BeBop and Sterling’s litter
Litter Info
- AKC Registered
- 3 Girls and 4 Boys
- Coat Colors: Red and white
- Coat length: Standard short
- Mom normally weighs around 27 lbs and dad is around 28 lbs
- Born: August 7, 2024
- Go Home Date: Around November 9, 2024
- Vet Check Date: October 22, 2024
- Formal Temperament Testing: October 27 – 30, 2024
- Puppy Picking / Zoom meetings: around November 1-3, 2024
- Puppies are marked at birth with a dot of nontoxic fabric paint to ensure that weights are accurately recorded. At 4 weeks of age, puppies will receive a small velcro collar and it will be easier for you to identify them in the videos and photos at that time. 7
How Old I Am Today
Black Collar Boy
I found my home with Makayla A.
Blue Collar Boy
I found my home with Grace F.
Green Collar Boy
I found my home with Sandi M.
Red Collar Boy
I found my home with Connor B.
Pink Collar Girl
I found my home with Elizabeth S.
Purple Collar Girl
I found my home with Alexander L.
Yellow Collar Girl
I found my home with Contessa H.
Resources for our buyers
Weekly emails
I send out emails every Tuesday to help you prepared for your pup. These emails will answer most questions that you might have like what brand of food they are eating, how to potty train, vaccination information, etc.
You will also get weekly emails once you get your pup to provide you with some tips for living through puppyhood. Please watch for these emails and let me know if you are not receiving them.
Watch Us Grow
Since we will not be picking puppies until after they have been vet checked and temperament tested, I encourage you to follow along weekly as they grow. Buyers often get a good sense of a puppy’s energy level, independence, orientation towards people, etc. from watching the weekly videos.
Here are several ways that you can follow their development.
1. Weekly videos. I will post a video each week to a Playlist for this litter on our Harman Corgis YouTube channel.
- The button above will take you to the Harman Corgis YouTube channel
- Click on the SUBSCRIBE button on our channel.
- Once you have subscribed, you can click on the down arrow (∨) on the subscribe button and click on the bell to set up notifications so you will know when I upload a new video
- Click on the PLAYLIST tab and find the playlist for this litter. This is where you will find all videos of the litter.
2. Flikr photo album. I will place all photos for this litter into a Flikr album.
- The button above will take you to the Flikr album for this litter.
- All photos including professional set up photos will be located in this folder.
- Feel free to download any photos in this album for free.
3. Weekly Activities. Each week I keep you updated with planned activities and a video from a previous litter explaining some of the activities. This information should help explain part of what you see in the weekly videos so check here weekly.
- The experiences that a puppy has during the first 16 weeks of life set it up to be a dog who is sociable, confident, well adjusted, teachable dogs and can live in the human world.
- We have spent years developing our Next Level Puppy Program which is designed to meet the needs of our breed.
- Below you will find a weekly general outline of activities that we perform with our babies and videos from a previous litter.
- Our program is based upon developmental markers that are observed in the puppies. This means that every litter and puppy works through the program at their own pace when they are developmentally ready. If puppies are not ready for an activity or specific set of toys, it will be put off until they are ready.
Weekly Puppy activities
Days 0-7
During the first week of life puppies are extremely fragile. Dogs are an altricial species, meaning that they are born underdeveloped and are unable to care for themselves therefore they are completely dependent on the care that their mother and humans provide.
Puppies are born with their eyes and ears closed so they are functionally blind and deaf. They can not eliminate on their own, have limited movement, and can not regulate their body temperature. They are constantly at risk of dying from dehydration, hypothermia or overheating therefore we keep a very close watch on them during the first week.
At this stage in their life they basically eat and sleep. Fun fact – puppies normally sleep 22 hours a day during this first week.
Our normal activities for the first week include:
- Weighing puppies twice a day and supplementing feedings if needed
- Starting Early Neurological Stimulation (ENS) when puppies are 3 days old. Studies show that ENS helps prepare puppies to deal with stress in their lives and forms stable dogs. If you want to learn more about ENS watch The Morning Routine video on our Harman Corgis YouTube channel.
