Ember & Moses’ 2025 Double Doodle Puppies
Week 1
On February 1st, Ember gave birth to 9 adorable puppies! Our biggest litter yet! And how fun to have our first litter with all black puppies! Ember had 5 girls & 4 boys. The biggest puppy weighing in at 15oz & the smallest at 8oz- which is quite the range! Since Ember is 60lbs and Moses is under 30lbs, we anticipated there to be a wide weight range, so it was fun being able to see it right at birth! We are happy to report that all the puppies are thriving and gaining weight. Weight gain is the biggest factor we use early on to help us know that the puppies are healthy.
This is a litter of a lot of first, and this is also our first time having two litters at the same time! Our Heidi welcomed a litter of 5 puppies on January 27th. Heidi loves Ember’s puppies just as much as Ember does & is frequently found staring at Ember’s pups, and has even jumped into the whelping box with them! Thankfully Ember is a laid back soul & hasn’t minded Heidi’s curiosity! Here’s an IG post showing Heidi with Ember’s puppies.
Altricial vs Precocial
Puppies are altricial animals, meaning when they are born they are basically helpless, being totally depended on their mothers (opposed to precocial animals who are born ready to go and need their mothers a bit less if at all- like goats, elephants, and more). Puppies are unable to see, hear, walk, regulate their temperature, or even go to the bathroom on their own. Amazingly, the puppies are born with instincts to be able to drag themselves to their mom & know to cuddle together and with mom to stay warm and let mom take care of them. It’s adorable watching them drag themselves towards their mama with their heads bobbing back and forth. Thankfully, Ember has been such a fantastic first time mama & her natural instincts have kicked in and she cares for her puppies around the clock.
Activated Sleep
The puppies spend the majority of their time sleeping. As they sleep, you see their bodies twitch and pop. This twitching & popping is called activated sleep. The functional purpose of activated sleep is to develop muscle tone and coordination. So all this twitching & popping is an indication that healthy & normal development is occurring!
ENS & ESI
On day 3, we started ENS (Early Neurological Stimulation) and ESI (Early Scent Introduction) ENS (first used by the US military & also called the “Super Dog Program”) involves gently introducing mild stressors to a puppy for a few seconds daily from day 3 to day 16 as a way to improve their overall health a stress response later in life.
ESI was designed to enhance a puppy’s ability to react and identify specific scents. It helps puppies gain awareness with their nose and boost their confidence. It’s an especially helpful training program for service and therapy dogs. It has been my 10 year old daughter’s job to implement ESI & she has had a blast seeing the puppies’ varied responses to the different scents. There is no right or wrong response to the scents, but the puppies make it obvious which scents they enjoy and which ones they don’t! When they are curious about the scent, they take big whiffs! And when they don’t care for them, they will flat out refuse to smell them, and each individual puppy has a different response. Some scents that we expose the puppies to are cinnamon sticks, dirt, cat fur, cloves, gravel, lavender, mint, and more.
Week 1 Conclusion
We have seen so much growth and development this last week. And this is just the beginning! It’s incredible how much the puppies’ bodies fill out the first week as they nurse around the clock & begin looking more and more like little puppies rather than little sausages! We have seen little puppy tails wag, are beginning to hear sweet little barks, and watch the puppies begin to pull their roly-poly bodies up off the floor. With every litter, our amazement is renewed on how perfectly these little puppies were designed to be able to survive and just how swiftly they grow.
Preparing For Your Puppy Tip #1
Now is the best time to start getting ready for your new puppy! If you start doing your research little by little each week, you will be well on your way for being prepared for your new puppy. There are so many things to prepare for: Crate training, potty training, introducing your puppy to kids or other pets, how to teach your puppy to not bite– and the list goes on! The first place I recommend that you start is by listening to Baxter & Bella’s podcast & watching their YouTube videos. The cover a wide range of topics, all related to bringing home a puppy and training your puppy. Here’s a video about navigating your first 24 hours with your new puppy.
