Ellie’s babies continue to progress rapidly and are become harder to contain. When we do our daily whelping box cleaning, I usually put the puppies in a laundry basket. This is no longer an option as many of the puppies are able to climb out. I am now using a large tall storage container to contain them while I work.
Yesterday the puppies turned three weeks old so, after I cleaned their whelping box, we returned the puppies and got ready for the photo shoot. You can see how much energy the puppies have, it is hard to keep these puppies still.
We only have a short window to do our photo shoot though, because the puppies have a burst of energy and then quickly drop off to sleep. It is always a challenge and a two person job. My daughter Kendra is always willing to help me out with this task. She places all the puppies in a row and I quickly try to snap the pics. After a great many attempts, the puppies tire and fall asleep. We then look over the photos and try to choose the best pic. Fingers crossed that we get at least one. If I get most of the puppies looking forward and all the puppies are still (no blur), than we were successful!
Ellie’s 2021 three week puppy portrait
Ellie’s 2021 three week puppy portrait
How many puppies colour collars can you guess? (Answer at the bottom of post)
Video of our photo shootHow many puppies did you guess correctly?
Three weeks old already – how quickly time passes! This week Ellie’s puppies have been progressing rapidly. They continue to gain weight and grow bigger with each passing day. Their eyes are fully opened and vision is improving. Their ears have started to open and they are beginning to hear. Their hind legs have become much stronger and they have been practicing walking on all fours. The puppies are much more aware of their surroundings and have begun to play with each other. They have become quite noisy as they practice their vocalizing. It is so cute in the daytime but not so much in the middle of the night LOL. They still continue to sleep much of their day/night
Today I decided to try something new in my puppy raising process. The puppies have just started to go potty on their own so I thought I would add a potty area right in the whelping box. Let’s see what happens. After the puppies woke up, some went over to the corner and actually used the potty area. Watch Dark Pink Girl – I am truly amazed!!!
3 week old puppy uses potty area
Sleeping Puppies
Sweet Dreams
LOOKING AHEAD TO WEEK FOUR
Puppies will still sleep much of the day/night as they continue to grow rapidly
Puppies will play with each other developing important social skills
Puppies hind legs will continue to become stronger as they walk more
Hearing will improve
Puppy milk teeth will erupt
Puppies will be moving to the main floor towards the end of the week
This week was bittersweet – it was time to say good-bye. I have loved and care for Ruska’s puppies for the past (almost) nine weeks. I saw each come into this world, made sure they were fed, and introduced them to so many new experiences – all to prepare them for their forever families. This is Ruska’s final litter which made me more emotional than usual as I said good-bye to her babies. She has been an amazing mama and taught me so much over the past four years. I know that she will continue to help our other mama’s with our coming litters for years to come. Ruska has so much love to give!
Preparing for their forever families – nails clipped, bath, and blow-dry
Ruska wearing her “blanket scarf”. The puppy blanket that we send home smells like their mama. The familiar scent will be a comfort to the puppy in their new home.
Going Home Photo
ARCHIE – Light Blue Collar Boy
MILO – Orange Collar Boy
TWIX – Yellow Collar Boy
BELLA – Purple Collar Girl
MURPHY – Dark Blue Collar Boy
ASHER – Black Collar Boy
GEMMA – Green Collar Girl
AUDIE – Pink Collar Girl
MIKA – Red Collar Girl
WILLOW – Grey Collar Girl
LOOKING AHEAD
I have spent the past two months loving, caring and teaching our puppies. I am so thankful that our puppies have joined such amazing families and know each will be loved!
Forever Families, continue to provide new experiences each day, always include play, and never stop training your puppy. It won’t be easy because they are still young but, with patience and consistency on your part, they will grow to become well-behaved adult dogs that you will enjoy for their lifetime.
Keep in touch ….. it always makes my day when I receive an e-mail from one of our puppies families! I love hearing how they are doing and seeing pictures ! When I started breeding, I came across this poem which describes just how I feel!
