June 6th 2010
The puppies all have their eyes open now, which is always a milestone to me. They can now see me and I can look deeply into their cute little eyes as well.
June 7th 2010
Today I am working on naming the puppies. Because of our botanical kennel name "Lilium" I always try to give the puppies a botanically related name as well. This will be their "official" pedigreed name on paper. Of course their new families can name them whatever they please. In the past I have used a evergreen tree theme:
Fraiser Fir (Fraiser)
Leland Cyprus (Leland)
Mountain Hemlock (Hemi)
Juniper (Juni or June)
Caanan Fir (Cain)
I also used a spice theme in one litter:
Ginger
Cayenne
Fennel
Nutmeg
Cumin
Paparika
This time I have several ideas. I think I will be using flower names for Petunia's litter in honor of her name....I have an easy time with the girls, but not as easy to think of flowery boys names. Any ideas?
For the girls here are the ideas I have come up with to choose from so far:
Morning glory,tansy, verbena, linnea, dahlia, heather,blossom, violet, allium, camelia, marigold, anise, black eyed susan, tulip, wisteria, queen ann's lace lavender,belleflower (Belle),sweet pea,poppy and honeysuckle. Many of these could be shortened to make for a cute nickname.
Any favorites?
For Chloe's litter I am still deciding...but I am leaning toward tree and tree related names, since male sounding names are easier to find in this category.
Petunia's puppies are now two weeks old. Here are some new pics:
I finally(!) decided on puppy names after MUCH pondering. Thank you all for your input and great ideas. Here they are:
Petunia's Puppies
Girl 1-Poppy
Girl 2-Allium (Ali)
Girl 3 -Dahlia (Dali)
Girl 4-Morning Glory (Glory)
Boy 1-Delphinium (Finley)
Boy 2-Periwinkle (Peri)
Chloe's puppies
Girl-Southern Magnolia (Maggie)
boy 1- English Oak (Oakley)
Boy 2- Quince (Quin)
Boy 3-Autumn Ash (Ashton)
Boy 4-Wind in the Willows (Willow)
I will get some new pics this weekend and point out who is who.
June 19th
For anyone interested in getting a few good books, I have some recommendations:
1. "Before and After Getting Your Puppy: The Positive Approach to Raising a Happy, Healthy, and Well-Behaved Dog" by Ian Dunbar. It has a lot of great general info on raising a well balanced dog. You can find this book online and probably in most bookstores.
2. The best cavalier book out there is By Barbara Garnnet-Wilson called "The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel in Fact and Fancy". It is not a cheap book, but a very high quality, thick book with lots of gorgous pictures. There are even some pictures of the puppie's grandparents and great grand parents in the book. Here is a link: http://www.laughingcavaliers.com/in-fact-and-fancy.htm
June 20th
New pictures!
June 23rd 2010
Puppies first day outside:
Chloe's pups (one is hiding in the back). Not 100% sure who is who in this picture!
June 29th
The puppies are starting to eat solid food now, some more then others! I am feeding then "Eukanuba puppy food, small bites" soaked in water and some canned Eukanuba Chicken puppy food. I also give them probiotics to help their gastrointestinal tract make the adjustment.
I am taking them outside daily now for some supervised playtime. Here are some new pictures:
July 5th
The puppies are doing great and learning about so many new things like: cats, children, larger dogs, the vacuum, water, squeaky toys and stairs, just to name a few!
July 19th 2010
The puppies are now eight weeks old! Time flys! To all the puppie's new families, please contact me to set up a day to pick up your puppy in the near future (if you haven't already).
Here is some puppy info I would like you all to have, but instead of killing trees to print it all out for you, I will post it here:
VACCINATING YOUR PUPPY
When puppies are born, their
immune systems are not mature enough to make antibodies until
approximately 8 to 12 weeks of age. Nature provides for temporary
immunity in the form of colostrum, which is very rich in antibodies.
After weaning around the age of 8 weeks, it is now your
responsibility to protect your new pet by putting him on a
vaccination schedule.
VACCINATION SCHEDULE
8
weeks: Distemper + Parvovirus + Parainfluenza + Hepatitis- The puppies will get this first set of vaccines before leaving me.
11-12
weeks: Distemper + Parvovirus + Parainfluenza + Hepatitis
15-16
weeks: Parvovirus + Rabies + Parainfluenza + Distemper + Hepatitis
Also recommended:
Bordetella vaccine to prevent against so called “kennel cough”, especially if around other dogs (at the groomer, dog parks, boarding kennel, etc).
Lyme Vaccine if you are in a high risk tick area.
