Kings Labradoodles

Winnie's Hundred Acre Woods litter is officially 3 weeks old, and they are doing fabulous! As you can see from the pictures, everyone's eyes are now fully open! While their vision will continue to develop over the next five weeks, they are already beginning to explore their world and interact much more with one another. They are getting so much stronger, and have begun to find their legs, getting up on all 4s and starting to take their very first steps. The puppies are wonderfully calm and relaxed when being handled, which is exactly what we hope to see after completing their Early Neurological Stimulation (Bio Sensor) program. It's so rewarding to watch their confidence continue to grow. Another exciting milestone this week— the puppies can hear!!! Now that their hearing has developed, we've begun sound desensitization. Our goal is to help each puppy develop a healthy, confident emotional response to everyday noises. During this important developmental window—before the natural fear period begins—we also work on building startle recovery. Each day the puppies are gently introduced to a different unexpected sound, such as pots clanging, fireworks, a crying baby, or a blow dryer. Research has shown that puppies who learn to recover from unexpected stimuli during weeks 3 and 4 are often better equipped to handle surprising situations later in life. Our focus isn't to prevent the startle (that's completely normal) but to help them quickly recover and realize that new experiences don't have to be scary. We're having so much fun with this sweet little crew and can't wait to watch them continue to grow, learn, and become even more adventurous in the weeks ahead!