Well, I should have followed my "gut feeling" yesterday and gotten this blog post all set up ahead of time instead of planning to do it today. Saturdays are usually busy for us, and this one has been a bit of a whirlwind. Two of my sisters have been away, which means that we are a little short-handed on chores and such, and we are supposed to pick them up in a few hours. We will also pick up the newest addition to the pack: Fiona, a beautiful chocolate merle pup from Illinois. But I know that everyone is more interested in how their puppies are doing than in how busy our morning has been, so here is the update video. There's not a lot of action or anything especially cute or spectacular yet. The puppies are still blind and deaf because their eyes and ears have not opened yet. They are completely dependent on their mama and me, and I'm just focusing on taking the best care of them I can. I know that weighing them and handling them twice a day like that might seem like too much stress on them, but it is something I learned with our past (crossbred) litters. It's just too easy for the runt to not be gaining, or gaining extremely slowly, and for it to get weak and be pushed around without us realizing it for a day or two. An experienced breeder probably would not feel as much need to weigh the pups, but since I am just starting, this is how I learn what a normal growth rate is and how to spot a puppy that is not thriving (so far they are).
Gawain and Tommy (was Lionel) are the smallest, but still gaining weight every day. There are always some small puppies and they eventually catch up, if they receive good nutrition. I make sure that both of these guys get extra time with their mama so they can nurse without the competition of their siblings. Jackson (was Galahad). He is very striking because of his coloration, and I especially love the perfect black teardrop on the back of his head. His white ear is developing color too, which is a good thing because BC's without pigmentation in their ears tend to be deaf. I have no worries for him though, especially since it is turning nice and dark, at least, on the inside. Percival is the biggest male. He is usually tied with his piggy sister for biggest puppy, and is holding himself up off the ground more when he crawls, instead of army crawling or "swimming" whenever he moves. Lancelot is holding his own nicely. He doesn't gain weight as fast as Percy, but is a bit more steady in his gain. I think his coat is also fluffier than the others', but that could be my imagination. And then there's Sox (was Guinevere)... This little girl is a real hog when it comes to nursing! She is a chunk and has no scruples about shoving her unfortunate siblings out of her way so she can get to the best spot. She is also very vocal and squalls like a stuck pig whenever I pick her up. (I promise I'm not pinching her!) I usually hold her until she calms down a bit and realizes that nothing is hurting her. I look forward to seeing if she continues to be vocal as she gets older. Enjoy the pictures below, and feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns. I plan to post an update every Saturday, and will continue to take the best care I can of the puppies in the meantime!
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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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