Had their first visit to the vets today. He picked up Daniella and said, "good looking puppies" she looks just like her daddy. Then he says "they are all good puppies" we swapped "these are good puppies" comments, it's always a pleasure to hear that from someone else eventhough I know they are ...
geez, they are Hilde and Joaquin's babies, start with great genes and you've got great puppies!
will get pictures soon, it's been a big day for them, they are sleeping this afternoon since so much of an uproar with the crying and all. They never invite me to stay to wait/help and I never volunteer to, the tiny little bandages have to be taken off in the morning,
but, gorgeous puppies now have their tails 1/3 docked and no dewclaws, none of the puppies have cleft chins and none of the puppies had dewclaws on the back feet (sometimes they do, havn't seen any in our litters yet though).
Puppies are growing, gaining healthy weights everyday.
We have a neural stimulation session every morning when they are fresh. I pick up one puppy at a time calmly, knowing how I handle the puppies will affect their social skills, and put the puppy in an upright position. I take a cotton ball and gently, as momma does, potty the puppy. Puppies at this age cannot defecate on their own, momma has to stimulate them.
After filling a cotton ball, couple of them this morning filled two cotton balls (Dmitry and Drummer, they have the most belly-bellys),
I weigh them and record their weight on the chart. I've weighed them twice a day since they were born to follow their growth and make sure everyone is gaining and growing.
Four of them have little collars on to keep count of each one. Dmitry has a red ribbon, Dandy has a blue ribbon, Drummer has a black, and just to not having to keep picking up the puppies to see if they are boys or girls, I have a lime ribbon on Daniella. Two dark puppies are one boy, one girl, so no need to "label" them. Davina is tiny, very easy to see which she is, Duet is darker but I do have to make sure of her color, she's starting to look like the other creams.
After weighing them, I carefully hold them upside down. Some of the puppies try to roll up in a ball, some of them yell with their noses slowly lengthening to the floor, none of them like it. I'm careful to brace their necks and heads. Then it's a hug and kiss and then roll them onto their backs. The two black puppies, neither of them will relax with this, especially D'Angelo, he is becoming much smaller than Demi. The others usually submit after a few seconds.
It takes about a count of five or six and gently they get hugged. I dont' put them down until I get a relaxed acknowledgement from them. Usually a big sigh, shake, something like that.
When the puppies are being personality tested, we are looking for the puppies that will "shake off" the stress of what just happened. If you are around another dog now, if the dog becomes a stressed, an acknowledgement of a shake, a yawn, and small movement for them to say, ok, I'm fine let's go back to being me. Dogs/puppies should never hold a grudge or hold onto stress. Of course each dog will be different, some take longer to think it through, some give it a nanosecond, it's how you can see what's really going on in their doggy minds. Always wait for the acknowledge of "everything is fine now" without causing them to think something is wrong. It's just "what was that?" "ok, never mind"
The little stimulations will help their intelligence and strengthen their socialization skills.
As always, these little puppies are growing fast,
what's next?
eyes and ears will open about 10 days of age, I am checking to see if any of them are starting to pay attention to noises as we go through the simple little "tests"
by this weekend I'll have individual pictures of them, they are starting to lengthen more, like little babies their bodies are tight, their tendons and muscles take a while to relax and lengthen.
until next time, have a great day,
Paula and Jim
http://www.barefootpudels.com/
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