| ~ The "Art" of Raising Quality Puppies at LongMeadow ~ |
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| At LongMeadow Chesapeakes we take raising puppies very seriously. We are fully committed to the care and well being of not only mom and her pups, but to make sure that your new puppy gets the best possible start in life. |
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Mom with one-day-old puppies |
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| Long before our girls give birth (whelp) we have made sure everything is ready for the new puppies ~ from complete vet physicals of our girls to thoroughly disinfecting all items that might come into contact with mom and her new puppies (whelps). Our pups are born in our home, so we can spend the first several weeks tending to their every need. |
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Nursing Two Week old puppy |
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| During the first two weeks the pups are with mom in the whelping box most of the time. She will clean and feed them. Our job, during that time is to make sure mom is well cared for by providing her with a well balanced diet, lots of fresh water and the occasional retrieve for mental relaxation. Several times a day we weigh the pups and examine them, needless to say, we also take time out for cuddling too! |
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Puppy Play Pens |
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| At three weeks of age our pups are move into "Puppy Play Pens" that have a combination of pine and cedar bedding to keep all body wastes away from the puppies while allowing them a secure grip for moving around the pen. Shortly after moving them into the Play Pens we begin the weaning process to migrate them from mothers' milk to a more solid diet. We do this very slowly as to not upset their juvenile digestive systems. At this point we become responsible for the puppies' care on a "full time" basis and mom gets to start relaxing. |
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New Toys! |
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| Three weeks is also the time when they need new daily stimulus (toys!) in their environment. We provide the puppies with wonderful objects and toys for them to explore- some have interesting textures and knobs to bite, chew and carry. |
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Puppy Play Session |
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| Once our puppies are big enough, they get several indoor "Puppy Play Sessions" per day. During these play sessions the pups learn to interact with each other and all the ever-changing toys. These play sessions gives us an opportunity to observe their growth both mentally and structurally. The also provide us with insights to each puppy's temperament. |
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Outdoor Explorations |
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| We have over ten acres of outdoor fun for puppies including ~ woods, bramble, tall grasses, cut lawn, streams and rock out croppings. We routinely take the pups out to explore in all these different type of terrains. This keeps our pups physically and mentally fit. |
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Temperment Testing |
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| Our puppies undergo many different types of temperament assessments to help us determine which puppy will best fit for your situation. For example, we have several afternoon play sessions with children of different ages. This helps to provide us with information about each puppy, and how they respond to the children and changes in their environment. |
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Retrieving Skills |
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| For our gun dog litters, we also do extensive bird and retrieving skills assessments to determine which pups in the litter will best fit for the avid water fowler and/or upland game hunter. For the best results, we routinely use live pigeons and freshly killed ducks over a course of several weeks in various sessions. |
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Client With Her New Puppy |
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| Puppy Pick up day finally arrives! Our Puppy clients are given a 120 Page Training, Feeding & Health Reference booklet, Vet Records, a written Bill of Sale & Health Guarantee, along with complete care instructions for their new puppy. But most importantly we are here to answer your questions to help you raise a great addition to your family! |
