Litter "Q" Information:
Benelli / Jack
Litter ID: Q-BJ_2016
FDSB Litter #:102094
Whelp Date: July 18, 2016
Take Home: Sept 5, 2016
Litter Count: 5 males/2 females
Dam: Hickory's HOPE for Birds
Call Name: "Benelli"
Whelped: January 21, 2011
Coloring: Tri-belton
Bloodlines: "Hunting w/ Hank" Bondhu
FDSB #: 1625703
Hips: OFA Good
OFA #: ES-8955G30F-VPI
Owner: Hickory Hollow Llewellins
Sire: Cash's Single Barrel Jack
Call Name: Jack
Whelped: December 7, 2011
Coloring: Tri-Color
Bloodlines: Bondhu
FDSB #: 1642112
Hips: OFA GOOD
OFA #: ES-8999G24M-NOPI
Eyes: OFA CLEAR
CERF #: ES-EYE20/29M-NOPI
Owner: Chuy Garcia Jr.
Price: $850 male or female
Breeding:
We are very excited to offer a third litter out of our youngest dam, Benelli (daughter of HOPE) paired with Cash's Single Barrel Jack. Their first two litters contained many belton pups and they all turned out simply amazing and so we're doing it again! Click here to see their litters: (Litter N/Litter O)
Benelli is a great-grandaughter of Hank from "Hunting with Hank" and is of Advie & Dashing Bondhu lines. Being the daughter of Advie Tuck, she is extremely birdy and loaded with natural field instincts. She is heavily ticked Tri-Belton colored setter and has the potential to produce great coloration in her litters from white/orange, to tri-colors and chestnuts. Can't wait to see what their next litter looks like. Benelli has been certified as OFA GOOD (hips) and OFA certified Clear (eyes)!
Jack is also from Dashing Bondhu lines although not related to "Hank". He has spent a lot of time training in the fields this spring and summer and has turned into a hunting machine. He is currently working with a trainer toward his Master Hunter's Certificate. Jack has been OFA certified GOOD (hips) and OFA certified Clear (eyes)!
Check out this litter's PEDIGREE.
Protocol: These pups will be raised in our home and spoiled rotten on a daily basis with multiple doses of cuddles, hugs and kisses. These pups will be well socialized by the time they are taken to their new homes and will be accustomed to strange noises and other animals including both dogs and cats. The pups will be wormed weekly from weeks 2 through 6 and will be ready for their new homes at 7 weeks of age.
Pricing: $900 each (male or female)
Reservation Status:
The Pups:
MALES (#1, #2, #4, #5, #7)
Puppy # 1
Call Name: Quaid
Gender: Male
Colors: Tri-Color
Born: 8:42 pm
Weight: 13.2 oz
Ticking: Moderate
Personality: Dubbed the "Little Go-getter" this pup has drive and ambition any hunter would want to see in a pup of this age. He loves to seek out the laundry basket and make a bed or to pull all the contents out and drag across the room. He can be quite vocal at times telling you what he wants, but is also a wonderful snuggler and companion.
When laid on back: no struggle
Loud Noise: not bothered
Interested in wing: Yes
Vocal: Yes
Alpha: No
Bully during play: No
Birth to 6 weeks pic:
New Homes:
Puppy # 3
Call Name: Quartz
Gender: Male
Colors: Tri-Belton
Born: 9:20 pm
Weight:13.4 oz
Ticking: Moderate
Personality: A soft and quiet male full of curiosity, he is one that will search every knook and cranny of his surroundings for something interesting which should be a great trait to take into the fields in search of birds. He plays well with siblings without being a bully, but is not one to be bullied either becaue he will stand up for himself in a tussle.
When laid on back: no struggle
Loud Noise: not bothered
Interested in wing: Yes
Vocal: No
Alpha: No
Bully during play: No
Birth to 6 weeks pic:
New Homes:
Puppy # 4
Call Name: Quattro
Gender: Male
Colors: Lemon Belton
Born: 9:32 pm
Weight: 13.0 oz
Ticking: Moderate
Personality: Another of the very people-oriented pups, this guy will find himself in your lap for naptime after a hard play session full of quick action and lots of bouncing. Mild mannered for the most part, but this pup can kick up his heels for a good romp with a sibling or a good game of tug with shoestrings. He can be "talkative" at times (as all pups will be), but is not the most outspoken of the bunch.
