Lots of changes

This litter is proving to be a precocious and vigorous bunch. All the pups except for Big Red had doubled their birthweights by 5 days of age - Willow produces some rich milk. The pups have already outgrown their newborn hairband collars. They are actively commando crawling around the pen and their eyelids are starting to separate. We may have some eyes open by this weekend. For BioSensor exercises, they have been a passive group which is usually a good thing for assistance dog prospects. After raising some larger litters, doing BioSensor exercises with just 7 pups seems like a breeze.


Blue boy showing off his new pigment. Golden retriever and yellow Lab pups are born with pink pads and noses, but they quickly develop pigment during their first week. Compare to the earlier pics, especially the close up of the puppy faces.


The pups have also outgrown their small wading pool and I have found that the big puppy pool is too hot and stuffy this time of year, so the pups have moved into an ex-pen with a crib bumper (amazing what nice puppy stuff you can find at the Goodwill Store). They are still camping out in my bedroom to provide Willow with a more secluded place and allow me to keep tabs on everyone at night. The pups have also outgrown their laundry basket holding box, and have graduated to a larger plastic tote to hang out in during pen bedding changes.