Pre-conception, Pregnancy, and Australian Labradoodle puppies

We have a handful of litters a year. Keeping a small, boutique-style program gives us time to develop each puppy and get to know them well. A small program also holds space for unexpected complications and resources if we have a puppy that benefits from extra support.

Biologically appropriate Diet

Healthy puppies begin with healthy parents. We build strong puppy bodies before they are conceived by focusing on a nutrient-dense, whole-food diet for our mamas.

We believe that an appropriate dog diet is minimally processed, high in moisture, and low to moderate in carbohydrates. All Novalie Australian Labradoodles get human-grade fresh food every single day.

Our puppies are weaned to kibble just before going home. We are happy to discuss continued meal options and plans that work best for each puppy’s new home.

Methods we follow

We use a combination of various curriculums including Puppy Culture Protocols, Badass Breeder, and Avidog. Our puppies start out in our newborn nursery and transition to our toddler room when they are ready to transition to a weaning pen.

At seven weeks of age, we perform assessments and evaluations on each puppy. We use these assessments to determine the best potential home for each Novalie Australian Labradoodle.

The Newborn Nursery

We keep our baby puppies close.

For the first few days after birth, we give the mom and puppies a lot of privacy to rest, bond, and nurse. On day 3 we begin shaping the neurological development of our neonates. Often this means we use ENS (Early Neurological Stimulation,) if the individual puppy/litter is a good candidate. Other times the focus is tactile stimulation.

As our babies grow, we introduce soft toys and objects into the whelping box. Once they begin toddling, we give them a nest bed and introduce a potty station (just off the bed.)

The Toddler Room

Our toddler room gives convenient access to our fenced-in yard. We keep a potty station in our main activity pen and slowly add in outdoor potty trips (weather permitting) as the puppies grow.

Our morning activities include:

• Structured play time with items such as tunnels and ball pits
• Audio, to gently expose the puppies to various sounds
• Enrichment exercises
• A daily ten-step handling exercise

The puppies spend most mornings in the toddler room. This is also where we tuck them in for the night with calm classical music playing. We progress toward exploring other environments such as the backyard, activity room, and daily adventure walks.

In the afternoon we work one-on-one with each puppy. Observing the puppies away from the litter allows us to know each personality and make additional notes for their puppy profile.

Our focused attention during this time includes:

• Cuddles and additional handling exercises
• Grooming
• Supervised house exploration
• Marker training

Manners, introduction to expectations, and early training

Our biggest goal for socializing is to establish trust. Puppies need to learn to trust people, themselves, and the world around them.

First, we focus on diversifying our pup’s positive experience, then we introduce expectations.

We begin marker training with a clicker as well as a verbal “yes.”

With early training, our three primary goals are:

Introduce expectations and enhance mental stimulation

Build confidence

Deepen connection

It’s important to remember that each puppy develops in their own time.

Our puppy training practice sessions are short and sweet and emphasize familiarity and comfort with equipment (such as halters and collars.)

Our puppies learn to sleep in a crate and go home with a basic schedule that includes wake times, meals, potty breaks, and naps.

Our Family

We are a family of seven with a lot of love to give! Our home is nestled in the woods atop beautiful Lookout Mountain, Ga. We are half an hour from Chattanooga, Tennessee, and two hours from Atlanta, Nashville, and Knoxville.