Puppies
When a litter is born at Sundance Shepherds, it is born in the house with support and care available to the mother at all times during her whelping. We follow the philosophy of The Monks of New Skete while raising the babies. Each puppy is handled every day with extreme care and love. The puppies are born into the center of our family, and as soon as their little eyes open, we are there looking in. It is a great time for us, and we never tire of the miracle of birth, and watching the little personalities emerge. We perform Early Neurological Stimulation from days 2 – 16. ENS, developed by the military and also known as "Super Dog Program" has been proven to be beneficial in improving heart rates, stress tolerance, and improving immune systems, thus increasing resistance to disease.
Our pups are exposed to many stimulating and challenging situations from week 3 through week 10, when they are placed with their new families. Varied objects, smells, noises, music, flooring types are all made available to the puppies. Children come to visit and the pups start crate training. Their personalities are drawn out by such experiences and they become confident and enjoy learning.
The Monks of New Skete have a wonderful book out that we highly recommend to all prospective puppy owners. It is called "The Art of Raising a Puppy" and follows a pup day by day as it is whelped and matures through different stages of puppyhood.
Upcoming Breeding Pair - Thulani and Kalidor - Click on their Pictures to view their pages
Marina delivered a beautiful litter of six pups, 3 boys and 3 girls, on Aug.29
To continue the socializing that is so critical in creating a sound, confident adult dog, the puppies are taken to safe and stimulating environments. Below you see the 4 1/2 week old Echo/Brinx pups visiting their older sisters house, down the street. They got to meet new people and a new dog! Then at 5 1/2 weeks the pups had the opportunity to go to a yacht and spend time visiting one of their new owners. It was fascinating and fun to watch their reactions to the new surfaces under their feet and the noises of the seagulls. At 6 weeks, all the pups visited the friendly staff at the local feed store. Big fun for all!
