33 Days Old...

Today we had a visitor! Momma Julia put an old quilt down on the ground outside and then carried us out to play and visit. They did great. They loved him! It was a windy day so that was a bit distracting, but good to see how friendly they are and they weren't scared of a male visitor. :)

32 Days Old...

Yesterday we went outside for the first time... oh my! there is a whole 'nother world out there! I took the camera out with us to get some photos of them looking around, but the battery went dead. My mom snapped a photo of me with the three darlings. Me... no makeup, chore clothes, and hair a mess. Them= CUTE!!! So sharing photo anyway.... LOL

Pups are wanting to explore all over the house. They are playful and FUNNY! I laughed and laughed last night a how cute and funny they are. Dubby stopped and listened and then ran to me and got in my lap, rolled on his back and was pawing/biting my hands. He is a goober! He knows he is so cute! Brutus is getting more loving and wants his share of Momma Julia time. Tommy is more laid back than the other two right now. I will keep on giving him extra attention. He is sweet, but not quite as outgoing at this point. I have started calling him Charlie at times... not sure why, Tommy just doen't always come to me....so now he is Thomas Charles.. LOL

All three are loving toys and attack and bite. They are just too adorable... what can I say. Last night Tommy and Dubby were playing tug of war with the long 3 foot rope toy... sure wish the camera battery would not have been dead. It was adorable! It gets Dubby so excited when I laugh... hopefully more moments today I can capture.

4 Weeks, 1 Day old (29 days)...

We are SO CUTE and we strut and act all cocky. I wonder if it has something to do with all that testosterone in the x-pen! Well except for momma Figgy. But these boys just act like boys. They are playing, wrestling, growling. I started them on puppy gruel. It is fun to see how they first react. With only three pups it was not as kaotic as it can be with a whole bunch of pups. I didn't even have to break out the puppy saucer. I am using a pie plate and it works just fine. They still managed to step in it and get it on the floor and blanket and each other.... but Momma Figgy likes to clean it all up.

Here are a few photos of them with their gruel. They still like to nurse too.

Num num num... hey this ain't bad!

Good boys!

Brutus thinks it tastes better all the way on the far side of the dish.

Dubby is saying... "Got Milk?"

27 Days Old...

Puppies are so cute and active. I had to move them from my bedroom down to the Dinning Room yesterday. The night before I did not get much sleep. Dubby and Brutus kept on crawling out of the whelping box ALL NIGHT LONG... so time to move to a closed in xpen and downstairs so Momma Julia can get some sleep finaly! :)

Dubby is SO loving. He is a very special little guy. He absolutley just loves for me to hold him and he moans and makes soft noises and coos. The other two come toddling when they hear/see me, but they are not the snugglers yet that Dubby is.

We are Three Weeks Old Today!

Puppies are three weeks (21 days) old today! They will soon be moving to downstairs to the dining room. Mr Dubby... has escaped from the whelping box many times and the others will be escaping soon too. As soon as it warms up a bit more and stays that way at night, they will be moved so they will have more room to be mobile. And then newspapers will be put down in one section of the pen to encourage the beginnings of potty training. : )

Here are a few photos from yesterday, Day 20...

Just Tom first attempt at a stack? No... just crawling towards nina! Dinner! ;)  Lovely angels on these pups!

Chow Time!

Now nap time. Dubby wanted to sleep on top of his mom. I don't know why? Strider reincarnated? Strider loved to be up on top of things. King of the Mountain complex I believe. LOL

Opps! Dubby slipped off... "What happened?"

18 Days Old...

This post will be out of order. I posted today's (Day 19) before I decided to upload this video from last night.

 18 Days old today. Just had to share... the two liver boys Dubby and Just Tom notice momma Figgy's tail wagging, stop to watch and then go to investigate. Then Just Tom does a take down move and the fight is on. Sorry I was talking on the phone, but saw them being so cute. I am always multi-tasking. Not great lighting but I think it is so cute how they are watching her tail and going to go after it already.

19 Days Old...

Why do puppies and momma's fuss or get so busy during the night, when I am trying to sleep? I am SO tired... and my knees are sore from going up and down the stairs several times all day and all night... it stinks getting old. But look at the good workout I am getting. I need a pedometer. I know I normally put on the miles each day, but I have to be going for a record.

Well they have their spots on now. The two liver boys are looking like their spotting will be more like momma Figgy. Liver spotting is interesting as you can have more spots per inch of dog and it will be okay. In my experience Liver spots "usually" do not "explode" or grow in size as much as the black spots can. But once in a while they do explode too. Of course Brutus the patch is looking like he will have pretty spotting.

All pups three are still hearing as of today. I don't think I see any blue eyes, but will keep checking on that. MY eyes are not as good as they used to be. Going to have to go up to the next level of reading glasses. LOL.

