Singular Sensation!

I’m Single!
I’m looking for love, because I’m all alone. Please keep me company.

Ha ha ha, now that would be an odd conversation starter-if I were referring to me, can’t imagine ever announcing that in public like you see in the online dater ads, Oy! J 

When it comes to a pup, whole different story!!! Please join me in welcoming this little one pictured at left, to the world! I had a singleton pup born a couple days ago and very happy to talk to the world about it. It is a first for me. Even though she can’t see or hear yet, I think she must feel alone. No littermates to snuggle with or roll around with. Luckily my first experience with this is with a fantastic, relaxed 4 year old but first time Mama in my Aussie-Maze & a pack who is dying to meet her! And, I like to go shopping. I expect that I will learn some new things, raising this little one.

I’ve raised several singleton orphans in the past. That is a lot harder, to not only feed, stimulate to “go” and stimulate their senses, but be able to replicate what they need in bite inhibition, play & body language, social connections, etc. A few were orphan Pitbull pups, one I named William who had such a  hard mouth & high arousal reaction to play, I used a Wolfy looking hand puppet to “play” and “bite” back, or “walk” away in disgust at too hard biting, to simulate a littermate. He seemed to grow up just fine! And got adopted, and went on to Puppy Kindergarten, Dogparks in NYC, etc. Tosca was another Pit Puppy like William I raised, she too did just fine.

If I can do that with a breed that in NYC the pups were often castoffs of litters with little or no thought to them, often ill and filled with worms and such-and sometimes from dogs who were specifically bred to display high arousal, towards other dogs…I think a healthy, well loved, well raised, with adding just the right amount of stress in environment-Aussie pup, should be a piece of cake!

If you are reading this because you have found yourself with a Singleton pup-first off, if it is the right time of day, have a big glass of wine and take a deep breath. You can Google almost any topic to the point where you might reach hysteria and worry! Especially if you have been up for hours, and trying to plan your next step with a wee pup. It can get us all, if we think too much and don’t work with our hearts instead.

A wee singleton needs several things from us, that they won’t get from being with little ones their age. The primary thing is hope for the future & to completely and utterly fall in love with them and want to hang out with them. If we see any chance for them to be less than perfect later, we are copping out on the work we need to do, to help them grow up to reach their full potential. There are immediate considerations and future ones, but their present care is the most important accomplishment.

I have the beauty of other dogs who always help raise my pups in a pack anyway, they interact with puppies as much as the puppies interact with eachother-but if you don’t have other appropriate dogs to help raise them-maybe this pup may need a bit more in Puppy Kindergarten or such, but we create what we pour our hearts into. So, as I am sitting here thinking of this pup who has stolen my heart, I can think of eventualities, but need to focus on the present.

The first day this pup was born, I was exhausted and scared. I felt somehow I had failed me. Not other people-although I dislike disappointing people, but me. But, Nature always has a plan! Within seconds of her birth, she crawled to her mama’s belly & was nursing-Maze hadn’t even gotten the sac off yet. At that point I didn’t know she would be alone, but her delivery was normal, she was a normal size-just a fluke in a first time litter. I named her Perfect, because she is and Treasa (thanks to RB & LA) which in Gaelic means Strong-because she is!!! So, Perfect-Treasa (or Perfect-T as I will be referring to her at times) has two names, to keep her company as she grows.

Of course after any litter is born, but especially with a singleton, checking with your vet is a good idea, check for cleft palates, make sure the mama does not have any retained pups, etc. In my Google-search mania I read all kinds of scary about singleton huge pups that needed c-sections, swimmers from being allowed to nurse too much, all kinds of stuff. In some breeds this may be a reality. My experience with a singleton so far, is that in reality it is really less than scary-just needs a bit more of a plan.

I have specifically chosen natural breeds and for natural whelpers-a pet peeve of mine is those who will breed on dogs who should be able to deliver naturally but always need a C-section for whatever reason. I believe you reduce natural vigor that way. My Mama dogs are physically fit and active until the moment they deliver, and right back out there as soon as I let them be. Maze wanted to run with the group, less than 24 hours after delivery-so she did. I have never done a c-section. If I needed to have one performed for an emergency, I would-but if a dog needed a c-section to have pups, I would not breed that dog again, or repeat that breeding if the type of cross or breed, which has created the natural delivery issue. My choice. 

