Friday May 19th, 2017 (Week 7, Day 58)

In the evening this past week I've been brining the two remaining pupper doodles in the house for a while to explore and play with new toys as well as the big dogs.  Tonight Benelli got into the game and played with the two pups which I caught on film.  It was neat to see her playing with the pups instead of growling at them to stay away -- which she does during the weaning process. I uploaded the video to YouTube called "Playtime with Mom".
 

Wednesday May 17th, 2017 (Week 7, Day 56)

This evening we were having severe thunderstorms and when the tornado sirens started blaring I ran out to the Puppy Cottage, retrieved the two little pups and headed back into the house and to the basement.  I had three adult dogs and three "little white wonders" (what John calls our cream colored kitty) with me - Fozzie the cat, Snickers and Skylar.  The pups were great, they settled down on the couch with me and were patient while we watched the weather reports on TV.  We were only in the basement for about 5 minutes before the 70mph straight-line winds hit.  The sky was green and debris was flying sideways across the back yard. We lost two more trees in the storm but luckily there was no other property damage.

Once the storm was over and we were able to go back upstairs the pups had a heydey, romping here and running there, chasing each other and pouncing on each other, around and under the dining room table, in and out of the puppy room, back and forth until they wore themselves out! Then they found the puppy toys on the living room floor and were flipping and flopping those about. The entire evening was quite entertaining. 
 

Monday May 15th, 2017 (Week 7, Day 54)

This morning John and I took Skeet to the airport to fly him off to his new life in New York.  He will have an older Llew brother from Litter B and will be called Spencer.  His parents had suggested the name Spencer during the Name Game and so wanted to use that as a permanent name for him. Reports after arriving are that he and his new Llew brother were chasing each other around the dining room table just having a ball!  I love to hear stories like this!  

Now we're down to only two pups left, Skylar (our girl) and Snickers who will be leaving this coming weekend.  At least Skylar will have a companion in the puppy cottage for a few more days.
 

Saturday May 13th, 2017 (Week 7, Day 52)

Today is Spencer's day! His new parents drove all the way from north of Detroit (10+ hours) yesterday, fighting a 3 hour traffic jam coming through Chicago during the already long drive. His new dad is extremely knowledgeable in training deaf dogs and retraining rescue dogs with behavioral issues.  The plan is that he will be trained to be a service dog as well as a hunting companion and it gives me great pleasure to know that he is in such great hands! They plan to continue calling him Spencer.  
 

Friday May 12th, 2017 (Week 7, Day 51)

Sully's new parents arrived bright and early today traveling from a campground only a couple hours away where they've set up for the weekend. They were eager to return to their campsite where an entire group of folks are waiting to meet the new little guy. What a fun weekend they have ahead with beautiful weather in the forecast, and I'm somewhat jealous that we cannot be camping there in a site close by with our little girl Skylar (I used to love doing that every weekend, it's so relaxing!). Sully will be keeping his litter name too! 
 

Thursday May 11th, 2017 (Week 7, Day 50)

Sawyer is the next pup to go today. This is the second visit by his new parents to Hickory Hollow as they came at 4.5 weeks to pick him out of the litter in person. They are planning to call him Dax.  Their two daughters will be so excited to meet their new puppy when they get home from school today.  I wish I could be there to see those moments!  
 

Wednesday May 10th, 2017 (Week 7, Day 49)

Week 7 Developmental Milestone: Pups Leave Hickory Hollow

It's here! Time for pups to leave Hickory Hollow and head out into that big Great Beyond and experience what it feels to be truly living the good life. We have chosen families that are the best of the best, so as sad as it is to see the pups go, it's comforting to know they will have a great family and wonderful life!

Shiloh is the first to head out today. Her new dad and a mini-van full of her extended family came with great excitement and open arms to welcome her into their lives.  It's so wonderful to see the bright and smiling faces of the new family. I love meeting everyone and getting to witness the first few moments with their new pup. Shiloh welcomed them in her own way, giving plenty of puppy kisses and tail wags. They are thinking of calling her Gracie. It was a great day!   
 

