Mila and Hudson’s 4.13.20 Litter

Adoption Day

These families set the bar awfully high for future litters. Thank you for making every moment so fun!

Mila and Hudson’s 4.13.20 Litter - Week 8

Can you believe we are at our last weekly update? It’s bittersweet for those of us at Ever After. These little fur balls have captured our hearts. Thank goodness they are all being adopted by such wonderful families. This week marked more socializing with people and dogs of all ages; mastering puppies’ third thunderstorm; another car ride excursion; lawn mowing noise while they played in their outdoor courtyard; stair climbing exercises (still in progress); and a birthday vet appointment at Fairwood Animal Hospital where the puppies received their first set of shots (plus another dose of Strongid dewormer), were micro-chipped, and passed a complete wellness exam (Adam melted the vet’s heart as he lavished her with kisses during his shots-sweet boy). This week, it was discovered that your puppies love rain and mud puddles (a few more than others) - lucky you! We are practicing the “sit” command for food, and the “come” command going to and from the yard. Most potties make it outside or on their indoor litter boxes. Honestly, they are the smartest little pups. With their strong desire to please, it won’t take long for them to master all of the above with you - in their precious time, with kindness and patience, that is. Puppies love to cuddle together during nap times on their large raised bed with extra padding. Oh, and your babies are sleeping in their own crates from 11:00 P.M. to 6:00 A.M. now - yeah!

Mila and Hudson’s 4.13.20 Litter - Week 7

Ever After’s puppy fun is going too fast! We adore this rambunctious little group as they confidently race around their play areas wrestling and barking with each other, all the while willing to stop everything for snuggle-time with Ever After family members. This week, each puppy graduated to his/her own bowl of predominantly hard kibbles. In addition, Mila started nursing the puppies less frequently as her milk supply decreases. She’s also shortening her litter visits in helping to wean the puppies from their dependence on her. It’s amazing to watch Mila instinctively know how to transition each puppy for a life with a special family all of its own - you!

Mila and Hudson’s 4.13.20 Litter - Week 6

Personalities are showing themselves now. Safe to say, every one of these adorable puppies is a winner. With hops and trots picking up speed, they needed more room to stretch their legs; so the pups graduated to yet another larger playpen area in the basement while continuing to enjoy their covered pen outdoors (safe from birds of prey). Potty training continued with the indoor litter boxes but now includes outdoor potty time as well. For sleeping, the puppies stayed together in one crate with the door open during the daytime but closed at night. However, with their rapid growth, they will soon be split between two large crates; then next step to individual crates. For exposure, the Ever After staff took the puppies for a car ride with half of them relaxed throughout and the other half needing more car rides, ha! For protection against internal parasites, Mila and pups enjoyed Panicure as their birthday treat. Lastly, along with weekly nail trims, puppies had their eyes and bums trimmed which you’ll find are often needed between professional groomings. Click here for the particular cut given to Australian Labradoodles. Ever After personally doesn’t let hair cover the dog’s eyes, but we do love the bearded look shown in the video. Do you have a groomer who knows how to properly cut the Australian Labradoodle? Might it be you?

Bloopers

Mila and Hudson’s 4.13.20 Litter - Week 5

May I be honest - picture time with your little darlings is more like an aerobic workout than a point-and-shoot affair, ha! Numerous pictures are taken of puppies squirming, slipping, chewing on each other, half-opening their eyes, and yawning for yet another nap before that one shot of semi-perfection is achieved. Still, it’s all worth it. Week 5 brought conquering eating instead of swimming in their puppy porridge (warmed up, formula-soaked kibbles), enjoying water as a second-favorite beverage, crate training, playing in a larger pen with additional litter boxes, and more experiences for desensitization (i.e. light-up/noisy/moving toys, grass turf in their outdoor puppy play yard, nubby side of a balance stability bubble, crinkle tunnel, dog puzzle toy - brain exercise, and thunder storms - definitely an Achilles heel for one of the nameless pups). But most of all, puppies were lavished with attention from Ever After’s revolving family of 8-9 dog lovers as well as Mother Mila. No one tires of puppy kisses and the touch of soft “bunny” fur. BTW - your babies are sleeping 5 hours during the night now!

Mila and Hudson’s 4.13.20 Litter - Week 4

What a bunch of cuddlers as their scrumptious little bodies nestled in the crooks of our arms and necks this week! Your adorable puppies also started playing more with toys and with each other - awkwardly gnawing, jumping, and “puppy barking” as they romped. In addition, teeth started budding through their gums; so nubby chew toys and “freezer bears” helped ease the way. Then with puppy ears hearing now, daytime music filled the nursery as well as household noises like clapping, laughing, singing, vacuuming, etc. - ideal for desensitization of a world filled with miscellaneous noises that shouldn’t be accompanied with fear. And for their birthday treat, the puppies and Mila received doses of Strongid dewormer - yum!

Mila & Hudson’s 4.13.20 Litter - Week 3

Entering week 3, Ever After continued applying daily Puppy Culture techniques of Early Neurological Stimulation in combination with touching and stroking puppies as much as possible. Puppies began eliminating and walking (slow and wobbly) on their own; their ears started responding to sounds; they are exploring new vocal sounds of their own; and they are looking for playtime with their mouths (siblings make the best gnaw toys). With the ability to get around a little better, a “litter box” area was added to the whelping box. We’re trying to tap into their instinct of moving away from the “nesting” area to eliminate. Wish us luck! To give you an idea of their actual size, the puppies were held in their 3-week pictures seen below.

Mila & Hudson’s 4.13.20 Litter - Week 2

We had eyes open this week! (Would it surprise you that Adam was the first?) It will take several more weeks for the eyes to fully develop into normal vision. Also this week, the puppies experienced their first nail clippings. For homework, see video How to Trim Dog Nails on the RESOURCES page.

Mila & Hudson’s 4.13.20 Litter - Week 1

FYI - Ever After had the puppies’ front dew claws removed at 2 days old for prevention of serious injuries in the future. DYK - For the first 2-3 weeks of life, puppies crawl on their bellies and move around by scent since they are virtually blind, deaf, and unable to walk. They also cannot regulate their own body temperatures during this time. However, changes happen daily in other areas - look at their plump little tummies and how some of their noses and paw pads are starting to take color. (Birth weights are given. The names listed are just for fun!)