Baker's Family Bulldogges & Therapy Dogs

11/03/2021

Keep this in mind as your puppies mature. Mystique and Willow's puppies are in this stage. They won't stay like this. They will become the sweet puppy you remember again; in a calmer, more graceful form.
This is a frustrating age! Be patient with your pup, they will outgrow this.

10/23/2021

Super Puppy 101 is a 6-week online puppy training course covering everything you want to know, and everything you didn’t know about your puppy.

07/07/2021

Peggy Bohrer I really like this trainer. She has tons of videos on YouTube and covers things from new puppy training to advanced tricks. She really encourages working with your dog in a positive way.

This video covers what I believe to be the 10 most essential behaviors to begin training your puppy in the first week that you bring your puppy home. Video...

06/14/2021

Great analogy that explains why adversives rarely work long term.

04/25/2021

Great visuals!

04/01/2021

Puppies bite! And they have a mouthful of needles!
Puppy biting is a phase and all puppies outgrow it. I promise, they won't be little piranhas forever.
This article has some great strategies to help you and your puppy through this phase.

https://www.whole-dog-journal.com/behavior/4-puppy-biting-survival-strategies/

Puppies! Who doesn’t love ’em? They’re cute, cuddly, and silly. They look like little angels when they sleep, which is often. When they’re awake, they spend all their time exploring and learning about the world around them. We marvel at their curiosity and playfulness – until we experience...

03/29/2021

Simple things that can make our dogs feel so much better.

https://www.whole-dog-journal.com/care/5-simple-steps-to-improve-your-dogs-quality-of-life/

If there were something simple you could do that would make your dog much happier, you’d do it in a flash, right? Every day I see owners going to great lengths, and spending small fortunes, to indulge their dogs. That’s why I’m perplexed when I see those very same folks ignoring the smaller, e...

03/26/2021

Puppies have learned a lot this week.
The saucer swing continues to be a favorite play thing. This helps prevent motion sickness issues, gets them used to being bumped, and unpredictable motions.
They are learning to play with the big dogs. Mystique is the very BEST puppy nanny. She even shares her ball with the babies. Groot is warming up to them. He is still overwhelmed if they all swarm him. And now that they aren't trying to nurse, Willow has decided they are FUN!
We've played outside in the rain, so they won't hate going outside when it's rainy.
They enjoy climbing on our little wood pile. This builds confidence and gets them used to walking on uneven ground.
They got to meet a short dog with longer hair, pointy ears, and a tail. Until this they thought all dogs were Bulldogges. Thanks Bronco the Corgi!
They have all learned to play tug. Tug is an important skill for adult play, and can be used as a positive reinforcement (instead of food) in training.
We've also worked on resource guarding. I give them a yummy chew, take that away, say "Trade", give them a very high value treat, and then give the chew back. They learn that if a human takes their chew/food/treat that they will get something even better. They get the very high value chews (raw bones) in they're cages. This helps prevents any dog/dog resource guarding because their chews are never stolen from them.
We've worked on crate conditioning this week. Everyone has been eating at least one meal a day and taking naps in individual cages.
We've also gone on a couple of Observe & Learn car rides. I take them for a ride in the car to someplace they can watch cars, people, and other dogs. This helps prevent motion sickness issues and let's them learn about things from the safety of the car.
Only one more week with these babies! Go home day is always bitter sweet!

03/26/2021

8 weeks old!
What a joy these babies have been!
Leonard/Drax is the largest puppy I have produced! He is almost 19 #! His DNA tests estimate he'll be in the 85-90 # range as an adult! 😲
Emily is still the smallest. She's 14.5 #, and her DNA estimated adult weight is 50-55 #.
The other four are 16.5-17 # and their estimated adult weight is 65-70 #.

03/22/2021

I setup a saucer swing and frame for the puppies. The big dogs are intrigued!
Puppies immediately jumped on, played a little, then it rocked them all to sleep!

03/22/2021

Groot had a vet appointment this morning. Puppies went along for the ride.

