Week 7

Day 56 - 04/25/09

Today is Filson's big day! This morning he had his first car ride to the vet to get his health certificate so that he can fly to his new home tomorrow. The vet just loved him and commented on his wonderful personality and good health. Then later he had his bath and blow dry and was not at all phased by the hair dryer. What a good boy! Filson will fly to his new home in Viriginia on Sunday, his new name will be Gage.
 

Week 7

Day 53 - 04/22/09

Today Filson went up to the horse barn with me for my morning chores. He hoofed it all the way up there all by himself. He was so full of energy and excited to be going somewhere new. He came back when I called him and stayed relatively close. That helped to tucker him out before going back to the playpen in the Puppy Cottage to stay during my long day at work. Then he came into the house again to socialize during the evening hours.
 

Day 51 - 04/20/09

Filson is such a good natured little pup, he's so content with his surroundings and was right at home all by himself in the Puppy Cottage, although he was VERY glad to see me when I arrived home from work.  I took him into the house so he could have some socialization time with the big dogs. He loved that!
 

Day 50 - 04/19/09

Fenway went home to Michigan today with his new famiy. His new name may be Mac? They're still trying to decide. Poor little Filson is left all alone in the Puppy Cottage, and he will be here for another week until he can fly to his new home in Virginia. We will have to take extra special care of Filson this week so that he has interaction and playtime with the big dogs. HOPE would love to entertain him for a while each day!
 

Day 49 - 04/18/09

Four more pups flew the coop today.  The day started with Fallon, her new name is Hickory's Bella Luna and she is going to Wisconsin. Then Feather left, her new name is Finnoula and she will live in Michigan. Then Feivel, his new name is Murphy, will live in Colorado, and finally Flash, his new name is Hickory's Captain Sig who will be living in Nebraska.

It's so fun to finally meet all the new families in person. We have always been so delighted and blessed in finding such wonderful homes for our babies.

New photos of the pups with their new families have been posted (view now)
 

Most of the pups are flying the coop this weekend. Felicity went home last night, her new name is Matty Llew. Faith also went home last night and her new name is Tatum.

Week 6

Day 48 - 04/17/09

Today was the last morning all the pups will be together as litter mates. Felicity and Faith are going home today with many more pups leaving tomorrow; they will start a new life with their new families. I had to give Felicity a big ol' hug (she's my fave) and some extra lovin's this morning because she always looks up at me so sweetly with those big brown puppydog eyes and wants my attention.

While we absolutely love them all unconditionally, there is always that one pup out of every litter that really tugs at your heartstrings and for Litter F, it is Felicity. It's amazing to me that the pup which would've been our first pick of the females was the last one left. This is why we were extra particular when reviewing applications for her adoption, we knew we had to find her an extraordinary home, and we certainly accomplished that! Although it is a melancholy day for me, I know these pups are so ready to be out in the big old world on the other side of the playpen, enjoying life with all the wonderful famlies that we have so carefully chosen for them.
 

Day 47 - 04/16/09

It was another beautiful day outside, so the pups were allowed out in the cottage run again this afternoon for a couple hours. They romped and played for a good solid hour before tuckering out. The pups have now learned to use the doggy door quite well, so playtime in the run can be quite chaotic. Some of the pups are coming out and some are going in and all at the same time. It's funny to watch because they like to follow each other, so when some are coming and the others going, they confuse each other and change their minds as to which direction they wanted to go. Can't you just picture it? :0)~
 

Day 46 - 04/15/09

Today was a beautiful day, nearly 70 degrees ouside so we took the pups out in the yard for the first time! The pups were let out of the play pen and the door to the Cottage was wide open (I took lots of photos!). They followed me right out the Cottage door and into the playpen in the yard. They even had a picnic around their flying saucer! Afterwards they had a very active play session, chewing on sticks, digging in the grass and playing in their water bowl. When it was time to come back inside, the pups followed me back in! They are already pretty good at going up and down stairs, can you believe it? Once inside, they weren't happy being back in the playpen, so I allowed them out in the cottage run. They played out there for another hour before retiring in their soft bed inside the Cottage. It was a tiring afternoon for the pups. (view photos)
 

Day 45 - 04/14/09

The pups are so big now that I will probably need to put the second full height door on their playpen very soon, otherwise they will be able to scale the wall and get out. When someone enters the room, you can see their little noses as they stand up on their back feet to peek over the door. At this point their playpen needs to be completely stripped of the cedar and thoroughly cleaned about once every three days.
 

