Monday, March 31, 2008

More play

Here you see two pups playing.  One is biting the other one's tail.  What you didn't see is that before this video was shot, they were going around in a circle biting each other's tails!

More playtime with mom

Sunday, March 30, 2008

Friday, March 28, 2008

A Hungry Bunch

Typical feeding time (can anyone even see the food bowl???)

Outdoor time with the neighborhood kids

At one point, there were 10 kids (from 8 months to 11 years old) and 5 adults playing with the pups.  They get a lot of visitors!  Here they are drinking water outside while playing with mom and neighbors on a nice, warm day.




Playing with mom

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Sunday, March 23, 2008

Happy 4 weeks of age (and Happy Easter)!!!

The puppies are getting so big and strong - no runts in this litter!  So much has changed since the last time we posted on the site.  They are playing so much more, and interact with humans even more than they used to.  They ALL love to play with us and pounce and tease.  So cute but watch out for those razor-sharp teeth!    

They also eat more gruel (puppy food mixed with water and formula) and love it.  Our goal is to "wean" them by 6 weeks, which is the usual weaning time anyway.  Most of them have the potty training almost figured out.  With a couple of exceptions, they go potty in the kennel and sleep and play in the whelping box. Hopefully they will be potty trained (at least most of the way) before going to their new homes.  Zuma (the mom) is very smart (as were her mom and dad both), and was potty trained by 5 weeks of age!  

We've given them their first bath (no soap) to get them accustomed to water and grooming (they already are used to weekly nail clippings, and will soon be used to getting their teeth brushed).  I'll have those pictures posted soon.  They have also had many visitors (adults and kids) to get them used to people of all sizes.  And soon we will take them on short car rides so they won't get nervous about being in cars when they grow up.  The pups also have been outdoors (they didn't know what to think of that).  Once the weather is nicer, they will be able to get out more often and enjoy the weather.  Eventually we will put them on collars and leashes to get them used to that a tiny bit.

Come back either today or tomorrow for picture updates!

Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Puppy Profiles - The Girl Dwarves

Bashful (aka Olive the other puppy, Hanah) - SOLD
Third born.  Is very shy - takes her time to do things and warm up to new things.  Very sweet little girl once she does warm up to you.  Very subdued, not hyper in the least.  Will make a sweet cuddle-bug.
Dopey (aka Little Girl) - SOLD
Fourth born.  Named Dopey because she is the sweet and silly one.  Somewhere inbetween Bashful and a go-getter.  
Happy (aka Koko) - SOLD
Last born.  Second in line for the title "gripey."  Most rotund girl, but these days, she would rather get affection from humans than eat, sleep, or be with mom.  Go-getter personality.  Energetic.  Very vocal.  Most like mom.

First food - milk replacer

Puppy Profiles - The Boy Dwarves

Grumpy (aka Gripey) - SOLD
Sixth born.  He's the grouchiest - well, really he just wants attention from us all the time, so he gripes A LOT!  Go-getter male.
Sneezy (aka Drake) - SOLD
Fifth born.  Named Sneezy because he is somewhere in the middle of shy and sleepy in his appearance and mannerisms.

Doc (aka Carson)
Second born.  Named Doc because he's the "intellectual" one (introspective thinker and watcher). 

Sleepy (aka Bull) - SOLD (New Name: Bullet)
First born.  Bulldozes over everyone.  Very relaxed and mellow. Sleeps through everyone else's feedings and then goes in for the kill.  Always sleeping.

Fun pictures

Puppy teeth
Bored
I'm going to get out of here even if I have to bite my way out!

Monday, March 17, 2008

Happy 3 weeks and 1 day!! Past week updates

The puppies are so adorable now - playing with each other, playing with mom, and playing with us.  They are just now getting their teeth - their eyes have fully opened, as are their ears.  They growl, tug, bite, lick, wag, whine, howl, yelp, and bark louder and fiercer than ever.  The pups play hard, eat hard, and sleep hard just the way puppies are supposed to.  They wait impatiently (well, some are more patient than others) for our affection and attention.  Gripey is now the one with white on his lower back and he loves me.  The last born girl (which we now call Koko) has taken a BIG liking to Derek.  Today I will feed them their first "gruel."  And eventually I will have those pictures up and pictures of when we have them "swim" in the tub.  Zuma is still a great mom.  If a puppy goes under her, she will contort her body so as not to crush them and then stays that way (even is she is shaking in agony) until they either move away or help arrives.  I promise I will have better (and more) videos and pictures up this week.

Saturday, March 8, 2008

Days 10 and 13


For comparison purpose - here are the pups at Day 10 in the same basket in previous pictures.  They don't fit and they don't like the close quarters.
Cuddling with mom on Day 13.
Mom taking a puppy break - hiding from her responsibilities for a minute of peace and quiet (I don't blame her).

All the puppies can now walk on all fours, granted they are still wobbly.  Only a few of them have their eyes open, so we're still waiting on that (and the ears).  But they have been so much more vocal - all of them gripey!!!  And boy do they have an attitude in their sleep!  It's cute - they growl.

Thursday, March 6, 2008

Day 11 Updates

The puppies are about 3 times the size they were at birth!  They do a lot of dreaming where they "run," twitch, growl, bark, and whine.  They started to walk - very wobbly, but still walking on all 4's today.  The oldest (boy) and the youngest (girl) are the fattest of them all.  And they look as if the will open their eyes any day now.  Now, there is a new "Gripey."  It's the first-born girl.  She's also the smallest by comparison, but by no means small.  I will get more pictures and videos up soon.  

Monday, March 3, 2008

Cuddles and Bottles - One Week Old!

The puppies are strong and fat - almost twice as long as their birth and definitely A LOT fatter.  They are more vocal in every way possible and dream even louder (and with more twitching!).  Here is one cuddling with mom.
Here is one of the pups (Gripey) being bottle-fed.

Sunday, March 2, 2008

Sleep Positions

The puppies are so cute!  In addition to "barking" in their sleep (it sounds more like a bark now), they now growl as well! I guess they dream about the nursing fights they have when they're awake!  Here are some cute sleeping positions they get into:

Dreaming about nursing:
I was going to nurse but fell asleep instead while cuddling with mom:
Mom's tail makes a good cuddling pillow:

Gripey's Rude Awakening

Watch the twitching puppy

Hiccups!

The Whole Brood Sleeping


You can tell they're excited about Leap Day!

Nursing time

Watch the one nursing upside down, the one on the opposite end on his back twitching and the one with its head draped over mom's leg.

Scratching Puppy

The Fight!



More Pictures at 4 Days of Age

Lounging
The Seven Dwarves
Lounging

I started to escape but fell asleep on the way out...it was hard work!!
Another view of my escape