In a singleton where they may have truly grown large with the extra room in utero and so required a c-section to be born, both Mama dog and pup begin their journey with stress-helping reduce that to a calm hum as quickly as possible, would be my goal.

So here are some of my suggestions for raising and caring for a singleton. I will be updating on behavioral stuff, as well. 

Primary concerns are:

    1.    Heat

    2.    Safe environment

    3.    Physical enrichment

    4.    Behavioral enrichment

    5.    Helping them thrive!

1: HEAT-Primary for a singleton is to have a consistent heat source-one that is soft & fluffy is even more Perfect. A chilled puppy will fret, not nurse well, not gain weight and potentially die (yes that is a reality). The Mama will tend to snuggle with them, or while they nurse-but the points at which they are alone, they MUST have a place that is close to their body temperature, to help them thrive. My house is on the cooler side-I don’t like an overly hot house. But, when it comes to pups, I want to make sure they are warm. A thermometer in the sleeping area, at floor level is going to tell you what the temp is. Different guidelines, depending on time of year etc…so ask your vet what is the ideal temp, for your breed. I usually try to keep a warm area at 70-80F for newborns, but with a source like a heat pad, that is warmer for them to seek out, if they want to. They can’t regulate their own temps until over 4 weeks and even then are susceptible. A pup cannot shiver at first, to tell you they are cold, if they are huddled up, crying/fretting-they are cold.

Flip side, a pup that is too warm will sleep completely stretched out and may fret, mouth may be open in trying to pant-but they can’t really do that to cool themselves yet-but not all will be able to or know to move away from heat. With heat, always provide an area that they can crawl away from it, and the Mama can lay in to nurse, without being too hot.

Since I use a large baby pool (because they are so easy to keep clean & move around), I think of it as the moon in partial eclipse-one side very warm, the other less so. A pup that is comfortably warm, will nurse, move around, find a place to sleep and settle quickly. A restless pup, may be too cold or too hot.

My old trustworthy heat mat died-I forgot, and my last litter almost two years ago was during summer-so much less worry for chilled pups. Late Fall/Winter is whole different thing in New England. So, after some research I ordered a fancy Lectro heat mat, with rheostat, but it has not arrived yet from Amazon (although during the time I was writing, it did and on a holiday to boot–Yay for Aamazon!!!)

With a first litter I always figure a several day window for delivery of pups average before and after 62/63 days-Maze decided to err on the side of the early part of the window….my mistake not ordering new heat pad sooner-life has been a bit crazy, so I needed to improvise for a heat source.

I have a heat lamp. Heat lamps work, but are I think extremely dangerous to leave unattended-I only feel safe using one while I am home, or gone briefly. Heated pads are great too, especially the soft ones with a flannel or Sherpa cover-but the type for humans, all now have an auto shutoff after two hours, so not good for pups.

I found a great heated throw blanket with a rheostat at Target, with a longer auto-shutoff period. I tested the temperature and it is great! Not meant for pups, but it will work for a temporary period of time, with supervision. For now with a pup who is not likely to chew cords and I am folding it in a way that she won’t get wrapped up in it, this is our nighttime extra heat source-because the heat lamp will be shining in my eyes otherwise…yes I’m a bit selfish about needing to sleep. 

If I had a Mama dog that was doing tons of nesting and digging in bedding I would probably not use this option. For us, for now, it is Perfect. But, after just a day of use, since I sit in the baby pool with the Mama dog usually the first few weeks-but will even more to touch and bump the singleton with toys…notice that the fabric is already getting snags-which if were on my lap would be worse with cats or dogs hopping on and off to snuggle in the chair with me. L Back to Target it will go.

Option # 3-I also have a disc that looks like a fat pink Frisbee, that you microwave-great for crates in the car during winter, etc. I wrapped that in a flannel pillowcase, while I shopped for the throw-pup seems to love crawling up onto it. I also have one of these gigantic Velcro pouch Duck toys-so put it in there, she also seemed to like to cuddle up to that. Depending on room temperature, the disc may only stay warm for 4-6 hours or so. It is a temporary heat source-if I needed to take a pup to the Vet (I use a visiting vet) it would work great for that. Guess I could Google that to see what the manufacturer says.

