The Puppies make it through Weekend #2

It was hot this weekend, but we survived.  (At our house it usually doesn't break 90 degrees, but it definitely did this weekend.)  Today it was so warm that the puppies were uncomfortable.  So I moved them downstairs into Holly's crate until it cools off.  They were panting terribly, and I was concerned.  Puppies can't regulate their body temperature until about three weeks of age ...

Check out our Purple Girl.  Isn't she beautiful?  Purple Girl is definitely still the most adventurous.  She managed to get herself out of the crate into the family room this afternoon!

All of the puppies are quite big.  I took this picture last night.  Pink Girl was being a character.  I took the puppies one by one out of the whelping box and cuddled them.  They know my smell, and like being held and pet.  Pink Girl went to sleep in my arms, so I put her back in the whelping box, and this is the position she assumed.

Here's our Red Boy.  I am very interested in why all of the puppies spend about one third of their sleep time with their heads lower than their bodies, and about one third of their sleep time with their heads higher than their bodies.  Can you see Red Boy's facial markings?  Look at how his paws have changed color. 

Andrew is taking either Red Boy or Green Boy, depending on how their personalities develop.  He thinks he is naming his puppy Dexter.  Geez, I like the show Dexter alot, but naming a dog after a serial killer?  

Check out Green Boy's sleeping pose here.  He is trying to lay his head on the edge of the crate. Green Boy is going to be a gorgeous dog.  This puppy reminds me the most of Harley, both in looks and in temperament.  I am crazy about this puppy!

Check out Yellow Girl's pose.  Andrew took this picture Friday night.  He and Tanya held all of the puppies while they got caught up on their shows.  Yellow Girl is quite big, and is quite the nurser.  For some reason, this is Holly's favorite puppy (well, at least I think that is what is going on.)  Holly carries this puppy to whatever room I am in. She is conflicted -- she wants to be with me, but she wants her puppies there as well.  So I have to be very careful, and keep an eye on what she is doing.   The other morning, I was working in my office before going to work -- and all of a sudden there was this puppy squawking coming from the bed in my office.  Holly had carried Yellow Girl in, and had climbed up on the bed with her.  She had her legs wrapped around Yellow Girl, protecting her.  Yellow Girl has been carried into our bedroom a few times this week as well.

Look at Orange Girl!  Can you see all of her markings?  Orange Girl was the darkest puppy as well as the smallest puppy.  She is definitely changing color, and she is not any smaller than any of the other puppies.

I took this picture this morning. This is one of the reasons I realized the puppies weren't able to cool off.  Orange Girl is perched on the wooden railing that runs around the side of the whelping box, trying to get her body off the bedding below.  It was shortly after this that I moved the puppies.  

This is going to be a beautiful dog!

And speaking of beautiful dogs, check out Blue Girl.  She is plump, healthy, and get a load of how much she has changed color.  Blue Girl is so sweet.  Actually, they are all so sweet.  They smell so good, and they make the most adorable noises.  Here, Blue Girl had finished nursing, and she rolled over on to her side and passed out.

I have tried uploading several different movies I have of the puppies.  I wasn't able to, but I could about a month ago (Harley and his keys movie).  I went through all of my settings, to see if something had changed, I saw that they have a new editor, and that I needed to change to that.  Now having done so, as far as I can tell there is NO capability for uploading movies.  Bummer ...   But I am also wondering if this is why people have been having problems posting comments.  So -- please try again and let me know if it works!

Well, the puppies are doing great.  They are now just about 11 days old.  We probably have another week before their eyes and ears open.  It is really interesting the way their ears have been developing. Now they kind of stick straight out from their heads, because they are too short to lay down.  I imagine they will get larger, lay down flat against their heads, and then start to stand up as the ear cartilage develops.

I do believe these are the most beautiful puppies I have ever seen!!!!

The Puppies are One Week Old!!!

My how this week has flown by. I cannot believe how big the puppies are getting! Even Heather and her two boys, who came to dinner tonight, thought that the puppies have grown alot just since Sunday!

I weighed all of the puppies this evening. They all weighed in at 1.5 lbs, which means that they weigh between 1.5 and 2.0 lbs... So, they have gained ~ 25% of their birth weight.

