Noni's LITTLES - 5 wks old

Hoekema Family

11 minutes ago

5 min read

Five weeks old already… and suddenly my little squishy squashy potatoes are looking and acting suspiciously like actual little dogs!

They are interacting exactly like puppies should — playing, wrestling, chasing, exploring, learning, investigating absolutely everything… and, of course, occasionally doing things they absolutely shouldn’t be doing.

Which, naturally, we love.

At this point, their little personalities are really beginning to blossum and shine, and I'm soaking up every minute of it.

We were blessed with an incredible amount of sunshine this week, so we took full advantage of it.

The puppies spent endless amounts of time in their puppy enrichment yard, where every day brought something new to investigate.

The stairs were conquered.

The sway swing was conquered.

The wobble board? Conquered.

Different textures and surfaces? No problem.

New sounds, music, movement, helium balloons and all sorts of unexpected environmental distractions? Bring it on.

Every single puppy approached each new experience with confidence and curiosity. No hesitation. No drama. Just six little explorers confidently taking on whatever I put in front of them.

That confidence is exactly what we want to build at this age. We aren't simply letting puppies grow up — we're intentionally giving them opportunities to experience the world in a safe, controlled and positive way. And judging by their reactions, they have decided the world is a pretty entertaining place.

Potty training Is going exceptionally well. There is a very noticeable awareness developing between their sleeping area and their designated potty area. They are beginning to understand that these spaces serve very different purposes — and they are having an impressive amount of success with that distinction. Go babies!

We also added an additional potty tray to give them even more opportunity to make the correct choice. The goal is always to set the puppies up for success rather than waiting for mistakes to happen. Mama Noni also got something very important this week, her nights back to herself. She has officially earned the opportunity to sleep without six tiny roommates crawling all over her.

This is also our final week of completing the weaning process. The puppies are gradually transitioning from Mama, to only siblings, and eventually to becoming confident little individuals ready to head off as singletons to their forever families.

It is a big transition, and we take it seriously. Independence doesn't happen overnight, so we're intentionally building those steps into their daily routine.

Crate training is also going incredibly well. Each puppy receives the same amount of food and gets their own designated space to eat at their own pace — without worrying about a sibling deciding that someone else's dinner looks significantly better. Because apparently everyone else's bowl is always more exciting. This routine also teaches something very important from the beginning: there is no reason to guard resources.

Food is plentiful. Their space is safe. Nobody needs to worry about losing something valuable. We're establishing those habits early so that sharing space, being handled, eating independently and relaxing in their own area become normal parts of life.

We've also started incorporating naps in their crates. And this coming week, their Snuggle Puppies will be introduced to help make those crate naps even more comforting as they continue developing independence.

Pedicures continue around here every two days.

Yes. Every two days. Tiny nails are trimmed regularly as part of their desensitization and conditioning program. The goal isn't simply to have nice little puppy nails. It's to teach them that having their feet handled, nails touched and nails trimmed is simply a normal part of life.

The more routinely they experience it now, the less likely it is to become a big production later. We are raising puppies who understand that humans touch your feet and nobody needs to call a meeting about it.

Our toddler training "class" was a full-blown success.

Although we're still debating who did better… The toddler or the puppies.

This is another important part of helping puppies learn that humans come in many different sizes, move differently, make different noises and interact differently.

And these little ones handled it perfectly! Such a PERFECT DAY!

So Much To Do… So Little LITTLE Time ahead of us. At this age, there is an almost ridiculous amount to accomplish every single day. We work feverishly from well beyond sun-up to beyond sun-down to fit everything in.

Enrichment

Potty training

Crate training

Individual handling

Socialization

Environmental exposure

Nail and body care

Feeding

Cleaning

Rest

Repeat

And then repeat it all again.

Because puppies don't exactly operate according to a convenient little Monday-through-Friday schedule. And somehow, despite how much work there is left to do, we're already staring down the reality that there isn't much time left with them.

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Behind the scenes here, there have also been some changes to our upcoming breeding schedule. A dozen different aspects to balance here all at once and everything is always in motion ebbing and flowing all the time. We honor, we listen and adjust.

Despite six trips to the vet office over the past couple of weeks to test and to support, to do everything possible to support the breeding pair, the stars simply did not align for Neema during this breeding window. Oh the joys of working with mother nature!

Breeding dogs responsibly means understanding that no matter how carefully we plan, prepare, monitor and support the process, we are ultimately not in control of what nature decides to bless us with. There are pieces of the process we simply cannot see.

There are details we don't know. And there are plans that sometimes unfold differently than the ones we had written down on the calendar. So rather than forcing a timeline, or our dogs, we listen to our dogs. We respect what their bodies are telling us, we honor, trust and we adjust.

Neema will now be moved to our spring 2027 schedule, giving her the time and space she needs.

My commitment has always been to do what is right for the dogs first — not what is most convenient for my calendar. I put my full trust in them, in their needs, and in the journey each one is meant to have here with us.

So our schedule shifts and we get hold faith in the process.

With Neema moving to next summer, I will be moving Anya up in our breeding schedule and, hopefully, pairing her very shortly, yes she's now entering into her breeding window. And yes... I am hopeful beyond the stars that everything aligns beautifully for Anya and her upcoming pairing with Tonka.

If all goes according to plan, mother nature dependent, Anya and Isla will hopefully be able to bless families with new cream puffs shortly after the Christmas holidays.

There are a lot of moving pieces between now and then, so as always, we take it one step at a time, one litter, one chapter, one story, one puppy at a time.

Because around here, we can make plans, but the dogs get the final vote.