22nd October 2012
And... it had to happen... the final update from this litter. All of the pups are scheduled to move on to their new homes this week, except Pepper of course as she's staying with us.
The pups have had their eight week shots and have been out and about a lot over the last week, continuing their housebreaking and starting to get used to being out walking on a leash. They do cause quite a stir as we walk down the street, lots of neighbors stopping to talk and pet the pups - turning a short walk into an hour's endeavor usually.
This litter have been great fun to have around and the house will seem a little empty without all of them but we are looking forward to the continued growth of Pepper and all the fun we'll have with her and Pumpkin over the coming months.
And... it had to happen... the final update from this litter. All of the pups are scheduled to move on to their new homes this week, except Pepper of course as she's staying with us.
The pups have had their eight week shots and have been out and about a lot over the last week, continuing their housebreaking and starting to get used to being out walking on a leash. They do cause quite a stir as we walk down the street, lots of neighbors stopping to talk and pet the pups - turning a short walk into an hour's endeavor usually.
This litter have been great fun to have around and the house will seem a little empty without all of them but we are looking forward to the continued growth of Pepper and all the fun we'll have with her and Pumpkin over the coming months.
16th October 2012
It's been a busy time lately for the pups. Not only have they grown enormously, but they've moved from their whelping box to a puppy pen, started to get all of their veterinary shots, spent more time outside (mostly for potty training) and just got a whole lot more fun to be with.
The other big news for this letter over the last two weeks is that all of the puppies now have new homes to go to and will start to leave us in about a week from now. As sad as this will be, it's been a pleasure having these puppies around and a privilege to send them off to wonderful new lives with new owners. Except Pepper, of course, who's staying with us and Pumpkin.
Lots of new pictures of the puppies on their pages today, but here are a couple of shots of them all together:
It's been a busy time lately for the pups. Not only have they grown enormously, but they've moved from their whelping box to a puppy pen, started to get all of their veterinary shots, spent more time outside (mostly for potty training) and just got a whole lot more fun to be with.
The other big news for this letter over the last two weeks is that all of the puppies now have new homes to go to and will start to leave us in about a week from now. As sad as this will be, it's been a pleasure having these puppies around and a privilege to send them off to wonderful new lives with new owners. Except Pepper, of course, who's staying with us and Pumpkin.
Lots of new pictures of the puppies on their pages today, but here are a couple of shots of them all together:
1st October 2012
It's the 5th (week) anniversary for the pups today and they are all doing great. They are affectionately known as "The Yappies" now and it's hard to believe how big they've got all of a sudden, now bouncing all over the place and creating havoc wherever they can play. It's a real pleasure to see them every day and there has been a lot of interest from prospective owners over the last few days. Dom now has a new home to go to when he's 8 weeks old.
To celebrate their 5th week we let them outside for this first time this afternoon and they were able to run around (the grass is pretty deep for them still) and play with Pumpkin. Here's a picture of the whole family and there are new individual pictures on each puppy's page.
It's the 5th (week) anniversary for the pups today and they are all doing great. They are affectionately known as "The Yappies" now and it's hard to believe how big they've got all of a sudden, now bouncing all over the place and creating havoc wherever they can play. It's a real pleasure to see them every day and there has been a lot of interest from prospective owners over the last few days. Dom now has a new home to go to when he's 8 weeks old.
To celebrate their 5th week we let them outside for this first time this afternoon and they were able to run around (the grass is pretty deep for them still) and play with Pumpkin. Here's a picture of the whole family and there are new individual pictures on each puppy's page.
23rd September 2012
Hard to believe it's a whole week since we managed an update. Must be all of the things that's happening with the puppies that's keeping us busy. Okay, we'll try harder next week!
So, over the last week the puppies have moved on to solid food, they can see really well, they're running around, playing a lot with each other and taking that classic "sit" position that all dogs love. They have had a really good, and busy, week. Pumpkin isn't feeding the pups much now, probably because they all have teeth, and that can't be comfortable. One of the great things to see in the last day or so though is that she wants to play with the pups rather than nurse them... which isn't really fair on them as she's more than 10 times the size of them.
