IMPORTANT NOTE! If you are planning a visit to meet us and see our pups and/or when you come pick up your puppy at 7 weeks, please DO NOT bring along any of your pets from home. For the safety of our dogs and especially our pups, we cannot allow any client's pets on our property, even if you leave them in the car. Many folks travel from long distances and sometimes in from other states and there are plenty of opportunities to pick up disease at pet parks or rest stops, et cetera along the way. If your dog steps or sits on your lap they've just transferred what's on their feet to your lap and then you put one of our pups on your lap, you've just transferred what's on your dog's feet to my pups. Our pups are not vaccinated until they are 6 weeks old so they are very susceptible to disease. So, if you arrive with a pet in your vehicle, you will be asked to leave immediately.

We cannot risk the health of our dogs and the longevity of our business by other animals bringing in pathogens that might cause the demise of our business. Therefore, we RESPECTFULLY but ADAMANTLY request that you please leave your pets at home. If you have any questions, please feel free to call me and we can discuss this further.
 

Thursday, January 30th, 2020

I have just posted all the Week 7 portraits of the pups with their new families and the remainder of the miscellaneous litter photos from Weeks 6 & 7 above.   

Now that all the pups have gone, the LIVE Puppy Cam has been taken offline but only for a few short weeks. Next up, Litter Y, due mid-February 2020! STAY TUNED TO HHLS for more on Litter Y!
 

Wednesday, January 29th, 2020 (Week 7, Day 54)

The last pup left Hickory Hollow today. Xavier's new parents -- Tim and Barb McDonald -- traveled all the way to Hickory Hollow from Tennessee. They flew to St. Louis, then rented a vehicle to drive the rest of the way to get him. They were overwhelmed with joy at the sight of their boy, it was a very heartwarming moment to see Tim's reaction when seeing his pup in person for the first time. Xavier's new name will be MacArthur, "Mac" for short. They will be driving home to Tennessee, but will take a quick detour over to Des Moines to meet up with some friends for a short reunion before heading south toward home.
 

Sunday, January 26th, 2020 (Week 7, Day 51)

Today it was Xilonen's turn to fly the coup. Jeffrey Hancock and his daughter Belle, drove up from Kansas to pick up their new little girl. After already acquiring 3 pups from us -- Stella (Odessa, Litter O), Timber (Violet, Litter V), and Gloria (Willow, Litter W) -- this was their first visit to Hickory Hollow. In the past, they had flown up on a private plane and we had met them at our small local airport in Vinton to deliver their puppies, but today the weather was not cooperating for a safe flight so they opted to drive. Xilonen's new name will be Jolene and she will have two kids in the family to play with along with her older HHLS Llew siblings. She will have lots of opportunity to hunt in locations all across the country with them. Belle already has her bedroom set up and ready to go for her new pup, complete with a dog bed and her name drawing on the wall.
 

Saturday, January 25th, 2020 (Week 7, Day 50)

A couple more pups are leaving today. The first will be Xena. She is headed to Nebraska with her new dad Myron and will have the opportunity to be a couch potato and a huntress. Her new name will be Molly.

Xerxes is the next to go, his new family the Morks -- David, Haley and their two daughters -- drove down from Minnesota to pick up their boy. His name will be Archie and they already have his collar tag made out and ready to go! He will have the two girls in his family along with an older HHLS Llew brother named Dax (aka Sawyer, Litter S -- momma Skylar's littermate brother!) The two pups are uncle and nephew (I love this)! He and Dax will hopefully become a dynamic duo in the field!
 

Friday, January 24th, 2020 (Week 7, Day 49)

Week 7 Developmental Milestone: Pups go home!

Now is the time the pups are able to embark on a new life and head out to their new homes. Most of the pups in this litter are staying here in the upper midwest, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Kansas, and Nebraska, but a couple pups are headed south! One pup is headed to Tennessee and the other is going even further south to Alabama! Because of that, I'm excited to say that we gained a new state in the Hickory Hollow family. I have added Alabama to our Pup Map, so now we have pups in 32 states around the country!

Pups have had their first distemper/parvo vaccination and are eating the dry kibble really well and are now fully weaned. They're so ready to get outta here and embark on a new adventure!

A final set of puppy portraits will be taken with their new families and will be posted on Facebook and on this page shortly after they have gone home.

On this day, Xylla was the first to leave. Her new mom and dad Jarrod and Dana Schneider drove all the way up here from Alabama to get her in the midst of a January snow storm in Iowa.  Jarrod's mom and dad, Kathy and Steve, drove down from Minnesota to meet them here and share in their special moments with their new pup (awww, I love stories like this). Xylla's new name will be Luna and when Dana picked her up for the first time, she just snuggled into her arms and just stayed there. I think it was love at first sight!

