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 Your Puppy's Progress

All of our labradoodle and goldendoodle puppies are whelped inside our puppy nursery. When each puppy is born, he is weighed and tagged, so that we can keep track of his health, growth and identity. I check on the puppies every 2-3 hours, 24 hours a day, for a minimum of the first week, just to make sure they are healthy nursing and growing.


The first 2 weeks of your puppy's life are spent eating and sleeping. During this time they cannot see or hear, and they use their sense of smell and touch to find their mom's nipples. In order to move around they scoot and roll (they do a good job and can scoot pretty fast). They are still at a very vulnerable stage and their mom continues to be protective at this time. She will hardly even leave her puppies, so I serve her meals to her and make sure her box is kept clean, quiet and comfortable.

Your puppies eyes and ears open up between 2 and 3 weeks of age. This also is a time when they continue to need a quiet and secure environment. They will gradually begin to get used to noises and sites around them and it's important for them to have their mom nearby to give them reassurance. Now that they can see mom, they start to go from scooting to walking. By the time they are 4 weeks old, they can usually walk pretty well, although are still a little wobbly and uncoordinated.

Once the puppies are 4 weeks old, I start feeding them "puppy mash", which is softened, warmed puppy chow that is mashed. I add a little powdered goats milk to make it more desirable for them. By the time they are 5 weeks old, they are usually eating and enjoying it. They continue to nurse until they are 7 weeks old. I also introduce them to "piddle pads" at 4 weeks of age. It is amazing how quickly they will start using a piddle pad and by the time they are 7-8 weeks old, they consistently use these pads.

When the puppies are 5 weeks old, I start introducing them to other experiences. They go out in the yard and play on the grass, I make a crate available for them to go in and sleep, and they can also spend time in our outdoor pen and dog house. If it's too cold to go outdoors, we let them out into a playpen area in the house.

At 6 weeks of age, the puppies nurse just 2-3 times per day. They are usually eating good, and their mom is getting ready to wean them. Their teeth are in and are sharp, so she is ready for them to stop nursing. I let them gradually get used to her not being with them between the 6th and the 7th week, as I like them to be completely weaned by 7 weeks of age. I have the early spay/neuter done as close to 7 weeks as I can and then I have the puppies for a week where they're eating on their own, and continuing with their preliminary potty and crate training. It's always a fun and sad day when the new families come to pick up their puppy.