Day 44 - 04/13/09

Today the pups graduated from "Small Bites" kibble to "Original". They didn't seem to mind the transition because they ate just as quickly as they did the smaller stuff. They are rapidly getting bored with their play pen and beg to come out and play for longer periods of time. They can easily romp and roughhouse for almost 35 to 40 minutes before retiring for a nap.

I just posted a few more videos (view clips)
 

Day 42 - 04/11/09

4th worming / Microchipping
The pups received their last worming today and most pups also received their microchips.  None of the pups even flinched when the microchip was implanted which totally amazes me considering the size of the needle, however distractions such as other siblings may have helped.

Today is the last day that we will allow Duchess to nurse the pups. They are all eating Science Diet dry kibble with great enthusiasm and we need them to be completely weaned by next weekend when they go to their new homes. Speaking of... Felicity was visited by her new mom and dad today who were already calling her by her new name, "Matty".

Today was a beautiful warm sunny day so we allowed the pups their first venture outside. We opened up the cottage's doggy door and let them go out and play in the dog run. They were having an absolute ball, running and jumping and spinning in circles. It was quite the hoot!

Week 6 Puppy Portraits are now posted (view portraits)
 

This week's milestone: Eye color changes from blue to gold or brown
This is the week that the puppies eyes will make the transition from their baby blues to their adult color. Feivel will have golden yellow eyes and the black pups will have deep amber to brown colored eyes as adults.
 

Week 5

Day 40 - 04/09/09

I just posted some more miscellaneous photos taken during Week 5 during a wing testing session.  (view photos).
 

Day 39 - 04/08/09

Today the puppies reminded me of little kittens. As I was replenishing the supply of cedar chips in their play pen this morning, I went to spread them around and the pups were pawing at my hands like little kittens. It was so cute. I also have to keep them out while I clean because they will get under my feet and pull on my pant legs. Today they were peeking over the edge of the door from the outside looking in. I wonder what they thought about being on the other side of that door today - haha! They are also very reactive to voices and sounds and sometimes the way in which they respond will cause a chuckle.
 

Day 38 - 04/07/09

The puppies are progressing rapidly now on their weaning process. Momma Duchess still nurses the babies, but she will growl at them now to keep them away when she's done.  It seemed like just yesterday they were starting the Eukanuba cereal, but they quickly outgrew that and progressed to canned Science Diet. Now they have already dismissed that and are going for dry kibble. We are feeding Science Diet Puppy "Small Bites" formula because the kibble size is perfect for their little mouths. By the time the pups go home, they will have graduated to the "Original" kibble size. I also started putting down two bowls for the eight pups. They are so big now that they don't all fit around the one flying saucer anymore. :0)~
 

Day 37 - 04/06/09

YEAH! Puppy Selection went very smoothly this week! Thank you to everyone for getting your priorities in order early which definitely helped to move the process along. We can't believe how quickly and smoothly things progressed. YOU GUYS ARE AWESOME!
 

Day 36 - 04/05/09

Week 5 Puppy Portraits now posted. (view portraits).

Day 35 - 04/04/09

3rd worming
The puppies had a busy day today because they had lots of visitors. We had folks come from both far and near to meet and greet the pups. Of course today begins puppy selection day, and Fallon was the first chosen of the females.

Their coats are becoming really thick and plush now and I love to run my hands over them - the puppies don't seem to mind either. We are still feeding Science Diet canned food, but they are starting to get some of the dry "small bites" kibble added to the soft food. We caught them trying to eat Duchess' larger kibble so we figured it was time to start adding kibble to theirs.

Due to all the visitors today, Week 5 Puppy Portraits will be posted tomorrow. However, I have posted a bunch more misc photos of Litter F for weeks 2, 3 and 4 to help tide you over. (view photos).
 

This week's milestone: Puppy Selection Week - Pup's will belong to a new family

At the start of this week, the puppies belong to Hickory Hollow, but by the end of the week, they will belong to a new family! Even though they won't know it yet, they will have been spoken for by their new puppy parents and in a couple weeks will get to go to their new homes.
 

