Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Puppies are 5 weeks today!

Where has the time gone? LOTS of changing in the last week. So much more active, becoming little dogs now. Yang weighs 3 lbs today and Yin weighs 2 1/2 lbs.

Had lots of visitors today. Pam and Drew came, then Lianne stopped by. Tired out pups now! Uploading more photos to Picasa, video later tonight.

Yang at 5 weeks



Yin at 5 weeks

One of several new videos loaded

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Birthday Eve

I cannot believe they will be five weeks old tomorrow! Lots of photos uploaded to Picasa. Have some video I will edit and upload tomorrow. Also add more commentary about what they are doing these days.

Right now, enjoy these photos and go to Picasa for the rest. Good night!


Monday, March 28, 2011

Transitions

Puppies are on the verge of being able to climb out of the whelping box it looks like, so I am working on creating a new "home." I've expanded the pen around the box, and added more vinyl flooring under it,m in preparation for taking one end of he box off in a day or two. This will expand their world, but also mean Fada will not have free access and only get in to be with them when I open the pen door. So I am sort of taking it slowly, to ease pups and Fada into it.

Friday, March 25, 2011

Weekend

Steph's wedding is tomorrow. Both of my girls are staying here tonight. We had family game night, it was great! Thanks to Caren for staying with pups this afternoon while we were at rehearsal and dinner. Beasleys (Chris and Abbey) will be taking duties tomorrow, since we leave fairly early for wedding, then Mike and I are staying downtown for the night, and Abbey will camp out here with the pups. So don't expect pics or updates till at least Sunday. : )

I did miss my babies while I was gone today. But when I got back and got in the pen with them they both RAN over to greet me. Sweet babies!

Have a good weekend everyone, watch for updates Monday!
I decided today he looks like Andy Rooney.


Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Happy 4 week Birthday Yang!

He weighs 2 lbs. 6.7 oz today, so still a good bit bigger than his sister. He still isn't very interested in the puppy gruel, but does manage to go sliding through the plate most meals. And he is NOT happy, once he's wet and slimy!

His teeth did stat to come in this week, many more ca be felt just under the gums. 

He is walking pretty well, though when he sees something and gets excited he tens to go in reverse. Very interested in toys I put in the pen. LOVES the new Skineez toy I got from Clean Run this week. As a matter of fact, CR has posted his video on their Facebook wall!

He is definitely a wire boy,  no question. His muzzle and eyebrows are really sprouting fuzz and he has very hairy feet.  Pigment on his nose is filling in more and more, but his pads are still very pink. Given his white stockings, I am not surprised about the feet. 

Yang - 4 weeks





Happy 4 week Birthday Yin!

She weighs 2 lbs. 1.4 oz today. She is getting better at eating the cereal and formula gruel. At least has some interest.

We have gained teeth this week. She likes to chew on my toes, which really tickles!

Much steadier on her chubby little legs, though seems to still spin in a circle when excited. She is more curious about in new things in the pen. Today she was carrying around and shaking a small, soft ball toy. When Yang approached her, she carried it off to the corner. Apparently not into sharing!

Still uncertain if she is going to be wire or smooth. Keep looking for those little lip corner fuzzies! She does have a good bit of coat around the rough and on her chest. Pigment continues to come in more and more.

Yin - 4 weeks






Tuesday, March 22, 2011

New video and pictures posted.

Breakfast!

This meal was followed by our first bath. Not a full bath, it's still pretty chilly. I used Self Rinse, toweled them dry. Then they got to snuggle under the heat lamp.

Monday, March 21, 2011

Yang's New Toy

Yang loves his new Mini Skineeez Squirrel from Clean Run!
'

Several other new videos posted as well.

Yin, Day 24

Yang, Day 24

Yin & Yang, 3 1/2 weeks

Yesterday's weights were 1 lb 14.8 oz for Yin and 2 lb 2.1 oz for Yang. So he is a good bit heavier than she is, though she is still "rounder." Yin is starting to look somewhat less like a chubby bear cub though. Yang is still a handsome devil, with legs under him and looking fairly nicely proportioned for a baby.

For all of my curiosity about his color early on, he now just looks tan or buff colored. I think the grayish/blue shade before was caused by the black overlay on his tam coat. Much like Yin has a dark overlay on her red.