Here is our Purple Girl. Purple Girl is still the adventurer, and she is quite the talker. She makes the most interesting sounds! I have caught her in this pose a number of times. She sure loves he mommy!

As you may be figuring out, a common theme in this post is snuggling with Holly. Here is our Red Boy -- going for his mommy. He was snuggling between her forelegs (no, not getting ready to nurse ...)

Pink Girl is actually visible in this picture, behind Holly's head. Holly is using Pink Girl as a pillow! Look at Pink Girl's markings. They continue to lighten at a much faster rate than those of all of the other puppies. Hmmm ... I wonder what that means?

Here is Green Boy, snuggling up with Holly's forepaws. (See, I told you that was a common theme today!) Here he looks so sweet, but look out when it comes to nursing!

To the left is our Yellow Girl. I think Yellow Girl has changed the most this week. She is quite determined to get what she needs, particularly when it comes to nursing (as you will see below). Her markings have really changed color. Here she is snuggled in against Holly's side.

And here is Orange Girl! She is a real sweetie. Orange Girl has probably gained the most weight. She was the darkest a week ago, and is probably still not as light as the others -- but check out the markings!

And here is our Blue Girl. What a picture. Blue Girl is flourishing. She has such a cute personality to boot. Good job of mothering, Holly!

For two days I have been trying to upload a video. It is entitled "Feeding Frenzy". Yellow Girl and Pink Girl are a hoot. Anyway, that's why I haven't posted in awhile. Until next time!

The Puppies have their first visitors

Yesterday (Father's Day), my sister Heather, her husband Steve, and their two boys, Lucas and Thomas came to see the puppies. Holly was very good -- she let the boys in the room, and they watched the puppies and were able to pet Holly. I was very proud of her! Here is Lucas (age 10) and Thomas (age 8) posing with the puppies. They, of course, were dying to hold them, but we all agreed it was best to wait.

Five days ago, at birth, Orange Girl was significantly smaller than Purple Girl. Look to the right and you will see that Orange Girl, while still smaller than Purple Girl, is quickly catching up! Also, if you look closely, you will see the markings on her face. She is no longer entirely black.

Here, to the left is our Blue Girl, She is asleep on top of Holly's paw. Nothing like snuggling in, but a paw doesn't sound like a very comfortable spot to sleep ... If you look closely at the back of Blue Girl's front left paw, you will see how much she has changed color as well!

To the right, is Red Boy. He too, has really begun to change color. He is starting to get a white bowtie on his chest, and look at the sides of his face -- quite beige. The backs of his legs are very light, just like all of the other puppies. At birth, Red Boy was the largest puppy. But I think he has been outdone, by ...

... Yellow Girl! She definitely looks the biggest. When the puppies weigh in at the end of Week One (Wednesday), we will find out if I am correct. Look at that nice round belly! She is a real sweetheart.

Of course, if you are going to think antics, then you should think Pink Girl. Check out this sleeping pose -- over the edge of the dog bed, head first. She slept like this for quite a while. But perhaps even funnier is Green Boy in the background. Once again, he is smiling! Isn't that just too cute?

Now, below, you will see a comparison that I have been giggling over for days -- and that I finally caught with the camera. Like father, like son? On the left is Harley, in one of his favorite poses. If Harley is sleeping, and you come up to pet him, he rolls over on his back, with his legs up in the air so that you can scratch his belly. Holly will never give you her belly to scratch. But look at Green Boy -- he sleeps in the same position as his daddy. An inherited trait, or just a fluke?

We have a growing concern over Holly right now. Yesterday afternoon, while I was out cleaning the pool (Harley and Holly were "helping" me), the puppies were sleeping soundly upstairs in their box. After awhile, I went inside to see if I could hear them, as Holly had been running in and out of the house, checking on them, and then coming back outside. I heard this terrible puppy screeching, so I ran upstairs to see what was going on. Holly had carried Yellow Girl into our bedroom and had deposited her on the dog bed underneath our bed. Poor Yellow Girl. I scooped her up and took her back to the whelping box, petting her until she calmed down.

During the evening, I realized that wherever I was, Holly was portraying "nesting" signs. She started digging at whatever form of a bed she could find. So, I settled in next to the whelping box for the remainder of the evening.