Crate Training
One aspect that I consider high on the priority list for preparing for a new puppy is understanding crate training. I highly recommend crate training your puppy. Crate training makes potty training and keeping your puppy safe & out of mischief much easier. Before your puppy comes home, he will be acquainted with a crate and will view the crate a safe place to rest. When I move the puppies to a larger area at around 4 weeks, there will be a crate that the puppies will be able to check out and explore in their area. I fasten the crate door to stay open, and it’s astounding how the puppies are naturally drawn to the crate to use as a resting place. At 6-7 weeks the puppies will begin to sleep overnight in a crate. Needless to say, a crate will not feel like a scary or isolating thing for your puppy when they go home but rather a comfortable & safe place. I would also recommend that you keep your puppy near you when they are in their crate when they first come home. This will help your puppy have a better association with the crate at your house and will prevent your puppy from feeling isolated. It’s a hard adjustment for a puppy to have constant companionship with their littermates to going to a new home where everything is unfamiliar. While your puppy is adjusting to his new life with his new family, be sure to be mindful that your puppy isn’t used to being all on his own and will immensely benefit from your presence & bond to you more quickly if you prioritize keeping him near you.
Baxter & Bella is an online training school. You can utilize a lot of their information free through their podcast and YouTube videos. If you do decide to get their full online membership, you can use the discount code “LandofGoshen” to get 25% off. While I do find their program beneficial, especially as it allows you to start training your puppy early, in person training has far more better outcomes & benefits than online training (if you were to have to pick between the two).
Here’s a Bella & Baxter Video on Crate training. Here’s another more in depth video as well.
Week 2 Update:
2 Weeks!
From open eyes, wobbly steps, pink noses turning black, & lots of chunking up- what a big week it has been for Ember’s puppies! The pups are still doing plenty of sleeping and eating, and it shows with how much weight they have gain and how much they are developing! It’s astounding how much puppies grow each week.
Open Eyes
On day 11, we noticed a few of the puppies’ eyes beginning to open, and now they all have open eyes. It’s a gradual process & each day we are seeing more and more of their sweet little puppy eyes! It’s incredible how much more they look like miniature puppies once you can see their eyes. We have to take special care not to shine any bright lights into their faces as their eyes are more sensitive as they are opening.
The opening of eyes means that Ember’s puppies are entering into the transitional period & will begin to be able to perceive the world around them and we will begin to see them engaging in social behaviors. In short, we will start to see more and more of each of their unique personalities.
Wobbly Steps
We have also witnessed the puppies taking wobbly steps! It is so cute and comical watching them stumble about as they are learning the ins and outs on how to walk.
Nail Trimming & Deworming
The puppies received their first manicure & pedicure this week. Their long nails can be a hazard to each other and their mama, and even can make learning to walk more difficult. So, the puppies will receive frequent nail clippings with a baby nail clipper. Frequent nail clippings also helps to desensitize them from having their paws and nails handled. Many dogs object to having their paws touched making clipping your dog’s nails challenging, so it’s best to start young with touching your dog’s paws and clipping their nails. We will have more on body handling in another blog post.
We also gave the puppies their first round of deworming meds. They were given Nemex 2 and they thought its was delicious. We will continue to deworm them every 2 weeks as precaution (as it is common for puppies to have worms) & will submit a stool sample to our vet to ensure the puppies are parasite free when they go to their new homes.
Beginning of Socialization
Even now, it’s of upmost importance that we interact and spend time with the puppies. As they enter into the transitional period & phase out of ENS and ESI (at day 16) we are intentional with the puppies and begin their socialization process. Many of the things we do are quite simple, yet will have a lasting impact on the puppies. Now that the puppies are starting to move around in their whelping box, we will start placing items in their box for them to investigate. Items such as a package of wipes, a plastic water bottle, a ball, and many more things are viewed as a novelty to the puppies and will assist in developing their inquisitive minds. We put them on different types of surfaces (like a tiled floor) so they can experience how that feels since they have only been on padding in their whelping box. Weather depending, we hope to take them individually on our porch to get their first breath of fresh air (only for a few seconds). And of course we must hold and love on the puppies- our favorite part! All these little things add up to help develop puppies who will grow to be confident dogs. I will continue to share more about the importance of socialization and the different ways that we begin the socialization process over the next month and half that the puppies are with us.
