Hugo and Heidi’s Litter – Week Four

What a great week we've had!

“The Coma”

There’s no question that this group is well-fed. This week, the puppies began to wean and were introduced to mush: a canine smoothie comprised of moistened puppy food, oatmeal, goat’s milk, supplements, probiotics and honey. The convention with mush when it’s introduced to a new group is that the puppies typically sniff at it, shake their heads or walk away until we dab a little on their mouths to coax them into trying it. It didn’t take long before all hands (or feet) were on deck or in the food bowl with everyone anxious to see what all the fuss was about. Mealtime goes on for quite a while because the puppies also get to enjoy dessert by helping to clean each other up. And mom is right there to deal with any spots they may have missed.

Meanwhile in the living room, the extension was added to the whelping box to give the pups more room to stagger around in or try their hand at the play station. The puppies are also enjoying some stuffed animals and engaging with us or their siblings. The added benefit of having two litters occupying the living room is that the moms check up on each other’s litters or the one will follow the other into a whelping box to help do a dorm inspection. They don’t necessarily offer the puppies any extra-familial feedings, but at least they do ensure that everyone’s happy. At this point we don’t think that either mom is in any big hurry to subject themselves to each puppy’s twenty-eight razor sharp teeth.

Last weekend, some friends and a few local future families came to visit. There was a great deal of interaction between the families and Surrey’s litter. With Heidi’s litter; not so much. In their defense, they’d had a big breakfast followed by a milkshake from mom so some of the little ones were experiencing milk comas. Not the least of which, since they’re the younger litter, they do need the most amount of sleep. One thing we can guarantee is that they’ll be ready to take on the world by the time their stay here comes to an end.

That’s it for now, but be sure to join us next week for another heart-warming installment of “Puppy Tales”.