Raising Litter Mates

	PLAYTIME We had one rough evening with the kennel and barking that something had to be done. We are obviously doing something wrong, and we have to fix it before it get’s out of hand. After a discussion with our fabulous trainer I knew what had to be done. Make the kennel fun fun fun!
Subscribe      Email Me

It took one rough night for us to realize what we were doing wrong. We haven’t had any problems with the puppies up till now, and really, even now it’s not a problem that we cannot fix. We want to use their kennel/den as their comfort area for the rest of their furry lives. We want to be able to take them with us if we’re staying in a hotel, camping and so on, and in order for us to do that we have to get them to LOVE their kennel. I had bought a whole bunch of Kongs and we have tonnes of plush toys from our previous dogs so that they can keep themselves entertained when i can’t.

Getting them to love their kennel wasn’t as hard as I had thought it would be. Right now, instead of feeding them in a bowl, I am hand-feeding them in their kennels to let them know that in this place they are fed and kept safe. It worked well. I had stuffed their Kongs with home-made baked chicken breast pieces, and also some freeze dried liver. In no time they were comfy as ever! Once in a while during the day, they don’t want to be in their kennel, but usually a quick game of tossing treats in the back of the kennel gets them in there and ready to sleep in no time.

I am doing a little something different with them and it seems to be going well so far. I measure out their daily food ration and stick it in a ziplock to use throughout the day. Professionals estimate the average time for an eight week old puppy to be able to hold his bladder is 75 minutes ( 1 hour and 15 minutes). I have timed it, and they are right!

They start their morning with a long pee, and now they are even pooping at the same time. So I know their bladder is empty. They get to play together first thing in the morning for about 15 minutes because they sleep separately now. Believe it or not, after one week of bonding together and sleeping together at night, they handled the separation well. They didn’t make a fuss, they were both in our room, and we had a wonderful sleep without any interruptions. We really thought it was going to be brutal, but I think because I am able to spend time with both of them individually coupled with them being separate during the day, it was easier. After some playtime its kennel time for a handful or two of kibbles, in a little bowl, and in kongs along with some water. They usually settle down pretty quick and take a nap for an hour. This is the time when I feed the cats, and Jordan and get ready for the rest of the day. Taro usually wakes up before Kratos, so I take him out an hour later, he goes pee and we have a little fun time. I mix just playing around with some training. He is getting pretty good with his “sits” and just yesterday he learned “down”. He’s not great at it, but he’ll get it soon enough. I don’t play with him more than thirty minutes. And if he gets tired before that, I will bring him in sooner. He then gets kenneled - treats and kibbles -and it’s Krato’s turn. When he’s done they are usually napping for an hour.

This seems to be working well, and every hour or so they get a little one on one time with me, and we play and do some obedience at the same time. They are enjoying their kennels far more than before. When they are sleepy we try to cuddle them but they would rather be on the floor on in the kennel. We don’t allow them to sleep on the floor yet so it has to be the kennel. We bought adult sized kennels, so that we wouldn’t have to purchase smaller ones, and I had blocked off the back with our old king size pillows - super comfy, and at first they slept on the sheet/blanket I have in the kennel, but now they climb up and lay on top of the pillow and fall asleep. It’s adorable. We are utilizing the Dental Kongs like you wouldn’t believe. These ones are great because not only can you stuff them, you can also stick kibbles on the outside! It is fabulous. I bake them a chicken breast a day, and I usually use a mixture of the chicken and kibble for training, and some I use to stuff the kongs, especially at night. Taro and Kratos LOVE the chicken, and I feel good knowing its home-made, fresh and preservative-free. I haven’t decided on transitioning them onto Medi-Cal or keeping them on the Eukanuba. Regardless of what I choose, I will be sure to introduce one new “treat” at a time, to easily determine which treats, if any, cause diarrhea. Their Giardia is fixed, so I can start adding new things.

They both had another bath today, they were just so dirty. They were rolling around on the grass this afternoon and got into some dirt, the usual outdoor escapade. I wanted them to have a little outdoor time together before the rain hit. They had a good time.

We have our first training session on May 3rd. Really excited about that. I’m still going through pics and videos, these puppies keep me pretty busy. If i’m not playing with them, I’m taking Jordan to the park, or I’m doing stuff around the house. It will all be worth it when they are older, it better be!!