Good nutrition starts with the mom. Puppy nourishment begins before birth, while the growing puppies are taking in nutrition from what their mother is receiving. We feed our females Life's Abundance® dog food, a premium brand of kibble, along with supplementing in healthy proteins such as chicken, beef and egg for added benefits such as improved skin and coat health, extra vitamins, minerals and amino acids, and boosting the dogs high quality protein intake (which is especially good when our females are expecting). We also give our mothers NuVet Plus Canine WaffersTM, a vitamin providing them with even more immune boosting antioxidants, amino acids, vitamins, and minerals. Also, throughout nursing, momma dogs receive Oxy Momma® supplements providing herbal ingredients which support milk production and nourishment for the litter. Once puppies are born they of course receive their first post utero nutrients from their mothers milk. Then in a matter of weeks they will slowly transition to Life's Abundance kibble, mixed with NuVet Plus PowderTM which is the equivalent of the NuVet Plus Canine WaffersTM that the mother gets (providing a direct source of immune boosting ingredients) soaked in water, broth, or goat milk. In addition puppies are eventually given regurgitated food by their mothers (a bit gross I know, but beneficial nonetheless).
From three days after birth, we perform Early Neurological Stimulation (ENS) and Early Scent Introduction (ESI) exercises with each puppy. Benefits of these simple exercises include boosting brain development, improved circulation and immune systems, stimulating the neurological system, improved stress responses in later life, improved scenting ability in later life, enhanced confidence and stability as adults and reduced behavioural issues in the long term. Our puppies are also exposed to things such as, loud vehicle noises, sounds of human traffic, horns of passing trains, vacuum cleaners, other dogs, human visitors, and all sorts of handling. All of these methods help to ensure that we provide dogs that can handle the regular stresses of life.
The health of our puppies starts at the source as well, the parents in our program. All of our breeding pairs have breed specific genetic health panels run on them via DNA swab tests. This ensures that they are clear of genetic health issues which commonly inflict their breeds. We also perform OFA tests for hips, elbows. OFA eye tests are also performed on our female dogs as well. The OFA hips and elbow tests look for any suspicious joint afflictions via specialized scans of these body parts. All of our breeding pairs are AKC registered, therefore their ancestry is documented. Our puppies are “pure bred.” Environmental factors and nutrition certainly can play a huge role in the health of an animal. As mentioned in the Nutrition section of this page, our dogs are fed top quality food, supplemented with additional high quality proteins, and provided with vitamin supplements, making our pups grow up strong, healthy and happy. In addition, SLCW is located on a 6-acre wooded property, with a large main yard, free-range chickens, cats and even goats next door on the other side of the fence, ensuring our dogs the space to get lots of exercise and enrichment from their environment.
When you buy from us you will be sent home with a complimentary puppy package. The package will include a leash, a collar, a gallon bag of Life's Abundance® dog food, samples of NuVet Plus Canine WaffersTM, links to access free educational training videos via Life's Abundance's website, copies of our contract and guarantees and an informational packet for bringing home a new puppy.
Our puppies are taught practically from birth to potty away from where they play/sleep. We begin potty training by setting up a litter pan within their small enclosure. The puppies naturally do not want to be playing around in their own filth so can be mostly self taught to potty in the litter pan. As the puppies grow the key is to keep everywhere but the litter pan a clean and smooth texture, naturally encouraging the puppies to potty on the rough texture of the litter within the tray. The texture difference between the smooth floor of their indoor pen and the rough litter or the dirt and natural matter outside is really the key. As puppies age they learn from both their mother and from natural preferences that pottying on the rough texture that is outside is preferable to the flat solid floor. Eventually the litter pan can be removed from the puppies indoor enclosure all together. Leaving the outdoors as the only option for rough texture.