The "J" Litter
We have been extremely pleased with Holly, out of the Dillon/Kira litter of 2008, and decided it was time to try a repeat of that breeding. At 4 1/2 weeks along in the pregnancy, the vet could only see 2 pups. So we knew we were in for a small Kira litter.
On Saturday night, September 17th, Kira's pups made their appearance. Since there were only two pups to name, I had been thinking it would be fitting to name them after two of my grandfather's first English Shepherds. The male pup will carry the name of Jack, in memory of Major Jack, who was born in July of 1949. The female will carry the name of Joy, in memory of Princess Joy, who was born in December of 1949. Jack's & Joy's descendants were the pups that I played with as a child. Many a happy childhood memory at my grandparent's house involved those wonderful pups!
Week 1 - Having only 2 pups is similar to having only 1 pup in that there is still plenty of food to go around! This week, Jack & Joy have done what come naturally, which includes eating to their heart's content, sleeping & learning to get around. Needless to say, they have grown much faster than pups in a full sized litter, and at 1 week in age, were flirting with weights of 2 1/2 pounds. I can see beginnings of them trying to raise themselves up on their legs. Over the next week, their eyes will open, along with their ears, and they will begin to start using their legs to support their body in preparation of learning how to walk.
Week 2 - I got behind in things around here & didn't get this posted when I should have! However, I did get pictures taken of Jack & Joy & have posted them to their individual pages. At 2 weeks in age, eyes were opened & they were beginning to try to stand and take wobbly first steps. Joy was first in the endeavor. Jack is bigger than Joy, so I figured it took longer for him to be able to support his weight.
Week 3 - Life is still very good for the pups. They are eating well (still only nursing), walking & running now, playing with one another, and looking up when I walk to the pen. They are around 6 pounds with Jack being 1/4 a pound heavier than Joy. Both pups have been great when I turn them on their backs in my arms. I have been trimming nails without too much problems, gently squeezing their feet, along with lots of touching around their heads to get them used to folks reaching out & petting them. Next week will be the start of the "fun" times with them initiating play in a big way.
Week 4 - Through the end of week 4, Jack & Joy were still nursing, but growing on a steady basis. I have figured out that they are about the weight of a normal 6 week old pup. 😉 Both pups are adventurous and are exploring all parts of the den, dining room, the bricks around the woodstove, the great outdoors, etc., with little, to no balking. I am always amazed at how the small litters tend to approach new situations, in which they display a certain confident air about them. These pups are no different. Still receiving a lot of handling by everyone. Jack & Joy had their first visitors this past Saturday. Also are playing with their big sister Holly now. Kira continues to take very good care of both pups, along with teaching them how to play and how to nurse without using those sharp puppy teeth!
Week 5 - How time seems to fly by when there are puppies in the house! It seems like it was just yesterday that they could hardly walk, now the sky's the limit on what they can do! This week the pups were introduced to some solid foods and are eating it several times during the day, along with nursing. We have added outside playtime (lots of it) to the everyday routine, plus quite a bit of playtime with Holly. Jack & Joy have now added grass, dirt, cement, bricks & the wooden porch to their list of surfaces they have been on. Once they started going up the brick steps, I helped them come back down one day. If they go too fast or too hard, they are likely to end up on the sidewalk on their chins. By the next day, they both came down the steps on their own, stretching out slowly (like I helped them do) until they reached that "pivot point" and then dropped down easily. I love working with smart puppies! They also have learned how to go in and out of the house & seem to understand the words "inside" and "outside."
Week 6 - Even though Kira allows Joy & Jack to nurse some, they are pretty much on kibble for their daily rations. The great outdoors has become a bigger place for them to explore over the past few days. Confidence is building to where they will go to the end of the house & out of sight to see what is going on elsewhere. They run and jump most everywhere that they go these days. The steps are not obstacles any longer as they bound up and down with ease. The flowers have suffered greatly between puppies playing hard in them & the recent frost. Holly continues to be a great playmate for the pups.
Jack weighed in at 1 pound at birth. It's hard to tell from the pictures, but I believe that he will be seal in coloring when he is grown. You can see some of the brown highlights in his fur. Although he will have limited white markings, he will be a stunning dog with his seal coat. Jack was born with double rear dewclaws which have been removed.
Four weeks - Jack is such a lovable pup! He's not quite as squirmy as Joy (at the moment) & will look deep into your eyes when he is laying in your arms, on his back. Like Joy, he does "give kisses." He is at least 1/2 pound heavier than she is at the moment. The boy eats good! He tends to play harder with Holly, than Joy. However, Joy tends to play harder with Kira, than Jack. Jack is running just as hard & fast as Joy is now. It took him a few days longer to gain those motor skills, but I suspect it had something to do with his size.
Five weeks - Jack continues to impress me as a fairly laid back kind of guy. He tends to go with the flow about things & appears to think through things sometimes before trying them. I managed to get 3 shots of him climbing the steps, which are on the right side of the page. He also has had a great time playing with the flowers and just plowing through the Vinca plants with great joy! Right now he is still a gentle soul that doesn't fight when I put him in my arms on his back.
Eight weeks - Jack left here weighing a little over 15 pounds, but still very much a cuddling type boy. He is a sweet tempered young man with his seal coloring showing up better in person, than through the photos. He is fairly unflappable in the midst of new situations or sounds and has become quite the explorer this past week. It has been great fun watching him play with Kira and his big sister, Holly. Jack is making his new home in Greensboro, NC with a family of four and will have lots of exposure to kids of all ages, plus will be helping with the chickens as he grows up.
Joy is basically a black and tan girl with some white markings. The small white blaze on her head & the markings on the back of her neck will shrink, and may disappear as she grows. I believe she will still have white around the end of her muzzle, some white on her chest & on her feet when grown. The tip on the tail will be almost nonexistent. Joy weighed in at 1.05 pounds at birth. She too had double rear dewclaws which have been removed.
Four weeks - Four weeks in age has brought a lot of changes for Joy. She is now walking and running - inside and outside the house. The only place she has not tried to explore is the kitchen, otherwise, everything else seems to be fair game. She is a licker, easy to get along with, still likes to be held & cuddled.
Six weeks - Joy is always on the go looking for new things to explore, with Jack right behind her. Kira loves to play fetch with her Kong ball. Joy will stand nearby & rush out to try and herd her mom as Kira returns with the ball. It's quite funny at times. So far, she has been easy to correct, comes when called & is right there in the middle of things. She is a fun pup, all the way around!
Eight weeks - Joy left here weighing a little over 14 pounds. She and Jack have had a blast romping through whats left of the flowers, playing in the leaves, climbing and pouncing on one another. Joy definitely has an opinion about most things, but is still fairly easy to correct. I can see a little of the "fun police" in her, like her sister Holly. Joy will probably be very into rules and enforcing them. She has joined a family in Fayetteville and will be exploring the new world there, plus out of town family visits this holiday season.