Leptosporosis-If your puppy will be
around other dogs, in swampy areas/swimming in streams/ponds, around wildlife or at a boarding
kennel.
HEARTWORM
It is important to protect
your puppy against the fatal disease of heartworm. Heartworm is
prevalent in the United States. Your vet should start your puppy on
monthly heartworm protection a the first visit to the vet. Most
heartworm prevention products will also prevent roundworms, hookworms
and whipworms.
You should apply a flea and tick prevention product to your cavalier on a regular basis. Products that work best and are safest are Frontline and Vectra, in my opinion.
Pet insurance
I recommend everyone seriously consider pet insurance. It can be very helpful for unexpected illness or accidents. the companies I find have the most coverage and best plans are Trupanion (http://www.trupanionpetinsurance.com/) and Embrace.
HELPFUL SUGGESTIONS FOR
FEEDING YOUR PUPPY
Good feeding habits start as soon as
you get your puppy! Your puppy's diet will influence her health
status, development, appearance and attitude.
How you feed your
puppy will influence many behaviour aspects, from house training to
begging. It is also important to prevent your puppy from gaining too
much weight, which can predispose her to obesity and its associated
health problems later in life.
The following tips will get you
off to a good start.
1. What to feed: my puppies are weaned
onto Eukanuba small bites puppy food with a little canned mixed in. I
moisten the food when they first start to eat it, but as they get
older they can eat it dry. If you choose to fed your puppy something
else that is ok, but make the switch gradually, over a weeks time to
avoid diarrhea.
Here is a list of other dog food brands I trust: Proplan, Innova, California Natural, Royal Canin, Iams, and Science Diet. This is not an all inclusive list.
I do not believe in feeding a raw
food diet due to the potential for salmonella, e.coli and parasitic
infections, as well as most peoples inability to fed a complete and
balanced diet.
2. Do not "free choice feed" your
puppy.
Free choice feeding is essentially feeding your puppy as
much as he wants to eat. Free choice feeding can contribute to
digestive upset (vomiting and diarrhea), bloating, difficulty in
house training, and obesity.
The best approach is to feed your
puppy's daily allotment of food (start out with a total of 1- 1 1/4th
cups) divided into two or three measured meals a day. If your puppy
hasn't eaten his measured amount of food within 15 minutes, remove
it. Continue on with the same measured portion at the next meal. If
you find your puppy consistently isn't finishing his meal but is
otherwise doing well, cut back on the total daily allotment. On the
other hand, even if your puppy devours the meal in a few minutes, do
not give more food.
At 7-12 months switch your puppy to an adult food. Most cavaliers only need 1/2-3/4 a cup of food twice a day, but this depends on activity level, weight/height and which specific food you feed as well.
3. Avoid feeding your puppy "human
food".
Establishing right from the start that "human
food" is off-limits will reduce begging and an increased
opportunity for obesity. It also helps minimize the chance of dogs
becoming very picky eaters.
If you must feed some "human
food", stick to small amounts of low calorie options such as
vegetables, rice, etc., but always put them in your puppy's bowl!
Never feed your puppy from the table.
4. Familiarize yourself
with healthy treats.
We all like to treat our puppies. It helps us
in socializing, training and just plain loving them. There are
several healthy treat options now on the market. I prefer a soft
treat that can be broken into smaller pieces for training, such as
“Puperoni”, “Puppy training treats” or even small soft cat
treats or cheese.
5. Use meals as a house training opportunity!
Puppies
normally eliminate 5 to 15 minutes after eating a meal. Therefore,
after the feeding take your puppy outside to the appropriate place in
your yard where you would like him to eliminate, and wait for the
magic moment. Praise your puppy for a job well done!
Puppies
also need to eliminate after nap and play sessions. Use this to your
advantage in training and avoiding "accidents"!
6.
Food is an excellent training tool!
Food makes training easier and
more positive for you and your puppy. If your puppy is very excited
about his meal you can use the first few morsels of food as a reward
for “sitting”, “staying” or “down” commands.
7.
Feed your puppy in a quiet place, such as his crate.
Avoid feeding
just prior to or just after exercise. This helps establish
consistency, reduces excitement around a meal, and reduces the
incidence of stomach upset.
8. Bones and milk.
Please do
not feed your puppy any bones. Digestive disturbances, bone fragments
and their resulting damage can require the use of medication and
possibly surgery. Many puppies cannot digest milk, and it ends up
giving them diarrhea. This can also interfere with the absorption of
nutrients from the intestinal tract.
PUPPIES LOVE TO CHEW!
