Guardians of Eden

All of our dogs are an active and integral part of our family, and are also guardians of our farm and home. As such, they are a part of our daily life. This approach also applies when we have puppies. We have a designated private whelping room in our home that opens onto a private yard by way of a private dog door. This allows us to keep our moms and babies close for consistent monitoring and engagement, while also allowing mom (and ultimately babies) freedom of movement and plenty of exercise in a controlled environment. They have unfettered access to a climate controlled area within our home, as well as to their designated play yard, and they are allowed to come and go as they please. The whelping room also has a dedicated laundry area to enable us to keep everything clean and comfortable. Beginning in week 3, we bathe our puppies on a two-week schedule to ensure they are clean and healthy. As the puppies grow, we gradually begin bringing them out onto the farm to begin their early socialization - farm animals, people, loud noises, and heavy equipment. Weather permitting, this is also when we introduce them to swimming, to help them gain a level of comfort with being in and around water.