July 26, 2020 – Bella’s puppies went home to their families last week and they are all settling in! We’re thankful to each of the families that chose us for their new family member and because of their support (and Bella and Gunner, of course) we were able to donate $2,100.00 to Amazima Ministries to help some kids in Uganda eat and learn, and live. Here are a few pictures of the pups in their new homes. We pray for happily-ever-after for these puppies and their families!
xo, Mary and Family and Staff of Valley Vineyard Labradoodles
July 16, 2020 – Bella’s pups are seven weeks old and we’re on the home stretch for getting them ready for their families. Since puppy selection day is tomorrow, we’ve made lots of notes to help you understand the litter.
They all have the same coat, as you will see, no curlier coats in the bunch. This is good, as the curlier coat, like mama Bella, is harder to maintain with more matting.
We did temperament testing today and there really weren’t many notable differences that stood out. They all scored almost identical. This is common with each litter, as 30% of the temperament comes down from the parents (both parents are very similar here) and then with all the conditioning we do starting at day four, we find the pups only vary slightly.
Keep in mind that experts say that personalities are just starting to form at seven weeks, and will develop more at home, developing in their new environments and the training style and energy of their new humans.
Only a couple notable things: Hum seemed only slightly more shy. He just takes a few minutes to assess the situation before he jumps into new situations and experiences. Buzz might be slightly more dominant and self-assured. When presented with something new or intimidating, he tends to jump in to investigate and participate. They all seem of equal intelligence (labradoodles are intelligent) and we all noted how quickly this litter picked up on manding (sitting for any attention or getting their needs met.)
The pups were tested on socialization, confidence, following, and sensitivities to heights, sights, sounds, and touch. They had the exact same score in almost every category. Their energy levels in this litter also seem the same. None of us here have noticed any pup more active or intense. This is a pretty quiet, mellow bunch overall.
We’ll have their weights tomorrow from the vet’s exam when we call (the pups should all grow to be around 30-40 lbs.) Tomorrow is puppy selection day! We’ll start our calls in order of the reservation list at 3 pm, as soon as we’re home from the vet. !
The Girls
The Boys
July 9, 2020 – Bella’s pups are doing super! They are confident and socialized (with all our staff and family here and the guardian family they started with) and they are now completely weaned from mama. They are doing a little leash training daily as we are getting closer to the home stretch.
Crate training is a still a little difficult and they cry (loudly now). But we keep working on it daily. They don’t like the crate yet, but we know it is a critical part of their development. A pup that doesn’t learn how to settle down and be okay alone is not a good thing. We’ll keep at it and this will greatly ease their transition coming home and leaving us. It helps them learn to hold their bladder as well! So helpful when you need space and it keeps them out of danger, like chewing on a lamp cord. Maybe once a year we hear, “Well, our puppy wouldn’t crate train.” Hmmmm, doesn’t work that way. All studies show crate training makes for well adjusted, happy and secure dogs. This is why we do what we do. It’s a huge part of their development and requires families to follow through at home. Pups learn to love and respect their crate as their “den” and special space. It is best for them!
If you see collars in videos we post, thought it would be helpful for you to know who’s who, as collars are not always shown in their individual pictures. Pink is Blossom, Purple is nectar, Yellow is Honey, Light Blue is Buzz, Dark Blue is Bumble, Green is Pollen and Red is Hum.
And here are the pictures we took of them today at six weeks old!
The Girls
The Boys
July 1, 2020 – The pups are five weeks old now. Time if flying by here! We started them on crate training this week and each day now until they go home, they’ll have some time away from the pack in a crate alone to help them get ready for the separation and to learn to quiet themselves and be okay alone. We always start crate training in groups, and then we begin putting them in crates alone. They don’t like the crate at first, but things get better as they learn it’s their “den” and their safe, special place.
They are all so much alike, other than slightly different shades of red, and slight size differences, it’s hard to tell them apart when they are all together in their pack. They all love snuggling and are doing well at “manding” where we require them to sit for any attention. Here are the pictures we took today.
The Girls
The Boys
June 24, 2020 – The little bumble bee puppies are doing very well! Bella continues to be an excellent mama. The pups are now spending time out in the play area a couple of times a day and we’re expanding their world with new experiences and challenges. Daily they are listening to loud bangs, thunderstorms, fireworks and many other sounds. We’ve given them lots of baths, and their quite comfortable with baths, blow dryers and vacuums. And they love their humans! They are bonding to humans exactly as we expect. Doesn’t matter how many toys they have, when a new human walks into the room, they come running for snuggles! They’re are very cute. Here they are at four weeks old! We are all thoroughly enjoying them. 🙂
The Girls
The Boys
June 17, 2020 – Bella’s puppies have changed so much since we posted! They are seeing, hearing, wrestling and starting to eat kibble. Mama Bella is happily at their side 24/7. Now that they can hear, we’re working on sound desensitizing to bring them through the next level of conditioning. They’ve already had lots of baths, and now we’ll work on getting them used to blow dryers as well. We’re excited to post the pictures we took of them today. Soon they’ll be chasing and playing in the open play area. We’ll start posting some videos of them next week.
The Girls
The Boys
June 6, 2020 – The pups are a little over one week old and doing very well. They have been going through the Biosensor program daily, getting lots of holding time and eating and sleeping a lot. Human touch through massages and the Biosensor program is so important as it is the only way for humans to really connect with them at this young age. They’ll open their eyes in about a week, and they will get their hearing at about three weeks old. The steps we are taking now can change each puppy for the rest of their life. The Biosensor program has been proven to be perhaps the very best thing a breeder can do for a litter. Once they reach a couple weeks old, the window of opportunity to use this to condition them this way is lost. We believe in every step we take with them and are excited to see them thriving. Here are pictures taken of them today!
The Girls
The Boys
May 31, 2020 – Here are some better pictures that were taken over the past few days to get a glimpse of the litter. They’re doing well and gaining weight. Precious!
May 28, 2020 – The pups started arriving around 2:30 am. and by this morning we had seven puppies, four boys and three girls. All pups are a good size, weighing between 10 and 13 ounces. Mama is doing well, humans are getting sleep and the pups are latching on and all appear healthy and strong. Bella delivered her pups at our friends home, a few minutes away. They’ve helped us for years in whelping litters and helping get them started before they come to our home for more conditioning. The pups will stay there for the next couple of weeks to work through the bio sensor program, lots of snuggling, and get some added socialization before arriving here with mama Bella. We are excited for Bella’s Summer Bee Litter! We welcome to our world: Honey, Blossom, Nectar, Pollen, Bumble, Hum and Buzz. Here’s a picture of the honey bees, only a few hours old.