Ellie’s Puppies
Ellie’s puppies continue to grow and progress. Eleven puppies is a large litter to keep fed and clean. Ellie is an amazing mama that loves to care for her babies!
Ellie’s puppies are now learning to walk on all fours. Their hind legs are getting stronger with each passing day. The puppies are so adorable with their wobbly puppy walk. All the puppies eyes have now opened but their sight is not yet clear. Their ears are starting to open and if you listen closely and you can hear them starting to vocalize. The puppies are now wearing new adjustable collars made from parachute cord. (Light pink girl is now wearing a pink camo collar)
Ruska’s Puppies
Tomorrow the remaining of Ruska’s puppies will be leaving for their forever homes. Since all the puppies would be getting a bath anyways, I decided to take them on an adventure and let them play in the yard. Ruska was so excited to have her puppies with her. The other dogs joined in as well and the puppies loved their time running and exploring together. In the end we had some dirty tired puppies!
Another week older – Ellie’s puppies are now 2 weeks old. We have had a great week! Ellie continues to be a loving and attentive mama. She just loves to look after her babies! Monday was an exciting day because we could see the puppies eyes beginning to open. Their eyes will continue to open over the next couple days. I always think this makes them look more alive! The puppies have gained strength in their hind legs and are slowly moving around the whelping box . Ellie’s puppies are gaining weight daily and they have now all reached the milestone of doubling their birthweight. With all that eating and sleeping they can’t help but grow.
LOOKING AHEAD TO WEEK THREE
Puppies will still eat and sleep most of their day
Puppies will continue growing
Eyes will continue to open wider and their sight will become clearer
Ears will start to open and they will begin to hear
Puppies hind legs will become stronger and they will practice walking on all fours
Ruska’s Puppies
Ruska’s Puppies have started to head to their forever homes. It is such an exciting time for the forever families. You have watched the puppies grow from that tiny newborn to the fluffy puppies they are today. On Friday, we will say good bye to the last puppies from Ruska’s litter.
Ruska is continuing to teach. Yesterday, I captured this video of Ruska teaching her puppies. It might look mean to us, but this is how mama dogs teach their puppies to submit which in turn produces well mannered puppies. Watch for one puppy submitting by lying on its back.
The five puppies that remain and are enjoying playing with each other. Today we had outdoor play in the morning, lunch and then the puppies spent a lazy afternoon sleeping in the warm fresh air.
Eight Week old “slow motion, can you see your puppy?
LOOKING BACK
Eight weeks have passed since Ruska’s babies came into the world and filled our days. Remember how tiny they were…..I could hold them in the palm of my hand. They have learned so much over these past eight weeks. I have loved raising them to the point where they are ready to join their forever families. This week Ruska has been working on submission. This comes easier to some puppies than others. I love to watch to see how quickly the puppies will submit to their mama and which ones will need “extra coaxing” LOL. Just like children have different dispositions, so do puppies. As with each week, we have enjoyed our puppy cuddles and during that time we have been working on what is acceptable behaviour – mainly the difference between nipping and kisses. Puppies are not always consistent but, have made great progress in this area. I just love puppy kisses!!!
Ruska’s puppies wanted to head outside in the rain with the big dogs; I let them out for a little exercise for a short time. They ran around for awhile but it didn’t’ take long before they were at the door wanting back in. Look at wet puppies in this video!
LOOKING AHEAD
Puppies are going to their forever homes. Lots of work lies ahead for your family as you continue teaching your puppy! They are still learning, but the time and work you put into them now pays off when you have a loving well behaved dog that will love you as only a dog can – unconditionally. You will be the most important person in the world to them.
It is always a bittersweet time when I have to say goodbye to our puppies. I have enjoyed every minute of their care and they have a piece of my heart. Why do I do this? It brings me joy to see their excited families smiles and to know that our puppies are joining such wonderful forever families. I know that our puppies will be loved!