It
is our responsibility to give our puppy safe chew toys to play
with.
Puppies teethe between the ages of three to six months, and
they need to chew on something to help the teeth come in. Help avoid
destructive chewing by giving your puppy a choice of good
indestructible objects to chew on -A “Kong” filled with peanut
butter or treats, a really hard rubber ball (large enough so the
puppy can't swallow it) or a tough rubber bone. Sometypes of rawhide
chews are ok too, but best given with supervision. The long thin
types or rolled rawhide seem safest. Giving a puppy an old shoe or
any shoe-like material, as so many people do, will make her think all
shoes are acceptable for her chewing enjoyment.
As mentioned
above, don't give your pup real bones - cooked or uncooked. These
could splinter, hurt her mouth, cause choking if a sliver is
swallowed, or cause vomiting and diarrhea.
Make the puppy's
rubber ball or bone especially attractive to her by playing games
with it. Whenever she starts to chew on an unacceptable object, say
no sternly, take the forbidden object away, and replace it with the
rubber ball or chew bone. When your puppy starts to chew on her own
toy, praise her for good behaviour. Your puppy will respond
happily.
Puppies seem to enjoy chewing on our fingers and may
even appear to be biting. Use the same procedure as above and replace
your fingers with the toy. She will soon get the idea that she is
forbidden to chew on your hands. Remember to praise her when she
begins to chew on her toy.
Keep in mind that puppies often
forget, so you may have to repeat the chewing corrections many times.
Eventually she will get the right idea. Once again we need patience
to train our puppy. Your puppy will be less likely to feast on your
best pair of shoes if she has her own toys to chew on. Help your pup
avoid the wrong things by keeping them out of reach.
Puppy toy
boxes work well; your puppy will soon learn that her toys are in the
box and, when she feels the urge to chew she will go to her toy box
and retrieve a toy.
Remember to keep cleanser, paint thinners,
household chemicals and other harmful substances out of your puppy's
reach.
YOUR PUPPY'S PLACE
Give your new friend a special
place it may call his own. Your puppy will use this place to rest and
sleep, and it will feel safe and protected here. Make it a warm and
cozy home for her, in a draft-free corner in an area, near family
activity.
With crate training you will know that it is not
getting into any mischief, even when you cannot be there to watch
her. You will not have to worry while you're out on a short errand
that she is getting into something. Training crates are very useful
tools when house-training your puppy, because the dog's instinct is
not to soil her bed.
Although some people do not like the idea
of crate training, most dogs learn to love their crate, which
provides for them security and comfort.
Crate training is
useful in a variety of circumstances:
It prevents vocalization at night because the crate can be moved to your bedroom
It prevents chewing or destructive behaviour
It is the best method for house training
A crate-trained dog will travel calmly and will not need to be tranquilized
Crate-trained dogs are happier when boarded (you can take the crate along)
The only disadvantage of crate training is that it cannot be used if the pup is isolated for long periods. Do not leave your puppy in the crate for more than 3-4 hours during the day without checking on her and letting her out to eliminate. However, it is fine to leave the puppy in it all night.
STEPS IN CRATE TRAINING
1. The crate should be large enough for the adult to stand up and turn around.
2. The crate should be kept in the kitchen or bedroom. You may want to keep it in the kitchen for the day and move it into the bedroom at night. It should not be left in isolated areas.
3. To start with, put toys in the crate so the pup can go into it on her own. Associate the crate with fun things.
4. Put the pup in for a few minutes with the door closed. If she misbehaves try to distract her. Try to leave the puppy in her crate for 10 minutes. Let the puppy out only when she is quiet. Do not let her out of the crate if she is barking, howling or whining, as you are reinforcing this behaviour (i.e. if I cry I get let out). Instead, try to distract your puppy by making a noise (shake a tin can containing pennies), and if the puppy is quiet for a few seconds, let her out of the cage and praise or reward her with an appropriate treat.
Gradually extend the amount of time you leave her in her crate. Once the puppy is comfortable in the crate for about a half-hour without making a fuss, then she can be left alone. By crate training in this manner you will teach your pup that she will not get out of her crate by making a fuss, and you are rewarding quiet behaviour with praise and attention.
5. Respect your puppy's privacy when she is in her special place; don't just reach in and pull her out, let the pup come out by herself. Don't let children bother or tease your puppy. She needs to feel safe when in her special place.
You'll be glad you gave your pup her own place when she goes there for naps or happily snuggles down for the night without whimpering and crying. And you'll know that your puppy is not getting into mischief, even when you can't be there to watch her.