Monday May 8th, 2017 (Week 6, Day 47)

YAY! I'm FINALLY done assembling puppy packets to send home at puppy pickup appointments, WHEW! Pups start leaving this Wednesday already, and none too soon.  The pups are being extremely naughty lately, they are so bored in the playpen and are becoming very destructive. Today I caught them ripping up the rubber floor liner.  Usually I have this buried with as much pine shavings as possible and anchored down as best I can with lawnscaping bricks that are too heavy for them to move, but they've ripped a new seam which will now need to be repaired. UGH! I hope you all have your homes puppy proofed by now in preparation for bringing home your new little bundle of joy (and energy!)

For those of you who have been watching the LIVE Puppy Cam and are wondering about the little rubber ball play toys in the puppy playpen, those are called HOL-EE ROLLERs and can be found for sale from many online retailers. Just do a Google search for "Hol-ee Roller" and you should find them.  The pups LOVE them because they are easy to pick up and carry around, they are made of soft squishy rubber and are light weight.   

FYI, Week 4 and Week 5 & 6 miscellaneous litter photos are now posted for your viewing pleaseure, ENJOY! :0)~

Tonight when I went to bring the puppies in from their all day playtime in the cottage and outdoor puppy run, you could tell they were WORN OUT! They were moving much slower than normal and when I put them back in the playpen into the fresh and fluffy pine shavings most of them just flopped and cashed out! Snickers took his favorite spot flat out underneath the water bowl, head propped up on the little round stepping stone, Spencer flopped right in the middle of the pen and was out like a light, and two more were zonked in the puppy bed. The three that were still left sitting near the door were droopy-eyed with exhaustion like they could fall over any minute. In comparison, usually all the pups are jumping at the door and whining and crying with desperation because they aren't ready for playtime to end, but not tonight.  There was no fussing or complaining, just calm and quiet.  It was a successful day at Hickory Hollow.
 

Sunday May 7th, 2017 (Week 6, Day 46)

Lots of folks have been asking questions about the food I'm feeding, how much and what is their schedule, etc. so I'm going to answer here to help out.

1. Food: Pups are being fed Native 4 by Kent (which I get at our local farm and feed store). You should be able to find it wherever the Kent brand foods are sold.  Ideally I would recommend "Native Level 3 Puppy", but I cannot get that formula locally anymore.  Here is a link to the Native Dog Food website specifically for Native Level 4:  https://www.nativedogfood.com/energy-level-4/.  The website also can help you find a retailer near you.
    
2. Amount: I feed seven puppies all at once, so the amount I feed is not relevant to one puppy.  Please consult the instructions on the bag for the feeding schedule for one pup.  Here is the link to the Native Dog Food website which includes the recommended feeding schedule: https://www.nativedogfood.com/our-formulas/
    
3. Schedule:  Pups are fed two to three times daily while they are in the weaning process until they are on solid food, then I always leave dry food available at all times for them to self feed throughout the day.  If you would like to feed your pups in meals at certain times, I completely agree with that. The recommended schedule is three times per day up to six months and two times per day until one year of age per the suggested feeding plan provided on the bag.
    

Saturday May 6th, 2017 (Week 6, Day 45)

Where there are puppies, poop happens and LOTS of it! I pick out the playpen daily, but do an entire change out of the wood shavings every 1.5 days. Pups are now going through an entire bag of pine shavings every three days.  If anyone ever said raising a litter is easy, I would tell them to come visit Hickory Hollow for a day to see what all is involved!  Meal and playtime in the cottage is completely chaotic at this point, with pups running here, chasing another one there, running into walls and gates, spilling food, chewing the walls or anything else within reach including ankles, pooping and peeing, sliding around in it, and then coming to jump on you to say "Hi" with poopy puppy feet, it's just wonderful! Anyone want to visit?
 

