Where Your Puppy Grows
Once the puppies are old enough, they spend more and more time in the garden. How much time depends on their age and weather. Even in cold months they spend several hours off and on throughout the day in the garden. We try to have puppies only during the nicer months of the year so they can enjoy the outdoors as much as possible. We provide a safe, friendly, clean and large area for them to play in, with many different kinds of surfaces, objects, aromas and sounds for them to experience. We do not keep them in kennels, crates or pens except when we need to mow the lawn or when they are very small. We have steps that they can learn on their own how to climb, bricks that protect plants to conquer, and the usual concrete, grass and stepping stones common to most gardens for them to learn about life on. There is a small "hill" for them to explore as well. When they are old enough we take them out a few pups at a time into other parts of the garden where the adventure possibilities are almost endless. We provide as much early life experience as possible to make them more stable and sound as adults.
This is the garden area off of our bedroom where the puppies spend most of their time. The picture was taken from just outside the bedroom door. The puppies in the pens are about 4 weeks old.
This picture was taken standing just opposite the one above. Angel and Chili are roaming around the garden as they usually do when we are outside. Our grown Mudis are free to come and go with us into the house or garden.
This picture was taken from the roof early in the morning, you can see the lower garden and our 3 girls and their pups. There is a covered pavillion where we cook on the grill or relax with the fragrant flowers soon to be in bloom all around.
To the right is the small "hill" the puppies can play on, it has a fence to keep them from falling off. During the day it is shady and cool here. Our main problem is keeping the grass nice in this garden area with so many dogs walking on it takes a major effort and it is a constant struggle that we never seem to completely win. We wish for dog tolerant grass to be invented some day.
In the left picture are the steps that lead to the upper rose garden, where Fecske is standing in the above picture. The puppies do not come up here unsupervised as the plants are not protected. You might think that mature rose bushes with beasty thorns have nothing to worry about, but the puppies can chew through one in very short time, thorns and all. So the steps have a gate that allows them to only come up half way. This provides about 5 steps to a landing half way up. This gives them another area to explore, play and learn how to climb steps at the same time.
These pictures are from some of our lower garden areas. The first one is the driveway, our house sits at the top of the property with the lower area being a large open garden filled with fruit and nut trees, grape vines, veggies and of course roses. We have more than 500 breeds of roses planted throughout the property. We bring the puppies here a few at a time to explore. We play fetch in the driveway with the older Mudis almost daily and they love to run down and bark at the people and cars, but as we live on a dead end street there is not alot of activity for them to bark at. But when the opportunity arrives they happily let everyone know they live here and come back with enormous smiles on their face for a job well done. The last picture of the 3 in this series is a rose garden in progress to the left of the one above that was completed earlier this year. The puppies love to play in the lush grass that grows here.
Socialization is very important to young puppies. We ask family, neighbors and friends to come over and visit the pups as often as they can. Even visitors to our rose garden come to see the puppies. Mr. Hancke, a horticultural professional friend of ours, came into the puppy garden and immediately sat on the ground to play with the puppies, it was incredibly sweet. I ran for the camera but he got up before I could get the pic. The 4 lovely young ladies are regular puppy socializers and we pay them well with hotdogs and other goodies for their extra special care to each and every puppy. They come with their moms who also share in the puppy social events. Proper socialization is one of the most important things in a Mudis life.
Our Puppy Program, Your Puppy Program
We give our puppies a well planned, diversified life experience while they are with us for the first 8 weeks of their lives, that is as safe as can be provided. Having visitors over is not without health risks, but we feel the benefits far outweigh the risks. When you get your puppy home you need to weigh the same benefit vs. risk issues as well, these include:
-What to feed, raw/homemade or dog food, both have benefits and risks, you already know what we prefer (but it is worth mentioning again and again, raw/homemade!)
