Week six
Week Six (Days 26-42)
DEVELOPMENT OF THE PUPPIES
+ Growth and development continue
CARE OF THE PUPPIES
+ Offer soft, damp food
+ Chart weekly weight
+ Individual attention crucial -- give each puppy time with you
away from litter
The puppies are now five weeks old and in the midst of extensive socialisation and stimulation.
Tiny chewing the baby toy, which sounds like a packet of crisps rustling to touch.
Rusty in the box and Bo drinking water.
Lavender on the tin and Ripple lying down.
Tiny chewing the tunnel I had made. It did not last the night as by the morning it had been crushed and broken, bad puppies!
Ripple with a carrot to chew.
Lots of pups interested in the apple.
Lavender practising to wear a collar.
Beefy and Baloo in the bath.
Beefy examining a different surface.
They have also met a variety of people, toddlers
juniors
teenagers
men and women.
Rusty copying mummy and running around with a toy.
Continuing with the mental stimulation I have hung a few items from above so the pups dont keep looking down for fun! They all got their heads stuck from time to time but worked out how to get it loose again.
Ripple
They went in the garden again today, we have been letting them out most days when the rain has stopped. The grass was particularly boggy and the puppies came in filthy, all had to have their legs washed in the sink, which they didn't mind and beefy had to have a full body splash because he was so filthy!
Candyfloss is a sweet girl, she is friendly to everyone in a quiet and unassuming way. I.e she's not the one to run up to you and bite your nose like others we know, she will walk up slowly and crawl onto your lap and nibble your fingers!
There's lots of rough and tumble games going on, Ripple seems to be boss these days and he rules with an iron fist!
Ripple. As you can see the puppies love carrying things in their mouths like mum. Saffie will pick up anything in her mouth, something to which I have encouraged for obedience reasons, e.g. keys, cameras, plastic bottles!
The puppies usually have the run of the garden, but recently they have started eating everything and today was the turn of stones, its mighty hard getting stones out of 9 puppies mouths at once. They're clever too, if you take them away, they just go back!
What I am most impressed with at the moment if their ability to understand space. They will paw and bark at a door for us to open it so they can go through it. Many psychologists believe that animals only think in the present, in that hiding an object to them, such as the space on the other side of the door, means that its gone. But to these puppies (and most dogs, horses, cats etc) they know there is something behind it. They can even remember from the last time the were out that there is something behind the door!
Blondie, Blondie is my friendly boy, he's always there to greet you and loves to be patted and played with!
Beefy, he has such a serious face, but going from the boss role, he has become quite a placid boy to which nothing fazes him!
Candyfloss
We're trying to keep Saffie away to get them weaned off her, but the problem is she wants to be where you are and when you are the pups are! Her pups share that trait, wanting to be wherever you are!
Lavender, pretty Lavender, she has lots of coat and is genuinely a lovely girl!
Rusty hanging over the box. Its usually Beefys' trick to launch himself over the side!
Bo?
Rusty, he's a friendly boy and loves running around! He has got Saffie habit of sitting and thinking. You will see him in the playpen just sitting, studying us! He's a thinker!
Ripple
Baloo, lovely lovely Baloo. He used to be quite nervous, but seems to have gotten over it and is quite a middle of the road chap. He's the one to break up fights and just enjoys chilling.
Bo, cute cute Bo. He looks smaller than Tiny but in fact he's heavier, he is in fact taller and just seems to have mums figure, i.e eat loads but it doesn't show! Bo is by far the friendliest boy you could ever meet. He just gets so over excited and his little tail goes like mad!
Tiny, tiny tiny, not so tiny, he's got dads figure...big. Still a little character and has the cutest run in the world, one leg just flicks up in the air! He still loves exploring and isn't fazed by the world so long as he can play all day long!
Some videos:
Director Bo- he stole the camera to make his own film!