How Puppies are Raised At Cedar Creek Retrievers

We believe that puppies begin their lives at the moment of conception.

So, from that moment we want our puppies to have the very best we can provide.

Our females continue light training throughout pregnancy to maintain their peak mental and physical condition.

We feel that mothers who continue to stay active and mentally challenged during pregnancy produce puppies that are alert and more readily willing to learn.

To ensure enhanced mental ability of our puppies we continue light training, exercise, retrieving and swimming until the day the puppies are due as long as the dam desires.

 ALL Cedar Creek dams are attended during whelping.  

All puppies are born in our home in a clean, disinfected area padded with clean towels & fleeces.

They are on a heating pad and/or under a heat lamp in order to keep the

temperature about 85-90 degrees Fahrenheit.  

As pups are usually born at night we sit up & offer support and reassurance during birth.

 We assist the dam as needed. 

As the puppies are born we secure the umbilical cord & discard the placenta. Each pup is dried by rubbing briskly immediately after birth to acquaint her/him with the smell

& touch of human hands as well as the warmth and comfort of their dam's tongue.

 As soon as the newborn is dried off it's put on the teat to nurse, as this early colostrum is essential to protect the puppy from disease until the immune system matures.  

After each puppy is born the area is cleaned & the dam is dried in anticipation of the next arrival. The mom is offered water and a lot of reassurance. We tell her what a great jobs she's doing and continue to stay with her,  offering a lot of head rubs and kisses, this reassurance helps her to relax.  We also make sure each puppy is nursing.  When all of the puppies are born we check on them multiple times an hour, picking them up & handling them to be sure all is well & to continue the puppies contact with humans.

We talk to the puppies & tell them how beautiful, precious & brave they are.  

Puppies at this young age can not hear or see, but they can smell and sense the vibration of our voice, so we hold them close and talk to them, they sense the warmth and vibration as we talk. We love this time with them! 

Every time the mom goes out for a bathroom break we change the towels and fleeces.

Puppies are constantly kept on surfaces with good traction, so they don't slip and slide.

This helps to develop good muscle tone & prevents damage to their joints.

Some studies have shown that hip and joint issues can start soon after birth

if the puppy is kept on slippery surfaces.

Our puppies are kept in the center of the family room where they are exposed to all noises of life, children, pots & pans, doors opening & closing, dishwasher etc.  

As the puppies grow they are sat down on the carpet, couch & tile floor so they experience

different textures & heights.

The dewclaws are removed within 5 days of birth, but in some cases we do not remove the dewclaw.

    The puppies eyes & ears start to open at 14 days old.

Around 20 days they start to walk around & bark, growl & play with one another.  

      At this time we place several plush & fleece toys in with them to encourage them to play, hold in their mouth & walk over them. We also place toys above their heads to encourage them to look up & explore the world above them. During this time we continue to pick them up, hug them, kiss them & encourage them to explore!  

By the time they are four weeks old, we move them to a larger area that has a sleeping area, a potty area, and a play area.  Puppies at this young age can start to learn to be clean in their personal habits & that there are acceptable places to eliminate & other areas for eating & sleeping. It is at this time that they start getting regular meals during the day when they are separated from their mother.  

Mom still gets night duty, the puppies will continue to eat & sleep with their mom for another week.

At five and a half weeks old the puppies get three meals a day & say goodbye to mom.

      It is time to be on their own.

They will be fed Purina Pro Plan large breed puppy food Chicken & Rice or Salmon & Rice.

These last few days with us is very busy and can be very stressful,

so we continue to ensure the puppies with a lot of praise & love.  

Weather permitting the puppies will spend a lot of this time outside in different areas.

At this time they see other dogs, horses, humans, cats, ATV's & they hear all the sounds that go on here; guns firing, duck calls, barking dogs,  horses & kids playing.  

They are taken for walks in the field & out to the pond.

They are encouraged to enter the pond on their own in a group (safety in numbers).

    The puppies are introduced to a collar & crate conditioning.

     As they grow we get to know each ones personality and aptitude.

     This helps us to ensure that you get the right puppy for your household, we let the families pick their own puppy in the order of their deposits, we will assist as needed.  

     We want you to be completely satisfied with your new family member.  
When you come to pick up your puppy we will explain what health care your puppy has received & what we suggest for the future, what puppy food your puppy is eating & how often, we will talk to you about heart worm preventative & flea control, spay/neuter, treats, toys & training.
We will continue to answer any questions you may have throughout your puppies lifetime.

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