When laid on back: no struggle
Loud Noise: not bothered
Interested in wing: Yes
Vocal: Yes
Alpha: No
Bully during play: No
Birth to 6 weeks pic:
New Homes:
Puppy # 5
Call Name: Quigley
Gender: Male
Colors: Tri-color
Born: 10:00 pm
Weight: 13.1 oz
Ticking: Heavy
Personality: This gorgeous guy is the most laidback of the males with a soft and gentle demeanor. He rarely gets upset about anything and will steal your heart as he snuggles into you. Stocky and stout, this one will be well built for busting through heavy cover, not to mention he will be quite a handsome gentleman as an adult with his classic setter look.
When laid on back: no struggle
Loud Noise: not bothered
Interested in wing: Yes
Vocal: No
Alpha: No
Bully during play: No
Birth to 6 weeks pic:
New Homes:
Puppy # 7
Call Name: Quincy
Gender: Male
Colors: Tri-Chestnut Belton
Born: 11:40 pm
Weight: 11.5 oz
Ticking: Light to Moderate
Personality: The smallest of the pups, but the one with the biggest motor who is very animated during play being fast and furious intermingled with play bows, yips and growls. This little guy is very people oriented and loves to visit for puppy kisses and sit on your lap to be snuggled.
When laid on back: no struggle
Loud Noise: mildly bothered
Interested in wing: Yes
Vocal: Somewhat
Alpha: No
Bully during play: No
Birth to 6 weeks pic:
New Homes:
FEMALES (#2, )
Puppy # 6
Call Name: Quaila
Gender: Female
Colors: White/Orange
Born: 9:05 pm
Weight: 14.2 oz
Ticking: Moderate
Personality: This darling pup is a real sweetheart. Inquisitive and explorative, this little gal is not deterred by anything including noise. She is very people-oriented, she is quick to come see you for a visit, loves to be petted and will follow you wherever you go.
When laid on back: mild struggle
Loud Noise: not bothered
Interested in wing: Yes
Vocal: No
Alpha: No
Bully during play: No
Birth to 6 weeks pic:
New Homes:
Puppy # 4
Call Name: Quill
Gender: Female
Colors: Orange Belton
Born: 11:13 pm
Weight: 12.8 oz
Ticking: Light
Personality: This gal is sweet as pie, her little doe eyes will melt your heart. She is quite a snuggler and somewhat timid when it comes to new things, but easily adapts and then owns her environment. She is a playful pouncer, and an explorer who gets into anything and everything.
When laid on back: no struggle
Loud Noise: not bothered
Interested in wing: Yes
Vocal: Yes
Alpha: No
Bully during play: No
Birth to 6 weeks pic:
New Homes:
Miscellaneous Photos: Birth Week (Click on the thumbnail to supersize a photo)
Miscellaneous Photos: Week 1 (Click on the thumbnail to supersize a photo)
Miscellaneous Photos: Week 2 (Click on the thumbnail to supersize a photo)
Miscellaneous Photos: Week 3 (Click on the thumbnail to supersize a photo)
Miscellaneous Photos: Week 4 (Click on the thumbnail to supersize a photo)
Miscellaneous Photos: Week 5 (Click on the thumbnail to supersize a photo)
Developmental Progress:
Week
7 |
Day
57 - 09/13/16 |
Puppies
from this litter have all gone home and we now feel like "empty
nesters". We are looking forward to our next litter (Litter R)
coming in a couple months! Stay tuned for a rerun in late October. |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
Day
56 - 09/12/16 |
Quartz,
(now Cooper) left for Tennessee today with his new dad Jacob. He wasn't able
to fly because of the hot weather down in Nashville this week, so his new dad
drove 10 hours overnight to come and pick him up. If that doesn't show
the wonderful dedication of a parent then I don't know what does. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Day
53 - 09/09/16 |
Quattro
(name TBD and weighing 11 lbs, 111.5 oz) headed out for a long trip to
Florida today. Reports along the road from his new mom indicate that he's
been a real trouper on the long trip! Now only one pup remains, Quartz, and
he will be leaving on Monday bound for Tennessee. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Day
50 - 09/06/16 |
Quigley
(possibly called 'LeRoy' and weighing 10 lbs, 10.0 oz) was picked up by his
new family today, headed for Pella Iowa to live with his new mom and dad and
two human brothers. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Week
7 Milestone: Pups Leave Hickory Hollow. This
is the final week week that the puppies will be here at Hickory Hollow. Some
have already left a couple days early to embark on their new lives, but a few
still remain and will be leaving shortly. While we will miss their sweet little
puppy kisses, we are happy for them to get out into the world and experience
new things. |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Week
6 |
Day
47 - 09/03/16 |
Today
was a busy day here at the hollow with three more pups heading out on new
adventures as their new families come to pick them up so they can enjoy the
holday weekend with their new little family member. First
was Quaid (now called 'Gus', weighing 8 lbs, 7.0 oz), left with his new
