Whelping &
Beyond
Welcome to Moonlit Danes! We specialize in breeding and raising Great Danes with excellent temperaments. We take great care to ensure that our puppies are born in a peaceful and loving environment. We have a separate whelping room that is kept quiet and comfortable, so that our puppies have the best possible start in life.
Pregnancy
We are passionate about providing the best and healthiest Great Danes for our future puppy families. Our standard of care begins before whelping, with moms receiving routine medical care including supplements, daily massages and quality food. A relaxed mom we find to be a better mom and to have healthier, happier puppies.
We also have many safety protocols in place to ensure the health and well-being of our puppies, such as having a designated whelping area and 24-hour surveillance.
Whelping
We have a private whelping room, giving the moms the safety and security of a familiar environment during the whelping process. We always have someone in the room to monitor the process and provide support should it be needed. We take weights at birth and weigh the puppies daily for the first week to ensure they are healthy and thriving.
The First Week
We specialize in breeding some of the most beautiful and well-mannered dogs you’ll find anywhere. We are committed to providing our puppies with the best start possible by beginning Early Neurological Stimulation (ENS) with our puppies at Day 3-14. This scientifically proven method helps to create well adjusted, emotionally secure, and socialized puppies.
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Along with ENS we make sure our puppies are kept in a clean, sterilized, and calm area. We do daily weights to make sure everyone is thriving, as well as loving hands which places our puppies close to our face and hearts to be sure everyone is not one thriving but adjusting to being handled in the most loving way possible.
Week Two
During the second week, we continue to provide the highest quality of care, nutrition, and enrichment. At this stage, the puppies' eyes and ears begin to develop, so we introduce them to music as a form of enrichment. We play classical music and provide them with soft toys so they can explore and interact with their environment. We believe this helps to stimulate their senses and encourages healthy mental development.
Week Three
Week three is the week of handling! We start with a simple 10 step handling process done daily with each puppy. We begin with very little pressure and build the pressure as they get older. This process is helping your puppy to become desensitized to touch. Not all puppies may love it but they will learn to be compliant. This process will ensure your puppy is well socialized, gentle and able to handle a variety of situations. Your kids, your groomer and your Vet will thank you for this early training. We are always loving and gentle when handling our puppies so that they learn to trust us and enjoy the experience.
Weeks Four & Five
At weeks 4 and 5, potty training begins and a mix of mushy food is introduced to help give mom a break. Different toys and activities are started as well as more invasive handling, such as checking ears and mouths daily. Baths are given to go along with the mush that ends up everywhere. During these weeks, more textures and different surfaces are added to the puppy's environment to help with development. Socialization and beginning to work on sitting is also started during these weeks, by the time our puppies leave they are experts on sitting when they approach and when they want to impress
Our Great Dane puppies are raised with Puppy Culture, a proven method of socialization, and potty training. Our puppies are well socialized with both people and other animals to ensure they are comfortable in their new homes. We also provide early neurological stimulation (ENS) to help puppies reach their full potential.
The Badass Breeder method is a new method that guides our pupies in a purposeful curriculum and handling process that aligns with their sensitive developmental benchmarks and in turn empowers puppies to be more confident and empowered dogs.