Puppy Raising

Where are the Puppies born?

Our puppies are always born in our home. Never outdoors or elsewhere. When a bitch is due her litter we choose the area dependent on the individual bitch, either between a fenced off area of our living room or in a more private room. I am there to assist where needed throughout labor, during the birthing we individually take notes, weigh and assign a collar colour to each puppy. I stay with our puppies day and night until they are a minimum of three weeks old. I sleep beside (or in!) the whelping box where I can keep a close eye and allow for lots of early human interaction! We weigh our puppies every 12 hours for the first week, and providing all is going well, weigh them once a day for the two weeks which follow. From three weeks onwards we weigh them a minimum of once a week to ensure everyone is growing well and to keep data charts! The weekly weights of every puppy we have bred is available on their individual litter page (click Previous Litters above to find our litters.)

Our dogs, especially the Mudi, live indoors with us whether they have puppies or not. Our dogs are not kept kenneled and live together happily, our lives revolve around our dogs. Our Mudi sleep in our bed every night and have strong bonds with us. While we do love the opportunity and experience of raising puppies, our dogs are first and foremost our family and are treated as such. 

What is ENS? Why is it done? 

We utilise both ENS and ESI in our programs:

ENS: Early Neurological Stimulation

ESI: Early Scent Introduction

Both of these programs happen between days 3-16. The idea behind ENS is to stimulate the neurological system, for the purpose of helping enhance the puppies coping mechanisms and resilience in later life. ENS was originally used by the military before being made popular in 1990’s. Five observed benefits in adulthood from puppies raised using ENS are as follows: Improved cardio vascular performance (heart rate), stronger heart beats, stronger adrenal glands, more tolerance to stress, greater resistance to disease. ENS consists of five short exercises. I will soon link to a video of the exercises here.

ESI is the early introduction of new scents. For this, we find one new scent for the puppies to experience between days 3-16. This can be anything from fresh cut apples, old work gloves, used obedience dumbbells, cat hair or flowers. The puppies are only individually exposed to the scents for 5 seconds, in which time their reaction will be noted as either Positive, Neutral or Negative. Positive is when the puppy actively tries to move towards the scent, neutral is if the puppy does not acknowledge the scent, and negative is when the puppy turns their head away from the scent.

Neither ENS or ESI are used to replace the daily handling and cuddles the puppies have to give them many good, early, positive experiences with people.

3 weeks: Meet the Family!

Once our puppies turn 3 weeks, if they haven't already, they begin to meet our other dogs, both big and small! We are fortunate that our adult dogs are not only tolerant, but most quite enjoy the opportunity to meet and offer play to the new puppies of our family. This is a great opportunity to let the puppies see and interact with dogs in a safe environment early on.

From 3 weeks, our puppies are also taken to different rooms in our home and allowed to explore at their own pace. They become used to our household noises, such as the hoover, closing doors and pans dropping. We also play desensitizing noises from the TV and radio to begin preparing the puppies for the sounds they will hear throughout their life.

Pouch Puppies!!

One of the best socialisation tools a breeder or owner can have! My puppies all have their turns in the Puppy Pouch starting from 3 weeks for adventures around the house, advancing to going outside to explore from the safety of the pouch before their vaccinations! By 7 weeks when the puppies see me put the pouch on they begin getting excited hoping they will be the chosen one. Even after the puppies are fully vaccinated the pouch is a great way to be able to let them join me on longer hikes where they cannot necessarily walk the entire way, or to take them to events where they can taken in the environment without being thrown in at the deep end.

4 weeks: Bigger World

Once our puppies are 4 weeks we have expanded their area further. Usually they have a good concept of litter training at this age, allowing us to leave interactive toys such as the wobbleboard and balance cushion in the pen with them, along with cosy beds to sleep in of course!

During the day our puppies are given access to our living room and we aim to continue to introduce at least one new thing each day. New things can range from opening bin bags, erecting umbrellas, kids toys etc.

At 4 weeks some of our family and friends will begin to visit the puppies as their first interactions with strangers.

Weaning: What Do They Eat?

We begin to introduce food to our puppies from 3 weeks or earlier if they show an interest in their mothers food. We start with making Puppy Mush, using warm water and cold pressed Tribal Puppy to make a easy to eat mixture. Within a few days we will add in raw meat, starting with Tripe, followed by finely minced Chicken and Beef.

We find it important to expose our puppies to as many flavours, textures and different types of food as possible. For this reason we regularly rotate our food, we do this to reduce the frequency of fussy eating in adulthood. Within our rotation is Dry food, Cold pressed, Wet and Raw. Raw Rotation consists of: Tripe, Beef, Chicken, Turkey, Rabbit, Lamb, Salmon, other Fish. Occasionally when available to us, there will be additional proteins. At a later stage, when we begin to utilise enrichment feeding toys, we will introduce the puppies to yoghurt, carrots, blueberries and other creative foods.

