Houston, Eyes Are Open And We Have Liftoff

Between week 2 and 3, the puppies morph from crawling little things to puppies who are interested in checking out their world. Eyes and ears open, as they are introduced to the world around them. Power naps are still the main order of the day, though.

Weekly pedicures have begun, only 192 nails in all! Phoebe appreciates the regular trimming, as those nails can get very sharp.

The nannies are spending time starting to socialize the puppies to adult dogs. We are very fortunate to have them (just don't get confused any time you see adult goldens in the pictures, they are just our hired help, working for biscuits and bacon).

Sacked out after playing hard.

Phoebe has a lot to deal with having 12 puppies to nurse. For a few days, they were supplemented with formula before the puppy smoothies could begin. They all have had excellent appetites and feeding time was over in a heartbeat.

Puppy smoothie time has arrived, and they are loving it! Newspaper makes for a quick cleanup, as well as introducing them to another surface texture. After just two days, they are yelling their cute little heads off when they hear to crumple of their dining tablecloth, impatient to be the first one to the communal feeding trough.

On to week 4 and more adventures to come...

Phoebe's Puppies Have Arrived

Blue and Phoebe's puppies were whelped July 29th, twelve in all!

7 girls (aqua, lime, pink, purple, yellow, orange and white collars) and 5 boys (red, blue, green, brown and black). They eat, sleep and repeat! Here are photos and video from their first six days.

Growing Up

 The puppies are almost 6 weeks now and are on a big and rich adventure!! They have moved from the house to the kennel to experience more sights and sounds, though they get to have house time still.

It's important to expose young puppies to all sorts of surfaces, sights, sounds and people. At the house, they had carpet, linoleum, wood, tile, tarps and all sorts of obstacles to crawl over, under and chew on. Now they get concrete, shavings, dirt, rocks, grass and all sorts of outdoor things. 

So far, they take everything in stride. These pictures were taken on their first day outside, once our rains let up for a bit.

I absolutely LOVE these puppies! There isn't a shy one in the bunch, and I am looking forward to watching the two we keep grow. For now, they still get worn out quickly. Remember, a tired puppy is a good puppy!!

We've Got Lungs, And We Aren't Afraid To Use Them

Liz's puppies are growing like weeds. They have found their voices and are not at all afraid of using them!! Daily socialization continues. Don't mind the goldens in the pictures, they are their nannies and spend time with the puppies socializing them with other dogs while Liz takes a well deserved nap!

Black Labs Are In The House!

The wait for our Pirate and Liz puppies is over.

Liz was looking especially enormous the day before she whelped, but she was still active and having fun throwing the ball for herself in the house.

Puppies arrived without much fuss, ten in all. 5 boys and 5 girls all healthy and thriving.

One of the boys

At this stage, they nurse and sleep, nurse and sleep, repeat. Liz is doing a good job of taking care of them and the nannies are standing by waiting for their turn.

Next step, eyes and ears will be opening and the morphing will begin in earnest.

Koda Puppies Outdoor Adventure

Koda's puppies are now 6 weeks old. They have had their first vaccinations and are ready to romp and explore. They all remain very bold and adjusted very quickly to the world outdoors.

The Boys:

The Girls:

At the end of the day, after enjoying a good meal, I spend time with them in their runs. They love to create the ultimate puppy pile on my lap. There is nothing better!

They'll be headed to their new homes soon, off for the ultimate adventure!!