- Bedding is changed multiple times a day if needed and I wash my hands every time before handling a puppy.
In 2023 I made a series of videos to give buyers a behind the scenes snapshot of our program. The following video is from our A Puppy’s Journey video series on our Harman Corgis YouTube channel. You can follow along with these weekly videos to see that your puppy is doing this week.
Days 8-14
During the second week of life, puppies are still vulnerable to infections so I continue to keep them and mom isolated from other dogs and people. We keep mom calm and happy and she in turn keeps the babies full, clean and happy.
Their eyes and ears are still sealed and they are still unable to regulate their body temperature but they are normally much stronger than they were the week before.
Most of the time if we lose a puppy it will be in the first week but since they are still at risk, I normally hold off on taking pictures, making videos and promising puppies until they are at least 2 weeks old.
Our normal activities for this week include:
- We continue to weighing puppies twice a day and supplementing feedings if needed.
- ENS is continued and ESI (Early Scent Introduction) is started. Puppies at this still can not hear or see but they can smell and use their sense of smell to locate mom.
We introduce them to a new smell each day. Smells normally include things that they may encounter later in life such as grass, wood, feathers, cat hair, horse hair, etc. If they like the scent they will move towards it to investigate it more. If they dislike the scent, they will turn their head away from it. Research shows that ESI helps with brain development.
- Their eyes normally open between days 12-18.
- Each puppy is held daily and handling exercises begin after their eyes open. We keep the whelping area covered to protect their sensitive eyes from direct light.
Days 15-21
This is the week when the fun begins. It is a big week with eyes and ears opening and muscles develop so that they can begin to toddle around.
Our normal activities for this week include:
- Finishing up ENS and ESI on day 16.
- Their eyes are normally open by day 18 and their ears normally unseal a few days later. To protect their developing eyes, we continue to keep their area fairly dark. Once they can hear, we gradually introduce low volume sounds using baby soothers.
- By the end of this week their little legs are strong enough for them to toddle around.
- Large stuffed animals with different textures, hanging toys, rattle toys and crinkle toys are added to their area for them to explore textures and sounds as their senses develop.
- Handling exercises continue. They are held daily and by the end of the week they will come to the edge of their area to interact with us. They are gently and slowly pet on their heads and down their back. Their ears, mouth, paws, and belly are touched to start desensitizing them to touch. The work that we do now will lead to dogs who like to be pet, will not mind having their nails trimmed and will not have problems with veterinary exams if their new owners continue these exercises.
- Nail trims begin on Sunday. We set them up for this by touching their paws daily. Daily paw rubbing and weekly nail trims starting at this age will result in dogs who do not mind having their nails trimmed. We start the process but you need to continue these simple exercises to ensure that your puppy turns into a dog who does not mind having their nails trimmed.
- A bed is added by the end of the week so that they learn that there is a place to sleep and a place to go to the bathroom. They quickly learn to keep their sleeping area clean.
Days 22-28
The brain of a puppy at this age is like a sponge and they soak up all of the experiences that we give them. This ability to soak up and remember these experiences continues on until the puppy is around 14 weeks old. During this time we can profoundly influence how puppies feel and think with very little effort and one experience can have a lifelong impact. For example, meeting a man with a hat can establish “I like men with hats” or taking a ride in a car can establish “I like rides in cars”.
Once they age past the 14 week old threshold, what could be achieved in one exposure at 3 weeks of age might take months to achieve and by the time a dog is one year old it might take multiple exposures for extended periods of time. We will talk later about what you can do with your puppy once they are with you and I will give you the tools to be successful but at this age, it is my responsibility to exposure your puppy to as many new experiences and things as possible to set them up for a successful life in the human world.
Puppies begin to mouth everything during this time period. It is one of the main ways that they learn about their environment and their littermates at this age.
