7 weeks already! February 15
Milly and Maisy's puppies are getting close to 7 weeks old. We had a busy Saturday morning combining playtime, name and tongue-click training, and grooming exposure. Our living room rug gives them the traction they need to go at lightning speed after each other and their tennis balls. They also go check out their big dog relatives, find any socks that didn't get put away (this is likely to be a lifetime favorite!), and then go back to tackling each other. This goes on until we finally see them taking short breaks; it's at that point their nails get clipped and coats get brushed. And then down for naps.
All 10 puppies show great response to everything, everyone, and all the rest of our dogs! You just can't ask for more! And did I mention potty training -- they are extremely consistent about keeping their #2's separate from their living space. I'll be sending all of their new families home with a bag of the alfalfa pellets we've been using -- you can sprinkle them outside in the area you want them to go potty and I think there will be a near-instant connection! On that note, we know for a lot of you this is your first family pet, so if you have any additional questions about supplies and getting your home set up, please let us know.
All 10 puppies show great response to everything, everyone, and all the rest of our dogs! You just can't ask for more! And did I mention potty training -- they are extremely consistent about keeping their #2's separate from their living space. I'll be sending all of their new families home with a bag of the alfalfa pellets we've been using -- you can sprinkle them outside in the area you want them to go potty and I think there will be a near-instant connection! On that note, we know for a lot of you this is your first family pet, so if you have any additional questions about supplies and getting your home set up, please let us know.
Puppy Playtime!
Truffle - female - heading to West Newbury, MA!
Cobbler - male - new home in Derry, NH!
Mousse - new name is Rocci! - moving to Loudonville, NY!
Pudding - female - new family in Hampton Falls, NH!
Macaroon - male - new home in Hampton Falls, NH!
Eclair - new name is Rosie! - moving to Alton, NH!
Cannoli - keeping the name Cannoli! - moving to New York City!
5 weeks old! February 4
Cannoli - male - moving to New York City!
Eclair - female - moving to Alton, NH!
Macaroon - male - new home in Hampton Falls, NH!
Mousse - male - moving to Loudonville, NY!
Cobbler - male - new home in Derry, NH!
Pudding - female - new family in Hampton Falls, NH!
Truffle - female - heading to West Newbury, MA!
Full Integration! January 31
So many things have changed since these 10 puppies started walking!
All of the pups from Milly's and Maisy's two litters are fully integrated now. Milly and Maisy alternate feeding responsibilities with all ten pups. We introduced solid food at the beginning of the week, which they all took to quickly. They are still nursing several times a day and have access all night.
Since their prime sensory window has opened, we are now trying to cover all the major areas daily to prepare them for life with their new families.
For one, they’re getting exposure to the grooming table, the sound of the clippers, and having their nails trimmed. To prepare for a lifetime of grooming needs, we also touch them all over, focusing on their feet, faces, eyes, and ears.
Next, we have multitudes of friends of all ages holding them, and my kids are taking them in their laps for reading sessions. I assume by now they’re all accustomed to my one arm football hold as I work around the kitchen.
The puppies are showing mild interest in toys, but they still prefer to tug on each others’ ear, necks, and rear ends! It’s amazing how long a puppy can keep sleeping when his ear is being tugged around by his brother!
Finally, they took to good bathroom habits quickly: when business calls, they ALL seem to be on the alfalfa pellets!
By the time their new families come for their visits, all puppies will have reached the 3 pound mark. We’re so thankful for all 10 to be developing so well!
All of the pups from Milly's and Maisy's two litters are fully integrated now. Milly and Maisy alternate feeding responsibilities with all ten pups. We introduced solid food at the beginning of the week, which they all took to quickly. They are still nursing several times a day and have access all night.
Since their prime sensory window has opened, we are now trying to cover all the major areas daily to prepare them for life with their new families.
For one, they’re getting exposure to the grooming table, the sound of the clippers, and having their nails trimmed. To prepare for a lifetime of grooming needs, we also touch them all over, focusing on their feet, faces, eyes, and ears.
Next, we have multitudes of friends of all ages holding them, and my kids are taking them in their laps for reading sessions. I assume by now they’re all accustomed to my one arm football hold as I work around the kitchen.
