Collection of 3 week old puppy pics

More puppy pics to share.


Aarushi sleeping on the pillow


Raja's turn on the pillow


Ajay sleeping on stuffed pig

Aarushi and Raja cuddling

Rani trying out the pet bed in the puppy pen

3 weeks old

Big tub full of 3 week old puppies

Three weeks old and lots happening. This morning, the pups moved into the puppy pen set up in my living room. Although initially a bit confused, I locked Hermione in there with them for a bit, and they settled right down. Tacara loves now having ready access to the pups. Basanti was the first to christen the litter box, and Ajay and Muskan soon followed (I picked the pups up and placed them in the litter box when they started wandering around). Yesterday, I noticed that the pups' baby teeth are starting to erupt - poor Hermione. Weights at 3 weeks range from 3 lbs 7 oz (Dhruv) to 4 lbs 2 oz (Yash and Ajay). Raja, Yash, Ajay and Basanti are little butter balls. Even as the small pup, Dhruv looks great and I have few concerns about his health. Doing the math, the pups together now weigh 50% of Hermione's weight.


Mama 'Mione and grandma Yuma (darker dog)

More sleeping puppy pics

I never did make it out of my driveway today, so more puppy pics. Enjoy!

The puppy pool

Yash sleeping on the stuffed pig

Sweet little red head Muskan

Little blonde Dhruv

Aarushi

Collection of 2 1/2 week old puppy pics

Since I am snowed in, might as well share some cute puppy pics. Not quite as easy photographing moving subjects. Sleeping baby puppies are much easier.

Puppy pile

Dhruv going for a walk.

Unidentified cutie

Ajay looking a bit lost.

Rani and Aarushi sleeping.

Raja taking a bite out of a littermate, no teeth yet.

Aarushi wrestling with Dhruv, Rani is just sleeping through the commotion.

Coming alive

Puppy play

These pups are amazingly precocious and getting more fun by the day. Their ears started opening on Monday and they are starting to react to sounds at barely 2 weeks of age. They are enthusiastically eating almost one large can of Iams dog food per day, plus mob Hermione any chance they get. Some of the bigger pups are almost successful nursing from Hermione when she is standing (Hermione is a smaller 60 lb female). The pups are easily moving around the puppy pool and are putting their paws up on the walls - hopefully they will stay contained until this weekend's planned move into the puppy pen. They are starting to play with each other which is very cute. Their vocal repetoire includes baby puppy mewing, a very cute trill (almost a purr), and a piercing puppy bark. This is a very socially engaging litter. They readily come over to the side of the pool if people approach and crawl all over anyone who sits down in the pool. Yesterday evening, while I was watching a TV show, I cuddled a puppy, switching pups every 10 minutes or so. All the pups were very content to be cuddled.


Let us out!

Busy weekend

Feeding frenzy! Compare the size of the pups now to their earlier pics. They also got new colored elastic "collars" this afternoon.

The pups have had a busy weekend. They received another nail trim and their first worming. Tonight is the last night for BioSensor early neurological stimulation exercises. They also had two groups of visitors and their first taste of solid food. I wasn't sure if the pups were ready for canned food yet, but they took to it right away. They are just getting a very small amount (e.g. 1 tsp) a few times a day, to gradually get their systems used to this new food item. This will help take some of the load off of Hermione and start getting the pups ready for weaning in a few weeks. I have noticed that the pups have been more active, and I even caught Ajay, the walking champ, trying to scale the wall of the puppy pool. Hopefully they will stay contained until next weekend when I plan to move them into the puppy pen. Hermione is ravenous and eating very well. In addition to her 7 1/2 c of high calorie performance dog kibble per day (she gets 3 meals each day), she also gets supplimental high quality protein. Her human family brought her a big container of cooked chicken yesterday, she has been regularily eating hard boiled eggs, and just this afternoon, I cooked up some beef liver for her (donation from another friend). Hermione still looks great.

Two weeks old

Eight little puppies lined up in a row under the watchful eye of Auntie Tacara (not posed!)

Two weeks old, and many of the pups weigh around 3 lbs (each gained 1 lb this last week). Brown is currently the big boy at 3 lbs 2 oz. Orange boy is the smallest at 2 ½ lbs. Although Hermione is doing a great job feeding the gang, I am starting to provide the 3 smaller pups (Orange, Yellow, and Red) with some private nursing sessions so that they have a better chance of keeping up with their bigger littermates. The pups are becoming more cuddly and interactive. They are figuring out that those warm speed bumps in the puppy pool are actually littermates. I have added some environmental enrichment in the form of fuzzy bedding and stuffed animals. Earlier today, I saw 3 pups sleeping on a fake sheepskin, and another nuzzling the stuffed pig.

The pups now have names. I like to have a litter theme so that they have baby names instead of just being just Yellow or Pink for the 8 weeks they are with me. They may or may not keep these names once they leave. Hermione was from the Harry Potter litter, and obviously kept her name. I asked Hermione’s human family if they would like to give the pups Hindi names as a way of sharing their Indian heritage with this litter. They kindly provided the following names:

The Girls
Pink Basanti - “golden girl”
Yellow Aarushi - “first ray of the sun”
Purple Rani - “queen”
Red Muskan - “smile”, a term of endearment for an adorable young child

The Boys
Blue Raja - “king”
Orange Dhruv - mythical character, a boy who becomes the polar star. The story can be found at: http://www.longlongtimeago.com/llta_myths_dhruv.html
Green Ajay - “invincible”
Brown/dark blue Yash - “victory” for being the last one out!