parents Ray and Elaine, headed for his new home in Wisconsin. He will have
the opportunity to hunt with an older and wiser Llewellin big brother of
similar bloodlines. Next
was Quill (now called 'Dixie', weighing 9 lbs, 8.0 oz), left with her new
parents Kim and Keith who have BIG plans for her. She has a spot
reserved with a profesisonal trainer who will teach her basic obedience and
provide field training when she's old enough. Finally
was Quaila (now called 'Phoebe, weighing 9 lbs 8.0 oz), left with her new
family Randy, Sue and Ryan headed toward Iowa City where she will have an
older Llewellin sister named Maggie to bond with. Photos
of the pups with their new families are posted above. |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
Day
46 - 09/02/16 |
The
weather has been so great here lately that the pups have had a lot of
opportunity to enjoy many play sessions with access to the outdoor doggy run
of the Puppy Cottage. They have adjusted quickly to coming and going through
the doggy door and love being able to do so. When the door is closed
off and access is denied, the pups scratch and whine at the door wanting
out. I took a video entitled "Playtime
Outside Playpen" of the pups in the outdoor doggy run for
your enjoyment. The
first pup went home today to enjoy the Labor Day holiday weekend with his new
parents. "Quincy" (weighing 8 lbs 10.0 oz) left all fluffy
and smelling great after his bath with Elise and Dillon headed for his new
home in IL. He will have a couple cats to terrorize and make his play toys. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Day
44 - 08/31/16 |
Week
6 Puppy Portraits were taken today. Sorry for the delay in getting
those online, the pups are so big now that I cannot hold them with one hand
anymore and snap the photo with the other hand, I must enlist the help of my
wonderful Johnny during a time when he was not at work. Somtimes 'life'
gets in the way of our best laid plans. The photos will be posted
sometime this weekend when I have the time to crop and upload them. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Day
42 - 08/29/16 |
The
pups are doing very well with the weaning process and today is the day that
momma Benelli will be withheld going forward. The pups will be
completely off momma's milk and will be eating dry kibble. Right now
they are eating Canidae for All Life Stages. I usually feed Native 3
Puppy, but my feed supply store has stopped carrying it. An alternative
is Native 4, but again, there is only one place in town that sells the food
and it's not the most convenient location, so I've opted to try Canidae for
this litter. They are doing great. I
will send a small ziploc bag of food home with the pups on delivery day, but
just in case you would like to have some of this food on hand to continue
feeding your pup after you take him/her home, here is a link to the formula
I'm feeding: http://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products/canidae-all-life-stages-dry-formula/ Here's
how the pups measure up at 6 weeks:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Week
6 Developmental Milestone: Eye color changes from blue to brown. This
week, the puppies eyes will start to transition from their current baby blues
to their final adult color, gold (chestnuts) or brown (tri-colors). |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Week
5 |
Day
41 - 08/28/16 |
The
pups had another great day playing in the outdoor kennel run. They are going
in and out the doggy door like pros. I have also been very impressed that
they have not messed in the kennel run, they go back inside to do their duty
in the pine shavings of the playpen. Potty training at it's best
appears to be mostly instinct at this point. Miscellaneous
photos of Week 4 are now onine! |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
Day
40 - 08/27/16 |
The
weather has been so great and it has given the pups a wonderful opportunity
to get to play in the Puppy Cottage's outdoor kennel run. The pups learned
how to use the doggy door pretty quickly when following momma who was trying
to escape from her little suckling monsters. We are well into the
weaning process and the pups are only getting nursed maybe twice per day, but
soon they will be cut off entirely so they will be ready to go home. Puppies
were microchipped today. The microchip is a small chip
which contains a unique 15-digit number and is the size and shape of a grain
of rice which is inserted with a sterile needle just under the skin on
the back between the shoulder blades. You MUST make sure to register the
microchip number with the Home Again database using the enrollment form I
will give you on delivery day. Once your contact information is registered,
should your dog get lost and then found, the chip will be scanned for the
microchip # which can be cross referenced in the database to your contact
