LMS Puppies- The First 8 Weeks

Puppy Pick Up Day

Our goal for every puppy produced is for health, temperament & conformation. We are dedicated to giving our pups the very best start in life, & In return we expect only the best for them from their new families. Not only do LMS pups get the very best of care throughout their first 8 weeks of life such as daily care, best in nutrition, mental stimulation, socialization, and medical care. We are also very committed to placing our puppies in only the safest, most loving, and committed, "Forever Homes" possible. Our commitment is not only for the first 8 weeks but we offer each family lifetime breeder support to every new family. By pick up day these lil tail wagging bundles of joy are ready to go to their new homes and eager to bond with their new family.

Health Exams
Our puppies are checked from "Nose to Tail" by our Veterinarian of many years, DR. Mark Peterson DVM. We want to be certain they are 100% healthy and sound before going from our home to yours. DR. Mark provides a very detailed written health exam report for each puppy which will be included in your puppy pack.

Meeting your new baby
At 7 weeks we have "Litter Visit Day" This is the perfect age to meet your new puppy. At 7 weeks you can really start to see their individual personalities. To learn more about how pups are chosen see our Policy & Info Page

Temperament Testing
Our pups are temperament tested on day 49. The results will be included in your puppy pack.

We start weaning pups onto our "Puppy Mush" included in the mush is a probiotic and the NuVet Plus Immune Supplement. Puppies little minds need stimulating and their bodies need exercise to develop muscle and become adept to climbing, crawling, running & jumping. We set up a large "Puppy Playground" to make sure our puppies get plenty of time out of their pen to explore, run & play.

We start to rotate their puppy playground locations so they are exposed to all kinds of sight, sounds, textures, surfaces & stimuli. Throughout the next several weeks we continue with age appropriate mental challenges & physical obstacles which builds confidence and teaches them to problem solve.

One of the Puppy Culture methods we love is the teaching the pups a training marker at a very young age this gives the pups a big head start on training. Pups are taught training markers, the concept of offering behaviors for touch, praise. & treats. We continue spending one-on-one time playing, cuddling and loving on each pup strengthening their bond with humans. By this age pups are getting use to their grooming sessions. We make their weekly grooming sessions a positive experience with lots of treats and praise. Pups receive weekly nail trims & baths, scissoring and/or clippering on feet, face, ears, belly & bum.

Litter Box Training

Why we litter box train?? Being pro-active and keeping the pups and their environment as clean and sanitary as possible helps prevent disease, illness and intestinal parasites. When the pups area is kept clean they potty train so much faster. Pups learn very fast to do their potties in the box which keeps the rest of the pen clean for wrestling matches & tug-o-wars. By time they are ready to go to new homes they are great at using their litter box and also have a huge start on outdoor potty training. Litter training does not interfere with their outdoor potty training. We suggest you take your new puppy outside every hour or so to potty and have the litter box in his pen for times when you are not available to take him out such as during the night or when you are out running errands. By 12 weeks he will be able to hold it through the night and you can eliminate the litterbox and have him sleep in a crate at night. If you will be away for more than 4 hours during the day keep the pen for day time use.

Crate Training

Your pup has been introduced to a crate in their pen for sleeping. As they get older we also give them short times alone in a crate while eating a meal or enjoying a yummy bone or chewy treat. Pups will also take several car rides in the crate while here. Even if you think you wont use a crate you should still crate train your puppy. There are many times when the puppy or dog will already be under stress and if they are not comfortable in a crate and suddenly have to stay in one at the groomers or vet office they will become even further distressed and anxious.

The pups can now hear and are starting to take their first steps. The pups suddenly seem to become aware of things around them and happily realize toys and littermates are not just for snuggling but also fun to playfully chew on! At 3 weeks we move mom & babies downstairs into the heart of the home where they can begin experiencing all the sights and sounds of family life. They are introduced to a potty area. We begin playing soft classical music that is especially soothing to mothers and pups. We add sound conditioning noises to the soothing music and over time this helps the pups become desensitized to things like vacuum cleaners, thunder and fireworks. Day 21 is critical to start the socialization process. The critical socialization window of time is from 3-12 weeks of age. Once you bring your new puppy home you will need to continue the socialization process

Our newborn puppies are lovingly raised in our home. They are born in our nursery room which doubles as our office. This room is in a quiet part of the house where their mother feels safe and secure with her new babies. Our puppies are never brought into this world alone. We are always right next to the whelping box during labor and delivery comforting mom and assisting the delivery making sure everything goes smooth. From the moment our puppies are born we start applying the methods of our LMS Above & Beyond Rearing & Socializing Program. We have recently added many of the methods from the new film Puppy Culture. One of the very first methods we use is the ENS - Early Neurological Stimulation Exercises.

During week 2 we continue with the daily ENS exercises. We also gently handle the pups a few times a day stroking them soothingly and getting them comfortable with human touch. The babies eyes will begin to open at 10-14 days old.