The Puppy Diaries

In an effort to continually try to support families that have purchased a Stratford Alaskan Malamute, we decided to try to put some notes together in conjunction with raising Stratford's Oberon about puppy milestones and training ideas. We hope that this information proves helpful.

Entry One (May 17 - May 31)

Oberon was raised with his nine siblings from the start. They were born on May 17th, 2007 - and we kept them inside the house in their whelping area with Ophelia for just over two weeks. This made keeping an eye on them, making sure feedings were equal (ten pups is a lot for a mama with only eight teets), and watching them develope. Those first couple of weeks are super easy. The hardest part is just making sure the Ophelia gets out often enough and doesn't make messes in the house.

Also, in terms of development, puppies are just starting to be aware of the world around them at about two weeks. Eyes and ears are opening - and it is important for the puppies to be in a very calm, secure environment.

Less than a week old..............................................................................................2 weeks old

Entry Two (June 1 - June 14)

The pups and Ophelia get moved back out to the kennels. We set up another whelping area in Ophelia's 200 square foot kennel. This kept the pups secure, even though they were in an outside environment. Desdemona is in the kennel right next door, and she was certainly very curious about the new arrivals, but there were no problems at all with the neighbor. This situation worked out really well for about another three weeks. But as the puppies approached five weeks, the kennel was too small for eleven dogs. Plus, feedings were starting to get crazy considering we were starting to introduce IAMS puppy food.

This stage was also when socialization became one of our major objectives. The kids played with the puppies every single day. We started trying to brush the puppies weekly in order to get them used to a brush and grooming. We also introduced the puppies to some of our other dogs in order to get them used to other animals.

Entry Three (June 15 - July 6)

We decided to build a new "puppy pen" out of four foot fencing and stakes. The pen was thirty feet long by twenty feet wide. This provided an area that was big enough to stake Ophelia out in the corner of it (next to the house) so that she couldn't reach the sides, and didn't have access to the entire area. This made it possible for the puppies to still get to their mother, but they could also get away from her, and she couldn't steal their food. This worked out really well. Infact, Ophelia is so good at weening the puppies herself (at about six weeks she stops allowing them to nurse) that we left Ophelia in with the pups for longer than normal. Mostly this was for Ophelia who tends to whine like crazy when she is seperated from the puppies. The puppies actually could care less that mama was that close.

This was the time that Oberon really started showing his personality. He had a couple of litter mates that were VERY dominant. We were able to see that Oberon could hold his own, he didn't get picked on, but he didn't overly antagonize any of the other dogs. He also started to really put on weight in this period, and we could see that he would easily be the largest (and more mild mannered) of the litter. This is exactly what we were looking for.

In terms of development - most of the litter had at least one ear up at this point. The lighter, smaller pups got their ears up first. Oberon and several of the other larger pups still had both of their ears down. If you are concerned about ears - see this link to LEARN MORE.

Entry Four (July 7 - July 20)

This time was interesting. Puppies started to leave for their new homes. Three siblings left on the weekend of the 7th, another one left on the 10th, two more shipped out on the 13th, and the last three left on the 20th. This gave Oberon time to adjust a little at a time to loosing his play mates. One of the more dominant pups of the litter left on the 7th, and it was interesting watching their little pack order change. Oberon became one of the more dominant members of the litter, and we had to be careful to make sure some of the smaller, submissive, puppies got their share of food and time.

Developmentally - most of the puppies got their ears up during this time. Oberon got one ear up, but the other was still floppy. One other puppy in the bunch had neither ear up.

Entry Five (July 21 - July 24)

This is the time in a puppies life that is VERY hard for owners. This is the stage when most of our buyers now have their puppies on their own, and they are starting the sometimes very frustrating, very patience testing, period of training their puppies. I have divided this entry into a couple of catergories in terms of training tips and objectives.

Potty Training

The absolute MOST important part of potty training is VERY careful control of eating and drinking times. Puppies, Oberon was no exception, have very simple digestive patterns - they eat and within 10 - 15 minutes, they poop - they drink and within 10 - 15 minutes, they pee. Pretty simple. Most accidents happen when you as the owner are not watching the clock. If the puppy does by chance fall asleep after a meal or drink, when they wake up they will eliminate within about 5 minutes. So TIMING is essential. If you as an owner can stay on top of this - potty training is VERY easy.

