Continued from Puppy Diary - page 2
1st April, 2008
The puppies are four weeks old today and really active now, they all respond to my voice or movements in the kitchen. We have an escape artist as you can see and another one in the making so we now put the door on their box and have them out to play at specific times. They are really comical and very noisy. They have realised there is a world outside their box. Lily is still feeding them but they have also had chicken and beef gravy. They have baby rice for breakfast and either chicken or beef gravy for lunch or dinner. The gravy is made from the juices when I cook Lily and Zaks chicken or beef (with the fat removed). I thicken the gravy with baby rice. Tomorrow I will try them with some weetabix or ready brek mixed with puppy milk. Their weight gain is still really good.
Some of the puppies got their first teeth break through the gums today, the other pups have their first teeth just under the surface of the gums.
Playing with his Dad
One of the puppies on the kitchen floor playing with Zak.
Mum's bed is always better than their own
Lily was having a quiet five minutes and the puppies bombarded her bed.
'Beautiful and I know it'
This is TT posing
3rd April, 2008
The puppies are all relaxing after eating some pureed chicken, rice and vegetables. I spent almost the whole day yesterday cooking their dinners and portioning them up for the freezer. They are all enjoying their first 'real food' eating three meals a day with puppy milk and also top-ups from Lily. They have also tried weetabix and milk but were not too keen on this. They are growing rapidly now, looking bigger every day and they are fast outgrowing their welping box, wanting and needing some extra space to play and explore so I also spent some time yesterday putting a large puppy pen up in our dining room with lots of toys and doggy things in for them to play with but after l0 minutes, they cried to go back to their box. I think first time round it was all a little bit overwhelming. They had another l0 minutes today and were slightly better. I had to smile to myself because after they were all safely back in their welping box I caught both Lily and Zak having a mooch around inside the puppy pen. Sniffing and nosing all the toys that were inside. They did look funny.
'Snoozing' Oh! what a life.
'One Puppy Pen'
Minus the puppies.
The puppies exploring the kitchen floor. We had to put their blanket and paper down as they kept slipping on the tiles. Zak was none too impressed.
7th April,2008
The puppies are growing in confidence every day, they love to spend time out of their welping box with Lily and Zak and also us. They are on four meals a day at the moment, starting at around 6.00am in the morning right through to about 10.00pm in the evening. Lily still feeds them about twice a day when she feels like it in between I still give them puppy milk and also water to drink. They are five weeks old tomorrow and growing really well, they are all very different both in personality and looks. They love to play rough and tumble with each other and have begun playing with their toys. They have their second course of wormer starting tomorrow.
They have settled really well into a family environment and they aren't bothered in the least bit with loud noises within the home such as the washing machine, dishwasher, hoover, hairdryer etc. They have had lots of visitors lately and are happy to be handled and not shy in the slightest. Lily and Zak have also really been enjoying all the extra attention. Lily does not seem to be phased by strangers having a look at her babies.
"Buster"
A quiet moment.
10th April, 2008
The puppies started their second dose of wormer yesterday and still aren't that keen. They all weigh in at between 1200g and 1499g. They seem huge now. They tuck in to various foods and have four sometimes five small meals a day. They are still drinking puppy milk but Lily does not feed them very much now and is gradually getting her waistline back. They love playing in the puppy pen and just go back in their welping box at night to sleep. They playfight each other at every opportunity. The funniest time is when we let them out of the puppy pen to explore the house. They dont know where to go first. They love being cuddled and fussed, their teeth are all coming through and they also love chewing fingers and anything else.
All asleep in a heap
Even after they have been fighting they all still curl up and sleep together.
Aged five weeks and two days.
14th April, 2008
Aged five weeks and six days, posing in the puppy pen this morning.
15th April, 2008
Growing Up
The puppies are all growing up so fast almost before my eyes. I can't believe they are nearly six weeks old. The first ones started barking at each other yesterday and boy!! are they noisy now when they are all awake. They girls are definitely the bossy ones. They are the smallest two pups but that doesn't bother them. They even take on Buster who is now almost 500g heavier than the smallest girl. They are eating a good selection of food normally four meals a day which includes chicken, beef, rice, pasta, scrambled eggs, cereals, vegetables and a little bit of dairy such as cottage cheese or natural yoghurt also puppy biscuit soaked in water. Their food is still very soft and mushy but gradually includes more solids and no longer pureed. Their appetites are good and they always lick the bowl clean.
They do have a scrap sometimes if one is being extra greedy, growling and grumbling at each other making sure they get their share.
Hiding in a box
The puppies all hid in a box when I went too the near the puppy pen with the hoover. The picture above was 4 puppies all squashed in a small box and the picture above that is Buster, left out in the cold.
17th March, 2008
Jackinaspin Pink Rosebud
'Belle'
Well yesterday was a very strange day for us as I was helped to choose the puppy we will keep out of the five. It was very mixed emotions and extremely hard to choose. I would love to keep them all, they are all very special and unique in their own ways. But after lots of deliberation we have decided to keep the little 'Pink Girl' her nickname was cheeky and she wore the pink collar, her new pet name will be 'Belle'. The other four all have really lovely new homes to go to and although I will be very sad when it is time for them to leave us I know each and every one of them will be loved and well looked after. The other four have all been named now so we will soon be dropping their nicknames and calling them by their chosen names. I think this also gives them a new identity and we now feel a little bit like their foster home. It is only three weeks and they will be moving on. I cant believe how quickly the time has gone by.
Some of them had their first trim yesterday so they really are big boys and girls. Their ears are beginning to stand up and their tails are always held high and wagging. They are a very happy bunch.
PUPPY NAME UPDATE
Our little girl with the yellow collar, nicknamed Tink has her new pet name which is to be Tilly.
Our little green boy whose nickname is Buster will be known as Zachy, after his Dad which is lovely.
Paws our little white collared boy has his new name which will be Finley.
Finley has learnt problem solving recently and found an escape route out of the whelping box, which at the moment is acting as the puppies night time bed, we watched him yesterday and he takes a running jump and dive bombs over the edge. He is going to be very clever, we think! Does Houdini come to mind!!
Finley and Lily playing
18th April, 2008
"We think maybe Tilly is going to be houseproud, already she is showing signs of becoming domesticated."