Below are a few snapshots from the last couple of days.
Hard to believe it's a whole week since we managed an update. Must be all of the things that's happening with the puppies that's keeping us busy. Okay, we'll try harder next week!
So, over the last week the puppies have moved on to solid food, they can see really well, they're running around, playing a lot with each other and taking that classic "sit" position that all dogs love. They have had a really good, and busy, week. Pumpkin isn't feeding the pups much now, probably because they all have teeth, and that can't be comfortable. One of the great things to see in the last day or so though is that she wants to play with the pups rather than nurse them... which isn't really fair on them as she's more than 10 times the size of them.
Below are a few snapshots from the last couple of days.
16th September 2012
Today is "Sleeping Puppies Day", so named for the pictures posted of the pups on their pages. They are all doing great, putting on weight every day and they will be three weeks old tomorrow. As they have been showing interest in Pumpkin's food, we gave then their first taste of solid food today (see below), taste being the operative word, as they did a lot of licking but not too much eating. They are also starting to play with each other a lot - see picture below (please note that they have no teeth yet and no puppies we hurt in the taking to that picture!)
Today is "Sleeping Puppies Day", so named for the pictures posted of the pups on their pages. They are all doing great, putting on weight every day and they will be three weeks old tomorrow. As they have been showing interest in Pumpkin's food, we gave then their first taste of solid food today (see below), taste being the operative word, as they did a lot of licking but not too much eating. They are also starting to play with each other a lot - see picture below (please note that they have no teeth yet and no puppies we hurt in the taking to that picture!)
13th September 2012
Pups are all doing great, mostly eyes open and hopefully they'll all be seeing their surroundings soon. Also they are starting to get up on their legs and walk, rather than the crawling they've been doing so far. Posted close up pictures of the pups' faces. We also have a new page of links to video of the pups. The first video of them making their first tentative steps (2.8M).
Pups are all doing great, mostly eyes open and hopefully they'll all be seeing their surroundings soon. Also they are starting to get up on their legs and walk, rather than the crawling they've been doing so far. Posted close up pictures of the pups' faces. We also have a new page of links to video of the pups. The first video of them making their first tentative steps (2.8M).
10th September 2012
The puppies are starting to open their eyes now and while it will be some time before they are fully open and can see, or their eye color is set, it's an exciting milestone. Pumpkin is starting to get a little more adventurous and walking further away from the house. She's also digging a lot in the yard, presumably planning to move house with her pups at some point!
Here's a picture of Pumps in the yard, and there are new pictures of all of the pups on their pages - probably the best pictures yet to show their full markings.
The puppies are starting to open their eyes now and while it will be some time before they are fully open and can see, or their eye color is set, it's an exciting milestone. Pumpkin is starting to get a little more adventurous and walking further away from the house. She's also digging a lot in the yard, presumably planning to move house with her pups at some point!
Here's a picture of Pumps in the yard, and there are new pictures of all of the pups on their pages - probably the best pictures yet to show their full markings.
8th September 2012
Puppies seem so close to opening their eyes now and the bigger ones are trying to stand up rather than crawl. Update pictures for all pups posted today.
Puppies seem so close to opening their eyes now and the bigger ones are trying to stand up rather than crawl. Update pictures for all pups posted today.
6th September 2012
Hard to realize that the puppies are already 10 days old. This last few days they've been busy doing three things: 1) Feeding, 2) Sleeping, and, 3) Growing. All of the pups have now more than doubled their birth weight and continue putting on more every day. It's noticeable that their eyes are now more defined and they are only days away from opening their eyes... then there will be no stopping them!
Here's a puppy pile picture taken today. Can you find all five puppies in the picture:
Hard to realize that the puppies are already 10 days old. This last few days they've been busy doing three things: 1) Feeding, 2) Sleeping, and, 3) Growing. All of the pups have now more than doubled their birth weight and continue putting on more every day. It's noticeable that their eyes are now more defined and they are only days away from opening their eyes... then there will be no stopping them!