I would not use a hot water bottle-they cool quickly which will rob a pup of their body heat...so far as the Lectro is warming up to test it on the counter, it gets the cat paw of approval!

So, HEAT is even more important for a singleton-they can’t cuddle up to a littermate for shared warmth. We need to make sure they have heat source options! Our new Elector mat is heating up with a cat & two pounds of rice to test it out. I feel relieved that this arrived-my worry about a newborn puppy staying warm, is a big one for me-especially a singleton.

2: SAFE ENVIRONMENT-A singleton is more vulnerable. My Mama dogs like to be with their pups, but to also have access to hang out with the rest of the group, if they choose to. So, I do create a safe haven in another room with a series of gates, but they can let me know when they want out. Until my pups are a little bit older, no other dogs are allowed in there. In some cases a Mama dog may also briefly decide the cats are not allowed in that room for the first few days. Not allowing other dogs near, will feel safer to your Mama dog-especially with one baby. Smaller litters may trigger more protective behavior in some Mamas.

Last year...he looks so much older now <3 td="">

My ancient 18+ year old Siamese mix is used to having a litterbox in the room I have set Maze and pup up in. If you change a pathway from point A to B, especially for an older cat, you can have litterbox or stress issues. Cats see a room like an art thief suspended from a ceiling cable, they see the lines on the floor, created by the invisible eyes that when interrupted, will trigger a security system. When the invisible line is interrupted for a cat, not all can reset quickly to take a different path-they are creatures of habit, so what I found is in setting up my safe haven for my Mama Dog, I realized it was affecting my cats. My first clue was they were not sleeping on my bed like usual…I am a super sleuth when it comes to my critter’s behavioral changes.

I didn’t see Maze “do” anything, but My poor old Mouche threw up several times the first day and also seemed confused of where he should “go”. Cats seek out soft surfaces to pee on when stressed, so if you see that in a feline member of your household-keep in mind what in their world has changed, or the path they normally would take along a wall or in a room, and try to solve it quickly.

So, I had to adjust things there too. Poor old kitty was confused, all solved in less than 24 hours-2 extra boxes readily accessible. But, I also think the Mama Dog has a right to her privacy, even moreso with a singleton. She must know they are more vulnerable. Maze is not being overly protective, just vigilant..which is good with a Jack Russell in the house! Racy loves puppies, but at this age this pup could easily be confused for prey. So, my suggestion, always think of the Mama’s comfort and her possible concerns for her pup-give her a stress free, safe environment, so that she is not producing stress hormones and passing those in her milk and behavior, to her pup.

3. PHYSICAL ENRICHMENT: Most of us who really love our dogs, are going to handle our pups regularly-it is the miracle of life, to hold that little one and feel their heartbeat! Or to pick them up and kiss their noses, and feel that they “recognize” you.

Early Neurological Stimulation (ENS) was developed for kennel raised pups, to help their brains grow in the early weeks. It is a series of positions that we breeders very briefly-for a count of a few seconds-will hold, touch or place a pup on a different surfaces (I have several I use like slate tile, metal cookie sheet, glass pyrex pie plate, feet to a cold window…etc) to provide physical enrichment to a pup. Before a pup’s eyes and ears open at on my average of 15-16 days (21 is the norm) their sense of touch & smell are their strongest senses.

ENS focuses on touch primarily. I also focus on their sense of smell-providing a variety of scents. Like this morning after I let out the big dogs, Perfect-Treasa “helped” me brush my teeth and got to smell minty fresh breath, “met” one of the other kitties as her little nose wriggled, and also “helped” make the bed. She was jostled a bit as the comforter was pulled up, got to smell some potpourri and all before breakfast! J As their eyes & ears open, we expand to a range of visual & audio variety-all to help them grow into great little dogs!

Also, while respecting the Mama Dog and if she seems worried would wait on this, I begin to “introduce” baby pups to my other dogs from day two and on. I hold the pup cupped in my hands to protect them, and let the adults meet the pup nose to nose over a baby gate while praising the big dogs for being so welcoming, and to sniff their bodies-all of which provides physical enrichment for a wee baby. Perfect~T got to “meet” her Great Grandma Reve first. Scream! could not stop wagging and wanting to kiss her nose, very funny. Some of the other girls who really respect Maze, thought she was a bit of an alien-so expect as she grows, they will want to meet her. Some like them better this small, and not when they start to step on their feet or bite them, the others who think they’ re aliens with now might switch and become the buddy once they are truly mobile-always interesting to see what they do.

