Coast Mountain Entlebuchers
the puppy diaries

Week 5

Growing Up Fast: This Week in the Nursery!
It has been another whirlwind of activity as the puppies continue to transform into curious, playful little explorers right before our eyes. Here’s a look at what they’ve been up to this week:
Big Appetites & Healthy Growth
The pups’ weights are steadily increasing. To support all that growing, we have officially started the weaning process. The pups are now enjoying their first tastes of solid food, and while it took some experimenting with flavours and textures, they are now loving their new menu options! In addition to their soft diet, we also introduced marrow bones to the group this week to build jaw strength, and all five pups enjoy gnawing on them.
Outdoor Adventures & New Sights and Sounds
Another highlight of the week is that the puppies went outside for the first time!  Watching puppies experience grass under their paws and sniff the fresh breeze for the first time is pure joy. Along with their outdoor excursions, we are continuing our sound desensitization program. Whether it’s the vacuum hum, clacking pans, recorded city noises, and music ranging from choral to hip hop, these pups are learning to take the world’s "racket" in stride with confidence.
Meeting and Greeting
Socialization is in full swing! We’ve continued to have lots of different visitors this week, which helps the puppies learn that new humans are friends who come in many different shapes and sizes and who wear all kinds of different headwear. When they aren't greeting guests, the pups are spending much more of their waking time playing with their siblings and Momma. These play sessions are vital for learning "dog language" and boundaries.
Potty Training
Believe it or not, the "business" side of things is moving right along. Potty training is going well, with the pups showing a great natural instinct to use their designated areas. We are so proud of their progress!
All in all, these pups continue to develop wonderful personalities and a brave sense of adventure. We can’t wait to see what next week brings!
the puppy diaries

Week 4

The pups have graduated! 🎓🐾
This week, the litter officially moved out of the whelping box and into a much larger play enclosure in the living room. They now have plenty of space to wrestle with each other, hang out and play with Momma, and explore all sorts of new toys and textures.
They've also started their "sound sensory" desensitization! To get them ready for the real world, they’re listening to everything from city noises and soccer games to thunder and fireworks. 🎶⚡️
Other big milestones this week:
  • Teeth are here! 🦷 They are still nursing for now, but weaning will start soon.  Momma Luka is nursing them from a standing position frequently now, helping them to develop their balance and core strength.  
  • Potty training is underway and we’re celebrating some early success! 🚽✨
  • Social butterflies: They are loving their visitors and getting used to lots of different cuddles and handling.
Their individual personalities are really starting to shine through, and we love watching their world expand!
the puppy diaries

Week 3

It's been a truly eventful week with our growing pups! They have more than quadrupled their birth weight, a testament to Momma Luka's excellent care. Their socialization journey has begun with enthusiasm; they've already met and been lovingly handled by several new friends. The bee-hive house in the whelping area is a big hit, providing a cozy hangout spot. We're keeping things fresh with daily rotations of stuffies and other objects for new experiences, and they've been introduced to a potty area. Watching them gain confidence in walking and start interacting playfully with each other has been incredibly fun and rewarding!
the puppy diaries

Week 2

The world is getting a whole lot bigger for these little ones! This week, the puppies hit some huge milestones.  Their eyes are officially open, and we’re seeing them take their first adorable, shaky "toddles" on all four legs. They are growing like weeds—having already tripled their birth weight—and have officially graduated from their tiny neonate collars! We continued the ENS and ESI work; both will be wrapping up early in week 3. For the early scent introduction (ESI), moose hide was a big paw up, lavender, not so much. 
the puppy diaries

Week 1

The puppies are now one week old!  

A parcel of puppies

Meet Hope, Jasper, Chase, Yoho, and Fernie!

Our quintet of puppies is growing fast and they have doubled (or almost doubled) their birth weights!

Their first days have been a mix of eating, sleeping and exploring -- all in the process of developing their minds, bodies, balance, mobility, and stress tolerance. 

Eyes still closed

Exploring the world through touch and scent.

In addition to daily handling, we started Early Neurological Stimulation (ENS), a series of gentle movements that help the pups' development, resilience and coping mechanisms. We also started Early Scent Introduction (ESI), exposing the pups to a new scent every day like moss, orange, and coffee. By incorporating ENS and ESI, we’re supporting our puppies natural development so they can grow into confident, well-balanced companions. We'll be watching for the puppies' eyes to open in the next week. 

Natural Mother

Luka is a loving and responsible mother 

This is Luka's first litter and it has been amazing to watch her mothering instincts kick in. She has become very skilled at the tasks required for raising neonate puppies, and is keeping them warm, clean and well-fed.