HOW WE RAISE OUR PUPPIES
There are many good ways to raise puppies but this is the way we have found works best for us and our line, after 20 years of breeding and raising over 70 litters of border collies specifically. You can’t get good at something if you don’t do it!
PRIOR TO BIRTH
When I became a mother myself I learned how much is learned by a child while still in utero. As a dog breeder (and exhibitor) I lead a very unique and stressful life. Up at all hours of the night, loud sounds, very emotional highs and lows. All of this was heard and felt by my daughter while still inside me, which I didn’t really understand until she was out and experiencing the world she had only kind of heard and kind of felt.
I was afraid that once she was born I would never sleep again, between caring for her and my four legged friends. But much to my surprise that was not the case. Arianna was already used to all the sounds and daily routines of the kennel by having done them for months with me. I always knew how much having a well rounded mother dog was to having wonderfully tempered puppies but this new education into personal motherhood gave me even more insight, thus changing how much we do or don’t do with our puppies in utero.
Mothers dogs who are ready to whelp have already been sleeping in the whelping box for several weeks. They have also been out for a few car rides, had a bath with a forced air dryer, been on hikes, training sessions, and spent extra time loose in our home exposed to everyday life (vacuuming, doors opening and closing, coffee whistling, children getting into trouble, etc.)
0-2 WEEKS
Like human mothers we feel this time in a puppies life is an important moment to spend bonding with their own species. Many people feel this a good time to “imprint” puppies and young animals (this idea came from the horse world - a prey animal not a predator which is important to note as this idea doesn’t translate well in our opinion). But we have found when too much is done (to border collies specifically) too young it can make them over sensitive. It should be noted that actual noise and sound sensitivities is genetic but pushing puppies too much with certain things at different times can cause problems to increase or manifest. It is important that dogs learn first and foremost to be dogs. Otherwise all of the training theories we try to follow later will not work as the animals will be caught somewhere between the human world and their natural animal instincts. We also see this when people treat their dogs to much like “their babies” and not like dogs.
That being said puppies are still handled and checked two times a day during bedding changes.
During this time puppies eyes and ears are closed, they experience the world only though touch, smell, and general over all feeling. Stimuli can be very scary to a creature who can only smell and feel the world around us.
Our one exception to our general hands off period during these first two weeks is that we do play with their introduction to smell. We do not push this as we don’t want them to be overly sniffy oriented but a 2-3 times over this two week period we introduce a few different smells to see their reaction. Smells like: meat, as well as birch, anise, and clove (scents used in K9 nose work as they are not common in everyday life). This is typically done while mama is out going potty and after bedding changes.
2-4 WEEKS
Usually by two weeks border collies eyes are open however they are a bit cloudy (meaning they can’t see clearly) until about 3 weeks.
Now that they are starting to become more aware of why things happen we start to slowly introduce more stimuli including: louder and sudden sounds, different surfaces, we carry them outside for the first time, we let them lick at hot dogs or pieces of meat, etc.
Puppy human interaction increases and puppies are taught that when they are picked up they are to be still. We feel this is an important life lesson. Dogs need to be able to hold still at the vets, during emergencies, and it is an important start to self control and one of the most desired house manners - calmness.
During this time puppies will receiver their first bath, using their new skill of being still when held.
Puppies receive their first round of wormer. A mild wormer which covers round worms, the most common type of worms in dogs.
4-6 WEEKS
Mothers milk production is starting too slow while pups are more up on their feet and starting to become more aggressive about nursing. So they are now introduced to food and water for the first time. Softened kibble is mixed with a bit of wet food for a more enticing smell (as we all eat with our sense of smell). This is given in the morning while mom is spending a bit more time outside. Pups are also moved to a larger box (still inside our home) to give them more room to move about, find their feet and start to play.
Every dog on our property has been raised on adult food and your puppy is no different. From day one puppies are given soften adult formula food. We have found that growing puppies naturally and slowly is best for their growing bodies and minds. If dogs are pushed too fast and not given adequate exercise you can tell by how their front legs grow. The legs will start to make an hour glass shape. You can tell if this is nutritional by lifting under the chest and allowing the legs to hang freely. If the legs hang straight but are hour glass shaped when you set the dog down then the dog has been pushed to hard nutritionally. This can sometime be fixed if found out early but will be set permanently by the time the dog is a year old.
At 4 weeks we start to train puppies to stack for show so that we can evaluate their structure (how long and thick their bones are in proportion to one another). This is also a continuation of the hold still training we do in weeks 2-4.
Puppies receive their second bath during this time and while the force dryer is not used on them directly it is used while they are present. The force dry is very loud and blows very hard, it should be introduced slowly over a period of time but is an unparalleled tool in getting all the dead hair out during spring and fall shedding.
A second round of wormer is given during this time period which covers: round, hook, whip and tape worms.
6-8 WEEKS
Puppies are now seriously on the move and their true personalities start to show! They are moved outside to a larger pen where they will be released to roam the entire 10 acres after the adults have had their morning run. Depending on the weather they may come in and out. Typically in the summer they are out in the early evening and come in mid morning with the opposite being true in the colder winter months so to avoid extremes in the weather.
