Breeding Programme
A strict, planned breeding programme that produces only the puppies we need, timed so the pups grow up confident, friendly and ready for the trail.
Our breeding programme is strict. We breed only the number of dogs we need, timing litters for late summer or early autumn so the pups can move outside while it is still warm and the kennel is quiet. That gives maximum time for training and lets them grow big and strong before winter arrives.
- Litters timed for late summer / early autumn so pups acclimatise before winter
- Females first bred at around three years, max 2 litters per dog with a year between
- Pups born indoors on a heated floor and kept inside until at least 4-5 weeks old
- Early stress tests and handling from around 3 weeks build confident, friendly adults
- Puppy food up to 5 times a day, dropping to 3 at five months and 2 at seven months
Timing the litters
By the time clients arrive the pups are the perfect age for play, though by the season's tail end they are often walking the clients rather than the other way around. By the end of their first winter they are open, friendly adults who meet new people and experiences head on.
Females are first bred at around three years, often later, with a maximum of 2 litters per mum and at least a year between pregnancies.
Birth and the first weeks
As her time approaches, the dam moves indoors and gives birth on our tiled, underfloor-heated bathroom floor. The pups stay inside on a soft bed until at least 4 or 5 weeks old. We weigh them regularly to confirm healthy development, and from around three weeks add tiny stress tests, so alongside cuddles they get used to lying on their backs and having paws and nails checked.
Building confidence outdoors
By four to five weeks they are handling well, seeing clearly and taking supplemental food, so puppy runs begin. They run free and return for treats to a 'tsh tsh tsh' sound, the same one we use at every feed. The runs build muscle and confidence, then come toys, bicycles and quad bikes.
Acclimatising and starting training
The outside cage is introduced through play in weeks five and six, with at least one feed a day inside it. The pups then move out gradually, first by the house during the day, then permanently into our puppy Hilton or roofed and floored cages at the start of a week of good weather.
In the kindergarten they are fed individually, introduced to collars and little chains, and asked to sit before food, the start of their training. Once a day they walk loose behind us through the forest.
Good to know
- Puppy feeds
- Up to 5x/day, then 3x at ~5 months, 2x at ~7 months
Ready when you are
Real wilderness, 200+ huskies, eighteen winters in.