The second pup to leave today was Xiari. She is headed to Wisconsin to live with the Hartungs, a family of 6. The kids were in school, but will be getting out about the time that mom and dad arrive home with their new little family member. Xiari's new name will be Hazel and along with the 4 kids she will also have a Llew sister named Ellie to romp and play with.
 

Thursday, January 23rd, 2020 (Week 6, Day 48)

Today is the day the first pup goes home. Xanadu is heading to her new home today, a day early, but she's ready! She will be going to live with her new dad Scott in Des Moines Iowa and will have the opportunity to hunt with an older and experienced HHLS setter named Nola from Litter N. She snuggled right into Scott's arms when he picked her up and she proceeded to give him lots of puppy kisses and chew on his beard. As of now she doesn't have an official new name, and Scott was thinking about leaving it Xanadu. I'll update the BLOG if/when I hear the official word.
 

Wednesday, January 22nd, 2020 (Week 6, Day 47)

Today during playtime I noticed something exciting!! Xavier has TAN colored ticking coming in on his muzzle and legs, so this means he is a TRICOLOR!!! He's been so white since birth it's been hard to tell his color at all, and FINALLY we have a definite answer on that.  I've updated his stats above to be Chestnut Tricolor Belton!! I love this!
 

Tuesday, January 21st, 2020 (Week 6, Day 46)

Sunday, January 19th, 2020 (Week 6, Day 44)

Saturday, January 18th, 2020 (Week 6, Day 43)

The pups are doing so good, I'm really happy with this litter. All the pups are gaining weight appropriately, they are all bright-eyed, active and playful not to mention sweet as pie!

All their poops look normal too, well formed and solid. I know that sounds yucky, but I keep an eye on things like this because when poops are runny, something is going on. Sometimes weaning can be stressfull for the pups and some will get diarrhea, however so far so good with this litter. Today a few random pups will have their fecals checked to see how well our anti-parasitic program is working.  If the pups are clear then they won't get their 6 week dose of dewormer.

Pups will also get their first distemper/parvo vaccine sometime this week. I use Nobivac Puppy-DPv by Merck (the kind that veterinarians use) instead of an off-brand you can get at your local farm and feed store. This vaccine is for Canine Distemper and Parvovirus only so it's milder than the 5-way shots and doesn't hit their immune systems so hard while they are still so young. The 5-way vaccine can be introduced in their 2nd booster. The pups will need at at least two, if not three, more boosters in 4-week increments to achieve full immunity to the viruses. Therefore, we DO NOT recommend taking your puppy out in public dog-friendly places until the pup has acquired full immunity. Apparently dogs can still contract a virus they've been vaccinated for, but the severity will be significantly reduced by the vaccinations which can help the dog get by with supportive care while the virus takes its course.

I am working on the litter photos from Week 5 and the Week 6 puppy portraits which will be posted sometime today.
 

Friday, January 17th, 2020 (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 which is gold for chestnuts. It's too bad they have to lose those beautiful baby blues so soon... The transition takes a few weeks and the color mix during the transition is neat to see. Sometimes I've noticed that the chestnut dogs will have almost a sea green eye color for a while, it's beautiful!

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

As of last night, the pups have been fully transitioned to eating dry kibble with nothing mixed in. They still want to nurse when momma Skylar checks in with them, but she is starting to disallow the behavior and will reprimand the pups so that they know it's unacceptable to do so. Poor Skylar, she has a few battle scars on her belly from vigorusly nursing pups with super sharp teeth. The pups will be on dry kibble as much as possible this week as I will help Skylar keepher pups away during playtime visits.
 

Thursday, January 16th, 2020 (Week 5, Day 41)

This morning around lunchtime I sat down on the floor with the pups after their midday meal and enjoyed them crawling all over me and giving me affection. I caught a some rare moments on video of momma Skylar playing with her pups too! I just posted the video "Playtime with Both Mommas" above for your viewing pleasure.
 

Wednesday, January 15th, 2020 (Week 5, Day 40)

Well, last night was the last night the pups had their comfy bed. One or more of the little stinkers ripped a big hole in the side of it again and pulled out a lot of stuffing. Since the stuffing could be dangerous if swallowed (causing possible impaction), the bed had to be removed for their safety. You know what they say, the few ruin it for the many. So now the pups will have to make a bed in the pine shavings, which many were already doing anyway.

Next I will be placing limestone blocks in the corners to keep the naughty pups from digging up and pulling back the rubber flooring. I just installed a brand new piece for this litter, first one I've replaced since the Puppy Cottage was built back in 2006-07 and would like this one to last another 13 years if possible.
 