By 7 weeks they have been fully weaned from mom and soft food and are only eating dry kibble via free feeding. Puppies are heavily played with daily and grow up right outside our living room so that even if we are not outside we can watch their interactions and reactions all day long. This area is also in the middle of our yard so they can see all the adult dogs as well as tractors, cars, etc. going on.
Their third bath is given on Gotcha Day which is typically in this time period.
If the puppy has a deposit they are picked up during the end of this time period and their first shot is given in front of you and their third wormer is sent home with you. If not then their first shot is given when they are 7 weeks and they are wormed in rotation with our dogs who live permanently at PowerHouse.
8-11 WEEKS
Puppies are now moved to an even larger dirt run so that they have plenty of space to move about, play, run, dig, and bark, all healthy normal puppy activities. Now they start to learn when certain dog behaviors are acceptable and when they are not. Many of you will see when you come up that our dogs do bark but are quite upon command. This is a learned behavior that starts young and your puppy has been exposed to this pack behavior from six weeks on.
Puppy vaccines number two is given and puppies are wormed in rotation with our dogs who live permanently at PowerHouse.
12 WEEKS - 6 MO.
During this time period puppies finish their puppy series vaccinations and can start accompanying us out into the wide world beyond PowerHouse (public). Many times if we are offering a puppy from this age group it was one we were considering to stay for ourselves. Often he or she was the pick of their litter but for a variety of reasons we have decided to move them on.
Training increases in this age range to include basics obedience, manners, and tricks (which we feel is an important learning step for both humans and puppies, learn more about this in our training section). They are also introduced to leash and crate training.
After all vaccinations we start to take them into the public including: street fairs, food truck night, local feed stores and Tractor Supply, concerts in the park, open air markets and malls, the beach and boardwalks, hiking, Lowes, and Home Depot.
We try very hard to avoid Petsmart, Petco, and dog parks. Often at these places we find other peoples dogs to be very under socialized; lunging, barking, and straining at the leash or over the side of shopping carts. Which are all things we don’t want our dogs to learn so we only take our most socialized dog if any at all to these three places and its mostly for proofing already good behavior. Most of our dog shopping is done online or at dog shows.
During this time they basically learn the nuts and bolts of the AKC Canine Good Citizens (CGC) test. Depending on their acceptance of public in addition to our time and weather constraints they could take the CGC test and novice trick dog test by 7mo. Our goal is to test them for both of these by one year. If you get a puppy in this age range just ask what he knows and we will be able to outline it for you.
At 12 weeks depending on size and temperament they may start to run with the older dogs.
There are many good ways to raise puppies but this is the way we have found works best for us and our line, after 20 years of breeding and raising over 70 litters of border collies specifically. You can’t get good at something if you don’t do it!
PRIOR TO BIRTH
When I became a mother myself I learned how much is learned by a child while still in utero. As a dog breeder (and exhibitor) I lead a very unique and stressful life. Up at all hours of the night, loud sounds, very emotional highs and lows. All of this was heard and felt by my daughter while still inside me, which I didn’t really understand until she was out and experiencing the world she had only kind of heard and kind of felt.
I was afraid that once she was born I would never sleep again, between caring for her and my four legged friends. But much to my surprise that was not the case. Arianna was already used to all the sounds and daily routines of the kennel by having done them for months with me. I always knew how much having a well rounded mother dog was to having wonderfully tempered puppies but this new education into personal motherhood gave me even more insight, thus changing how much we do or don’t do with our puppies in utero.
Mothers dogs who are ready to whelp have already been sleeping in the whelping box for several weeks. They have also been out for a few car rides, had a bath with a forced air dryer, been on hikes, training sessions, and spent extra time loose in our home exposed to everyday life (vacuuming, doors opening and closing, coffee whistling, children getting into trouble, etc.)
0-2 WEEKS
Like human mothers we feel this time in a puppies life is an important moment to spend bonding with their own species. Many people feel this a good time to “imprint” puppies and young animals (this idea came from the horse world - a prey animal not a predator which is important to note as this idea doesn’t translate well in our opinion). But we have found when too much is done (to border collies specifically) too young it can make them over sensitive. It should be noted that actual noise and sound sensitivities is genetic but pushing puppies too much with certain things at different times can cause problems to increase or manifest. It is important that dogs learn first and foremost to be dogs. Otherwise all of the training theories we try to follow later will not work as the animals will be caught somewhere between the human world and their natural animal instincts. We also see this when people treat their dogs to much like “their babies” and not like dogs.
That being said puppies are still handled and checked two times a day during bedding changes.
During this time puppies eyes and ears are closed, they experience the world only though touch, smell, and general over all feeling. Stimuli can be very scary to a creature who can only smell and feel the world around us.
Our one exception to our general hands off period during these first two weeks is that we do play with their introduction to smell. We do not push this as we don’t want them to be overly sniffy oriented but a 2-3 times over this two week period we introduce a few different smells to see their reaction. Smells like: meat, as well as birch, anise, and clove (scents used in K9 nose work as they are not common in everyday life). This is typically done while mama is out going potty and after bedding changes.
