** Note: All pups from this litter are currently reserved.

What a difference a week makes!

We are just shy of the three week mark, and Charlie’s eight little puppies are changing almost every day. Everyone’s eyes are now open, those little legs are starting to work, and the puppies are becoming much more aware of the world around them.

So, we decided it was time to introduce them to something completely new.

The great outdoors!

Their First Big Adventure

This week the puppies made their first trip outside. We set up a safe area on the turf in our backyard and let them experience fresh air, sunshine, and a completely different environment for the first time.

They weren’t quite sure what to think.

Until now, their world has mostly consisted of a warm puppy box, a heating pad, their brothers and sisters, and of course, Charlie. Suddenly finding themselves outside with new smells, sounds, and surroundings was a pretty big deal.

There wasn’t much exploring just yet. Most of them seemed perfectly content staying close together and figuring out exactly what was happening.

We have a feeling that won’t last long.

Give them another few weeks and we will probably be chasing eight puppies around the backyard and trying to convince them that it is time to come inside!

They Are Growing FAST

The puppies aren’t even three weeks old yet, but they have already more than quadrupled their birth weights.

Right now, everyone weighs between 3 lbs 12 oz to 4 lbs 10 oz. They are all within about a pound of each other and growing exactly like we want to see.

Green continues to hold the title of biggest puppy in the litter. She is a hefty little girl who clearly understands that when the milk bar opens, you don’t show up late!

Red is right there with her, making our two biggest puppies both girls.

Orange and Pink are currently the smaller members of the group, but “smaller” is definitely relative. They are growing right along with everyone else and are only slightly behind their bigger brothers and sisters.

In fact, everyone is growing so quickly that the tiny puppy collars you saw in our last update have already been retired. The entire crew has officially graduated to their bigger collars.

Eight Beautiful Shades of Red

One of the things we are really happy with in this litter is how consistent their coat colors are.

All eight puppies are developing beautiful red coats. Aqua appears to be just slightly lighter than her brothers and sisters, while Red currently looks like she may have the darkest coat of the group.

The differences are pretty subtle, though. Overall, this is a very consistent red litter, which is exactly what we hoped for when we paired Charlie and Clifford again.

Of course, their coats and appearances will continue changing as they grow, so it will be fun to watch them develop over the next several weeks.

Everyone Is Healthy and Doing Great

The puppies also received their first dose of pyrantel this week as part of their regular deworming schedule.

They weren’t scheduled for an official veterinary visit, but we got a little bonus checkup anyway. Our veterinarian happened to be at the house taking care of one of our other dogs and took a few minutes to look over the puppies.

Her verdict?

Everyone looks healthy and great!

Charlie continues to be an amazing mom, although her puppies are becoming increasingly interested in finding her every time she gets close. Eight rapidly growing Labrador puppies can make the milk bar a pretty popular place.

The Really Fun Weeks Are Coming

We’re now entering one of our favorite stages of raising a litter.

For the first couple of weeks, puppies mostly eat and sleep. Now their eyes are open, they are becoming mobile, and they are starting to interact with the world around them.

Over the next few weeks, everything changes.

They will start walking more confidently, playing with each other, exploring new environments, eating their first puppy food, and eventually showing us those individual personalities that make each puppy completely different from the others.

For now, though, we’re enjoying this brief stage when all eight still think staying together in one little puppy pile is the best place in the world.

Something tells us those days are numbered.

We’ll be back with another pupdate soon!