These gals are ready to go once they have their wellness visit with the vet on Monday.  They may still try, and Lorelei won't let them nurse, so they are now on solid food, it still needs to be a little damp.  They spend most of the days outside now, provided there is no rain.  They struggle with the leash, we're working on that.  I'm very happy with this litter, the gals are so much alike that I struggle to select a favorite.  They do differ in size, and of course the way they are colored, but beyond that they are almost interchangeable.  There are new pictures in their Photo Album.

I know it has been a while, and things are progressing quite well.  The pups spend a few hours outside every day that the sun shines.  I'll have some newer photos in a day or too,.  How quick the time flies, it's coming up on 7 weeks for the pups, another 10 - 12 days and they will be going to the vet for an exam and their 1st puppy shot.  Then it is time to chose homes for them.  To be sure, there will be eight week photos, and maybe a video too.

Twenty four days, or 3 and a half weeks. Pups are starting to spar with each other as they become more aware of their surroundings.  The next box was throughly explored, they have their own potty spot.  New sounds disturb them, they are finding their voices, mostly growls, barking is a little more work.  A couple even have a howl to replace crying.  Still clumsy on their feet, they can creep forward, scoot backwards, spin, and slap paws.  Scratching is a little problematic.  Peeking out over the entry way, there is a world waiting to be explored when they learn to scramble over the barrier.

Growing, growing, and growing.  Amazing how quickly they grow and develop.  Looking at the birth weights, and then their current weights, the pups have grown about 400%.  They've started to walk, pushing themselves up on all fours.  They manage about two steps then, opps, the sideways roll.  It is still pretty much eat, then sleep, then eat again.  They changed their sleeping arrangement a bit.  Before, they laid side by side, kind'a like a row of sausages.  Now, they are most likely in a pile, taking turns being the on top of the pile.  They don't remain still very long, even when sleeping, one or the other is stretching, yawning, or just twitching.

Their eyes started  to open.  Yesterday afternoon, the right eye on the larger split face was open.  Earlier this morning, the other three have one or the other eye opening.  Now, a few hours later, all save one have both open.  No doubt, these gals are all rough coats.  I'm certain that, within a week, they will be looking for ways out of their little home.

Noisy little pups, can hear them suckling from across the room.  How great would it be to only eat, sleep, and have mama cleanup after you.  Kinda boring I think.  They are progressing well.  One is up to almost 14oz, two are in the 11-12oz range, and then the little one, visibly smaller, coming in at 9oz+/-.  Expecting the eyes to begin opening up this week, normally starts about day 12.  The ears of one are are beginning to droop, meaning that their ears will open soon.  They rarely lie still, always twitching.  Lorelei stays pretty close, rarely do I hear them cry, but they do have a range of little noises they can make.  Last night one was away from the others, and was emitting a trilling sound, reminded me of the adults when they feel they are too long in their crates and want out. She eventually stopped and crawled over to the other three, wormed her way between two of them and was quite.  I'll have to start taking some pics as their eyes open. 

Not quite a carving knife, a scaple is, I think, sharper, certainly more sterile.  Wednesday evening, March 16, Lorelei whelped her litter of pups, 4 girls and a boy.  The boy was tiny, only 2.3oz, and had a hard time from the start.  I finally lost him about noon on Friday, so there are just 4 girls now.  Working to save the pup, and observing Loreleis reaction and attention to him, it occurred to me why bitches pull the pups in and curl around over them, almost as if  to hide the pups the first few days after whelp.  They are trying to keep them warm.  It takes 72hrs+/- before the pups are able to regulate their body heat, so an outside source is necessary to assist them, and that outside source is mama.  I've almost always known the litter box needed to be in a warm room and the pups needed warmth, but over the years and dozens of litters I've witnessed, I continually  wondered why the seeming hiding, protective behavior was there during the days after whelp.  I never connected the dots until this litter.

Day 10 waiting for Lorelei to whelp.  I can only assume she conceived near the end of her cycle.  She resembles a pygmy angora goat more, (the horns are there I sure, based on her attitude) then a rough JR now.  Her belly is so swollen , tight like a drum.  Thank goodness the weather has improved and I can keep Moose and the two pups from Kates litter (Ditto and Dash) outside during the day now.

Almost there, it's week seven and the pups are starting to slim down and come together.  They should be at that magic point in development next weekend, when they will be minature versions of their adult selves.  They are outside about twice a day now, for about an hour each time.  They dash, sometimes all you see are white streals, everywhere.  I was keeping kibble in their room for them, no more.  Dott assumed the feeder as her sleeping place, and found it necessary to dig out all those pea shaped things that must have disturbed her.  That or she was honing her digging skills.  She is already pretty accomplished, considering the holes she was leaving in my garden.

The other night I let the pups loose in the house and was quickly reminded of the puppy proofing instructions I distribute with puppies headed to new homes.  Think dealing with one loose pup in the house is challenging, try five.  Anyway, Buster scared up a mouse.  Chaos desended as twenty thundering paws shot five flashes of lightning around the living room.  The tiny barks from five yapping puppies were immediatly drowned out as Daddy Moose and Aunt Lorelei went hysterical in their crates, and then Mommy Kate joined the fray, charged into the room, snarling and snapping at everything that moved.  Puppies scattered, the mouse escaped.  Order restored, puppies put up, I got said mouse, I hope, later with a trap.  Those pups remember, it's the first place they head to, noses to the floor, when let out. 

Wow, a few days makes a difference.  I had to be gone for the weekend, so the development I saw when I returned was significant.  The pups are almost weaned now, Kate, willing to spend time around them, is not wanting to nurse at all.  So there are a lot of snaps and growls, with puppies ducking as she scatters them as they insist on trying to nurse.  They try hard to eat the crunchy kibble, which I keep in their room 24/7, but do much better with the moist kibble I'm feeding 3 times a day.  I'm taking them outside twice a day now for about an hour each time.  They absolutely have to be kept in a fenced yard because as soon as they are let out, they dash in  5 different directions.  It is not a cautious exploration any more, now it is streaking to anything that catches their eye.  The neighbor kids are begging to walk them, and I don't let that happen before eight weeks.  Their vet visit is scheduled for the 15th, and then their access to more people and experiences will be less controlled.  I've been working on trying to get good individual pictures of them, why won't they stand still for more then 3 nanoseconds?