O-litter (Joy) - Barbets aus dem Waldviertel

Early on the morning of August 28, 2026, Joy gave birth to 10 puppies in 3 hours and 11 minutes. The birth went like a dream, and Joy is a mother with a strong maternal instinct—this is her first litter, so it’s always a surprise.

All Puppies are spoken for!

5th Week of Life

Things are really getting busy now! The whelping box has moved from the kitchen to the dedicated puppy room, where the puppies have direct access to the outdoors. This means that most of their urination and defecation now takes place outside.

They play, romp around and even start barking. We have lots of visitors coming for some serious “puppy cuddling” – both their future owners and friends. This allows the puppies to become accustomed to a wide variety of people, young and old.

Our daily adventures in the courtyard have also begun. From the nest swing and wobble board to the seesaw and little steps, everything helps develop their coordination, balance and motor skills.

They have now passed the 2 kg milestone, and their first teeth are beginning to appear.

We are also establishing a nighttime routine: one last trip outside before bedtime, followed by a good night’s sleep and another trip outdoors first thing in the morning. Temperatures in the early morning are already quite chilly, usually below 3°C, but as long as the puppies are moving around, this is no problem.

And finally, this week marks the introduction of solid food alongside their mother’s milk.

4th Week of Life

The puppies are now playing with each other and with toys. They are beginning to explore beyond the whelping box, venturing into the adjoining puppy pen as well as out into the kitchen. They also enjoyed their first outing outdoors, where they had the opportunity to meet all the other dogs.

Their nails were trimmed, and they received their deworming treatment. We also introduced a little box filled with wood chips, which will later serve as their indoor toilet area.

3rd Week of Life

During this transitional week, the puppies’ vision and hearing continue to improve, and their wobbly little steps become more confident with each passing day. As clippers are an essential grooming tool for the Barbet, the puppies are introduced to the sound and sight of the clippers every day from this week onwards. Of course, they are also exposed to the vacuum cleaner and other everyday household appliances.

Second Week of Life

So much has happened again during the second week of life with our little puppies. One by one, their eyes have opened, and they have taken their first tentative steps – still a little wobbly and unsteady, but becoming a little more confident every day.
This week, Early Neurological Stimulation (ENS) was also continued on a daily basis. The puppies are developing beautifully and have now tripled their birth weight, with some even surpassing the 1 kg mark.
Gracy continues to lovingly support us as a foster mother and, together with their own mother, takes wonderful care of all those hungry little mouths.

ENS

From day 3 on we start with daily ENS training. Early Neurological Stimulation (ENS) is a program of five, 5-second exercises applied to puppies from day 3 to 16 of life to enhance performance and stress tolerance. Developed by the US military (Bio Sensor program), it aims to improve cardiovascular, adrenal, and immune systems. Techniques include tactile stimulation, holding head up/down, supine position, and thermal stimulation.

1st week of life

All the puppies have developed wonderfully, and by the end of their first week of life, they had already doubled their birth weight. Joy is a wonderful, relaxed mother, and Gracy is once again a calm and helpful foster mother. The puppies have also already been introduced to cats.