Day 17 A.M. & P.M.

Mary-Ann Sontag June 12, 2020

We have a large whelping box (five feet by six feet) but it is getting crowded and so we are preparing to move the puppies. Unfortunately, I change my mind about every ten minutes about the next phase and so I guess we will all be surprised this weekend when it happens.

Daisy enjoys nursing puppies outside of the whelping box — this photo is from this morning. Buttercup was part of the first shift of customers at the Milk Bar and so she was done and hanging with mom. I love the contrast with paw sizes.

When the Wildflowers finish, they like to do a bit of exploring — this is Sage. He is pleased to share that he is once again the Heavyweight Champion of the Whelping Box — his morning weight was 3.24 pounds.

I have changed from the scale that weighs in ounces to the new baby scale that reads in pounds. I have been weighing each puppy on both scales for a week so I could assess how the new scale compared. The two scales are not 100% congruent but they are close enough.

Clarkia is in second place at 3.2 pounds followed by Clover and Lupine who tied at 3.18 pounds this morning. All the other puppies are between 2.7 pounds and 2.88 pounds — I am very pleased with the consistent and even weight gains.

Again, no puppy has been supplemented — if anyone ever needs a Canine Lactation Consultant, please reach out because I am happy to help.

This is Paintbrush and Mariposa.

They were playing nicely when Clarkia barged in between them and settled down for a post-nursing nap.

Buttercup getting her face washed.

After they spend about an hour nursing and playing and resting outside the whelping box, they go back to the clean and changed whelping box. I weigh them on the way back, waiting until they are so tired that they melt into my hands and onto the scale — and then most just fall right back to sleep when I put them in the whelping box.

This is Clover, Clarkia, and Paintbrush.

Some wake up and wander a bit — this is Lupine showing the picked up ears they just started doing, indicating they are likely beginning to hear at least some sounds. Like vision, hearing arrives gradually — and thank goodness for that! It has to be overwhelming to have all that new information coming in.

There is now a small bit of water in the whelping box — not necessarily to drink but they certainly may if they want. Rather, it is there for yet another novel experience. This is Lupine — she asks that you do not judge her saggy topline — she says your topline would droop if you had a belly like that one! Instead, I am noting her lovely rear angles.

After checking out the new swimming hole, Lupine headed over to mix things up with Larkspur.

After a few minutes, Lupine decided to go off on a walkabout and so Larkspur turned his attention to Mariposa.

They are so fun to watch as they make their clumsy efforts at play. They are also very social and when I sit with them, I quickly have a lap full of puppies.

This is Mallow heading off to Dreamland.

We all hope you have a wonderful day!

Video! Click HERE.

EVENING: PHOTOS FROM THE DAY

Good Night!

Day 16 A.M. & P.M.

Mary-Ann Sontag June 11, 2020

This Blog has several functions, including sharing cute puppy photos and puppy updates.

Another function of my posts is helping people to sort out whether we are a good fit — by writing, I reveal things that are important to me in a puppy home. This allows people to opt out or opt in based on the congruence (or lack thereof) of our values, practices, and so on.

I started to write, “it isn’t personal” but then I realize it is 100% personal — we are, after all, talking about things that are all about ourselves and that is absolutely personal. What it isn’t meant to be is insulting — it is okay for us to value different things.

When people write to me, they are also revealing things — to a licensed mental health provider and long-time educator. Good and/or bad, I wear those lenses at all times.

It means I know all of us are wonderfully imperfect — but yes, it also means I am tuned in a different way to things that could be problematic in the life of a puppy.

And so when I am considering placing puppies I have this multi-layer assessment thing going on that is complicated and nuanced but the bottom line is this: Will I lose sleep over this puppy’s life? Will I worry?

If the answer is yes — my answer is no puppy.

I know that doesn’t land well. I know it hurts and feels like judgment — because it is a judgment. But it is a judgment about goodness of fit, and that involves all of us — me, the puppy, and the potential home.

I am aware this process seems so foreign to those who expect to slap down some money and take home a puppy — but that is what you do when the central focus for the breeder is money.

That is definitely not me.

I am an imperfect person trying to find perfect lives for the Wildflowers. I know it is an impossible task because we are all human and therefore imperfect — but it doesn’t stop me from trying.

And speaking of trying — Sage is feeling a bit smug and boastful this morning, which is a little surprising given that he lost his Heavyweight title to Lupine.

You see, Sage was the busybody this morning after the early out-of-the-box nursing session. He went on a walkabout…

…and then he decided to try and summit Mt. Daisy!

Personally, I think it is cheating when you use your siblings as steps but whatever — he did it! Hence the smug boastfulness.

And then he wasn’t quite sure what to do next. After thinking it through, he simply slid down the back of Daisy and continued on his busybody day.

He rehearsed for the Montana Puppy Choir. Daisy’s look is one mothers everywhere recognize.

Then he settled in to chew on Daisy…

…and finally he fell asleep.

This puppy was playing Bite the Tail — or trying to! They are not very coordinated just yet.

Milk Coma — this is Mallow.

Day 16 video — watch with sound but brace yourself because the Montana Puppy Choir is a thing. Click HERE to watch.

EVENING: PHOTOS FROM THE DAY

I think the puppies are starting to hear sound — they are picking up their little ears. This is Clover illustrating that…

The plastic lid got a lot more use today — this is Mariposa.

Mother-daughter chat.

I love this photo.

WF D16 Daisy and Clarkia and Mariposa.jpg

Truth be told, Clarkia is a bit of a Drama Llama. She was just parked and practicing her solo for the Montana Puppy Choir.

A puppy posse — Paintbrush with the open mouth.

Clarkia spent some time going up and down the chair, and then used it for a pillow.

A cute look at Buttercup — she is a very sweet puppy.

Bonus video — it is super short and make sure to watch with sound. Click HERE — and yes, it is Clarkia again.

Day 15 A.M. & P.M.

Mary-Ann Sontag June 10, 2020

The puppies are getting creative and agile in their nursing practices.

Whatever they are doing is working, however, as weight gain continues to be impressive. Sage is widening his lead — he is now just over three pounds!

Lupine and Clarkia are tied for second at 44.85 ounces and Clover is right behind at 44.4 ounces.

The two smallest puppies, Mallow andPaintbrush, are now tied at 38.25 ounces — those two have more than tripled their birth weights at 15 days old!

I wanted to share something about the white on a puppy. These are two photos of the same dog — Claire at two weeks and as an adult. Note how the white has changed. Claire is also a Major daughter and so is a 1/2 sibling to the Wildflowers.

Lupine was on a bit of a tear this morning. The other puppies were sound asleep but she was restless. Here she is attempting to summit Mt. Daisy — she needs a bit more training before she can bag this peak.

Then she rehearsed for the Montana Puppy Choir.

She took little breaks but then was right back at it. Highly entertaining.

This is Sage exploring what is novel today in the whelping box. It is a plastic lid and so offers new smell and texture as well as the chance to climb on something.