Week 8 - It hardly seems that 8 weeks could have already passed. There is always joy, but also some sadness watching these pups grow up, prepare for their new homes and then leave. We are at that time of letting go this weekend. Both girls have wonderful homes lined up for them with the possibility of staying intact for the next generation. Tega reminds me so much of her grandfather. I can see glimpses of Dillon in her expressions, just how she is made and such. This week I began to see a lot of Roper in Taylor, which has been kind of interesting to see how much is "hardwired" into our puppies. The way Taylor moves, the way she licks, the way she already understands the concept of pushing open a door, this is all so Roper in nature. I am very pleased that there are 2 more girls from the cross between Holly & Zeke out there now. I hope to follow both of these girls very closely over the years!

Week 7 - It has taken me a little longer to update the website with this week's info about the girls. We did a return visit over to my agility trainer's house & both girls got a chance to go back over the agility stuff for puppies before we left. I wanted them to meet some of the other folks who were not there the previous week, plus see how much they retained from their last trip. I am pleased to say that they both did the A-frame quite easily this time around! We also had visitors one day, plus the vet visit that evening. We have also been rained on (big time) when some fairly major storms rolled through this past Sunday night. Water was ponding up in the yard and across the sidewalk. It was very wet with 4 1/2" of rain that evening. Plus they got to hear their first thunderstorm. Both girls will be leaving for their new homes in just a few days. It's hard to believe that they will soon be 8 weeks old!

Week 6 - This week has held quite a few firsts for the girls. They have taken their first car ride & did quite well! That trip included an intro to many new folks, an unfamiliar place, things they had not seen before, but all in all, it was good trip. They have also had the opportunity to interact with their big sister Roper in the front yard, along with having some different outside toys set up including a tunnel, a low step and a Fitbone, which "gives" whenever they step on it. They also experienced rain, getting wet, being in the wet grass and by necessity, being dried off before coming back inside. We have been working on learning to sit prior to exiting a gate, or being petted, or having the food bowl set down. No command is attached to the action, just waiting until they complete the action & then giving the reward of opening the gate, petting them or putting the food bowl down on the ground. The food bowl was changed to the large metal round puppy bowl which also provides entertainment for all involved. 😉 From the person standpoint, it is fun to watch them chase the food around. From the puppy standpoint, they are learning to "find" the food, plus not being startled by the sound of the metal bowl clanging on the sidewalk.

Week 5 - We are spending a lot of time outside now during the daylight hours. The temporary fence has been set up so they have plenty of room to run and play & I don't have to worry about them getting into trouble. I am feeding them kibble 3 times a day and they are still doing a little bit of nursing. Holly is weaning them & she is enjoying the extra space to play with them in the yard. We did have some visitors on Friday. Both girls were not quite sure what to make of the boys & their mom at the start. Taylor warmed up first and began enjoying the attention. It took Tega a little while longer, but once she decided they were fine people, she rewarded them with kisses and tail wags. All in all, it was a good week!

Week 4 - The girls have been spending more time outside this week. That is, when it was not too cold or rainy. It amazes me at how quickly they acclimate themselves to new surroundings & surfaces. They are eating some food now and are making the transition to soaked kibble. They have been moved to a larger pen in the den so they can actually run a little bit while they are inside. Both have been on the wood flooring & handled it like a pro! Oh, and their legs seem to be catching up to their body size so now they are a little more in proportion to each other. Both still have the wagging tail & lots of licks/kisses to pass out to anyone who comes near.

Week 3 - The girls have been busy growing & learning about the world outside of their own selves. This week saw changes in how they related to each other, which was fun to watch - mouths exploring legs & ears of each sister, learning to not just walk with ease, but starting to move faster, reacting quicker to sounds from outside the pen, looking to see where the sound is originating, and more. Different toys have been added to their pen. They made their first trip to the outside world on Sunday afternoon in the bright sun with a good stiff breeze blowing. We went out without Holly so there was no "mommy" distraction while they explored on their own for the first time. I expanded their pen last night & expect the new pen to last about another week before we transition to the larger x-pen configuration. They still do a lot of sleeping, but seem to react quicker to sounds, so maybe their sleep is not quite as deep as it was a week ago. The girls are full of licks (I think we have another set of licky puppies!), along with hard tail wags when they realize that folks are near or inside the pen. The tail wagging melts my heart, especially when displayed at such an early age.

Week 2 - It has been a fairly quiet week around here with the girls continuing to grow. Eyes opened on Day 9, the girls were beginning to show signs of hearing the outside world by 2 weeks of age. They can pretty much walk about for short distances, can clamber around and over things without too much trouble. They have received their first dose of de-wormer, nails have been trimmed, have been held quite a bit and are showing signs of trying to explore their world via their mouths. This next week will bring a lot of changes to their world as they continue to develop.