~ Florence's Puppies ~
Welcome to Florence's Puppies page! This is where we will post the bi-weekly updates for any current litter from Florence!
Florence Elyse
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CLICK FLORENCE'S PHOTO TO VISIT HER PERSONAL PROFILE PAGE!
Arlo Nicholas
CLICK ARLO'S PHOTO TO VISIT HIS PERSONAL PROFILE PAGE!
BORN: August 7th, 2024
These parents will produce *CAVAPOOS* (approximately 18.25% Cavalier -- 81.75% Poodle) Please see our CAVAPOOS 101 page for details and refer to the F2BB Cavapoo.
This will be Florence's and Arlo's first litter together!
We anticipate that their puppies will mature to be in the estimated range of 12 to 18 lbs.
Non-shedding Poodle-like curls, suitable for severe allergies.
ALL PUPPIES WILL BE "SOLID" (RED / NO WHITE) *OR* "ABSTRACT" (MOSTLY SOLID RED WITH WHITE ACCENTS)
Based on colour-screening the following colours are possible:
Ruby (red like Florence or like Arlo's red ears)
Please visit our Cavapoo Colours page for more colour details.
WAITING LIST FOR THIS PAIRING:
1. Deb Durand -- "Mocha" (Saffron) ... DEPOSIT & HOLDING FEE RECEVIED!!
2. Meera Patel & Aran Jangi -- "Ari" (Nutmeg) ... PAID IN FULL!!
3. Leeanne Philp -- "Riley" (Sesame) ... PAID IN FULL / GONE HOME!!
4. Nicole Bajcar & James Martin -- "Abigail" (Lavender) ... PAID IN FULL / GONE HOME!!
5. Mercedes DaCosta -- "Ruby" (Ginger) ... PAID IN FULL / GONE HOME!!
6. Shaivi Khamar -- "Chiku" (Rosemary) ... PAID IN FULL!!
7. Tamika Montague & Denzel Ajasa-- "Ziggy" (Sage/male) ... PAID IN FULL / GONE HOME!!
8. Stewart Bailie -- "Sage" (Curry/female) ... PAID IN FULL / GONE HOME!!
ALL PUPPIES SPOKEN FOR / NO PUPPIES AVAILABLE!
3 Boys and 5 Girls
8 week old vet update:
Flori's puppies are now 8 weeks old, and their vet appointment was rescheduled last minute by our vet's office to October 1st instead of the 2nd, so the puppies actually had their vet appointment yesterday morning! This was a huge help to us, as we were able to get their 8-week photos done yesterday with beautiful sunshine versus today which is an overcast and chilly day!
All of the puppies were thoroughly examined by our vet and found to be in excellent health! The puppies were very well behaved for their examination, and they didn't make a peep in the crate while waiting for their turn to be examined, vaccinated, and dewormed -- nor in the waiting room before or after their appointment.
Our vet always compliments us on how quiet and good natured our puppies are during their vet visits and today was no exception! He tells us that he sees so many other "screaming puppies" that don't even like to be handled, and this makes our well behaved puppies such a treat for him and his staff!
Here are some photos of the puppies in the waiting room (Majorie's litter of 4 Poodles is also visible in some photos):
We were very impressed and happy that the puppies also did incredibly well in the vehicle and there was *no* sign of motion sickness noted in any of the puppies! They did whine a bit at the very beginning of the drive to our vet which is common until puppies get used to the motion, but they were entirely silent and content on the return trip. Here are photos of them in our vehicle on the way home -- please note that while in the vehicle the puppies (Flori's and Marjorie's) are split 6 puppies per crate to avoid over-crowding (even though they still like to sleep in a pile):
Flori's puppies were excellent for their photos outside yesterday -- we have put their weights from the vet on their 8-week photos below:
The puppies are all set to go to their new homes -- they are doing well on their outdoor potty habits. They need to go outside approximately every hour that they are awake and need to be in an appropriate pen or crate for the times when you are unable to let them outside. Puppies need to go potty immediately after they wake up, after eating or drinking, and after physical activity/playing. You do not need to wake up a sleeping puppy to take them outside -- puppies need 18-20 hours of sleep per day so it is important to allow them to rest as often as possible between meals, play, and training! It is essential for their growth and development!
