Storm & Olivia Litter

Storm & Olivia Litter – Week Two

We're getting so big! Happy 2 week Birthday!

“Let Me be Clear…”

Many of the puppies’ critical organs including their brains are not fully formed at birth and they will spend several weeks developing rapidly. Since the gestation period in dogs is a scant 63 days, the tradeoff is that puppies are quite helpless at birth. Biologists refer to species that produce immature dependent offspring as altricial, which means “to nurse, to rear or to nourish.” It refers to the need for the young of these species to be fed and taken care of for a prolonged period of time.

Puppies are born with their eyelids tightly shut because their central nervous system is still developing including the eye and optical nerves. These are extremely fragile at this stage. The closed eyelids serve as a barrier to protect the eyes from potential damage allowing the eye to develop in safety without the risk of any foreign objects (like dirt or dust) causing an infection or other developmental issues. Of course, the exciting news is that the puppies’ eyes have all opened at around the 10-day mark, however it will take a few weeks before their eyes mature and their eyesight begins to approach normal. The puppies are also born functionally deaf since their ear canals are closed. While their ear canals begin to open at around the same time, the ears are much more fully formed than the eyes and their hearing will be quite acute within a week or so. There’s really no excuse for a dog not to come when you call it!

While the pups spend a great deal of time eating and sleeping, they are also engaged in an intensive training programme. While they lay there asleep – something they do a lot of, the puppies are constantly twitching. These involuntary actions, referred to as “activated sleep,” help strengthen their leg muscles and begin to build muscle mass. The need to climb over a sibling also supports this initiative and their drive for food has them plodding around on all fours in search of their mom for a snack. Fortunately, Olivia’s a good sport and keeps the milk bar open around the clock.

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

Comments

Storm and Olivia Litter – Week Seven

“The Milk Bath” What a week! The action began one afternoon between shifts, when our caregiver leaves for the day and we arrive to take over. In the ten minutes that the pups were unattended, it seems that piece of trim around the entrance to the whelping box that holds all the slats in place got compromised. We arrived to find every single puppy had exited their dwelling. They were all around the sunken living room and even a step up in the kitchen area exploring this new territory – even Olivia’s water bowl in the kitchen was being used as a swimming pool. A quick repair allowed order to be restored and everyone to be returned to their quarters. As the weather got to be somewhat messy throughout the week, we did legitimize kitchen playtime with the gang by setting out some mats, their play station and their favourite: a tub of balls! The action ramped up in no time as some were bashing the play station with their paws, batting balls around the kitchen and “swimming” in their ball poo

Storm and Olivia Litter – Week Six

Who is the cutest? 😘❤️💋 “A Good Education” Day by day, this group is becoming more active and playful. They’re spending much more time awake and when we’re in proximity, we can hear them bouncing off the walls of the whelping box as they engage in play with their siblings. This action continues well into the evening in between numerous rest periods. The play station is extremely popular and it allows the pups to hone various skills. When we walk up, they freeze and twelve little heads pop up in anticipation of a little petting or a cuddle. Of course, it’s not all just fun and games. A good education is necessary so the pups spend some of their time in seminars with (the mechanical) Mr. Owl who is teaching them English. The gang is also doing some science experiments on their own. For instance, is it possible to stuff a large plush ball into the mouth of the water bowl? The answer is yes! You’d think that with all the fun being had in the whelping box, that the pups would be conte

Storm and Olivia Litter – Week Five

“The Porta Potty” The space within the whelping box has been redefined. One end now features sleeping quarters and the other end has a tray filled with paper shredding that serves as their lavatory. This is the first step toward house training until we’re able to introduce them to the great outdoors. In addition, the pups now have gym memberships with an activity centre and numerous plush toys at their disposal. And it’s open 24/7. Dogs are pack animals and their emotional well-being relies on the presence of their pack-mates, whether other dogs or humans. It underscores the need for love that we all experience. The dynamic in the whelping box is evolving. This is the beginning of the most influential socialization period for the puppies. They’re learning to communicate with each other and with us by wagging their tails. With the increased control over their facial muscles, they are making expressions and are beginning to reveal their personalities and communicate their opinions. The

Regalgoldens Golden Retrievers

Search This Blog