Week 4

Day 34 - 04/03/09

Today we presented each pup with a pheasant wing to see their reactions, results were published in the pup's profile section. (read profiles)
 

Day 33 - 04/02/09

In preparation for Puppy Selection starting tomorrow, I have posted some puppy profiles with more observations to be added soon. (read profiles)

The pups are drinking water more and more now and are hungry as can be.  No more cereal from here forward, I gave them some canned Science Diet puppy food and they went to town! CHOW DOWN!  We had to add the play pen door extension because they are so tall when standing on their hind legs.  The puppies are now playing tug and getting into mischief (they've discovered shoelaces!). They are very explorative and all interact well with each other and there are no clear bullies emerging yet... Playtime averages about 15 minutes before they head back to their bed for a nap.
 

Day 32 - 04/01/09

The pups did really well their first night in the Puppy Cottage. They snuggled like little bugs in a rug in their new bed. Duchess stayed with them so that she could handle the overnight nursing sessions. HOPE accompanied me out to the Cottage this morning to feed the pups their breakfast. She is so enthralled with them and is such a good little "momma". The pups were let out of the playpen and served their morning cereal. They ate it with gusto (as ususal) and afterwards they immediately went potty. Again, they illustrated their amazing instincts as most pups wandered back into the playpen to go potty in the cedar chips instead of on the concrete floor. What smart babies! (And the first step toward housetraining!)

As I was sitting in a chair next to the pups while eating, Fallon was the first pup to come visit me and paw me, asking to come up and sit on my lap. This is a bit unusual at this early age, most of the time the pups are concentrated on what's happening down at their eye level, rather than things going on above their heads, but she came to me and looked up, and jumped up on my leg wanting me to pick her up. She was so animated and interactive in response to my voice. She is also very lively and energetic. OUTSTANDING!  More puppy personality profiles will be posted soon...
 

Day 31 - 03/31/09

The pups had a huge milestone today! This evening the puppies were moved from their 4'x4' whelping box to their new 9'x4.5' play pen in the Puppy Cottage. It was exciting to watch the puppies transition from something familiar to something new. When first placed in the play pen, the pups were very unsure of their surroundings and crouched real low, almost dragging their bellies as they walked. The pups were brought in two by two, so as you can imagine the first two pups in the playpen were very lonely which didn't help with the anxiety of the situation. But after only about 5 minutes and the addition of the rest of their littermates, pretty soon they were all frolicking around like crazy, checking everything out.

They are so smart, after they got tired of frolicking, they all piled into their bed and fell fast asleep. It's amazing to watch them figure out that the bottom half of the kennel with the plush doggy bed inside is where they want to sleep. Fenway was the first to discover it, he was jumping around on the bed like crazy, spinning cirlce in the air like he was so excited to have a new soft and comfy bed. It was quite a riot to watch.
 

Day 28 - 03/28/09

2nd worming
The pups have all learned to love their Eukanuba weaning cereal and just go to town when set in front of the pan (momma likes it too and readily cleans up the bowl to a spotless condition after they are done). They are experimenting drinking water now, but aren't quite sure about it yet. They will take a lick, then sit back and snort it out their noses, then go back for a second taste. As the puppies become more and more playful on a daily basis, their personalities are also beginning to show. Some like to play bow and do zig zag hops, others are still on the quiet side. Some are the instigators of play and others sit back and watch or are the ones being picked on.  

Week 4 puppy portraits now posted (view portraits)
 

This week's milestone: Rough Play / Move to Puppy Cottage

We are no longer weighing puppies on a daily basis, but will still weigh them weekly. We have added a new statistic row for each pup to record their weekly weight stats.

Right now the pups are so sweet and gentle and when they come to see you they are snuggly and want to be held and get some attention. They like to crawl into your lap and go to sleep. In a few days, this will all go away and they begin to become little monsters (lovingly referred to of course). This is also a good time for them to be introduced to their 9' x 4.5' puppy play pen out in the Puppy Cottage. They will bite everything they can get their little mouths on including fingers, toes and their favorites... shoelaces! As their little personalities start to emerge this week, we will be posting puppy personality profiles in preparation for puppy selection starting next Saturday.
 

