Sixteen Days Old

The puppies are continuing to grow and develop well. They still spend most of their time sleeping and when they are awake it is mostly just to eat. I am still slowly introducing them to milk and puppy food, they seem to enjoy the new foods but would still prefer to get their milk from Maddie.

Here are a few pictures from this afternoon as the puppies slept while Maddie was outside playing with Maurie and Miley. All three of the older dogs love playing outside, but are always excited to come in a see the puppies after any significant time spent away from them.

Two Weeks Old

It's hard to believe that the puppies are turning two weeks old today. They have changed and grown so much in the last fourteen days. They are still a bit unsteady on their feet as they are learning to walk. Today several of them hit another milestone as they figured out how to sit up and are able to hold they heads up while they are laying down for an extended amount of time.


Male - spot on head - 2 lbs. 2.25oz

 

Male - spot on shoulder - 3 lbs. 1.5oz

Male - spot on back - 2 lbs. 14.75oz



Female - spot on head - 2 lbs. 14.5oz



Female - spot on shoulder - 2 lbs. 13oz



Female - spot on back - 2 lbs. 10.75oz

Female - spot on bum - 2 lbs. 13.25oz



Female - spot on tail - 2 lbs. 10.75oz

Female - spot on ear - 3 lbs. 4.5oz

Female - no spot - 3 lbs. 2.75oz

The puppies all continue to grow and appear quite healthy. Maddie has done a wonderful job taking care of them but today we decided it was time to start helping her out a bit. As all ten puppies grow they are eating more and Maddie will not be able to support they all in a few days. I warmed up some milk tonight and showed each puppy how to drink from a small dish. They all quickly figured out that they liked the taste of the milk but lapping from a dish is a totally new concept they will take another day or two to master. By the time all the puppies had had a chance to drink my lap was covered in milk and most of the puppies were sticky and wet. Maddie didn't seem to mind and was more than willing to clean up the puppies. I am hopeful that in the next few days we can transition to a larger dish and start supplementing the puppies on a more regular basis so that Maddie will not need to be their sole provider.

Twelve Days Old

all ten puppies

Walking is still a challenge but they are getting better. The cardboard is a bit slick which doesn't help but even on the carpet their legs are still not quite strong enough yet. Below is a short video of the male with the spot on his head exploring the puppies' room.

 



 

the boys

males - spot on the head, shoulder and back



the girls

The girls were pretty sleepy when I was trying to take their pictures but they several of them were stretching and being really cute and I was struggling to capture the moments with the camera. Instead I took a short video of the girls sleeping.

 



 

Many of the puppies have started to open their eyes. As you can see from the pictures below they will have pretty blue eyes for the next few weeks before they change to brown.

 

girl - spot on the back

girl - no spot

The puppies' appetites are growing as fast as they are. Maddie had been outside playing with the older girls and when she came back to check on the puppies she was mobbed. The puppies wagged their little tails and pushed and trampled on top of each other to reach her. They are not the most polite when it is time to eat.

 



 

 

 

Ten Days Old

Just this morning a few of the puppies have begun to open their eyes, right now it is just small slits in the corners but I expect that they will be completely open in the next few days. Their ears are also starting to open a bit more but it will still be several weeks before they start to stand at all.

A few of the girls are also able to stand for a few seconds on all four feet, their little legs quickly slip out from underneath them but they are trying to walk instead of just pushing themselves around. I tried to take a video of them but every time I got the camera all they would want to do was sleep, so I have also included a short clip of them sleeping today.

Maddie also continues to be a great mom. She is eating a lot and making plenty of milk for the puppies. She still spends most of her time sitting and nursing the puppies but she does love to go outside to play and enjoys her daily walks with Maurie and Miley.

Maddie resting with her "stick" while the girls play

Maurie and Miley love playing in the woods and especially in the big tire.

One Week Old

The puppies are now a week old. They have all gained twelve to fourteen ounces and look and feel much bigger than they did a week ago. Their hair started getting fluffy and their toe nails have grown a lot (it is time for a pedicure!). Their eyes are still not open and they are not yet able to walk. They are becoming more mobile and a few of them are able to take a step or two before they fall or roll over. They are able to hold their heads up and seem stronger each day.

I took a picture of each puppy after their evening weigh-in. I use nail polish spots make it possible to track each puppy's growth and as an identification mark.



Male - spot on head - 2 lbs. 1/2 oz.

Male - spot on shoulder - 2 lbs. 2.75 oz.

Male - spot on back - 2 lbs. 2.25 oz.

Female - spot on head - 2 lbs. .75oz.

Female - spot on shoulder - 2 lbs. .75oz.

Female - spot on back - 1 lb. 15.75 oz.

Female - spot on bum - 2 lbs. .25 oz.

Female - spot on tail - 2 lbs.

Female - spot on ear - 2 lbs. 4.25 oz.

Female - no spot - 2 lbs. 2 oz.



Maddie wanted her picture taken today too.

Six Days Old

The color differences are starting to become more noticeable.

 

The puppies are now six days old but still spend all their time either sleeping or eating. They have started to become a bit more mobile, they are able to find Maddie and their siblings when they become separated from the group. However, they still struggle to hold their heads up or stand up on their legs, instead they look more like seals when they push themselves around.

 

I love their little tongues.

 

We also hit a few milestones today, three of the puppies have now hit the two pound mark. The smallest puppy is 29.5 ounces, we are very happy with their growth so far. We have also stopped grouping the puppies, they are now all with Maddie all the time as we feel they are all able to fend for themselves in the larger group. 

 

 

 

I took some pictures of the puppies as they slept this afternoon (in some of the pictures you can see their identification spots).

 

Females (spot on the ear and bum)



Female spot on the head