Here's a puppy pile picture taken today. Can you find all five puppies in the picture:
3rd September 2012
Quiet day with the pups today, but here are a couple of photographs. The first is a picture of the pups' father, Wellesley (Lanward's Magic Marker). As you can see, he's a great looking dog and he was lots of fun the day we met him. The second picture is of what's become known around the house as "The Puppy Pile."
Quiet day with the pups today, but here are a couple of photographs. The first is a picture of the pups' father, Wellesley (Lanward's Magic Marker). As you can see, he's a great looking dog and he was lots of fun the day we met him. The second picture is of what's become known around the house as "The Puppy Pile."
2nd September 2012
Today was "watch the puppies sleep" day, as the pups settled into a routine of sleeping and eating. Thankfully, that's exactly what they should be doing at six days. Pumpkin is very attentive to her pups but is venturing out into her "normal" world more when the pups are asleep, even managing to get back into the routine of her daily walk. However, she's back to the whelping box at the slightest squeak of a pup and declines to walk very far when she goes out.
All of the pups continue to gain weight steadily, all of them now having gained about two thirds of their birth weight.
Today was "watch the puppies sleep" day, as the pups settled into a routine of sleeping and eating. Thankfully, that's exactly what they should be doing at six days. Pumpkin is very attentive to her pups but is venturing out into her "normal" world more when the pups are asleep, even managing to get back into the routine of her daily walk. However, she's back to the whelping box at the slightest squeak of a pup and declines to walk very far when she goes out.
All of the pups continue to gain weight steadily, all of them now having gained about two thirds of their birth weight.
30th August 2012
Pumpkin and the pups are all doing well today. The pups have all gained weight today and made their first visit to the vet, where they all checked out well. When the pups are all sleeping Pumpkin is getting out of the whelping box and visiting some of her favorite places around the house, but she's always quick to return to her family, especially of she hears a little squeak from the kitchen. She's quickly got very good at keeping the pups and the whelping box clean.
Pumpkin and the pups are all doing well today. The pups have all gained weight today and made their first visit to the vet, where they all checked out well. When the pups are all sleeping Pumpkin is getting out of the whelping box and visiting some of her favorite places around the house, but she's always quick to return to her family, especially of she hears a little squeak from the kitchen. She's quickly got very good at keeping the pups and the whelping box clean.
29th August 2012
Sadly, after 48 hours of constant care, bottle and tube feeding, we lost little Amy this evening. While she was able to maintain her weight, she never managed to gain any strength and eventually lost her battle to survive. From the moment she was born she was a frail little thing but caring for her touched us all a lot over those two days.
Now our full focus turns to the five lovely and lively puppies that Pumpkin is doing a fine job of looking after. All are gaining weight and looking lively between frequent bouts of communal sleeping. All of their pages will be updated tomorrow with new pictures and details.
Sadly, after 48 hours of constant care, bottle and tube feeding, we lost little Amy this evening. While she was able to maintain her weight, she never managed to gain any strength and eventually lost her battle to survive. From the moment she was born she was a frail little thing but caring for her touched us all a lot over those two days.
Now our full focus turns to the five lovely and lively puppies that Pumpkin is doing a fine job of looking after. All are gaining weight and looking lively between frequent bouts of communal sleeping. All of their pages will be updated tomorrow with new pictures and details.
28th August 2012 (2)
All of the puppies except little Amy have been able to feed from Pumpkin today. and she has been pretty good at being a mother. We've moved on to feeding Amy by tube as she wasn't doing well enough on the bottle. She's maintained her weight today and is showing lots of good signs so we remain hopeful for her.
All of the puppies except little Amy have been able to feed from Pumpkin today. and she has been pretty good at being a mother. We've moved on to feeding Amy by tube as she wasn't doing well enough on the bottle. She's maintained her weight today and is showing lots of good signs so we remain hopeful for her.
28th August 2012 (1)
All of the puppies were bottle fed through the night as Pumpkin's milk hadn't come through yet. Thankfully her milk started this morning and that should help everyone today. We have added a page for each puppy with details of birth weight etc. Please note that the names we have given them are just "call names" and they will be given kennel names in a week or two.