5 weeks: Outdoor Explore

The world keeps getting bigger! If the weather is warm and dry, we will introduce the puppies to the outdoors at 5 weeks! This is done in a secure area and in short bursts. We live in the countryside with a lot of activity from tractors, machinery and livestock, all of which offer fantastic exposure opportunities. We let the mother dog show the puppies around the area and we have different surfaces such as grass, mud, paving, sand and stones for them to walk over.  Before long the puppies will be excitedly waiting at the back door to get outside and explore some more!

If there has not been a need beforehand, puppies will receive their first shampoo inclusive baths at 5 weeks! 

Puppies are also given their first formal collars around 5 weeks to get them used to wearing a collar. For some litters where puppies are similar they will have worn a soft collar from 0-5 weeks to tell them apart, but for the litters where the differences between puppies was clear this would be their first experience of a collar.

Enrichment Feeding Toys 

In our house, our adults and puppies alike love to utilise enrichment feeding toys! We especially during the Summer love to given Frozen Kongs to keep everyone cool. We use a mixture of different fillings for our Kongs, primarily minced raw and wet food.

We do scatter feeding using Snufflemats indoors or the grass outdoors to encourage the puppies to use their noses.

We use Lickimats to introduce even more new foods and textures such as Yoghurt, Peanut butter and honey. We also use it to feed wet food to the puppies who otherwise try to eat too fast.

Few things make our dogs happier than fresh Raw Bones from the butcher! It does not take the puppies long to learn and fall in love with bone delivery day!

Our dogs and puppies also love Dehydrated Treats. We typically first introduce dehydrated treats at the same time as crate training, around 7 weeks.

6 weeks: Daily 1x1's

From 6 weeks on we call it the Mini Dog Stage! By 6 weeks the puppies have often shown us their different little personalities and traits.

Once puppies show an active interest in treats, we begin daily 1x1 work! For this, we take the puppy into a separate room to their littermates. We then work on a few basic tricks, the general idea being to teach the puppies to learn alongside people and begin the foundations for handler focus and training. Especially in the beginning we keep the sessions short and highly rewarding to keep the puppies engaged.

Meeting New Animals

Our puppies from the age of 4 weeks begin to meet our other animals! This includes cats, rabbits, goats and sheep! They are also introduced to poultry and other animals while we visit friends at a slightly older age.

Komondor puppies are freely exposed to the livestock from a young age and are expected to not show any desire to chase. 

The Sheep / Goats are kept fenced away from the Mudi puppies. They are free to greet and show an interest to them through the fencing, but it is only at an older age in which they will meet without fences.

Toy Drive & Food Drive 

With our Mudi puppies we love to see and encourage their want of their toys! From 3 weeks we are changing out the toys in the whelping area daily, using different sounds and textures. As the puppies grow we begin to introduce the idea of moving toys, letting them catch easily. As they grow the games change, we begin playing fetch and encouraging the puppies to bring the toys back to continue the game. We encourage games of tug and once decided, discuss with new owners to see if there are some specific games they would like introduced.

Specific games sometimes include those such as the introduction of the formal dumbbell for obedience, or furthering the scentwork introductions.

We use our 1x1's (which we start at 6 weeks) to build the food drive of our puppies using an assortment of tasty treats. We normally time our daily 1x1's to do them before the puppies main dinner.

We do not build toy drive with our Komondor puppies. They are provided with toys and chews but we do not encourage high arousal with a guardian breed. 

We do build a positive handler association with treats and introduce them to foundation commands such as sit, down, stand, stay and turn.

7 weeks: Future Preparation

From 7 weeks, we will begin working on more formal crate training with the puppies. Up until this point they had been encouraged to enter the crates while the door remained open. When we begin closing the door, we will have our usual fun activities before and give the puppy a tasty treat to encourage them to have a positive association with the crate! We keep it brief to begin with, and gradually over a few weeks work on them being crated overnight. With litters we work on a rotation for crate training at night, where different puppies will spend one night crated, one night loose in the puppy room and repeat, always mixing up who goes where so they do not assume where they will sleep or which littermates are together.

New Experiences: Walks, Shows, House Visits

Prior to 8 weeks, before the puppies have received their vaccinations we will utilise the Pouch and carrying to show them the world. We will take the puppies for short drives while we run errands and to family and friends houses where we know the area is clean and free of unvaccinated or ill dogs.

Socialisation does not end when the puppies touch 8 weeks! Once our puppies are fully vaccinated we widen our area of exposure to show them as much of the world as possible. We take them with us to dog events, forest walks, beaches, pet expos and all else to help them grow into happy, confident adults. We meet with friends who have other dogs who are happy to interact with puppies and our puppies even go for overnight stays with family and friends. Frequently when we are travelling to dog events we will camp which is always such a great opportunity for puppies to learn the fun of leaving home and to settle even in often strange environments!

 8 weeks: Part of the Family!

By 8 weeks our puppies are used to our daily routine and enjoy free daily access to our other dogs. They join us on walks in the field both with the other Mudi and with the Komondor and when we come home, they nap in the living room alongside us all! We provide higher spaces and blockades so our older dogs can get away from the puppies anytime they would like to. This allows everyone to live in harmony.

