These one-month-old puppies are just too cute and too smart!

My this has been an interesting week! The puppies have grown so much.  They now range from 4.5 lbs (Orange Girl and Purple Girl) to 6.0 lbs (Red Boy).  They have solid food twice a day (morning and evening), get puppy chow to munch on during the day, and still nurse several times a day!!!  Holly is being very patient with them.  She lets them nurse, but not for too long.  She is very stoic.  Especially because all of their teeth are in, including their fangs!

Harley plays with the puppies regularly.  Purple Girl in particular seems quite attached to him.  Check out this video clip of Daddy Harley in action!

I took the puppies outside yesterday for the first time.  I had them in their pen, but they wanted to be with Holly and Harley, so, slowly, one by one, I acquiesced and let then out.  Soon, they took over the doghouse!  Harley was very gracious about sharing his doghouse with the puppies.  They eventually enjoyed being outside, and wanted to go out again after dinner.  Here is daddy Harley in the doghouse with three puppies:

I have been observing that they have developed to the point where they don't want to relieve themselves where they sleep -- they only do so when it is absolutely necessary.  So, this morning, when we got up,  I took them directly outside and placed them on the backyard lawn.  They didn't relieve themselves on the lawn, but climbed onto the patio and did so there.  I was successful in getting them to do this after their morning nap as well.  I plan to continue this, hoping that they will quickly learn that "outside is where puppies relieve themselves."

They are very busy playing, running fast, fighting with one another.  They still loved to be held, and they  still "purr" when I carry them around. These puppies love to be stimulated by learning new things or having new experiences.  And just check out how beautiful they are!  It's hard to believe the huge differences one month has made!

Here is our Purple Girl.  She thrives on adventure, and is usually the first to try something new.  Here, she is the first to lay on the grass.  After I took this picture, she was very busy playing little games, looking like she was stalking imaginary things through the grass.  She looks so much like Harley these days, it is uncanny!  Purple Girl challenges her brothers and sisters on a regular basis, and usually takes them down quite readily!

Our Red Boy continues to grow more quickly than all of his siblings.  This is going to be a beautiful dog!  (Well, they are all going to be beautiful, there is no doubt about it!)  Red Boy stays busy climbing over obstructions Curtis puts up to keep him out of "no puppy" zones.  He still likes being cuddled.  He loves to play with his siblings. And, as you see here, he loves mommy Holly:

Pink Girl has made huge strides this last week.  She seems much happier, and more comfortable.  I think she was hungry, and getting her on solid food has had a large impact on her disposition.  One thing we have to keep our eyes on:  sometimes she is too rough with the other puppies. As an example, after breakfast this morning, I put down a bowl of puppy chow.  She immediately ran to it and started eating, and wouldn't share with her brothers and sisters, growling and "protecting" the bowl.  I interceded, to make certain that all puppies had access to the chow.  But she has become much more loving and playful, and, all in all, I am quite pleased with her progress.  Here is our gorgeous Pink Girl:

Next up (in birth order) is Green Boy. Green Boy is our clown.  His little belly is oh-so-round, and he is just a sweetheart.  Green Boy may have gotten the best of both Harley and Holly, both in terms of features and personality.  He is going to be light, but with longer hair like Holly.  He really looks like a little bear!  And he is very easygoing.  When other puppies are getting themselves worked up, he remains calm.  But he loves to play, both alone and with his brothers and sisters.  Here is Green Boy in a typical sleeping pose (shades of his daddy Harley):

 Earlier this week, we had a "collar" crisis.  I came home Tuesday night and found that Purple Girl and Yellow Girl were without collars (I have been loosely tying colored rickrack around their necks).  So I then checked all of the puppies, and found that Red Boy was a "girl".  The night before I had texted a number of people that Blue Girl was actually Blue Boy, and that we had four girls and three boys.  What had happened was that Red Boy and Blue Girl had lost their collars on Monday, and Curtis put the wrong collars on them.  So we are now back at five girls and two boys.

Okay -- it was easy to figure out who Red Boy was (only male without a collar).  It was easy to figure out who Purple Girl was, because she looks so different than Yellow Girl and Blue Girl.  But -- Yellow Girl and Blue Girl look quite similar, and I was quite upset that I wasn't sure which one was which!  The one difference is that one of these puppies has a lighter "black" back than the other.  I poured over pictures after I took Harley and Holly to the dog park for training with Jim.  I think I got it right.  Especially based on personality.  Yellow Girl is more devoted to Holly, and Blue Girl has the sweetest disposition of the bunch.

This weekend I bought puppy collars for Red Boy, Blue Girl, Pink Girl, Orange Girl, and Green Boy.  I don't like the color of Green Boy's collar, so I am looking for a greener one.  So far, I have been unable to find either a yellow or a purple collar, but I am hot on the trail for finding them!  With actual collars we don't have to worry about this happening again.

So -- I am 90% certain that this is Yellow Girl.  When Lucas and Thomas come over this week, I am going to check with them and see what they think.  But here is our Yellow Girl.  She has really blossomed this week, both in personality and in beauty:

Next up is our Blue Girl.  She is so loving, but definitely not a pushover.  She wrestles regularly with her littermates, and will hold her own when it comes to foodtime.  She likes to be held, is starting to show an interest in toys, and really likes to have her gums massaged.  (All of the puppies now come up to me and hold their mouths open to get their gums massaged ...)  This is going to be a great dog.  She looks so wise in this picture!

Finally, there is our Orange Girl.  She remains a bit smaller than all of the other puppies, but makes up for it in personality.  She is not afraid of anything!  She works on taking down her littermates on a regular basis.  She prances just like Harley! Just like Purple Girl, her face looks most like Harley's, but with somewhat darker markings.  Orange Girl is the puppy that makes me laugh the most with her antics and goings-on.  She is smart, and is going to provide alot of giggles for her owner.  What a personality!

The one thing that is difficult to catch here is how quickly the puppies are moving.  They love to run, lunge, and jump.  I have been trying to catch a little video clip of the puppies in motion, but by the time I grab my camera, they are out of range!

I love all of these puppies so much.  I am determined to find only the best homes I can for each and every one of them.  So far, the people interested in taking puppies fall into that category.  I just need to keep it up!