Ellie’s Puppies
DAY 12 – Sunday March 28, 2021
Ideally puppies should double their birth weight between ten to fourteen days. We have had three puppies reach this milestone yesterday, three more puppies today with the rest of our puppies on track to double their weight by day fourteen. Ellie is doing a great job feeding her little ones!
We have a daily routine caring for our puppies. We weight each puppy daily and record their weight in the log. This helps us track each puppy’s growth. Healthy puppies should gain weight every day. At this time, we also check their collars and adjust any that have become snug. Puppies grow so fast, so it is important to check them a few times a day. Then we clean and disinfect their whelping box. Finally, we line the bottom of the whelping box with a clean “Vet Bed”, a product that resembles sheepskin. This man-made product is great because it is easy to clean and keeps the puppies dry, warm, comfortable and provides good traction. A puppy moves forward by pushing its hind legs backwards. When a newborn puppy is placed on a surface with inadequate traction, its feet can slide right out from under it and may cause the legs to extend and adduct. By providing a surface with great traction (Vet Bed) when the puppies are moving around and learning to walk helps reduce the stress on their growing joints.
The puppies are waiting in the laundry basket while I clean their whelping box. See how much bigger the puppies are, they fill the basket!
Ellie’s puppies return to their whelping box (You can hear Ruska’s puppies in the background. They woke from their nap and wanted to go outside LOL)
Today was a rainy day so Ruska’s puppies had to spend most of the day indoors. The sky’s finally brightened and the rain stopped making it possible for the puppies to get outdoor play time and use their built up energy!
It was damp and a little chilly, so I left the sliding door open allowing the puppies to come inside to warm up if they wanted to. They loved the different areas to choose from; running in the fenced enclosure, playing hide & seek on our BBQ deck and, wrestling inside on Ruska’s bed. We even had our sweet grey collar girl find her way beyond the puppy fencing and find the bag of Puppy Food! After a fun time playing, we brought all the puppies in and they settled down for a nap.
Ellie’s Puppies
Ellie’s puppies are now ten days old. Their fur has grown thicker on their faces and their little pink noses have disappeared – the pigment has now come in. Some of Ellie’s puppies have a black noses and some have brown. What ever colour they are they are adorable. The puppies eyes have also changed too. They are still sealed shut but not as tightly. They now look as if they are just sleeping. Any day now they will begin opening and we will see those beautiful eyes – so exciting!
Notice we have added another section to the entrance of the whelping box because some of the puppies are beginning to climb.
Yesterday was a very busy day for us. I know I am busy every day but, we had to add a veterinarian visit to the schedule. The puppies had their regular routine in the morning. After their lunch and a quick time for outdoor play we packed the crate into our SUV and loaded the puppies in. Introducing new experiences to puppies is a good thing – the more, the better. This was the first car ride for our puppies! It can be a little frightening for them but I think it was a comfort that they could hear familiar voices and see me. There wasn’t any crying or whining from any of the puppies as I have sometimes experienced from other litters; they were very brave, well behaved puppies.
When we arrived at our vet I checked in at reception and let them know we had arrived. There is always an excited “Oh puppies” when we take our litters for their check ups. Who doesn’t love seeing puppies! Then the operation begins – taking 10 puppies is a big job – it takes two of us. Tom and I have finally figured out the best method of doing this. Instead of carrying the heavy crate full of puppies into the Vet (which we have done before) we now take the puppies in two at a time. Tom stays at the car with the puppies in the crate, and I shuttle the puppies back and forth two at a time. I have said it before, we are getting smarter with age! LOL
Our vet has just moved to a new location in a strip mall plaza that has a daycare in the storefront next-door. It didn’t take long for the daycare staff and parents picking up their children to come have a look at our adorable puppies. Each time I returned for the next puppies, different people were looking at our puppies and chatting with Tom who was proud to show off Ruska’s sweet babies!