03/19/2021

Seven weeks old!
Leonard is the largest at 15lbs 10oz
Emily the smallest at 12lbs
The other four are within ounces of each other at just under 14lbs.
Stay tuned for an update of their activities this week coming soon...

03/15/2021

Six weeks old!
The puppies had a busy week!
Thank you Monica Callahan for the great pictures this week!
They had a few visitors. Lots of different kinds of people. They got their first vaccine and microchip, played outside, played in water, learned to use the ramp to outside, and learned to drink from a fountain.
The babies are getting the hang of going outside to potty and are using the litter box less and less.
Dogs done generalize well. A tall person and short person look very different to a dog. Someone with long or short hair looks different than a bald person or one with a hat or helmet. Introducing lots of people at this young age helps them to not fear people that look different.
I've given them several different toys that move when they step on them. This helps them not be afraid of moving on unstable footing when grown.
We also have the puppies play in water for a couple of reasons. The number one reason is so they experience getting their feet wet with fun things. Hopefully this will become an adult that doesn't mind going outside to potty when the ground is wet. It also helps me determine who really likes water play and might be a good match for a family that loves water activities.
They've learned to drink from a plastic bowl, a metal bowl, a ceramic bowl, a fountain, and a water bottle. Since these puppies become family members that go everywhere with their family they might not always have their personal water bowl available.
They sleep in a crate most of the time. This week we will begin feeding them in the crates and closing the door for short periods.
This coming week we will continue working with the clicker and take a few field trips to observe & learn. We'll take them out and allow them to observe moving vehicles and other things from the safety of the car.

03/07/2021

Individual pictures of the babies!
I'm totally infatuated with them. Luckily they sleep a lot! Because if they are awake I'm watching them! They are so much fun!

03/06/2021

5 weeks old!
No individual pictures. I'll get those tomorrow.
Puppies are growing nicely! They are between 8 and 9.5 lbs.
We've started working on crate training. Am open cage with a bed inside. There are three cages available, yet they almost always or into one cage. Sometimes there is some overflow. 😂
They are eating solid food well and only nurse a couple of times a day. Litter box training is also going well. They hit the box most of the time. We took a trip outside one of the weather days. They will begin going outside to potty in the next week or so, depending on the weather.
They still sleep lots! Awake for about 30-45 minutes and then sleep for 3 or more hours. When they are awake, most of the time they are wrestling with each other. They enjoy climbing on things and their water bowl is used more for splashing than drinking.

03/01/2021

Spotlight on Emily!
She is a petite little girl that is full of personality!
Emily is the smallest in the litter. She is not a "runt", she's just going to be a little on the smaller side. Probably about 55 # instead of 70 # like her siblings.
She loves playing with toys and her siblings. She will chase a tossed toy, pick it up and shake it. All advanced skills for a 4 week old puppy. She may be little, but she is mighty! She holds her own among her bigger siblings. She doesn't let them push her around.
She likes toys with movement and enjoys playing on/riding the spinning lazy susan. Puppy version of the Sit 'n Spin.
She is often one of the first puppies to seek out a lap for a good snuggle. She is going to make someone a great snuggle buddy companion!

02/26/2021

Four weeks old!
They are growing up so fast! Now the fun really begins!
The pups pen had been expanded from the small 4x4 box they were born in to a larger 6x9 weaning pen. This pen has a bigger area to run and play. They have an elevated bed (although they sleep under it most of the time) and a litter box. Early stages of house breaking. They automatically begin using the litter box to keep their "nest" clean. Before they go to their new families they will want to keep their home clean and will be going outside to potty most of the time. They will stay in this pen for another week or two, then move to the big pen in the middle of daily activity.
They are all eating a mix of goat milk and a commercially prepared ground raw mix. Gradually we will decrease the amount of goat milk until they are eating the mix straight. In a few more weeks we will begin adding kibble. They will be fully transitioned to either kibble or raw for their new families. They can then feed them either or possibly one meal of each a day, as they choose.
This week we will begin what Puppy Culture calls the Communication Trinity. They will learn to take treats nicely and learn what the clicker is.

