On October 28th, 2010 we rescued a cocker spaniel mommy and her litter of one day old pups from a high kill shelter in Los Angeles. Heidi is the mommy dog and the poor gal came into the shelter and then gave birth there. She was so sad, her tail never wagged, and she was depressed. But she was a good mommy dog while she raised her puppies. Now that she is done nursing them, she is happy and free and it is our turn to take over the puppy raising.

Princess Julie is one of six puppies that Heidi gave birth to. She is the only female of the litter and her fur is soft and wavy. We don't know who her baby daddy was but all we know is she is super cute. Julie has a lot of confidence around her litter mates and around the other adult dogs that she has been interacting with and has a great personality for a little dog. If you sit on the floor she will seek you out to climb up into your lap and start to give you kisses. She especially is drawn to gentle children and will give them free facials and lick and lick their faces and make them giggle! She and her litter mates are also getting socialized with other adult dogs here and it is crucial that anyone whom is to adopt a puppy this young, have a solid socializing plan in place that they can commit to for further dog socialization. The first six months of a puppy's life is crucial for further socializing. We have started these pups out with a really strong foundation, they have been handled by lots of people and been socialized with other dogs. But this is only the beginning and whomever adopts them really has to have the time, daily, and the commitment, to continue on with socializing, exercising, mental stimulation and training.

Also, if you have not raised a puppy before, you may not realize that it is literally a full time job. A dog this young needs to be supervised every minute. They will chew on anything they can get their teeth around, electrical cords, shoes, purses, the bottoms of your pants, furniture, pillows, cable cords. These pups have already chewed the wires connected to the sprinkler system and also started to chew the wooden door frame and got pain chippings in their mouths! Holy smokes! Talk about giving us a heart attack with all this chewing. If we can't be directly supervising them, they need to be contained in a dog proofed safe area (such as a kitchen with a kiddie gate up). Usually people whom have raised puppies before, know what work it is and don't want to go through it again. So most of the people whom are going to apply to adopt these puppies, are most likely going to be first time puppy raisers. We want to make sure you are prepared, committed and have the time to really be ready for your life turning upside down with a new puppy in the home.

If you are serious about adopting a puppy, we are going to be asking you for the following:

1) Whom in the home is available full time to raise the puppy and whom is going to take on that responsibility?

2) If you work full time, whom will be raising the puppy while you are at work?

3) What is the name and number of the dog trainer you intend to hire to get you started on a positive reinforcement training program for your new puppy? Smart adopters will have a dog trainer come out there the week before you bring your new puppy home. So she/he can help you lay out a house-training program, help you walk through your home for dog proofing and to design a puppy "area" that will give both you and the puppy the most successful experience possible. Then plan to have the dog trainer there again the day you bring your new puppy home. Get started on the right foot with a training plan and you will one day have a really fantastic, balanced and well behaved adult dog. (people who wait to get a dog trainer until months later, have the frustration of having to un-do some behavior they have unwittingly taught to their puppy)

4) Please research and find a doggie daycare place that you can use as a backup for when you don't have time for socializing the puppy for a few days, but need the puppy to get stimulation and activity. What is the name and number of the doggie daycare place you intend to use? How much do they charge a day? (is this something you can realistically add to your budget?). At what age will they allow puppies to join their daycare? Do they have a small dog section for dogs this young?

5) Puppies should be spayed/neutered between five and six months of age. If you are adopting a puppy under five months of age, there will be a $250 spay/neuter deposit. At the time of adoption, you must make a commitment to the date you will be spaying/neutering your puppy and we will then pay the $250 directly to your vet to use for the spay/neuter.

6) Are you aware of puppy vaccination schedules and are you aware that puppies whom have not completed their vaccinations are at risk to catch parvo or distemper if you take them in public? Please research this so you are prepared for "no paws on the ground" if you are adopting a young puppy. The only place you should allow a puppy to walk is in your own home and your own backyard if you are sure that no other puppies with parvo or distemper have been there. (Parvo can live in the soil for up to seven years, which is why it is so common in areas where there is a lot of dirt)

7)Are you aware that cockers and cocker mixes this young, are very very high energy dogs? That even up to the age of three years old, this breed requires a lot of exercise. A backyard is not enough for sufficient exercise. Once your puppy has completed all vaccines (usually around sixteen weeks of age), you will need to add a daily walking commitment into your lifestyle. A young cocker whom is not getting enough exercise, will turn to destruction and behavior issues, so be prepared to be pro-active and get your cocker the daily exercise that he/she needs!

Click here to check out PRINCESS JULIE'S PICTURES to check out her cutie pie face!

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