info. If you fail to send in the microchip enrollment form containing your
contact information, your pup's chip will be ineffective. Out
of the 6 pups which were microchipped, only two whimpered a bit when it was
done, the rest were troupers. I'm continually impressed with how well
the puppies do during this process. It's usually a realtively painless
procedure, well for me anyway... |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Day
36 - 08/23/16 |
Puppies
have all been selected! It's amazing how almost everyone got their first pick
puppy. I love how it always works out as God had planned. Thanks
everybody for making the process go so smoothly too. Now I will be
working on invoicing and all the puppy documents necessary to be ready for
delivery day in a couple weeks! If I don't blog for a while it's
because I'm super busy working getting documents ready. Thanks for your
understanding. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Day
35 - 08/22/16 |
Puppy
Profiles are now posted on this page and Puppy Selection is
underway. We have lots of visitors over the past few days and picks are
already progressing nicely. This
evening I've also posted the amazing 5 week portraits that my sister took
during her visit here on Sunday. They turned out so great, I hope you
enjoy them! Here's
how the pups measure up at 5 weeks:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Week
5 Developmental Milestones: Puppy Selection / Noise Desensitization
/ Puppy Socialization This
is one of the most anticipated weeks for many because Puppy Selection finally
happens. At the start of this week, the puppies are not officially spoken for
but within a few days will be assigned to a new family and in a
couple short weeks will get to go to their new homes. Now
that the pups are old enough to have visitors, they will have lots of
opportunities for socialization with our big dogs, adults and children. We
will also continue to concentrate on acclimating them to noises of all
varieties including rapping on pans, opening and closing of doors, blenders,
christian pop music on the radio, and whatever else we can think of to
condition them for life after Hickory Hollow. |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Week
4 |
Day
34 - 08/21/16 |
This
morning during breakfast and playtime I noticed that the puppies are starting
to learn to return to the playpen to do their potty duty. This is a
great start to house training. Today
has turned out to be a beautiful sunny day here in Iowa, perfect for taking
the puppies out in the yard for their first playdate with about 10 new
visitors who came to see them. The pups loved playing in the grass
and had a great time. They played for a good half hour or so before they
zonked out for nap time. My
sister stopped by later in the afternoon to take Week 5 Puppy Portraits
out in the yard as she ususally does for each litter and am SO excited at how
they turned out. She took over 1000 photos of which I am weeding
through trying to narrow down the best of the best. There are so many
good ones to choose from that I'm having a hard time. Hopefully I will
get those posted for you sometime tomorrow. |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
Day
31 - 09/20/16 |
As I
was preparing breakfast for Litter Q this morning, I took a short video so
you can see what I go through each mealtime and why investing in a good pair
of earplugs has been life-saver (or should I say a
"hearing-saver"). Check
out the video I call "Begging for Breakfast". |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Day
32 - 08/19/16 |
I'm
excited that we've got a few families coming to visit puppies this weekend,
YAY! Hopefully the weather will cool down a bit and quit raining so we can
take the pups outside for their first frolick and romp in the grass. It's
always fun to see how they react to being outdoors. I have a couple wire
playpens that I link together to make one giant ring so puppies and humans
alike can enjoy the space. I
just posted some miscellaneous litter photos from Week
3 for your enjoyment. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Day
31 - 08/18/16 |
The
pup's personalities are starting to emerge now. Most of the pups are
very mild mannered, but a couple (namely Quaid and Quill) are very vocal. I
will be sitting down with them this weekend to evaluate puppy
personalities in detail, meaning how they each interact with their siblings,
how they react to new noises and their overall disposition and post them
on this page to try and help those who can't decide which pup they want. Puppy
Selection starts at 5 weeks which is fast approaching (only 4 more days). If
you have a reservation deposit down on a pup, this weekend would be a great
time to come visit if you can so you can evaluate the pups yourself in person
and prioritize your top picks so you'll be ready when it's time to choose.
