The Babysitter...

Our stunning chocolate girl "Country High Fashion" has only ten days until she whelps her own first litter.  She is fascinated by Lola's puppies and keeps jumping in the box to "help out".  Lola has vetted her thoroughly and has deemed her a competent babysitter, so that Lola can continue the weaning process and get a little "Me Time."

"How hard can this be?  There are only four of them.  And they have such sweet faces...

(Casing the joint from a strategic vantage point)

(Scoping-out escape route)

(Hatching a plot)

(Pretending to look innocent)

(Planning the attack)

Breakout!

And the attack begins in earnest...

"But I'm not ready for my naptime yet!"

"And they want me back again tomorrow!?!?!"

"Weaning -- It's NOT For Everyone"

     At four weeks of age, it is time to start assisting Lola in weaning her puppies on to solid foods.  We make a "puppy mush" of ground chicken breast, "premium" canned puppy food and puppy kibble, all softened with water and puppy milk replacer.  Weaning can be a stressful time for some puppies;  we make certain that they are kept warm and happy, and we give them puppy vitamins and beneficial canine tummy bacteria supplements to aid digestion.  Still, some puppies prefer "Mom" over anything else...

(Click on the photos to view larger versions.)

When's Breakfast?

Some puppies take to solid foods right away...but others need a little more convincing.

"You have got to be kidding..."

"We Will Not Be Extending Our Compliments To The Chef."

Some of us have figured out how to drink water, which helps with the "thirstyness"  in this warm weather...

...but others of us, not-so-much!

Another Satisfied Customer

And Now for the Mid-morning Siesta!

I

"But I'm Still Hungry..."

"MOM !!!"

"She's Out There Somewhere."

Just Waiting Here...

At Last! 

"All Better Now"

The Puppies Receive a Visitor

Since their eyes have opened, the puppies have really begun to notice each other as more than just furry sources of warmth to cuddle up with.  They are starting to play and vocalize, but still have trouble coordinating basic motor skills--like getting the hind ends moving in sync with the front ends! Their field of vision is expanding daily, and they have figured out that Mom comes and goes by the cutout door in their box; they have taken to hanging out there, looking over the edge, especially when they get hungry.  Today, they had a visit from curious Auntie Bee, who has been kept away by protective Mom Lola...

(Click on the YouTube logo on the video box to see the video at full size)

Caramel Cream -- Mmmmmmm!

This Caramel-Cream curly fleece boy from Lola and Luke's litter is starting to explore his environment!  Living in the dead-center of the house, the puppies are all pretty relaxed about all of the different noises they are exposed to.  They don't even startle much at the occasional ruckus (such as a metal waterdish inadvertently being kicked across the tile floor by kids rushing to get ready for school, or a cellphone left nearby suddenly blasting a Lady Gaga ringtone at full volume....)



We are still developing the muscles to keep our beautiful big heads up

Luckily we have a 360 degree headrest here!

Under the "pig rail" also makes a cosy den to snooze in



"As soon as they opened their eyes, the girls just loved me!"

We expect that he will be about 28-32 lbs. at adulthood. This litter will go home at the end of March at about 8 weeks of age. Please call us at 650-576-9068 if you have any questions about this puppy or about our reservation process.

Peekaboo!

Lola's puppies' eyes are just starting to open at two weeks of age.  Their eyes are bright blue, but they can't actually see more than a few inches in front of their faces.  Their ears are open now too; when the telephone rings I have seen them lift their heads up and look in the direction of the sound. 

This guy didn't make it too far after lunch and collapsed on Lola's backside.

"I know Mom's around here somewhere!"

Vixen Gets Stuck

We had a visit from our sweet (prospective breeding girl) SV Saucy Vixen today.  She immediately ran upstairs to explore, not realizing that going down is an entirely different skill set!

"Now What?"

Little Chubbies

Lola's puppies are one week old and gaining weight at an incredible pace...almost doubling their birthweights!  One thing about Lola--she feeds her babies well... (And we keep her fortified with bountiful meals of canned puppy food, fresh raw egg yolks, puppy kibble, and fresh meat from our kitchen.)

(Click on the photos for larger format viewing.)

Sometimes they just can't move with such full tummies

Nothing like a snooze after a big meal

 lovely broad muzzle and forehead

The pups have become much stronger and scoot around the whelping box looking for Mom. They roll into motion when they sense the vibrations of her paws when she jumps back into the box after brief absences.

Uncle Cosmo is tentatively asking permission to come in and see what the fuss is all about.

His sister Lola graciously allows him in to admire her babies.

Proud Mama (gazing adoringly at her babies):  "Aren't they beautiful?!"

We Are Beautiful Aren't We...