At this age they have no fear response and we use this to our advantage. Just like humans, dogs naturally startle at things that surprise them then they naturally recover from the startle. We call this startle and recovery. So during this short period of time when they have no fear response, we intentionally and very carefully startle them and watch them quickly recover. By doing these exercises with them at precisely the right time, the startle and recovery process gets hardwired into their brains which lays the foundation for a rapid bounce back to things that will startle them later in life. The end goal is to create a dog that may get startled by something, like trash truck picking up a dumpster, but will quickly recover and not go hide and tremble from fear.
Our normal activities for this week include:
- At this age puppies will be using all of their senses to learn about the world around them. They are normally toddling around well and like to explore their world. I use this to my advantage and expose them to new tactile objects, new toys, and new sounds daily. They are ready to get out of the whelping crate to explore the world so I move them into a pen with a modified crate with a bed and litterbox.
They learn quickly that crates are good places to sleep, and that there is a specific area where they should go to the bathroom.
- Teeth start to erupt around this time so they are started on puppy mousse then transitioned to puppy mush with probiotics. They start out as messy eaters and often are covered in food after eating.
- Sound desensitizing continues as we introduce them to a new genre of music daily and they are exposed to at least one new sound recording of everyday sounds that they might hear. If you have a sound that is unique to your area (like church bells ringing or the sounds of a marching band), please let me know and I will incorporate it into the routine.
- Daily handling exercises continue which includes ear rubs, covering their eyes, checking teeth, neck rubs, gentle petting, tummy rubs, paw rubs and nail tapping to decrease sensitivity. Nail trims are done on Sunday again.
- Startle activities like hand claps or bowls being dropped are continued until fear is noted.
Days 29-35
Research shows that there is a definite difference between animals raised in an enriched environment and those raised in a stark laboratory environment. The brains of animals raised in an enriched environment are bigger, they learn faster and are more emotionally stable as adults. These are traits that we want our dogs to exhibit so we provide our puppies with an enriched environment.
So what does an enriched environment look like? It is an environment where they will explore different textures and surfaces, have toys to play with, experience new sounds and be exposed to at least one novel item a day. They will learn about ramps, tunnels, stairs, water and that items have edges. It will include brain work like getting over a barrier, going through a maze, find it and learning basic manners like sitting before eating or when they meet people.
This enriched environment will fuel the brain as it grows resulting in dogs who are confident and are either unfazed by new things or who recover rapidly after being startled by something new.
By the time that a puppy is 4 weeks old they develop a true fear response. The last thing that we want is for a puppy to get scared when playing or experiencing something new therefore we carefully monitor each puppy.
So what is a fear period? Fear periods are normally seen in puppies around 5 and 8 weeks of age but can occur at any time after 3 weeks of age. Some puppies never experience the fear period while others may go through one or two. When a puppy goes through a fear period it will suddenly be scared of something that it did or played with yesterday. This period normally lasts for around 3 days. My job at this point is to reassure the puppy and help them work through the fear. I never force them to do anything or play with any toys that they are scared of.
Remember that each litter and every puppy works at a different pace so we are constantly monitoring developmental factors and watch for signs of fear.
Our normal activities for this week include:
- We introduce the “Puppy Call” when it is time to eat. They quickly learn to associate it with food. We will use this call to work on recall later. You will hear me call “Puppy, Puppy, Puppy” in my videos. That is the puppy call.
- Puppies get their first collar (a small colored Velcro collar) this week along with their first vaccination & worming (Neopar & pyrantel).
- When they are ready, I move them to a larger pen. Mom is still with them because she is still teaching them important lessons on how to be a dog, but she is allowed to come and go as she pleases.
- We continue working on potty training with a litter box and they are sleeping in a crate with the doors open.
- They are very curious at this age so we use this curiosity to investigate new items in their environment and new toys each day. They are now using of all their senses including smell, hearing, touch, sight and taste when exploring and playing.
All of this stimulation causes their brain to work which is as tiring as the physical exercise that they get. Since they are still sleeping around 20 hours a day, we work/play several times a day and make sure to give the puppies lots of time to sleep too. Research shows that a nap after a learning session helps solidify what they just learned.