By 8 weeks the puppies have a good concept of House Training and go to the door when they need outside. We do still leave a puppy pad down at the door encase of any accidents! In the warmer months we will frequently leave our back door open so the puppies have free access to the back garden throughout the day if they need to go outside. 

If all has been well up to this point, our puppies will have their first official vet visit at 8 weeks to receive the Microchip, first vaccines and full health check. We have a great relationship with our vets and they always be sure to give our puppies a great, positive first experience in the clinic with patience, cuddles and treats! Puppies who are still with us at 10 weeks will return to the same vet for their second vaccines.

Puppy Placements 

One of the hardest jobs we have as a breeder is finding the perfect home for each puppy. Even in one litter there can be a range in temperament and structure of puppies. 

As a rule, we never sell puppies based on colour. We strictly place puppies based on their temperaments / strengths and which home we feel would best suit them. Official, final placements are typically done around 6-7 weeks, giving us amble time to get to know each puppy as individuals. At the time of placement we tell the potential new owner about the puppy, their temperament, and why we feel they would be a good match. 

We have puppies living worldwide, from Ireland, UK, USA, Sweden, Norway, Spain, France, Singapore, plus many other European and other countries! We are so happy to be trusted by many to help them find and raise their new family member.

We welcome all new owners to come to our home to collect their puppy and to meet our adult dogs. If this is not possible, we are also instead able to assist with transport plans!

When our puppies are required to stay longer to wait for Passports / travel restrictions we continue to raise them as if they were our own. 

All of our puppies will leave with a Puppy Pack. Included in the Puppy Pack is a blanket and a toy with their mum and littermates scents, a collar in their litter colour, a bag of changeover food, vaccine booklet and contract.

UK Puppies

Puppies travelling to homes in the UK are able to leave us at 9 weeks. They will have received their first vaccination, microchip, vet check and be ready to set off into the world! We are also able to keep puppies longer if requested. Owners can come to meet us and our dogs using the Ferries from Cairnryan - Larne or Liverpool - Belfast. Arrangements can be made to meet at the port if needed. Other collection / delivery options can be discussed.

European Puppies

Puppies can travel from Ireland to Europe from 15-16 weeks. Puppies will receive their Rabies Vaccine at 12 weeks and at this time the European Passport will begin to be prepared. Each country has its own requirements a dog must meet and new owners are responsible for letting us know of anything specific their puppy may need to enter the country. If you are unsure on anything, please let us know and we will investigate it before the time comes for the puppy to travel!

Puppies can fly from Dublin airport on select airlines in cabin alongside their owners. They can also be flown in cargo when required. In either case in the weeks coming up to the travel we adjust the puppy to their travel box and encourage them to enter eagerly. We have had great success with puppies flying both in cabin and cargo, with them arriving in their new country happy and ready to explore.

Ground transport is also possible!

For puppies needing to stay until 16 weeks we are happy to keep them here in our home and continue with their raising and socialisation! For those puppies who stay this extra time we continue the house training, crate training, lead training and take them with us to events and days out to see the world. We continue the individual 1x1 training sessions and will talk with owners on further specifics.

USA Puppies

CDC RULE CHANGE - 6 months.

Puppies to USA has became more difficult as of August 2024, but still not impossible. Puppies must now be at minimum 6 months before travelling and will now all require full documentation (Passport, rabies, fit to fly certificate).

In the right circumstances, we are willing to continue to work with USA owners. We will keep a watch on how and if the rules change again!

Our dogs are first and foremost our family. Our lives revolve around them and they are involved in all aspects of it. We take the continued enrichment and exposure / socialisation very seriously, for us temperament is of huge importance. Especially with the Mudi our aim is to have a versatile dog, who is ready to try anything but still able to settle in the home. We want a dog who is environmentally sound and offlead reliable in all situations, and this we have already achieved in multiple dogs in our own home. Whether it is a day in the mountains, at the beach or in the forest, or a day of busy dog shows, loud venues, shopping and pubs, we want a dog who is happy and comfortable.

We attend Ringcraft and training classes with our dogs throughout their life, we attend shows both in Ireland and further afield both to compete and to support our puppy owners and friends. We partake in multiple Pet Expos and breed education events throughout the year and have done so now for 9 years. We take part in as many activities as possible and always aim to find what an individual dog enjoys best, whether that is agility, hoopers, obedience, herding, nosework or other. We welcome anyone who would like to to come and meet our dogs during events or at our home to do so! We have had visitors to our home from around the world and we so much enjoy sharing the love of our dogs with others. We aim to be transparent and set up both our puppies and their future owners for success, whether that is as a pet, sports dog or show dog.

All we have achieved so far would not have been possible without those who believed in us and supported our program, whether by purchasing a puppy or by recommending us, and for that we say a huge thank you!! We endeavor to continue to preserve the Mudi, following the standard of the home country (Hungary) and working with other breeders to bring out the very best in these versatile dogs. We will continue to find the best studs for our girls and travelling to meet dogs around the world. Most of our dogs are imported directly from Hungary with one from USA, with genetic diversity being a big part of our aims.

A few photos below of our own dogs!