The first of the development stages is The Neonatal Period. This period starts at day one and goes to day 14. At this stage the most important and main influence in the puppies life is their dam. Her health, milk supply, attitude towards the pups and people who come see them influence the behavior development of the litter.
I guess it is time to start the Puppy Diaries!! Faith whelped her litter last Friday (13th!!). She had 8 puppies, but sadly, we lost 2. One was HUGE (twice the size of the other puppies). Both pups we lost got stuck in the birthing canal and were in there for too long. Up to this point, Faith did extremely well in her whelping. She did it with ease and knew exactly what to do even though this was her first litter. It is amazing to see/watch the natural instincts come out when a female has a litter of puppies. I was praying that Faith would be like her dam, Tikka, in her care for her puppies and I have not been disappointed! Even when the vet had to stick his arm inside her to pull out one of the pups, Faith was so incredibly patient and good natured!
So, we have 6 puppies. 3 sable and 3 black/tan. 1 boy and 5 girls. This is the first time I have had so many females! In all my past litters I have actually had the opposite. Most believe, it is the sire who determines the sexes of the puppies and the dam who determines the number in the litter.
Puppies First Week:
The sables are all females and a bit ‘different’ as far as looks/coloring and size. The smallest sable (no collar) is the darkest. Sometimes I get her mixed up with the black/tans as she is so dark. Her face is a lighter color than her body. The next sable also does not wear a collar. This sable is a bit bigger than her sister and her coloring is a bit more ‘varied’ than her darker sister. The last of the sables is yellow collar…..she likes her food!! No big surprise, she is the largest of the 3 sables!
We have 1 black/tan boy and 2 black/tan girls. The boy does not wear a collar and right now, I would describe him as ‘middle of the road’ in all aspects. He is middle sized and thus far content in getting to the milk when he gets there etc. Pink collar black/tan girl is also enjoys her milk! And she can get a nipple when she wants it…even if another one is on it! The last of the black/tan is red collar girl and she is also one that knows where to find the milk bar!!! She also has her favorite nipple and she will take it from someone else if necessary!
I am actually quite amazed at how fast these guys are growing! They are also very active when they want to be. A few are even starting to hold their heads up a bit! They can motor across the whelping box in a few seconds and they have no problem finding a nipple when they are hungry! Even if it means going underneath mom to find those nipples she might be laying on! When they are not eating they are quite content sleeping. They have been doing a lot of twitching/leg movements etc….so we know their neurological development is going well.
Faith is a fantastic mom!! She attends to her puppies meticulously without going overboard. She cleans them, licks their tummies to help with digestion, snuggles up with them and lays with them while they patiently drink from her. I have been sleeping in the whelping area with Faith and the pups and she spends all night in the whelping box with them. Faith and the pups are very content. It is obvious that Faith loves and cares for her brood. Her milk supply has been good and Faith is eating very well. I must admit I was a bit worried about how she would be. Faith LOVES to be with the rest of the dogs and does NOT like to miss out on anything that is happening! She is also an active dog. I was hoping that her motherly instincts would ‘kick in’ and this would take priority. I have not been disappointed. Faith hears the other dogs outside but she seems to know and understand that her priority right now is her puppies. Even with the commotion happening around the house at times, she continues to lay and feed her pups! She is calm and loving. What a fantastic dog!!! I feel so blessed to have such good ‘moms’ !!!
Week 1 Photos
Click images for larger view
Second Week:
I weighed the pups on Saturday one day after turning one week old. They all now weigh between 2 lbs 5 oz- 2 lbs 7 oz. They have more than doubled their weight in one week. The pups are now trying to stand and use their legs instead of crawling. They are still unsteady doing this but that does not stop them from trying. Some are starting to ‘bark’ when they know that ‘mom’ has entered the whelping box and they cannot get to her fast enough! LOL. They use their noses very well to find the milk supply! And they find Faith very quickly. These pups are so big right now that only 5 of them ‘fit’ into Faith’s curve when she is laying down! Faith’s milk supply is very good…..which I suppose contributes to them growing! This litter is similar to my other raw fed litters (these guys are 4 generation raw fed on the dam’s side and third generation raw fed on the sire’s side.) Generally, I find raw fed litters are usually a bit ‘’ahead’ in the ‘milestones’ in the developmental stages as well as usually a bit bigger. (standing/walking/eyes/ears opening etc).
I started the Neurological stimulation with the puppies and will continue this to day 16. The puppies coats are shiny, and they are starting to defecate without the help/stimulation of Faith. (although she continues to clean them!!). Faith is has settled in really nicely with the pups. She is starting to spend small amount of time outside the whelping box but is right there when they stir or make noises. She checks things out, cleans them, licks their tummies and then finds a place to lay down so they can feed.
I needed to change the collars again (this is the third time) as they were once again getting too tight. They are now wearing small puppy collars. I expect their eyes/ears to open by the end of the week! That is always an exciting time!!! I also think it won’t be long after that they will start to try and get out of the whelping box!
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