There is group play, where the entire litter plays and investigates together and individual time each day. Individual time still includes our daily handling exercises but now it also includes individually working on things like manners, learning to take a treat (Cheese), and starting clicker or marker training. They quickly learn that they get rewarded with a treat when they sit or do what is asked of them. The moment that they sit, we tell them “YES” and reward them with a tiny piece of cheddar cheese. This is called “marker” or “clicker” training. We have replaced the clicker with the word YES because you may not always have your clicker with you but you can always mark the wanted behavior with the word YES.
We continue sound desensitizing by exposing them to new music and sounds daily. Classical music is added for nap time. Studies show that relaxing forms of classical music calm dogs so we incorporate this into their day.
- We start working on our bedtime routine which includes a specific set of lullabies this week too. This routine signals them that it is time to calm down and go to bed. We will share this routine with you later to help make the transition in their new homes easier.
- Nail trims still happen every Sunday but now we add in gentle brushing too.
Days 36-42
Between weeks 4 and 12 puppies deposit images of what is “normal” in their brains and form their social group. If a puppy meets a cat, cats become part of the social group. If a puppy meets a man with a beard, men with beards become part of the social group.
So for 8 weeks we have the opportunity to fill their database by introducing them to as many different animals and different looking people as possible. Once a puppy’s social group is created, if they see a man with a beard, their brain will recognize that as part of their social group and not a scary intruder.
So for the rest of their time with me, I will introduce them to as many animals and people as I can. I dress up with hats, masks, boots, wigs and different clothes so that when they come in contact with people wearing these items they will be recognized as normal, not scary.
I will send home some tips for easy ways that you can continue adding to your puppy’s social database while safely socializing your puppy with other animals and people. One easy way is to take them to stores like Home Depot or Lowes that allow dogs. There they will see people of different ethnicities, different body forms and children which will continue building their social group. I will provide you with more information on how to do this later.
Our normal activities for this week include:
- We introduce soft soft puppy kibble with probiotics and vitamins this week.
- They are sleeping in crates with the doors open and mom is still around but we start the weaning process this week.
- We continue working on using a litterbox by removing washable pee pads as they get better with the litter box
- They come when called and are learning basic manners of manding or sitting when they want to be pet instead of jumping on people and sitting when they are fed.
- We continue daily handling exercises but also add in long petting sessions where they lay in our laps. We begin to work on bite inhibition if they start mouthing or biting. Since they love to be pet, we can use petting to train them to stop mouthing or biting. We simply stop petting and they quickly learn that they do not get pet if they bite.
- They experience new toys, playing in new areas, and interactive daily. They are introduced to at least one novel thing each day.
- We continue sound desensitizing by exposing them to new music, sounds and classical music daily.
- They begin their introduction to the sounds of household appliances including refrigerators, microwaves, washers, dryers, blenders, dishwashers, and vacuum cleaners.
- Sunday is still the day of the week that we get nail trims but daily brushing is added this week.
Days 43-49
This is a big week for the puppies. They move from tiny baby activities to big puppy activities. The first big item on the agenda will be going through a vet check and receiving their first puppy vaccination in the required set of 4.
By this week, their muscles have developed and they have graduated to playing in a large open area with human baby toys, climbing structures and will start going outside for short periods of time weather permitting.
This is the week when they start eating from their own bowl away from the others. We will gradually begin feeding them in new locations so that they learn to eat anywhere. This is also around the time that they will do anything to get our attention. This is the age when bad habits can form so we work hard on forming positive behaviors. By now the puppies are able to think about what they can do to get our attention including flinging themselves against their pen, jumping up and down, whining, barking or simply sitting down. As hard as it is to do, we build upon the basic manner training that they have started and wait for them to sit. The moment that we see their bottom nearing the floor we say “YES” and pick them up. This continues on with the marker training that they started last week. Eventually they will have it figured out that in order to get pet, they must sit (not jump) and be patient.