-Socialization, keep the puppy at home till all the shots are given as many vets recommend and lose the window of socialization that closes at 14-16 weeks, or take them out and let them experience the world so they become an emotionally stable adult; we feel one is far riskier than the other, we take the pups we keep for ourselves out of our property starting at 8 weeks of age, with common sense used generously (avoid dog parks which have potentially the most germs and aggressive dog risks, etc.), poor socialization affects the quality of life of the dog and owner forever, you have to choose which is more difficult to cope with, the small chance your puppy will encounter a disease or the chance your puppy will be a poorly socialized dog
-Classes for education now, later or ever, this mostly depends on what your plans are for the puppy and what you can do on your own, each situation is different as is each puppy and owner
-Veterinary care issues, all of the existing recommended shots and dewormings or a minimum plan recommended by some veterinary experts (http://www.weim.net/emberweims/Vaccine.html)
-Where the puppy will live, in the house or only outside; in a crate, a kennel or fenced garden, etc.
There are many questions to answer and many issues to decide, these are only a few. What is important to remember is that the Mudi puppy and the Mudi adult need daily exercise for mind and body, a healthy diet, a purpose in life (from active companion to competitive sport), a close and loving relationship with their owner/s and a safe, clean, friendly environment to live in.
We are here to help you and your Mudi puppy enjoy the happiest and healthiest life together you possibly can have. We are available by email and telephone almost 24 hours a day. We want to stay in close contact with our puppy owners for the lifetime of their puppy and beyond. By placing a puppy into your family, we are placing a member of our family into yours. We ask our puppy owners to treat us as a family member and send us pictures and updates of their puppy. If you have a problem with your puppy, please seek help from us or other dog professionals, not internet chat groups, please consult your vet for a health issue first and us second. We want to know, we want to help, we want to be there for you and the puppy we place with you, forever!
We wish for you to have only the highest quality Mudi companion!
Use your head before you lose your heart! Most Mudi puppies are adorable, but not all are raised equally!
Life Experiences We Provide To Our Puppies
Our puppies are exposed to the following real life and simulated experiences while they are with us:
-Sounds of life from specially produced CD's for puppy habituation which include: thunderstorms, gun shots, fireworks, babies crying, children playing, dogs barking, machinery commonly heard in the house and garden, airport noises and more
-Sounds and experiences of real life from their time in the garden, rain, birds, airplanes doing stunts in the air (we have a small airport nearby where the pilots come to train as well as paragliders), lawn mowing equipment, dogs barking all around us, laundry flapping on the lines in the breeze right over their heads, real thunderstorms, fireworks, music and more
-Odors, from their time in the house and from the Early Neurologic program, as well as their time in the garden, bar-b-que and open fire cooking, flowers, storms approaching, cut grass, clean laundry and more
-Crate exposure from birth till they leave
-Close human contact from birth
-Visitors in all ages, sizes and sexes
-Veterinary care, the vet comes to our house to vaccinate, deworm and microchip them at about 6-7 weeks of age
-We provide lots of toys, treats and bones to chew on for life enrichment
-Raw/homemade human quality food and fresh water, served in safe, clean bowls
-Clicker introduction
-A spoken phrase "puppy, puppy, puppy" and usually an individual name to call them to you (and us)
-We speak English and Hungarian to them, they are bi-lingual as are our adult dogs
-We take them into the house and lower garden areas individually and in pairs to explore and develop indivual experiences and gain confidence and exposure to more places, surfaces and common items
-We provide a safe, friendly, clean, open environment for them to explore and grow in
-We have no more than 2 litters at any time, so we can give the most attention and highest level of care possible to each and every puppy, more than this is impossible to do that without hiring help or having a very large interested family at home to help
-When possible we take them for rides in the car while we do errands
-We give them baths as needed and always bathe them just before they go to their new homes
-We give our puppy owners personal, regular contact with pictures and updates as their puppy grows, either by email or phone.
Owners and other interested people are always welcome to visit, as is anyone that would like to meet us, our dogs and see our property. In fact we encourage all prospective Mudi puppy buyers to do this with us and other kennels as well. We think the environment where a puppy is born and raised is of utmost importance to their life , well being and suitability as a companion animal for any purpose someone has. As dogs are companion animals, not livestock, they should be raised as they are intended to behave. All kennels are not equal, if you think it is important where and how your puppy lives before it comes to live with you, take the time and effort to find out what the kennel situation is before you commit to a puppy from any kennel.
