** Note: All pups from this litter are currently reserved.
We are just over one week into life with Charlie’s newest litter, and these puppies are doing exactly what we love to see at this stage: eating, sleeping, gaining weight, and keeping mom very busy.
This is still the sleepy newborn phase, so there are not big personality updates quite yet. Their eyes are closed, their ears are still tucked, and they are fully dependent on Charlie for everything. She feeds them, cleans them, keeps them warm, and somehow manages to look like she has everything under control.
Charlie has been a wonderful mom. She is attentive, protective, and patient with all eight of her little hungry munchkins.
Eight growing puppies
This litter has five girls and three boys, and everyone is off to a very strong start.
The three boys are:
– Blue
– Brown
– Black
The rest of the puppies are our beautiful girls. Right now, the collars are mostly for our benefit so we can keep track of everyone, but over the next several weeks those colors will become familiar to all of you following along.
At this age, the puppies are still very close in size. When we talk about the largest or smallest puppy right now, we are talking about differences in grams, not pounds. Those small differences can change quickly as they grow.
For this week, Green is currently our largest puppy. She is also one of the loudest at the moment, though that may not last. Once everyone’s eyes and ears open, we expect the whole group to get a little more vocal.
Aqua and Orange are currently the smallest puppies in the litter, but again, the difference is very small. Everyone is nursing well, gaining weight, and doing exactly what we want to see.
Growing like weeds
These puppies have already more than tripled their birth weights, which is a great sign.
With newborn puppies, we like to see steady daily growth. A good target is around five percent of their body weight per day, and this group is meeting that mark, if not a little more.
Most of their day still looks pretty simple:
Eat. Sleep. Snuggle with mom. Repeat.
It is not glamorous, but it is exactly what healthy puppies should be doing right now.
A few of them are starting to try out those wobbly little legs, but they are not quite ready to get up and move around much yet. That will come soon enough, and once it does, life in the puppy room gets a lot more interesting.
And a lot less quiet.
Beautiful, consistent red color
One thing we are really happy with in this litter is the consistency of their color.
It can be hard to see perfectly in photos and videos because lighting, cameras, and screens can all change how their coats look. In person, though, this litter has a very even, beautiful red color across the group.
That was one of the reasons we were excited to pair Charlie and Clifford again. Their previous litter had wonderful color, and this litter is showing that same consistent red tone.
It is still early, and their coats will continue to darken as they grow. At this point, it is difficult to say who will end up the darkest or lightest, but we are very pleased with what we are seeing so far.
Little noses and paw pads are changing
One of the small changes we watch for in these early days is the darkening of their noses and paw pads.
When Labrador puppies are born, their noses and pads are usually pink. Over the first couple of weeks, those areas begin to darken. With our dogs, we really like the black nose and black paw pads, very much like Charlie.
We are already seeing that change begin with this litter.
It is a small detail, but it is one of those early puppy milestones that we enjoy watching. These little changes happen quietly, and then one day you look down and realize they are not quite the same tiny newborns they were a week ago.
Eyes and ears are next
The next big milestone will be eyes and ears.
Right now, the puppies cannot see or hear much. They rely almost completely on smell and touch to find Charlie and stay close to the rest of the litter.
Eyes usually begin opening between week two and week three. Some puppies are already showing the tiniest little signs that their eyes are getting ready, but we are not quite there yet.
Once their eyes begin to open and their hearing starts coming in, their world changes quickly. They start reacting more, moving more, and letting us know exactly how they feel about things.
That is when the real fun begins.
First deworming is coming soon
When the puppies reach two weeks old, we will begin their regular deworming schedule.
We deworm at two, four, six, and eight weeks. This is normal and preventative. There is no concern that anyone has worms, but puppies are naturally more susceptible to roundworms, so we stay ahead of it.
Charlie will also receive the dewormer since she is nursing and caring for the puppies. It is one more part of keeping both mom and puppies healthy during these first important weeks.
Collar changes are coming too
The soft puppy collars they are wearing now work well for this newborn stage, but they will not last long. These puppies are growing quickly, and they will likely outgrow these collars soon.
Once that happens, we will move them into more durable collars in the same colors. That helps everyone continue following along without any confusion.
For now, the tiny collars are doing their job. Mostly. Puppies are surprisingly talented at making simple things complicated.
What’s next
Over the next week, we expect to see more movement, more noise, and hopefully the first signs of eyes opening.
This first stretch is mostly about steady growth, good nursing, and making sure Charlie is comfortable. So far, everyone is doing great.
We will continue sharing photos and videos as they grow, and before long we should start seeing the first little hints of personality from each puppy.
For now, we are enjoying this quiet stage while it lasts.
If you have questions about the puppies, the selection process, or upcoming updates, feel free to reach out. We are always happy to help….
