Here we are at the end of the year. Seems like the years go by faster and faster - but I guess that's just part of life, especially with all the technology and information constantly around us. The puppies are very mobile now. They like to wrestle, growl, bark, run, and climb in and out of their igloo. They are enjoying having access to the 2,000 sq. ft. run behind the kennel during most of the day now, though they still tend to huddle up together in the igloo when the weather is cool. Gracie is by far the most active. She reminds me a bit of her mother, running here and there. And she loves Flora! Winston is also very outgoing, like Gracie, but is not as hyper. He crawled into my lap this morning while I was taking the pictures, and he just sat there for a few minutes, content just to be with a person. Blue-eyed "Auchinleck" loves to be petted and scratched. He has a sweet, cheerful disposition in spite of his handicap, and his tail is usually going if I'm petting him. (He is still looking for just the right home. Contact me if you are interested.) "Dalziel" still doesn't like being held, but he does like attention. He is usually content to be in the background, and his disposition is gentle, slightly timid, and quiet - especially compared to Gracie's and Winston's exuberance.
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Four weeks old already - my, the time has flown! Well, at least, the weeks have been flying by for me... those of you who are anxiously awaiting the day when you can take your puppy home may find the days passing more slowly. Our house has been busy as we prepare for the holidays and spend time with friends, and today I went out with my sisters and father for our annual Christmas shopping expedition, so I didn’t have time to take good individual pictures of the puppies - sorry! The good news is that I did take a few pictures this morning and also a short video. They are getting big and active! Auchinleck is still available due to unexpected health circumstances in the family which was planning to take him, so if you are interested in him, let me know. He is going to be a special and handsome pup, missing leg and all, but he will need just the right home. Enjoy the pictures and video, and take time to sit back and think about what Christmas really is: a day set apart to remember the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ - the light of the world and the only Savior. Merry Christmas, everyone! The puppies are doing well. They have all found their voices and are starting to figure out how their legs work. I am supplementing their diet with raw goat milk formula, which means that they will be getting quite messy, since they always swim in their milk while drinking it. I am moving them out of their box and onto the floor of the kennel during the day, but they still have their heating pad and go back into the box at night. I'll let the pictures tell the rest of the story. The pups are fun to have around! "Auchinleck" This little guy has a sweet personality. He is having more balance issues than the other pups, but is figuring out how to walk. I expect him to be much more mobile next week. Gracie Gracie is very photogenic and also one of the most active pups. I think she will be a handful - a fun handful. "Dalziel" Sadly I didn't get very many pictures of him. He was worried to be all by himself for the pictures and I didn't want to keep him stressed out for too long. He's still vocal, but tolerates being held with more pleasure than he used to, and he's also growing nicely. "Lennox" Mr. Handsome was hard to photograph because he kept trying to leave the blanket - hence all the head-on pictures. He is getting this whole balance idea worked out pretty well, and he's just a jolly, strong puppy. Percy was very curious and sweet to the puppies. Of course, I kept a close eye on him, but he was amazingly gentle for his age. It was fun watching him interact with them. Well, folks, I'm afraid I have to start this blog post off with an apology. I think this is the first time I have missed doing a one week puppy update. Thanksgiving, family staying with us for a couple of weeks, and the orders which have poured in from my Etsy shop have all united to keep me from posting. The good news is that I have still been able to give the puppies quite a bit of attention - I just haven't had time to blog about it. Hopefully from now on things will be smoother. The puppies started opening their eyes around 11 days of age and now they are all open. They can't see much yet, but their vision is improving by the day. They are much more mobile and are standing up and wobbling around, instead of only "swimming" on their bellies. One of my younger sisters reported that they were growling at each other and trying to wrestle this morning. I will try to catch that on video and share here and on the SandSpur Ranch Facebook page. Willow has not been the greatest mother, but she is getting her act together and her puppies are strong and growing. One good point about Willow is that she has been an extremely clean mother. As you can see in the pictures, the puppies are very clean and in good condition. I did not clean them up at all before taking the pictures; Willow keeps them that way. In some other areas, she still needs more experience to be a stellar mother. Here are some individual pictures. Gracie (was Ainslie) This little girl has been strong right from the start. She has gained weight almost as fast as Lennox (the chub of the group) and she is pretty good at taking care of Number 1 when it is time for lunch. Her colors are gorgeous. She has this interesting reddish tinge to her coat, but her darker spots are black, which tells me that she is a blue merle, not a red. (She does carry red, though she is blue.) It is too early to know much about her temperament, but so far she has been very level. She likes to be held, but she is also fine to be down on the floor of the whelping box with her brothers. All around she has been a happy, low-maintenance puppy. "Dalziel" This little rascal reminds me a lot of his mother in build. He has long legs, his mama's markings, and a loud voice. He was the smallest of the pups and so I have tried to make sure that he gets a little extra nursing time, but he hasn't let his size slow him down. He would always yell whenever I picked him up, and it was not until yesterday that he started letting me hold him without trying to escape. Yesterday his new owners, Bill and Ellen, came out for a visit, and to my surprise, he settled right down with both of them and went to sleep in their hands. The other puppies would always do this, but he usually wanted to be put down. Not while they held him, though! He had a good long nap while they were here. When they put him back into the whelping box, he woke up and started to complain. It was neat to see how he enjoyed them handling him! (Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. K. for providing him with such a great home!) "Auchinleck" Auchinleck is the special puppy of this litter. Poor Willow fooled me into thinking that she wasn't going to have her puppies for another day or so, and I missed the first few births. Apparently while she was cleaning them up, she bit off his right hind leg. It has taken quite some time to heal up, but it's finally looking pretty good (under the circumstances) and he is gaining weight. Because he has only three legs, the other pups can shove him out of the way at the milk bar a little more easily, so it has been harder to put weight on him, but he weighs about 1 1/2 pounds now, comparable to his siblings, so I'm happy. When I start supplementing with raw goat's milk formula, I expect him to have a growth spurt. His colors are gorgeous, at least, I think so. He has the most interesting light reddish blue coat. Auchinleck has the sweetest temperament. Of course, it's still early to be seeing much of his personality, but he is the kind of puppy to just melt the heart. I think he will have a special bond with people since he has gotten extra care since birth. He is a determined pup, too! Even though he only has three legs, he can scoot around almost as fast as his brothers and sister. All around, this little guy is a special pup! "Lennox"
So far, Lennox has been the gentle giant of the litter. He is quiet and peaceable - unless you get in his way at lunchtime! This puppy LOVES to eat, and it shows. When he's not eating, he is usually asleep with his brothers and sister. He is very level-headed so far and seems to enjoy being held. While it is early to see much personality yet, I think that he is going to continue to be level-headed, friendly, and big. He's just all around a sweet, teddy bear sort of pup. |
AuthorMy name is Alayna Feldman. I have been greatly blessed and am thankful, first and foremost, to the Lord Jesus Christ, Who has saved me. I am also deeply thankful to my parents, who have raised me in a stable, safe, loving home and taught me about what is most important in life. Archives
February 2022
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