The puppies appear to have had a good day. SammieDoodlebug still doesn’t want to leave the whelping box but she is willing to eat what I bring to her there. Since she is feeding them where they are, it seems reasonable that I bring her meals to her. She was a little reluctant to drink last night and this morning so I added water to her food. She’s gotten a few big drinks from her bucket today in addition to the water in the food.
JillyBean, aka Mama’s Mama considers herself ‘on call’ at every moment. She’d like to help but is respectful of Doodlebug’s dominion as THE Mama of these puppies. So she spends a lot of time lying right outside of the ex pen around the whelping box. And sometimes, when I am on the room side (as opposed to the wall side) she peeks over my shoulder or under my arm.
Jack shows a little interest but more often drops his toy over the ex pen for me to throw. The Mama finds this behavior more tolerable than the Mama’sMama. I figure if dogs have memories of puppyhood, having Jack’s toy dropped into the whelping box/pen to be thrown by the Lady sitting in there has to be in her earliest memories ;-) Jill had a life before Jack (just not here) plus she’s always been ‘assertive’ about appropriate behavior.
I am trying to remember to count down when I am playing my version of Duck, Duck, Goose a hundred times a day in hopes that when they start leaving, it won’t be as hard. I suspect I am kidding myself that anything will make it easier but I’m giving it a go. It’s really strange only having 5 puppies after having 10 the last time. It doesn’t seem to be bothering the MamaBug, she just wants all of these with her now. It’s even stranger that more than half of them are brown. (Neither parent is brown but they both carry it.)
Our second weight watcher’s meeting was not very successful. The first one was shortly after birth and we had a total combined weight of 4.15 lbs. They were too wriggly to cooperate today and SDB wasn’t thrilled with me attempting to weigh them. And then Jill was going to intervene as well so I gave up. Those girls have been really good puppy raisers in the past so I wisely rely on their decisions about such things. The puppies are all nursing, squalling, singing and moving (in addition to pottying when their Mama stimulates them) so I’m not worried.
SDB may be a little spoiled. She is whining because I am typing on the couch beside her instead of touching her so I guess that will be out entry for today. I’ll try to update the cast of characters when she is willing to spare a hand.
For now, we’ll say Nighty, Nighty, Nighty.
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