Oberon had three accidents the first day inside. Two of which were completely our fault. We missed the timing window, and like clockwork, he eliminated on schedule. The second day Oberon had five accidents - but he had gotten hold of a plant leaf in our Arizona Room and it had made him sick. This was a frustating day. The third day he never had an accident at all. The fourth day he had two - again, totally our fault. We had company come in on the 23rd, with a dog of their own. In terms of socialization (see below) this was great for Oberon, but in terms of absolute control of feedings and drinkings - it wasn't. plus - with company you are more likely to pay more attention to your company than your puppy - EXPECT ACCIDENTS then. Timing is ESSENTIAL, if you can't do that - the puppy will remind you with a stinky, staining, surprise.

Keep in mind, your puppy needs food and water, but they don't need access to these things ALL of the time. Give them a drink - then take it away, wait a few minutes, and take them outside. A little later, do it again. It is when you loose control of timing - that the accidents will happen.

If you have other dogs in your household that are already trained - let your puppy follow their lead. Dogs are INCREDIBLY pack oriented; they will follow the others and copy what they see. If your other dogs are NOT so well trained, well - then this can also work against you.

A little piddle goes a long way !

Collar/ Leash Training

The collar is easy- just put the collar on at about 6 - 8 weeks. It will take them a few minutes to get used to. The Leash - totally different story.

Malamutes are very intelligent - but stubborn. Training sessions need to be short - but OFTEN. The first time we put Oberon on a leash he fought NON STOP. Just remember - THE PUPPY CANNOT BE ALLOWED TO WIN these confrontations. Keep the leash tight, and do not release tention until the puppy stops his fit. When he does, release tention.

Move up to leading the puppy. This can be done very easily and quickly, just don't accept NO for an answer. When the pup gets it, and stops fighting, take the leash off. End the lesson on a positve note. Oberon was no longer fighting the leash hardly at all by day three. Done deal.

Sometimes just letting the pup drag the leash around helps.

Chewing

Your puppy is TEETHING - just like a baby. He/ she NEEDS to chew. If you don't want that necessary behavior to take place on your valuables, then provide the puppy with some toys that are designed for this behavior. If the pup tries to chew on anything else, correct them, and provide them with a toy. Most of the time just your tenacity in this department will work.

If it doesn't - try mixing a liberal amount of ceyenne pepper with vaseline and smearing the mixture on the items that the pup is chewing on. This will not hurt your furniture, is easy to clean up, and WORKS.

Socialization

If you want an adult dog that you can take anywhere (friend's homes, the dog park, weight pull events, dog races - anything) then you need to socialize your puppy to be tolerant of other animals right away. Invite opportunities in controlled environments for the puppy to be able to be with other animals. We put Oberon with our dog pack IMMEDIATELY when all of his siblings were gone. We got him used to being with Romeo, Konan, and Juliet right off the bat - inside, outside, on walks - everywhere. When our company came in with Skittels on the 23rd, this was a great opportunity. Oberon immediatly accepted her and played with her. If you want a stable dog with other animals, then it is up to you to provide those opportunities. How else can the puppy learn to be the dog you want?

Oberon loves playing with Uncle Romeo. It really helps to do this early, especially with a male puppy like Oberon who is going to stay intact. He needs to develop a respect for other dogs, especially males, for when he comes into his own later on.

This is a horrible picture - but it shows Oberon playing with a little poodle named Skittles.

Night Time

First rule - ABSOLUTELY no food or water before bedtime. In our house - this is 6 o'clock. That gives plenty of time for an evening walk, a chance to clean out the system, and then by bed time - accidents are by far less likely.

Second rule - BE PREPARED for the puppy to cry. They are going to.

Third rule - DO NOT give in. You are your puppy's pack leader. You have to be in ABSOLUTE control.

Oberon cried for about an hour inside the first night. It drove us absolutely crazy! I broke rule number two and three, and put him outside with two of the other dogs that like to sleep outside. Oberon cried outside for another hour. It drove us absolutly crazy! I broke rule number two and three again, and brought him back inside with Romeo who likes to sleep inside. He cried again. I was ready to scream! Then, I finally did it right. I laid down on the floor with him with a little leash on, and corrected him each and every time he made a sound. After twenty minutes he fell asleep. I got back in bed, and woke up in the morning to give Oberon a drink and take him outside.

Second night - it took half that time with the same regiment. The third night was super easy - he just immediately went to sleep.

Development

Oberon got his ears up overnight on the 23rd of July. We awoke on the morning of the 24th with both of them up. Most puppies will get their ears up at about this stage - more or less.

They change SO FAST ! Be sure to take lots of pictures - malamutes don't stay "pups" for long !

