MollyDogs - Shichon Puppies - How They are Raised

How are MollyDogs raised?

Our puppies are handled and worked/played with everyday from the moment they are born until the minute they leave our home for yours.

I am present for each and every birth whether its 2:00 in the afternoon or 2:00 in the morning!

We use the "Bio Sensor" Method of raising our puppies. This consists of a series of tactile, thermal and stress tests that are done on each puppy from Day 3 through to Day 16.This has proven results that show puppies are better able to handle stress, have a stronger heartbeat and adrenal system, are more resistant to diseases and train, handle, and learn much better.

But we’re not finished there, after day 16 all the pre-spoiling and cuddling continues on!

All our puppies will have been introduced to “beginner” grooming, meaning daily brushing, they will have their nails trimmed as needed, and fur around the eyes and under the tail trimmed and will be bathed. All you have to do is continue this and your groomer will love you for it!

We keep our puppies until 8 - 9 weeks of age, depending on the puppy, and they are not vaccinated until then. We learned from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine that vaccinating a puppy before 8 weeks is pointless as the natural immunity they get from their Mother’s milk destroys any vaccine given before then. Between 8 and 10 weeks of age that immunity begins to weaken so they recommend vaccinating at 8 weeks of age. Our puppies are dewormed at 6 weeks and 8 weeks of age.

At MollyDogs we do no forced weaning, instead letting each mother decide when it’s best. Each litter, indeed, each puppy is very individual in its growth and development and not all are ready to be weaned at the same time. We note that the same female will wean each litter at a different time, all approximately around 6 weeks and usually very quickly once they decide to.

This doesn’t mean that we don’t supplement, we do, starting the puppies on softened puppy food and water, usually beginning around week 4.

Then, just because our puppies are weaned it doesn’t mean that they don’t see their mothers anymore. Our moms are allowed in with their babies anytime they want to see them.

Sometimes it’s just for a minute to “check” on them and then they want right back out, that’s ok with us. We’ve found that everyone is happier this way, Mom is, babies are, so therefore we are!

Also Mom continues to teach the puppies as they grow. Especially from 6 – 8 weeks, that playtime with Mom is invaluable. If you watch you can see that the mother will play more actively with active puppies, letting them chase her, pull on her tail, etc, then will play with gentler puppies in a much more sedate fashion, letting them crawl on her, nudging with her nose. Really neat to watch! We love this stage!

The puppies also all spend time in our kitchen to get used to normal everyday life, people coming and going, and all the sounds and smells of busy family life.

We have a covered protected fenced deck on our house that all puppies use, they have lots of room to run and explore also that way they have been exposed to the outside, and are not scared when you take them home and go outside for potty training and the puppy is all scared and trembling because they’ve never been outside before!

Puppies are litter trained and will also be crate trained when they leave our home.

Puppies are moved from the whelping box after about two weeks, once they begin lifting their head and looking around.

We then put them into the bottom half of a kennel, changing the bedding regularly to keep it clean, as the Mom teaches them not to go to the bathroom where they sleep. So already by 3 weeks they will crawl and tumble out of the kennel into their litter tray to do their business.

At about 5 weeks we put the top back on the kennel, letting them get used to that. By then it already has become “home” and they haul their little toys and treasures in there.

Then in their final weeks with us we put the door on, and the puppies have a "naptime" in the morning and in the afternoons with the door shut. This really helps them get accustomed to be in their crate with the door shut. The hardest part is over!

Puppy may still miss Mom and brothers and sisters that first night but many of our customers report back to us that they have great first nights with their puppies not having to go out until approx 6:00 am for potty.

SEE THE BRINGING PUPPY HOME SECTION FOR TIPS ON A SUCCESSFUL FIRST NIGHT!