5 weeks old

The pups are turned into a fun, social and playful bunch. A bummer that it has been so hot and we haven't been able to go outside very much. They have had a few outings into the backyard. When in the puppy pen, the pups often cluster down at the one end with the vinyl flooring and plaster themselves against the ex-pen closest to the AC vent. They also like sleeping around (or in) the water bowl. On Tuesday, Cedar finally figured out how to get over the low half gate - pups from other litters have made an escape at 3 1/2 to 4 weeks of age. So, I have inserted the higher panel which thoroughly discourages Willow from getting into the puppy pen, although Auntie Tacara still goes in to take care of clean up duty. The pups are doing a very good job at using the litter box. Nancy has started doing some baby puppy training exercises midday. It is always interesting to observe the pups' temperaments when you work with them as individuals in new situations. Laurel outdid her brothers for demonstrating early trainability. Knowing Nancy, she will have these pups sitting for attention in no time. Willow is still nursing the gang, but they are eating an increasing amount of soaked kibble. And they have weights to prove how well they are doing in the eating department. All the pups gained approximately 2 lbs last week! Sequoia is once again the big boy at 8.3 lbs. Buckeye, Birch and Cedar all weighed in at 8 lbs, and Linden and Chester weren't too far behind. Laurel is the semi-petite pup at 7 lbs.

4 1/2 week old puppy pics

Indoor puppy pen, litter box at far end


The ravenous hoard - getting big!!


Buckeye and toy


Chester and toy


Outdoor puppy pen

Lunch on the lawn

Buckeye just about ready to fall asleep in the food bowl

4 weeks old

Four weeks old, and they are a bunch of playful, curious puppies - and of course totally adorable. In addition to trips to the front yard when weather allows, the pups are starting to get free time in the house. This litter has had no confidence issues, just confidently explore the new environments. The laminate and tile floors in my house have also posed few challenges for these pups. Multiple pups have started looking over the low half gate into the puppy pen. I expect an escapee by this weekend. Four week weights ranged from 6.1 lbs (Sequoia) to 5.2 lbs (Laurel). Little Blue boy Birch has caught up with the big boys and weighs in at 6 lbs. Cedar who was lagging behind the pack these last couple of weeks has thrived on soaked kibble and was the biggest gainer this week, weighing in at 5.9 lbs.

From Blobs to Beings

Two to four weeks of age is always my favorite time when raising a litter. For the first two weeks, the pups are helpless, blind, deaf blobs. Then around 2 weeks of age, their eyes open and they start emerging. The pups are currently 3 1/2 weeks old and look like little puppies, each with their own distinct face. They can see, hear, walk, climb, run, eat soaked whole kibble, drinking from a water bowl, and nurse from Willow standing up. They also have teeth and are starting to use them. I saw Chester tugging at the pen blanket and then shredding the newspaper underneath. Their pen has been bumped out to full size (2 ex-pens) and I have added lots of toys and the full sized litter box (the cargo liner from a Ford Escort). And the pups are starting to enjoy exploring new places - like the front yard. At this age the pups are still sleeping most of the time, and play sessions are quite short. Other than getting bigger, the percentage of time awake is the the biggest change that will occur during the next 4 weeks. Now if I could just convince Willow to feed her kids in the middle of the night. I continue to have to get up and coax Willow into the puppy pen to nurse. During the day, the most obvious sign that she needs to nurse the pups is when she starts leaving milk puddles on my hard floors. But Willow is hardly ready to turn down 8 cups of food a day that contribute to this abundant milk production. Even with reduced rations, Willow is counting down the days until she gets to go home.

Sleeping puppy pics

Sequoia sleeping


Chester & Sequoia sleeping


Laurel sleeping in a pile of toys

Linden asleep on the piano

Outdoor adventures

Yesterday, the pups had their first adventure outside. Cautious, but not overwhelmed by the experience. They had dinner on the lawn, and have gone out a couple of times today. At this age, they stay close together, do a little exploring, and then fall asleep.

Chester the explorer

Cedar

Pups at play

Sequoia & Laurel mouth wrestling

Buckyeye, all tuckered out

3 weeks old

Three weeks old and doing great. The pups are getting increasingly more agile on their feet and are starting to react a bit to loud sounds. Ear canals are starting to open. They have transitioned from canned food to soaked kibble mash. Willow is in peak lactation and this will be the last week of the 8 to 9 cups of kibble per day - poor darling.

All the pups gained at least 1 lb this last week. The new big boy is Buckeye (Purple), Mr Chow Hound. He weighs 4.4 lbs. Birch (Blue) had the largest weekly gain and was almost the same size as the former big boy Sequoia (4 1/4 lbs), not too shabby for being one of the smallest pups at birth. Cedar (Yellow), Linden (Green), and Laurel (Pink) are the three smallest pups at 3.9 lbs, but still a very respectable weight for 3 week old retriever pups. Considering the wide range of birth weights, this litter has done amazingly well for becoming a uniformly sized bunch without any stragglers.