Labradoodles - On the Deck

One of our responsibilities when breeding puppies is making sure that they are well socialized by the time they go home with their new family. Socializing is all about exposing the puppies to new situations, sights, sounds and sometimes smells in a positive manner. We don't want our pups developing into timid or fearful dogs, exposing them to new things helps them learn to take new experiences in stride. The pups turned 4 weeks old this week so it is time to begin really expanding their horizons. We have of course already begun exposing them to many new things already but this week we are doing even more. 
One of the new things they got to do was walk on the deck. Since our adult dogs don't think anything of it, I didn't really think it would freak out our babies, but it did a little. At least a couple of them.  

Of course 'Raisin' is wondering what everyone thinks is such a big deal. He's telling his brother to 'chill out'.

Having momma Jinx around helped ease a few anxieties.

After all, these pups will endure anything for some milk.

Raisin is telling Kisses that it'll all be okay.

She isn't so certain. Of course she was also the first one to pee on the deck. Fortunately it is easy enough to wash off.

A little wrestling means that everyone is relaxing and getting used to walking on air.

Raisin is our fearless guy. The other puppies will all look for some comfort and come and cuddle. Not this guy, he has some conquering to do. 

P.J. is getting some lovin' from Tate.

Scotcheroo was a little timid at first and then he got the hang of it.

It's fun to introduce these little guys to new things. It doesn't usually take long for everyone to realize that it's all okay. They are getting braver, wandering farther away while exploring when they are outside. I love watching them grow. 

Labradoodle Coats

I know many of you have questions regarding what our Labradoodles might look like as they get older.  I have found a few websites that give a some good examples for you to look at. 
Because you are taking DNA from two different breeds, there are no guarantee's. Each of the puppies can develop a slightly different coat. 
But I think that is part of the fun.
Our pups will most likely have the 'scruffy' or 'fleece' coat. It is unlikely that they will be curly like a poodle. 
Here are a few examples of my best guess at what our pups will turn out like. This is just a guess based on research and looking at their baby coats. This is not a guarantee.

photo courtesy of dreamydoodles.com

photo courtesy of  labradoodlesbyleanne.com

Aren't they adorable?

A few things you should know about Labradoodles:
*Just like a poodle they can lose their 'puppy' coat at about 6 -14 months of age. A new, different type of coat can grow in at this time. 
*Their color can change as they age. It will be based off of their puppy color. For instance a chocolate puppy can grow up to become Cafe Lait, or brown with cream tips. Very cute! 
*F1 Labradoodles tend to have more of the scruffy, long haired lab look. Not necessarily the curly coat of a poodle. Although that could happen.
*No one can guarantee that your F1 Labradoodle will not shed. That would be a lie. The objective is to breed a large breed dog with the intelligence and train-ability of the poodle but the temperament, friendliness and overall great family companion that the Lab provides. Often, because of the poodle gene, this great family dog will shed less than a Lab. 
*No one can guarantee that they will be hypoallergenic. Shedding isn't the only thing that contributes to an allergic reaction to dogs. It has much to do with the dogs dander, or dead skin cells.
*Labradoodles tend to be fun, energetic, and intelligent dogs. They make wonderful family pets and companions. They do not make good apartment dogs. They thrive on activity and interaction with their family. 
Here are some websites with good F1 information and coat examples:
Tinkerdoodle - great pictures from Pup to adult
Dreamydoodles - a good review of Labradoodle history
Southern Charm Labradoodles - a good break down of the different coat types.
There is lots of great information here. Look around and learn all you can about this fun family dog. It might be that this is just the right breed for your family. 

First Taste of Gruel for The Labradoodle Pups

Recently it has seemed like the pups are hungrier than usual. Plus, Jinx is less interested than feeding them than usual.She takes great care of them throughout the night but daytime is another story. She just wants to have fun with us and be with us. Often I have to call her over to the puppies and lay her down to feed them. Once she gets there, she doesn't seem to mind nursing them, especially if I stay near and pet her. She does seem to be emptying out more quickly and I know the pups are consuming more. 
All of these factors made me decide it was time to begin the weaning process and introduce puppy food. It will take a few days for them to catch on and truly dig in and eat so I wanted to get started and help eliminate some of the feeding burden from Jinx's shoulders. Puppy gruel is just puppy food mixed with water, blended up so there are no large chunks and made watery enough to lap up.
I was amazed at how well they liked it! They all really surprised me with how well they licked it up and how much they took in. 

Here Tate is putting the gruel in the pen. 

A few of the boys immediately approached the foreign substance.

There was some sniffing and tasting.

Then came some good old fashioned chowing down.

You know what surprises me? That puppies naturally learn to lap up liquids. Cool huh? Because really, how would I teach them that?

Here's Scotcheroo. Not a huge fan of the new puppy pen.

"Let me ou-oooot!"

He also was leaning against the pen with long suffering. Look at his cute little messy snout after eating his puppy gruel like a boss!

Although the puppies are used to being contained, the outdoors are very different then the basement and these walls are see through, unlike the puppy pool. So their little worlds are expanding. 

Here's Mama Jinx. Feeding the pups is definitely more intense than it used to be. 

The pups will continue with their mushy puppy food for a while. I will slowly decrease the amount of water and they will slowly learn to chew as their teeth come in. 

Feeding time is a huge mess. Puppies have no idea that they are supposed to keep their paws out of the food. In fact I think they like eating it better when they are nearly submerged in it.

Fortunately, Jinx is happy to help with the clean up.

3 Weeks and The Puppies First Outdoor Adventure

As part of the puppies social development, exposure to the outdoors is important. Previously we have had them in a quiet room in our basement with a few forays upstairs. Sunday, I decided it was time to expose them to the great outdoors. As they get bigger, and messier, they will be spending more and more time outside. 
Their reaction to the outside was mixed. Mostly, it stressed them all out a little bit, but that is okay. We stayed near them the whole time to offer security. Although, when Jinx is near, all they want is milk! 

