Sixteen Weeks and some Puppy Chaos!

Just when you think things might start calming down… puppies have a funny way of reminding you that chaos is never too far away.

Miss Cleo recently managed to injure herself in the most classic puppy fashion. While swapping dogs around one afternoon she managed to slip and get her foot caught, resulting in a broken toe. A quick trip to the vet, x-rays and a bandage later confirmed that while it certainly looked dramatic, the good news is that it doesn’t require surgery.

For the next few weeks she’ll be sporting a rather fashionable bandage and enjoying what the vet politely referred to as “reduced activity.” Anyone who has ever tried explaining the concept of “taking it easy” to a young German Shepherd will understand that this is going to be the real challenge.

In much more exciting news, Cleo has also officially found her forever home.

She stayed here a little longer than the others simply because I hadn’t yet found the home that felt right for her. But thanks to the incredible German Shepherd community, the perfect match eventually came along and I couldn’t be happier for both Cleo and her new family. Watching these puppies go to homes that truly understand the breed is always the goal, and knowing she has landed exactly where she belongs makes the extra weeks here completely worthwhile.

For now though, Cleo will still be hanging out with us for a few more weeks while her toe heals before she heads off to start her next chapter.

Meanwhile life here has moved firmly into what I can only describe as the puppy chaos stage.

At sixteen weeks the puppies are busy discovering the world properly. Socialisation is now a constant part of their routine, outings to Bunnings, trips to cafés, visits to parks, training environments, new surfaces, new sounds and new people. The goal is exposure without overwhelm, helping them grow into confident dogs who can navigate the world calmly and thoughtfully. We don’t allow people to just come up and pat them, we are all for advocating for our puppies, we are happy to stop and talk to people about them, but they do not need to be overwhelmed by a slew of people leaning down and patting them. This journey is all about trust between puppy and handler. 

There is a lot of play, a lot of learning and plenty of expectation setting… while still allowing them to be puppies.

This stage can also be one of the more challenging ones. With multiple puppies still here we are very mindful of avoiding littermate syndrome, which means plenty of individual training opportunities, separate outings and time spent building independence. Each puppy needs to learn how to think for themselves, engage with people and develop confidence without relying on their siblings.

That means separate walks, separate training sessions, individual socialisation experiences and plenty of structured downtime. It is a lot of work behind the scenes, but those early foundations make a huge difference to the dogs they eventually become.

Of course, anyone who has raised a working breed knows that sixteen weeks is only the beginning. Not too far down the road lies the wonderfully entertaining phase known as the teenage months, when puppies suddenly discover selective hearing, test every boundary you thought you had established and seem to develop an endless supply of confidence and opinions. It is the stage where their bodies grow faster than their brains and all the early structure, training and consistency really start to matter.

And of course, life wouldn’t be complete without a little bit of show ring excitement.

Kuna recently attended her very first dog show and received some lovely compliments, which was incredibly nice to hear. She is still very much a baby and currently navigating that awkward, gangly puppy stage where legs seem a little too long and coordination is still catching up with ambition.

But underneath all of that she is developing into a really lovely young dog and I am very excited to watch her continue to grow and mature over the coming months.

For now though, the focus remains on raising confident, capable young dogs… and trying to keep up with the delightful chaos that comes with life at sixteen weeks.