Olive has done it again. On Sunday, November 12th, 2023, Olive gifted us with 13 beautiful puppies. Nine boys and four girls. Olive did wonderfully throughout the whole process and is managing to have all puppies gaining weight daily. All the puppies weigh within just a few ounces of one another which confirms that Olive cooks up the most amazing litters (like we needed any proof- our past puppy owners can vouch that her previous pups are just amazing!).
We initially thought this was going to be a dual sired litter, but just by looking at them we assume they are all Claude’s- 13 beautiful shades of Golden Apricot. Embark tests are here and we will confirm lineage over the next few weeks.
At Pickerel Pups, we do what we can to help our litters grow and develop to be the best dog of their ability. We weigh puppies daily, and on days 3-16 of life we start introducing neurological stimulation. ENS (Early Neurological Stimulation) is when we take the puppies through a series of exercises which will help the puppy’s rapid neurological growth and development. According to the American Kennel Club “Five benefits have been observed in canines that were exposed to ENS, including improved cardiovascular performance (heart rate); stronger heart beats; stronger adrenal glands; more tolerance to stress; and greater resistance to disease.”
We also introduce our puppies to a variety of scents (ESI or Early scent introduction) starting on day 3 of life which is a training program for puppies that enhances their ability to identify, and react to, specific scents. Alexandra Horowitz, author of Inside of a Dog, states “Dogs examine and understand the world through their noses like we see and make sense of the world with our eyes. The area in the brain that processes the data picked up by the nose is 40 times larger in dogs than humans. A dog’s ability to smell is a function of their intellect.” Puppies who excel in the scent area make excellent candidates for companion, service, and therapy dogs. Naturally some dogs have more of natural nose instinct compared to others. By doing this training and recording their reactions it helps us match the right pup with the right individual need.
We plan on doing a puppy personality assessment on week 7 which will give us a good idea about all of this litter’s temperaments and help us with placing our puppies with the right families. Until then, we will work on manners, crate, and dog door training once the pups are up and on the go.
Next up is week 2. Eye and ears will be opening, and puppies will go from scooting on their bellies to start using their legs to move about. Our first deworming also happens at week 2.
We have had a lot of inquiries on these pups and we anticipate they will find their new homes quickly. We still have several spots available. Please let us know if you have any interest or questions. Scroll down for images of the adorable bunch!
If you are interested in adopting one of our available puppies or would like more information, please reach out either by emailing us at info@pickerelpups.com, send a text or call us at 218-849-5137.
Stay tuned for more updates on Olive’s “Baker’s Dozen.”
Warmly,
Kate & Craig Kleindl
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