In contrast to last week’s super long update with a few hundred photos, I’ll keep this one short:
- Puppies are doing great.
- They’re pretty much potty-trained. FOR REALS!!!
- They’re learning to love their crate.
- Personalities have definitely emerged.
- Almost all of them are food hounds (Pinky and Walrus are very polite eaters).
I stacked up the puppies for the first time on Day 37 and did it again on Day 40. Those pictures are here, if you’d like to see them.
For those of you who are getting “show prospect” puppies, here’s a quick conformation lesson on ideal Weimaraner angles:
The puppy above (Mr. Mardi Gras) is my favorite from the set of Day 37 stacks. The front angle should be right about 90 degrees, and the rear angle should be right about 110 degrees.
Will the puppy coming home to you have these angles, exactly as shown? Likely not. Does it make it any less wonderful of a pup? Not at all!
No puppy or dog is perfect.
I reiterate: no puppy or dog is perfect.
For those of you who’d like to geek out a little more on the Weimaraner Illustrated Standard, take a look, here. You’ll see that “angles” are just one of MANY, MANY different elements that make up the whole dog. In my humble opinion, the stuff between the ears (the brain that drives the temperament, intelligence and biddability) is just as important as the stuff that makes it pretty (angles, face, coat condition, etc.).
Potty Training:
I potty trained the babies during Week Five. (!!!!!) When one wakes, they ALL wake, and the first thing they do is dash outside and potty on the lawn. Then they turn around and go right back in. With exception of the middle of the night, no one’s peeing or pooping on the blankets I lay down for them in their pen.
Homework: Start thinking about your daily routine, and how you’ll have to adjust it to keep your puppy’s potty up to snuff. Specifically, the first week you have your puppy home, you’ll need to take him/her EVERY SINGLE TIME he/she wakes up from a nap, and about every hour thereafter. If you are successful with every hour, stretch it to every 90 minutes, then every two hours, etc. Regardless, puppy needs to go outside and potty after every single instance of napping or sleeping.
Socialization:
In my house, the puppies have been exposed to a myriad of sounds, surfaces, temperatures, and people. Once they go home with you, it’s CRITICAL you keep up the socialization / exposure so that he/she can get past their “fear periods” without incident.
Homework: This week, take a look at the puppy socialization checklist. A hard copy will go home with your “puppy book” in a few weeks. Come up with a preliminary game plan of relatively clean and germ-free places you can take your puppy between 8-11 weeks, and also after the Week 12 shot (in which your pup can go just about anywhere). If you can think of any places I haven’t thought of, please drop me a line so I can add it!
Recommended Reading:
My friends, Anne and Meredith, wrote an eBook last year called “Your Weimaraner Puppy: How to Survive the First Six Months.” You can buy it from Amazon, or you can get a copy from your awesome breeder (link to the manual will be emailed to all new puppy owners).
Homework: Get through as many pages as you can, and holler with any questions. I’ll re-read this manual this week, too, so I’ll also be fresh on the content.
That’s it for this week. Next update is in JUNE… the same month you’re getting your puppy!!! (Unless you’re Brad… you get to wait a little bit longer!)
Have a good one,
Kim
Puppy butts. Sorry, couldn’t help myself!
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