Puppy Visit Questions

Posted on March 17, 2009

We had a blast with everyone who came up to visit the puppies this weekend. There were a lot of great questions that were asked and we would like to share them here for everyone.

What is the weight of an average Airedale puppy at 8 weeks?

I keep pretty extensive weekly weight statistics on all our litters. I will be posting a growth chart in the coming weeks based on these statistics. Based on data from our last 5 litters, the average weight of an 8 week old Airedale puppy is 9.5 pounds.

Will I need a special collar for my new puppy?

Some people like to try and reuse items like collars and leads that they already own. This is fine, but you will probably need to purchase a new smaller collar that will fit your puppy until they grow into the larger size. For puppies we recommend adjustable collars that will be able to grow with your puppy for their first few months. You should look for an adjustable collar that fits 10+ inches. A narrower collar is also good for a puppy, 1/2 inch width works well in the early stages. We really like the Lupine collars and leads. This is a New Hampshire made product with an unbeatable guarantee, even if chewed. You should be able to find Lupine products at most pet stores.

Do you recommend starting the house training process with papers (paper training)?

No. We recommend that you proceed right away to the standard house training where the dog does their business outside. At the point that your puppy goes home with you we have already done quite a lot of work to help the puppy identify that outside is the proper place to eliminate. We do this by designating particular areas for play, for eating, and for doing their business. We feed the puppies inside and when they are finished we put them outside right away and start picking up after them. If you were to then go home and paper train your puppy, you would be taking a step backwards and possibly confusing the puppy which could only lengthen the house training process and make it more difficult for both of you. Our house training foundation is by no means a guarantee, but we find the most people report back to us that their puppy has great early success with individualized house training in their new home.

What is the ear gluing process? When does ear gluing start?

Ear gluing does not start until around when the puppies are teething, this will be after you take your puppy home. Typically ear gluing begins between 12 and 16 weeks of age. We will set up a schedule that everyone who wants to glue ears can use as a guideline. Ear gluing is entirely up to you, we do not require it. We glue ears for free, you only need to bring the puppy to us. Some people are able to unglue the ears themselves, however, we do recommend that you plan on coming back for the ungluing in case you are unable to do so yourself. You can read a more in depth explanation of ear gluing as well as our gluing/ungluing procedure in order to decide if it is something you are interested in. Please do NOT glue the ears on your puppy yourself as you are very likely to do more harm than good.

Should I skip fertilizing (and using insecticide) on my lawn/yard this spring?

Probably, yes. You will be bringing your puppy home during mid-April which is probably right about when you would be treating your lawn. Most of these products are not safe for pets and recommend that you keep your pet off the lawn for at least two days. We would urge you to err on the side of caution and keep them off for much longer than that. Lawn and yard treatments are chemicals and can be of a very strong concentration and potentially quite dangerous to a new puppy. We would recommend skipping these treatments this year or if that is not a possibility we would recommend extreme vigilance in keeping your puppy off of treated areas.

I am interested in doing some therapy work, how do you recommend I get started with that?

You should begin with the standard puppy socialization and basic obedience classes. If you are truly interested in doing therapy work with your puppy there will be many more classes and training that will follow that. You will probably need to enroll in private lessons with an experienced therapy dog trainer following your regular basic group classes. You should begin researching certification methods and organizations and determine which you will be following. Certification is extremely important for therapy work. You can start by researching the Delta therapy dog program. Most places that will invite you and your therapy dog will require some form of certification. You might also contact those places that you would like to take your dog to determine if they require a specific type of certification. Once you know which certification you are working toward you can begin the training and steps toward fulfilling the requirements.

What happened to the rails in the whelping box?

The purpose of the rails in the whelping box are to prevent a puppy from being squashed between the wall of the whelping box and the mother when she goes in to feed the puppies. The rails are only needed as long as the mother is nursing the puppies inside the whelping box. Once the puppies get big enough that they are climbing out of the whelping box we begin putting doors in. The first door is just a couple inches high and the mother of the puppies can still go in and out as she wishes, so the rails stay in the box. Once the second, larger door is being used the mother is no longer going in and out freely. Particularly with 12 puppies we have been facilitating the nursing to be sure that each puppy is being fed and getting a good amount. At that point we can take the rails out of the whelping box because they are no longer needed. The mother continues to nurse the puppies, but since we are already supervising the rails are not necessary. This is just the beginning of many set up changes that occur as the puppies grow. With 12 puppies we are very close to getting rid of the whelping box altogether because there will not be enough room for all of the puppies at some point very soon. We modify the puppy space as the puppies grow and their developmental needs change. This will include at some point soon an outdoor space for the puppies as well as an indoor space and feeding space.