Please call ahead to set up an appointment for your puppy visit. Also,
we have two puppies available! We won't know which two they are until after
reservations are filled, but stay tuned here, I'll post them as soon as we
know. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Day
30 - 08/17/16 |
After
much discussion and heartache we have decided to release our breeder pick
from this litter thus making another puppy available for sale. I'm
almost positive at this point that the little female we had our eye on
(Quill) is going to be an orange belton. While this puppy is a
wonderful girl with absolutely NOTHING wrong with her, this decision is based
solely on preserving the future of Hickory Hollow litters. Keeping an orange
pup would limit future litter color options as orange dogs can only produce
two-color offspring, namely white/orange or white/black pups (no
chestnut). Therefore we would no longer be able to produce tri-colored
pups and most importantly we would no longer have the ability to produce a
large percentage of chestnut and tri-chestnut pups (our specialty). We
are saddened by this outcome, but this is the best decision for the future of
Hickory Hollow. With
this development, everyone on the reservation list has moved up one spot,
plus we were not able to provide a female pup for a reservation further down
on the list, so they have withdrawn their reservation as well. We now
have two puppies available. My
revised color predictions are:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Day
29 - 08/16/16 |
Puppies
are coming along nicely with the weaning process. We've advanced from goat's
milk and rice cereal to canned food mixed with goat's milk to help
liquify it. The next transition will be to canned food without mixing
with liquid. Socialization
and noise desensitization has begun as well. They are receiving
visitors, both human and animal (our German Shepherd, Dax) and are
experiencing all kinds of new noises and distractions (fly swatter, can
opener, water running, microwave beeping, airconditioner kicking on and off,
etc.). |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Day
28 - 08/15/16 |
Puppies
are enjoying playtime outside the box already. They are eager to scope out
their new surroundings in the Puppy Cottage and soon I will have to put up a
playpen to contain them during mealtimes, otherwise they will find themselves
stuck behind the water heater, or hiding out behind the garbage cans or
taking a nap in the laundry basket on the soft towels. Here's
how the pups weigh-in at four weeks:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Week
4 Developmental Milestone: Rough Play / Weaning Begins / Move to Puppy
Cottage Play
behavior started last week, but this week it will turn rough and rowdy with
pouncing, pinning, biting, head shaking, chewing and growling. By the
end of this week I will lovingly refer to them as "my little
monsters", because they will bite and chew anything they can get their
mouths on, including their siblings, show laces, toes, ankles, fingers and
long hair. A play session on the floor with the pups can be painful at
times and sensitive areas of the body need to be protected! This
litter is growing up really fast and even though the need to begin weaning
along with their move to the puppy cottage was a few days early, this was a
big transition for them. As
their little personalities emerge this week, I will be posting puppy
personality profiles in preparation for Puppy Selection starting next
weekend! |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Week
3 |
Day
26 - 08/13/16 |
This
is a great thing for many reasons, some of which are that now the pups will
have more freedom to romp and play, their yips, barks, howls and crying
episodes will not disturb those who live in the house, no more interrupted
sleep from Benelli asking to get outside at 2 am and 5 am because she can get
outside to do her business in the kennel run at all hours and whenever she
wants and most importantly the wonderful smell of dinner cooking in the
kitchen will no longer have that hint of 'odeur de poo-poo'. These are
ALL positives in my book!! Check
out the video entitled "The Big Move" to see how the pups
reacted to their new surroundings. |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
Day
25 - 08/12/16 |
Puppies
are ready for weaning! Today they were started on Goat's Milk and Baby Rice
Cereal, poured into a big community bowl to share. They lapped that up
ridiculously fast. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Day
24 - 08/11/16 |
I
just uploaded 25 miscellaneous photos from Week
2 for your enjoyment. The
pups are so fun right now! I love sitting back and watching them develop
personalities and try something new for the first time. The pups are walking
around well now and are actually starting to get quite zippy. I wouldn't call
their extra speediness a "run" quite yet, but it won't be long.