The puppies are showing mild interest in toys, but they still prefer to tug on each others’ ear, necks, and rear ends! It’s amazing how long a puppy can keep sleeping when his ear is being tugged around by his brother!
Finally, they took to good bathroom habits quickly: when business calls, they ALL seem to be on the alfalfa pellets!
By the time their new families come for their visits, all puppies will have reached the 3 pound mark. We’re so thankful for all 10 to be developing so well!
Eyes are open! January 19
We took pictures and weights for Milly’s litter a little earlier than usual, knowing a weekend that included a major snowstorm, big football game, and half the family being away was upon us. Their eyes were opened just a day before these pictures. By the time you see these on the website, almost all of them will be toddling around the whelping box and already demonstrating their innate desire for their potty business to be separate from their sleeping business! The majority of their days and nights are still spent sleeping in a tight pile or nursing from Milly, but this week we add frequent human cuddle sessions to their routine!
Cannoli - male, 2.2 pounds
As the only pup with a white-tipped paw, he is easy to pick out of Milly’s bunch. In true first-born form, he is leading the pack with standing up and you can see in these pictures that he likes to stretch and show off his white chest markings!
Cobbler - male, 1.9 pounds
Black all over with a cute white chin and a white “stripe” marking down his chest, he posed for these photos quite well, don’t you think? :) He tried hard to stretch up high like older brother Cannoli, but I missed getting a good picture of that.
Mousse - male, 1.8 pounds
Mousse is the only one of Milly’s litter carrying her phenotype for brown eyebrows; as he gets older, we’ll see how prominent they will be. Mousse’s coat is noticeably straight and silky, as is the brown fur on his legs and flanks.
Macaroon - male, 1.9 pounds
Macaroon has the most noticeably curly coat. While all will have curls in their adult coat, he may have tighter ones based on how he looks now. Mac, as I'm sure we'll be calling him, has a jet black nose sitting atop his chin that’s only had a very quick dip in the white cream this dessert-themed group got into in utero. Also of note: Mac has very little brown anywhere.
Eclair - female, 1.8 pounds
On to the girls! Eclair’s face is more petite and it sports a darling white chin that leads to a white “stripe” going down her chest. She was extra sleepy for this photo shoot (that first mini bath seems to do them in at this age!). She has the least brown on her legs of all.
Truffle - female, 2.2 pounds
She’s easy to pick out of the litter due to her curly coat — we just have to differentiate via underside inspection from from brother Macaroon. Truffle has a very white chin and the largest spread of white on her chest for the 3 females in this litter — she’s of the vanilla creme truffle variety!
Pudding - female, 1.8 pounds
This sweet thing is affectionately called “Puddin’” without a “g” around here. Before receiving this name, we called her “3 Spot” because her white spots are placed on her chin, neck, and chest. She has a fair amount of brown on her legs, giving them a shimmery bronze appearance.
First photo shoot: January 5
Cannoli - male, 9.8 oz.
Cobbler - male, 9.3 oz.
Mousse - male, 8.3 oz.
Macaroon - male, 10.1 oz.
Eclair - female, 9.0 oz.
Truffle - female, 10.0 oz.
Pudding - female, 8.7 oz.
Milly's Pups Have Arrived! December 30
Milly welcomed a litter of 7 pups at the very end of 2018. She kept us on alert all day on Saturday and then started bringing her puppies into the world at 1am on Sunday, Dec 30th. Milly amazes us with her mothering abilities: easy pregnancies, easy births, and she's a natural at gathering the pups around her for round-the-clock feedings.
This litter is all black with white tuxedo markings and most have brown interwoven with the black on the bottom half of their legs. The amount of white and brown varies from pup to pup and while I'd love to be able to show this in detail in these 6-day-old pictures, the pups tend to stay curled up when not stretched out nursing. We'll aim to show the tuxedo differences in the next photo shoot!
The puppies are named after desserts, something we had a lot of at the holiday parties surrounding Milly's delivery.
This litter is all black with white tuxedo markings and most have brown interwoven with the black on the bottom half of their legs. The amount of white and brown varies from pup to pup and while I'd love to be able to show this in detail in these 6-day-old pictures, the pups tend to stay curled up when not stretched out nursing. We'll aim to show the tuxedo differences in the next photo shoot!
The puppies are named after desserts, something we had a lot of at the holiday parties surrounding Milly's delivery.