Week 2 Conclusion
So much change in just one week! And just wait, the puppies will change even more so next week! All the puppies continue to gain weight (our biggest indication that they are thriving) & Ember is doing a splendid job caring for all 9 of her puppies! I can’t wait to see them start running around and interacting with each other more!
Preparing for Your Puppy Tip #2
Puppy Socialization
Your puppy’s socialization will start in my home and it’s essential that it is carried on by you. Puppies have what is called “critical socialization period” between 3-16 weeks of age. The puppy’s experiences during this period of learning and development can influence and shape their temperament and behavior as an adult. Providing plenty of opportunities to introduce your puppy to many new sights, sounds, smells, people, places, super friendly (healthy and vaccinated) dogs & animals, and experiences, keeping each interaction short, sweet, and positive– will ensure your puppy will grow into a well adjusted dog. It’s a big responsibility but one that can be fun & will certainly be impactful! I highly recommend that you look into puppy socialization classes, and here’s a checklist on different ways to socialize your puppy.
Here’s a Baxter & Bella YouTube video on socializing your puppy:
Week 3 Update:
Ember’s puppies are 3 weeks! It has been another big week full of big milestones and growth. They had their first adventure downstairs, their eyes are opening more, they are starting to be able to hear, had their first taste of goat’s milk, and are becoming more social.
Open Eyes- Hearing- Running
Each day, the puppies’ eyes have been opening more and more. At this point, they are now wide open and it’s beyond sweet seeing them being able to see and focus on the world around them, including us!
We have also notice that the puppies are starting to be able to hear. With that, we now have periods that we play classical music for them during the day. Just as classical music is beneficial for babies’ developing minds, it is also good for puppies! Furthermore, we are starting to play desensitizing noises for the puppies. We have a playlist of common noises that can be startling and stressful for dogs so that our puppies will go to their new homes familiarized with we these noises and be less frightened to them. Some noises include- a baby crying, sires, fireworks, thunderstorms, car noises, and more.
The puppies’ wobbly steps aren’t nearly so wobbly any more! While there is still plenty of stumbles, the puppies can get around! They even are running around in their whelping box!
Downstairs Adventure & 1st Taste of Goat’s Milk
Early this week, we started to take the puppies downstairs for short periods of time to be with us in our family room. Now that they are able to see, hear, and are sturdy of their feet, it’s important that they start to be around people more. Over the next week, we will continue to bring them from their quiet upstairs room in their whelping box to downstairs so they can get ready for when they make their full transition to being downstairs all the time in the next week or so.
On Friday the puppies got their first taste of goat’s milk! They all seemed to love it & quickly started lapping up the milk. My favorite part was the milk mustaches & when the puppies lick the milk off of each other! We will continue to give them goat’s milk everyday & will progress to giving them a mush of blended goat’s milk with puppy food next week. Here is a video of them getting their first taste of goat’s milk!
Week 3 Conclusion:
Ember’s puppies are entering into the fun stage! It’s now time that we start ramping up our efforts to ensure the puppies are well socialized before going to their new homes. Each day we are intentional to make sure the pups have new experiences. We are hoping that we will have a day that is warm and dry enough for us to take Ember’s puppies outside this week. Regardless of weather, we only let the puppies outside for very short periods starting off. This ensures a positive experience as it’s scary for such young puppies going outside for the first time! And it always helps to have mom go outside too to make them feel more confident.
Preparing for Your Puppy Tip #3
Finding a vet
Now is a good time to find a vet. Your puppy will be vet checked, receive their first set of vaccines, have a stool sampled checked, and be microchipped by Dr. Baum at Hopewell Animal Hospital on Friday March 21st. They will be ready for their 2nd rounds of vaccinations 2-4 weeks after this appointment. Some vets prefer to see new pets within a few days after you bring them home, so be sure to call your vet and see what they recommend. Be sure to bring treats to make sure the vet is a positive experience for your puppy!
