Patio Adventures

Links to photo albums and some interesting behavioral information are at the bottom of this post.

Otis

Humphrey

Our paws are getting very hairy!

Each pup had a 5 minute adventure on the patio last night.  They were all quite brave about the big new world and trotted around checking out their surroundings.

Today they will each spend a few minutes on the grooming table getting used to it.

Tomorrow we plan to load them in the van for a little and perhaps take a short drive around the neighborhood.

We've moved them yet again and now they are in the dining room area of the house where they can hear all the kitchen noises.  We've added to their area:

•  an electronic children's toy that talks and plays music if they step on the buttons
• litter box trays to aid in potty training

Your links:

Week 4 Photos

Week 5 Photos

PWDCA Canine Behavior Links -  There is a link to Dr.Dunbar's book "Before You Get Your Puppy" and a link to a Q&A which took place on a PWD email list years ago that is fabulous.  Be sure to check both of these resources out.

Minnie

Widening horizons

The pups have had new surfaces to walk on (yoga mat, concrete, laminate floor).  We quickly covered the laminate with something with more traction, because sliding on slippery surfaces is not good for developing joints.

They were exposed to new sounds (vacuum cleaner, steam cleaner, ice cubes dropping in kitchen fridge, pressure washer).

They are meeting new people.  We had 4 visits over the last few days, being careful to employ masks, hand sanitizer and 6 foot distancing to keep everyone safe.  

They spent some time on the patio on Friday when the weather was warm and dry, and are spending time in the living room each day.

Visitors on the patio

They had their first "real" meal yesterday with a raw meat/vegetable grind mixed into their formula.

There is meat and veggies in our formula tonight!

This marks the beginning of the second Awareness/Identification week when play becomes more sophisticated.  Vision is much improved.  The pups will need things to move, chew on, climb onand carry this week, helping to develop strength, agility and problem solving abilities.  We will start to spend a bit of time alone with each pup apart from the litter this week.

Divot checks out a toy.

Chunk tugs on the blanket.

TLC for Kodi and First Time "Dining Out"

First time eating formula.  Reggie chose to go wading in it.

 The Chiropractor came yesterday and adjusted both Kodi and Delta.  We are lucky we have someone in our area who will come to our house.  We take advantage of that by having the dogs adjusted proactively several times a year and always if we notice any type of discomfort.  Yesterday, Delta had a rib "out" and Kodi's pelvis was rotated and she needed quite a few other adjustments.  Hardly surprising that Kodi needed some TLC after carrying and giving birth to 8 chunky little puppies.

With a smaller Mama dog and lots of pups to feed, we started supplementing with formula a little sooner than we usually do in order to relieve a little demand on Kodi.   The pups caught on quickly and drank their formula with gusto!

Here is a link for Week 4 Photos with several added this morning.

Keeping Up

Time goes by quickly when you have puppies and a Mama dog to care for.  We are trying to make sure to make time to enjoy the pups, as they grow and change so quickly.

We expanded their area a bit yesterday, opening up one side of the whelping box and adding a pen area that is about as large as the whelping box.  We are planning to litter box train these pups, which is a first for us. We have not put the litter boxes in their area, but have added pee pads, strategically placed to encourage them to pee there instead of in the area where they sleep.

Starting in the next day we will offer the pups some puppy formula out of a shallow dish to encourage them to drink.  Supplementing them a bit will help relieve a little of the burden of feeding from Kodi and begin the weaning process.  Offerings will start with formula, then transition over the next week or so to a gruel with a little rice cereal added.  The next change will be to add a ground raw meat blend or soaked puppy kibble.

The pups already have lots of appointments on their calendars for their final weeks with us (starting on Week 7) which will allow us to make informed decisions on which pup is the best fit for each home.  We do a temperament test, a structural evaluation, an eye exam and finally a "well puppy" visit to the vet for a checkup and first vaccination.  Whew!  We expect those appointments to take place between 10/31 and around 11/11.  Once we have all the information from those checks, we'll let each of our puppy homes know who will be going home with them. 

