As suspected, I learned today that taking a group shot with 8 puppies is much more difficult than with 5. The two best from the 20+ photos taken have been posted. Individual shots were also a challenge, as some of them were quite squirmy! Taking them after they’d nursed resulted in some of them being just plain sleepy.
Although the pack leader competition won’t start for another week, I would wager a bet that Dark Green boy and White girl are contenders. They’re the two smallest pups, and have had to work hard to keep up with their larger siblings. Pink girl and Purple boy are very relaxed, and Yellow, Red, Light Green, and Blue boys seem somewhere in the middle. We’ll see. Everything can change next week.
I’m still in awe of Stella nursing 8 pups without a problem. She hasn’t even shown signs of wanting to wean them yet, which is a surprise considering that Blue boy is cutting his teeth, and the rest will soon follow. Stella is now feeding a litter that weighs a couple pounds more than she does when she’s not pregnant or nursing. Her raw food intake is probably between 1.5 and 2lbs per day, plus we’ve continued to offer her kibble while we’re asleep, so she polishes off a cup or so of that overnight. Just to put things into perspective, a 20lb dog (roughly Milo’s weight) will eat approximately 1/2 lb. of raw food per day.
When the pups start weaning we’ll introduce them to homemade goat’s milk formula, but there really aren’t any signs yet that it’s needed, so we will wait. Mom’s milk is always best and if there’s not an issue with puppy weight gain, Stella’s milk production, or her willingness to continue nursing, then there isn’t a need to introduce anything else yet. It will happen soon enough.
We spent several hours setting up their large pen in the finished basement today, as they were getting close to diving over the edge of the baby pool. They seemed a little nervous at first to have such a big space, but very shortly they’ll be utilizing every bit of it. We set up their potty area, and Blue boy was the first to initiate it, with several others following suit. The pheromone pads really make a difference at this age, and they all seem drawn to that area to do their business.
We’ll miss having the pups so close to us in the office, but it’s all part of growing up. It happens so fast!
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HI! Our family includes a wonderful three year westie female. She is our first terrier and our first small dog. We love her! However, she needs a buddy, especially since our elderly dog passed last year. We have been searching for a breeder in this area and had no luck until we found your website. I see that your latest litter is matched with homes. I am wondering if you can help us find another breeder. I am looking to adopt a puppy in June, since I will be home most of the summer and can help a new puppy adjust to our home at that time. I would appreciate any info you can give. Thanks so much and have a great day!
Susie Sweet