What do the collar colors mean on the puppies?

The collars are each of a different color. This allows us to easily identify each puppy. Some breeders will use nail polish or other methods to identify each puppy. We find that the collars work very well for us. With 12 puppies we have gone a step further by placing the ‘rick rack’ ribbons on the girls and the straight ribbons on the boys. We also try to put girly colors and the girls and more masculine colors on the boys. Being able to easily and quickly identify each puppy from the others is extremely important. We need to be sure that each puppy is getting an adequate amount of food and that each puppy is gaining weight at the proper rate. Having spent so much time around the puppies, in most cases we could remove all the ribbons and still tell them apart, but it is an added safety measure.

We really enjoyed the get together you had at the dog show and appreciate that you do that. When is the next one?

The next B-WAG will be on Saturday, May 30th, 2009 in Wrentham, MA at the Ladies Dog Club dog show. We will let you know further details as the date nears. We would have liked to continue the gathering closer to Boston which is central to most people, but that dog show will no longer be held at that location. The show in Wrentham is the best alternative as it is still near Boston. It has some benefits as well since it is an outdoor dog show which is fun and this is also the New England Airedale club show which includes a buffet type luncheon and silent auction of Airedale memorabilia. These gatherings are for the owners to get together. There has been some interest in having a play date of sorts that would include the dogs. We will let you know if someone volunteers to organize such an event and details about participating.

How do you keep the puppies so clean?

With a lot of work. We completely clean and sanitize the whelping box daily and change the bedding two to four times per day as needed. We also clean up poops as they occur and the mother of the puppies typically does a good job at helping out with keeping the puppies clean as well. This works well and is fairly simple up until the point where the puppies are being weened and starting on regular food. At that point the messiness of the puppies is amplified significantly. This is when we begin defining separate areas for play and eating. We clean up each area when the puppies have been moved to the second area which happens multiple times per day and continue to sanitize everything daily. Once the puppies have caught on to the new feeding arrangement we also add in a third outdoor area which becomes their ‘business’ area which is also cleaned as needed after each time the puppies go there and sanitized daily. It’s a constant and never ending process. We work hard at it. We appreciate that you noticed!

Is it hard to let the puppies go after spending so long with them?

After 8 weeks of getting to know each puppy we have naturally become quite attached. We know that it is in the best interest of each puppy to have their own family and household. We also put a great deal of effort into finding excellent homes for each puppy and have complete confidence in the quality of life that will be provided there. We are sad to see them go, but excited for each puppy about the great life they will have. Of course we always look forward to updates about how each puppy is doing and seeing them again when possible.

Should we get (or use) baby gates in our house for the puppy?

Yes, this is probably a good idea. You should puppy proof your home in much the same way that you would baby proof. Your puppy should not be able to chew on any cords or wires and should not have access to any unsafe areas. Baby gate are a good way to make sure your puppy stays in a safe place especially when not directly supervised. (We would recommend crate training for when you are away from the home.) You can place gates at the top and bottom of stairs or in any doorways to rooms that you don’t want the puppy to enter. You should also be sure that your puppy cannot get into your trash can and any place where you store chemicals and cleaners.

What personality traits and quirks come from the parents of the puppies that I might notice in my puppy?

Kadie is the Kissing Queen. When your puppy is giving those really silly licks, that’s directly from Kadie. Kadie also leaps small buildings in a single bound…well she leaps four steps onto the deck in a single bound anyway. This is something you should be careful with your puppy since their bones are not fully developed and you do not want them to get hurt from bounding so joyfully onto or off your deck. Striker is the Hugger. If your puppy jumps up on you to give a full body hug, that is all Striker. Striker also prefers a cooler area especially during the hot weather months, he’s a fan of air conditioning.

Thank you everyone for visiting this weekend. If you have any other questions please do not hesitate to ask. If you have a question then chances are some other people do as well and we would like to help everyone to get those questions answered now before you get your puppy home. The best way to get in touch with us is by email. Of course we are always available to answer your questions even after you take your puppy home and for their lifetime.