Puppy Pics @ almost 5 weeks

Below are pics of everyone.  The lighting wasn't right for good pics of the black pups - too many shadows.  They are truly gorgeous with their shiny coats.  Hopefully I can get some outside soon where the light is perfect.

They've started on puppy kibble, soaked in puppy formula.  They gobbled it up.  They are hungrier than I realized :-)  They will soon start getting 4 meals a day, which should relieve the pressure off Momma Cassonade.

Experiencing family life

The pups have moved out of the quiet of their enclosed box in a bedroom, into a wire pen in the living room.  They can now fully experience life as part of the family.  Guinness is so happy to finally be able to see and smell the pups.  She puts her nose within the gaps in the wires and the pups swat at her with their paws.  Everyone's tails are wagging.  They are now eating two big meals of puppy formula mixed with rice cereal.  This weekend I will introduce them to puppy kibble softened in puppy formula.  Given how quickly they took to formula and cereal, I don't anticipate any hesitation on their part to gobble up the puppy food.

Juno Update

Juno had her ultrasound today.  We could only count 4 pups.  But they were all healthy and thriving.  I'm going to hope that, like Cassonade (we counted 5 and got 9), there were a couple in there hiding.  Unfortunately, since we have 4 spoken for, her reservation list will remain closed until we have the x-ray - and hopefully find a few more!  That will be the last week of March.

Learning to Eat

The pups tried puppy formula for the first time today.  They aren't quite sure how to consume it, so they dip their paws in and then lick their paws.  But they get it all over their face, so then they lick each others faces.  Before long there are milk footprints everywhere and everyones face is either wet with milk or saliva from their sibling.  They love it!  It is like a game.

Feeding Frenzy @ the Dairy Bar

The pups are so efficient at feeding, it only takes a few minutes for them to empty Cassonade's milk glands.  There are 10 teets and 9 pups, so there is always a mad rush for the last one.  I believe that the green collar boy is the most successful as he is 200 grams larger than his 3 sisters.  When Cassonade lays on her side, the pups feed in two tiers.  The top tier lays on top of the bottom tier.

In the video attached, watch the cream coloured pup third from the left as she dives down to the bottom tier from the top.

THE PUPS FIRST VIDEO!

The Pups are walking!!

Wow, did I overestimate how long it would be before the pups would be walking.  Some of the bigger and stronger ones started walking two days ago.  Now they are all walking.  They are surprisingly steady on their feet.  I will post some video this weekend.

They continue to grow like crazy.  The largest is 1 kilo.  The smallest is 750 grams.  They still spend most of their day sleeping in a puppy pile.  I suspect when you are growing like that your body needs lots of rest.