They are also a very vocal litter, I frequently hear barks and yips coming
from the nursery that make me giggle. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Day
23 - 08/10/16 |
I
just posted Week 3 Puppy Portraits! Even though I've been doing this for 11
years now, I am still amazed at how much their photos change from week to
week. It's fun to see how they progress and mature. I'm
also super excited to report that the ticking (spots) are starting to come
in on the belton pups!! It won't be long now before we can tell for sure
what colors they are going to be. My
current color predictions are:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Day
21 - 08/08/16 |
The
pups are so big they almost look like they are going on 4 weeks to me instead
of only 3 weeks. It's amazing how fast they are growing. This week the
developmental milestone is 'Play Behavior' and today they've already met the
milestone! Momma
Benelli had just gotten done serving the pups some dinner from the milkbar
and had left the scene to get some kibble herself when the pups started
making a raucous, displeased at the fact that momma had left them without
dessert. So I captured what happens next on video... Notice the
beginnings of play behavior on the very day they turn 3 weeks old. I've
titled this video "Glimpses
of Play". Here's
how the pups weigh-in at 3 weeks old:
Today
the pups had some very special visitors too. My sister and nieces came
out to snuggle with the puppies and start helping with the socialization
process. We always have a good time when they come for puppy visits. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Week
3 Development Milestone: Play behavior This
is my absolute favorite time with the pups. Their eyes and ears are now
open and they are becoming playful and inquisitive about their surroundings.
This week the pups will really start playing with each other, play bowing,
yipping, pouncing and chewing on each other. Their individual personalities
begin to develop and they will begin to do some of their natural doggy
behavior for the first time. |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Week
2 |
Day
19 - 08/06/16 |
As
the pups age there is a transition starting to happen now from momma Benelli
caring for them 100% to my part that includes cleaning out stinky wet and
poopy carpets from the whelping box and soon weaning will begin.
By the age of 6 weeks I will be caring for them 100% and Benelli will
be done because that is the time when weaning is complete and the pups are on
solid food. In
light of the fact that these pups are so big, I am planning to move them out
to the Puppy Cottage earlier than other litters. Usually they don't go
out there until around 4 weeks, but the pups are going to be 3 weeks in a
couple days and I'm thinking they can be moved out shortly after that.
This will help me to keep them and their enclosure much cleaner. The
move to the Puppy Cottage also means that there will be times when the
puppies cannot be viewed on the LIVE Puppy Cam because the enclosure is too
large for the camera's field of view. I am contemplating adding a second LIVE
Puppy Cam to be mounted on the opposite wall to cover the entire playpen
area, but I'm not sure our internet speed can handle two cameras on top of
the already heavy internet use in our household. We'll see... Since we
are rural, we can only get internet through DSL and our speed at the moment is
supposed to be 8MB, but we're lucky if we're pulling 4MB. Boy
will it be nice to have fiber optic high speed internet because that will
bump us up to at least 20mbps! Shellsburg is in the process of upgrading the
town and we've already had it run to the house, it's just a matter of waiting
for Shellsburg to flip the switch and turn it on. They're saying maybe by
late fall, but too late for this litter unfortunately. |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
Day
18 - 08/05/16 |
I
have a treat for you all this evening, I was able to get the miscellaneous
litter photos for Birth
Week and Week
1 edited and uploaded to this page just a short while ago!!
ENJOY :0)~ First
deworming was
done today. Pups teeth are also starting to cut through the gumline. After
cleaning out the whelping box I was getting ready to put the puppies back in,
but decided to shoot this short video first to capture the moment of the pups
playtime outside the box. Once momma Benelli stirred them up they
decided it was dinnertime. Check out the video clip "Playtime
Turned Dinnertime" which is posted on YouTube. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Day
17 - 08/04/16 |
Tonight
as I sit here processing orders for my online upland hunting store Hickory
Hollow Upland Sporting Gear, I have to giggle because one pup in
the nursery has a really strong opinion about something going on in there and
is chirping and barking like crazy!! It's so funny to hear them use their
little voices and really explore their vocal ranges. I hear
anything from chirps, to rolling growls to high pitched yips and barks. So
funny!! Sometime
this weekend I'm planning to carve out some time to add some miscellaneous
litter photos to the page, so stay tuned for that! |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Day
16 - 08/03/16 |
Today
