Day 27

Just some puppy play shots for today

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Day 26

Puppies are starting to recognize my face and voice. For the first time today they ran out of the crate when I called them. They are also going outside by themselves to poop! I left the deck door open and found little piles of poo. Amazing. OF course it's a great start, physically they won't have full bladder control until about 12 weeks old. they'll also have to learn to "hold it," as right now they're running for the door when they have to go.... if the door isn't open they poop where they are. Still pretty darn cool!!

They're eating a full meal each day now. I wasn't planning on weaning them early but nature might be taking care of the decision for me. Ico has never been a great milk producer so it might be natures way of helping her out. We'll see. I hope to support Ico's nursing until at least 6 weeks rather than taking over the whole job! :)

It's next to impossible to get pictures of the puppies right now they're really moving around too much. I'm starting to think that I've taken enough pictures of them sleeping!.. ha ha ha.

Well they had a great trip to the grassy yard today. They got to visit with Raquel and we sat in the yard soaking up the sun and enjoying the smell of chorophyll. Puppies weren't too keen on the idea. It was a little too open space for them, strange footing and they got a little chilled being out on the slightly damp earth. Still a great 'First' for the day.

Day 25

New Look to the Puppy Room! Time to add a new lesson in life: The Crate!

We've had two out door adventures now. Luckily the weathers been cooperating so there's been a bit of sunshine in which the puppies can keep warm.

They've now had two solid meals. They seem to be about a week ahead of TinTin's puppies in some areas. Maybe they're going to be big chow hounds because eating is one of them. They were showing great interest in mom's food so I ground some up and offered it. They went for it without any hesitation. Not only did they enjoy the taste, they seemed to like the moisturizing properties of it too!

Jen and Adam came for their first visit with the pups. By the time they got to the house the puppies were covered in Chicken and Flaxseed oil. They stunck but boy were they shiny!

I had Ico away from the house for this. She went for a visit to Auntie Cat's. She seemed to thouroughly enjoy the outing; time away from the puppies, a long session of fetch and of course the famous Bone marrow-thon.

By the time Ico was back home everyone was exhausted and we all had a much needed nap.

Day 24

Wow, It's been a busy three days!

I'm actually writing this on Monday.... but I realized that I had way too much to catch up on so I'm back tracking.

Over the past few days the puppies have definitely gotten more depth perception. They are trying to run and jump. Ususally this ends up with a bit of a tumble but that doesn't stop them. Their learning curve is wildly steep right now. Every day there's a 'First' for something.

Wendy came for her first visit. Glad I could finally tell her yes! She's been so patient (as have many of you who've been asking to come for a visit). She came on a beautiful sunny day so we were able to have the back door wide open. She also came with arms loaded with goodies. She'd been saving up treats for dogs and people hoping that we'd have the much anticipated Deck Puppy Parties. I'm afraid, unless we have an Indian Summer, that hope will go unfulfilled.

Sigh.

In any case we had a wonderful time. Wendy sat for an hour just drinking in puppy breath. They are just starting to interact with people I don't think that mattered though... Wendy held them all and started her new relationship with each one.

Cat came to visit at the end of the day. Boy puppies will be tired tonight! Lots going on today with Wendy and Cat visiting.

Puppies have now moved from the Transitional Phase to the Socialization Phase of

development.

We're going to start seeing them showing more interest in each other, people and the other dogs. Hey! You mean the world is more than nursing?

DaY 23

Sigh... Looks like the days of writing regualarly might be over! I've gotten too busy with work and the puppies to spend so much time online. I'm also having a hard time getting sleep as Ico is a bit needy and has been waking me up during the night. Of course this comes when the puppies are starting to actually DO something! LOL

I've been trying to keep up with pictures so I will post later on today.

Tired Mama

First poop outside the box:

Sleepy time

This is the video I've been trying to download:

from several days ago.... puppies first time outside.

Day 22

Big fun Out in the SUN! Puppies second time enjoying the out doors. This time they shared lunch with the big girls. After the puppies relaxing meal at the milk bar they took a good long nap while the adults chewed meaty bones. Puppies didn't seem too interested even though the girls were willing to share the experience by letting the puppies get a good close up view.