Monday, January 13th, 2020 (Week 5, Day 38)

Weaning is still going well, pups are chowing down their dinners with gusto. While the pups are eating I pet each one gently, stroking from their head to their tail several times. This gets them used to be handled with food around.  Most of the pups ignore my affection and keep chowing. Luckily none of the pups are growly during this exercise.

They are still being fed twice daily with momma Skylar supplementing in between meals, but soon that will change and they will be fed 3 times daily with momma visiting less and less until finally at 6 weeks they will be eating solid food with no supplemental milkbar meals.

Pups are really funny now during playtime, they are spunky and active and exploring the cottage. I sit on the floor with them and just watch, and after only a few minutes I usually end up with a puppy pile on my lap. I enjoy getting to snuggle those precious babes in my arms, these pups are just so sweet. I have really enjoyed the pups' personalities in both of our Skylar x Sawyer litters.
 

Saturday, January 11th, 2020 (Week 5, Day 36)

Puppy selection went very quickly yesterday for the females which have all now been spoken for. The two male pups are still under consideration by the first pick family, so I am still waiting for that decision. Sometimes the selection process goes as predicted, and other times it is a total surprise. I LOVE surprises and I had a few yesterday so the reservation list has now been updated to reflect the current status. Now the Mork family, who thought they had to wait until the next litter, are actually going to get a pup from this one! It was fun to tell them the good news even if we don't know which pup it will be yet. We should know later today.

Pups were microchipped today for those who indicated they wanted this service. The pups did really well, hardly noticing that anything happened. Me, on the other hand, not so much, LOL! I accidentally stabbed myself in the palm of my hand with one of those giant needles. The cap came off while I was removing it from the syringe to put it in the sharps container. YOUCHIE!! I can't say I've ever done that before and hopefully will never again.

Week 4 miscellaneous photos have been posted above, they sure are CUTE!
 

Friday, January 10th, 2020 (Week 5, Day 35)

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

This is one of the most anticipated times in this process; it's Puppy Selection time! All the folks on our reservation list will now be able to choose the pup they want to make a part of their family and take home in a couple weeks. I will be calling each of you when it's your turn to choose.

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 so by the time they leave they will be desensitized to strange sounds. During each mealtime or play session I will start incorporating what I call "percussion sessions" into the mix. During that time I will make a variety of different sounds while increasing then decreasing volume and severity including tapping on metal pans, knocking on walls, stomping the floor, opening and closing doors, running a can opener, playing christian pop music on the radio, and whatever else we can think of to condition them for life after Hickory Hollow.

The pups are also in the first stages of potty training (and actually have been since they were first relocated to the Puppy Cottage). During playtime, any pups that start to potty on the floor are swiftly airlifted and placed into the playpen to finish the job (this reinforces the area where I desire them to potty), but most choose to go in and potty in the pine shavings on their own. By the time they go home, they associate the "place to potty" with the pine shavings so I always suggest taking home some of the shavings from our playpen to place in the yard when potty training pups to go outside. That association with the pine shavings and the place to potty can help speed up the house training process.

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

Pups had their third deworming dose today which is something I dread doing. The old formula of puppy wormer worked really well, the pups liked it and it went down smoothly, but in recent years the formula has changed and the pups HATE it, they gag and choke on it so it's a very unpleasant experience. I've been trying to figure out a good way to dose the pups, so when they're little, I administer the dosage via tube directly to the stomach which works well, but that would be too challenging now considering their size and strength. So today I added the dose to a small portion of canned food and mixed it in. Each pup got a "special treat" before they were served breakfast. That seemed to work fairly well.

Week 5 Portraits and Puppy Profiles will be posted today. Then I'll be working on the miscellaneous litter photos from Week 4 next and will have them posted sometime on Saturday.  
 

Thursday, January 9th, 2020 (Week 4, Day 34)

Tomorrow starts Puppy Selection, so please be thinking about your top favorites so you'll have an idea when it's your turn to choose. I will start by contacting the first person on the reservation list and go down the line. When a pup is selected, their status at the top of the Puppies table will show as RESERVED. This process could take a few days to complete as there may be some people coming this weekend to see pups and make a selection in person (weather permitting -- we're supposed to get ice and lots of snow -- go figure, but it is January in Iowa -- today we had 48° weather). Other times the process has taken only a few hours, so I suspect this will be somewhere in between. I realize I still need to post some personality profiles, and am planning to do that sometime tomorrow morning if time allows. Otherwise if you have questions about a particular pup, we can chat on the phone too before making a selection.  
 

Wednesday, January 8th, 2020 (Week 4, Day 33)

The weaning process is still going well. I am feeding the pups twice per day and momma Skylar fills in periodically throughout the day as well. Today was the first day of dry kibble mixed with canned food and warm water. I allow the kibble to soak for a little bit and get soft before feeding to the pups, but it won't be long before they are eating solid food. Only one more week of food with canned mixed in and each day I will add less and less water as well as less canned food until they are eating only dry kibble around this time next week.

