Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Puppy-hood (Eat, sleep, eat, sleep, sleep, sleep...)

The puppies are such quick studies...they can not walk or see yet but know how to navigate across the den, using their legs like flippers to haul their little bodies over to mom for their dinner.  Then back they go to the warmth of the mat when they get a little chilly.  Lola keeps them very clean and we have to check to make sure they are eliminating, as we have not seen a sign of it.  Mom is an excellent housekeeper!
  
(Don't forget, you can click on the photos for larger format views.)

With only four siblings in all (and eight operating nipples) the puppies don't have to work too hard for a full belly.


 Although Lola, excellent mom that she is, is generally in her fancy whelping box, transfixed by her babies, she has dashed out on a couple of occasions since they were born. In each instance, she has carefully made the rounds of each of the various nests we had prepared for her around the house...and then has examined her burrow under the wheelbarrow outside.  We wonder if she is checking whether she might have accidentally left a puppy in one of them...after all, her math skills are rather feeble and she might have miscounted! (Or perhaps she is planning on moving them all to a more attractive location!...)
These puppies are happy to lie on their warming mat under the heat lamp staying toasty on both sides.  
"I'm smiling 'cause I have a full tummy of warm milk."
 
When Lola is "out" the sheepskin makes a nice snuggly alternative...until they get hungry that is...

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