We will have detailed written feeding instructions ready for everyone at pick up that will be included in your Puppy Kit -- but the puppies are eating approximately 45 to 55 grams of food depending on how much water they have had to drink. This amount can change once they go to a new home (it's completely normal) -- puppies will self regulate how much food they need based on their new home and situation (ie. without competition or activity from siblings). The food sent home with the puppies is pre-portioned for ease of feeding at approximately 55 grams per meal. All you will need to do is thaw, scoop, and serve.
We are appreciative of all the amazing families on Flori and Arlo's list receiving a puppy, and we will see you all at your scheduled pick up! Here is one final group photo of the puppies:
L E F T to R I G H T:
Abigail ~ Ruby ~ Chiku ~ Riley ~ Ari ~ Mocha ~ Sage ~ Ziggy
LAVENDER ~ GINGER ~ ROSEMARY ~ SESAME ~ NUTMEG ~ SAFFRON ~ CURRY ~ SAGE
6 week old puppy update:
Flori and Arlo's puppies are now 6 weeks old! We finished a round of puppy-choosing, and we have 3 puppies still available ~ all of the families were amazing and we look forward to meeting others as they apply!
We bathed the puppies this morning as a part of their grooming this week which included towel drying and blow drying to get them used to what they experience at a professional groomer. We were pleased with all of the puppies for calmly accepting both the water/shampoo/rinse and the towel/blow drying!
The puppies also had their first outdoor exposure today! They were all curious about the world around them and loved to lick the morning dew off the grass, as well as tasting the yummy grass too!
Here is a photo taken after their run in the wet grass following their individual 6-week photo session:
They did so well sitting for their photos -- the group photo was nearly a natural pose! All we did was get them all in one location and they lined up while we snapped the photo quickly!
This litter as a whole has really good co-operation skills, a drive to learn, a desire to please, and they respond well to praise!
They are doing well in all areas and have mastered the use of the potty pad, and today we did note a few puppies going pee outside on their first outdoor exposure -- this will improve with more outside time! It's a great start and we couldn't be happier!
We dewormed the puppies again and their next and final deworming will be done at the vet at 8 weeks old (this is what will be visible on your puppy's records). And while the puppies have been brushed -- we have been holding off trimming the fur on their faces for now because they are so small, but we have been careful to ensure that the fur stays out of their eyes. Trimming of the hair in front of their eyes is an important thing to do throughout any dog's life with curly fur -- we should be able to do so by 7-8 weeks.
We have their individual photos and 6-week weights below:
"Chiku" ~ Rosemary
Chosen and matched to the Khamar Family!
6-week weight: 1.64 pounds
"Ari" ~ Nutmeg
Chosen and matched to the Patel/Jangi Family!
6-week weight: 2 pounds
"Sage" ~ Curry
Chosen and Matched to the Bailie Family!
6-week weight: 1.50 pounds
"Ziggy" ~ Sage
Chosen and Matched to the Montague/Ajasa Family!
6-week weight: 1.64 pounds
"Riley" ~ Sesame
Chosen and matched to the Philp Family!
6-week weight: 2 pounds
"Mocha" ~ Saffron
Chosen and matched to the Durand Family!
6-week weight: 1.86 pounds
"Ruby" ~ Ginger
Chosen and matched to the DaCosta Family!
6-week weight: 1.44 pounds
"Abigail" ~ Lavender
Chosen and matched to the Bajcar/Martin Family!
6-week weight: 1.54 pounds
Flori's puppies are now fully weaned from nursing -- not that Flori wouldn't let them, but she will be wearing a jumpsuit (onesie) while interacting with the puppies so that we can focus on getting the puppies on a solid feeding schedule over the next couple of weeks. And this will also allow Flori to interact with her puppies without being swarmed by her hungry brood!
