Welcome to the official online album for our Fall 2011 litter out of our Liberty and the magnificent stud that we chose for her, Colt.
Thank you for looking and enjoy!
The First 24 Hours
Photos of Liberty and her 10 beautiful babies shortly after whelping.
Days 3-5...
We traveled to the vet office to have their tails and dewclaws done...their first big trip!
They are growing so fast and we are already seeing such differences in their personalities...it seems as if they are so much older already!
Everyone is being handled daily during inspections and "puppy abuse" as we call it.
There are quite a few little motors in this group - even a few that are trying to walk already! It won't be long now and these cute little bundles will be cute little terrors lol!
Libby is, of course, being an awesome mom and is very responsive to her babies. While she has the run of the pen all the time, she spends nearly every minute with the kids.
One week and Counting!
Everyone is doing very well. Eyes are just beginning to open and the pups are beginning to be responsive to sounds, smells and textures.
There are a few wobbly walkers who spend a lot of time exploring the whelping box. In addition to the BioSensor Program for stimulation, we are putting new items in daily to stimulate their senses and to encourage their exploration.
Boy are they a stitch!
We are absolutely falling in love with the different characters that we have - the lover, the pioneer and everyone in between and look forward to more socializing activities as they grow.
Enjoy the latest photos!
Week 3 here we come!
Boy oh boy are they growing! Everyone is up and wobbling about now and some are actually quite successful at it!
We are now taking trips to other areas of the house to expose them to other smells, noises and sights. That's right, their eyes and ears are finally beginning to open! This adds 2 whole new dimensions to their interaction with the world and we are busy exposing them to new experiences already. So far we have met the big dogs, heard the vacuum cleaner, listened and watched a movie and have gotten to explore uncharted territory.
The other dogs love having the puppies around and avidly watch as the little ones explore. We do lock the big dogs up for right now since they can be a little rambunctious, but as soon as the pups are more stable, they will be allowed to really interact. This also allows the puppies to crawl right up as say hello (Diva was a good sport, as you can see in the pictures :) )
We also put a blanket down for Libby to lay on. Little did we know that it would soon become a fort/napping place for the pups! The pups are also to the point where we can begin weaning. They are able to...do their own business now and are eagerly trying new mashes that we prepare for them. No teeth yet, but we can feel their little nubs and teething has begun (just ask Libby!).
Well, that's all for now. I will be sure to post more pics and an update by next week.
Yellow girl's personality reflects her color - she is always happy, social and her tail wags non-stop!
Black boy is a CHUNK. He is also the most ornery, determined little boy there is and is NOT afraid of anything.
Purple is convinced that she is the favorite and can't stand anyone being deprived of her attentions. She is a little sweetie and crawls right up on your lap to have you dote on her.
Green girl is in a constant battle with Purple to prove that SHE is the favorite and will run over to steal her attentions whenever she gets the chance. She is also an ear nibbler...
Blue boy is a smartie! He successfully made it up 2 stairs all on his own before giving up and coming back to the party and definitely did not fall for the puppy in the mirror trick. He is also a pig and is usually the first to the food bowl and last to the bed.
Pink girl is a sweetie and a bit more reserved than her siblings. It takes her some time to come out of her shell, but when she does she is a little spitfire.
Orange girl is the toy nabber. She love a game and is constantly on the move. She is ususally the first one up and the last to go down.
White girl is a lover and usually avoids tussling with her littermates. Instead, she likes to wait until they are asleep, then she sneaks in and pesters everyone. Little stinker!
Yellow and White (Daisy) is an explorer! She loves to sneak away to the back hall or go underneath the couch in search of new things. She is also a bit spunky!
Week 4
Sorry everyone that it has taken so long to post again. I am sure these pics will be worth the wait though!
My, oh my have they grown! Everyone is around 3-4 pounds now and have outgrown their pen 3 times! All are sporting new, adjustable collars too! They are now blocked off to the majority of our dining room, leaving just enough space for us to walk through to our kitchen. They also frequent the family room and boldly approach our other dogs.
Diva is infatuated with the puppies and is extremely gently when she plays. Gibbs is likewise infatuated, however he is still a bit overzealous for their size. Murphy and Corky spend their time looking for lost kibbles that the pups may have overlooked.
While Libby still feeds them every once in a while, the pups are mostly on puppy mash, drinking water and are picking at dry food. We are in the process of litter training everyone since they cannot go outside yet and have seen experts and we have seen some that are...behind the curve :) No worries though, once the weather picks up they'll start learning how to use the great outdoors and will only rely on the litter for emergencies.
Eating on their own also means that they make a spectacular mess! Everyone had their first bath a few days ago and are already due for another. We use baby wipes in between to help remove some of the food from their faces and ears, but sometimes it seems like a lost cause. They are eating about 8 cups of food plus supplements 3 times a day now so by the time they are cleaned up, they are already getting dirty again :)
Personality wise, we have some cuties!! Everyone is confident, spunky and adventurous, which is great to see at such a young age. Tails are held very high, especially when they carry around and tug on their toys.
All in all, everyone is doing marvelously well for their age. They are very outgoing and spirited. We can't wait to get these guys outside and romping!
Week 5
This has been a very exciting week for the pups! First, everyone has discovered the great outdoors. They loved the feel of the grass and had a blast stalking each other in the tall grass and irises. Having room to romp and run is also very much appreciated and the pups definitely explore confidently and even retrieve little "treasures" such as woodchips :)
Second, everyone has conquered the stairs! It might take some time, but they all can go up and down as they wish - watch out everyone!
Finally we have had some good friends bring their grandchildren over for social time. The pups did very well with the girls, though they still have manners to learn :)
Well that's all for now. Our next big projects for the coming week are birdwork, transitioning to hard foods and, of course, potty training.
Enjoy the photos!
Week 6-7
This has been a very productive week for us! The puppies are going outside for potties constantly now, rain or shine and at all times. They are very confident and adventurous, venturing far and wide and even into the field.
We have also been introducing them to chukkar and gunfire (our neighbor has helped as well!) and are seeing great reactions!
Only one more week until these guys will be ready to go to their new homes and boy are they ready for some one on one attention.
They have now figured out how to escape from their pen (yikes!) and had a blast being loose in the house while we were away at work.
Boundaries are being set for the puppies now and everyone is learning the "ouch" command. Puppies are very mouthy (just like babies) and need to be taught what is acceptable and what is not to to be tolerated, and everyone is doing well with their learning curve :)
All in all, everyone is doing very well!