Pleasant Meadows

Hello Everyone!

Following up on our recent update about moving Atira and Reuben’s puppies into the living room, we are thrilled to share the second half of their progress. The transition into the heart of our home has been wonderful, and the puppies are thriving as they tackle some major developmental milestones.

We have had some power outages in the recent storms, which delayed getting this update out to everyone, and we thank you all so much for your patience. We were able to get a video successfully uploaded last night, however, and we are glad to finally be getting it sent off to you now so you can see these sweet babies in action (video at bottom).

With the move to their new space, the puppies are now experiencing the very first stages of potty training. We use washable potty pads to begin this process, and introducing this concept requires working with their natural instincts. By adjusting the size of their pen in careful stages and strategically positioning the pads away from their sleeping and play areas, they naturally learn where they should eliminate. They are doing incredibly well with this setup, and we are so proud to report that there have been absolutely no accidents thus far! This indoor pad training is just the first step in their learning. When they reach around six weeks of age, we will begin introducing them to the outdoors to give them fresh air exposure and to establish a consistent routine of going outside in the morning, afternoon, and evening.

Another exciting change is that the puppies have begun eating a specially prepared meat slurry during the daytime. This nourishing blend consists of high-quality meat, probiotics, and a gentle goat-milk-based formula designed to ease the transition from nursing. They practically dove into the dish for their very first meal, with their natural instincts working full force; the exact moment their noses touched the food, they were enthusiastically gobbling it down! Weaning is currently in progress for two very important reasons. First, it supports the next stage of the puppies' development as their growing bodies naturally begin needing meat in their diet. Second, it provides much-needed relief for Atira. The puppies' teeth are already quite sharp, and her babies are getting so big—a true credit to what a wonderful, attentive mother she is—that nursing is simply becoming less comfortable for her to support continuously.

Behind the scenes, we have also been assessing their temperaments and calculating their size for their adult weight estimates to help match each puppy with the perfect home. One wonderful thing about this litter is that they will all share the exact same coat type—beautiful, non-shedding curls!

Before puppy-choosing day arrives, the puppies will be treated to a full bath. While they certainly need a cleanup after dish diving into their food bowl recently, bathing serves a much deeper purpose for us. It is a fantastic way for us to gauge how each puppy responds to a completely new experience that requires trust, and it also helps us to see how they respond to control. While we work hard to make bathing and other desensitization experiences comfortable and positive, giving a bath means temporarily taking them out of their normal routine of what they have previously known. Halting their regular activities while the bathing and drying take place requires them to yield to our guidance. Water is a totally new sensation, and the sound and feel of the blow dryer can be scary, so navigating this cooperative process helps us better understand their individual personalities and resilience. Because these puppies have those gorgeous curls, they will require a lifetime of regular coat maintenance, so we are also using this time to gently handle their paws, check their ears, and open their mouths to set a wonderful foundation for future grooming.

Being in the centre of our family-raised environment means the puppies have also had an absolute explosion of new experiences. They are being exposed to a wide variety of sounds to help build their confidence and shape their behaviour. From hearing the rumble of the lawn mower outside to the familiar, bustling sounds of meal prep in our kitchen, they are taking everything in stride. We also keep the TV on with normal, everyday shows and regularly play a host of different sound effects from YouTube to thoroughly desensitize them to as many things as possible.

We are already looking forward to puppy-choosing day, where families will be meeting the puppies in our sunroom. We look forward to meeting everyone for puppy-choosing!

They are growing into such well-adjusted, confident little pups, and we cannot wait to share more updates as their personalities continue to blossom!

Please remember to bring your holding fee in cash if you are visiting in person as e-transfers can be flaky depending on your phone signal, and we want your money to be safe.  We ask that you bring the regular amount ($1,160) for the holding fee, and the final balance due at 8 weeks / pick up will be adjusted according to the fur colour chosen.

Here is the video: