TAKODA

STAFFORDSHIRE BULL TERRIERS   

This is where the pups are born and spend the first 3 week s of life.

The pups are born blind and deaf, they are not able to regulate their own body temperature so the whelp room is kept warm and calm so the Dam can do her job of feeding and cleaning her new babies.

In the first few days mum and pups are disturbed as little as possible. They are closely monitored to be sure all pups are getting enough milkand that mum is eating and drinking enough to provide for her babies.

From birth each puppy is weighed twice a day to be sure they are gining weight. After day 10 we often reduce this to once a day then weigh weekly once they are over 2kg.

Poor mum spends most of her time feeding for the first week. The pups are heat seeking, milk finding radar detectors and are literally sleeping or eating during this period.

After the first 10 days the puppies start to geta bit more mobile, they respond to light and eyes are beginning to open.

Toys of different shapes and sounds, different surfaces, changes of colours and new smells are all a part of the early enrichment beofre the puppies get up on their feet.

Well not so soild nut not milk. The pups start on food anywhere from 3 to 4 weeks old. The first few feeds are usually worn, fallen into, rolled across and generally spread round the whelp box but they do get the idea after a few days.

Once the pups are mobile and becoming more adveenturous the whelping box is taken away and this open area becomes the indoor pen for them during wet/cold days and at night.

This is where they have first outside experience, its the same size as the inside pen with similar bed an toys but now they meet the other adult dogs and see, hear and smell the outside world.

In this area the pups hear traffic and planes. They see the adult dogs who will pop in to visit from time to time and have different objecta dn surfaces to intereact with and discover.

The outdoor adventure zone.