June 2 Pupdate

Puppies, puppies, puppies! They are actually starting to carry the smaller toys around with them at times. They are also pulling on the float line training toy that I alternate between hanging on the ex pen and leaving on their floor. They play with it either place, just differently. I haven’t observed any tug of war between puppies yet but they have pulled on objects.

It was bound to happen and today it did – I quicked a toenail. It was just a little and it barely bled but the puppy whimpered and Jill wanted to know what I was doing to her baby. I’ve been trimming their nails with them lying on their backs on my chest in the recliner. I use people fingernail clippers but their hair is getting long and keeping me from getting clean clips. I let her right herself and we had a little cuddle before I did a few more of her nails. I also filed them a little after that. I am trying to get them accustomed to both. We’ll probably give Dremeling a go before they leave but (dog) Cindi is the Dremeler. I keep the hair out of the way.

Jill’s flag has been deemed a very fun toy. I guess they are getting enough to eat since they were playing with her flag instead of nursing. She feeds them while she stands a couple of times a day. I’m not sure how she decides the difference but she seems to know best.
Jill is willing to join me and the dogs for some exercise in the mornings. It is fairly hot and humid so I’ve been taking them before I’d normally be up if we didn’t have puppies. Jill even went wading in the pond at the end of our trek today. I didn’t dry her hair after her shower so she stays damp for a long time. That’s another reason to go early in the day, maybe she’ll be dry enough by bedtime that she doesn’t mildew ;-)

We brought up the ex pen for outside and some additional pieces for the inside area. I am going to start leaving out Jill’s pool since the puppies can get into it now too. That means I need to create a smaller space for them so they potty naturally in the designated area. They are moving away from where they sleep but they aren’t always going on the pan. Baby steps since I want them to learn to decide where is a good place to go. I think they may get a little outside on the wheelchair ramp in progress (most people would call it a deck but it’s actually going to be a wheelchair entrance to 2 different doors. The flat part was the first completed. But, as usual, I digress.) this weekend. I’ll have to be careful that they don’t get too warm. The front porch may end up being a better spot. We’ll give a full report when it happens ;-)

We have some new teeth in a few of the puppies. They are gnawing on each other with their swollen gums and their little tiny tooth points with abandon. When those teeth really start coming in, they will start teaching each other how to be careful. And if they don’t catch on from each other, Jill will teach them. I wonder if SammieDoodle will tell them not to bite. (Jack doesn’t tell other dogs stuff like that but he will ask me to make them stop.) There’s always something to look forward to with puppies. I was thinking about the best way to do their first swim while the “big dogs” were playing in the pond this morning. If this weather keeps up, we’ll get pleanty of chances when the puppies are ready. For now, I need to prepare their pen for nighty, nighty, nighty time and get some cuddles and sniff some puppy breath while they still have it.

June 1 Pupdate

Good morning, good morning the littlest dogs say. Unless they are sound asleep, they greet everybody happily. I was in the kitchen when Bruce went in the rubber room to take Jill out for last call and the puppies started talking to him, too. So very, very adorable.

This morning after I changed out their linens, I added a couple of new items into their play pen. Baby blue boy tried to climb in to the plastic mesh basket that I keep their toys in at night but their little feet can still go through so I moved him until I got it turned over. He moved on to something else but the brown girls were right there waiting. Green girl climbed onto it so I tried to take pictures. (I put them on Picasa.) After she got down (she had to chase her sister,) Limey gave it a go but didn’t quite get all of him on there before he needed to chase the Browns. I think they've all been on it by now.

The puppies do care whether the vtech piano toy is on or off. They prefer something to happen when they paw it or climb all over it. After a daytime meal, they were having playtime and Doodlebug went in to play with them. They were chasing her and pawing at her face and biting at her feet. She seems to like it and licks their faces as long as they (or we) will let her. They aren’t trying to nurse on her, I guess she smells different enough that they know the difference. Jill went in to clean up some little messes while SammieDoodle was still there and several of them ran over to nurse on her. Smart little things.

They eat with determination, play with gusto and sleep like the dead. Occasionally, they make little groans and moans in their sleep and do some twitching. One of the puppies was working on a howl this morning but Jill ran over to check on him and he stopped.

I'm going to play with the puppies and get their pen ready for nighttime. Jill usually runs in to feed them again while I do that as if I am going to lock her out all night. She's such a good mother. Nighty, nighty, nighty.