Page 35 - 9 Spring 2023 Newsletter

reacting to my voice, toddling returning back to the ‘safe area’ when
towards me and wagging her stumpy she wanted to. At four weeks old I
tail. At three weeks she was more always take my pups outside for the
active with her toys, her now first time. I fence off a large area of
favourite one being a little white lamb patio, have a specially made gate to
which I had won in the raffle at The stop them going up more than 3
Keeshond Club Dog of the Year Show. steps at the side of the house, plus I
put chicken wire round the
grassed area at the side of the
patio. It is flat at the bottom,
but slopes up quite steeply and
the pups very quickly learn to
run up and down this area
without falling over and rolling
back down. Cinders now had
the whole of the garden to
investigate with no barriers at
all, as of course I could easily
keep my eyes on just a
singleton.
In the whelping box with Flo
At first I had to help her up
through the back door as it was a bit
I started letting her go on the floor slippery for her, and I had to teach
outside the box and she toddled or her to get down. There was no
rather slid around, but I did not have stopping her once she was big
to put up any barricades as I normally enough to haul herself in and simply
do to confine the pups to the nursery leap out! When it came to the big
area in my very large back room flights of steps though, she knew she
behind the kitchen. could not manage them, but could
I always put Cinders back in to sleep follow Flo down one big step into the
and when I took the big dogs out for back lawned area with a bamboo
a walk. At four weeks old
Cinders completely rejected
this idea, so I took the front
off the whelping box, but as
she never went in it again I
dismantled it and just left
soft blankets for her to lie
on. Weaning went very well,
she always loved her food
right from the start.
I have a baby gate between
the two rooms, but
although it was left open,
Cinders did not venture
through it at first, but soon Squeaky toy in garden.
made an investigation,
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