Every Day Matters
The journey of raising exceptional puppies begins well before the first puppy is born. It starts with understanding pregnancy, preparing for whelping, and providing the knowledge, planning, and care that allow both the bitch and her puppies to thrive. From determining the due date to guiding puppies through their final weeks before joining new families, every stage presents opportunities to influence a puppy’s health, behavior, and lifelong success.
Successful preservation breeders know that outstanding puppies are never the result of luck. They are the product of careful observation, informed decision-making, meticulous husbandry, and an unwavering commitment to continuous learning. Every decision—from preparing the whelping environment and recognizing the first signs of labor, to providing neonatal care, introducing proper nutrition, implementing socialization, and selecting the right homes—helps shape the future of each puppy.
The first twelve weeks of life are among the most important developmental periods a dog will ever experience. During this time, puppies undergo extraordinary physical, neurological, behavioral, and social development. Experiences during these weeks lay the foundation for confidence, resilience, learning ability, and emotional stability throughout adulthood.
This series of modules is designed to guide you through every step of that journey. Combining current veterinary knowledge, developmental science, and the practical experience of successful preservation breeders, each lesson builds upon the previous one to create a complete roadmap for raising healthy, well-adjusted Bedlington Terrier puppies.
Whether your goal is to produce beloved companions, accomplished performance dogs, successful show dogs, or the next generation of preservation breeding stock, excellence begins with exceptional puppy raising.
As preservation breeders, we are entrusted with more than producing puppies—we are preserving the health, temperament, structure, and purpose of the Bedlington Terrier for generations to come. Every litter represents the future of our breed, and every puppy deserves the very best beginning.
Journey Through the Raising Puppies Series
(Click on Module to view)
Module 1 — Determining the Due Date
Learn how to accurately estimate the expected whelping date using breeding records, ovulation timing, progesterone testing, ultrasound, and radiography to prepare for a successful delivery.
Module 2 — The Final Week Before Whelping
Prepare the bitch and her environment for delivery through proper nutrition, disease prevention, observation, and careful preparation while recognizing the signs that labor is approaching.
Module 3 — Temperature Monitoring
Understand the hormonal changes preceding labor, learn how to monitor body temperature correctly, and interpret temperature trends as one tool for predicting the onset of labor.
Module 4 — Normal Labor
Follow each stage of normal canine parturition, recognize expected events during delivery, understand when intervention is appropriate, and know when veterinary assistance is required.
Module 5 — The First 24 Hours
Learn the critical priorities immediately after birth, including neonatal assessment, nursing, colostrum intake, thermoregulation, maternal care, identification, and record keeping.
Module 6 — Birth Through Two Weeks
Master neonatal care through the first two weeks, including growth monitoring, weight gain, sanitation, developmental milestones, and early health surveillance.
Module 7 — Puppies Two to Four Weeks
Explore the transitional period as puppies begin to see, hear, walk, interact with littermates, and experience their expanding world while beginning early enrichment.
Module 8 — Weaning (Four to Eight Weeks)
Learn successful weaning techniques, nutritional management, environmental enrichment, early training, and continued physical and behavioral development.
Module 9 — Socialization (Three to Twelve Weeks)
Discover the science behind the critical socialization period and learn how structured exposure, confidence-building experiences, Early Neurological Stimulation (ENS), Early Scent Introduction (ESI), and positive human interaction help develop resilient, adaptable puppies.
Module 10 — Preventive Care
Develop a comprehensive preventive health program including parasite control, vaccination planning, biosecurity, sanitation, routine veterinary care, and health monitoring.
Module 11 — Preparing for New Homes
Prepare puppies and their new families through careful evaluations, matching puppies to appropriate homes, health documentation, contracts, education, and lifelong breeder support.
Module 12 — Puppies Eight to Twelve Weeks
Understand the important developmental changes that occur after puppies leave for their new homes, how breeders can support new owners during this transition, and why continued guidance during this period is essential for lifelong success.