Sunday, March 25, 2012

Olive's babies at 3 weeks old.

Pink Girl is a hefty one at 4 1/2 lbs. at 3 wks.
Teal Girl is no lightweight either.  She weighs a bit over 4 lbs. at 3 wks.
And so does Red Girl.  4 lbs. at 3 wks.
The only male of the group is 4 lbs. as well.  (3 wks.)


The puppies have been very consistent in this litter as evidenced by their weights and coats.  All of them are going through a critical stage right now where loud noises, fast movements or rough handling could be very detrimental to their development.  They still become quite upset even when I pick them up for weighing, giving me a little growl or cry of objection.  All these things are normal at this time.  You have to remember that they are really not aware of their environment yet and any new noise or movement is perceived as a 'possible threat' to them.  The small growls or barks are their 'warning signs' to intruders.  I am always utterly amused by this stage and how something so little can attempt to intimidate an adversary.

Both litters are now housed in the puppy room in opposite corners.  Clara's puppies have a barrier so they cannot interact with Olive's until the little pups are beyond this developmental 'bump'.    It will not be long until Olive's pups will begin controlled interaction with the adult dogs in the household as well as Clara's group.

The family that visited Clara's pups today were very respectful and did everything right to be sure that these pups were not startled.  Thank you Webber family!!  :+)
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9 comments:

  1. They are so gorgeous and it's nice to see them with their eyes open. Can't wait to meet them!!

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  2. They are beauties - every one of them. At what age do they become aware of their surroundings?

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    1. Actually they are 'in this age of awareness' which is why they can become so startled. They have been in the pup room since 2 1/2 weeks old and have been subjected to all the routine noises of the other pups, tv, radio, etc. but were still not totally 'aware' of where they were. Now, they see and hear better; can peek over the crib bumper, and the environment has expanded greatly from their perspective. Each day, there space becomes more comfortable and they begin to explore. I am waiting for the sign that they WANT to explore to be more evident. Typically, once they are past the four week age marker, they need more stimulation. The 4 week marker is very critical, so you don't want to 'over do it'.

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    2. Interesting - your pictures and comments are my first exposure to the earliest weeks of puppy development. I can't wait to see more! Thanks.

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  3. These puppies seem to weigh more at three weeks than a lot of your litters. Will they be on the bigger side as adults?

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  4. They should be solid mediums weighing in at around 32 to 38 lbs. They will be solidly built doodles - no Poodle bodies on these babies. Both parents have strong boning - it is what I bred for in my lines.

    Of course, my line from Eloise will be true minis and be much smaller and lighter boned as that is a totally separate breeding strategy.

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  5. Thanks Joyce! Love them and all your great photos.

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  6. Joyce, these are just the most gorgeous four pups! And that picture of pink girl is so sweet - she would have been so cute next to Brewster:-) Maybe Olive's last litter:-) Wish we could come up and meet them all - fear we would not get the girls to leave! Amy:-)

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  7. I had to change the bedding and wash the floor in their area, so scooped all of them up into a laundry basket to keep them out of my way and safe. I placed the basket next to the divider gate of the 8 week olds and they were so curious about the lil guys. Olives pups did very well and were rather brave! It was only for a few minutes and then they were back on their new clean bedding. I really do need to find a bigger 'round bed'. They are still piling in - all four, well three and a half because one is always half in and half out! (chuckle).

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