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DAY 21 HAPPY 3 Weeks Old!

Developmental changes are happening rapidly the next few weeks and it's apparent from day to day that there's huge growth going on... both mentally and (eh hem) physically.

Here is the development chart from the past week. They are moving from the "transitional stage' to the "social stage." They're in a phase where they become more aware of their surroundings and particularly in each other! They are starting to play and as their sight and hearing becomes more accute, aware of the world around them. They're already wandering far and wide if allowed. Last night one of the puppies followed Ico out onto the deck! The little rascal :)

Where we were....

Where we are going......

Here's another video from yesterday:

DAY 20 (AGAIN!)

LOL...... There's that god complex again... I made a day disappear! So today the pups are 20 days old :) Tomorrow is their 3 week birthday.

They got to meet all their Aunties today! Corsa, Vita and Eureka came to the house for a few hours... just to test the waters. Ico let all the Aunties into the whelping room. She was comfortable enough to leave and play ball while Vita laid in the box with the pups. Eureka avoided the room much like she did with TinTin's litter. Corsa thought they were all long legged guinea pigs. I guess we were all too involved because I forgot to get pictures.

Today.... TOday.... TODay... TODAy... TODAY

Thier first day to greet the day. See the sky. Feel a breeze and see a Squirrel!

After Aunties left and we all had a nap it was time for Puppies Big Adventure. Mama Ico was a little trepidacious at first about her pups being out of the whelping box. She was pretty quick to relax after seeing the puppies settling down.. They experiencd all kinds of new things, like what it's like to roll off the bed! Crawl under Ivy. Walk on wood. Sleep in the sun.

Day 20 Continued

BAD HAIR DAY

Lizzy

You're so right Anne. They were born from 630pm to just before Midnight on Wed... so I think the next day counts as day one. I was getting myself confused because I've been making videos for the past three days and not able to load them to the blog. I JUST figured out what I was doing wrong.

So...

Everyone.. If you want to see those videos you need to go back a few days. I mean... com'on! they're worth it ;^F

It's amazing how the movement of the puppies has changed in only three days. they are getting so much more coordinated. Their play has changed from mouthing and licking each other to down right stalking. Leo actuactually played with me today! I had a toy and he pounced on it... wagged his tail and when I took the toy up he tried to crawl into my lap. What a clever boy :0) It is a hoot to watch Nickel too. She's not quite sure what to make of them.

Day 20

I'm getting confused :) Is it day 20 or 21? wouldn't day 21 be Wed?! Hummm.. where oh where did I go wrong.......

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Tomorrow I'm going to try to get the puppies outside. We'll have to see how Ico feels. She was a little uncertain about them venturing outside the box into the new potty area. She wants to keep them all gathered together and the way they're gallumphing around the whelping box is boggling her mind.

OMG.. they are starting to bark, pounce and bat at each other. Today Nickel went into the whelping box and one of them (I couldn't tell who it was because Nickel's body was blocking my view) was actually barking at her and scolding her because he/she wanted to nurse and she was dancing around. Ha ha ha. They are quite sassy little things. I can't wait until they interact more with grand ma TinTin and Aunties Eureka, Nickel, Corsa and (honorary) auntie Vita!!!! They will start to teach them some manners :) There's no way for us humans to mimic a good old dog glare~!!!

Still trying to get the videos loaded :*(

DAY 19

Puppies are getting really active and finally looking like real puppies. They are starting to hold their heads up instead of out straight like turtles. Of course this is upsetting their balance and they keep flopping over backward. They're now interacting with each other. Not only trying to chew but actually starting to paw and pounce. Well... they're Trying to pounce but actually end up falling ass over tea kettle.

They are also starting to try to leave the box to potty! So this weekend I built the addition to the wheping box. I added lattice sides to the platform. On two side it can be lifted out so people can still sit on the platform with the puppies, but allows for a 4 x2 foot area for them to potty. I was trying to make the last 1x4 feet inside the whelping box the spot, but they new intuitively that it was part of their 'nest' and were insisiting on leaving the box to do their 'business.' They're already like typical poodles in their potty habits too! They go as FAR way from the box as possible. Gee... reminds me of how I have to chase down the dogs at the park because they insist on going to the far corner of the field (in four different directions!) So, anyway, because they were trying to go clear across the room, it was necessary to add the sides to the platform.

