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| Amber, Coco's 3 wk girl puppy |
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| Amber, Coco's 3 week girl pupy |
Virginia Breeder of Schnoodle puppies - a non shedding, hypoallergenic dog breed.
Sunday, June 25, 2017
4 week Coco Puppies
Here are Coco's Puppies at 4 weeks old. They are using their potty trays now and eating soft puppy food made into a gruel. They are starting to look like Schnoodles!
Sunday, June 18, 2017
3 week Coco Schnoodles
Hi all! I know I am sooo behind with Puppy photos from Coco's litter. It is turning out to be such a super busy summer! But I have been taking lots of photos along the way. Rather than putting them all up at once, I will just add them a little at a time. That keeps it more fun! So again, these photos are from 4 weeks ago when the puppies were 3 weeks old.
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| 3 week old Coco Puppy |
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| At 3 weeks old puppies are just starting to play. |
Wednesday, June 14, 2017
Update on Oscar the Schnoodle
Oscar the Schnoodle was bred from my first Schnoodle litter in May of 2012. His Mom was Dixie a 23 lb Mini Schnauzer. Both his parents have since been retired.
Update from Jen:
Oscar and Maya (see photo below) turned 5 on May 13th...wow did that go by quick!!! We had our usual joint family birthday party for them with the D's. Deb makes them a special birthday dinner of chicken rice and veggies which they of course devour.
Oscar has a new big buddy, my boyfriends dog Bailey is an 8 year old white lab-beagle mix and the two of them have become fast friends and hang out every day.
You'll get a kick out of this picture I've atached (above)....
This past weekend between my boyfriends family and my family we were taking care of 5 dogs and I learned just how difficult it is to get 5 dogs to sit and look at the camera at the same time!!! You'll notice Oscar doesn't shy away from the camera though!
Well we are doing great and hopefully all is well with your family too and you have a wonderful summer in store! Please don't forget about us, Oscar definitely wants his little sister!
----Jen and Oscar
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| Oscar (the Schnoodle) and Bailey (the White Lab mix) |
Oscar and Maya (see photo below) turned 5 on May 13th...wow did that go by quick!!! We had our usual joint family birthday party for them with the D's. Deb makes them a special birthday dinner of chicken rice and veggies which they of course devour.
Oscar has a new big buddy, my boyfriends dog Bailey is an 8 year old white lab-beagle mix and the two of them have become fast friends and hang out every day.
You'll get a kick out of this picture I've atached (above)....
This past weekend between my boyfriends family and my family we were taking care of 5 dogs and I learned just how difficult it is to get 5 dogs to sit and look at the camera at the same time!!! You'll notice Oscar doesn't shy away from the camera though!
Well we are doing great and hopefully all is well with your family too and you have a wonderful summer in store! Please don't forget about us, Oscar definitely wants his little sister!
----Jen and Oscar
Update on Leo
Hi Mary,
I hope all is well with you and yours. I realize I haven't sent you any photos of Leo recently. He is 9 months old now and at last weigh-in about a month ago, he is 9.3 lbs (maybe just maybe he'll hit 10) He is a perfect size for me :-)
He is a real character but maturing nicely. A real sweetheart -- can't pass a stranger or another dog on our walks without stopping to say hello or he whines and carries on mercilessly. But as soon as he gets to say hi, he's content to trot (prance) along...
He believes it is his mission to keep our yard safe from squirrels and birds and to pull all the kitchen towels down from the towel bars. he has several favorite perches on our sofas and chairs and loves to hide his chew toys under the throw pillows.
Here are some of his best photos from the Spring. We've taken a break from dog training due to crazy kids schedules but hope to get back to it this summer/fall.
Love this little guy!
---Jen
Hi Jen! Thanks for all the awesome photo and update! Sound like Leo is really doing great! I am so thrilled to hear the good news. I love his Teddy bear haircut! So cute! Thank you for sharing this update with us!
---Mary
Sunday, June 11, 2017
Coco's Litter 2 week Update
This week the puppies entered their second stage of development, the Transitional stage which lasts from Day 13- 20 Days.. This stage is characterized by the following:
Eyes and ears open, but sight and hearing are limited. Tail wagging begins and the puppies begin to control body functions.
Look! The puppies eyes are open! Its always an exciting time when the puppies open their eyes. They started opening slowly about 4 days ago. As their world opens up to them, they also develop better motor coordination and start lifting themselves off the floor with their legs, for a short walk. They still are developing their strength and balance.
This week I set up a puppy pen in the nursery for the litter. But for the sake of photos, I thought I would put them back in the baby pool.