Week 3

Day 26 - 03/26/09

Tonight after the pups had their evening cereal meal, a few of them crawled up in my lap for a snuggle. Felicity was the most lovable of all; she wanted my attention and loved snuggling and being petted.  Fenway also wanted attention and ended up falling asleep on my lap along with Fallon.
 

Day 25 - 03/25/09

The pups had their first taste of Eukanuba weaning cereal today. They had been trying to eat Duchess' food earlier in the week, so it's time to let them have cereal and start drinking water from a dish.

We took a video of their first cereal experience (coming soon).
 

Day 22 - 03/22/09

Feivel cut teeth today.

Here's the pup's weight stats for today:

Day 21 - 03/21/09

The pups are much more active now and it's becoming harder and harder to get them to sit still for their weekly portraits. However we got the job accomplished, thanks to some faithful and dedicated family members who devoted an entire Saturday afternoon to accomplish the task. Thanks MOM and DAD!

Puppy Portraits just posted (view portraits)
 

This week's milestones: Introduction to cereal

This is my absolute favorite time with the pups.  Their eyes and ears are open and they are becoming playful and inquisitive about their surroundings. Their individual personalities begin to develop and their skin becomes freckled enough that we will be able to tell how much ticking the pups will have as adults.  We will be posting those stats for each puppy this week.
 

Week 2

Day 20 - 03/20/09

Felicity, Fallon, Fenway and Flash cut teeth today.

Day 19 - 03/19/09

Feather, Filson and Faith cut teeth today.  

The pups are growing like crazy now... gaining at least 2 ounces each day. Here's how they measure up now.

Day 17 - 03/17/09

Today was the last day for the Super Dog program.

The pups will be cutting teeth soon, and if you look closely, you can see the teeth forming underneath the gums and they will be pushing through soon.
 

Day 16 - 03/16/09

Today is the first day we've noticed the pups starting to become playful.  Now that they can see -- better and better each day since their eyes opened -- they now interact with us and with each other. This morning, Felicity noticed when I came into the room and came toward me to say "hi".

Some of them have definitely found their little (or should I say "big") barks. Fallon and Felicity both have really started "talking" using their new found voices. Their little rolling growls are so cute and make us laugh. The fun begins!

Just posted new video clips (view clip).
 

Day 15 - 03/15/09

Filson's eyes are finally open today, but Feivel and Felicity continue to lag behind the rest of the pups. As you can see from Feivel's 2 week portrait, his eyes are only about 1/4 to 1/2 open while Felicity's eyes are about 3/4 of the way open.

Yesterday's 2 week puppy portraits are now posted (view portraits)
 

Day 14 - 03/14/09

First worming
The puppies had their first taste of wormer today. Most didn't mind the medicine and readily lapped it up from the feeding syringe, but Feivel hated it, He kept trying to spit it out and was blowing lots of bubbles.  Hopefully it will be easier for him next time.

EYE OPENING UPDATE

This week's milestones:  Ears will open/Cutting teeth

Now that all the pups eyes are open, they will begin to be able to see clearer and clearer each day, starting with shadows for the first few days until their eyes can focus on specific objects. This will be a fun week and we are looking forward to having the puppies notice us when we come into the room and come over to the edge of the box to greet us. This week's milestone, although not as noticeable as the eyes opening, but just as significant for the pups, are that their ear canals will be opening. Later this week the pups will be noticeably affected by the sounds around them.
 

Week 1

Day 13 - 03/13/09

EYE OPENING UPDATE

At this point, the pups are steadily gaining at least 1.5 to 2 ounces each day, and some of the bigger pups are gaining slightly more than that. They are also getting up and "walking" more frequently now. Some of the pups are trying out their new voices, starting with small yips and then graduating to a full fledged bark!

Day 12 - 03/12/09

EYE OPENING UPDATE

It's interesting to note that some pups' eyes will both open and progress at an equal rate, other pups have one eye that noticeably opens first and then the second one follows. We have also noticed that in the larger pups, their eyes are later to open than the smaller pups...

Today the pups are definitely starting to find their barks. They will test their voices with little rolling growls and small yips. Pretty soon they will be so vocal they'll be drivin' us crazy! Felicity gets on a whining kick, wandering all over the box so I pick her up to comfort her; she LOVES to be held and is a real snuggler. Once their eyes are open, their little personalities will be the next thing to emerge.
 

