Somehow Week 5 came and went before I had a chance to record a video for it. So, no video this week.
That probably tells you just about everything you need to know about life around here right now.
Eight puppies have a way of filling every available minute of the day. Between feeding, cleaning, laundry, outside time, pictures, answering calls and, of course, spending entirely too much time just sitting on the floor playing with puppies, the days seem to disappear pretty quickly.
But Charlie’s puppies are doing great, and Week 5 was a big one…it just came and went so fast.
They Are Definitely Puppies Now
It is amazing how quickly things change.
Just a few weeks ago, their entire schedule consisted of eating, sleeping and trying to find Mom. Now they run, wrestle, bark, chase each other, carry toys around and occasionally launch an all out attack on our shoes and toes…oh yeah, and they are LOUD :-)
They are also becoming much more coordinated.
What used to be a slightly wobbly walk has turned into full speed puppy races across the play area. It’s incredibly cute to watch theme stampede as a pack in the yard or bust around the corner in the morning when it’s time to eat. They are climbing over things, crawling through tunnels, investigating new toys and figuring out just how much trouble eight puppies can get into at the same time.
The answer, apparently, is quite a bit.
Their Personalities Are Starting to Show
Week 5 is one of our favorite stages because this is when we really start seeing individual personalities emerge.
Some of the puppies are the first ones to investigate anything new. Pink is absolutely the explorer of the group and Red has found her way behind the couch more than once this week. Oh, and Aqua, she has discoved the cats much to their dismay. These last two weeks is when the cats hide and go into solitary confinement until the pups are gone.
We have puppies that want to be right in the middle of everything, puppies that are perfectly happy entertaining themselves with a toy and puppies that seem to think a human lap is still the best place in the house.
Of course, those personalities are still developing and can change quite a bit over the next few weeks. That is one of the reasons we spend so much time observing them rather than making judgments based on one moment or one afternoon.
Right now, though, it is a lot of fun watching eight very different little Labradors figure out who they are.
Eat. Potty. Play. Sleep. Repeat.
Our routine has changed quite a bit as the puppies have grown.
They are eating regular puppy food several times each day now, and mealtime has become an event. Eight hungry Labrador puppies do not believe in patiently waiting for dinner.
Once the food goes down, things get pretty serious.
After eating, it is usually straight to the potty area, followed by playtime and then one of those glorious puppy naps where the entire group seems to collapse at almost exactly the same time.
Then they wake up and we start all over again.
Eat. Potty. Play. Sleep. Repeat.
It is a pretty simple life.
Learning About the Big World
A big part of this stage is introducing the puppies to new experiences while keeping everything positive and fun.
They are spending more time exploring, playing outside and experiencing the normal sights, sounds and activity around our home. We have had an abundance of frogs in our yard this year and it’s kind of funny to watch them chase the frogs. Seeing a puppy experience something for the first time is just amazing to watch.
New surfaces, different toys, household noises, people coming and going and interactions with our other dogs all help them become more confident and adaptable.
We do not want to overwhelm them. The goal is simply to let them experience something new, realize it is no big deal and move on to the next adventure.
Sometimes that adventure is a tunnel. Sometimes it is a new noise. And sometimes it is discovering that my shoelaces are apparently the greatest puppy toy ever invented.
They are just now starting to recognize who belongs in the house and who doesn’t. They know when there’s a stranger in the house even at this young age.
Charlie Is Getting a Little More Freedom
Charlie continues to be a great mom, although she is understandably spending less time with the puppies these days.
At this age, that is exactly what we want to see.
The puppies are becoming increasingly independent, eating on their own and learning how to interact with each other without Mom constantly supervising them.
Charlie still checks on everybody and spends time with them, but she is also very happy to have some of her normal routine back.
And considering she has been responsible for eight hungry puppies since August 18th, we think she has earned a few breaks.
Eight Puppies Means A Lot of Cleaning
One part of raising puppies that does not make it into nearly enough pictures is the cleaning.
There is a lot of it.
We work hard to keep the puppy area clean and to encourage the puppies to use their designated potty area. They are doing really well for their age, but with eight puppies there is certainly no shortage of laundry, paper towels and trips through the puppy room with cleaning supplies.
The good news is that they are beginning to understand the routine, and every week we see more progress. A big milestone this week, no “number two” accidents in the house or their play area. That’s a big deal for us and a head start for you.
It is one of those little things that may not look particularly exciting in a video, but it is an important part of getting them ready for their new homes.
The Next Few Weeks Are Going to Fly By
This is the point in the litter when everything seems to start moving very quickly.
Over the next few weeks we will continue introducing the puppies to new experiences, watching their personalities develop and getting them prepared for the transition to their new families.
There will also be more individual evaluation as we get closer to puppy selections, vet visits and all of the other things that happen before go home day in October.
It is hard to believe we are already this far along.
It seems like we were just sitting beside Charlie waiting for the first puppy to arrive, and now we have eight little Labradors running around like they own the place.
And, if we’re being completely truthful, they pretty much do.
We will try to do a better job getting the next update posted on time, but no promises.
There are eight puppies waiting for us.
