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Puppy Updates
We know how exciting it is to follow along with the journey of our litters, so we’ve created this special Puppy Updates page just for you!
Here, you’ll find weekly milestone updates, adorable photos and videos, and exciting firsts—from tiny wobbly steps to playful puppy wrestling and their first taste of food.
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Not on social media? No problem! This page keeps you connected, so you won’t miss a moment.
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Feel free to comment! We love hearing from our SDG Goldens family as these puppies grow.
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Check back often! We update regularly with all the latest puppy adventures.
Thank you for being part of our SDG Goldens family! We can’t wait for you to watch these little ones grow!
Inside the Puppy Pen – Day 45
There is nothing simple about what is happening here. At this age, social play is one of the most important forms of learning. When they chase, wrestle, tumble, and mouth one another, they are building skills that cannot be taught in isolation. This is where bite inhibition is refined. When one puppy bites too hard, the other responds. That feedback matters. They learn pressure control, timing, and boundaries in a way humans cannot replicate as effectively. They are also lear
Sarah Cochran
Feb 11
Inside the Puppy Pen - Day 44
Today, we added the puppy swing to the pen, and I love what it brings to their development. On the surface, it looks simple: a fun new toy, something different, but there’s more happening than meets the eye. The swing introduces a large moving object into their world. That movement matters. Puppies learn confidence through exposure, and controlled novelty is one of the safest ways to build that confidence. A gently swaying surface also challenges their balance and engages the
Sarah Cochran
Feb 11
Inside the Puppy Pen, Day 42
Today was Puppy Party day. At six weeks old, we host a structured Puppy Party as part of our Puppy Culture program. It is one of my favorite milestone days because it blends intentional exposure, thoughtful observation, and a whole lot of wagging tails. We set up four obstacle stations: • A teeter totter • A bridge • A tunnel • A wobble board Each station offers a brand new experience. Moving surfaces. Slight elevation. Shifting balance. Narrow spaces. Nothing forced. Nothing
Sarah Cochran
Feb 11
Inside the Puppy Pen - Day 40
Today was bath day! But really… bath day started several days ago. We don’t just introduce a brand-new, overwhelming experience all at once. Instead, we layer it. Over the past few days the puppies have: • Spent time in the bathroom • Heard the water running • Experienced the sights and smells of the space • Felt gentle handling around their faces, feet, and bodies • Watched littermates explore the area calmly Each piece is small on its own, but together, they build confidenc
Sarah Cochran
Feb 11
Inside the Puppy Pen- Day 37
Today we played the box game, and it is one of those simple looking activities that actually does a lot of heavy lifting behind the scenes. The box game can be done with a shallow box or a shallow pan. Today, we used a metal aluminum pan. The point is not the object itself. The point is that it is something new. At first, most puppies simply sniff it, touch it with their nose, or paw at it. Sometimes they will place one paw in, sometimes two. That first session is usually ver
Sarah Cochran
Feb 11
Inside the Puppy Pen: Day 36
Today, we worked on ramping up the clicker. At this stage, the clicker is not about asking for behaviors or shaping responses yet. Right now, it has one simple job: to teach the puppies that the sound of the click always predicts something good. Every click is followed immediately by a reward. No exceptions. No pressure. No excitement. Just consistency. For this session, I chose to use a raw dog food as the reward. Although we do not feed a raw diet long term, I do intentiona
Sarah Cochran
Feb 11
Inside the Puppy Pen – Day 33
Day 33 in the puppy pen and things are getting really fun around here. I caught a little bit of playtime today with Patsy and Loretta coming in to check out the puppies and explore the puppy area with them. I’m pretty convinced at this point that Patsy might be the puppies’ favorite visitor outside of people. She gets right down on their level, rolls onto her back, and is completely happy to let them climb all over her. The puppies absolutely love it. The puppies themselves a
Sarah Cochran
Feb 11
Inside the Puppy Pen | Day 30
Today the puppies reached an exciting milestone with their very first meal of mush. First meals are often a messy affair, with puppies diving in, walking through bowls, and wearing more food than they eat. Today was a little different. This group approached the experience gently, and overall, they ate surprisingly cleanly for a first meal. Each puppy explored the bowl at their own pace, lapping thoughtfully and staying mostly focused on the food rather than the chaos that som
Sarah Cochran
Feb 11
Inside the puppy pen - Day 26.
Today we introduced the potty tray using alfalfa pellets. We like to start with alfalfa because the natural scent instinctively draws puppies to it, making it much easier for them to understand where they should potty. It tends to be a very intuitive learning step for them. They caught on almost immediately and are already choosing the potty tray on their own, which is always so rewarding to see. You can also really see their development picking up. Play is increasing, toys a
Sarah Cochran
Feb 11
Patsy snuck into the puppy pen again
Patsy snuck into the puppy pen again—but this time, it’s exactly what we want to see. These puppies are playful. At three and a half weeks old, their play is just very gentle and still developing. Their movements aren’t fully coordinated yet, so interactions are slower, softer, and more exploratory than what we’d see in older puppies. Mama is completely comfortable with Patsy being in the pen, and that calm acceptance sets the tone. When the dam is relaxed, the puppies feel s
Sarah Cochran
Feb 11
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