Day 11 - 03/11/09

Can you believe these pups are up and walking already? They don't even have their little eyes open yet -- for the most part -- and they are already getting up off their bellies. INCREDIBLE!

Both Bob and I look at these pups and they seem so BIG to us already. Here's how they measured up today: (Feather is no longer the smallest pup; she passed Faith today and some of the pups have already reached the 2# mark!)

********************************
EYE OPENING UPDATE!

Once their eyes start opening they will progress rapidly. Noticeable changes will take place by the hour.
 

Day 10 - 03/10/09

As predicted, the puppies eyes are beginning to open!

Fallon is the farthest along with her right eye open about 1/4 and the left one just starting. Faith and Feather are right behind her with the creases beginning to open. The rest of the pups will be coming along soon, within the next couple days or so.  The pups just take on a new personality when their eyes are open, they no longer look as if they are always asleep.
 

Day 8 - 03/08/09

These puppies are starting to take their first little wobbly steps. I took a few videos today so show you.  They are also finding their little voices and are starting to whine alot.  Pretty soon they will find their bark! (view clip)
 

Day 7 - 03/07/09

This morning I readjusted the LIVE puppy cam, moving it down closer to the floor of the whelping box so you all can get a closer look at the pups. They are so cute and they change so fast. ENJOY! Just posted, a new snapshot from the LIVE Puppy Cam after it was repositioned (view shot).

After only a week the pups have grown so much since the day they were born. Here's how they measured up today:

Week 1 Puppy Portraits now online (view portraits)
 

This week's milestone:  Eyes will open

During this week, the pups will reach an exciting milestone; their eyes will be opening probably around March 11th or so. Right now, their eyelids are fused together but there is a crease that defines the upper from the lower lid. As their eyes start to open the crease starts to deepen and separate starting at the corner of the eye by the tear ducts and working it's way across the eye until they are completely separated. The opening process can take a couple days from the first peek of the glistening eyeball beneath to being able to entirely see those beautiful baby blues. Once their eyes are open, the precious little babes take on a whole new personality.
 

Birth Week

Day 6 - 03/06/09

The pups' dew claw wounds are healing very nicely and are almost completely closed up now. These pups are sturdy and strong and can move about pretty rapidly.  When momma enters the box and sniffs each pup to check on them, they seemingly come alive from a sounds sleep and buzz around like busy little bees. It's almost like sturring up a hornets nest the way they become active almost instantly.

More miscellaneous photos have just been posted (view photos)
 

Day 5 - 03/05/09

It's simply amazing how fast these little pups change.  Seemingly overnight they have developed freckles on their pink noses.  We continue to do the Super Dog program and most pups tolerate it quite well, but others don't appreciate it too much, especially being rolled onto their backs and the COLD cloth gets the most protests.

Video Clip of the pups nursing was just posted (view clip).
 

Day 4 - 03/04/09

I know I've said this for our last litter, but I am amazed at how strong these pups are. When I was taking their birthday photos, a couple of the pups almost got up on their feet and walked away! AMAZING.  They are growing like little weeds and gaining weight rapidly. Here's how they measured up today:

LIVE Puppy Cam Snapshot just posted (view shots)
 

Day 3 - 03/03/09

Today we started the Super Dog program (read about it). While we are doing all of these exercises with each pup, it also provides us a good opportunity to look them over thoroughly. We check their front paws to make sure the area is healing nicely after dew claw removal; we check their bums for swelling or diarrhea, we check their eyes and noses for discharge, etc.

Today is the first day that Duchess ate her entire breakfast!! YEAH! What a relief that she is finally getting her appetite back.

Miscellaneous photos of "Litter F" on their birthday now posted (view photos).
 

Day 2 - 03/02/09

LIVE Puppy Cam is now online! ENJOY!!  I think we have our issues resolved from prior litters where the camera kept crashing... Cross your fingers!

Dew claws were removed today.
 