As you have probably seen in the photos, I feed the pups on a mat, this is not only for cleanliness sake by keeping them off the concrete floor, but also for traction to help keep their back legs from slipping out from under them.

The pups are really starting to come out of their shell the past couple days, they are more interactive with people during playtime and are getting out and exploring the Puppy Cottage environment more. They are on the borderline of becoming the "little monsters" that I described at the beginning of this week. They are starting to pull on hair, chew toes and pull on pant legs. I noticed that one (or maybe more) of the pups has already made a big hole in their soft comfy bed and have been pulling the stuffing out. I was hoping this wouldn't happen until well into the 5th week, but unfortunately they started early, so now I have a repair job to do (this the reason why the cushion is missing if you're watching the LIVE Puppy Cam). I still haven't figured out which one is the culprit, but if you have seen which one is doing this on the LIVE Puppy Cam, send me a note. I'd love to know which of the little stinkers is problematic, LOL!
 

Tuesday, January 7th, 2020 (Week 4, Day 32)

This morning's breakfast was the last meal for the pups that will contain goat's milk and baby rice cereal as they will now be transitioning to canned puppy food with ground dry kibble. I use a coffee grinder to chop the adult size kibble into small chunks that will easily mix with the canned food to make it slightly stiffer than canned food alone.

Throughout this process I always think it's fascinating to watch nature take it's course. Momma Skylar is also "helping" in a completely natural way by regurgitating her own partially digested meal as an offering to her pups. I know it sounds gross, but this is nature's way so I let it happen. The only problem I have with this is the wood shavings in the puppy playpen that are used for bedding. I really don't want the pups accidentally eating that along with the meal that momma has provided, so I usually let them eat off the top and then clean up the remainder once they get down to the wood shavings.  
 

Sunday, January 5th, 2020 (Week 4, Day 30)

The weaning process progresses pretty quickly as the pups are ready for more than just the goat's milk and baby rice cereal. Today I started adding canned puppy food in order to transition to the next phase. Pups couldn't get it down fast enough.

Also today during the meal I started doing some of the noise conditioning that I usually start next week. This consists of lightly tapping on countertops, and clinking a fork on a ceramic bowl. The pups were unphased and thought breakfast was WAY more important.

This afternoon my family (mom, dad, sister and two nieces) came out for a puppy visit.  Again we laid the blanket down on the floor and let the pups loose! They are just so sweet right now, it's the perfect time for a visit as they are active but not rambunctious and are not yet pulling and biting on everything. I took some cute photos, some of which I have posted in the Litter X album on our Facebook page and will include on this page along with other miscellaneous photos from Week 4 later this week.
 

Saturday, January 4th, 2020 (Week 4, Day 29)

The pups had some special visitors today, the Hartung family of six traveled 4 hours from Wisconsin to meet the pups and formulate their opinions on top choices for next Friday's puppy selection. We put a blanket down on the floor in the Puppy Cottage and let the pups out of the playpen to mingle and explore. Most of the pups were sleepy and just enjoyed being lap puppies and snuggling, but there were a couple that were playing and being spunky, namely Xena and Xanadu. Those pups played and explored for quite a while before they crashed. The two males were the most laid back of the bunch. It was a fun evening but after all the time spent with the pups they indicated that their decision was not made any easier, but in fact they said now it'll be harder to make since all the pups are so great.

I was able to get the miscellaneous photos from Week 3 and Week 4 Puppy Portraits posted this evening. ENJOY! :0)~

Friday, January 3rd, 2020 (Week 4, Day 28)

Week 4 Development Milestone: Weaning Begins / Rough Play

Weaning begins this week! Starting today the pups will be fed supplemental meals from a flying saucer pan on the floor rather than nursing from momma Skylar all the time. I'll start with a thick mixture of warm goat's milk and Gerber baby rice cereal for the first few meals so they can get used to lapping up and swallowing a thick porridge, then transition to goat's milk with canned puppy food, then graduate to canned puppy food mixed with soggy kibble, and later mixed with dry kibble, then slowly remove the wet food until they are on solid dry. This progression will happen gradually through the next couple weeks until they are given only dry kibble starting at week six.

Play behavior started late in the pups' second week, but this week it will turn rough and rowdy with pouncing, pinning, biting, pulling, 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 personalities emerge more this week, I will start formulating some comments for the pup Personality Profiles so they are posted by the time Puppy Selection starts next Friday!

