05/27/2026
I apologize for being behind! Raven's gorgeous Lunar Litter is 6 weeks old today, but I never posted the 5-week update, so here it is, and I should have the 6-week photos up tomorrow or Friday!
We do have another available spot for one of the boys, so if you may be interested in a 25-35 pounds mini/medium puppy with an absolutely amazing temperament, please apply to today! Live we**am of the puppies and our application can be found on our website: http://DoodleAround.com
Week 5 Update
Puppy Development
At this age, puppies are focused on learning new things and experiencing new environments. Each feeling, smell, and sensation experienced when they encounter the outdoors, new toys, and people influence their development. They are curious, yet cautious at first. They explore, chase, play and learn manners from their mom and their littermates.
The puppies will begin to venture away from the safety and security of the whelping area to do a little exploring, although they will not venture very far. Awareness of their relationship to humans and other dogs begins to develop. The puppy's nervous system and bidability are developing and by the end of this critical period, will have developed to capacity.
Teeth are starting to come in and the puppies become more active in exploring the world through their mouths (just like human babies :)).
What is happening in the Nursery
As the pups become more active, they require more space. Puppies are transitioned from a small whelping box into a larger space, with room to potty, play, sleep, and eat. If they do well with a larger space, it will grow larger, if they “forget” where to potty, the area will get smaller in comparison to potty area until they “get it” again.
Puppies have been having their nails trimmed every 3 to 7 days. They are regularly handled in a respectful manner, with a particular focus on ears, eyes, paws, and privates ~ this is all done with the intention of acclimating your pup to be relaxed and comfortable during care, cleaning, and grooming.
Getting Ready to Welcome your Pup
Brushing and Trimming
Teaching your puppy to enjoy brushing can take time and patience. Cooperation should be rewarded. Required tools include: slicker brush, mat remover, double toothed comb, grooming shears. Pups should be brushed once a week. You can break it up into smaller brushing sessions over the week, as opposed to doing the entire body in one sitting each week. Brush your dog right to the skin. Brushing only the top coat will leave your dog’s coat matted against the skin, even though it looks loose at the ends. Trimming the hair between their foot pads limits dirt sticking to their paws. Trimming the hair around their bums helps with hygiene. Trimming the hair around their eyes helps them see properly.
You can find more information about how to brush your dog at: https://www.dummies.com/pets/dogs/how-to-brush-your-dog/
Bathing
Your pup should NOT be bathed often as bathing can dry out their natural oils and cause skin irritation. Rinsing them when dirty is okay, but bathing too often upsets the balance of the acid and oil and their skin. If bathing is absolutely necessary between grooming appointments, brush your pup before you bath it. Use a mild puppy shampoo. Rinse thoroughly, towel dry, and brush again. For some additional tips on how to bath your dog, please see: https://www.dummies.com/pets/dogs/how-to-give-your-dog-a-bath/
Ear Cleaning
Your pup’s ears should be cleaned once per week. Like all grooming activities, it is important to acclimate your dog to this type of handling. Patience and rewards are key. To clean your dog’s ears you need a cleaning solution and cotton balls. The technique for cleaning ears is explained at: https://www.dummies.com/pets/dogs/how-to-clean-your-dogs-ears/
Teeth Cleaning
Provide your puppy with lots of hard chew toys, such as bully sticks or sweet potato chews to help keep their teeth clean. We give them raw chicken legs daily to encourage chewing on the raw bones (never cooked!!). We do not recommend rawhide or commercial dental chews. Every puppy goes home with a toothbrush as your pup’s teeth need to be brushed at least once per week. Again, as with all grooming activities it is important to acclimate your pup to this type of handling. Remember – patience and rewards are key. Tips on teeth brushing can be found at: https://www.dummies.com/pets/dogs/how-to-brush-your-dogs-teeth/
Nail Trimming
Your pup’s nails need to be trimmed at least every two weeks. You can find instructions on how to trim nails, as well as a diagram on the anatomy of a dog’s nail at: https://www.dummies.com/pets/dogs/how-to-trim-your-dogs-toenails/
Formal Grooming
The more often your young puppy goes into the groomer, the better your adult dog will do at the groomer. The first grooms should include a bath, blowing dry, face and sanitary trims, and nail trims. If you wait for several months to take it in, and especially if you take it in for the first time during a fear period, you are doing yourself and your groomer a huge disservice. Your pup will need their first full haircut grooming at 5 to 8 months of age (depending on length desired, and depending on how well you are keeping up with brushing). After that, they will need to be groomed every 6 to 10 weeks, depending on how short they are cut and how often you brush. If their coat gets matted, they will need to go in more often. Once your dog starts to mat it is critical you get them groomed as soon as possible as they will be very quickly covered in mats. Having a matted coat is uncomfortable for a dog – kind of like having a ponytail that is too tight, except all over your entire body. Even if your dog starts to mat in peak of winter, it is better for you to get them groomed quickly and spend more time indoors, than wait for the weather to warm. The WALA website has great information on grooming: https://www.wala-labradoodles.org/grooming-care?fbclid=IwAR28cEBAaWKA1wGgnWV1YlP_sCBO80jVuuoA5JR7WTeGa_C2S6rVJyA03ik
Preparing for your puppy
Now is a great time to get started on your preparation reading. Raising puppies is hard work, and to help support you in successfully transitioning your pup into your home, we recommend the following books as pre-reading.
1. All You Need is Love, by Jennifer Arnold
2. Raising Puppies and Kids Together, by Pia Sylvani and Lynn Eckhardt
3. Feeding Dogs, by Dr. Connor Brady
4. After Getting Your Puppy, by Ian Dunbar
5. Forever Dog by Rodney Habib and Karen Shaw Becker (I cannot recommend this book enough!!!)
Now is also the time to find a trainer or join an online class that will help prepare you for welcoming your puppy in 8 short weeks :) I highly recommend you look into Baxter and Bella's training program. They can walk you through all the stages of owning a dog, including what you need to prepare before the puppy goes home. DOODLEAROUND is a code that will get you 25% off their lifetime fee.
An investment of time now will pay off in the end when you have the puppy of your dreams living with you. Dogs are thinking, feeling, creatures with their own needs. It is important that we honor who our pup is and give our best effort to help them achieve their full potential. Honoring our pup for who he/she is demands that we acknowledge and accept who they are, and not force them to become something they inherently are not. Should you feel there is a misalignment between your expectations of who your dog should be and who your dog is, please read the article at the following link: http://www.drjensdogblog.com/on-expectations-and-disappointments-love-the-one-youre-with/
We place our puppies based on temperament rather than looks, as the temperament typically doesn't change as much as the looks of the dog, barring trauma of some sort. If the puppy is the correct temperament for you, you are less likely feel at odds. However, the temperament testing is not fool proof and actions can be misinterpreted. We will take any puppy back at any time (contractually, you must return if you aren't keeping the puppy), so if you do feel a puppy isn't right for you, we will strive to replace him/her with the puppy that does fit in with your family and needs. We are a no-shelter breeder, and we work hard to ensure none of our puppies ever ends up in a shelter.
