The N Litter!
Drover/Kira
Click here to see the puppies!
October 22, 2013
The "N" litter arrived Saturday morning, October 19, 2013. I will go into more detail on each of the pups with the 1st week update, but wanted folks to see that pups really are here at last.
Kira gave birth to 5 girls, 3 boys with most of the litter being black & tan. These pups will "lighten up" over the next few weeks. The common saying is that they will "tan up" and white markings will shrink some. So the tan markings on the face will become more prominent over time.
Following the usual theme of naming, all pups' names relate back to NC or SC places or things. That will be explained at the 1 week update as well. Until then, enjoy!
October 28, 2013
Pups are growing like weeds and most are closing in on doubling their birth weight already! On day 3, four of the pups & I made the trip to the vet for removal of rear dewclaws. Things went well & they have all recuperated just fine.
Pups continue to be very active and content. Eyes will begin to open during the second week.
November 3, 2013
As of Saturday night (2 weeks old), the crew ranges in weight from 2 pounds, 3 ounces up to 2 pounds, 12 ounces. They show no signs of slowing down in that department! Over the past week all eyes have opened, ears are opening up, nails have been cut once (need it again), everyone is finding their legs and beginning to toddle, not just scoot around. I have seen some beginning signs of play (licking one another) and they are beginning to find their voices. When you look at the pictures, you will notice their eyes have a dusky blue hue to them. This is normal & they will develop into brown eyes over the next couple of weeks.
Kira is taking very good care of all of her pups!
November 10, 2013
All pups are close to 3 1/2 pounds and are walking fairly steadily around the pen. Play has begun between the pups and also between the pups & Kira once they are done nursing. I have been spending time within the pen with the pups (nothing like having an excuse not to work!). They all approach and vie for position on my lap. I caught one pup focusing in on the TV program tonight. I do like it when they become very aware of their surroundings.
There is a marked difference in how they have matured in their photos. They don't look so much like babies any more! Over this coming week, food will be introduced & Holly is wanting to play with them. Since I have moved them to the larger play area during the day, she will begin some interaction with the pups.
November 17, 2013
Pups are weighing around 4 1/2 pounds each with the two smaller ones (Nebo & Nicky) being just a few ounces less. So, I tried putting collars on all of them so when I took pictures, I would be able to tell who was who without looking at feet markings. The collars lasted about 24 hours. They declared I was killing them all with those things! I told them if they would go back to being the sweet pups they were prior to the collars, I would take them off. We had a meeting of the minds. As a result, all pics were without collars, so I had a problem telling which pups were which in the candid photos, which is why some pups only have their "posed" shots.
Pups are enjoying playing with all sorts of toys. When we took them outside the first time this week, there was no issues with being on unfamiliar ground and/or surfaces. This is a pretty confident group! I have already had most of them climb the steps as well. Now just have to teach them how to go back down safely.
November 25, 2013
This past week has been a week of changes for the pups. Lots of time is spent outside, pretty much getting all their food from me now, learned to navigate steps, transitioned to being by themselves at night (no more Kira feedings), plus sleeping in the dark, playing with Holly and they are exploring a little more of the den area.
It has also turned fairly cold at times, so they are getting accustomed to other types of weather. Most of the pups do respond to their names, which I always think is a pretty cool thing! All in all, it has been a fun week!
December 2, 2013
Pups continue to grow & are being fed 3 times a day with kibble. Holly has had a lot of fun playing with them, but she also is a great teacher of rules - what is & is not acceptable puppy behavior.
Biggest change in the pups is how their confidence level is growing while they are outside. They do come quickly whenever they hear me pick up the food bowl though. They also experienced quite a bit of rain this past week, which limited where they could play outside. Finally figured out that no one was going to melt!
During the last half of this coming week, we will be making our "field trips" out to unfamiliar territory. Will be interesting to see how their home behavior translates to away from home.
December 10, 2013
The past week was full of different experiences for all of the pups. We took two trips - one to my agility trainer's house & the other to a herding trainer for a Puppy Instinct Herding Test.
I didn't see a lot of change in their behavior away from home. Overall the pups did very well & I was proud of them!
Over the next week, the pups will be leaving for their new homes. This will be a bittersweet time for us. Knowing that they are going to great homes all across the US makes it much easier. Can't wait to see how they all grow up!