When I got up this morning, I hopped into the shower. Halfway through the shower, I started to hear puppy screeching. So, out I pop -- to find Purple Girl laying on the carpet in our bedroom. Holly was, once again, trying to move her to the dog bed.

We are not really certain what is going on, but we are keeping a close eye on things. It would break my heart if we lost one of these precious puppies ...

Finally, poor Harley! For the most part, he is miserable. Instead of getting attention from Holly or from me, he curls up with his racquet ball ... and goes to sleep ... Don't worry, Harley! Things are already starting to return to normal. You'll see!

It's Day Three, and the puppies are a-growing!

It's Day Three of life. The puppies are sleeping alot, and Holly has had some free time today. (That must mean they are growing. :) )

I forgot to mention yesterday, that when I got home from work, Harley greeted me at the garage door. At the time I wondered if Curtis had forgotten to crate him before he went to work. There didn't seem to be any harm/damage to the house, so I didn't worry about it too much.

This morning, when I was vacuuming up huge amounts of dog hair in the family room, I realized that Harley had broken out of his cage (yes, Curtis had crated him!). Not only had he broken out of his cage, he had destroyed a lamb's wool mat, and had chewed up the bed he loves to sleep on.

It is clear that Harley misses Holly's attention hugely. Every time she comes downstairs he gets all cute and tries to engage her in play. She just isn't interested. Holly will now let Harley in Jake's room, where the whelping box is. He slinks in, lays down next to me, and if Holly looks at him cross-eyed, he puts his tail between his legs and hoofs it out of the room.

So -- what are we going to do next week? Should I put Harley's crate in Jake's room, or just outside of Jake's room, so that he can see Holly? It seems that Holly's presence has a calming effect on him. He has not really been destructive since she joined our family. Or -- should I give it another go and see what happens? Hmmmm....

This afternoon Holly went on a short walk with Harley and me. She was so happy to be outside, moving around. She looks great, as you can see in this picture with Orange Girl:

Orange Girl is no dummy. While all the others sleep, she nurses solo. I love the sounds the puppies make while they nurse. Sometimes they sound like human infants, and other times they sound like Pikachu (think Pokemon ...). What sweet sounds!

I thought Orange Girl might remain nearly all black like Holly, but today it is obvious that she is getting markings. So -- she might be the best looking black and tan -- who knows! She is still the smallest, but is gaining on the others steadily.

Here I tried to capture Red Boy and his antics, but he was squirming around so much I missed the top of his head. He was being pretty cute. Look at his markings! On his face, under his chin, on his legs. It is amazing to me how quickly these puppies are changing.

To the left, all of the puppies are nursing. Underneath Holly's back legs, you can just make out Green Boy. Purple Girl is lying on top of Green Boy's rear end. Yellow Girl is perched on top of Blue Girl, and underneath her on the right side is Pink Girl. To the right of Pink Girl is Orange Girl, and facing Orange Girl is Red Boy. Whew -- what a crew! Holly has the patience of a saint!

Slowly, as they nurse, they begin to pass out one by one. Purple Girl sleeps on top of Red Boy to the right. Look at how light she is getting!

Once again, Pink Girl displays her need to be different. The full press is what it looks like she is practicing here. She is a character, that's for certain! Look at all of her markings. The underside of her front legs are nearly all white, just like Harley's legs. Her back is more of a charcoal color, compared to the blacker backs of her litter mates. Her face has lightened up even more too. She may not have any black left in her coloring at all!

The most changed is Blue Girl. Look at how plump she is, and all of her markings that are coming in. I think this one is going to be a beauty. And -- I was so happy today, because a couple times I found her mounded up with her litter mates. Way to go, Blue Girl!

Today, Green Boy spent most of the day nursing, as is evidenced in this picture. He really never came up for air. His markings continue to lighten, and I still think he may look the most like Harley. Also, you will note that in at least two of the pictures today, Yellow Girl comes out on top of the heap. Way to go!

One interesting thing that Holly continues to do: she thinks a puppy is "lost", and she goes berserk looking for it, when, in fact, all seven puppies are laying around her. I have found that the only way to calm her is to start placing puppies in nursing position. Very interesting behavior. I wish I understood how the mommy accounts for her pups; is it by scent? It seems that they can almost count; maybe Holly is math deficient? :) (That's okay, I have plenty of talent in that arena, and am happy to assist.)