Figgy had gotten an ear infection... inflamed, red and sore ear. I think it began as she laid under the heat source trouble lamp I have shining on the whelping box. That would be the perfect condition for growing who knows what in an ear canal. I tried to get her to lay elsewhere, but Figgy can have a bit of a mind of her own and that is where she wanted to be. Anyway, I have been carefully treating it with "The Purple Stuff" for just a few days and it is almost all gone. No more redness, and no longer warm to the touch. That is good stuff! She had been scratching at her ear and has the hair worn down in one place. Poor momma. I have her fixed up again now!

17 Days Old...

Sorry I slacked off on posting every day. I had to catch up on some work and administrative stuff and although I handled pups and took care of them, I did not take the time for photos, videos and cute stories. I will try to keep it up better.

This is such a fun time! They are coming alive and starting the first puppy play motions, biting mom's ears, mouthing everything, barking and yes even howling. And they are walking and the two liver boys have already gotten out of the whelping box a couple of times! They crawled up on top of Figgy and went right on over the side. They wake up and come to my voice. Dubby loves to be held, cuddled and falls asleep cradled on my chest. If I were to believe in reincarnation, I would say he is an old soul... he has done this before. The instinct of a puppy is to NOT want to be held at first. It is for survival. If they are held down, laid upon etc... they are too fragile to survive the first couple of weeks. They struggle and fight for a teat when nursing with their litter mates. They  push and bulldoze the other pups out of the way. So for one to LOVE to be held and cuddled at a very young age is a bit unusual. He was liking it even before his ears or eyes were open, that is usually when they recognizing touch and love as a good thing.

Puppies eyes are open. Brutus (Black Patch) eyes have been all the way open for a few days. The Liver boys are almost all the way open. They all remain hearing, and that is a good thing. In my experience sometimes the pup will hear early and then go deaf as the cochlea die off in the ear canal. That is what makes a Dalmatian puppy deaf. If there is lack of pigment inside the ear canal they will go deaf. It is hard to believe that such a cosmetic thing such as the spotting on the outside of the dog, also plays an important role inside the ears. Puppies are officially hearing tested after 5 weeks of age.

The three brother sleeping...

Brutus sleeping

Dubby walking towards me

Dubby standing

A sleepy Just Tom

Two Weeks Old Today!

"Hey we are 2 weeks old today! We all hear, but we can't see yet."
Black Patch Boy "Brutus" eyes opened first three days ago, and are all the way open. Both liver boys eyes are cracked in the corner. I can't wait until they see me! Spotting is starting to come in more visibly.

Puppies ear canals generally open on or shortly before Day 14. This is how you tell if puppies are hearing: Wait until they are all asleep and not touching each other. Make noises or call Puppies in a high pitch voice and see who wakes up and responds. I didn't get the "giraffe necks" this time... guess they are getting used to it already. 1st pup was hearing on Day 11, 2nd pup on day 12 and Patch boy late on Day 12 was a "maybe" but Day 13 for sure.

Sweet innocent, adorable puppies, with that awesome puppy breath. Now I wouldn't want to wear it as perfume... but I love when they yawn and you can catch a bit of that puppy milk smell. All three pups are hearing and raising their heads and stretching their necks up like little faintly spotted giraffes when I say "Baby, Puppies" in a sweet, happy voice. Ah.... the little things are the joys of life we can hang on to... and savor.

Day 13...

Puppies are getting cuter and cuter all the time. I missed some great photo and video opportunities this weekend, but did get a few. Both Liver boys eyes are barely cracked open and Black Patch boy is almost open all the way. They are SO CUTE and sweet. I cannot say that enough! :) Gets to your heart and fills it till it swells. :)  Both Liver boys are now listening and coming towards my voice. This is the most awesome and precious thing you will see. The awakening to their surroundings and you, as their loving and caring hands-on breeder. I always introduce myself, "Hello! I am your human mom and Figgy is your doggy mom". They always look through squinted eye...trying to focus. I wonder what they are thinking. This huge thing is my mother. NO, I am not huge, but to them I am. They are tiny babies! I wonder what they think? And it doesn't take long for them to figure out I am nice, warm and cuddly and that I love them very much.

Here are some photos taken hurriedly this morning. The lighting was bad. Also check out Day 11 post again, I added 2 photos.

Add caption

Day 12...

Black Patch Boy's eyes were almost all the way cracked open this morning. It is an amazing feeling to witness these changes as they grow and develop so fast. He is so stinking adorable! I hope Dubby and Just Tom will have theirs open soon as well.

Puppies began responding to sound this morning. It is a good sign when they start responding around Day 12.

One last day of dog shows tomorrow. I will start adding photos again... but for now it is good night. I am beat!

Day 11...

