The puppies seem to be growing faster every day and look older every time I go out to see them. They have started to become quite noisy at times and though they still spend a lot of time sleeping, they are taking an interest in some small rope toys, paying attention to the world around them, and - of course - playfighting. Some of the fighting is not entirely playful, as they are establishing dominance and working out what is or is not acceptable behavior. Some milestones for this week: Started lapping milk from a dish in addition to nursing, grew razor sharp teeth, ventured outside the kennel when I left the door open. Ollie is hilarious! He is the high-drive, jolly, friendly, bossy guy in the bunch. He's almost always the first one to greet me at the door and investigates everything he can poke his little nose into. He will need plenty of training, though - the high drive pups need the most activity and training to keep their brains (and bodies) busy. Mac got to meet his future family for the first time this week, but he probably won't remember the meeting much, if at all. He is quiet, thoughtful, and intelligent. As you can see in the video, he was the first one to really figure out how to drink from the dish and he makes such good use of his opportunities that he is catching up to his bigger brothers in weight. He is not overly timid, but is not as outgoing as Ollie. (On a quick sidenote, an outgoing nature can also be a sign of a dominant puppy.) He likes to sit back and consider whether he really wants to come over to be petted, but when he does decide to come, he stays for awhile. Logan now weighs about 3 pounds and should gain more rapidly now that he can drink from a dish instead of being dependent solely on nursing. He likes to be petted and is pretty laid back, with a tendency to sit in the corner and watch everyone else instead of joining the action. I think that as he gets bigger (and gets extra attention) he will kind of outgrow this. As you can see in the pictures, he was not impressed with the wide world outside the kennel, but his mama showed up just after I took these photos and I think he decided that if being out in the grass meant an opportunity for a meal without his pushy brothers, then it must not be too bad. Relic officially passed Churchill in weight this week, but only by a couple ounces. He is big, strong, handsome - and a little bit timid of fast moves and loud noises. He was really scared of anything noisy early last week, such as a dropped food dish, an unexpected shadow, or if I spoke loudly, but since they have been out of the whelping box and falling into dishes, stumbling through shadows, and barking more, he has calmed down a lot. He loves to be petted and is quite affectionate. Churchill is no longer the heaviest puppy, but he still weighs in at a hefty 5 1/2 pounds or thereabouts. He is one of the friendliest pups and is not timid or overly bold - overall, he has a nice, balanced temperament. You may notice that in most of these pictures, he is running toward the camera. When I set them down in the grass, most of the other puppies spent a little time sniffing around and/or crying while stationary, until I called them and they realized that they didn't have to be alone out there in the yard, and came to me. Not so Churchill! The minute I set him down and backed away to take his pictures, he was up on his feet and following - so I spent the next five to ten minutes trying to get far enough away to get some decent pictures of him. Here are some video clips taken at different times over the last week. As you can see, my family members are beginning to handle the puppies a little (under supervision!) They will probably get much more handling and petting today because we are having a New Year's Day get-together and there will be around 20 children in addition to my younger siblings. Of course, I will be out there with them when it is puppy petting time. I should have some pictures to share next week of their early socialization. :)
For those of you who are interested in a behind-the-scenes look at the birth of this litter, I videoed most of it and just uploaded it to YouTube, mainly as an educational look at whelping for people who are expecting their first litter. Be warned, it is almost an hour long and is some pretty up-close-and-personal footage of whelping. *For some reason, YouTube cut it off at 7:37, so I'm working on uploading the right version... Will post link here when it's finished.
1 Comment
Bompa
1/1/2019 05:16:59 am
I think I would pick Relic from your descriptions. A lot of work went into this, great job Alayna.
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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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