Day 1 - 03/01/09

Puppies are all doing great! 4 males/ 4 females are all strong and healthy and suckling with great enthusiasm.  I can't believe little "Feather" is half the weight of her big brother "Feivel". It's amazing to see them lying next to each other because he is just twice her size, she is so tiny.  Duchess still has not regained much of an appetite yet and am trying all sorts of things to get her to eat. She loves hard boiled eggs and this morning I scrambled some for her and she will eat that, but I haven't been able to get her back on kibble.

First puppy portraits have now been posted (view portraits).
 

Pup names:  A BIG Thank you to everyone who participated in the Name Game and sent us your list of "F" names. You guys are so fun!! There were so many good ones to choose from it made it extra hard this time. Here's the list of chosen ones for your reading enjoyment.

Sunday, March 1st, 2009

Final litter count is 8; 4 males/4 females. All pups are doing well and suckling with much strength. We are dedicating this day to getting the LIVE Puppy Cam online and posting a few photos for your enjoyment. Check back soon.

All future blog entries from this point forward will be in the Puppy Blog - Developmental Progress section.
 

Saturday, February 28th, 2009

I believe today's the day! After a whirlwind few hours last night trying to get the whelping room / nursery ready, I've decided to do things a little differently this time.  Usually the 4' x 4' whelping box is set up in the middle of our tiny whelping room during the births, but Duchess usually doesn't actually have the babies IN the box, just next to it... So after having 4 litters with it in the way, we are going to deliver without it.  Then after the litter is safely here, the box will be set in the room to accommodate Duchess and her new family. I am excited to have all the extra room to aid Duchess during whelping.

Friday, February 27th, 2009

Duchess' milk is now flowing to every faucet at the milkbar. This is a really good sign, one that we've been waiting for. She is still not eating her dinner like she was a week ago. Maybe she's just tired of tuna salad, so for breakfast she was served roasted chicken breast with chicken broth and tonight we are going to try some pan fried hotdogs! At this point I will try almost anything just to get her to eat so she doesn't become anemic. We are still taking her temperature twice daily and the pups are very active in her belly, so we should be getting close to "D" day (delivery day).

Wednesday, February 25th, 2009

Duchess is not eating too well lately, her appetite is supressed, probably due to hormonal changes that she goes through right before birth.  She skipped breakfast and dinner on Tuesday and picked the cottage cheese out of breakfast and dinner today leaving the rest.  We are monitoring her status regularly, taking her temperature twice daily and waiting for the tell-tale signs of whelping when the temp drops below the "red-line" of 98.4.  Currently her temp is hovering around 99.5 degrees, normal is 101.5.

The puppies are quite active tonight and you can see Duchess' belly moving as they roll around inside her belly. It's fun to "tickle" the pups to get them to move and it's also neat to lay your hand on one and feel them rolling around in your palm. We can't wait to meet these little wigglers in a few days.

Monday, February 23rd, 2009

Duchess' milk is starting to come in (noticed in only one faucet at the milkbar, the rest of the faucets should follow shortly)... another tell-tale sign that whelping time is nearing.

Friday, February 20th, 2009

Duchess is loving her special dinners these days. We start with Science Diet Puppy Original, add a little hot water, then we mix in some tuna salad, a hard boiled egg (sliced to perfection) and add a little dab of cottage cheese to the top. She woofs that down like there's no tomorrow!

We are starting to review "F" names for this litter and we'd like your help!  We are looking for fresh, fun and unique names for our special pups. Feel free to participate in our search by sending us your "F" name list for consideration, we might just end up using a name from your list.  Click here to e-mail them to us.

Wednesday, February 18th, 2009

Well, no signs of puppies being born today and in all reality I think it's going to be another week, so I've extended the due date out to February 25th.  Duchess' temp is hovering in the 99 degree range which is normal the week before birth, however she has not started to let down any milk which also appears in the week before birth.

Duchess' belly is getting big and the pups are easily felt moving around under your hand. She is still eating two hearty meals per day. When time draws near, Duchess will refuse food altogether a couple days before she whelps. Anyway... I believe we've got some time yet... Stay tuned!

Friday, February 6th, 2009

Duchess had an ultrasound today to confirm a pregnancy and we thought we counted at least 7 pups, with the possibility of more. The doctor determined that from the size of the pups and the density of their bones, they should be approximately 6.5 to 7 weeks gestation. The vet said that the bones start to calcify and show "bright white" on the screen about 10 days before they are born.