All of the puppies were bottle fed through the night as Pumpkin's milk hadn't come through yet. Thankfully her milk started this morning and that should help everyone today. We have added a page for each puppy with details of birth weight etc. Please note that the names we have given them are just "call names" and they will be given kennel names in a week or two.
27th August 2012
Pumpkin's puppies were born today! She whelped 6 puppies, 4 boys and 2 girls. Here is a quick picture of them, full details of all the puppies will be posted tomorrow.
Pumpkin's puppies were born today! She whelped 6 puppies, 4 boys and 2 girls. Here is a quick picture of them, full details of all the puppies will be posted tomorrow.
25th August 2012
Not much to report today, it's just a waiting game, so here's a gratuitous picture of Pumpkin. In this one she's skulking around the yard looking for a place to dig a nest.
Not much to report today, it's just a waiting game, so here's a gratuitous picture of Pumpkin. In this one she's skulking around the yard looking for a place to dig a nest.
23rd August 2012
Pumpkin went to the vet today for an x-ray, to tell how many puppies she was expecting (i.e. how many we should expect). The x-ray was a little inconclusive and the vet's best estimate was, "six, maybe seven" puppies. That's a couple more than we were expecting, but it does explain how big Pumps has been getting lately. Being weighed for the vet's visit, she has put on eight pounds since she was bred.
Pumpkin went to the vet today for an x-ray, to tell how many puppies she was expecting (i.e. how many we should expect). The x-ray was a little inconclusive and the vet's best estimate was, "six, maybe seven" puppies. That's a couple more than we were expecting, but it does explain how big Pumps has been getting lately. Being weighed for the vet's visit, she has put on eight pounds since she was bred.
21st August 2012
This is what eight weeks pregnant looks like! Only about 1 week to go now.
Pumps is getting reluctant to walk very far and just about makes it to the mailbox (300 yards) and back each evening now. She's eating really well and spending some time digging around the towels we've put in the whelping box. On Thursday we find out for sure how many puppies she'll have!
This is what eight weeks pregnant looks like! Only about 1 week to go now.
Pumps is getting reluctant to walk very far and just about makes it to the mailbox (300 yards) and back each evening now. She's eating really well and spending some time digging around the towels we've put in the whelping box. On Thursday we find out for sure how many puppies she'll have!
17th August 2012
We noticed today that Pumpkin is starting to display some "nesting" behavior. Here's a nest she started to build in our yard...
We noticed today that Pumpkin is starting to display some "nesting" behavior. Here's a nest she started to build in our yard...
16th August 2012
Last night we paid a visit to the breeder who bred Pumpkin, just to catch up on a few things and make sure we had everything ready when Pumps starts to whelp her puppies. The breeder is planning on coming out to us when Pumps whelps, just to lend a hand as it's our first time and Pumps' first litter. It was good to catch up with some old friends, like Pumps' half-sister, Nancy, and the breeder's latest puppies (now 13 weeks old).
Last night we paid a visit to the breeder who bred Pumpkin, just to catch up on a few things and make sure we had everything ready when Pumps starts to whelp her puppies. The breeder is planning on coming out to us when Pumps whelps, just to lend a hand as it's our first time and Pumps' first litter. It was good to catch up with some old friends, like Pumps' half-sister, Nancy, and the breeder's latest puppies (now 13 weeks old).
12th August 2012
Pumps is doing great, now just over 2 weeks until her puppies are due. She has a healthy appetite but is reluctant to walk to far in the Texas heat, so we've scaled back her walks quite a bit. She's eating her normal amount of food, but we've moved her on to half-and-half her regular food and puppy kibble. Occasionally she's getting some egg or leftover meats to add more protein to her diet. Her whelping box is ready and today we'll move it into the kitchen area, where the pups will be born.
Pumps is doing great, now just over 2 weeks until her puppies are due. She has a healthy appetite but is reluctant to walk to far in the Texas heat, so we've scaled back her walks quite a bit. She's eating her normal amount of food, but we've moved her on to half-and-half her regular food and puppy kibble. Occasionally she's getting some egg or leftover meats to add more protein to her diet. Her whelping box is ready and today we'll move it into the kitchen area, where the pups will be born.