We introduced them to the grass first, but I was too busy to get any pictures. Sorry about that. A few of the boys tried tasting the grass to see if it tasted any good. I don't think they liked it. It was really sunny and warm in the grass and everyone was complaining. I moved them onto a blanket in the shade and that seemed much better to them. It could be that the bright light was also a bit harsh on their eyes. 

Here is Scotcheroo making sure we know that he isn't a fan of this adventure. 

Raisin however, took it all in stride. He was also the most adventurous, wandering the furthest away from the crowd. Fearless little beastie! Did you notice how he can sit up now?

Is it not the cutest thing you have ever seen?

They can all sit up and they all walk around like little drunken sailors. It's adorable. They are getting sturdier all the time. 

Scotcheroo decided to hunker down next to the basket and his brother. The outdoors weren't very interesting to him. He later walked over to me and snuggled up. 

Kisses did what Kisses does, she didn't stress out about it. 

P.B. explored a bit and didn't seem too bothered by the outside. 

P.J. however was very vocal in his dislike of being outside of his comfort zone. It won't be too long before he loves being outside.

We will keep taking them outside every day and lengthening the time they spend out there in their little puppy pen. It'll soon be a place they love to be. 

Labradoodle Pseudo Names - As Promised

You can't have a littler of puppies and not call them each something. Calling them all 'Puppy' seems a bit boring. So, being the creative people we are, we decided to give the pups each a temporary name until they get their forever name from their new families. 
I thought we would stick with a theme in order to simplify the naming process and to help us remember the different litters down the road. 
Wyat Latched on to this guy and originally dubbed him 'Brownie',  

To honor that we thought we would go with a food theme. After a bit of teasing about naming a brown dog, 'Brownie', his name was changed. 

His official pseudo name is Raisin Brownie Beaber.

You can call him Raisin.

He's big for his age and he likes to chill out. He's our biggest boy. Don't let his color fool you, he could change colors like his dad by the time he is 2.

Next up is our little girl. Seth was in charge of picking her name.

Meet Kisses (like Hershey Kisses).

She is a sweet little snuggler. Although born 2nd, her size makes her the runt of this litter.

Tate picked the name for our golden boy with the pink nose.

Say hello to Pepper-Jack. He is more pale than his brothers. This guy was the first born of the litter and is just a bit bigger than his sister.

I got to name the next little guy.

This is Scotcheroo.

I love his cream color and black nose and paw pads.

He was the first one we saw trying to play with his siblings.

Last but not least, Hunky Hubby's hunk of cuteness;

Meet Peanut Brittle. He is also a big guy. We call him and Scotcheroo the twins because they look very similar with their black noses and paws. But P.B. looks to have a little more red in his coat. I won't be surprised if he darkens up over time. 

So there they are. Our adorable babies and their temporary names. They are starting to play with each other and us, walk on all fours, and go potty by themselves. They are growing so fast. 

Wouldn't you like to take one home? 

Labradoodle - Eyes are open!

We have reached the 2 week mark with our puppies. Everyone is fat and healthy. And I do mean fat! It is amazing how fast these little guys have grown. 
We have reached a new milestone as well.
Everyone has opened their eyes! 
First, was the little black girl. It was hard to tell that her eyes were even open. They looked like glittering pieces of black obsidian in her inky black face. Then all of the yellow pups opened their eyes, and finally our chocolate boy opened his eyes today! 

The pups are also trying to walk on all four legs instead of crawling like seals. It is super cute to watch them wobble around.

We have seen them try to start playing during their short awake periods. although biting on your brother when you have no teeth isn't very threatening.

The puppy pile is still their favorite place to be. Look at this sweet guy with his paw around his sister.

It is really fun to watch these little guys grow and develop.

If you are interested in making one of these pups a part of your family, leave me a comment and I will e-mail you more details! 

We are accepting reservations now. $200 will secure your puppy with $400 to be paid on the day you pick up. The pups will be ready July 7. 

The Whelping 'Box'

There are many different ideas on what to use as a whelping box. We have found that we like a plastic kiddie pool.  Some of our friends also use this for breeding their large breed dogs.
Why? 
It is very easy to keep clean. 
The puppies can't climb over the sides for quite a few weeks.
It is inexpensive (I got ours for $16.00)
It is light weight and will be easy to store in our barn.

We had Jinx sleeping in the pool for about 2 weeks before the puppies came. We wanted her to be comfortable in there and for it to feel familiar. 

The day after the puppies were born, Jinx was acting stressed out.
This was stressing me out.
She would go downstairs and whine at the puppies but she did not want to get inside the pool with them. 
She also tried to squeeze into small spaces like under the table and under the bed. I was afraid she would try and move the puppies. 

I did some internet research and I paid attention to some of her behaviors and suddenly the light came on! 
Her pool was too exposed. 
Even though we had the pool in a separate room, that was secluded, it wasn't enclosed enough for her. We had been leaving the light on but she wanted it dark. Typically Jinx is crated at night. That is her safe place. So the pool felt too big and exposed to her. 
We also realized that her nesting behavior took fashion in the form of digging out in the back yard. I looked at the place she had been digging and she had basically carved a den out of the hillside.
So I fashioned a sheet over top of the pool to make it feel like a cave.

Problem solved!  
Jinx immediately went in to lay with her pups and care for them. Since then she has settled down into a very good momma. She is attentive and calm. She still likes to come visit us upstairs when they are asleep sometimes. She also enjoys it when we keep her company downstairs by the 'cave'. 
I was really happy to find such a simple solution.
Happy Momma Dog.
Happy puppies.
Happy me!