This worked out fine for a few minutes...
...Until Coco was preoccupied with giving little sister a bath and one little brother decided to make his escape!
It only takes one to ruin it for the rest...LOL....so I put them right back into their puppy pen!
Coco and the puppies don't mind being in the pen. I have a nice cozy fleece for them to cuddle up in. Coco settles down quickly with her puppies. Before long they are back to taking a nap.
Eyes and ears open, but sight and hearing are limited. Tail wagging begins and the puppies begin to control body functions.
Look! The puppies eyes are open! Its always an exciting time when the puppies open their eyes. They started opening slowly about 4 days ago. As their world opens up to them, they also develop better motor coordination and start lifting themselves off the floor with their legs, for a short walk. They still are developing their strength and balance.
This week I set up a puppy pen in the nursery for the litter. But for the sake of photos, I thought I would put them back in the baby pool.
This worked out fine for a few minutes...
...Until Coco was preoccupied with giving little sister a bath and one little brother decided to make his escape!
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| See my little escape artist! |
It only takes one to ruin it for the rest...LOL....so I put them right back into their puppy pen!
Coco and the puppies don't mind being in the pen. I have a nice cozy fleece for them to cuddle up in. Coco settles down quickly with her puppies. Before long they are back to taking a nap.
Wednesday, June 7, 2017
Coco's pups 1 week old update
Today the puppies are already 12 days old. The weekend was busy and I wasn't able to get pictures right on the 7 day mark. But I did get these photos taken yesterday, as my aim is to give an update roughly every 7 to 10 days...until the puppies reach 8 weeks old.
During this first week the puppies are in the Neonatal Stage of Development. This stage lasts from Birth until 14 days old. At this stage the litter cannot see or hear. Their eyes and ears are still developing. The puppies sense of smell, on the other hand is very keen indeed. They know as soon as their mother enters their whelping box. They scoot over to her so fast, you would think they could see her. If they are not curled up with their mother, they want to be cuddled up with their litter mates for warmth. We always know if a puppy is separated from the group, because he will cry until he finds them.
In the first few days I watch my Mama and Puppies very closely to make sure Coco is recovering quickly and that the babies are all nursing well. This is no small thing. The highest rate of mortality in a puppies life is within the first 24 hours. So I have to make sure that everything is going perfectly.
On the third day of life, I take the puppies to the veterinary to have the dew claws removed. It is a quick and simple procedure, and the puppies complain for less then a minute, then they go on nursing as if nothing happened. The thing I don't like most about removing dew claws is disturbing the litter. Taking them to the veterinary is no small thing at such a young age.
Once the dew claws are removed, we keep the mama and her puppies very quiet for the rest of the week. The mama dog stops being hyper vigilent after the first few days. As she relaxes she runs about the house back to her old self. But she is still very protective of her litter, so we keep the puppies in the far corner of the house (our Master Bathroom) for the first week. The door is left ajar so she can come and go, checking on them, cleaning them up, and nursing whenever she feels the need to do that.
When Crystal (8 month old Mini Schnauzer) first approached the door of the room to see the puppies, Coco chastised her immediately. Crystal who is naturally very submissive, took this very seriously. Now she is super careful not to come close to those puppies. She knows Coco will not stand for it!
As the week goes on, we change the puppies bedding regularly, but it does not get very dirty. Coco cleans up the puppies very well herself. Puppies actually need their mama to lick them in order to help them go potty. It seems strange to us humans....but it does make clean up so much easier!
The puppies grow super fast this week, and the ribs that were showing forth at birth, are now not visible. The puppies are noticeably putting on weight. It makes a mama proud!
The rest of the work is just keeping on top of Coco's needs. Coco is eating a lot throughout the day, and as a result needs to go out to the potty throughout the day. That is where having a doggy door comes in super handy. The bigger problem is that Coco needs to go out to potty in the middle of the night and that requires my supervision. We live on the edge of some pretty wild woods. I wouldn't want to risk Coco being out alone even in a fenced yard. If I leave to go out during the day, I put Coco in the room with her puppies. This is just added assurance, that she will not accidentally get closed off from her litter while I am out.
All in all, the first week of puppies does require me to be on my toes, but I still consider it to be an easy time. At least Coco is still doing the bulk of the work!
During this first week the puppies are in the Neonatal Stage of Development. This stage lasts from Birth until 14 days old. At this stage the litter cannot see or hear. Their eyes and ears are still developing. The puppies sense of smell, on the other hand is very keen indeed. They know as soon as their mother enters their whelping box. They scoot over to her so fast, you would think they could see her. If they are not curled up with their mother, they want to be cuddled up with their litter mates for warmth. We always know if a puppy is separated from the group, because he will cry until he finds them.
