Big Changes!

The puppies are 3 weeks old today...and wow! how they have changed in the past week. They are now walking, playing, growling, barking...peeing, pooping...

Soooo....that means it's time for potty training! Already! I started to notice some wet spots on the bedding and I caught a few of them toddling off to a corner to go pee. So cute...but that's my cue that they are desiring to leave the "den" and go out to do their business. This is when my job becomes a bit harder, but I'm always amazed at how instinctual this behavior is.

Dogs really don't want to soil where they sleep!

Step 1: Place puppy pads in the whelping box and hope they use them.

Yay! The dark spots in the corner means they left the bedding to go pee!

Step 2: A few days later, place the soiled pads in the litter box with wood pellets on top. That way they can follow their nose to the right place!

Look at those smart little Labradoodles! :)

Step 3: Well, this isn't really how it's supposed to work but Rosie got quite unnerved by the whole thing so I let her in the Xpen to visit them.

That promptly ended the potty training session.

I guess she figured that's the answer to everything!

So, that was fun...back in the whelping box they went to talk about

this new excitement in their lives...

...and then settle in for an afternoon nap.

So now the litter box is placed by the whelping box and enclosed with an Xpen. The removable side of the whelping box has been lifted out and the puppies can see more of the outside world. They are making it to the edge of the litter box, but soon they'll be getting all the way in.
This is just the beginning of this fun project and it's a great way to get puppies ready for house training when they go to their forever homes at the end of July.

Hope you enjoyed this little peek into their day! New 3 week individual pics will be coming soon!