We will give you detailed instructions (in written form) at 8 weeks / pick up. The puppies are currently eating a mixture of Chicken, Beef, and Fish in the Tri-blend from Woodland Raw Dog Food, and we will send you home with 12 days worth of food. Please let us know if you need any help selecting a food to transition onto for your puppy.
You should call ahead to the vet of your choice to schedule their 12-week appointment approximately 4 weeks from October 2nd (around October 30th) and the receptionist will ask what it's for (2nd vaccine + deworming) and they will need to know the breed (Cavapoo), your puppy's date of birth (August 7th, 2024), and that their 1st vaccine will be given on October 2nd, 2024 by the breeder's veterinarian who will supply a vaccine booklet.
We will sign off the 6-week update with a little video taken earlier today of the puppies on their first outdoor adventure:
5 week puppy matches:
Puppy choosing for Flori and Arlo's puppies has started and we had a super first visit and we are looking forward to meeting all the families receiving a puppy! The puppy matches will be shown below as they happen:
"Mocha" ~ Saffron
Chosen and matched to the Durand Family!
"Ari" ~ Nutmeg
Chosen and matched to the Patel/Jangi Family!
"Riley" ~ Sesame
Chosen and matched to the Philp Family!
"Abigail" ~ Lavender
Chosen and matched to the Bajcar/Martin Family!
"Ginger" ~ Female
Chosen and matched to the DaCosta Family!
"Rosemary" ~ AVAILABLE
AVAILABLE and ready to meet her new family!
"Curry" ~ AVAILABLE
AVAILABLE and ready to meet her new family!
"Sage" ~ Male
AVAILABLE and ready to meet his new family!
4 week old puppy update:
Flori's puppies are now 4 weeks old and they, along with Marjorie's puppies have moved to our living room to start on their potty training and to further their socialization! Both litters are in the same pen (for now) so if you see some "extra" puppies, those are Marjorie's pups (in the blue dog bed in all the photos).
We have coloured collars on the puppies for our benefit and ease of quick identification, but even though the puppies look similar it is easy for us to tell their faces apart because we see them continually every single day.
Right now it's easier to house the puppies together while they learn to use the gray washable potty pad and as we amp up their daily meals that we supplement. They have only been in our living room for a couple of days and they are doing incredibly well at getting their potty habits onto the potty pad. We work with their natural instinct to move away from the area where they eat, sleep, and play to keep their potty habits as far away from that area as possible. While they are learning, strength in numbers helps because there is less room for them to make a mistake if there is a puppy or a toy in the way. We also provided a bed for the puppies to curl up in, and while it looks small for the combined total of 12 pups (Flori's 8 + Marjorie's 4) it is actually "just right" for snuggling and keeping cozy! Here is a cute photo of all 12 pups cuddling together:
The puppies have all shown curiosity in their new and much larger area in the pen we have set up for them in our living room. They all took the change of environment very well and beyond the potty training aspect, changes like this help to mildly and naturally stress puppies to teach coping skills -- in the wild this would be the equivalent of a wolf mother moving her pups to a new den. And these coping skills that they learn early on will help them to adapt in the future when the go to their new homes and perhaps beyond that if you have circumstances that require a move, or perhaps you need to briefly board your puppy somewhere.
Before the photos today, the puppies were wiped down with puppy wipes and brushed as a part of their overall grooming experience. They have been diving into their food bowl and getting splashed with milk, so cleaning was definitely necessary, but it also provides a base for future experiences like baths! We also trimmed their nails which gets the puppies used to their paws being handled as well as the actual trimming process. And the puppies were dewormed today as a part of our strict deworming protocol and you can find their 4-week weights along with their individual photos for this week:
"Rosemary" ~ Female
4 week weight: 13.5 ounces
"Nutmeg" ~ Male
4 week weight: 1 pound & 5 ounces
"Curry" ~ Female
4 week weight: 13.5 ounces
"Sage" ~ Male
4 week weight: 14 ounces
"Sesame" ~ Male
4 week weight: 1 pound & 5 ounces
"Saffron" ~ Female
1 week weight: 1 pound & 3 ounces
"Ginger" ~ Female
4 week weight: 12.6 ounces
"Lavender" ~ Female
4 week weight: 12.5 ounces
The puppies are currently still eating a slurry of goats milk, formula milk, and probiotics, but we will be adding meat to their diet soon. Some puppies need a little longer on milk depending on their eating style, and others are ready to chew, but this litter needs more time for their teeth to come in which is common in smaller puppies.