Day 18

Wendy got to visit puppies Friday. It was very successful! Ico was a little concerned but we kept her occupied with treats and Wendy made a slow and calm entry. By the end of an hour Wendy was sitting on the floor holding puppies and Ico was laying down on a dog bed next to the whelping box (the place that TinTin usually occupies). Wendy was a great choice for Ico's next step since she has great body language, gives off a wonderfully calm vibe and Ico knows her fairly well.

I got Nickel back yesterday and her reunion was flawless. She came into the house and immediately stopped in the doorway to the whelping room. She gave Ico lots of space and it seemd that she hadn't forgotten who was the 'queen' of the house now (of course it had been Nickel!) She is very intent on seeing the puppies and it does keep Ico's eye on her. By the end of the day Ico was letting Nickel check out the puppies and eventually allowed her back into the box. Every so often she'd return to the box and kick Nickel out... almost to say... "give it a break!" So the three gray girls are back together.

Day 16

New firsts for the puppies again today. Looks like their teeth are coming in. Hard to believe that they start so soon... Ico says OUCH!. They are wanting to chew... chew on fingers, chew on each others ears, feet, tails and/or faces. You can feel little bumps along the tops of their gums. It will be a while before their needle teeth are a problem for mom.

Eyes are opening wider and already surprisingly dark. They are already starting to recognize me... well... they recognize that there is something/someone there and walk over to check me out.

Only the Nose Knows. See how light the noses are compared to hair color? This is an indication that their hair will be lightening up. If you look at a blue or silver dog's nose at first it looks black... but in fact it's a dark slate color. All the puppies have lighter noses.

The two littlest girls are catching up with everyone's walking talents. Orange was quite content to sit with me for a while and chew on my fingers. They are all starting to want to be touched... before it was all about finding a nipple. They're starting the fun stage where you can really see individual personalities expressing themselves.

Purple/Leo gave me quite a giggle today. He certainly is a sassy one! He was at the entrance to the whelping box looking through the lattice 'gate.' Ico walked toward him and then kept walking past the box. He saw her and started to paw at the gate. As she went by he let out one quick growl and three loud barks! I'm sure he was scolding her for not bringing him lunch!

DAY 15

ATTACK

OF THE

POD PUPPIES

Day 14 2 WEEKS OLD!

Wow are the spuds moving! We must be moving from the prehistoric era into the age of the Mastodon.

Puppies' eyes are open but their eyesight isn't fully developed yet. The pups are definitely moving with more purpose as they pick out paths rather than toddle in a straight line.

I've lined the walls of the whelping box with all kinds of objects to stimulate their minds. My friend Lavena suggested getting things to hang from above in order to help them 'look up.' For TinTin's litter I just had drawings on the whelping box wall.. this time I've added dangling things that the puppies can bump into. There are several International Dog Show Medallions, several baby toys (I got from the thrift store) and a small blanket with patterns. The blanket is draped down one side and the puppies love crawling behind it. You can see the blanket moving and hear the jingle jangle of the medallions behind it. Of course there's no scientific evidence that this helps the puppy's development.. but it certainly can’t hurt. I hope that different textures rubbing on them and different objects casually banging into will will help stimulate their nervous system and get them used to all kinds of 'touch.' I've already been adding different textures for them to walk on and started routinely providing a variety of noises.

The puppies are starting to poop and pee on their own. Ico is still keeping everything very clean so no work for me yet on that account. I've divided the whelping box into two sections now; one for living and one for potting. I made the whelping box bigger than normal just for this purpose (oh.... and so I can sit in it comfortably with the puppies :)

Here's a little tour of the puppy room:

Day 13

HEY

THEM TATERS

GOT

EYES

Pink/D'Lay

Greenie

Greenie wins the prize for first eyes open and D'Lay gets second place. The rest have cracks showing some light but not quite open. I expect by the end of the day they will all be fully open. Their eyesight is very limited at this point but it's clear that they have a new perspective of the world . They've all been bopping around the whelping box like bumper cars this morning.