Friday May 5th, 2017 (Week 6, Day 44)

The weather was absolutely beautiful outside today, it was sunny and 70 degrees so we took the pups out in the yard for a photo session.  My wonderful sister (who is an amazing photographer) usually tries to come out at 4 or 5 weeks to take puppy portraits for litters that are fortunate enough to have warm weather during these weeks. Well, we were lucky again for this litter, she took time out of her busy schedule to come take photos before she headed off to work.  I am always so amazed at how she can capture such beautiful images of the pups when they are bouncing around, zigging and zagging at 100 mph!  I hope you enjoy this week's puppy portraits, I am so excited for you to see them!

The pups also had an opportunity to visit the "Great Beyond" (see video above). Many of them figured out the "portal" and were able to get through it to the other side.  We took several photos of the pups playing in the outdoor doggy run, they were having a blast! Anything new at this point is a blessing for them as they are quickly tiring of the indoor playpen and are ready for new adventures.
 

Thursday May 4th, 2017 (Week 6, Day 43)

Momma Benelli is no longer nursing the pups and her milk is all but dried up already. Pups are now eating dry food without canned mixed in anymore, and are just getting over a spell of diarrhea I think caused by deworming medication or possibly the rich puppy food they are now eating.

My husband John loves to go out to the Puppy Cottage to visit the pups every morning and today he took a video on his phone that I have uploaded to YouTube, we called it "Game of Tug Anyone?" The pups got a hold of one of John's work gloves and had a hay day playing with it! By the way, this is NOT how to train your bird dog, LOL!
 

Wednesday May 3rd, 2017 (Week 6, Day 42)

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). It's too bad they have to lose those beautiful baby blues so soon... The transition takes about a week or so and the color mix during the transition is neat to see.

Here's how the pups weigh-in at 6 weeks old:

Pups were microshipped today!
 

Tuesday May 2nd, 2017 (Week 5, Day 41)

The pups are so big now that they no longer need the stepping stool underneath the automatic water dish, so it was removed today. Smaller stepping stones were positioned on the floor beneath it so they can put their front feet up on them to reach the water bowl.  These pups are so adaptable, they picked up on the new way to drink right away, no problem.
 

Monday May 1st, 2017 (Week 5, Day 40)

This week I've really concentrated on noise desensitization with the pups. During each mealtime and the following playtime, I try to find different and unique noises that might get their attention. I've rapped and tapped on so many things now that nothing seems to phase them, even me clapping and calling their names. Sometimes I think this is a bad thing as well as a good thing, I want to be able to get my pup's attention when I clap or call the name, but they are so distracted with playtime that there are not many noises that cause them to stop and listen anymore.
 

Sunday April 30th, 2017 (Week 5, Day 39)

My apologies for my lack of day-to-day blogging lately, I've been working feverishly on invoicing, puppy documentation, and preparation of puppy packets to hand out when you come get your pups and that has taken priority over website updates. It's a whirlwind time for sure, I appreciate your patience.
 

Friday April 28th, 2017 (Week 5, Day 37)

During playtime tonight many of the pups were interested in the doggy door and why momma would disappear through it.  Out of curiosity Snickers kept pawing at it and falling into it as the plastic door would swing. After finally making it through the first door, he kept going and was determined to get through the second door to see what was beyond. Momma Benelli kept peeking her head in as well almost enticing the pups to follow her (although I knew she was just checking on the status of the food bowl and whether the pups were done eating or not so she could come in and lick the bowl clean, haha!). I did take a video entitled "The Great Beyond" which I will post to YouTube.
 

Wednesday April 26th, 2017 (Week 5, Day 35)

Week 5 Developmental Milestone: Puppy Selection / Noise Desensitization / Puppy Socialization

This is one of the most anticipated weeks for many because Puppy Selection finally happens. All the folks on our reservation list can now choose the pup they want to make a part of their family and take home in a couple weeks.

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. I 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.

Here's how the pups weigh-in at 5 weeks old:

Tuesday April 25th, 2017 (Week 4, Day 33)

I'm feeding the pups a nice mixture of about half canned food and half dry kibble without any water added now.  As the days progress from here on out the ratio will be more dry food and less canned food in preparation for week 6 where they will be on solid dry food and no more momma's milk in between meals.

