The Fith and Sixth Week

         The pups continue to grow at a rapid pace. The biggest change, physically, is the emergence of their teeth, which seemed to appear almost overnight a couple of weeks ago.

With the emergence of their teeth came the ability to handle crunchy food. Whereas at three weeks the food had to be pre-soaked and then run through the blender, they no longer need it to be homogenized. They can also handle individual pieces of kibble, which we use as a treat to assist with their training.

The largest pups are near 8 pounds, where they were 14 ounces at birth. their personalities are also coming out, as well. Some are alpha dogs, some need more cuddling, some are very playful, and, yes, some like to dig. Some are beginning to have a distinctive bark, replacing the puppy yelp they had at birth. When they bark, Emme thinks it's a strange dog on the property, and it sets her off barking and looking for the interloper.

Having twelve puppies at once is fun, especially as they are taking some training, which makes them more manageable. We can waste all kinds of time watching their antics. We're going to miss these little guys when they are gone!

Between Two and Three Weeks

 

 

 

 The "Peloton" scrambling for position at feeding time:

 

 

 

 

 

     After the first two weeks, the pups became much more active, and their individual personalities started to come out. They have started to bark a little and roughhouse with each other, which is surprising. Except for being a little shaky and uncoordinated, they act just like a grown dog would, such as grabbing things and shaking them violently from side-to-side. We keep seeing more and more examples of how God equips His creatures with the instinct needed to survive in their environment.

     We are trying to get them used to handling, and they are responding. Their eyes started to open at about two weeks old, and every day they seem to focus better. It's now to the point that when they see us they start to move toward us. They are also getting the idea of doing their business "on the papers" instead of on the blanket where they sleep.

 

 

 First Feeding, Homogenized Puppy Kibble and Goat's Milk

     Right at three weeks we started to supplement their diet with a mixture of mushy puppy kibble and goat's milk. Naturally, they like to step in it and get it all over themselves, but they are also learning pretty quickly how to lap it up. It's a good time to start supplementing their diet, because Emme seems to be experiencing a lot of wear-and-tear from 12 hungry mouths, and she is reducing the amount of time she spends nursing her litter. One thing she is still good at, is cleaning up the pups, and cleaning up after them.

 

The pups do 3 things well; eat, sleep, and tussle with each other.

As you can see, their eyes are open now, and their ears are becoming unblocked, as well.

Here are the skills they have developed in less than 4 weeks of age.