We will separate the litters for future updates, photos, and videos, but for this week with both litters being the same age -- it all was easier with 12 sweethearts!
We will sign off this 4 week update with a video of all 12 pups (Flori's 8 and Marjorie's 4) in their new pen and all of them eagerly drinking their milk from a communal bowl:
We look forward to meeting everyone on Florence and Arlo's list for puppy-choosing next week!
Thank you for reading the 4 week update!
2 week old puppy update:
Flori's puppies are now 2 weeks old! The litter as a whole is doing very well under Florence's care! We are also continuing to supplement feed the puppies with goats milk, formula milk, and probiotics, and Flori is eating 3x's her normal daily food amount to keep up with her hungry brood! Because of the large size of this litter, we will be starting the puppies on raw food as soon as possible (mixed with goats milk at first) to ensure that they are getting enough nutrition, and in the process it will further take the pressure off Florence.
The puppies haven't opened their eyes yet, but a few are "peeking" at the corners. Puppies eyes usually open around 14 days, but can be as late as 18 days before completely opening. Around the time that their eyes open, their ears also open so the sensory explosion that takes place must be pretty spectacular! The only senses that the puppies have known thus far are touch, taste, and smell, and it is always incredible to watch the puppies intellect and curiosity develop as they gain sight and hearing!
At this time, puppies do a lot of sleeping, and they literally grow while they sleep!
Once their eyes and ears open, we will begin to add various toys to inspire their curiosity and to create opportunities for play. We will also begin introducing different sound recordings like thunderstorms, train whistles, traffic noises, power tools, etc. as a part of their desensitization to sounds they may encounter in the big world.
This week we are giving the link to the Taking Home Puppy Online Instructional to help prepare you for adding a puppy to your home and providing care and training tips for the 1st year of your puppy's life. For those on Florence and Arlo's list -- please see your e-mail for the 2-week old puppy update for the link and page password.
We ask that all families on the list take advantage of the information on the Instructional, as it is there for your own benefit and it has proven to be a huge help to families who take the time to read it and explore the resources on the page.
We weighed the puppies for their 1st deworming in the series of dewormings that they will received before leaving Pleasant Meadows, and you can see their weights below and we have given each puppy an identification name that we will refer to for each puppy:
"Rosemary" ~ Female
2 week weight: 9.2 ounces
"Nutmeg" ~ Male
2 week weight: 12.8 ounces
"Curry" ~ Female
2 week weight: 8 ounces
"Sage" ~ Male
2 week weight: 7.8 ounces
"Sesame" ~ Male
2 week weight: 11.7 ounces
"Saffron" ~ Female
2 week weight: 12.9 ounces
"Ginger" ~ Female
2 week weight: 9.1 ounces
"Lavender" ~ Female
2 week weight: 8.5 ounces
We will begin e-mailing families on Florence and Arlo's list soon to schedule puppy viewings either in-person or via Skype video call for the 5-week mark -- please be patient while waiting to hear from us while we work our way down the list for scheduling! You will be able to decide if you want to visit in-person or see the puppies via video call.
Our next scheduled puppy update will be when the puppies turn 4 weeks old on:
Wednesday, September 4th, 2024
Hope you enjoyed this week's update!
Please remember to share with your family and friends that since this is such a large litter, we do have puppies available!