Sleeping puppies 2 weeks old

Puppy pile 2 weeks old

Rani (Purple girl)

Our eyes are open

Puppy eyes (Yellow girl)

Pink girl opened her eyes on Tuesday, and the rest of the pups followed shortly there after. It is so much fun seeing their little puppy faces. Ear canals are still shut, but should be opening in the next week or so. The pups are getting very mobile and starting to spread out to sleep, sprawling all over the puppy pool. The gang has gained an impressive 1/2 lb each since Sunday, quite a few of the pups weigh 2 1/2 lbs. Hermione is starting to spend considerable time outside the puppy pool, just going in periodically to feed and clean - the 24/7 milk bar has closed. The pups are getting very good at sensing Hermione's presence, and a feeding frenzy ensues as soon as she steps into the pool.

Off and walking

The pups are starting to look like they belong in the big puppy pool. Green boy is the walking champ, but all the pups are moving around more on still very unsteady legs. The beauty of using a pool is that if a pup gets lost and starts moving around the outside, there is no corner to get stuck in, and they eventually find their way back. I have seen multiple pups get up and move away from the puppy pile to toilet!! These pups should be very easy to litter box train. The pups have been consistently gaining 2 oz per day each. That means Hermione is supporting a total of 1 lb (2 oz x 8 puppies) of puppy growth EACH DAY!! She is doing an amazing job keeping everyone fed and clean.

Hermione not taking this motherhood stuff too seriously

Collection of 1 week old puppy pics

Enjoy!

Four little puppies sleeping

Falling asleep while nursing (L to R - Yellow, Green, Purple)

Pile of puppies

Orange boy

Yellow girl

Purple girl


Purple girl up close and personal

Moved up to the big puppy pool

Hermione and pups looking lost in the big puppy pool

Last night, I moved Hermione and the pups into the big puppy pool. The small pool was getting rather cozy for this rapidly growing family. Hermione is now able to stretch out, and it is much easier for her to find a puppy-free spot to lie down. The pups are strong enough to move around the pool and will have more room to practice walking. Yesterday, Hermione's human family came out for a visit, the first time since Hermione whelped. Hermione was thrilled to see them, and much appreciated the goodies they brought.

1 Week Old

6-day old puppies, snoozing in the puppy pool

Hard to believe it was just a week ago I helped whelp this litter. Nancy, who helps out midday, and I were commenting this has been the easiest, most vigorous of the 5 litters we have raised together. Hermione continues to have plenty of milk and the some pups have already doubled their birth weights!! Doubling by 1 week of age is very rapid growth, more typical of small litters. As of yesterday evening, the pups weighed 23-29 oz. Yellow girl and Orange boy are the smaller pups, and Pink girl (aka Miss Piggy) is the big pup. The pups are wagging their tails when they nurse and starting to get up on their feet instead of just scooching around like a seal. Eyes are still closed, but I am expecting them to open in the next few days. BioSensor exercises continue daily along with some one-on-one cuddling. Yesterday, the pups received their first nail trim. Hermione is gradually becoming more relaxed, spending short periods of time away from the pups, and only minimally concerned when I borrow a puppy. Hermione is currently eating 7 cups of dog kibble per day and looking for more.

Poor Hermione on puppy watch

Green boy after BioSensor exercises

BioSensor exercises have begun

Hermione and 4-day old pups

Hermione and the pups continue to thrive. The pups were 12-15 oz at birth and currently most weigh over 20 oz. Best of all, there are no puppies lagging behind, all are gaining weight and are very vigorous. For being only 4 days old, this litter is amazingly precocious - not seeming to get chilled very easily, are vigorous commando crawlers, and their eyelids are already barely starting to crack open at the inner corners. Hermione has lost her intense maternal interest and has begun to leave the pups for short periods of time, but still is a very attentive mama. She continues to produce lots of milk and is currently scarfing down 6 cups of high calorie performance dog kibble per day. On Monday evening, I started BioSensor early neurological stimulation exercises which will continue until the pups are 16 days old. For more info, check out http://www.angelfire.com/ca/curlycr/2001pups2a.html

Red girl sleeping on Blue boy

Doing Great!

Tub full of 2-day old puppies - hanging out while their puppy pool bedding is changed.

Hermione and the pups are all doing very well. Hermione looks great and is getting her appetite back. She is still taking her maternal duties very seriously and is reluctant to leave the pups, even to go toilet. The pups are an amazingly vigorous bunch for being less than 2 days old. They are all strong nursers and scooching around very well. They have quieted down considerably which is good, since that generally means warm, well fed puppies. The pups' umbilical cords have fallen off. And I took off the elastic hair band collars I used to identify the pups as newborns - they have already outgrown them!! For the next week or so, I will be identifying them with dabs of nontoxic paint on their rumps. For at least the first week, I will be weighing the pups daily to make sure everyone is gaining weight, and no pups are falling behind.

Orange boy sleeping in the crook of Hermione's front leg.

Happy Birthday

The morning after their birth, less than 12 hours old.

Newborn pups

Hermione whelped her puppies January 9 and 10 - in the middle of the night, of course. Eight new puppies entered the world, 4 girls, 4 boys, all good sized pups. The last boy came as a bit of a surprise since I thought Hermione was done, and I had put her and the pups to bed in a small wading pool in my bedroom. Since Hermione was a bit restless, I stayed up with her a bit longer, and 2 hours after the seventh puppy was born, #8 made his appearance, none the worse for the delay. Hermione is taking her maternal duties very seriously and keeping her brood well fed. The pups are proving to be a very vigorous litter of newborns, eager nursers and quite vocal.

Proud Mama Hermione

Yellow girl sleeping

Hermione has checked in

Poor Hermione looking very pregnant, 1 week to go. She looks great and is already producing a bit of milk.