There are weeks when life on the homestead feels like a whirlwind, and then there are weeks like this one.
After the emotions and uncertainty of last week’s puppy arrivals, everything has finally begun to settle into a comfortable rhythm.
Luni has embraced motherhood beautifully, and all nine puppies are growing stronger every single day.
Puppy Clinic Becomes Part of Our Daily Routine
Every day includes a routine Puppy Clinic.
Each puppy is weighed to monitor healthy growth before completing their daily Early Neurological Stimulation (ENS) and Early Scent Introduction (ESI) exercises.
ENS is a series of carefully timed exercises performed during the first few weeks of life while a puppy’s nervous system is developing rapidly. Research suggests these gentle exercises can help improve resilience, stress tolerance and confidence later in life.
Alongside this, we use ESI by introducing one carefully selected scent each day. These early scent experiences encourage curiosity and help stimulate developing brains during an important learning window.
These small moments only take a few minutes each day, but they form an important part of how we raise every puppy here at Wildhorse Homestead.
Meet the Foundation Litter
We’re excited to finally introduce everyone.
1. Bullet
2. Evie
3. Thor
4. Zelda
5. Freya
6. Casper
7. Loki
8. Cleo
9. Nix
Already we’re beginning to see little personalities emerge, and it’s exciting to imagine the guardians they’ll eventually become.
A Cosier Nursery
This week also saw an unexpected nursery upgrade.
An old pop-up camping tent has found a second life as a cosy den around the whelping area, giving Luni a quieter, more enclosed space while still allowing us easy access for puppy care.
Combined with nine handmade velcro identification collars, life has become much easier for both us and the puppies.
Our First Wildhorse Woodworx Bird Feeder Heads West
One of this week’s biggest milestones happened beyond the puppy pen.
Our first Wildhorse Woodworx Triple Bottle Bird Feeder sold through Madeit Australia and has begun its journey to Western Australia.
Australia is recognised as one of the world’s richest bird habitats, with nearly half of our bird species found nowhere else on Earth.
Knowing one of our handcrafted feeders will soon help support and enjoy local birdlife is something we’re incredibly proud of.
A Traditional South African Potjie
With puppy duties never far away, we spent one afternoon cooking one of De Wet’s favourite traditions—a plant-based South African potjie.
Unlike a typical Australian camp oven stew, a potjie isn’t stirred while it cooks. It’s turned. Diligently, every 30 mins.
The carefully layered ingredients slowly cook over hot coals inside a cast-iron pot, allowing each layer to develop its own flavours while gently blending together over several hours.
Slow food in every sense of the word.
Small Harvests Are Still Worth Celebrating
The Atherton raspberries have finally ripened.
The harvest is still small, but every berry feels like a reward after months of patience.
Koko also received a new toy while continuing her indoor recovery, and Josie remains our most reliable morning visitor, appearing every breakfast without fail.
Sometimes Progress Is Quiet
Looking back over the week, it wasn’t the big milestones that stood out.
It was the tiny ones.
Healthy weight gains.
Peaceful naps.
Red raspberries.
A handmade bird feeder beginning its journey across Australia.
They’re gentle reminders that meaningful progress often happens slowly, one ordinary day at a time.
We’d Love to Hear From You
Have you ever raised puppies or worked with guardian dogs?
Or perhaps you have a favourite Australian bird that visits your backyard.
Leave us a comment below—we genuinely enjoy hearing your stories and sharing this journey with you.
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