The basis for this training is marker training. I have replaced the clicker with the word “YES” and the reward is either a small treat (cheese) or a pet.
Around this time they ready their maximum curiosity with minimal fear. We take advantage of this stage as they work through problem solving activities like barrier challenges, things that move, different textures and animated toys that move.
Our normal activities for this week include:
- Puppies are weaned by this week but mom is still close by. They are eating moist kibble with probiotics and vitamins from their own bowls.
- They are normally vet checked when they are around 6 to 6.5 weeks old, get their first DAPPV vaccination, are dewormed again and microchipped.
- Puppies are normally getting very good at using their litterbox by this age
- They come when called with the “Puppy Call” and have learned basic manners
- We start outside exposure and adventure walks when the weather is good
- We continue daily handling exercises
- They experience new toys with different textures and sounds daily. They also experience interactive children’s toys that light up, sing and move.
- We continue sound desensitizing by exposing them to new music, sounds and movies daily
- They work through challenges and continue to work on good manners and solidify the concept of marker training.
- New experiences this week include wind, moving objects and a water only bath to expose them to water
- I normally take pictures at the end of the week and contact buyers about availability for puppy picking zoom meetings.
- Basic grooming sessions including nail trims on Sunday again
Days 50-56
This is the most hectic week for both myself and the puppies. The puppies will be temperament tested this week when they are around 50-53 days old. They are tested using the APET test which is a modified Volhard test in a new location with a person that they do not know. I then write up the results so that you will have this information during your zoom session. Visit our Temperament Testing page to learn more. I will finish photos and we pick puppies through our private zoom meetings very soon.
Once everyone has picked their puppy, I will start on paperwork. I normally set one day aside and try to get it all done on one day so be watching for an email on this later.
The puppies will continue to experiencing new items this week including water, new places, bite management, and things that move. With all of the activities that are packed into this week, they still need their sleep (still 18-20 hours a day) so on days that we have zoom meetings I make sure that they have plenty of rest time. I like to spread out zoom meetings throughout the day so that they are not sleepy and you get to see them in their fully active mode.
Our normal activities for this week include:
- Temperament testing occurs this week and they get their pictures taken.
- They learn to wear a harness and explore numerous chew items to help soothe their teething gums.
- By now they are eating moist kibble with probiotics and vitamins in separate bowls. If resource guarding is observed, it is addressed.
- We continue to work on recall and basic manners
- Puppies go outside for play sessions and adventure walks. We use their willingness to follow humans and other animals to our advantage.
- Daily handling exercises and the introduction of new novel toys continues.
- Sound desensitizing continues with exposure to new sounds that they may experience in their lives, new genres of music and movies.
- They play in new areas with new toys and textures focusing on things that move, balance, water exposure and bite management.
- Nail trims, brushing and water baths on Sunday.
Days 57-until they go to their new homes
This week is spend getting everything ready for the puppies to go home. I will be getting their paperwork and go home bags together. Take a look at our What Your Harman Corgi Puppy Will Come With video to see what will be in the bag.
Our normal activities for this week include:
- The puppies continue exploring a variety of challenging and interactive toys. They need multiple chew items by this age to help with teething so they try out a variety of chew items, Licki mats, and stuffed Kongs or Chilly Penguins this week. You can find these items on our Recommended Corgi products page.
- They are eating kibble with a splash of water, probiotics and vitamins.
- They are sleeping in crates with the doors open and are doing great with their litter box training.
- We continue to work on recall and basic manners.
- We continue going outside for play sessions and adventure walks. They still follow us like ducklings following their mother so we use this to our advantage. They have developed a strong recall when called with the puppy call. They learn to interact with other animals like bigger dogs and cats.
- We continue daily handling exercises and grooming experiences.
- Sound desensitizing continues with exposure to new sounds that they may experience in their lives, new genres of music and movies
- We prepare them for their trip to their new home with car rides and stroller rides.
- We continue to add new experiences and play areas with new toys to develop balance and confidence including mazes, tunnels, adventure cubes, water and moving toys
- Nail trims on Sunday.