was the last day for the Super Dog program. Pups are becoming more and more
active now that they can see and hear. Their skin is becoming freckled which
will indicate how much ticking each will have as an adult. In another week or
two, we will be able to accurately predict final coat markings. The
pups are getting around pretty well lately too. I'm seeing more and more pups
taking genuine steps instead of scooting on their bellies. I've also
witnessed the beginning of play behavior. Pups are mouthing each
other which will eventually turn into play biting. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Day
14 - 08/01/16 |
As we
start another week, the pups have yet another major milestone coming up. Much
to momma Benelli's dismay, her pups will be cutting little piranha teeth
this week after which it will be even more painful to detach a suckling pup
before they are ready. Poor momma encounters many cuts and battle scars
during this period going forward until her pups are fully weaned which
starts around 4 weeks. Pups will be fully weaned by 6 weeks and on solid food
before going home. These pups are getting plenty of milk and their plump and
rolly polly bellies sure show it. Here's
how the plump little puppers weigh-in at 2 weeks:
Week
2 Puppy Portraits have just been posted! Do you guys have ANY idea how hard it is to
take photos of young puppies? While the portraits may show
a sweet little docile half-sleepy puppy, however, you'd see the exact
opposite if I were video taping the photo sessions instead! Most of those
photos are capturing only a split second of a whiny and discontent pup
in constant motion, it's surprising they aren't all blurry. These photo
sessions take me anywhere from about an hour to two hours just to take
portraits of the entire litter, ensuring I get a few of each pup that are
usable, then another 1.5 hours or so to select those worthy of the internet,
crop and resize, then add to the web page and upload. All of this
a pure labor of love <3. ENJOY! :0)~ |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Week
2 Development Milestone: Cutting Teeth / Ears will open Now
that the puppies eyes are open, they will begin to see clearer and clearer
each day. Supposedly they can only see shadows for the first few days, but
pretty soon they will begin to notice me as I come into the nursery and will
wander to the edge of the box for some love and attention. Just
as significant as the eyes opening, the ear canals will deepen this week
until they will become completely open and allow the pups to hear crisp
noises and not just muffled sounds. Later this week, the pups will be
noticeably affected by all the new sounds around them, so we must be very
careful for the first few days to introduce them to noises gently and not
harshly. They will also begin to cut teeth, first the canines will poke
through followed by the incisors a few days later. |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Week
1 |
Day
13 - 07/31/16 |
ALL
the pups eyes are open today!! What a fun time this morning during weigh-in
to see those beautlful glistening baby blues. I
also took a new video of the pups nursing, up close and personal. My
creativity is not flowing today so I thought I'd ask for your help in naming
this video. Just send me a note or respond to the post on Facebook. |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
Day
10 - 07/28/16 |
Pups
are getting around very well lately. In the past couple days I've
noticed them trying to get up and walk instead of scooting on their bellies.
A few of the pups are really taking their first steps before plopping
back down. Each new day full of changes and amazing new accomplishments for
these little ones. They've already been chirping and whining, but soon they
will be barking and growling. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Day 9
- 07/27/16 |
During
the daily Super Dog exercises I have the opportunity to really look each
pup over really well and it's been fun to see their little spots come in.
These spots on their skin will eventually grow colored hair which is
what we call their 'ticking'. Quigley has a LOT of black belly spots,
so my prediction is that he will be a very heavily ticked dog as a adult.
I am still checking the beltons over closely for any signs of
developing color. Even though they are now starting to develop some
spots on their bellies, it's hard to determine whether they are black,
chestnut or orange as at this stage they are very hard to differentiate. Here's
how the pups weigh-in this morning:
I've
just uploaded Week 1 Puppy Portraits!! During the photo session I noticed
that the pups eyes are starting to open, just the very corners where the tear
ducts are located are starting to separate! It won't be long now before we'll
be seeing those precious baby blues! |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Day
8 - 07/26/16 |
Tonight
as I was taking a few photos of the litter, the pups were being really vocal
so I captured a quick video to share with you all. Momma Benelli had
just gotten up to step outside for a potty break and the pups were awakened
by her departure. As soon as pups wake they always want a meal, so they
immediately started chirping in discontent because no milkbar could be found.