The Rule of Sevens

 This is the week that the pups will "come to their senses".  By the end of the week they will be able to see, hear, feel, taste and smell.

• Their eyes are open, although they are nearsighted at first. 
• They will begin to be able to hear. 
  

  

   You can see eyes in the bottom photo...
  

• They are beginning to walk unsteadily on all fours.  
• They are beginning to bark a little.
• They will begin to play with each other and interact with their environment.

We are proponents of the "rule of sevens" which says that by the time a puppy is 7 weeks old it should have:

Been on 7 different surfaces, such as: carpet, concrete, wood, vinyl, grass, dirt, gravel, wood chips, newspaper, etc.

Played with 7 different types of objects, such as: big balls, small balls, soft fabric toys, fuzzy balls, squeaky toys, metal items, wooden items, paper/cardboard items, milk/soda jugs, etc.

Been in 7 different locations, including: front yard, backyard, basement, kitchen, car, garage, laundry room, bathroom, crate, kennel, etc.

Been exposed to 7 challenges, such as: climbed a box, climbed off a box, gone through a tunnel, climbed up steps, climbed down steps, climbed over obstacles, played hide and seek, gone in and out of a doorway with a step, etc.

Eaten from 7 different containers: metal, plastic, cardboard, paper, china, pie plate, frying pan, etc.

Eaten in 7 different locations: crate, yard, kitchen, basement, laundry room, bedroom, x-pen, etc.

Met and played with 7 new people, including children and the elderly.

We will be working on fulfilling each of these goals with all the pups in upcoming weeks.  While it will be more difficult due to the Covid-virus social restrictions, it is imperative that socialization with your puppy continue after he or she goes home.  We'll have some resources and suggestions for ongoing socialization as the pups get closer to sending them to their forever homes.

 

The pups new mascot "Wally" the bear (with Humphrey and Divot)

Chunk's black pigment is coming in on his muzzle and nose

Otis surveys his world

Small Changes

View from the puppy cam.

• Jan has our regular dog cam set up so it shows me a view of the whelping box when I log in from my cell phone.  It makes me feel like I'm part of the action when I'm at work during the day and he is home with the dogs.  In the photo, you can see Kodi napping on the left side of the box, the pups spread out around the rest of the box and the stuffed Holstein cow in the right front.  Kodi often likes to rest her head on the stuffed toys and the pups like to snuggle up with them.
  
• Within the last day, Otis and Chunk were the first pups to reach the 2 pound mark (about as much as

  
  

  
  

  a quart of water or a pineapple).
• We have not seen any eyes opening yet, but should be any day now.
• The pups now pull themselves up on their front legs when moving around the whelping box.  They are not walking yet, but are working on it...
• We will be doing another round of toenail trims tonight.
• Newborn pups nurse 12 times or more a day during their first week of life.  At around 10 days, as their stomach capacity increases, they begin to nurse a bit less frequently.  At 2 weeks of age, they nurse around 6 times per day.
  

 

 

 

Kodi likes to sit in the chair and oversee the pups.

Minnie settled in for a nap after a big meal

A friend who has an older puppy (4 or 5 months old) was mentioning that he is getting fussy about eating and asked what to do about it.  I gave him some advice and followed it up with a link to a fabulous website by Sue Ailsby.  Sue is a fabulous dog person and amazing writer.  The info I shared with my friend was on the "writing" menu of the website.  There are some excellent articles and other engaging reading on Sue's website.

Week 2

Here is a link to the week 2 photo album.

The week is off to a pawsome start!

This week, the pups will continue to sleep 90% of the time.  When they wake, they crawl in a circle, moving their heads from side to side when trying to find their mother for food or warmth.

For those if you interested in learning more, an excellent book on puppy development  is "Another Piece of the Puzzle: Puppy Development by Pat Hastings and Erin Ann Rouse".

Maybe "Otis" should have been "Blaze"?  Here he is next to brother Diver.