Farmington Valley Golden Retrievers

There are as many sleeping poses as there are pups. Instead of forming a big pile like weeks earlier, the individual pups still like to cuddle but on a smaller scale. Under the railing is a favorite spot as you have already seen. It is a riot to watch them as they occasionally twitch or squeak from some dream in their minds. Their world has just been limited to the box and patio so far so I don’t know how varied their inner thoughts are. When asleep they seem to be immune to the movements of their sibs and even if another pup climbs or drops onto them, they don’t budge.

I had a colleague come visit from the hospital with her husband yesterday. They have been thinking of adding a dog to their family in the future. Despite having had several bad experiences with dogs when she was a child, I think the calm nature of the puppies won her over. She did however have to get through the greetings of the bigger dogs upstairs to get to the puppies. Everyone was well behaved and she left smiling.

A decent snowstorm finally arrived and the big dogs had a great time both during and after the snow fell. Their thick coats protect them against the blowing wind and frosty cold very well. The only issue is the ice balls that build up on their footpads. Quick work with their sharp teeth and we continued on our wintry walk.

Meanwhile back in the warmth of the whelping box, activity continues at a frenetic pace. The pups’ hearing is very good now, and as soon as they here footsteps on the stairs they are all lined up to greet us. They move together as a pack, or maybe a better description would be like youngsters playing their first year of soccer where like lemmings, all follow the leader.

All the pups are growing just fine, and are starting to look for adventures to satisfy their increasing energy and awake time. As you can see from the dinner table, they have healthy appetites and love the mixture of puppy kibble and canned dog food. In about five minutes both big bowls are empty.

Then everyone rushes out to the patio area where playtime begins. So far the main activities are wrestling, pulling tails, showing teeth with a few hardly ferocious barks or growls, and playing with the paper lining the fenced in area.

Then it’s back to the box for a drink of water and a nap. All in all not a bad way to spend a day in dogville.

PS. Barbara wanted me to tell all our puppy owners to be, that everyone who wants to visit again can make appointments for next weekend.

It’s hard to believe that it has only been one day since we introduced the patio to the pups. Although hesitant that first day, they are now running in and out as quickly as their little feet will carry them. Still a little tough getting over the lip of the whelping box into the paper area due to their short legs. There is so much back and forth activity that it is hard to get the gate back in place without a tail or paw in the way. As you can see from the photos, they are starting to show a more regal bearing with tails held high and  heads up and inquisitive.

Another small visitor today with a neighborhood friend. These photos show clearly the magic that a puppy has on a child. Moments like these are what raising dogs is all about.

Well into week four now of puppydom, we had to change our procedures a little. The pups no longer fit and were no longer content in the little white box while we cleaned the whelping pen. So we attached the little fence and made the indoor outside patio for all to explore instead. There were a few more squeaks than usual while all got accustomed to being outside their nest. But as time goes on they will get to love the extra space.

Emma has adapted to a new way of nursing… Standing. The pups had grown so much that not everyone could fit at the same time when she was lying down to nurse. So she has taken to standing and letting the pups belly up to her nipples. The pups’ teeth have come in so she is generally spending less time in the box and the pupps get more and more of their nourishment from the puppy food.

We had more family and friends come to call on the weekend. And of course we had to take their pictures.

The inside ledges in the whelping box were designed to give the pups a quiet place to go to when they had enough of cuddling. Lately some have taken to climbing, while the rest line up head to toe like a row of buses at the station.

I had the weekend off from call so I got plenty of puppy fixes like the photo below.

Our daughter Kristen came home from Boston for her puppy fix also. It turns out that she likes to nap with her dog as well… A pug puppy that likes to cuddle her neck while she sleeps. Quite a face to wake up to, but no offense Kris!

Finally, most of the males are now over five pounds with their sisters trailing behind by a little. Everyday here is a new adventure so stay tuned…