Well what a week it has been! A lot of eating, sleeping and a lot of growing going on here, as the pups are all gaining weight.
At first Lily was a very protective mother, and still is, but not as much as she was for the first few days. As the days go on she is becoming less and less worried about leaving them and now is starting to come out and stroll around the yard with the rest of us, which is good for her, as lying in the whelping box means she isn't getting much exercise either.
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| Emma's favourite position |
I finally was able on Saturday night to
sleep upstairs after about three nights of interrupted sleep.
Then about 2 or 3 am I hear a puppy screaming - loud! I flee down the hallway upstairs, and
run down the stairs, to find Lily whining away- fretting as I see
she has decided to move the puppies!
EVERYWHERE!
It was like Easter egg hunting for puppies down stairs! I
carefully started to look for puppies, some who are screaming
others who are not, and being careful not to step on one. (because goodness knows where she has put them) There
was one on the big dog bed by the fish tank, two on Gyps side
couch, (yes we have a couch for Gyp) and one on the other large TV
Couch! Found them safe and sound, everyone back in the whelping box, told Lily to stop doing that!
So I was back downstairs sleeping again for another few
nights.....sigh.
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| Looks like Caleb with Rachel in foreground |
After the Big moving day, things really started to settle right down.
Lily is now moving around the whelping box, making the puppies crawl around looking for her.
They are starting to poop on their own now and there are a series of little grunts, and
some attempts of tiny growls and barks. Soon the eyes will open, and they will be starting to hear sounds.
I start to call 'puppy, puppy, puppy' as I pick them up and place them on a nipple or when they are eating, so to associate the sound of' 'puppy' to being food rewarded.
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| Group with upside down Emma |
When the kids come home from school, often someone is hanging out with the litter, doing homework, playing on I pods or listing to music. They puppies usually have someone around them. Lily smiles at us every morning.
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| Rachel and Ryan side by side after a huge feed. |
The puppies are handled daily, which means if we aren't sitting in the whelping box with one or a few on our laps, we have one lying on us while we watch TV in the evenings, or we will carry one around downstairs. I've been allowed to take them up stairs one by one for a photo shoot, which I did yesterday. Not without the watchful eye of Lily present.
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| Big Blazed Brad.... on top of Alison |
Lily is under security lock down with her pups! It is still too early yet to share the puppies with other dogs, so the two older girls are not allowed downstairs without someone around.
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| 'What did we do wrong?" |
Can't wait for the next week, and what fun that will bring!
Thanks for visiting us!