I've also noticed after mealtime all the pups are going back into the playpen to potty and have not had any accidents on the concrete floor for a couple meals now, how exciting! Self potty training, gotta love it!  

I've also got them conditioned to come to me when playtime is over.  I simply step inside the playpen and call them, they come running for attention and are quick to jump up on me, pull my pant legs and chew on my ankles, but that sure beats having to pick up each pup one-by-one to put them back in! Once they are all in, I slide the door back in and Voila! playtime's over. The pups either continue to pounce on each other and roughhouse for a while or find a quiet corner to curl up and sleep off the full belly.  I noticed that Sawyer has found a favorite spot where he likes to camp out, up on the limestone brick in the corner under the LIVE Puppy Cam (which is holding down the rubber mat). He perches on it so pretty with his front paws crossed (typical Llewellin trait), like a lion watching over his kingdom. So cute!  
 

Monday April 24th, 2017 (Week 4, Day 33)

In preparation for Puppy Selection to happen later this week, I have posted Puppy Profiles above which provide details about each pup to possibly aid in the decision making process. If you're on the fence about a particular pup, please feel free to give me a call to discuss personalities over the phone. I'll be happy to help talk you through things.
 

Sunday April 23rd, 2017 (Week 4, Day 32)

Spencer update... I have had an overwhelming response to the ads on Facebook for Spencer.  Several applications have been submitted from folks who are interested in making him part of their family and I am currently conducting interviews with those applicants.  I am very encouraged by the qualifications of our applicants and am confident we are going to be able to place him with a family that will be able to provide him with the best opportunities to live and thrive despite his defect.

Puppy portraits and Week 3 Miscellaneous Litter Photos have been posted for your viewing pleasure.  ENJOY! :0)~
 

Saturday April 22nd, 2017 (Week 4, Day 31)

It was a beautiful day here today and so we took the opportunity to have some of the pups outside in the grass for the first time. They played and skipped and hopped around and seemed so happy to feel the warmth of the sun on their backs and the cool grass under their feet.  The pups also had some special visitors, the Mork family came to meet the pack in hopes that one male pup would stand out from the rest to help make their decision easier.  I think maybe they have a good idea now, we just have to wait and see when puppy selection week starts on Wednesday!

The weaning process is still going well. Today was the first day that I started adding dry kibble to the watered down canned mixture.  Since they now have to actually chew the food instead of just lapping it up and swallowing, it has slowed down mealtime quite a bit, dinner is no longer Gone in 60 Seconds!

Pups were dewormed today.
 

Thursday April 20th, 2017 (Week 4, Day 29)

Pups are now being fed canned food meals three times daily and are doing well. It won't take long on soft food before they will be ready for the kibble to be added in within a week or so. They are still nursing and now momma Benelli no longer lays down to nurse, she remains standing and the pups nurse by sitting up on their hind legs.  SO CUTE!

Also, wanted to point out that I have added a STATUS row to the puppy stats above.  Most pups are marked as PENDING until puppy selection happens starting next week.  I have already marked the little female pup we want to keep, so Skylar is reserved as BREEDER PICK.  The folks with the "first pick male" reservation came to visit on Monday and have their hearts set on Sully, so I have marked him as RESERVED for them. Since Spencer was diagnosed with bilateral deafness (deaf in both ears), no one has indicated they will take him, so he is marked as currently AVAILABLE.   
 

Wednesday April 19th, 2017 (Week 4, Day 28)

Week 4 Developmental Milestone: Rough Play / Weaning Begins

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! As their little personalities emerge this week, I will be posting puppy personality profiles in preparation for Puppy Selection starting next Wednesday!

Here's how the pups weigh-in at 4 weeks old:

Tuesday April 18th, 2017 (Week 3, Day 27)

It really hit home with me today, how hard it can be sometimes to do what we breeders do...  Amidst the joy, sometimes this job can be heartbreaking.