Physical enrichment for a singleton also involves replicating littermates…so I was “forced” to go shopping for new cute, soft toys of different sizes and textures. I love the baby department for toys that have noises, and extra stuff on them-not good for serious chewers, but perfect for a baby pup. So, starting on day one, I rolled Perfect off of a nipple gently with one of the stuffed animals-only a couple times, nothing big. In a bigger litter, a pup would get jostled while nursing and learn to work through frustration. A singleton doesn’t have any competition. So, in order to help set the stage for a pup learning to keep trying, but not be overly frustrated-this is one thing we will do these first several weeks.

Perfect-Treasa’s “littermates” also vary-and when I change bedding they roll around her, over her, flip her over gently, she crawls over them, etc. All to replicate the physical sensation of having other wee  ones her size.

Undoubtedly, this little girl pup is going to have so much handling, she will be very sensitized to the love that human touch means, and desensitized to being moved around, and learning to be a little dog with my pack. When I pick her up, to cup her in my hands and kiss her head, she already settles in my hands. I hold them up in the air, in front of my face as part of handling-the trust it creates in pups is immense.

4. BEHAVIORAL ENRICHMENT: I think this is the part that raises the “scary” with a singleton, whether someone has never raised one before, or from onlookers or thise with opinions. A breeder may be asking themselves-will I fail? Will this pup be “normal”? How do I do this??  My advice, think of this singleton puppy as an opportunity for you to learn and try not to focus on the what-ifs. Think of what you can achieve in raising this pup and see their future! Your puppy is perfect and you will both be just fine! You may just need to approach their raising with a bit more intent, than you would if they had littermates. I know I will be, but always with my eye on what I know will be wonderful, not less than perfect.

Baby Scream! and bro Ghost-Bodhi

I’m not worried! I know I can do this, maybe others might question wanting a singleton, that is disappointing…at least if in regards to me, with knowing me and my track record/abilities to raise pups. You may find you get a couple of singleton “expert” comments to that effect-some people don’t know what else to say, don’t take it to heart.

While, others will join in with you and see just how special this pup will be-a singleton puppy will get your undivided attention for one, what’s better than that? In past litters when I have had a pup who is smaller than the rest, like with Vivi-Maze’s younger sister and in one BC litter with C’ura, I had a few callous, self-involved people say things like “well I wouldn’t consider “that” one because there could be something “wrong” with them, because of xyz”…my response is “WHOA!” To me all of my pups are Perfect!!! A singleton may just take bit more effort from us to reach complete perfection, it is not impossible.

When you raise pups, there is always the chance that something will go wrong-whether a singleton or a larger litter. Yes, if a pup has a liver shunt, or something else pops up healthwise, that could be an issue. But, to make baseless assumptions about a smaller pup or a singleton is a bit insulting. I try not to take it personally-but have had enough conversations with people who feel they need a “sure thing” (usually a competitive sports home) not realizing that their “need” is not as important to me, as is the pup and my love and concern for them. Sorry, I love them too much, especially already this little singleton girl Perfect-T, or my tiny Vivi and C’ura, to not see their potential for perfection and want a home for them, that sees them the same way….if I can force myself to let them go.

Okay enough on the Mama Bear…but with a singleton (or smaller pup-I dislike the stigma word “runt”), you are their champion! Try not to let the naysayers get to you…they will always be there, my advice is to just ignore them. The best behavioral advice I can give is to love this singleton pup implicitly, with your entire heart and being! Surround yourself with people who will look forward to new photos and updates on your singleton pup, and agree with you that all will be okay. You will find that some rude “sensible” people feel the need to remind you of all that can go “wrong” with a singleton. Well, there are lots of things that can go wrong with more than one pup in a litter, too. 

Be mindful of reality and be practical about raising a singleton, but don’t dwell in the negatives-my advice is to stick with the people that will love the pup and see how special they are, along with you. They may give you good ideas and positive advice, or ask some sensible or logistical questions to help them understand too-but they will never question that a singleton isn’t just as perfect, as one who has littermates. I say Ha! to the rudeez….go with your heart & love your puppy as you raise them, you will both be fine!!!

