The Transitional Period with Monterey Jack!

Hey guys! It’s Kat from Cairn Ridge Doodles! This is my first blog in a while, but let’s jump right in! Monterey Jack, Olive’s singleton puppy was born 3 weeks ago and is growing fast! Right now he’s in the transitional period which is what I wanted to talk about today! 

The transitional period is a period of time between 2-4 weeks when a puppy changes from a blob of fluff that does nothing but eat, sleep and whine for mama to an active individual who is able to experience the world around him/her! The transitional period comes with many different changes, each one more exciting than the last! Today I wanted to share about how much Jack has grown throughout the transitional period and share some details about each of his specific changes! Let’s jump in! 

Look at those bright blue eyes!

Change number one: eyes opening! Jack has now fully opened his bright blue eyes and has a fuzzy vision of the world around him! He first started to open his eyes around day 14-16 and after a day or so they were completely open! This is a huge part of transitioning! We’re so excited to show Jack that the world around him is friendly and safe through gentle socialization, now that his bright blue peepers are open!

Jack is perking up his ears after hearing a loud noise!

Change number two: ears opening! Did you know puppies are born blind and deaf? Well it turns out they are! Ears opening is another sign of the transitional period! Jack’s ears are officially open now and he can hear the world around him! It became clear to us that he could hear when he startled at loud noises! Now that he can hear, we’ll start noise exposures- to show him that no matter how loud or different it may sound, he never needs to be anxious of noises!

Look at those handsome markings!

Change number three: Jack can toddle! Jack first got up on his feet a few days ago and we’ve been having so much fun watching him tumble around like an old sailor! It’s so cute to watch him learn how to walk!

Jack is already learning the difference between his sleep area and his potty area!

Change number four: independent elimination! Jack is now able to go to the bathroom on his own- something his mama used to do for him- which means that we have started house training! He’s already going potty on his litter tray and we are so proud! We start house training as early as possible to give our puppies the best possible foundation! 

Jack get's his first taste of food!

Change number five: weaning! Jack had his first taste of puppy mush today! After soaking some Mother and Baby Dog Royal Canin Kibble overnight, I let Jack nibble some off my finger! He absolutely loved it and dove into the foodbowl for more! Although he’s not very talented at eating yet, he’ll get the hang of it over the next few weeks and should be completely weaned by 6 weeks! As much as we are able, we like to wean slowly and naturally!

Look at that silly face! (Jack had just made some noises!)

Change number six: playtime! Once puppies hit the transitional period they start to play with each other! This includes mouthing, barking and play-fighting! It’s one of the most adorable things to watch! In addition to barking, Jack has started to nibble at our fingers! Although he doesn’t have any littermates to play with, he has plenty of fingers and stuffies to chew on! 

Look at that sweet sleepy boy!

Of course this is just a summary of what we have experienced with Jack’s transitional period, but hopefully it was interesting and insightful! (If you'd like to hear more about the transitional period, check out our YouTube video by following this link! https://youtu.be/YFEUJIHZE5A ) The transitional period provides puppies with necessary functions that they will use to explore the world around them! We’re so excited to give Jack his first experiences in our wonderful world with careful, safe socialization! We cannot wait to help him become the confident, happy puppy we know he can be! Check back next week for a summary of Jack’s first week in “Puppy Preschool” and why it’s important! 

See you soon! Kat H!