We Had Play

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Hope got to play with the pups and they were highly receptive to it. Rain watched and mothered and Hope played. It all worked as Rain truly trusts Hope. It was great conditioning.

She also went upstairs for the afternoon session but I didn't take photos or videos. I just watched, played with them too and enjoyed. Dennis will take them up after dinner again. They are now having 3 play sessions a day. 

I added turkey to their meal and they gobbled it up as if it was their last meal. They LOVED it!

It was a great Thanksging Day for the dogs and us!

Here are the videos. Be sure to check out the short videos and the longer ones. There are 2 links but that is how YouTube sets it up. 

6 Weeks 1 Day Old

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I am sorry. I am just going to take photos and videos from the morning play session. I really want to just play with the pups. I hope you understand. I spend so much time behind the camera that the pups don't get my direct attention and I seriously want to know them well before you come. 

It is not to say I don't know them but there is something about spending time playing will allow me to see them more intimately. I hope you understand. 

The pups are getting older in front of my eyes and they will depart in 4 weeks.

Next week on Sunday is our 1st visit. On Saturday they will have baths. That includes doing their pads, around their eyes and taking photos and videos. It will be their first bath. 

Today the pups had passive play. They are relatively a quiet bunch. They love attention but are not demanding. It is hard to explain but I think if them as I do with Rain. That is who she is too.

Here are the videos. Be sure to check out the short videos and the longer ones. There are 2 links but that is how YouTube sets it up. 

6 Weeks Old

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Can you believe they are 6 week old now? They love the play. They sleep well. They hit the pad most times. 

Next weekend they have their visit and that means baths and photos and all that fun stuff. 

This weekend I will be making turkey and that means the pups will have turkey too. Yum! It also means the adults canine and humans get some too. 

The pups play so nicely. I marvel at the way they play. They are so much like Rain. Rain is an amazing dog!!!

Here are the videos. Be sure to check out the short videos and the longer ones. There are 2 links but that is how YouTube sets it up. 

5 Weeks 6 Days Old Plus Nails

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The Rain Pups are having an absolute blast during their play sessions! It is like watching a miniature circus with no ringmaster in sight! They roll, tumble, tackle each other, climb chairs, and race through the tunnels as if there is a prize waiting at the other end. The only rule seems to be to have as much fun as possible!

Tomorrow these little bundles of mischief turn 6 weeks old! Can you believe it? Then, a week from Sunday, we have our puppy visit, and I cannot wait to share these little characters with you.

Each one has a personality all their own, and they seem determined to keep us laughing. There is never a dull moment, and I wouldn't have it any other way. They have mastered the art of making you smile so wide your cheeks hurt!

Just wait until you meet them. You may find yourself laughing as much as we do!

Here are the videos. Be sure to check out the short videos and the longer ones. There are 2 links but that is how YouTube sets it up. 

5 Weeks 5 Days

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Oh the pups are pretty fun at this stage. They really tried running and now they are full out running. Momma Rain takes care of them well. But when I take them upstairs, she naps at times. Mother's work seems to never be done but when I am watching them, she can rest.

They have waggy tails when I get the sherpa bag out as if it means going somewhere good and it does. They don't seem to be afraid of anything so far. I keep exposing them!

Here are the videos. Be sure to check out the short videos and the longer ones. There are 2 links but that is how YouTube sets it up. 

Upstairs and Downstairs

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These pups are delicious. They make me smile so widely. They never had any fear with new areas, new changes. They never missed a beat and embraced the fun. 

Momma Rain takes care of them so well but they now have teeth - a couple tons of teeth and she would rather them stop biting her when they attempt to eat. Can you blame them? Momma's milk is the best but we will try to help her wean in about a week. She is too mild to say ENOUGH to her pups but she does make them chase her. 

The pups head upstairs twice a day and I am it. No one else has taken them up but Nathan comes up for a few minutes here and there. They love his crazy enthusiasm. Nathan equals fun. 

They are having accidents but mostly they are hitting the pad. They have always done this.

They run up the ramp and down the ramp without concern. They don't hesitate. They just do. 

They are really great pups!

Here are the videos. Be sure to check out the short videos and the longer ones. There are 2 links but that is how YouTube sets it up. 

Another 1st

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The pups were upstairs last night without moms. How did they do? Really well. Theu slept till about 6am and then they howled. LOL

They will do it again tonight. This helps them to make a good transition to their new homes. They are growing up.