Here's how the pups weigh-in at 4 weeks old: (last daily weight, now weighing only weekly)

Pups did get their first cereal meal this morning and I've posted a video above titled "First Weaning Meal".  As you can see the pups take to it almost immediately and you can hear them all lapping it up as fast as they can. I'm sure that was a great chaser following the nasty tasting deworming dose they had gotten a few minutes prior.

I'll be working on the miscellaneous litter photos from Week 3 next and will have them posted sometime this weekend along with Week 4 Puppy Portraits. For some reason I feel like I just got Week 3 portraits done and it's already time for Week 4. Time flies!  
 

Wednesday, January 1st, 2020 (Week 3, Day 26)

With the new year comes new surroundings for the pups as they were moved to the Puppy Cottage today. They will have a large enclosure to explore and play and will stay much cleaner now that they are going potty on their own and momma Skylar will not always be around to clean up after them.  The fresh pine shavings make a soft and fluffy bedding and will help to keep their coats clean.

I posted several new videos in the Video Clips section above  (I'm finally caught up!), one of which is a clip taken when the pups were first put into their new playpen enclosure today.  It was fun to watch them explore and get settled in to their new home so I titled the video "Settling In". ENJOY! :0)~
 

Tuesday, December 31st, 2019 (Week 3, Day 25)

YAY, finally done with the 3 week collages! I posted them above in the weekly portrait section for you. Just click on the thumbnail to enlarge to full size so you can see them better. Next I will be working on the videos, I have several to post, but again need to review them first before uploading to YouTube.
 

Monday, December 30th, 2019 (Week 3, Day 24)

I finally posted Week 3 portraits, but I will be posting more soon, they are just too cute not to share! I also have several videos to post, I've just been so busy with the Christmas holiday that I have not been able to keep up.

Litter X's FDSB Litter Enrollment Certificate came today from The American Field, so now all the pups in this litter can be registered individually if their new owners choose to do so.
 

Sunday, December 29th, 2019 (Week 3, Day 23)

Today is Puppy Portrait day! The key to my well focused portraits today was the fact the pups all just had a big meal and were sleepy and thus not moving around a whole lot.  I think they turned out SO CUTE!  I decided I am going to post a collage of portraits for each pup since there are SO MANY cute ones that I cannot decide on just one, so thus this is taking me longer than I thought.  Please be patient with me while I sort through, edit and crop these precious photos, the wait will be worth it!
 

Saturday, December 28th, 2019 (Week 3, Day 22)

Pups are really starting to hear quite well these days.  When I enter the room, close the door, or when one of the other dogs bark, they can be awakened from a nap. They will sit up and look around to try and figure out where the noise came from.

The pup are also playing together now, if you watch them for any length of time you will see they are already mouthing and pawing at each other. It's fun to watch them interact.  Also now that they can see, they are starting to look up for a nipple when momma Skylar is standing in the box cleaning up.
 

Friday, December 27th, 2019 (Week 3, Day 21)

Week 3 Development Milestone: Play Behavior

This is my absolute favorite time with the pups! Their eyes are open and they are noticing things around them, they are hearing better so they react to your voice and other noises and they are walking around and actually keeping their balance and are becoming playful and inquisitive about their surroundings. This week the pups will start playing with each other, bowing, yipping, pouncing and gently chewing on each other. Their individual personalities begin to emerge and by now they have already begun to do some of their natural doggy behavior for the first time instead of just sleeping and nursing all the time.

The pups are also becoming quite vocal. There are a few pups that I believe like to hear their own voices because they will sit in the box and just howl. Actual barking, versus yips, is becoming more and more frequent, and at this point I actually like to hear their little voices, which will change the older and louder they become.

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

FYI, I'm not too worried about the low weight gain for Xena and Xylla today as they gained a lot more than normal yesterday and the day before.  It really depends on whether or not the pups just had a meal right before they were weighed for the day. At times like this where the daily weigh-in shows less than desired, I keep an eye on the situation and average their weight gain over a few days to ensure they are gaining appropriately.

Miscellaneous litter photos from Week 2 have been posted above, ENJOY! :0)~
 

Thursday, December 26th, 2019 (Week 2, Day 20)

Pups teeth are finally cutting the gums, their mouths look like little piranhas, the tips of the teeth are pointy and not rounded.  Poor momma Skylar, this starts the time when nursing can become painful and if a pup is pulled off the teat too soon, the teeth can leave cut marks in momma's skin.  I keep an eye on that and tend to her wounds if necessary.

Wednesday, December 25th, 2019 (Week 2, Day 19)

We wish you the very Merriest of Christmases and many blessings this holiday season!

Tuesday, December 24th, 2019 (Week 2, Day 18)

Today on this Christmas Eve, is the day I received my first puppy kisses from Xavier.  He is so sweet and gave me a couple soft licks on my cheek while I was snuggling him, it just melted my heart.