2-4 WEEKS
Usually by two weeks border collies eyes are open however they are a bit cloudy (meaning they can’t see clearly) until about 3 weeks.
Now that they are starting to become more aware of why things happen we start to slowly introduce more stimuli including: louder and sudden sounds, different surfaces, we carry them outside for the first time, we let them lick at hot dogs or pieces of meat, etc.
Puppy human interaction increases and puppies are taught that when they are picked up they are to be still. We feel this is an important life lesson. Dogs need to be able to hold still at the vets, during emergencies, and it is an important start to self control and one of the most desired house manners - calmness.
During this time puppies will receiver their first bath, using their new skill of being still when held.
Puppies receive their first round of wormer. A mild wormer which covers round worms, the most common type of worms in dogs.
4-6 WEEKS
Mothers milk production is starting too slow while pups are more up on their feet and starting to become more aggressive about nursing. So they are now introduced to food and water for the first time. Softened kibble is mixed with a bit of wet food for a more enticing smell (as we all eat with our sense of smell). This is given in the morning while mom is spending a bit more time outside. Pups are also moved to a larger box (still inside our home) to give them more room to move about, find their feet and start to play.
Every dog on our property has been raised on adult food and your puppy is no different. From day one puppies are given soften adult formula food. We have found that growing puppies naturally and slowly is best for their growing bodies and minds. If dogs are pushed too fast and not given adequate exercise you can tell by how their front legs grow. The legs will start to make an hour glass shape. You can tell if this is nutritional by lifting under the chest and allowing the legs to hang freely. If the legs hang straight but are hour glass shaped when you set the dog down then the dog has been pushed to hard nutritionally. This can sometime be fixed if found out early but will be set permanently by the time the dog is a year old.
At 4 weeks we start to train puppies to stack for show so that we can evaluate their structure (how long and thick their bones are in proportion to one another). This is also a continuation of the hold still training we do in weeks 2-4.
Puppies receive their second bath during this time and while the force dryer is not used on them directly it is used while they are present. The force dry is very loud and blows very hard, it should be introduced slowly over a period of time but is an unparalleled tool in getting all the dead hair out during spring and fall shedding.
A second round of wormer is given during this time period which covers: round, hook, whip and tape worms.
6-8 WEEKS
Puppies are now seriously on the move and their true personalities start to show! They are moved outside to a larger pen where they will be released to roam the entire 10 acres after the adults have had their morning run. Depending on the weather they may come in and out. Typically in the summer they are out in the early evening and come in mid morning with the opposite being true in the colder winter months so to avoid extremes in the weather.
By 7 weeks they have been fully weaned from mom and soft food and are only eating dry kibble via free feeding. Puppies are heavily played with daily and grow up right outside our living room so that even if we are not outside we can watch their interactions and reactions all day long. This area is also in the middle of our yard so they can see all the adult dogs as well as tractors, cars, etc. going on.
Their third bath is given on Gotcha Day which is typically in this time period.
If the puppy has a deposit they are picked up during the end of this time period and their first shot is given in front of you and their third wormer is sent home with you. If not then their first shot is given when they are 7 weeks and they are wormed in rotation with our dogs who live permanently at PowerHouse.
8-11 WEEKS
Puppies are now moved to an even larger dirt run so that they have plenty of space to move about, play, run, dig, and bark, all healthy normal puppy activities. Now they start to learn when certain dog behaviors are acceptable and when they are not. Many of you will see when you come up that our dogs do bark but are quite upon command. This is a learned behavior that starts young and your puppy has been exposed to this pack behavior from six weeks on.
Puppy vaccines number two is given and puppies are wormed in rotation with our dogs who live permanently at PowerHouse.
12 WEEKS - 6 MO.
During this time period puppies finish their puppy series vaccinations and can start accompanying us out into the wide world beyond PowerHouse (public). Many times if we are offering a puppy from this age group it was one we were considering to stay for ourselves. Often he or she was the pick of their litter but for a variety of reasons we have decided to move them on.
Training increases in this age range to include basics obedience, manners, and tricks (which we feel is an important learning step for both humans and puppies, learn more about this in our training section). They are also introduced to leash and crate training.
After all vaccinations we start to take them into the public including: street fairs, food truck night, local feed stores and Tractor Supply, concerts in the park, open air markets and malls, the beach and boardwalks, hiking, Lowes, and Home Depot.
We try very hard to avoid Petsmart, Petco, and dog parks. Often at these places we find other peoples dogs to be very under socialized; lunging, barking, and straining at the leash or over the side of shopping carts. Which are all things we don’t want our dogs to learn so we only take our most socialized dog if any at all to these three places and its mostly for proofing already good behavior. Most of our dog shopping is done online or at dog shows.
During this time they basically learn the nuts and bolts of the AKC Canine Good Citizens (CGC) test. Depending on their acceptance of public in addition to our time and weather constraints they could take the CGC test and novice trick dog test by 7mo. Our goal is to test them for both of these by one year. If you get a puppy in this age range just ask what he knows and we will be able to outline it for you.
At 12 weeks depending on size and temperament they may start to run with the older dogs.