Andrew wants to know if I plan on taking all nine dogs walking. I have explained to him that the puppies cannot leave our yard until they have received at least two immunizations -- so I don't think that will be happening. But it makes me smile to think about running through a field with all nine of them. Each and every one of them, from Harley and Holly, to all seven puppies, are beautiful animals -- and I love them all !

Day Two of PuppyHood

Our puppies are thriving. Here we have some pictures of them during day two of life. Below is Purple Girl, who displays her acrobatic skills while nursing. Sideways, on top of her litter mates. Quite impressive! To the right is Pink Girl, demonstrating her impressive ability to nurse upside down!

To the right is our Red Boy. It is hard to catch Red Boy doing much other than nursing or sleeping. To my amazement, Red Boy has started to change color. He is getting light patches on his cheeks, his neck, and the bottom of his legs. So -- it doesn't look like he will be all black after all! Look at how his right ear is sticking straight up. I have noticed that in all of the puppies, their ears are no longer plastered to their heads. They are starting to stick straight out!

To the left is our Pink Girl. Pink Girl wags her tail while she nurses -- it is so cute!. If you look underneath her tail, you will see a little white patch. All of the puppies have that -- just like their mommy!

Here is a picture of Green Boy. Green Boy is bound and determined to climb over all of his litter mates -- even Purple Girl!

Here is our Yellow Girl. She is changing color, both on her face and on her legs. Can you see her claws? It is so sweet. All of the puppies have little white claws, perfectly formed.

Orange Girl is still the snuggler. Here she nestles right in with mommy Holly. Orange Girl hasn't yet begun to change color. Maybe she will stay all black like Holly?

Blue Girl is still the loner. She likes to sleep away from the others, except when she is nursing. I am so glad she is thriving and doing well. This should have been the runt!

Here are some pictures of our puppies sleeping together. They are so cute. I could sit around all day, just watching them, and get absolutely nothing accomplished.

I never knew having puppies would be so amazing!

Of course, there is always one family member who is the spoiler. Felix is a very unhappy cat. He pooped on the kitchen table after the puppies were born ...

Harley and Holly's puppies are a day old!!!

Well, this time last night we were in the midst of puppy deliveries. All the puppies seem to be thriving. Holly's milk is in, and the puppies are a-nursin'!

Here is Purple Girl. She is a trendsetter, always doing something first. I can't believe how in one day her markings have become more pronounced! She is a big girl, easy going.

Here is Red Boy. He is a pig! Eat and sleep, eat and sleep, eat and sleep. He is getting more than his fair share, that's for certain. He continues to be the biggest puppy. I think he might stay all black like Holly ...

Here is Pink Girl. Is this a cute pose or what? Look at her ears! Her markings have really changed over the last day as well. This one is going to be quite light, maybe like Harley? Pink Girl is a mama's girl. She usually likes to nuzzle up to Holly's face.

Here is Green Boy. What a character! I am thinking this guy might look the most like Harley. Notice the smile on his face? He just finished nursing. Green Boy is definitely smaller than Red Boy, but he has a nice round belly.

Here is Yellow Girl. She is lightening up as well. See around her eyes and her paws? Her back is also much lighter than Red Boy's back. Yellow Girl likes to sleep in a pack ...

Here is Orange Girl. Orange Girl is the smallest of the puppies. She likes to cuddle up against Holly or lay over her paws and go to sleep. I think she has Holly's markings. Beige forelegs, and all black is my prediction.

Here's our Blue Girl. This is the one I have been concerned about. Blue Girl likes to go off on her own, and sleep. I am happy when I see her piling into the pack. She will definitely be a lighter color.

Below, Orange Girl and Blue Girl have at it while all the others sleep...

And here's our Holly with her pups. Doesn't she look great?

Holly and her babies

Holly is a good mommy. No runts in this litter! They all weigh at least 1 lb. Everybody seems to be doing well. Here are the puppies lined up (kind of):

And below you will see the ever-anxious daddy:

And now everybody is sleeping. :)