Tour the Kennels

The Big B-Day

At Mini Kennels, it all begins in our home in what we call the “Whelping Tub” – a portable tote that spends many a night by our bedside. Here the mother is watched very closely from the first sign of labour and given assistance as needed to whelp out those precious babies. In this case, a litter of 6 beautiful parti colored Chihuahuas.

After all are “present and accounted for” and dry, Mother and babies are moved to the “Whelp House”, a small compact building where each mother has her own individual pen with an outside run. The pens are painted for easy cleaning and heat lamps provide the necessary heat that is so crucial to keeping those little ones warm in the first few days.

Giving Birth

Mother and Babies

In the Whelp House

Growing Up

Sometime between 2 and 4 weeks, the mother and puppies are moved again to the “Puppy House”, a larger building where there is more room for the growing puppies to begin to explore their new home and to interact with each other.

Here again, the building is heated, painted and set up with individual pens and outdoor runs. Pictured here is the interior of the building. It’s not as pink as you think when you get down on puppy level…

Pictured here is where the pups are on newspaper and have more room to romp around.

Mother and Babies

Puppies Romping

By five to six weeks the weaning process has begun and the puppies are moved to larger pens with shavings, to play and interact with pups from other litters for more socialization. At this point, I become ‘mom’ and experience the joy of the puppies greeting me very enthusiastically each time I enter the building. They consider it their personal responsibility to untie my shoe laces everytime I set foot in their pen. 🙂 As weather permits, the puppies are taken outside to play and romp in the sunshine and to explore the wonders of grass and flowers. From here, the puppies go to their new homes after receiving their first vaccination at 8 weeks of age.