They also started climbing out of the xpen. I have since removed the box I had as it made it easier for them and more difficult for mom as she didn't have access. Now - at least for now, it is a solution. 

Pups are now going upstairs twice a day. Thi sis something I do. Nathan comes up for his cameo moments but it is mostly me.

Dennis is now sleeping at night and up relatively early in the day. It makes it easier for me as I was doing everything while Dennis was still sleeping and nathan was napping for his 2 to 3 hours. 

Tomorrow I am going to take the pups up in the morning and get nathan or Dennis to be responsible for round 2. Dennis won't take photos so you miss out. I am hoping Nathan takes on the 2nd play session as my load gets heavier and theirs easier. LOL I aim to balance that out.

The pups are eating, drinking and well I would spend all day with them if I didn't have so much else on my to do list. So, I am going to attempt to delegate.

Pups are running better each day. It's a riot how fast they progress. They also look forward to that sherpa bag as they know what that means. They are ever so smart!!

Here are the videos. Be sure to check out the short videos and the longer ones. There are 2 links but that is how YouTube sets it up. 

5 Weeks 2 Days Old

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The puppies are playing upstairs. Tonight they will head upstairs without mom and just have food and water. I will be watching on my ipad to make sure they are okay. Dennis, for the 1st time will sleep in his bed. Now he tries to change from sleeping at night vs sleeping during the day. How long will that take?

As you can see in this photo, they continue to steal mom's food. Despite the fact that they have the same exact food, they like mom's the best.

The pups, if the gate is open in the xpen can now climb out and run around so I have to close it and let mom in from time to time.

I will take photos and videos of them upstairs in the pen but I won't upload those till tomorrow. That won't happen till just before bed. 

Here are the videos. Be sure to check out the short videos and the longer ones. There are 2 links but that is how YouTube sets it up. 

Big Day 5 Weeks 1 Day Old

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It is a big day for the pups. They had some 1sts. They went upstairs for 2 play sessions and they did really well. They explored. They played and they even tried running. When Nathan calls to them, they come after him. It is a riot!

They were fascinated with the sherpa bag which they never used before. They took to it as if they had always been using it and they exited with enthusiasm.

Seeing that the pups are eating moms food, I decided unsoftened kibble considering they have teeth with chicken and shredded cheese. They are eating that better. We are shooting for them to go upstairs tomorrow or the next day. I just want to make sure everyone is eating the food and I believe they are including the little one. They do really well drinking water. 

These are really great pups!

Here are the videos. Be sure to check out the short videos and the longer ones. There are 2 links but that is how YouTube sets it up. 

5 Weeks Old

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I took them out today and forgot to pickup momma Rain's food. She had kibble, chicken and cheese in it and they took to it nicely. Although it was whole, I watched them and made sure it wasn't too large. They all ate well from it. So, I cut some kibble in half, added chicken and cheese and no more mousse. If they will eat this, why not. 

They also have some teeth poking through and I am starting to take them out a couple of times a day. Starting tomorrow, I will take them upstairs to see what they will do.

We have some real characters in this bunch - each one.

Here are the videos. Be sure to check out the short videos and the longer ones. There are 2 links but that is how YouTube sets it up. 

4 Weeks 6 Days Old

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The pups are 1 day short of 5 weeks. They are eating solid food but not in a great sense. They drink water well. Mom still takes a nap for a couple of hours and so do they then they eat like they are straving. Mom doesn't know quite what to do with such enthusiasm. 

They are doing well. Each time I clean the pen they go walking outside of the xpen. Maybe tomorrow I will get them out in the hall. We shall see.

Here are the videos. Be sure to check out the short videos and the longer ones. There are 2 links but that is how YouTube sets it up. 

4 Weeks 5 Days Old

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What a delicious look on this puppy. They are all quite stunning.

I did try them on softened kibble with chicken. They were not interested. I added some mousse and they ate some of that but not enough. 

They are teething quite a bit. They are chewing on the crate so I gave one of the pups one of those frozen teethers to help soothe his mouth. It was really focused on this toy and it must have felt good. So, now I get why food is not high on their list. Their teeth need to poke through so they are not hurting while they attempt to eat. 

Tomorrow when I set up their pen, I am going to give them floor space. 

I tried setting up the pen with them in it. It was almost impossible. They do well out of the pen so this makes more sense.

The pups are really wonderful. 

Here are the videos. Be sure to check out the short videos and the longer ones. There are 2 links but that is how YouTube sets it up. 