Here's how the pups weigh-in today:

Saturday, December 21st, 2019 (Week 2, Day 15)

Today is portrait day! Photo sessions for week two are much harder than the prior two weeks because now that the pups are walking and seeing, they tend to wander off the photo set making it much more difficult to get the full body shots this week. Next week and forward portraits will be head shots only. At 20-30 minute sessions per pup (and a TON of patience), this task is very time consuming. I usually take anywhere from 15 - 50 photos of each pup, but the majority of them end up being deleted because they're blurry. Overall, I took over 400 photos many of which were deleted on my camera and not even downloaded, now I've got 316 left to sort and choose the best from, then on to editing and cropping. I hope to have them posted for you by end of day today.

Here's today's eye opening report:

I decided to go ahead with portraits because the two males eyes are almost open and hard to tell otherwise.

Pups had their first nail trim to keep their claws from snagging in the towel during photos and will also have their First Deworming dose today as part of our anti-parasitic regimen.
 

Friday, December 20th, 2019 (Week 2, Day 14)

Week 2 Developmental Milestone: Ears will open / Cutting Teeth

Now that most of the puppies eyes are open or are nearly 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 I am usually 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.

As the pups grow, the ratio of body weight to percent gain starts to drop, currently pups are in the range of 3 to 5% gain. Here's how the pups weigh-in at 2 weeks old:

Here's today's eye opening report:

*Key: R=right eye, L=left eye, B=both eyes, N=Not, S=started, O=Open!

Week 2 portraits will be taken sometime this weekend because I want to wait until all the pups have their eyes fully open for their Week 2 portraits. I am planning to post Week 1 miscellaneous litter photos today.
 

Thursday, December 19th, 2019 (Week 1, Day 13)

The eyes continue to open, sometimes the progression is faster than others, just depends on the pup. Past history shows that the larger pups start later and are slower to open than the smaller pups. I think this trend has also been shown in this litter as well. Here's today's eye opening report:

*Key: R=right eye, L=left eye, B=both eyes, N=Not, S=started

The activity in the box is increasing now. The pups are becoming a lot more vocal and are actually barking now and are really getting up off the floor and walking.  They will become steadier and steadier with each step.
 

Wednesday, December 18th, 2019 (Week 1, Day 12)

Well, things are finally starting to happen, there was not much development on the eye opening issue yesterday so did not report, however today I can see some eyeballs! This process should take a few days to complete, and some pups will progress faster than others and even on the same pup, each eye will be at a different stage of opening. Here's today's eye opening report:

 *Key: R=right eye, L=left eye, B=both eyes, N=Not, S=started

I also just posted a new video titled "Bath Before Breakfast", so check it out in the Videos section above.  

UPDATE: Just posted a second video called "Noisy Puppies" in the Videos section above.
 

Monday, December 16th, 2019 (Week 1, Day 10)

Not much news on the eye opening issue, however I do believe I can tell that the corners of the eyes are deepening on a couple of the pups. The corners at the tear ducts are where the eyelids begin to separate. 

As the pups age, they will become more and more active, right now all they really do is sleep and nurse, however when they are active, they are now starting to get their bellies up off the ground and take their first steps. They are extremely wobbly and lose their balance quickly, but it's a great effort.  

I have just posted the two videos from Birth Week to the Videos section of this page. The first one shows the pups nursing at just barely 24-hours old, the second video illustrates the sounds the pups make as the milk starts to diminish and when it's gone they pop off the nipple and frantically search for another.
 

Sunday, December 15th, 2019 (Week 1, Day 9)

Pups eyes should start opening soon, I have been checking but there are no signs yet. I will keep you posted as soon as I see any changes.

I have been hard at work this weekend sorting through hundreds of photos I took during Birth Week and for Week 1 portraits so I could pick the best ones to publish. The process took much longer than I expected, but Miscellaneous Litter Photos from Birth Week and Week 1 Puppy Portraits are now posted above for your viewing pleasure. I still have two videos I took during Birth Week that I need to post, so be on the lookout for those soon.
 

Friday, December 13th, 2019 (Week 1, Day 7)

Week 1 Developmental Milestone: Eyes will open

During this week, the pups will reach an exciting milestone, their eyes should start opening around day 10 and will take a few days to fully open. When the pups are born, their ears and eyes are closed to keep out the amniotic fluid and any bacteria encountered in the birth canal. The 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.

Here's how the pups weigh-in at 1 week old:

Week 1 portraits will be taken and posted on Saturday, along with a couple videos and the Birth Week miscellaneous litter photos.
 

