Day 33

Playing with mommy this afternoon!

Day 32

Lots of hands (washed!!!), lots of pets, lots of licks, lots of laughs, lots of attention and always, lots of love!  These are the things that we strive for in this third stage of a puppies mental development (day 28-49).  We try to make sure that we have as many visitors as possible, that we talk to and interact with each dog several times a day.  This is what will help them be well-adjusted happy members of their new family.

Day 31

We made our second trip to the vet today.  The puppies did great.  They received their 2nd dose of the dewormer.  Dr. Redden said that they all look fabulous.  She was amazed at how well they have all grown and how mature their teeth are for 4 weeks. 

Drum roll please, they are ALL about 7 pounds!!! 

She said this was awesome considering Tess has so many pups.  They will now be eating puppy food 3 times a day (for the next 2 weeks) to help Tess keep them fed and happy (and hopefully, sleeping thru the night).  As you can see from the picture, feeding time is serious business in our house.  We hope to take a short video of this to share.  When it is feeding time, they can smell the food coming.  As soon as we put the towels down, they stand up their hind legs and lean over the edge of the whelping pen barking in anticipation of the food!

Day 30

As I parent, one of the most difficult things for me to do is to stand back and let my kids hurt!  I would walk thru a wall so they didn't have to experience deep pain.  Having said that, I know we can't shelter them from everything and I know we can't keep12 dogs!!!  We have loved on the puppies all weekend and for the past 30 days.  This weekend we have had several people come and visit the puppies and we are very thankful for that.  So this afternoon, we continued our conversation about the puppies being adopted and going to their future homes.  Although we tried to keep things light, it became a crying fest for the kids.  They each have a favorite(s) and truly love all 11 of the puppies.  My oldest explained to me that he was feeling the kind of pain that "hurts from the inside and makes your heart feel heavy and sad".  Oh, boy!  We tried to remind them about all of the great families that have come to see their future puppy.  We talked about how much love and attention each puppy deserves and will get with these wonderful families.  They get it, but are still processing the fact that the puppies will be leaving Tess and our family.  Our youngest was pretty quiet throughout much of the conversation but an hour or so later, she came into the kitchen and announced that she was going to make the Adoption Day into a big party!  So if you are one of the families adopting one of Tess's pups, don't be surprised if there are fun treats!!!

I pick one girl and one boy, does that count!

Day 29

Mom and I were cleaning out the pen tonight.  It was the second time today we pulled all the paper out and cleaned everything.  Eleven puppies produce a lot of waste.  I told her that "I wish God had made poop that didn't stink".  She told me that was the funniest thing she had heard all day.  So I hope whoever is reading this laughed like mom did!

Day 28

FYI - hungry puppies do not sleep thru the night at 4 weeks.  We have been up with them at 2 or sometimes 3am every night.  Now that school has started for the kids, I am up even earlier and on the go all day.  I asked for some help and the picture below is what I got...Andrew is sleeping with a couple of puppies and the others sat in the pen howling!  I am seriously considering putting an add in the paper for a night nurse for dogs!  LOL

Day 27

This is my favorite puppy...we call her Finn.  She likes to lick me and wag her tail a lot.

Day 26

Oh, we are in big trouble!  The kids were sitting next to the whelping pen holding puppies this afternoon and the pups that were still in the pen were just having a fit!  They really wanted to be next to the kids, so they did what comes naturally, stood on one of their litter mates and pulled themselves up onto the wall. Oh boy, it won't be long before they figure out how to get all the way out and begin exploring outside the box!

Day 25

It is a great day to be a puppy in our house!

Day 24

The puppies just noticed that there was a red bowl full of toys in the whelping pen.  The bowl has been there for several days, but they have just begun to take interest in it and the toys within.  They have started playing with one another and the kids more.  By the end of the week, we suspect that they will be dragging/carrying the toys around and having loads of fun with one another.

Day 23

so this is a toy

this little girl is a licker

the tennis ball is a small puppy size one

The puppies have entered the second critical period in their mental development this week.  Their brain and nervous system are developing and the world around them can be a pretty frightening place.  They will stick close to Tess and one another.  We will do our part to make sure they feel safe, loved and are well taken care of .

Day 22

It is truly amazing to watch these little puppies grow.  Here are two pictures of Tess nursing her puppies - they are really growing and developing their own personalities.

day 1 (only 7 were born in this pic)

day 22 (they are all there)

 

Day 21

Three weeks old today...time flies.  Emily was conducting puppy school with one of the little girls this afternoon during one of their brief "awake times".  She said " Mom, the puppies really look like dogs now, not hamsters anymore!" On that note, she started teaching one of the girl pups how to sit, stay and lay down!  She said "this puppy is so smart, she can do everything I ask her to do"...honestly, the little pup had just finished eating and Emily set her down in a sitting position, her back feet slowly slid out from behind her and she put her head down and went to sleep.  The good news is she passed puppy school and was put back with her litter mates to get some rest! 

Day 20

Feeding time is one of the funniest times of day with these little puppies.  They can smell the food being prepared and yip and howl until it is put down.  Then they eat until every morsel is gone and fall over asleep with full bellies.

Day 19

 Happy puppies!

Day 18

Let the party begin... this morning the puppies had their first taste of puppy food mush.  Tess sat on her bed next to the pen carefully watching her babies until the last one was done.  Emily said that it was the messiest thing she had ever seen - which let to a lively conversation about the importance of table manners!  After the puppies finished eating Emily made sure that every face, ear and paw was cleaned off by the clean-up crew (Tess and Mom).

the first group did great...

and this is our alpha male...still eating!