4 Weeks 4 Days Old

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Mom and pups are doing well. They are not embracing the solid food sufficiently so they can't go upstairs yet. We are hopeful that this will occur by weekend. We shall see. 

They are walking really well. They LOVE comfort. Soft beds, plushy blankets, they cuddle in and sleep on them. They are the happiest when they are soft and plushy.

Here are the videos. Be sure to check out the short videos and the longer ones. There are 2 links but that is how YouTube sets it up. 

4 Weeks 3 Days Old

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The pups are sleeping loinger and longer between feedings. We are about to feed them shortly and I will include the photos in the gallery.

The darker one looks like now he will be a tri. He has colours bleeding through.

The tails are up now vs laying down. They are also wagging like crazy when they see you.

They are animated and plain fun.

Here are the videos. Be sure to check out the short videos and the longer ones. There are 2 links but that is how YouTube sets it up. 

1st Adventure

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We had a day. They didn't do as well with the food and water today but I decided to take them out of the pen so I could clean up the floor and change the blankets. They walked on the floor as if they always walked on it and they explored. They were magnificent and it is easier to clean the pen this way vs. sections at a time. 

Momma Rain was fine with it.

Rain has had her 1st issue. A couple of her milkstations are getting impacted. I may have to manually release them so she doesn't get mastitas. When they are too full, the pups won't drink from them. I caught it early so she will be fine just uncomfortable.

She is also playing a part as when I startyed the food, she stopped feeding them as much. 

We have some real characters in this bunch. They are so delicious.

Here are the videos. Be sure to check out the short videos and the longer ones. There are 2 links but that is how YouTube sets it up. 

4 Weeks 1 Day Old

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The pups tried food again today and they did better than yesterday. I love these pups. They are confident, playful, friendly and they get so excited to see me. I really like that last part. 

I had one walk into the water dish and got himself out himself. They are rather smart. 

Boy when they are out of the whelping box, you are changing out bedding, at this stage but some of this crew is already using the pads. I am impressed.

Here are the videos. Be sure to check out the short videos and the longer ones. There are 2 links but that is how YouTube sets it up. 

New Digs - 4 Weeks and Solid Food

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Lots of changes going on today. The pups are out of their whelping box and into their xpen. They didn't react. They embraced it as if they said to me, took you long enough. We tried them on solid food. They tasted it but didn't go nuts about it but they did partake in the water which is usually the last thing they try. 

They had an amazing transition. I am exhausted as I had 2 dogs to do that was heavily matted so I am doing the blog now. Tomorrow I have a slew of dogs. So, here I am updating at 8pm and need to upload the videos so you can see the food, the new area and clap as they reach yet another milestone.

Here are the videos. Be sure to check out the short videos and the longer ones. There are 2 links but that is how YouTube sets it up. 

3 Weeks 6 Days Old

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Two pups escaped today. The dark one was all the way across the xpen. I was boxing up my return printer and came in to check and saw the 2 outside of the whelping box. 

We really need to get the dryer done so we can take them out of the whelping box and start them in on solid food. We shall see if we can pull that off by tomorrow when they turn 4 weeks old. Now how did that happen?

Mom is trying to feed them standing up but they are not all that receptive to it yet. 

Our goal is to get them upstairs by 5 weeks without mom. 

Here are the videos. Be sure to check out the short videos and the longer ones. There are 2 links but that is how YouTube sets it up. 

3 Weeks 5 Days Old

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Sorry - it has been a day. I hardly got videos done but managed to get a good enough gallery. I will make up for it tomorrow. Just way too much on my plate.

In a few days we are going to try feeding food to the pups.

They are growing and doing really well. It is exciting to see them play.

Here are the videos. Be sure to check out the short videos and the longer ones. There are 2 links but that is how YouTube sets it up. 

3 Weeks 4 Days Old

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Someone got out of the whelping box. Can you guess who? It was a male and he is attemting to do it now in the photo above but he managed to get all the way out.

I can't set up an area as we do not have a dryer. Tomorrow we have a dryer and a printer to assemble and setup. I hate doing this stuff but hopefully he won't attempt to do it again until we have a dryer fixed.

So much on our plates but once that done, we will relax.

They are indeed playing more and more. Their muscles are getting stronger. They get mighty excited to see you now.

Here are the videos. Be sure to check out the short videos and the longer ones. There are 2 links but that is how YouTube sets it up.