor dog crazy with itching. They also carry disease that can make the dog very ill. They can cause skin allergies that lead to infection. Also, they will jump on you. Summer is an especially bad time for them, but your dog needs to be protected year round. Commercial flea killer is loaded with chemicals that can be harmful to both you and your pet. There are many home remedies that work just as well and are not nearly as dangerous.

Things You’ll Need

•  Apple cider vinegar
•  Lemon
•  Spray bottle
•  Flea comb
•  Lavender essential oil
•  Garlic or brewers yeast

Instructions

1. Mix a solution of 1/3 apple cider vinegar to 2/3 water. After regular shampooing and rinsing, pour this solution all over the dog. Squeeze out the excess water and towel dry the dog vigorously. He will not smell like vinegar very long, except to the fleas who will stay away.
2.  Feed the dog very small amounts of garlic or brewer’s yeast in their food. Some will advise against using garlic. According to Pets Pourri, garlic is not only good for fleas, but it helps with other ailments as well. Dr. Pitcairn, a veterinarian, also recommends the use of garlic in his book, “Complete Guide to Natural Health For Cats and Dogs.”
3. Seep a cut up lemon in 8 oz. of water for a day. Pour this into a clean plastic spray bottle; spray the dog’s coat.  You’ll need to brush it through if the dog has long hair. The dog will smell fresh to you, but fleas will not like the smell.
4. Repel the fleas with the scent of lavender. You can add several drops of lavender essential oil to the dogs regular shampoo bottle or its bath water. Be careful not to get essential oils in the dog’s eyes. Mix a spray bottle with eight ounces of water and several drops of the lavender oil. Mist the lavender water over the dogs coat either after bathing or on a dry coat every couple of days.
5. Comb the dog with a flea comb. The teeth are very tight and will trap the fleas as you comb. Dunk the comb into a bowl of soapy water to dislodge the fleas and continue combing. You can also add a couple drops of the essential oil to this bowl.
6. To remove a severe flea infestation, shampoo the dog with dish liquid. Suds the entire body up and let it soak several minutes. Rinse the dog exceptionally well to remove all traces of the dish liquid.
7. Keep the dog bathed, groomed and healthy. Fleas will thrive in long matted hair that may contain dust, debris and skin irritations. A regular routine of grooming helps you be aware of fleas before they become overpopulated.

 Tips & Warnings

•  Buy all natural pet shampoo that has conditioners in it. This will help keep the pet’s skin healthy.
•  Fleas can cause the dog to become anemic. Check for fleas often.

Puppies!

We have an upcoming litter between our Lady Fiona Clancy and Aussie Doodles’ Canadoodle Sable Kodiak.

We are expecting for the litter to be born in late December/early January. We are accepting deposits for this litter now!

Here are some pictures of the puppies from their previous litter!

Starting Your Day Off Right…

…With an adorable fluffy Australian Labradoodle face!

How to Remove Pet Odor

We all love our  pets, but we aren’t nearly so fond of the smelliness of our furry friends. Early  detection is the best way to remove pet odor from your home–this will give you  enough time to remove the odor before it becomes a permanent fixture.

Instructions

• 1. Find the mess. Use your eyes and nose to find the stains that you are trying  to remove. You can use a black light to illuminate the stains you may not  otherwise find. Lightly outline the invisible stain with a piece of  chalk.
• 2. Use a pet stain and odor removal product to get rid of the stain. Be sure  that it contains a biological odor eliminator so that it breaks down the stain.  Do a spot test first on carpet or upholstery in an inconspicuous place to insure  that there won’t be discoloration.
• 3. Remove stains. If the stain is fresh, put paper towels down and press into  the stain, absorbing as much moisture as possible, until it feels almost dry to  the touch. Follow the directions on and use the stain removal product to get the  stain and odor out.
• 4. Use a wet/dry vacuum if necessary. If there are a number of old stains or you  are having difficulty getting out with the stain and odor remover, use a wet/dry  vacuum with clean water to thoroughly clean and rinse both the carpet and the  pad underneath. Avoid steam cleaning as it will permanently set the  stain.
• 5. Wash pet bedding and any textiles in the areas where your pet spends the most  time. Use detergent and some baking soda to remove any remaining pet  odor.
• 6. Use carpet deodorizer when you vacuum and use a fabric refreshing spray on  upholstery and carpet once you have cleaned it thoroughly to keep it smelling  fresh.