02/22/2021

I took the puppies into the kitchen for dinner. Once their bellies were full, everyone, but Bernadette, climbed into my lap.
Bernie had a little bit to say about the fact that her food bowl was empty!

02/22/2021

Reinforce the behaviors you want to see.
Calm and settled, is a behavior. Do you want a calm puppy, reward the behavior and your puppy will give you that more often!

Remember, strive to keep all rowdy, rambunctious play outside. Inside time is for brain games, training, chewing, and quiet activities.

02/21/2021

Three weeks old!
Everyone is growing and developing nicely.
They weigh between 4.25 # and 4.75 #.
They are playing with each other and starting to play with toys. Willow thinks all the toys belong to her. 🤣
They have become very noisy! Barking and growling at each other all the time.
Early in the week we started giving them goat milk in a shallow pan. We have started adding ground dog food. They'll be eating solid food in no time.

02/16/2021

The puppies are playing with each other more and more! Here is a clip of an early, uncoordinated, game of bitey face between Penny and Leonard.

02/12/2021

Two Weeks old!
The Big Bang litter are amazing puppies! They are very advanced and remind me of three week old puppies!
They all weigh 3lbs or just a little more.
They are toddling quite well and leaving the puppy bed to potty most of the time!
They are starting to chew on each other and play. Even though they can't hear each other just yet they are becoming very vocal! They bark and growl at each other and let everyone know when they feel meals are late!
They are starting to get excited to see us and we've had a few preliminary tail wags! So cute to see those tiny little tails wagging!
Our socialization curriculum consists of exposure to new textures and tactile toys (big soft toys to explore and things to walk on) and continuing to introduce new scents.

02/07/2021

We are doing Early Scent Investigation with the babies. It is a way for them to begin to engage their nose and passive enrichment.
We present them with something new to smell every day. We have tried banana, cinnamon, a bar of soap, antler, and other things they might encounter. This little clip is small jar of snow. If you can zoom in you can see that little nose going!

02/07/2021

Individual pictures of the babies!
It's difficult to hold a baby and snap a pic!

02/06/2021

Sorry for the delay in the weekly pupdate. The day they turned 1 week old one of the babies developed a tummy ache. Because she wasn't feeling good, she wasn't eating well, and that caused a cascade of other problems. It took 48 hours, but we've got her feeling right as rain! And she is continuing to grow and gain weight just like her siblings.
It is typical for the babies to lose a little bit of weight the first 24 hours and then be double their birth weight by 10 days old. Willow is doing such a good job feeding them. No one lost weight their first day. They actually gained 1-1.5 ounces the first day and had doubled their birth weight by day 6!
Their growth is not the only area these babies are precocious. Most have their eyes open at 8 days, a full 2-6 days early! Typically they open their eyes between 10-14 days.
They are also getting up on their feet and toddling about. They still look like little drunks staggering about and don't have a lot of control yet. Now that they are starting to toddle I have placed a bumper bed in their box. This helps to define a sleeping nest and they very quickly start moving away from their nest to potty. The first step in litter box/house training. (Also a full week a head of schedule.)
Individual pictures coming soon.

01/29/2021

The Big Bang litter arrived very early Thursday morning, January 28. Willow had a very long labor, but a quick and easy delivery. She had 6 babies - 4 girls, 2 boys. They are all blue tri, and a good size - about 13oz each. They are happy and content little babies.
Willow is going to be a wonderful momma. This is all new to her and she is learning as she goes. She needed a little support to get started and is now doing a wonderful job taking care of her babies.

The babies are named:
Penny, purple collar
Bernadette, pink collar
Amy, orange color
Emily, red color
Sheldon, green color
Leonard/Shawn, yellow collar - we are calling Leonard, Shawn to honor our friend because these babies were born on his birthday.

Meet the babies!

01/27/2021

01/27/2021

Willow - 3 months old
This little lady is all grown up now and she will become a mom today!

12/14/2020

We've gotten some exceptional pictures of the babies recently.
Enjoy!