I had been keeping a close eye on Spencer for the past week because he has been acting slightly different than the rest of the pups, not reacting to noises, not waking up with the rest of the litter upon entry into the room and other auditory-type things. I had my suspicions that Spencer's hearing was not what it should be and today those suspicions were confirmed.  

We took Spencer to Iowa City to have a BAER (Brainstem Auditory Evoked Potential) hearing test done.  The test confirmed bilateral deafness (both ears).  I'm so bummed it's hard to bring you this news.  Other than his deafness, Spencer is healthy and is just the cutest, most cuddly and lovable pup with tons of puppy kisses to give and a great attitude.  He cracks me up with his quirky antics and is really just the sweetest little thing. John said he should make a fine hunting dog because he won't be gun shy and he will still be able to scent a bird from a mile away. I appreciate his words, he can always put a smile on my face, even when I am down.

On a happier note, weaning has begun. The pups had their first meal of canned puppy food and it was literally "Gone in 60 Seconds". I captured a video which I will share with you by the same title.  

Saturday April 15th, 2017 (Week 3, Day 24)

Momma Benelli is now standing to nurse her puppies! They are getting so big, (Snickers is almost 6 lbs today) that they practially maul her if she lays down to nurse. I took a cute video of the pups this morning before Benelli went in to feed them entitled "Begging for Breakfast" which will be self explanatory when you see it.

Also, Sully's ticking is FINALLY coming in enough to predict that he is a tri-belton (white/black/tan). I have closely evaluated a spot on the top of his head and the ticking coming in thickly on his ears and I'm pretty sure it's black and not chestnut.  We'll see for sure in within a few more weeks.  
 

Wednesday April 12th, 2017 (Week 3, Day 21)

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.

Here's how the pups weigh-in at 3 weeks old:

Tuesday April 11th, 2017 (Week 2, Day 20)

If you've been faithfully watching the LIVE Puppy Cam, you'll already know that this evening I moved the pups from the whelping box to the puppy play pen. I usually do this around 4 weeks of age, but decided to move them a WEEK early because they are growing so fast and were quickly outgrowing the capabilities of the whelping box (a couple of the pups are approaching 5 pounds already). The floor carpet was getting soiled way too quickly and I just didn't feel like I could keep their living space as clean as I would like. The fluffy pine shavings should do a better job at this point.

If you've ever watched the LIVE Puppy Cam for prior litters, you will also see that for this litter I've changed up the play pen configuration so that when the pups are sleeping in their bed you can still see them on the camera. In the past, the bed was located directly under the camera so when they were sleeping they were not viewable. We will try this configuration out for a while and see how well it works.

Just posted: Miscellaneous liter photos from Week 2, and a new video of the pups' first moments in the puppy play pen entitled "Embracing the Newness". ENJOY!
 

Monday April 10th, 2017 (Week 2, Day 19)

The pups hearing is greatly improved at this point in their development.  I can lightly tap on the walls and get a response from them.  They are also becoming more responsive to voices and will sit, look and listen to you when you speak to them.  Also, they are cutting their little pirhanna teeth.  
 

Sunday April 9th, 2017 (Week 2, Day 18)

I've been working really hard for you guys this weekend, editing and uploading miscellaneous litter photos from birth week and week 1, plus uploading videos for your viewing pleasure.  Also check out the newly posted Week 2 Puppy Portraits, they are simply adorable with those gorgeous baby blues sparkling.

When I'm taking puppy portraits especially on Week 2 then going forward, I try not to take too many flash pics because I don't want to damage their newly-opened eyes. It's really hard to get good photos because it seems all the pups want to do is yawn, so in the majority of the photos I get pups with eyes closed and little tongues sticking out, but to get those little gems on film as you see each week in the portrait photos can be a difficult task. Thank goodness for my wonderfully patient hubby John who helps me with the portraits by snuggling and cuddling puppies, talking goo-goo to them and, oh yeah, holding them for the photos!  We hope you ENJOY the fruits of our labor of love!