Preparing for Your Puppy Tip #4
Bonding
Bonding with your puppy right away is just as pivotal as socializing your puppy. In fact, bonding with your dog comes before training her. Having a strong bond with your puppy will ensure your dog feels comfortable and safe around you, which will make training easier. Over time and with some effort, your bond with your pup will become unbreakable and help you to enjoy your dog to the fullest.
Bonding starts right when you bring your puppy home. As you drive home, petting your pup and talking to her in a soothing voice to reassure her will go a long way with getting her to adjust & trust you. Setting up routines for your puppy will also contribute to her bonding with you as puppies like to know what to expect. Feeding, training, cuddling, playing and grooming/handling are all part of bonding with your dog.
Here are a few tips I have learned to quickly establish a bond:
- Have someone on the car ride home who can devote all their attention on the puppy.
- Establish the area you want your puppy to go potty and take them there every 30 minutes while they are awake and out of their crate (this could be more often at first).
- Be sure to give the puppy space when you get home (let her nap when she wants and let her approach you more than you reach out to grab her). It’s important to stay close to her, but it can be overwhelming if a lot of people are surrounding her and if she is constantly being held and hugged.
- Play with your puppy. Be careful to always use toys when playing with puppies. Puppies bite when playing, so you want them to be biting on toys and not your fingers! Be careful to have your kids not play games to have your puppy chase them. This could lead to the puppy becoming overly excited and jumping on & nipping them.
- Let your puppy sleep in your room in her crate next to you, at least at first. I find putting the crate on my nightstand the first few nights helps me and the puppy to sleep better (If I know my puppy doesn’t need to go potty when she whines, I just put my hand on the crate and that helps her to settle) and helps the puppy to feel very attached to you. You could even plan to sleep on the couch next to her crate the first few nights.
- Sit on the floor next to your puppy.
- Take naps with your puppy (my favorite bonding activity!).
- Be easy on yourself and your puppy the first few months. It takes time to settle into new routines, potty training, etc. Patience and consistency are key.
- Redirect your puppy rather than scold her. And remember, puppies who are getting into a lot of mischief & aren’t responding to being redirected, generally are tired puppies who need to nap!
- Utilize food. Whether feeding your puppy her regular meal or using treats to train, food is a sure way to a dog’s heart. Training with treats is also a great way to redirect your dog. Be careful to introduce new treats slowly to puppies to make sure it doesn’t upset their tummies.
- Take time to fully enjoy your puppy. Life gets busy or maybe we start to focus more on training our puppy than actually enjoying her, and as a result we neglect giving her the affection she needs. Dogs are such social creatures and need your love and attention to thrive.
Here’s a video from Timberidge Goldendoodles on bonding & body handling activities to do with your puppy.
Just like socializing your puppy, bonding with your puppy will continue throughout her whole life. It’s important to remember when the new puppy stage wears off & you’re in the thick of training & you find yourself feeling frustrated, to take a step back and work on bonding for the day instead. It will make training the next day go so much smoother the next day!
Here’s a video from Baxter & Bella on bonding with your puppy.
Week 4 Update:
It’s hard to believe that Ember’s puppies are now one month old! In just 4 short weeks, they will be ready to go home with their new families. It’s always so surprising how quickly puppies grow!
Yet again, the puppies have had a big week! They have become much more social, having a kibble goat milk mixture twice a day, had a picnic outside, and have had their living space moved downstairs.
Becoming More Social
Just this week, we are beginning to see more and more of the puppies’ personalities. They love being held and pet and crawl into our laps and give us kisses. Belly rubs are their new favorite activity! In addition, they are curious about Heidi’s puppies & all other things they encounter.
Eating
These puppies love to eat! Mom is still feeding them frequently, but they all get excited when they get their kibble mixed with goat milk twice a day. Each day we are adding in more solid kibble so by next week they will only be eating slightly moisten kibble. Yesterday we started having combined feeding times with Heidi’s puppies & it’s adorable seeing all 14 puppies around the food bowl enjoying their meal. It’s messy! The puppies can’t seem to avoid stepping into the food and dipping their whole faces in it! But, we especially love seeing the puppies diligently lick the food off of each other when the mealtime is over. This week, we will start giving them their meals three times a day as we prepare for the mamas to start weaning.