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| Coco's Boy #1 - Pretzel |
In the first few days I watch my Mama and Puppies very closely to make sure Coco is recovering quickly and that the babies are all nursing well. This is no small thing. The highest rate of mortality in a puppies life is within the first 24 hours. So I have to make sure that everything is going perfectly.
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| Coco's Boy #2 - Chester |
On the third day of life, I take the puppies to the veterinary to have the dew claws removed. It is a quick and simple procedure, and the puppies complain for less then a minute, then they go on nursing as if nothing happened. The thing I don't like most about removing dew claws is disturbing the litter. Taking them to the veterinary is no small thing at such a young age.
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| Coco's Boy #3 - Rusty |
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| Coco's Boy #4 - Pudding |
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| Coco's Female Puppy - Hazel |
As the week goes on, we change the puppies bedding regularly, but it does not get very dirty. Coco cleans up the puppies very well herself. Puppies actually need their mama to lick them in order to help them go potty. It seems strange to us humans....but it does make clean up so much easier!
The puppies grow super fast this week, and the ribs that were showing forth at birth, are now not visible. The puppies are noticeably putting on weight. It makes a mama proud!
The rest of the work is just keeping on top of Coco's needs. Coco is eating a lot throughout the day, and as a result needs to go out to the potty throughout the day. That is where having a doggy door comes in super handy. The bigger problem is that Coco needs to go out to potty in the middle of the night and that requires my supervision. We live on the edge of some pretty wild woods. I wouldn't want to risk Coco being out alone even in a fenced yard. If I leave to go out during the day, I put Coco in the room with her puppies. This is just added assurance, that she will not accidentally get closed off from her litter while I am out.
All in all, the first week of puppies does require me to be on my toes, but I still consider it to be an easy time. At least Coco is still doing the bulk of the work!
Thursday, June 1, 2017
Books for the New Puppy Owner
For those of you who are excitedly awaiting your new Schnoodle puppy, I wanted to share a few of my favorite books. I refer to both these books whenever I have bought a puppy myself. They each focus on different aspects of puppy training.
This first book, Before and After Getting Your New Puppy should be purchased before you get your puppy. It discusses important Developmental Deadlines that must be addressed before it is too late It will also help teach the importance of teaching a puppy to be content in confinement, which helps with potty training and safety. I highly recommend that the new puppy owner read this book before you bring your puppy home.
This second book, Training the Best Dog Ever, is all about training your dog in Basic Commands. After I attended Puppy Kindergarten with my new puppy, I had some family commitments that prevented my attending the Intermediate puppy class. I thought, "Wouldn't it be great if there was a book with a weekly schedule of training for my puppy that would keep me on the ball with training consistently.". Well, lo and behold, here it is! This book gives you a plan each day for a 5 week period. It will refer you to a website where you can print out the 5 week schedule so all you have to do is check off what you have accomplished each day. Each new command on the schedule also has a page reference for the book where you can read the detailed instructions on how to teach the command. The training progresses slowly from week to week and it builds on itself. I found it very effective. You will have an amazingly well trained dog, if you complete this 5 week course.
This first book, Before and After Getting Your New Puppy should be purchased before you get your puppy. It discusses important Developmental Deadlines that must be addressed before it is too late It will also help teach the importance of teaching a puppy to be content in confinement, which helps with potty training and safety. I highly recommend that the new puppy owner read this book before you bring your puppy home.
This second book, Training the Best Dog Ever, is all about training your dog in Basic Commands. After I attended Puppy Kindergarten with my new puppy, I had some family commitments that prevented my attending the Intermediate puppy class. I thought, "Wouldn't it be great if there was a book with a weekly schedule of training for my puppy that would keep me on the ball with training consistently.". Well, lo and behold, here it is! This book gives you a plan each day for a 5 week period. It will refer you to a website where you can print out the 5 week schedule so all you have to do is check off what you have accomplished each day. Each new command on the schedule also has a page reference for the book where you can read the detailed instructions on how to teach the command. The training progresses slowly from week to week and it builds on itself. I found it very effective. You will have an amazingly well trained dog, if you complete this 5 week course.
I hope you like these books as much as I do. Just remember, a dog is a puppy for such a short time. If you are attentive to raising and training your puppy right from the beginning, your dog will be well trained before you know it! You and your doggy will be rewarded with many years of good communication and wonderful companionship. Good luck to you!
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