For the practical behavioral implications-at a few days before their eyes open, most pups will start to roll around and mouth each other a bit. At three weeks the official developmental social period of awareness begins. At four to five weeks+ up, displays of body language begin-this is where crucial learning occurs with other canines and humans. Offering and reading body language, play/mock-fighting, biting eachother and such, all play a big part in a pup growing up. So, how do we recreate that?

With a singleton the challenge will be to provide interactions that teach them about being a little dog, while also doing the usual gradual exposure to new people, as they hit 4-5 weeks. If I had a safe access to “borrow” another puppy I would and just might. I contemplated contacting a few rescues to offer to help an orphan pup or maybe even a kitten. I am still contemplating that. The risk of illness is scary to me, I’ve done too much foster care, to not be aware of the health risks.

I will continue using toys to help initially recreate other “puppies”-but a smart puppy will know the difference pretty quickly! For me, I will be relying on my other dogs to help. Once my pup is over 6 weeks, I may seek out “safe” young pups for her to meet and interact with-but yet again the health risks involved. Lots to think about. What I do believe will be crucial, is a good puppy kindergarten as soon as any pup is able, but maybe more so for a singleton, or for those who don’t other dogs to help raise them. It may be hard at first for some pups, I expect that Perfect-T will already have learned a lot here.

As she grows, I will be adding to this section as I expose her to new dogs and possibly new puppies. That will be the biggest challenge. Having another litter due or knowing someone with a litter due, would be a blessing.

5.HELPING THEM THRIVE! To help her Thrive, well all that will be, is just loving her to pieces! I will be weighing her daily to make sure she is gaining, without becoming too chubby-which is where swimmers can come in. She pushes up onto her front and is motoring around pretty well already. I might try a puppy harness FitBit…if I think she needs monitoring of calories vs exercise. J I will make sure that the surfaces she is on, give her the ability to get a good grip and be able to maneuver well on her own.

I normally do a lot of early body awareness stuff with pups. I want them to learn early, that they have four feet-most puppies only know their two front feet-because they can’t “see” their hind feet. Letting them climb, crawl into tight spaces, under things, over things-climb low tree trunks & such-all add to a pups’ body awareness. If it is warm enough, as soon as she is fully mobile-we will be taking short walks along the woods, so she can experience all kinds of textures and climbable things. I think with a singleton, expanding their universe to incorporate lots of experiences as soon as they’re ready, will help prepare them for the future.

As newborns, I have at least three different textures in the baby pool with pups. For a singleton, I may create a few “bumpier” ones for Perfect-T to navigate and lend to more early body awareness. I see this pup learning the skateboard and riding a small, low wobble board very early on. I will also bring in my PVC ladder & put down ground bar cavalettis-for her to crawl in and over, as we go along.

Making sure a singleton does well, also counts on the Mama dog. After delivery I would normally increase food for the dam-with milk production and feeding a crew, a Mama dog usually needs extra fat & calories to keep from getting too skinny. They always need plenty of water. With a singleton my thought is to support Maze nutritionally a bit more, but actually keep feeding levels where they are. I don’t want her to be creating too much milk, and risk mastitis-as one pup won’t be able to consume it all. 

I am watching to see that Maze is also choosing to naturally lay on opposite sides, so in nursing, the pup is choosing different nipples. There is always a heavier milk supply towards the hips-the more dominant pups in a litter normally nurse there. So, I am moving the pup around myself, to help equalize nursing location and “usage” too. She has such a strong latch, when utilizing a “littermate” to push her off, I am at first having to almost pull her off-good strong puppy!! So, keeping an eye on the mama dog and her health and well-being during this time, is as important for the future of a singleton, as is keeping an eye on the pup.

I will plan for Perfect-T’s future as a special edition, not question it. I will also keep taking lots of photos and video and document her progress…because that is part of the joy of raising pups. Because she is a singular sensation-she will be in the spotlight and as famous as any movie star baby…well maybe even moreso J She will be a Blog Star, for sure! I took lots of video this morning, will need to edit & upload.

If you have a singleton pup, I wish you all my love & hope for their future! When in doubt, watch movies on the Hallmark channel and avoid Google or social media, if you are worried-a lot more comes from love, than worry! If you don’t have a mentor or someone to bounce questions off of, feel free to post comments or ask questions here or email me for cyber singleton support through my website, listed on the blog homepage. Good luck!