WEEK FOUR HAS ARRIVED! Lucie x Diesel Litter

 Can I tell you that the pups are LOVING their gruel?  They are gobblers!!  Lucie is so happy to have a bit of relief from all those hungry mouths!  She still continues to nurse, of course, but since the pups have been fed three times a day, the demand is much less.

They are using the potty box (sometimes) - it is an acquired exercise.  Ahem.  However they are wagging their little tails which is such a hoot! :+)

I continue to work outdoors on their puppy yard.  Before long, they will be spending some time in the small fenced in area for a gentle exposure and slowly acclimate to the 'baby' equipment in there.  Once they fully are confident in that pen and need more room to run and play, the full yard will be a wonderland of adventure and new experiences for them.

Yes, I have availability in this litter, so if you know any good people looking, please share the AnnaBlog and my website with them.  Thanks!

Today's picture segment is a 'Drive around town'.  We had a thunderstorm with heavy rain this morning and then it cleared up a bit and the pups decided to take a spin in their blue buggy.  :+)

Green Male was asleep in the trunk, so he is not fully awake yet.

Yellow male was ready to take full control of the wheel and take a spin!

'Hold On!' Says Orange Male - I got this!

Brown Male is not sure about this thing and is taking it very slow.

Hey! says Rose Girl -  'Can we go for an ice cream'

?

'My friend and I need a seatbelt!' - claims little Black Male.

Yawn.  Teal Girl just putt...putts...along.

Wanna ride, handsome'?

'Why don't you just let me off here, driver.'

'We are home? That was quick!'

Look next Monday for more adventures of this sweet litter!  Joyce :+)

Puppy Love. Lucie x Diesel

As most of you know, puppy visits begin after they are four weeks of age.  Our four grand-daughters visit us every summer and they have been beside themselves waiting until they could cuddle with the pups who have been way too young.

However, this morning, they return back to Michigan and their dad told them 'Grammy has a surprise for you'.  When they came over, well.....I will let the pics tell the rest of the story.  :+)

Their dad had to keep the 'surprise' secret all morning.  After he asked his 4 daughters to wash their hands and go near the Pup Room.  There were lots of excited faces!

On top of THAT surprise was the addition of their cousin being added to the group.  I brought some the pups into the middle of the room in the bed they like to sleep in.  You can see the surprise on our youngest grand-daughter's face!  Of course, Lucie was delighted to meet and greet everyone.  :+)

Our eldest grand-daughter with the pup she chose to snuggle with.

These two were in heaven having the babes in their laps.

What a perfect pic with both staring right at the camera!

As fate would have it, our youngest grand-daughter picked the smallest pup.

What the pups looked like after the visit - sound asleep!  :+)

I am sure they are pealing the ears off their dad about the visit and the pup snuggles as they travel back to Michigan.  At the last phone call, they were NOT sleeping!!  :+)

Another pen change-over and intro to milk replacer. Week 3. (L x D)

I mentioned before that lots of new experiences happen beginning three weeks dependent on the growth of a litter.  

As I was watching them today, I noticed several things going on:

• The pups are becoming more mobile and body strength was increasing.
• They are interested in small spaces and venture over soft toys (the caterpillar)'
• The Potty Tray is being used more.
• I have found some in Lucie's 'bedroom '(her bed). 

Hmmmm, I thought.  So, I decided to put in a bigger Potty Tray that has low sides for them to climb over and see if they catch on.  Then I decided to keep one pass thru door gate WITH the plexiglass barrier up, so Lucie can go in at will and I substituted a solid gate for a pass thru gate on the other side of the pen so I have two exits instead of one (for convenience.

I also am still giving Mr. Black male (the tiny one) a bottle to be sure he has enough daily calories as his big siblings gobble up all the milk and he ends up with leftovers.  He ate his fill from the bottle but there was some left, so I put down a feeding dish and let the others discover what was in it.  Some were more curious than others and mom was eager to lap it all up!

Lucie chilling after I did clean up and re-arranging.

A pup being curious about the bowl.

Pups confiscating Lucie's bed.

Lucie showing the pups 'the ropes' as she gobbles up the formula.

Mr. Brown Boy trying it out as others look on.

I will continue to entice them with formula,  as well as nurse from Lucie to begin the weaning process which takes at least 2 to 3 weeks.  Nothing is 'forced' here.  I don't use Benedryl to dry up my moms.  I don't reduce their food either.  It is done slowly and carefully.

  

THREE WEEKS! LUCIE X DIESEL LITTER

Boy are we seeing changes in the litter.  Although their eyes and ears are open, they are not functioning at 100%.  You will see in some of the pictures that the eyes have a blue 'haze' on them.  This is normal and will go away as they continue to mature.