First Picnic
The weather warmed up just in time for Ember’s puppies to have their first picnic! We have held the puppies outside individually for very brief periods, but this was their first time outside on the grass with their siblings. All puppies are a bit apprehensive when they first experience the great outdoors, so we always ensure it’s a positive experience by having our mama dogs feed them outside- hence they had a picnic! Since their first picnic, we have been taking them outside regularly and have begun encouraging them to potty outside. With 14 puppies, any potty breaks we can take outside is more than welcomed!
The Big Move
On Thursday, we set up Ember’s puppies’ downstairs area. We Expanded the area Heidi’s puppies were in & moved Ember’s whole whelping box downstairs within the pen. Our plan is to let the puppies all be together this coming week (since they are less than a week apart). By having Ember’s puppies spend the majority of their time in the whelping box within the pen for a few days, it helps the transition to be less scary & gets both litters used to having each other around. Both nights that Ember’s pups have been downstairs, one has managed to escape out of the whelping box and has been found in the morning cuddled up with Heidi’s puppies! One of our puppy’s families humorously noted, “ She had her first sleepover!” Needless to say, the transition for all the puppies to be together will be happening soon & all the puppies are going to love having new pals to play and snuggle with! I can’t wait to see a 14 puppy sleeping pile!
Preparing For Your Puppy Tip #5
Dog Food
Have you thought about what dog food you will use for your puppy? Your puppy will go home with a large baggie of the kibble we will be using TLC puppy food . You will want to order that food for your puppy or the food you plan to switch your puppy to. If you plan to use a different type of food, be sure you slowly switch your puppy to their new food. Also, be sure to avoid brands that have more than one legume or lentil in the ingredients. Meat is largely water and needs to be dehydrated to be made into dry kibble. In order for kibble to maintain a nice shape and stick together, a binder is needed. Generally, grains are used for binders, but in some foods (especially grain-free foods), legumes and lentils are used to hold the kibble together. Dog food companies are aware that pet owners want to see “meat” as the first ingredient, so they do what’s called ingredient splitting. Peas or other legumes will be broken down into various parts on the ingredient list (i.e. pea protein, pea flour, pea fiber) so that they seem like a minor ingredient when in reality legumes & lentils are actually a weightier part of the kibble recipe. Various research studies have linked this regular consumption of legumes & lentils to a heart condition called dilated cardiac myelopathy (DCM for short). Please carefully choose your puppy’s food, making sure that legumes are a very minor portion of the ingredients.
Here are other suggestions of things you will need to get for your puppy my website.
Preparing For Your Puppy Tip #6
Preparing your home
Puppy proofing your home is a lot like baby proofing your home. Your puppy will chew on things! Be sure to make sure you put away all things you don’t want your puppy to chew on & have things handy to give your puppy when they are chewing on things like your furniture. We have found calmly saying, “No” and giving our puppies something else suitable to chew on has been all that is needed to teach puppies not to chew on our things. It just requires lots of watching your puppy and plenty of patience! If your puppy finds a stray sock or something else, never chase your puppy to get the item from them. Get a tasty treat or a toy they can’t resist and simply swap them. More often than not, the puppy is more than willing to make the trade. Chasing a puppy around to get the item makes it a really fun game that they will purposely want to recreate. Furthermore, limiting the space your puppy is able to access helps prevent them from getting into mischief and makes potty training easier.
Baxter and Bella have a podcast that covers nearly everything to get you ready for your new puppy and beyond. Some topics include the first 3 days with your puppy, puppies with babies, introducing your puppy to household pets, puppies and kids, potty training, crate training, and so much more. Be sure to check it out! All of the episodes are kept short and to the point.
Week 5 Update:
Each week the puppies grow and develop leaps and bounds! This week we combined Ember’s and Heidi’s litter, started going potty outside, began crate training, and so much more!