Day 12 continued....

Thought it would be fun to see a comparison of puppy growth

(stopped weighing them... couldn't fit them on the scale as of a few days ago)

Day 12 (Thursday)

Eyes are openning!

This morning you could see tiny glints of light reflecting back from the puppies eyes. They are still small slits but even their behavior is starting to change. There seems to be more purpose in their walking (tumbling) and less dependancy on their noses. It'll be several weeks before their eyesight is completely developed, but they are now ambulatory! We're at a stage where the puppies will begin to gain independance.

Here's the previous chart: 3days to 12 days. We're now onto the next stage of puppy development: The transitional stage (3rd chart). For those of you who've tolerated the weeks of puppy blobs.... we're now entering into a more dynamic phase of development!

Here is the developmental chart illustrating our puppy development starting day 12:

BOttomS UP

Greenie

Blue/Lizzy

Day 11

Serious puppy breath today!

up until now it hasn't been that apparent. Ico seems to be focusing more attention to cleaning their heads, ears and eyes now too. Maybe she's just trying to drink in more of that sweet breath.

as per Anne's request here are some pictures of Orange Poppy. For a little girl who is the stillest of the bunch it's almost impossible to get one of her without her moving!

Day 10 continued....... DINOSAUR DAYS....

Behold...... The prehistoric potatoes with legs.........

Day 10

No peeking eyes yet.

But puppies are moving around like pros.

Here is a developmental chart from the book, Handbook of Applied Dog Behavior and Training:

According to this book, " A puppy's general motor activities at this stage of development are limited to swimlike crawling movents predominately involving the front legs. Guided by tactile, ofactory, and gustatory senses, a puppy refexively orients and locates the mothers teat. Forelimb-placing movents are seen after 2 or 3 days, and efforts at forelimb support begin between days 6 and 10. Hind-limb-placing responses are seen after 8 days. Flexor muscles are dominant over extensors for the first few days, followed by a much longer period of extensor dominance and the emergence of unsteady walking in the transitional period."

YIN YANG PUPPIES

Greenie and Leo

We added another member of the family to the pack today. My lovely 12.5 year old Corsa Bella came home from Cat's house. Just Eureka! remaining. Ico seemd to adjust to Corsa quite quickly. Of course Corsa is low key and only interested in the puppies when they cry. At that point I have to hold her back. She can's see well enough to read Ico's body language and I don't want her blundering into the whelping box. Here is a pic of everyone hanging out in the coolest room in the house! I have iced cold water bottles in the box along with what's called a K9 Cool bed. This is a pad filled with water and as the water evaoprates it cools the dog laying on it. It is dry on the outside. The puppies have gravitated onto it.

Day 9

Time to see what's happening...

In the next few days the puppies eye should be opening. If you look closely, you can see that their eyes lids are starting to part.

I wonder who will be the first to look around.....

They're at the stage where they remind me of prehistoric potatos with legs.

They are begining to lift themselves off the ground, raise their heads and really move.

Day 8

I guess it's not fair to go a day without puppy pictures!

Here are the latest...

Greenie and Pink/D'Lay

Blue/Lizzy

Someone was asking me about colors... how can I tell what they will be (blue, gray, black, silver). Here is a good example of what is going on with color. On the left is Pink/D'Lay and the right is Blue/Lizzy. You can see that Pink has a brown (or 'Plum') cast to her coat. This indicates that she will be silver. She also has a flatter coat. Blue has a very curly coat (you could see it the moment she was born). I'm guessing that she will have a coat very similar to Nickel's It will be thicker, tight curls and Blue. However... her COLOR could potentially be as silver as a silver... just like Nickel. Here is a picture of TinTin, Nickel and Ico. Don't their colors look similar? Well, they are Blue and their mom (TinTin) is silver. Nickel has a much denser and curly coat. Her coat, at birth was much like Blue's.

The most significant thing to share today

WAIT! Who's IN the box and Who's OUTSIDE?!

Well... That's TinTin and Ico outside and Nickel inside!

Ico made a sudden turn aroung in her trust of Nickel.

Here's Ico (left) and Nickel (right) mesmerized by the whole affair.