It’s hard to believe that we are in week four of this litter and they will be going home with all of you in the next 28 days. This has been such a wonderful litter to whelp. Also, we have had the opportunity to meet 8 of the 11 families and we are so happy these pups will be going to wonderful homes. It has been a pleasure getting to know those that have stopped by this week!
As you can tell from the pictures below they are getting big. Yesterday, everyone was weighed, got their second dose of Pyrantel (dewormer) and a probiotic to help with the transition to more solid food. Pups ranged in weight from 5.5lbs to 6.9lbs. All of the puppies have teeth top and bottom now so Ginger is rarely feeding them…they are 80-90% puppy mush and will transition to 100% this week. Soft food, where they have to chew, will start in week 5.
The pups have been moved from their whelping box to a 64 square foot enclosure. We will be introducing them to very basic potty training and crate training this week. Since Ginger has reduced her feeding, they have all learned to drink from a water bowl as well. Overall this litter is right on schedule for their development and very healthy…..no eating issues, no diarrhea, no excessive crying or barking. It really has been a great litter to raise.
Here are some very common questions we are getting:
Whose the largest / smallest pup?
For the males, Purple is the largest and Orange is the smallest. For the girls, Pink is the largest and Lt. Blue is our petite lady. Pink is actually the second largest pup in the litter behind Purple.
Who is the darkest red color?
For the boys, it would be a tie between Purple and Light Purple. With the girls, Green is the darkest female and Light Blue is the lightest colored female. I would describe Light Blue as a honey color.
Is there a dominant pup or “alpha” of the group?
Up to this point, I would have to say Black. He’s right in the middle of the pack on weight but he does seem to boss his brothers and sisters around. He’s also the watchdog of the group…he notices noises or when the cats are around and has to check it out. Pink is the most laid back pup of the litter…she does what she wants, when she wants to do it…on her terms.
Any interesting behaviors coming out?
They are just starting to take an interest in toys and each other. Before four weeks of age, it’s pretty much eat, poop and sleep (and repeat). Now they have “up” time where they play with each other and the toys we have put in their pen. What we have noticed so far….Lt. Blue is an explorer. She has to check everything out and doesn’t hesitate to wander away from her brothers and sisters. Brown has the cutest bark….when she gets excited she lets out a a single bark that’s so loud it’s like she scares herself….it’s funny to see. Purple, our big boy, pushes everyone out of the way to get to the food bowl. Explains why he is the largest of group, he never misses a meal. Light Purple loves the water bowl….loves to play and put his paws in the water. Their personalities will continue to develop and we will keep you up to date on their activities.
Here’s a short video of them playing in their new pen. It’s a quick 15 seconds but you can see them enjoying their toys:
Pups Playing
Puppy picks will start next week on January 28th. We will notify everyone when it is their turn and which pups are available. That’s it for now, we will post here again with a week 5 update.
-KERRI