REGULAR
CHECKUPS
Your dog should have regular
checkups to make sure all is well. Get your puppy used to being
handled; she should accept stroking, grooming and a thorough
once-over as part of the daily routine. Once every week or so, take a
good look at your puppy's eyes, ears, mouth, paws and nails. It pays
off should you find a problem early, before it becomes serious. If
you notice anything unusual, be sure to consult your local
veterinarian.
EYES
Check your puppy's eyes for
redness or inflammation,
a half-closed lid,
excessive watering,
a yellow-green discharge or discoloration.
A pup with an infected eye will rub it, so if you notice a lot of rubbing going on, have a closer look. You can prevent problems by keeping your puppy's eyes clean. Wipe around each eye gently with a clean cotton ball soaked in warm water.
EARS
Check ears for
discharge,
excessive wax build-up
or an unpleasant odour.
Your pup will scratch at her ears or shake her head violently if they are bothering her.
Take a look: healthy ears are pale pink, clean looking and odor free. If your puppy's ears are not, please consult with your local vet. Help keep your puppy's ears healthy by gently cleaning easy-to-reach external areas with a cotton ball and using an ear cleaner every 2 weeks or so. Also use an ear cleaner after bathing. My favorite ear cleaners are either Malacetic otic or Epi-otic.Do not probe into the ear with q-tips.
Frequent cleaning is especially important with floppy-eared dogs, which are prone to ear infections. Even if your puppy's ears seem very healthy, you should handle them frequently. That way your puppy will be used to it and if there ever is a problem, she won't mind letting the veterinarian take a good look.
TEETH AND GUMS
Pets, like people, need regular dental care. Dental disease is one of the most common health problems in Cavaliers, yet it can be easily prevented. You should begin brushing your puppy's teeth two or three times a week when your puppy is very young. Special animal toothpaste, toothbrushes and oral rinses are available in the store or from your vet. DO NOT use human toothpaste.
All pets require regular cleaning with an ultrasonic scaler done by your veterinarian, usually starting around 3 or 4 years old. Untreated dental disease can cause bad breath, bleeding gums, loose or rotting teeth and tooth loss. If periodontal disease progresses far enough, it can even cause heart, liver or kidney disease.
PAWS
Keep your pup's paws clean. Remove grass seeds, thorns, burrs or any foreign object you find sticking to the paws. If something has to be cut out from the fur between or around the paws, use blunt tipped scissors and be very careful not to cut into the web between the pads.Cavaliers grow a lot of hair between their toes on the bottom of their paws. This hair on the underside should be clipped short at least once a month. It is up to you if you clip the long hair on the sides of the paw.
NAILS
Clip your pup's nails frequently, usually every 3-6 weeks. If you can hear them clicking on the floor when he walks, it is time for a trim. If you let your pup's nails get too long, they will break and cause soreness.
Be careful not to cut into the "quick", the sensitive flesh underneath the back of the nail. Should you accidentally cut too far and bleeding occurs, use baby powder or flour to help stop the bleeding (it takes quite a while!). There are products on the market designed to help stop nick bleeding.
Be sure to reward your puppy if it accepts its nails being trimmed quietly.
If you have never trimmed a puppy's nails, have your local vet show you how. If you would rather leave the nail trimming to the groomer or the veterinarian, it is still important to handle your pup's feet often. If the puppy has never had his feet handled before, then he may make a big fuss and find nail trimming very annoying.
Begin house training your puppy
right away. If you follow our crate recommendations and establish a
warm cozy environment for your puppy, house training will be much
easier because a dog's instinct is not to soil in her den or
bed.
Start by putting your pup on a regular feeding schedule
and by making frequent trips outside. If you are feeding a good
quality puppy food, you will find that the training period will be
shorter because your puppy's feeding and elimination schedule will be
more routine.
There are certain signs that you should watch
for to alert you that it is time to take your puppy outside. Your
puppy may walk around in circles, sit or whine at the door or walk
away from where you are. Most young puppies need to go out every 45
minutes in the beginning.
When to take your puppy out:
first thing in the morning
right after naps
after play sessions
upon returning home to a puppy who has been left alone
right after meals
last thing in the evening before bed
Always stay outside with your puppy to watch and encourage it. When your puppy has finished eliminating, quietly praise her and bring her back inside. She will soon connect elimination outdoors with praise, and will be eager to please you. If you always want your puppy to eliminate in the same spot, always take her to that spot on a leash and wait for "the magic moment" to happen. Praise your puppy for a job well done.
