Puppies are getting very vocal now and moving around a lot though you wouldn’t know it from the video I took this morning. Once I figure out how to load it you can enjoy their little squeaks and wiggles. Meanwhile here are their first individual photos!
Puppies are growing so nicely. They are in my bedroom right now and I love to hear their little squeaks and squiggles! They are one week old today. I can’t believe it has flown by so fast. Still, there is not much new to report so I thought I’d just fill in on what development has taken place at one week.
Typically they double their weight the first 8 to 11 days. For about the first two weeks their eyes and ears are closed. They sense light, though, and they find Phoebe by scent. Sometimes they look for her and she is sleeping outside the whelping box which brings on a series of woeful pleading cries to which she responds immediately. She is such a good mother.
As for Phoebe, I am letting her free feed from 6:30 am until 6:30 pm. She is eating about four times what she normally eats! I watch her closely for signs of mastitis…swollen or hardened teats.
Really, at this stage puppies are a very easy proposition. Phoebe does everything from feeding to rounding them up to cleaning their little poops and pees. She constantly licks the puppies’ tummies to stimulate their bowels and bladders and, believe it or not, she benefits nutritionally from what she ingests.
Puppies are three days old now and gaining every day. Here they are resting and nursing. Phoebe prefers to nurse sitting. Easy to do with just six pups. Note that two we thought were Black Parti have lots of brown hair showing up underneath. These will likely fade to a tawny brown and white…just like their mama did.
From left to right we have:
Puppy 3, Boy, Black Irish pied, birth weight 215 grams-now 251
Puppy 4, Boy, Sable Parti (not black parti as formerly thought), birth weight 177 grams-now 187
Puppy 6, Girl, Sable Parti (not black parti as formerly thought), birth weight 198 grams-now 213
Puppy 5, Boy, Brown Parti, birth weight 213 grams-now 251 (huge gain!)
Puppy 1, Girl, B/W Parti, birth weight 240 grams-now 265 (my biggest but that will likely change)
Puppy 2, Girl, B/W Parti, birth weight 164 grams-now 179
Phoebe went into labor about 7 pm tonight. She delivered her first puppy at 9:31. I was a little worried….that’s a bit of a stretch. Then I learned why. Little puppy girl #1 weighs 240 grams. That’s one very large puppy! Second puppy came on her heels weighing in at 164 grams. Another girl! |
| A happy mother to be! |
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| Phoebe’s water broke about 7:30 pm. She’s cleaning it up here. |
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| Cleaning up Puppy #1 |
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| Puppy #1 delivered at about 9:31 and weighs 240 grams. |
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| Two girls so far….both black and white and very strong! |