I've entitled the video "Got Milk?". (view
video) |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Day 7
- 07/25/16 |
At
one week these puppies are doing wonderfully and are literally growing like
weeds! They've been gaining about 2-3 ounces PER DAY. Here's
how the pups weigh in at one week:
This
date is usually when I give the puppies their first nail trim, this is
because their little hooked toenails get caught in the fleece padding laying
in the top of the weigh scale, so I just nip off the little hooks and that
keeps the paws from catching and pulling on the fleece. Today was no
different than other typical litters, so all pups got a nail trim. Some
pups don't mind it and don't really notice it, but others put up a big fuss
because they don't like being restrained long enough to do the clipping. On
another note, I spent a fair amount of time this evening taking 1 week
Puppy Portraits, but when I got them off the camera and on my computer to
review them they were all blurry and unussable. I bought a brand new
camera last litter hoping to be able to capture some wonderful shots of the
pups but these turned out completely horrible! I don't know whether to
contribute the waste of time to my actual camera or my aging eyes. I
will have to remember to wear my 'readers' while taking photos from now on,
but for this reason the posting of weekly portraits has been delayed until I
can get another block of time to try and retake them all. SORRY
:0(~ |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Week
1 Development Milestone: Eyes will open! I
think the most exciting developmental change happens for the pups this week,
their eyes will be opening in a few days. Once they do, the pups take on a
whole new appearance and personalities start to emerge. The process starts
when the crease between their eyelids starts to deepen until they separate,
first at the middle corner of the eye and then working across to the outside
edges. The opening process can take a couple days from the first peak of
the glistening eye beneath until we are able to entirely see those beautiful
baby blues. |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Birth
Week |
Day 4
- 07/22/16 |
Pups
are all doing GREAT and gaining rapidly. They have plump bellies and feel
solid in the hand which is just how they should be. In contrast, a
sickly puppy feels like a limp glove and is weak showing little strength.
Thankfully all these puppies are perfect! In looking back through my
records at other litters weight record charts, I've noticed that
pups in smaller litters (like this one) gain weight at a faster pace than
those in larger litters. I would attribute this to the fact that for
this litter there is one extra faucet at the milkbar each meal, so there's
more milk to be had. In larger litters where at least one or two pups
are shut out at each meal, the pups just don't gain as fast. It will be
interesting to see what the pups weigh at 7 weeks when they go home.
I'll be interested to note whether they are larger than average and
weigh more at that time, my best guess is that they will. Here's
how the pups weigh-in today.
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
Day 3
- 07/21/16 |
SUPER
DOG program starts today!! Each morning at weigh-in I'm doing Super Dog
exercises which stimulate the developing nervous systems which has proven to
aid in cardiovascular performance, as well as increased tolerance to stress
and disease to name a few. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Day 2
- 07/20/16 |
I've
been working hard for you all this evening, taking and editing photos and
selecting temporary names for these pups while they are here at Hickory
Hollow, so now I'm excited to reveal our puppy name choices and their first
baby portraits! Proudly introducing our 'Litter Q' Llew Crew: Quaid,
Quaila, Quartz, Quattro, Quigley, Quill and Quincy. Check out their stats and
first portraits (click
here). Benelli
is what I call a "Nervous Nellie" with her pups for about the first
week while they are so small and helpless. She whines and wimpers when
her pups are fussy because it stresses her out, so she tries to gather them
all up with her muzzle, rake them towards her tummy to protect and comfort
them by sheilding them with her body. It's a really neat thing to
observe with her. She doesn't even like it when I take one out to weigh
it or snuggle it, so I try to keep my puppy lovins to a minimum while she's
around and take my opportunities while she's outside going potty. Here's
how the pups measure up today, they've all gained good weight since birth.
Puppy
dew claws were removed today. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Day 1
- |
WOW!!
After a whirlwind 3.5 hours last night when puppies were popping out
basically one right after another, all 7 puppies are doing great and
nursing well. The LIVE
Puppy Cam is now online after spending most of the day so
far getting that up and running. My troubles came from the fact that we
recently upgraded our router, so the configurations set in the wireless LIVE
Puppy Cam were for the old router and I had to go through the entire set up
process again instead of just plugging it in and starting the web server...
WHEW! I'm glad I could get that working again for you folks. Next
I'm working on Litter Q name selection, creating their body marking
mappings, and taking their first puppy portraits. Stay tuned for the
Litter Q birthday portraits and names reveal. I also
posted a some of photos on Facebook yesterday as the whelping was happening,
so if you haven't checked it out yet, you can visit my page here: Hickory Hollow Llewellin Setters |
Web Log of Events(Litter Q): (from most recent at top)
Monday,
July 18th, 2016 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Friday,
July 15th, 2016 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday,
July 12th, 2016 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Monday,
July 11th, 2016 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Friday,
July 1st, 2016 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Monday,
June 27th, 2016 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Monday,
June 13th, 2016 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Thursday,
May 19th, 2016 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Monday,
May 16th, 2016 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday,
May 14th, 2016 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday,
May 8th, 2016 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Friday,
May 6th, 2016 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|