Almost a Week Old: 3 Videos Added
Sunday, March 22, 2015 at 8:26AM 
Tonight the pups turn a week old. Can you believe it? They are truly wonderful. Momma has been great. Her milkstations are all soft and full of milk now. Pups are all fat. Let's see what they weigh now.
(B) Birth (N) for Now
No Blaze Gal (will be littlest it appears)
(B)5oz 144g (N)10-1/8oz 290g
Tri Tan Cheek Boy
(B)5-38oz 154g (N)11-7/8oz 337g
Cream Boy
(B)6-1/4oz 180g (N)12oz 344g
Tri blaze Gal
(B)5-1/2oz 290g (N)11oz 315g
As you can see they have had a nice weight gain consistently. They are active. They are characters. It is easier in a small litter. If you have a large litter there is crowding in the uterus or there is full attachment issues so size is a factor. If they are small you must feed to give them a boost unless they start gaining from mom. But if they are not yet fully developed you must help them along. It means a lot of work. This has and is an easy litter. We are hoping Spice's is too. When she had 10 we had to help a couple along but they all thrived. It was just a land of no sleep especially for me for a week. I get relief of 4 hours once a day and up at it for 20. That includes baths and grooms and all that this means. Hoping for an easy litter for mom and maybe if not Jeannie can help. Time will tell.
Videos and galleries will be late as I have many dogs to do today. Realize nothing is wrong when I am late. It just means life is busy.
Don't you think each Jeannie pup is simply gorgeous? I do! they will continue to change. Can't wait till their eyes open which happens.
HERE'S SOME INFO
At birth, puppies are blind, deaf and toothless, unable to regulate body temperature, or even urinate or defecate on their own. Puppies depend on their mother and littermates for warmth, huddling in cozy piles to conserve body temperature. A puppy separated from this warm furry nest can quickly die from hypothermia—low body temperature. Cold, lonely puppies cry loudly to alert Mom to their predicament. Attentive moms like Jeannie take care of their every need with the help of the humans.
From birth, puppies are able to use their sense of smell and touch, which helps them root about the nest to find their mother's scent-marked breasts. The first milk the mother produces, called colostrum, is rich in antibodies that provide passive immunity and help protect the babies from disease during these early weeks of life.
For the first two weeks of life, puppies sleep nearly 90 percent of the time, spending their awake time nursing. All their energy is funneled into growing, and birth weight almost doubles the first week. Newborns aren't able to support their weight, and crawl about with paddling motions of their front legs. The limited locomotion provides the exercise that develops muscles and coordination, and soon the puppies are crawling over and around each other and their mother. Jeannie's pups are really strong.
The second week of life brings great changes for the puppy. Ears and eyes sealed since birth begin to open during this period, ears and eyelids between 14 to 21 days. This gives the furry babies a new sense of their world. They learn what their mother and other dogs look and sound like, and begin to expand their own vocabulary from grunts and mews to yelps, whines and barks. Puppies generally take their first wobbly walk by day 21.
By age three weeks, puppy development advances from the neonatal period to the transitional period. This is a time of rapid physical and sensory development, during which the puppies go from total dependence on Mom to a bit of independence. They begin to play with their littermates, learn about their environment and canine society, and begin sampling food from Mom's bowl. Puppy teeth begin to erupt until all the baby teeth are in by about five to six weeks of age. Puppies can control their need to potty by this age, and begin moving away from sleeping quarters to eliminate.
From the start we hold, caress them and condition them to touch.
Have a lot more but not today. It's been too long of a day.
Reader Comments (8)
Thank you for sharing that information! It will be wonderful to watch all the puppies as they progress and as I am new to all of this, it gives me a good perspective. Really appreciate it Darlah.
Darlah, you are wonderful to let us all experience this with you. It means so very much. I am in love with Creamy........... Funny, how one catches your eye and you develop a bond even on the internet........
Great info Darlah. Thx. And yes, they are gorgeous!!!!!
Darlah thank you for the info. Very interesting. I do think the pups are really beautiful. They shine. As always I love watching them develop. Thanks again for sharing.
The tri colours are so beautiful! Jeannie brings forth unique colours! Will enjoy seeing the different colours evolve.
Darlah - Just love watching the new pups with Jeannie.
Thanks for educating us regarding their milestones.
I look forward to your blogs each day!
Excellent summary of the first days and weeks.
Jeannie's pups are so plump. To me they seem large. They sure are active.