Entry Six ( July 25 - July 27)

It seems as good a time as any to discuss Pack Order here, so that is the theme of this entry. If you have other animals in your household - it is ESSENTIAL for you to introduce your puppy to them as soon as possible. Malamutes get BIG and they get big FAST - so if you are wanting your puppy to be able to interact safely with your other animals - this "PACK ORDER" needs to be established early on.

Here are several pics of Oberon meeting Romeo and Konan (one a Siberian Husky and the other a Siberian/ Malamute cross). These two neutered males are the leaders on my sled team - and it is imperative that Oberon be able to interact with both of them.

Here Oberon is being a bit fiesty - going after Konan's ears and climbing on top of him. Konan is a VERY gentle dog, and he allowed it... but once Oberon had bitten him to hard - Konan instantly pushed Oberon away. This lets Oberon know his place in our homes PACK ORDER.

here Romeo shows that Oberon's games have gone too far. This is SAFE and IMPORTANT behavior. These dogs look like wolves, so when they "wolf out" as Romeo is doing here - it looks scary - but Romeo did not hurt Oberon at all. He simply let him know that enough was enough. Oberon is going to outsize both of these patriarches of the pack in just a few short months - so it is VERY important for him to learn now or there are going to be issues later on.

Entry 7 (July 28)

Oberon is now 10 weeks old, and it seems as good a time as any to discuss the next really important step in raising an ever-enlarging Malamute puppy: BATHING.

Malamutes can definately be trained to like the water - but most will fight their first baths. So - BEFORE they weigh enough to cause you pain - you need to get them used to the bathing experience. Besides.... they look so wonderful, cute, and cuddly when they come out.... SEE:

Entry 8 (August 4)

This week we have been working on harness training. This is important if you eventually want your Malamute to be able to pull. A harness is a totally different experience than a collar - so it is important to get the puppy used to the experience early. The next step will be to add a small log for Oberon to pull around, but he needs to get a bit bigger first.

Oberon at 11 weeks.

Another thing to keep in mind on longer walks is that a Malamute might look big - for a puppy - but in terms of his own development - he is still a small fry. They get TIRED quickly - so on longer walks, be prepared to rest often. We went down to the soccer field today, and the walk home was just over a mile (plus all of his running around at the park), so the walk home took some time. I even had to carry him for a little while! But then - he slept for the rest of the afternoon!

The other big event for today was Oberon's introduction to his Daddy - TIMBER !

With very careful planning - we made sure that Oberon was going to be safe. Timber is a TOTALLY mellow dog, but Oberon is teething, and he likes to bite. Very quickly though - we realized that Daddy was going to have no problem at all with his son.

It is very VERY important - especially for two dogs of the same sex that are going to remain intact - to get used to each other early. I want Timber and Oberon to be able to pull together, run together, play together, and work on the sled together - even when they are both completely intact males - so this relationship and bonding and pack order is ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL. As you can see - they seem to get along just fine !

Entry 9 (August 10)

Oberon is now 12 weeks old, and what a WONDERFUL dog he is turning out to be!

I thought that this would be a good time to update some past training issues. Oberon has not had an accident of any kind in the house for about nine days now (knock on wood) ! Potty training was hard this summer because we had SO MUCH RAIN - it rained every single day for about FIVE WEEKS - and when I say rain... well, yeah, you get the idea. LOTS. It was hard to get him to go out in it on his own. But the frustration seems to have paid off, and he is doing wonderful.

In terms of pack order he really is becoming the alpha dog of the back yard. He bows down to his Dad, but that is just about it. He had Romeo, Konan, and Juliet completey in control, and pretty much does what ever he wants. He uses them as his chew toys, and they pretty much allow it - so he is definately going to rule the roost on that level.

Nightime has completely mellowed out. Oberon doesn't really like to sleep inside, so he just goes outside with Juliet and Konan. Romeo still sleeps inside. When we say "OUTSIDE" he goes. Every time. It is wonderful.

Collar and leash training are completely done - and Oberon can walk on a lead just fine. Teeting is still a major issue - I expect him to keep chewing like crazy for some time - at least until his adult teeth start coming in.

OBERON is a complete jewel - and at twelve weeks - it is VERY little frustration for the promise his future will bring!!

JUST REMEMBER - Puppies NEED RULES. You have to be DOMINANT and NEVER ACCEPT anything less than what you want. Puppies will learn faster than you think. A little pain along the way makes for a GREAT dog later on.

Click the above picture to visit STRATFORD's OBERON.