Wednesday, December 11th, 2019 (Week 0, Day 5)

I can't believe how time flies, the pups are almost a week old already! No news, same ol' same ol', pups are gaining well, staying within normal percentage of weight gain. At this point there is not much "new news" to post because pups aren't doing anything but nursing and sleeping.  Next week the eyes will be opening and then the fun stuff starts to happen. Skylar continues to be a fantastic mom, probably the BEST of all the momma dogs we've had in my entire 14.5 years of breeding Llewellins. She's a gem!

I will be posting all the miscellaneous Birth Week photos this weekend and will be taking Week 1 portraits as well, so that's something to look forward to

Here's how the pups weigh in on Day 5:

Tuesday, December 10th, 2019 (Week 0, Day 4)

Today I started the Super Dog program (read about it here). The exercises in this program allow me to carefully look over each pup from end to end. It's a great way to identify any potential problems early, such as skin conditions, hernias, etc. The pups' dew claws were removed yesterday and are already scabbed over and healing nicely.  

I have been taking lots of photos of the litter this week so far and will be posting all the birth week photos at once on this page sometime this weekend. Or you can check out the Litter X album on Facebook for photos from whelping day and forward including the puppy portraits already posted above.

Here's how the pups weigh in on Day 4:

Monday, December 9th, 2019 (Week 0, Day 3)

Pups are all doing great, they are warm, plump and are thriving as you can see by the daily weigh-ins. It is normal for pups to gain 5-10% of their body weight daily and as you can see all the pups have consistently been well within these parameters and today have exceeded them. With 8 teats at the milkbar and only 7 pups, there is plenty of milk to go around.

There have been a few folks that have posted comments or questions on Facebook regarding Xena that they "hope she survives" or wonder how "the little one is doing". I can confirm that she is doing well, health-wise she is fine and does not have any issues due to her size, she is just petite. In fact, today she has gained two full ounces since yesterday. She certainly doesn't have a problem holding her own at the milkbar against her bigger brothers and sisters. I'm very pleased with how she's progressing.

Here's how the pups weigh in on Day 3:

Dew claws were removed today.
 

Sunday, December 8th, 2019 (Week 0, Day 2)

It's always amazing to me to see the natural instincts of these pups from the moment they are born. They are blind and deaf and somehow know exactly how to navigate to momma and the nipple to nurse. They also know when they are lost in no-man's land and cry while turning in circles. Once they are placed back with the pack, they become content again, pile upon each other or next to each other, and fall back asleep. At this age when pups are sleeping they never lie perfectly still. Their nervous systems are still developing so they will jerk and twitch which is completely normal and expected. A pup that is lying perfectly still without twitching is a bad sign and are usually sick. During my frequent check-ins on the pups, I monitor each one for a few seconds looking for these twitches.  

Here's how the pups weigh in on Day 2:

Saturday, December 7th, 2019 (Week 0, Day 1)

First thing this morning I set up the LIVE Puppy Cam and it's now online for your viewing pleasure. A link to the webpage showing the live feed is at the top of this page. This camera uses a good amount of our bandwidth, so to keep folks from endlessly streaming, such as leaving the camera up accidentally while they are away from their computers, I have put a time limit on the feed of 10 minutes per session.  After the session times out, the browser will automatically redirect you back to this page. If you want to view again, you will have to restart a new session.

Today was a busy day here at Hickory Hollow. Besides getting the LIVE Puppy Cam online for everyone, I did the pup's daily weigh in, took their birth portraits and edited them, and then the FUN part, figuring out names for all seven pups! This is always a fun time for me. I take into consideration all the names on the compiled list from suggestions by everyone that played the Name Game on our Facebook page. Then I go through the list and try to pick names that are the most unique and sometimes even make up some of my own. I want each name to be different sounding, so I won't choose two names like "Xena" and "Xenia" since they are too similar. Likewise, I don't want too many names that end with the same letter, "Xasha", "Xyla", "Xantana", "Xenya", etc. (you get the picture). Sometimes it's more difficult than it should be.

My husband suggested naming them, Xerox, Xerox2, Xerox3, Xerox4, Xerox5, Xerox6, and Xcetera. This shows John's innate sense of humor that keeps me in stitches pretty much daily. This one was too good not to share, LOL! Rex Williamson will appreciate these...

In the end, I just strive to choose fun temporary names that everyone will enjoy during this process. Most will have a new name once they leave Hickory Hollow anyway, so I try to keep it unique for the time being. For the meanings behind the names I've chosen, see the puppy stats section at the top of the page, right below the given name, it's kinda interesting...

Pups are all doing great today, they're staying warm underneath the heat lamp and snuggled into momma Skylar. When she goes into the box with them she carefully chooses a location and lays down next to them and then lifts her front and back legs on the upside and they all come crawling in and then she wraps her body around them all like a big hug, to nurse, keep them warm, and protect them. She's such a gentle momma, it's really neat to watch her tend to them. Maybe you can catch this on the LIVE Puppy Cam sometime.