We also have a video of the puppies with Flori to conclude the 2 week update:
Birth Announcement:
Florence gave birth to 8 puppies on August 7th ~ 3 boys and 5 girls! One puppy was born at home naturally, and the other seven puppies were delivered via c-section at the vet. A litter of eight puppies is a lot for a small dog and Flori's uterus was just too expanded for her to properly contract to birth naturally. This can be common in smaller dogs giving birth, and we were happy to give Florence the break and have her puppies delivered "the easy way", but more importantly in a way that kept both mom and puppies safe!
Florence did amazing through the surgery to deliver her puppies, and we did have the veterinarian spay Flori while she was under anesthesia to avoid unnecessary surgery in the future. We personally believe that it is unethical to breed a female again after she has had a c-section as the scar tissue can lead to future birthing complications, and so this is another reason why we, along with our vet, agreed it was best to spay Florence.
We are happy that Flori's puppies arrived safely ~ but it has meant 4 nights (and more to follow) of very little sleep for us as surgery can delay the body's natural responses for milk production, and so Flori's puppies have needed to be fed around the clock every 2-3 hours. We have also chosen to supplement with colostrum, and have allowed Florence's puppies to nurse off of her best friend/companion, Marjorie, who amazingly birthed the *same day* and Marjorie was able to temporarily foster-nurse Flori's puppies to give "real" colostrum in addition to the supplementation to ensure that Flori's puppies got all that they needed until Flori's milk naturally came in!
Even though Florence's milk is coming in nicely now, we will continue to supplement feed with puppy formula (contains colostrum and pre-biotics and pro-biotics), mixed with goats milk for invaluable nutrition as eight puppies is a huge burden on any mother, but a large litter is even harder on smaller dogs.
Florence came out of her c-section well with zero complications and she is healing beautifully. She is a devoted and tender mother, very gentle and attentive to her puppies, and it's an absolute shame that this will be her first and only litter for us!
Her puppies are thriving as well, very strong and remarkably content! Florence keeps them very clean and snuggled in close to her to nurse and to provide warmth and comfort. Good mothers like Flori help to instill good temperaments in their offspring with their gentle mannerisms, so her litter is not one that you will want to miss out on!
Below are photos of the puppies all lined up -- the 3 BOYS are on the LEFT and the 5 GIRLS are on the RIGHT:
Some of Flori's puppies have a bit of white on their chests, tiny snips of white on their foreheads, and really tiny white tips on a few tails. And as you can see they are all varying shades of ruby (red), and we would anticipate them to keep most of their colour as adults with their colour-lineage.
Here is a video of Florence and her precious puppies while they nurse:
If you are placing a deposit on this litter, our next scheduled update will be when the puppies turn 2 weeks old on:
Wednesday, August 21st, 2024
We look forward to continuing to share Florence and Arlo's puppies with you over the coming weeks. In their Birth Announcement we have talked about how sweet Florence is, but Arlo is a pretty amazing dad as well! Many of Arlo's puppies over the years have gone on to do therapy work in various capacities. To name a few....
- One of Arlo's puppies from a 2019 litter is a service dog for a young girl who went through a traumatic event and her puppy helps her with anxiety and provides unconditional love, comfort, and understanding. That puppy is now 5 years old and has completed professional training for the dog to be able to be included in many social outings where the child needs support, but many of this dog's skills for reading energy were pure intuition which highly impressed the trainer!
- A 2022 puppy sired by Arlo is a therapy dog for a boy with Autism and provides emotional regulation support which is perhaps one of the most impressive kinds of support. A puppy needs to be emotionally, and mentally stable to cope with emotions that are constantly changing, and being able to turn around and provide comfort without fear. This puppy has also aided in teaching better communication for the autistic boy.
- And a puppy sired by Arlo in 2023 is a therapy dog for a teenager with Down Syndrome to provide emotional stability and overall friendship.
Approximately half of Arlo's puppies over the past 5 years do therapy work in some capacity like visiting hospitals, schools (reading programs), and individual therapy dogs for various reasons such as depression, PTSD, and anxiety.
This combination with Florence's sweet nature is sure to create more great companion dogs who have the ability to do much more!
We'll sign off with some additional candid photos: