8 weeks

Day 61 - 03/19/08

We now have an empty nest (except for Dixie of course). Deuce flew to Tennessee today. He was supposed to go yesterday, but all the flights were cancelled out of the Cedar Rapids airport due to heavy fog...  He has safely arrived in TN and as we expected, is reported to have "hit the ground running"!

Day 59 - 03/17/08

Happy St. Patrick's Day!  Tonight Deuce will be getting another bath in preparation for his big day tomorrow as he SHOULD be flying to his new home in Tennessee. Dixie will be lonely without him since he's the last of her siblings to go. Deuce and Dixie came into the house last night and played and played and played! They ran as fast as they could from the kitchen to the living room and back and then back and forth again until they ran themselves ragged. It was quite the hoot!  Deuce has already mastered the stairs, not to my surprise as Dixie had it licked in less than a minute total.

ALSO, FDSB Registration papers were mailed to The American Field today. If you wanted your dog registered, you should expect your papers back in around 30 days.

Day 58 - 03/16/08

Daisy went to her new home today. She was so excited to meet her new daddy and planted plenty of sweet (wet) kisses on his face. She did really well with her new collar and on a leash for the very first time. She has a new big sister named Lucia (a mini-schnauzer) and they hit it off right away! Daisy's new full name will be Hickory's Daisy Duke.

Day 56 - 03/14/08

Deuce was a little trouper in his new flight kennel on the way to the airport and on the leash walking through the airport today. Everyone came over to meet him because he's just so handsome and were very curious to know what breed he was! Unfortunately, the airlines would not accept Deuce on the filght due to overbooking and weight restrictions because of spring break. Hopefully he will get to fly to his new home in Tennessee this Tuesday.

Pups are now 8 weeks old, still growing like weeds and are gaining upwards of three pounds per week now. They have also become quite destructive in nature and enjoy chewing holes in their bedding and pulling out the stuffing as well as tugging back the rubber flooring in their playpen to expose the dri-deck tiles beneath! They are now to the point where they've outgrown the play pen.

7 weeks

Day 53 - 03/11/08

Deuce and Daisy were microchipped today. They both will be going to their new homes this weekend, then poor Dixie will be left all alone. Dixie (aka H.O.P.E) has been coming into our home regularly to have play sessions with the BIG dogs! She has found the cat's bed and absolutely loves it. In fact if Penelope (the cat) is sleeping in HER bed, H.O.P.E. will roust her out of it so she can have it! It's the funniest thing! I have taken a few photos of her in Penny's bed for your enjoyment (and ours).

Day 51 - 03/09/08

And then there were three... The puppy nursery has been much less chaotic lately after Darby, Doc and Denalli flew the coop this weekend. The remaining three are like little peas in a pod. They snuggle in their bed and they play together very well. Daisy and Deuce will be with us until next weekend when Deuce will fly to Tennessee and Daisy will start her new life in Des Moines, IA. Until then, we are thankful that Dixie has company in the play pen.

Day 50 - 03/08/08

Doc and Denalli went to their new homes today. Doc's new name is Leo, Denalli's new name is Cash. We are just so thrilled with the wonderful new lives these pups are embarking upon.

Just posted - new families for Doc and Denali

Day 49 - 03/07/08

Darby was the first one to leave the nest today. Bright and early her new family arrived at Hickory Hollow and got to see her for the very first time in person. It was a very touching moment for Darby to meet her new daddy, daddy's girlfriend, grandma and grandpa, and for us to see how much she will be loved and cared for. Her new name will be Hickory's Indiana Belle, "Indie" for short.  Duchess approved of Darby's new family and got to say good-bye to her daughter and see that she was leaving in a big van with a loving new family and a Brittany Spaniel for an older sister. She was at peace with that.

Just posted - 7 week portraits

The pups are now ready to fly the coop. They are increasingly more and more unimpressed by their extra large play pen and are eager to get out and explore the world. They are definitely ready to start their new lives, the one that begins on the other side of the play pen wall.

6 weeks

Day 48 - 03/06/08

Boy, are these pups ready to go home! You can tell they are getting really bored with their play pen and are just busting at the seams to get out for a new area to explore. Today we had our first "No Jump" lesson... by the end of the lesson, the pups were catching on and stayed off the playpen door very well. Not that they will remember the next time, but they are almost to the point where training will start to stick. I'm sure their first lessons after they go home will be potty training! These dogs are so smart, I'm sure they will catch on to that lickety-split.

Just posted: More miscellaneous photos!

Day 46 - 03/04/08

Microchips were implanted today for the pups that are going home this weekend (Doc, Darby and Denali). They were great little troupers and didn't even flinch a bit. I was so proud of them! Hopefully the others will do just as well next week.

Duchess is no longer nursing the pups and her milkbar is already showing a significant reduction in size. I'm sure she appreciates that!

Day 43 - 03/01/08

First I must apologize for the lag time in between the blog posts. I've had a very hectic schedule lately with late nights and early mornings and puppy duties with not much time in between for blogging.

Today was a big day for the puppies, they had their fourth worming and also their first vaccinations as well as having their 6 week portraits taken. They also had some visitors (my nieces) who thoroughly enjoy getting down on the floor and playing with them. They played hard and finally crashed after about 40 minutes of chasing the wing on a string, chewing shoestrings, dragging my boots around, tugging on blankets and pony tails, and biting toes and ear lobes. I was really surprised at how long they played just because the vaccinations tend to make them tired for the day.

Just posted:  6 week portraits and weight measurements.

WOW, these pups are growing like WEEDS! Most pups are already 9 pounds with Deuce topping out at 10 pounds (a stocky little chunk) and little Doc still at only 8 pounds (a petite little guy). The pups are sleeping less and less and are able to now play for about 30 minutes before they are all tuckered out. They are eating dry kibble consistently now, even though they still try to nurse on momma when she's around, but she will growl at them and warn them not to. We also removed the platform for the water dish as they are now big enough to reach it on their own without the extra step up. They like to put their front paws on the little round bricks to give them a little boost, but for the most part they don't have trouble reaching the water dish. Half of the pups will be going home next weekend already and boy has the time just flown by.

5 weeks

Day 38 - 02/25/08

These days it's total chaos in the Puppy Nursery when the pups are let out of the playpen for dinner time. We've been fishing for puppies with the wing on a string a lot lately, seeing who will be the first to bite! Darby and Daisy are definitely the most interested, with Dixie and Deuce just behind them. Doc was very curious about it today and so was Denali. We think they will catch on soon enough. We've posted a few more miscellaneous photos and a video clip for your viewing pleasure. (view photos) (view clip)

Day 36 - 02/23/08

WOW, Puppy Selection went lickety-split this year! Thanks to all of you who kept in touch over the past week and formed your opinions and lined up your choices ahead of time. I believe the puppy picks went well and for the most part everyone actually ended up with the pup they wanted, regardless of their rank in the selection order. We love it when it works out so well for everyone! YIPPEE!

Week #5 portraits have been posted as well as a few more miscellaneos photos.

Puppy Selection starts this week! The pups are becoming much more active these days and play for longer periods of time before crashing for a nap. They are eating dry food and drinking water from the automatic waterer really well. This is the stage that I begin lovingly referring to the pups as "my little monsters"! They are into everything, are usually under my feet, and chew on everything, including your fingers and toes, OUCH!

4 weeks

Day 32 - 02/19/08

Around 5 pm this evening, I was curious to see how the pups would react to a pheasant wing. I was not at all surprised that Darby was the first to notice it, sniff it and follow it around. The faster it moved, the faster she moved, and she's quick! The second to notice it was Daisy, she was VERY curious about it and was sniffing it, but what really surprised me about Daisy was that she actually stopped and pointed it, tail up, head low and everything. When I circled it around her she just moved her head to follow it but stayed on point! I was just thrilled to see this behavior out of such a young pup. Dixie was the last pup to really care about the wing, sniffing and following it. None of the other pups could've cared less, but they could've been distracted with their romping and playing as it was chaos in the playpen during that time.

Day 31 - 02/18/08

This morning as we are completely snowed in due to the drifts across our country roads, the pups are all snuggled into their warm bed in the play pen. They are very smart about leaving the bed to go potty, but then go right back in to snuggle. Doc did his business then proceeded to wipe his feet in the cedar (it was too funny to see the little guy doing that).

The pups are now starting to interact more with inanimate objects, such as their rubber balls and bones, during play. Up until this point, they have only been initiating play with us or their litter mates, but are rapidly becoming aware of stuff they can chew on (my toes) or tug on (a blanket or my coat sleeve) or pull the stuffing out of (their momma's bed).

Day 30 - 02/17/08

I've got lots of fun updates for you today! Puppy Personality Profiles have been posted (read now). The puppy stats section of this page has just been updated with current weight measurements, our predictions about how much ticking the pups will have as adult dogs as well as the reservation status in preparation for next week's selections. I have also changed up the miscellaneous photos section in order to make the photos easier to view and have added a new video clip of "Bristol the Nanny". ENJOY!

Day 28 - 02/15/08

Today was the last day that the puppies will be in the whelping box as it is now time for them to be transferred to their 9' x 4.5' play pen. The pups are all weighing over 5 pounds now, except for little Doc, he's still lagging behind in the weight department, but not in the personality department! Puppy portraits, personality profiles, weight measurements and ticking predictions should be ready sometime tomorrow.

Third worming

We are now to the point where momma is taking care of the pups less and less and I am taking care of them more and more! This week is a major milestone for the puppies because they will be transferred to the new nursery and puppy play pen which will make this process much easier on me! This week I will be posting puppy personality profiles in preparation for selection week starting next weekend.

3 weeks

Day 26 - 02/13/08

The weaning process is going very well. The puppies like the Eukanuba weaning cereal and cleaning up afterwards has been a breeze compared to when we used Esbilac 2nd Stage cereal because it was sticky. The Eukanuba cereal is not sticky at all and therefore we don't have remains of breakfast on the pups all day long!

Deuce was the first one to discover the water bowl and sit down for a long drink, next was Denali and Daisy. These pups are all pretty smart!  

More miscellaneous photos taken during this week have been posted.  

Day 24 - 02/11/08

Well, we are starting the weaning process at least 3 days ahead of schedule as compared to Litter C, but these pups are definitely ready. When presented with their dinner in the new format, most pups took to it right away. Check out the video of their first meal of the Eukanuba weaning cereal.

Day 23 - 02/10/08

The puppies teeth are almost all in now. The front teeth including the canines are in and the lower molars are now in, but the upper molars are just starting to cut the gums. Their beautiful baby blue eyes are starting to turn the deep amber that they will be as adults. The color change starts at the pupil and spreads outward.

When the puppies were out of the box for a play session, a couple of them wandered by Duchess' breakfast (which she hadn't eaten yet) and the next thing I knew they were diving into it and mowing down!! I couldn't believe it, especially since the kibble was so large. That's when I decided to go make some breakfast for them with the Nutri Source small puppy sized kibble soaked in hot water. They went at that with total enthusiasm; and they haven't even been introduced to cereal yet! At three weeks I would've thought it was a bit early to start the weaning process, but these pups are ready. This evening I am going to prepare them a meal of Eukanuba weaning cereal because I think that will be easier for them to eat than the chunkier kibble since their molars aren't completely in yet and it would be hard for them to chew.

Just posted 3 week puppy portraits!

Day 21 - 02/08/08

This is the time that we like to start taking the puppies out of the whelping box for socialization sessions, usually two or three pups at a time. They get to go to a different room in the house to explore, meet the "big dogs", and are handled by people, both adults and children (namely my nieces). When exploring, most pups are not afraid to venture away from the security of their littermates or us and usually have their noses to the ground, taking in all the new scents.

Second Worming

This is my absolute FAVORITE time during puppy rearing when the puppies are at this age. They are sweet and tender and give soft kisses; their teeth are not fully developed, so when they chew on you it doesn't hurt yet, they are curious and like to explore their surroundings for the first time and they are still slow enough to catch when they wander too far!

Now that the pups are three weeks old they are becoming very attentive and you can actually capture their attention. They are also initiating play with their litter mates. They paw at each other and chew on each other, as well as bark and growl. They have definitely found their little voices. They will also lunge forward during play and spin in circles, sometimes losing their balance and topping over. They are just hilarious to watch and are such characters.

During this week we will begin socializing the pups to new and different surroundings as well as all kinds of noises. This practice will help to make the pups more easily adjust to change in the future.

2 weeks

Day 20 - 02/07/08

We've had an escape!! This evening, little Denali decided that he wanted to explore what was on the other side of the box... and so he did!  We had been observing that the pups were getting stronger and more inquisitive and had anticipated that an escape would happen soon.  

Therefore, we added the half-door panel to the box so that the "exit wall" would be much taller and hold them in for another few days. Probably before they turn 4 weeks, we will have to have the full door on the box because the half-door won't contain them any longer either.  Right after that happens, we will be taking them out to the new facility to romp and play in the big play pen.

Day 19 - 02/06/08

The pups are now starting to display their playful natures. They are pawing at and chewing on each other as well as vocalizing with play growls and barks.

Day 18 - 02/05/08

When the pups are born, both their eyes and their ears are closed.  Their eyes usually open at 1 1/2 weeks, but now their ear canals are deepening and soon they will be open.  The pups are hearing better every day and even the slightest noise can sometimes stir them from their slumber. Darby, Doc and Dixie's teeth cut through the gums today.

Our German Shepherd, Quincy, just loves the puppies and believe it or not, of all our dogs, he is the one Duchess trusts with her pups. We call him our pupsitter because he is so patient and gentle with them. It is great socialization for the pups to spend time with "the big dog" and they all love the Quin man. (view clip)

Just posted are more miscellaneous photos during this week

Day 17 - 02/04/08

The puppies (Denali, Daisy and Deuce) are starting to cut teeth now. They have been forming under the gums for several days now, but now the teeth are beginning to cut through, starting with the canines.

We are also starting to notice that Deuce is quite the little character. He is a very vocal pup and barks if he's got something to tell you, especially if momma comes into the box to check everyone and then doesn't sit down for a nursing session. He seems to let his frustrations known that he wanted a little dinner! This isn't always funny, especially at 4 o'clock in the morning...

Day 16 - 02/03/08

Today was the final day of our Super Dog program and the pup's personalities are starting to emerge. It's amazing how much difference just a few days makes and the possibility that the program has advanced the pups to this point so early. Here are a few of our observations:

Darby and Doc were visibly the most responsive of all the pups early on. The third was Dixie. These pups were the first to come to the edge of the box to greet you and enjoy being petted. We find Darby and Doc laying next to each other a lot and are like peas in a pod.

Darby and Deuce were the first to wag their tails in response to our voices.

We have seen the first evidence of playful nature. Darby and Deuce both tried to initiate play with a fellow littermate. I happened to catch Deuce in a few photos.

All of the puppies are now up on their feet and walking around. They look like little drunken sailors as they wobble around, sometimes losing their balance and falling over. View a video clip of the puppies being very active.

Day 15 - 02/02/08

The puppies had their two week portraits taken today. They are simply precious and I love being able to see their gorgeous eyes and the sweet innocence in their faces.

Photos just posted:

     Portraits - 2 weeks old

     Miscellaneous photos during this week

     Snapshot from the LIVE Puppy Cam.

First Worming

Now that the pups are two weeks old and their eyes are open, they are coming over to the side of the box to greet you. They are still quite wobbly when they walk and sometimes still scoot around on their bellies, but are starting to get around much better now. They like to snuggle up close to your neck when you cuddle them and sometimes they lick your face and give you tender kisses.

1 week

Day 13 - 01/31/08

Here comes the POOP!  Up until a few days ago, the puppies could not urinate and defecate on their own, they had to be stimulated by Duchess licking them. Now they are definitely doing the pooping on their own. God has just put the odor in the poopoo too! P-U.

The puppies are also growling and barking now. Earlier today I was scratching Daisy on her back and she was growling this little rolling growl at me all the while. I got a kick out of that.  Now that they have their eyes open they are starting to notice you when you are sitting next to the box and some will come over to investigate.

Day 12 - 01/30/08

Doc's eyes are opening today and now ALL the puppies (including Doc) are getting up on all fours and are walking around. Pretty soon they will be romping and playing with each other.  

I had to put the warming lamp back on the box as the room was getting too cold during the day since the thermostat is set lower on weekdays. I didn't want the puppies getting chilled.  You can always tell when they are cold because they will all snuggle up together in one big ball, but when they are comfortable, they will be all spread out.

Day 11 - 01/29/08

Today was another exciting day at Hickory Hollow! Denali and Daisy's eyes are opening now.  Both Dixie and Deuce took their first steps today - bellies off the ground and everything!

I wasn't quick enough with the camera to catch Deuce on film, but I was lucky enough to catch Dixie! She's still very wobbly and you just sit and watch, all the while holding your breath and hoping she makes it to where she's going without falling over. Like I said yesterday, don't blink.

Day 10 - 01/28/08

Today was a very exciting day in Puppyland! Doc did hit the 2 pound mark today as expected.  Dixie's eyes are beginning to open and Darby and Deuce's eyes are already over half open. It won't be long now until all the pups have them open. Once they are finally open, it will take a couple days for them to be able to focus on things. It gets really fun when they start to recognize you when you come into the room and run over to meet you at the edge of the box.

Another exciting change is that the pups are getting so strong that they are actually sitting up for short periods of time and some are even trying to walk on all fours without scooting on their bellies.  Wow do these little guys change quickly. If you blink, you might miss something!

Day 9 - 01/27/08

At this stage the puppies are changing so quickly. They are all over 2 pounds now except for Doc, but I'm sure he will reach that milemarker tomorrow. At this point, they are all gaining at least 2 ounces a day and some pups are gaining almost 3.

Current weights:

Darby and Duece's eyes have begun to open. It begins at the corner of the eyes by the tear ducts and works its way across. On these two pups, the crease has just started to open and you can see the eye glistening underneath.

Day 8 - 01/26/08

The crease which separates the pups' upper and lower eyelids is slowly getting deeper and will eventually separate allowing us to get the first glimpses of those  beautiful sparkling eyes.  They are cute now, but they just gain so much personality in their little faces once you can look into their eyes.

We removed the heat lamp and warming tray from the whelping box as the pups are now better able to regulate their own body temperature and don't get chilled as easily. I'm sure Duchess will be very appreciative of that since she seemed to be roasting underneath it.

The pups got their first nail trims today.

Photos just posted:

     More Miscellaneous photos

Day 7 - 01/25/08

Today the pups are one week old already! Most pups are already weighing over 1 1/2 pounds and are rapidly approaching 2 pounds. I have just updated their weights in the puppy stats section.

Photos just posted:

     Portraits - 1 week old

     Miscellaneous photos during the first week

     Snapshot from the LIVE Puppy Cam
 

The puppies are so healthy and strong and getting around quite well and somewhat quickly these days.  Some of the pups are even starting to get their bellies up off the ground, although their balance is not good and they wobble a lot.  The  pup's eyes will be opening this week, we guestimate around next Tuesday (Jan 29th) or so.
 

birth
week

Day 5 - 01/23/08

We hope that you all have had a chance to view the puppies through the LIVE Puppy Cam by now. We're sorry that our server crashed so much the first few days, but it seems the LIVE feed web page has been quite popular. On the day the pups were being born, we had over 1,300 hits on our site within a few hours and with that kind of load, it's no wonder the camera server crashed. Now that the traffic has slowed down a bit, it may be easier to get your chance at viewing the LIVE Puppy Cam, so if you haven't seen it yet, go try it again. It's really fun!

In case you still can't get connected, I've just posted a snapshot from the LIVE Puppy Cam.

Also posted new video clip of Duchess giving the pups a bath

Day 3 - 01/21/08

Today we began our Super Dog Program. We believe this program aids in the development of the puppy's central nervous system to greatly improve their performance as adults (read more).  The Super Dog Program will run from day 3 to 16 of the pup's life.
 

Day 2 - 01/20/08

The puppies freckles are already starting to develop on their skin, mainly on their little noses.  Eventually the freckled skin all over their bodies will grow colored hair called ticking.

A second set of portraits of the pups has been posted).

Also posted a video from today of the puppies nursing.

Day 1 - 01/19/08

The umbilical cords have shriveled up and are now falling off.  Duchess is such a wonderful mother, tending to them almost 24 hours without let-up. The only time she wants to leave them is to go outside three or four times a day for just a few minutes each time. She's feeding them so well that all the pups have gained almost one ounce or more already.

The first portraits of the pups were posted this afternoon.  

Dew claws were removed today.

Day 0 - 01/18/08

Pups are born (3 males / 3 females).  Both Duchess and pups are doing well.  

For several hours after birth, the puppies noses are a bright pink as the oxygen from their first breaths circulates throughout their little bodies. At this stage all they do is eat and sleep and are never completely still. They tend to twitch, jerk and stretch even while sleeping. They also have amazing instinctive reflexes to crawl, seek warmth and nurse.