Here's how the pups weigh in at Day 1:

Puppy birth portraits are now posted above, ENJOY!

Friday, December 6th, 2019 (Week 0, Day 0)

9:00 am:  Skylar got me up at 5:30 this morning and I believe she's now in the early stages of labor as she's constantly rapidly panting. I have the whelping area all set up and ready to go, so now we just have to wait until contractions begin which could be any minute or several hours yet. Only Mother Nature knows, but I'm ready...   

11:00 am: Heaving panting and shaking starts

11:23 am: First visible contraction seen

12:00 pm: PUPPIES ARE COMING!

WOW, it was another long whelping day, but we are finally done and Skylar is resting comfortably and tending to her pups.  Time for me to get the nursery set up with the whelping box and get her and her litter settled in.  

As for the LIVE Puppy Cam and photos, etc. I will set up and do all that tomorrow when I'm fresh and haven't had a long and stressful day. Praise the Lord, it was a good day however, we have a happy and healthy Litter X!! Good night all.
 

Thursday, December 5th, 2019

Wednesday, December 4th, 2019

No news this morning... Skylar's morning temp is back to hanging out at 99.8° which was the same as her bedtime temperature last night... so no pups today I'm afraid...
 

Tuesday, December 3rd, 2019

I've been taking Skylar's temperature the past few days watching and waiting for the tell-tale fluctuations that indicate changes in hormones that start the whelping process. The last week of gestation, normal temps range around 99° (normal non-pregnant temp for a dog is around 101.5°). Yesterday, morning, her temperature reading was 98°, which shocked me because that is well below the "red line" (as I call it) of 98.4° which indicates whelping within 24 hours. So I took it again thinking I couldn't believe my eyes! The next reading was 98.6°, so I took it a third time, and it rested on 98.7°. Still close enough to the targeted temp of 98.4° to cause alarm. Needless to say I kept a close eye on her the rest of the day.  Evening temp was back up to 99.3°.  

This morning, her temp had skyrocketed up to 100.3°, I'm hoping this is the tell-tale spike before the drastic temp drop below the targeted 98.4°. This is the textbook trend and what I look for and why I take a baseline temp the last week of pregnancy so it's easy to see the spike and fall.  

In my guesstimation, pups could be due as early as tomorrow, so we'll see what her evening temperature reads tonight as to whether or not we're seeing the fall after today's spike.  Once the temperature drops below 98.4°, then we will officially be on 24-hour puppy watch, just not quite there yet... stay tuned!
 

Wednesday, November 27th, 2019

Saturday, November 23rd, 2019

Pregnancy x-ray to get litter pup count is scheduled for Wednesday 11/27. Hopefully the x-ray will be clear enough to accurately count pups and we will know for sure how many to expect on whelping day.

I have been feeding Skylar special meals to entice her to eat lately, she has not been interested in strictly dry kibble, so I've been mixing in a little wet food. Last night she only ate about half her dinner, I'm sure because all the pups in her belly are taking up room that would otherwise allow her stomach to expand further, so now I'm going to start feeding her a couple smaller special meals each day, one in the morning and one in the evening to help with this issue.  
 

Wednesday, November 13th, 2019

I believe we have confirmed Skylar's pregnancy, she is starting to show now in her 6th week of gestation. Only 3 more weeks to go until we get to see our precious little wigglers! We will do a pregnancy x-ray around 8 weeks gestation to get a pup count and will also start taking her baseline temperature twice daily so we can tell when her temperature drops indicating the impending births.
 

Sunday, October 6th, 2019

We had our fourth breeding between Skylar and Sawyer today on day 14 of her heat cycle which resulted in another 35 minute tie!!  We are hopeful these breedings will result in a nice sized litter this time. Pups should be due around Dec 4-5, 2019.
 

Saturday, October 5th, 2019

We had our third breeding between Skylar and Sawyer today on day 13 of her heat cycle which resulted in a 35 minute tie!!  This is great news, breeding is going as planned.
 

Friday, October 4th, 2019

We had our second breeding between Skylar and Sawyer today on day 12 of her heat cycle, no breeding tie but we did witness a couple slip matings which will suffice.
 

Wednesday, October 2nd, 2019

We had our first breeding between Skylar and Sawyer today resulting in a 15 minute tie which is right on schedule at day 10 of her heat cycle.  
 

Sunday, September 22nd, 2019

We are excited to report that Skylar is currently in heat so we are moving forward with our plans to breed her to Sawyer starting around day 8-10 of her cycle. Stay tuned here for more Litter X news as it happens.