The "Art" of Raising a LongMeadow Puppy
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 also make sure that your new puppy gets the best possible start in life.
 Mom with one-day-old puppiesLong 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 tend to their every need round the clock.
 Nursing Two Week old PuppyDuring the first two weeks the pups are with mom in the whelping box where 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 balanced diet, lots of fresh water and the occasional retrieve for mental relaxation. Several times a day we weigh the pups and examine them to monitor their progress.
 Puppy Play Pens
At three weeks of age, our pups are moved into “Puppy Play Pens” that have epoxy coated mesh wire floors 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 put undo stress on their juvenile digestive systems. During this time we become responsible for the puppies’ care on a “full time” basis and mom gets to start relaxing.
 New toys! Three weeks is also the time when puppies 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, lick, chew, hold and carry.
 Puppy Play Sessions 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. These play sessions give us an opportunity to observe their growth both mentally and structurally. Which provides us with insights to each puppy’s developing personality.
 Temperament TestingOur puppies undergo many different types of temperament assessments to help us determine which puppy will be the best fit for you. For example, we have several afternoon play sessions with children of various ages. This helps to provide us with information about each puppy, and how they respond to the children and changes in their environment.
 Outdoor Explorations We have over thirty 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 types of terrains. Outdoor explorations keep our pups physically and mentally fit.
 Retrieving Skills For our gun dog litters, we 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. We routinely use live birds and freshly killed ducks over a course of several weeks in various sessions. Our pups are introduced to loud noises, gun fire and water.
 Client with her new Puppy Puppy Pick up day finally arrives! Our Puppy clients are given a 120 Page Training, Feeding & Health Reference booklet, Puppy Food sample, 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!
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