Day 17

Big day for the puppies today.  They had their first glimpse of the outside world!  Sam, Mom, Tess and the 11 puppies (in 2 laundry baskets) loaded into the car and headed for the vet.  The appointment went very well.  Dr. Redden said that all the puppies and momma were doing great!  They now range in weight from 3lbs.7oz. - 3lbs.14oz. This is almost triple what they weighed at birth!   They were each given their first dose of the deworming medicine.  They will have another dose at 4 weeks and a third at 6 weeks.  This afternoon, everyone is back home safe & sound.  As soon as the puppies were back in the whelping pen, Tess made sure all of her puppies were cleaned and fed...then they all napped for a couple of hours! 

Ahh yes, the life of a dog!

Day 16

 The puppies have moved into the whelping pen.  As you can see from the following pictures, this was a fun activity that included the entire family.  Everyone is happy with the new digs, especially Tess.  The larger pen makes it easier for Tess to move around and lay down without the pups under foot.

supposed to be laying down newspaper!

at first they all huddled in one corner

Emily and Tess managed the process!

Day 15

The puppies are really trying to walk and explore around the whelping pool.  Today one of the girls was sitting next to the edge and when we leaned in to say hello, she stood up on her hind paws to greet us! In the next few days they will get a little stronger and really start the cruising stage.  When that happens, we will move them into the whelping pen. 

Day 14

Wow, two weeks have gone by really fast!  Tonight we had movie night in the backyard with Scouts which was the first time the puppies had a lot of visitors. Tess and the puppies did great.  Most of kids just looked at the puppies.  Some really wanted to hold them so they washed their hands, sat down with a towel in their lap and got to hold one.  Tess sat right next to them the entire time, keeping a close eye on her babies.  She is such a good mommy.

Day 13

Peek-a-boo! Our eyes are opening more...

Day 12

Here are the puppies on day 12!  They're getting bigger and stronger with each passing day.  They have more than doubled their weight.  They're beginning to peek at us thru their just opening eyes.  They are still taking long naps throughout the day.  However, when they are awake, they try out their strengthening legs and explore the world around them.  We are able to hold them and love them and even sing to them more each day.

Day 11

Today the puppies each got a "collar of sorts".  Sam and Emily had a blast helping with this form of identification.  We did this in order to better monitor the pups and make sure that everyone is eating and growing etc...  The collars are made of rick-rac.  Each puppy was given a different color collar, a special name, lots of praise and kisses on the top of their head for being sooo good. 

Day 10

Today was another day of sheer excitement in our house!  Emily sprinted into the kitchen this afternoon to tell us that she just checked on the puppies and they were fine "and Tess too" she said.  "She was asleep until I told her to look at her babies because they are trying to walk!" So we all went to check and sure enough, they were really trying out their new found wobbly legs! Oh boy, soon they are going to be running...

Day 9

The puppies legs are getting stronger and they are attempting to stand.  Our "little one" seems to be the best at trying to stand, probably because of her petite stature.  She is going to be a tough little girl!  We are anxiously awaiting the opening of their eyes.  We also are amazed at how quickly their nails grow - time to clip the fronts again!

Day 8

Tess is able to take longer breaks from the pups today.  She has been hanging out more with the kids today.  This is something that they all enjoy and have missed over the past week or two.  The kids have each taken turns just laying on the floor next to her to get in their "Tess time".  This has been a reminder to all of us how much a part of our family unit she is.  At the end of her pregnancy, Tess had really slowed down.  She was huge and tired.  She still followed us around but sat down or laid down when we arrived at our destination, like the garden or front porch. 

Now when going out to the garden, she bounds ahead of us, the weight of pregnancy has been lifted form her.

Day 7

The news of the day is that we have found great homes for most of the puppies.  The puppies will be ready to go to their new homes in mid September - the 16th or 17th.  Our puppies are purebred labs, however, we are not selling them.  We want them to be family dogs, not show dogs.  We are giving them away to good homes and asking that people make a donation to the kids school.

Day 6

Tess is one smart dog!  Being a mom has come naturally to her.  The kids say they knew that she would be an awesome mommy because she is the greatest dog in the world!  She cleans, feeds and watches her babies while they sleep.  She even catches a few winks herself when the house is quiet.  She now catches a nap on her own bed which is right in front of the pool in the tent.  It is 2 am and all is well.  While eating breakfast together this morning, we talked about the summer and the puppies.  Em said "I knew Tess was special, but this is really super amazing!"  We were all humbled by this comment from a 5 year old and sat quietly eating our breakfast.

Day 5

Today the puppies learned that they have tails - now they wag them when they eat!!!  Absolutely adorable!  Tess appeared to sleep well last night in the tent (at least someone did - 11 puppies are LOUD!)  However, mom says sleeping in your own bed instead of the couch/floor is nice!

Day 4

With the help of our vet, who is absolutely fabulous, we realized that Tess did not like the location of the whelping pool.  It was in the corner of our family room, but there was too much activity going on around Tess for her to rest and the pups to sleep.  Tess is crawling under mom and dad's bed looking for a better place for her babies.  The vet suggested we make a fort for Tess and the whelping pool.  We decided to set up a tent in the master bedroom and put the pool in it.  Dad is out on a trip this week but when we called him and told him about the tent, he thought we were joking.  He said "My room has gone to the dogs!"  CD laughed and said, "  Oh, I can't wait till dad comes home and sees this one."