Skip to main content

Storm and Pepper Litter – Week One


“Joy and Pain”

We never really know what to expect when our moms-to be are in the latter stages of their labour. Typically, puppies are born in the wee hours, but every now and again we catch a bit of a break so when Pepper gave us the paws up signal at 5:00 a.m., we happily sprang into action. We welcomed Mr. Blueberry Cobbler at 5:14. It was a bit of a bumpy ride, but he managed. He was followed by Mr. Orange Creamsicle at 6:01, who despite our best efforts returned to Heaven as an angel. Little Mr. Lemon Meringue made his debut at 6:58 and was quickly joined by his sister, Miss Strawberry Shortcake at 7:15 who apparently was in a hurry. The remaining two boys were much more casual with their timing as we were joined by Mr. Crème Brûlée at 8:02 and Mr. Rice Pudding at 9:05.

While she did not share this with us, it was apparent that poor Pepper experienced a certain amount of discomfort from delivering her pups. This left her in a somewhat fragile state, so she didn’t immediately begin her motherly duties. The task of stimulating the puppies to eliminate was therefore left to us, armed with a small mountain of towels. After a few days, she finally came around with a vengeance that if she stimulated them any more, she’d be licking off their fur! It seems like she was making up for lost time. The little ones do eventually learn to eliminate on their own after a week-and-a-half or so.

Apart from nourishment, a mother’s milk contains antibodies vital to the puppies’ survival for the first several weeks of their lives. We weigh the puppies at least twice daily for the first week to ensure that everyone is getting equal access to the milk bar. At the one-week mark, everyone’s weight has pretty much doubled which is clearly a testament to Pepper’s newfound abilities as a mom and the fact that she had an abundant supply of milk. 

Puppies are born without sight or hearing and their eyes don’t open until sometime during the second week, so for now their senses of smell and touch are what guide them to their target. They use their tiny forelimbs, coupled with great tenacity, to propel themselves around as they seek out their sustenance and warmth. Since their body temperatures will not have been regulated until after week three, the little gang relies on their mother and each other for warmth. Of course, we have a heat lamp at the ready to use whenever mom’s on her break.

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







Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Tulip & Bronson Pups Arrived!

Tulip very pleased with her new family! Welcome to the world!   A total of nine puppies were born in a 10 hour period.   Three handsome boys and six adorable girls. Born Thursday June 15th (our anniversary). Miss Dahlia (Orange ribbon), Mr. Hosta (Green ribbon), Mr. Bulrush (Brown ribbon), Miss Baby's Breath (Beige  ribbon), Mr. Sunflower (yellow ribbon), Miss Lilac (Purple ribbon), Miss Bluebell (Blue ribbon), Miss Hibiscus (Red ribbon) and Miss Hydrangea (Light Blue ribbon). In the early hours of Thursday morning, Tulip entered stage one labor.   Approximately 10:30 am yesterday morning, she began having contractions, and the first puppy arrived around 12 pm, and the last pup around 8:16 pm.   She took her sweet time delivering these puppies!   The two of us are exhausted from being awake for 37 hours!   Puppies weigh around 1 lb each.   Tulip is a wonderful mother.   She immediately embraces each puppy and won't leave them even for a bathroom break.   During the next week, T

Bronson and Tulip Litter – 7 weeks

We're 7 weeks old today! It has been an adventure-filled week! It was the puppies' first-time riding in a car! Introducing them to new experiences begins at this age. Rides in cars, sounds, meeting new people, etc. Our puppies are often taken to Home Depot, Winners, Homesense, Petsmart, and other pet-friendly stores after they receive their next set of vaccinations. While they still ride in the shopping cart, their horizons are broadening. We’ve expanded the puppies play area which is either in our kitchen, outside in the yard or on our porch depending on the weather. They enjoy playing together and are becoming more and more confident. Their play area includes toys an activity center, a crate, and tunnel.  Jolly Pets' Jolly Ball was a huge hit today. The puppies seemed to take turns carrying it! All of them weigh between 13 and 15 pounds. Their appetites are good, and momma Tulip occasionally stops by with a vanilla milkshake. Beef, turkey and chicken are among the protein

Bronson & Tulip Litter– Week 6

A very happy 6 week birthday to this eye-catching litter! We are loving every minute we have with this litter and the weeks are flying by. The milk bar continues to be provided by Tulip who is an excellent mom. We had a wonderful time outside in between the rain showers this past week. The pups are confident and didn't seem nervous at all. Immediately they were at ease in their new surroundings, sniffing and exploring this new exciting adventure. Each time they go out, they explore further into the backyard but are always under the watchful eye of Tulip. This litter continues to be very quiet, which means they are very happy and content. They are all approaching 10 pounds in weight and it amazes me from one day to the next how quickly they grow up.  Mom begins weaning the pups and teaching them discipline. Through puppy play-biting, the pup learns bite inhibition and socialization with its siblings. Normal behaviour at this age. Six-week-old puppies still have a lot to learn from t