Figgy and pups let me sleep in a bit. Figgy has been fed and pups are nursing happily. Figgy gets fed in the middle of the night as well, pups wake up frequently and are always hungry. No wonder they are chubby. :)
Another show today. I have to find an outfit to wear! Not that I would wear the same one twice, but the one I wore yesterday is still out in the car. I am a bit concerned about bringing dog show germs home to my puppies so I took off my show shoes after I opened my driveway gate, but before setting foot on my property. I took off hose, skirt, jacket and ran into house with blouse on... I didn't bring in many germs! Good thing I live in the country! I made sure no one was driving down my road first, of course! LOL Ha ha I also wiped Sergeant down with a mild clorox rag, especially his feet. :)

Here are a couple photos, I took on Day 11, but did not have time to put up earlier....

 

Day 10...

Today was a crazy busy day for me. This weekend is a dog show and I will be driving back and forth each day, so not much to time take photos or write posts. Figgy and pups did well. They are now up on their feet, but not very steady and tumble and roll alot. :) Eyes do not look cracked yet, but eye rim pigment is looking more prominent so they must be getting ready to start opening. It is so much fun when they first can see you. A whole new world. Actually when the eyes open they really cannot see at first. It takes a while for the eyes to adjust and to be able to focus on things. I love holding them up and say... there you are! Or rather here I am babies! now you have a face to go with all the loving touches and rescues (putting a fussy, crying pup on a treat).

Day 9...

Eyes should be starting to open soon on the pups. They usually open from 7 - 10 days of age according to one book I have, but I find it is closer to 10-12. I am betting by the weekend they will be opening. Ear canals do not open until around 14 days. Newborn puppies cannot see or hear.

I can see spotting getting a bit more distinct, but still faded and not in the fur yet (expect for the patch). The spotting should be coming in the fur at around 2 weeks of age. They are so precious and getting cuter and cuter and chubbier and chubbier each day. They are almost up on their feet walking around. Right now they are trying but are stumbling like drunken sailors. LOL

Puppies nursing at 9 days old.

Puppies and Figgy on MY plush throw!

Puppy whelping pads that I ordered arrived yesterday! YES! More blankets for the rotation. Now I won't have to use my lovely throw I got from Janet for Christmas. (Sorry Janet!) I LOVE how soft and plush and warm it is... and so do Figgy and the pups, but I want it back! One of my simple pleasures...

Figgy's Temperature at 10:20 a.m. - 101.0

Puppy Weights:
1) Brutus -1' 6 3/4 oz.
2) Dubby - 1' 12 oz.
3) Just Tom -1' 7 7/8 oz.

Puppies weights should double from their birth weight by 8 days of age. I am not worried about these guys not gaining enough! Can we say little healthy piggies?

Day 8...

I did the neurological stimulation exercises today as I do every day. All is going well. Not much new to report, but here are a couple new photos for your enjoyment. Spots and stripes... don't look too long or will make you dizzy. LOL

One Week! HOORAH!!!

1st hurdle down. Pups made it to one week of age and are gaining weight and doing well. Today I will begin the Super Puppy Stimulation exercises on each pup. It is believed they early neurological stimulation exercises will have important and lasting effects such as helping the pups as adults to handled stress better, mature earlier, and more resistant to some forms of cancer and diseases, more stable, and will learn faster. To read more about this click on this link: http://breedingbetterdogs.com/pdfFiles/articles/early_neurological_stimulation_en.pdf.

The exercises are to performed once a day for 3-5 seconds on each pup:
1) Ticked between toes with a Q-tip
2) Held perpendicular to the ground.
3) Held head down.
4) Held on back in palm of hand
5) Lain on a cold damp towel

Too much stress can be detrimental so these exercises are not to exceed the 3-5 seconds.

Figgy's temperature at 9:32 a.m. 101.1. Perfect. Figgy is a happy momma and is now relaxing a bit and coming out of the whelping box occasionally to lay on my bed and get hugs and kisses. She is wagging her tail when I come up to the whelping box and tell her "good girl". Puppies don't like being bumped by her tail and have learned to move out of the way. :)

Puppy Weights:
1) Brutus (Black Patch Boy) - 1' 4 1/4 oz.
2) Dubby (Liver Boy) - 1' 6 1/4 oz.

3)  Just Tom (Liver Boy) - 1' 2 1/4 oz.

Okay, I have temporary names. My mom kept on calling them Pat, Jeff and Tom for my three brothers. My brother Jeff liked the idea and we have started referring to the big liver boy as Dubby (that is his nick name). And he said we need to use Brutus (as that was Pat's nickname). Brother Tom did not have a nick name, thus the "Just Tom". I hope Pat and Tom would have liked that. 

Three boys 1 week of age

Three pups

Dubby

Dubby standing

Brutus

Just Tom

Brutus & Just Tom

Brutus' dashing patch

Day 6...

I was so busy today (Monday), I didn't weigh pups or take Momma's temperature. They are all doing well so not a huge concern. I had to hit work hard and run some errands... whew... long day but feels good to be back in the swing of things!

Took this photo right before I went to sleep last night, so you can't say I didn't give you something! And I think the time stamp on the camera is wrong... must still be on Florida time. :)