Coprophagia (stool eating) can be a normal behaviour in puppies. To avoid this undesirable behaviour, be sure to clean up after your puppy`s bowel movements. If you also have a cat, be sure the cat's litter box is inaccessible to your puppy. Keeping the cat`s food and water in an elevated place may also be necessary.
Accidents will happen. Should you discover a mess, do NOT raise your voice, spank your pup or rub her nose in it. While she will certainly cower in fear, she is too young to connect your reprimand with her mess.
If the puppy is caught in the act, immediately take her outside to finish. When she continues outside, praise her for her efforts. You must catch your puppy in the act for her to understand what she is doing wrong.
CLEAN UP
To clean up the mess, deodorizers and repellents may work effectively. Do not use ammonia- based cleaners. Chemically, ammonia and urine are very similar.
Once you have cleaned the area, barricade the spot until it is dry. Otherwise, your puppy will be back to investigate the scent and may feel the urge to repeat the mess.
House training your puppy will take time and patience. If all goes well, your puppy could be house trained in about a month. However many Cavaliers take longer. Persist with your training in a consistent manner and don't give up. Often Cavaliers will not be 100% housebroken until 5-6 months old.
HELPFUL SUGGESTIONS FOR PUPPY TRAINING
Training is fun and very rewarding for both you and your
puppy. Puppies have an amazing capacity to learn complex demands
quickly.
1. Start training as soon as you obtain your puppy.
Puppies learn very rapidly but their attention span may be short, so
spend 10 - 15 minutes twice daily. Consider using a “clicker” to
train, which speeds up the process. Much info can be found about this
on the internet or consult a trainer. I recommend ALL puppies be
taken to “puppy classes” around 4-7 months old.
2.
Training should be conducted when the puppy is not excited and when
the home environment is quiet. Once the puppy has learned a response
in one environment, move the training location to progressively more
complex and more stimulating environment. That is, the puppy will
have to be trained in each environment that you wish him to respond
in.
3. Learning occurs more rapidly if one person trains the
puppy first and then the other family members get involved. Train the
puppy using one-word commands like "come", "sit down"
and "heel". Try not to use the puppy's name in association
with the command, as too much verbiage is confusing and slows the
learning process.
4. Reward appropriate behavior as soon as
possible after giving the command (best within ½ second). Give
valued rewards such as food, touch and praise every time the puppy
responds to a command. You will quickly learn which reward is more
valued by your puppy. Once the response is learned, give the rewards
intermittently. This will result in rapid learning and make the
response more permanent.
5. If the puppy fails at any level of
training, stop, don't reward and start the training again at a
simpler level. How consistently a puppy responds to a command is a
function of the degree of training. If a puppy responds only when he
feels like it or when the environment is quiet, start again and train
more intensely.
6. Be patient, never punish. The opposite to
reward is no reward, not punishment. A punishment causing pain or
excitement does not work and generally causes problems. Punishment
may also interfere with the owner/animal bond. If the puppy is doing
something that is inappropriate, distract it or use a reward for
responding to a command which is incompatible with the unwanted
behavior.
7. To leash train, first let you puppy get used to a collar and
EXPECT them to scratch at their necks for a few days. Then attach a
leash and let them drag it around for awhile. After they get used to
the leash, pick up the leash, but let them do the leading at first.
Slowly teach them to come when you place gentle pressure on the
leash.
SPAYING
AND NEUTERING
Dogs become sexually mature after
six months of age, so I recommend spaying/neutering at around 6 months old. Females also begin their reproductive cycle at
this age. This cycle involves recurrent periods of heat or estrus,
during which males are attracted from great distances by an odor
coming from the females.
OVARIOHYSTERECTOMY (Spay)
There
is NO ADVANTAGE in waiting for the female to have a heat period
before being spayed. Apart from sexual activity, spaying has no
effect on a female's temperament.
Advantages of
Ovariohysterectomy:
1. Males are not attracted to your
property
2. Less tendency to wander from home.
3. No
bloody discharge when in heat.
4. No unwanted pregnancies,
thus contributing to the control of the pet population and the
problem of unwanted litters.
5. No reproductive problems in
later life, e.g. false pregnancies, uterine infections, birth
complications, including cesarean sections, milk fever, breast
tumors.
NEUTERING MALES
This operation
involves removing the testicles, thereby eliminating the source of
sperm and male hormone. It is routinely recommended for all male dogs
that are not intended for breeding purposes.
Neutering
controls the following problems:
· wandering,
· mounting
other dogs and people,
· aggressiveness,
· excessive
territorial marking with urine.
Neutering at a young age also
eliminates the possibility of tumor of the testicles and prostrate
gland.
Some 8 week old pictures:
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