Making New Friends
This week we combined Ember’s & Heidi’s puppies. Being only 5 days apart, they are in the same stage of development and benefit from having interactions with puppies other than their littermates. They litters are fully immersed as their schedules have aligned and they now all sleep, play, and eat together. It’s such a delight being able to watch all 14 puppies interact with each other!
Potty Training
We’ve started potty training in earnest this week! Our strategy is first thing in the morning or whenever they wake up from one of their many naps, we take them out to potty. It’s a bit of a scramble to get them all outside, as it seems like when one puppy wakes up, they all wake up! Thankfully the whole family helps out and the majority of the time we can get them all outside in time. Because they are so young & there are so many puppies, they do still go potty inside sometimes, but it is significantly less than last week. Someone in our family stays outside at all times with the puppies to ensure they stay safe. Needless to say, it’s a lot of work & keeps us busy! Getting them outside to potty as often as possible is setting a firm foundation for potty training when they are at their new homes. They already understand that outside is a place to go potty which is half of the potty training battle!
Playing Outside
On top of going potty outside, they puppies love to spend time outdoors! They don’t mind the weather- rain or shine, warm or cold- they think outside is great! We aren’t fans of being outside when it’s cold and wet though! Nonetheless, I’m pleased that all the puppies are okay with all weather conditions as there are some puppies who struggle to potty outside if they weather isn’t ideal.
Crate Training Beginnings
A few days ago, we started putting the puppies in crates at night. We put them in their crates between 1030/11pm after taking them out to potty & they stay in their crates until 5am. Since they are so young, we currently put 3-4 in each crate so they have a cuddle pal. As the weeks go on, we will switch to have only two in a crate & before they go to their new homes, start having them in a crate on their own. We also place a potty tray in their crates for them to potty on if they need do. Being so young, we wouldn’t expect them to go all night without needing to potty. Many of the pups do hold their potty and wait until morning though.
Eating
Ember is still nursing her pups (and has even taken on feeding Heidi’s pups!), but we are giving them kibble 4 times a day. Part of the kibble is soften & part is not. We are going to gradually decrease the amount of soften kibble they get so when they go home they will just be eating their kibble as it comes from the bag.
Preparing For Your Puppy Tip #7
The Importance of Naps
Like young children, puppies need plenty of naps! Making sure your puppy gets enough rest is essential to curbing bad behaviors and ensures your puppy will be healthy and happy.
Here’s what Timberidge Goldendoodles has to say on napping:
Think about a napping place – The puppies spend most of their lives sleeping now, but did you know that your new furbaby is going to need lots of sleep when you bring her home, too? Puppies, just like small children, require naps throughout the day. When your puppy is sleeping, try to allow her to rest untouched (it’s okay for noisy life to carry on around her while she snoozes, but it’s best not to physically disturb her as much as possible). This may mean that you need to guide her to a different spot than the one she’s initially chosen. Puppy Culture estimates that an 8-10 week old puppy sleeps 3 hours and then is awake for 1 hour before going back down for another nap. Puppies are like little children – sometimes they don’t realize that you’re tired and need you to put them down for a nap. Puppies can get over stimulated and become overly tired just like toddlers. It’s your job to help regulate them. AKC gives some helpful insight into the importance of puppy sleep (You can read the whole of the article here.):
Although puppies may seem like little bundles of energy, in fact, they sleep 15-20 hours a day. One minute your puppy may be a miniature tornado, and the next he’s fallen soundly asleep, almost mid-activity. Sleep is essential to healthy growth: during sleep his central nervous system, brain, immune system, and muscles are developing. All of that sleep also helps him rest up during growth spurts… household members, especially children, should leave your puppy alone while he is sleeping. Plan his day so that active time is followed by quiet time for sleep. He’ll most likely be ready for a nap after playtime or a walk, sleep for a while and then wake up ready for anything. Your puppy may nap every hour or so, sleeping from 30 minutes to as long as two hours. All of this sleep is perfectly normal.
Jane Reisen from the American Kennel Club (AKC)