They are 'walking' but somewhat silly with all the leaning, tripping, rolling that entails the brain and the limbs working together - like drunk sailors!  They attempt to wrestle and are doing some mouthing of each other.  Yes, they make noises 'sort of like gurgling' and I always love this stage.  Soon, teeth, grabbing, chasing and rambunctiousness starts and....well things get a bit wild around here.  :+)

Lucie is a good momma but feeding ten pups is going to be challenging going forward - which means I will begin to introduce gruel to the pups early to ease mom's load.  We shall see how that goes.  

I also changed up the pen a bit to introduce a potty area which IS being used!  Not perfectly but it does take some time to learn new things!  All species learn at different times and pups are no different!

The biggest chunk in the litter.

'Here's looking at you babe'!

You woke me from my nap!

You said WHAAAT?

Can I cuddle with you??

The little guy but very curious.

Brown Male is showing a color emergence of a Phantom patterned Pup!  Look at his eyebrows and legs, you will see a slight shading of brown on them.  :+)

Will you hug me?  I would like a friend.

Lovely profile.

I only have ONE freckle on my cheek - why is that?

Enjoy the pics and soon you will be visiting!  Don't forget to make appointments!  :+)

The Puppy Room. (update)

 The pups have a corner where they stay cuddled with each other.  Of course, Momma Lucie is never far away.  Today, Aug. 13th, it is nice and cool so a window is open for fresh air and some sunshine.  

This pen area will be reconfigured numerous times to accommodate the pups growth and development until they are big enough to venture to their outdoor play areas.  That is truly when the fun begins!  :+)

Also, I might add, that TODAY every pup has opened its eyes  and it is just too cute to see those peepers looking back at me.  :+). After I took this pic, I opted to remove the blue 'bunting' around the inside of their pen as they were constantly scrambling behind them.  When they become more mobile, it is time to switch things up.  

We are TWO WEEKS OLD! Lucie x Diesel Litter

 Well here they all are at two weeks!  They have been moved to the Puppy Room and are quite content there.  Lots of sunshine comes into the room with the large windows streaming some Vitamin D on them.  Of course, I do have shades if and when it gets too hot.  The air conditioner is also there when needed AND a fan above them to move the air constantly.  :+)

Some of the pups are just beginning to open their eyes, while others are not quite ready yet as the pics will show.  Definitely, by three weeks of age, both the ears and the eyes will all be open and that is when things get more interesting for them and me.  :+)

Momma Lucie does her very best to keep them happy and content.  It is quite challenging to keep TEN pups full but she is doing a remarkable job.  

Little Blue Boy looks like a baby Pirate with his one eye peeking at you.

Green Boy is one of the heftier pups in the litter.  

Yellow Boy is a close contender as well!

Red Boy is not far behind either.  Poor Lucie!!

The tiniest sweetie in the litter.  Still holds his own though!

Little Rosie has the biggest splash of white on her face.

Teal Girl has her big splashes of while on her feet.

Such pretty markings on Pink Girl.

Brown Boy is Green Boy's bookend!

Orange Boy reminds me of a yummy caramel and vanilla ice cream swirl.  :+)

If you know of a good dog owner looking for a great candidate for a canine companion, please feel free to have them contact me at:  joycetabor@gmail.com or call 207-676-5579.  I am NOT a text fan!!  Sorry!

Also remember visits to see Lucie and the pups begin when they are four weeks of age PROVIDING I have an application and deposit!  No 'Lookie Lou' visitors please.  You must schedule an appointment in advance.  No Saturdays unless after 5 pm, but any other day should work well.  :+). Joyce

LUCIE X DIESEL LITTER IS ONE WEEK OLD!

 I can't believe a week has passed!  Lucie is taking good care of her ten babies.  She cleans and nurses them very often like a good mom should.  I wish she would eat more but she eats when she wants to and is producing milk - can't complain.  :+)

The pups are active and vocal.  Momma knows what they need and when, I just supervise at this time. The pups will not open their eyes until they are 10 days or so.  They seem very content at this time which I am thankful for!

I am preparing the puppy room for when it is time to transfer them there.  It will take a few more days, but should be ready when they are.  I like to do it before they are two weeks old.  It is important for them to get some vitamin D from the sunny windows but need to keep them from 'baking' too.  Air conditioners are in place and nice shades when necessary.

As you can see below, the majority of the pups have white markings on them.  It is called an Abstract Pattern and is my favorite.  :+)

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