Day 17 A.M. & P.M.

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.