Their interest in cereal is still minimal. I offer it to them several times a day. They lap at the saucer a few times, then wander away or lunge through the plate of gruel. Then Fada gets in to finish it. When she is eating, they actually like to "help" her by going back and trying it again. Then, of course, Fada cleans them off and they nurse.

Depending on how the eating thing goes this week, I expect to start having to ACTUALLY clean out the pen, instead of changing blankets every few days. Most canine Mommas pretty much quit with the clean up duties once the puppies are eating solid food. Of course, Steph's wedding is this week so what with offering food every few hours through the day and expected cleaning, it should be an interesting week!

Saturday, March 19, 2011

Teeth and food

Yin has teeth that have popped through! On Yang I feel some just under the gums, but nothing through yet.

I introduced "puppy mush" today. As expected, there was mild interest only. They lap at it a bit, lick it off my fingers, then lose interest. Yin dig take a flying leap through the dish the second meal. Fada enjoys when the pups are done playing in it. Then I let her in to clean up their meal and the pups themselves, and the nurse.

As the days go on the pups will become more and more interested in the gruel and they Fada will nurse less. Today's offering was human baby rice cereal with puppy formula and a small amount of NR Tree Bark Gruel. As we go on, I'll add some kibble, softened into mush. Then soak less and less as their teeth come in.

Friday, March 18, 2011

Video

Several video clips uploaded this evening

Fada playing with Yin & Yang

What is yet to come

When I changed their bedding today I didn't put Yin and Yang into a box. They would have likely climbed right out anyway. : ) I just let them hang out in the pen, outside the box while I worked. As expected, they sort of froze for awhile, in a brand new environment. By the time I was done, they were starting to explore the new area a little bit.

Fada is now choosing to spend less and less time with the puppies. She still runs back when she hears them squeak, but is spending most of her time with me now. She sleeps on my feet at night, going into the pen to feed them once or twice. I expect she'll spend less time cleaning up after them soon, at which time blanket changing will become more frequent. I intend to introduce solid food this weekend, and that usually is the beginning of the end of Momma cleaning pups.

Now that they are more alert and mobile I will be introducing them to more and more new experiences each day. Each room in the house is an opportunity to have a new experience. Different flooring, sights, sounds, etc. Hopefully the weather will stay so warm and we can go out on the deck next week too.

I am always on the lookout for things like the new slide I bought them today. Anything with motion, sounds, etc. will give them pause, but build confidence. Watch the blog for fun weeks to come!

Yin - 3 1/2 weeks


Yang - 3 1/2 weeks



Bought a new toy

We won't try it out yet, but I went to the 2nd hand kids store today to look for puppy toys and found this.

We will wait till next week to try it out. They need to get a little better at walking, before they try climbing and sliding. <g>

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Missed my babies tonight!

Glad to be home and snuggle before they went to sleep.

Personality

Always interesting how quickly puppy personalities change at this age. Right now, Yang gives the sweetest little nose kisses when you hold him near your face. Yin, on the other hand, struggles and turns her head away. Little Miss needs to outgrow that if she wants to stay! 

Puppies playing!

I am puppy sitting for mom tonight. Took this vid of them playing.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Yang is seeing today, I'm nearly certain. He is seeing and trying to move toward toys. Yet, like most puppies moves BACKWARD better than forward right now. But he is toddling around and wagging with his sister today. I did get toe nails trimmed today, thank goodness. And this evening Mike and I are going to a hockey game before he leaves for VA to watch our hometown college basketball team in the Final Four this weekend. Stephanie, Lianne and Andy are coming over to hang out with pups and work on wedding stuff.

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Sweet dreams

We never did get toe nails done today, but Lianne got home from Maui this morning and came by this afternoon to see the puppies. It was great having her back and she got to see how much they changed in a week and a half!

I have uploaded a number of videos to You Tube this evening. There is a lot more of Yin than Yang at the moment. She seems to be about 1 to 1 1/2 days ahead of him. But never fear, he will soon catch up! And I will be home all weekend, so can hopefully get lots of video and pics.

Puppy love

Three weeks today!

How will we celebrate? By getting our toe nails trimmed! Today Yin weighs 1 3/4 lbs and Yang is just a hair over 2 lbs. In the last 12 hours I have added a LOT of pictures of the Picasa site and several videos to You Tube. You can find links to both at the right.

I would say I am now about 90% sure that Yang is a wire.

 Still not certain about Yin. I am not seeing the lip fuzzies. Would love to hear from those of you with experience.