A bright, sunny and crispy day = a puppy car ride.

After warming up my vehicle, the pups and I took a car ride around town to get them use to the sounds, movement and 'feel' of riding in a car. The entire time, these pups never made one peep - all were soundly asleep. Maybe that is coincidence, so I will be sure to give them more car rides in the future to hopefully instill a sense of happy expectations with any type of traveling.

Look at the cute pic Charlotte's guardian home took when she visited today.

Doesn't Charlotte look like the proud mom?  :+)

Notice the little one under her?

Charlotte's pups are a week old TODAY!

They are such chubs - all of them are at least one pound and gaining daily. Charlotte is eating three large meals a day with relish and is obviously doing a fabulous job of nourishing her six babies.

They are not doing much at all except eating, sleeping and toileting but that is good news - all is normal!  I would expect by the second week of life, some may be opening their eyes just a wee bit. We will have to wait and see.

As you peruse the pics below, you may see some nose color beginning to form. The black/white parti pups already have their black pigment showing but not so much the other colors. I know the Teal Boy will have liver pigment and the two apricot/white parti pups are just beginning to edge in some color. I am pretty sure they will be 'caramels' and the pigment will be liver. They will also have greenish eye color as that is common for this color type.  In another week, I should know.   :+)

Enjoy the one week old pics!

Purple Girl, 1 week and 1.2 lbs.

Green Boy, 1 week and 1.2 lbs.

Black Boy, 1 week and 1.1 lbs.

Caramel Boy, 1 week and 1 lb.

Pink Girl, 1 week and 1.2 lbs.

Teal Boy, 1 week and 1.7 lbs.

The group nursing on momma Charlotte:

Charlotte's pups are three days old and doing wonderfully. :+)

The pups are all gaining nicely with Teal Collar Boy, who is not a sable but a chocolate and white parti whose face will have tan cheeks and eyebrows similar to a tri-pattern, is now a whole pound! Little chunky monkey he is :+)

A breeder is always pleased to see pups gain daily. Mommy Charlotte is eating well and it is showing up on the pups.

First vet visit!

Charlotte and group all took a ride to my vet bright and early this morning. I like to prevent injury as much as possible, so I do remove the dew claws on all my puppies. A ripped dew claw is terribly painful and bloody if it should happen. Furthermore, many times it is nicked when at the groomers, so it is a step I believe in doing.

This visit also assures me the pups are doing well and mommy gets a 'once over' so I know all is well with her also.

A close up pic to share of the pups' first car ride.  :+) They sure are a colorful group. I am going to call this litter my MORSE CODE litter.....dot..dot..dash..dot...

All of them snuggling with mom.

Charlotte's litter has arrived! (Updated with PICS)

Imagine my surprise when FIVE of them are partis! There is one solid apricot female but she has white on her feet so is technically an 'apricot abstract'. One black and white female with her 'twin' black and white brother. Than two apricot and white males that have the most unusual markings! I don't know if either of them will be caramels or apricots. As their pigment comes in, I will be able to tell. Then there is a chocolate parti that I think may be a chocolate parti sable but time will tell on that one as well. All in all, a VERY colorful litter and not at all what I expected! Thank you Mother Nature! :+)

I have given mom a bath and cleaned up the area. They are nursing well and seem content.

How wonderful of Charlotte to give me a perfect whelping on this lovely fall morning!

Purple Collar Girl has white on her feet. She weighs 11 1/4 ozs.

Caramel Collar Boy weighs 9 5/8 ozs. and may have either black pigment or liver. Time will tell. He will also have apricot patches around both eyes as he grows. He does have other small patches of apricot on his body.

Teal Collar Boy is the heaviest pup at 12 3/4  ozs. I believe he will be a chocolate parti. Another one that we have to watch to know for sure as he could express a sable pattern (black tipping).

Hot Pink Collar adorns this 10 1/4 oz. black and white parti female. Her brother is almost an identical twin!

Yep! Black Collar Boy is the twin of Pink Girl - at least on the face! He weighs 8 5/8 ozs.
Only the black pigment on his nose tells them apart.

Isn't this pattern a hoot? Three drops of apricot right on his head... and those eye patches???
Green Collar Boy weighs 11 1/2 ozs.

Charlotte visited our vet today!

Her guardian and I wanted to see how many puppies she was having. We guessed how many little heads and backbones we could see on the x-ray. We pretty much all agreed that six little babes was what we could see. Then Dr. Estle came in and verified the number. I am so happy and can hardly wait until they arrive. My guardian's parting words as Charlotte was being coddled was 'How often can we visit'?  I smiled and said 'as much as you want!'

I love the connection my doodles have to their families and me.  As I type, Charlotte is beside me getting acqainted once again with the house she grew up in.  All is well.