Tom keeping watch
Two puppies in the carrier ready for their turn
We take our dogs and puppies to Stouffville Veterinary Clinic and Dr Westermann does a wonderful job caring for our dogs, keeping me informed and answering all my questions. He was kind enough to allow me to take a couple photos to share. Each puppy got a wellness check, weighed, first set of shots and finally their microchip. Most of our puppies were very brave and only let out a little whimper LOL
All our puppies got a clean bill of health and Ruska and I got praised for having such calm, clean, and well behaved puppies.
Dr. Westermann examines Grey Collar Girl
Dark Blue Boy gets his microchip. He was a brave boy, only a little whimper from a big boy!
After everyone was done, Tom waited with all the puppies and I headed back to the reception desk. While paying my bill, the staff told me that they had a phone call from a passing motorist saying “Do you know that there is someone in your parking lot selling puppies out of the back of their truck?” We all had a good laugh!!! And NO, we did not sell your puppy 😂
A trip to the vet
Ellie’s Puppies
Yesterday my Daughter-in-law Chelsea was kind enough to come keep an eye on Ellie and her puppies while we took Ruska’s puppies to the Vet. She said there wasn’t much to do. She checked on Ellie every 30 minutes or so and either Ellie was feeding her puppies or they were sleeping. That’s what newborn puppies do, eat and sleep!
This video below shows puppies doing what they do best, yes, eating and sleeping. Look for the progress Ellie’s puppies have made. They are larger, their fur is starting to grow and their hind legs are becoming stronger which makes them faster! When Ellie comes back into the whelping box, the race is on. The puppies are always ready for another meal!
Wow, our precious puppies are one week old today. We have had a busy week! For the first few weeks of life, a puppy cannot regulate their own body temperature. They need a warm space, their mother, and littermates to help keep them warm. We have been blessed with warm sunny days so it helps keep our bedroom where the whelping box full of puppies are, nice and warm.
Ellie is truly a wonderful mama. For the first few days of the puppies lives she spent all her time in the whelping box with the them, keeping them warm, clean and making sure they nursed often. She had a good appetite and drank plenty of water from the start which helps make lots of milk for her little ones. She has been spending some time away from her puppies in the yard for a little exercise but Ellie still likes to stay by my side. She soon wants back into the house, runs upstairs to check on her babies.
Puppies are born with their eyes and ears sealed shut; they cannot see or hear. They have to rely on “smell” and “touch” to find their mother. Puppies are born with a natural instinct to nurse but as the days pass, they have become more proficient at it. The puppies are now experts at nursing; they can smell when Ellie returns to the whelping box. They wake and make a mad dash to find her and begin their next meal. I sometimes have to remove three puppies and put them in the waiting box until it is their turn to nurse
Ellie’s puppies settle in to sleep
Ellie’s one week old babies
LOOKING AHEAD TO WEEK TWO
Much the same as week one – Eat, Sleep, Repeat!
Puppies will continue growing
Puppies still crawl; hind legs will become stronger
Eyes should begin to open towards the end the week – so exciting !!!
Ruska’s Puppies
Ruska continues to teach her puppies to listen. This morning after I had cleaned the puppy area she wanted in. Ruska let the puppies start to nurse and with a quick bark, the puppies had to stop and listen. In this little video, look how well the puppies are behaving. Good puppies! (excuse the mess on the window sills. I hadn’t put the toys back on the floor lol)
Ruska’s puppies had a new addition to their puppy area. We introduced the crate. Our little black collar boy went right in and had a sleep. LOL We won’t close the door, I just want them to feel conformable going in and out, playing and sleeping – what ever they choose.
I like to introduce something new to the puppies every couple of days. Today it was a empty water bottle with a odd sock over it and tied at the end. They had a great time playing with it! Look at them playing with it in the video below (it’s a blue sock)
