These little cuties had  another big week! They began getting used to the Misty Method of elimination training, which is widely used by breeders, to capitalize on the puppy’s natural instinct to keep the den clean.

It involves setting up an appropriate area of the pen for eliminations, at first it’s a good half of the pen, and then “ training” ( meaning letting them train themselves) to go in that area. .  Over time, I  move it to the farthest corner of the pen, away from both the sleeping and eating area, and the puppies naturally go there for their business.

This is helpful to a puppy’s new owners as well, since the puppies’ instinct to keep their den clean translates into few to no accidents in their crates.

Crate training is a natural way to get the puppies to “ hold it” until they can go to the outside place you owners have designated.   I recommend crating a puppy over night( in the room of a family member willing to hear the puppy noises when it does  need to go outside), certainly until they’re are reliably housebroken.

Our first Golden didn’t sleep wherever  she wanted until she was one, and had a very clear idea of which places were acceptable and which were off limits to her. Just remember, this is up to each family to decide, and set a policy, and then everyone should join in enforcing that policy.

They also began eating their  first solid food, with one meal on Tuesday, and two meals through the weekend. Today is the beginning of three meals a day. Lina is relieved I think, because she loves being in there with them, but she’s been looking a little worn out from the nursing recently!

We met a number of puppy families this week, and enjoyed getting to know their future families! The puppies took it all in stride, and enjoyed all the hugs and affection.  Lina and Kiley also got tons of attention, and they loved having visitors!  We also took the puppies to meet Linda at Great Dogs, our awesome local dog supply shop.

Last night we took videos of the puppies first exposure to hard wood floors. They are naturally timid in the videos.  They usually bound around their pen!  These are posted here.  This  week I continue exposing them to new surfaces, sounds, experiences, smells, and people.
They’re such sweet things!

Here’s some solo pics of these little cuties.