I got some photos of Gidget playing with the puppies this afternoon. She's such a great Mommy. I am always amazed at how well she plays with them at her age.

They are starting to eat fairly well. I think I have stumbled on a combination they like. It's Royal Canin starter for small dogs and Innove canned puppy food mixed together. Gidget doesn't seem to be nursing them very much. They may be on track.

They seem to be doing better on their potty training. many times I go in there and find that someone has peed or pooped on the paper. I do need to come up with a better set up though. I took the litter pan out as they really didn't seem to want to go there. The do want to play on the paper though. I've seen somewhere that I may need to put up some kind of barrier so that they have to enter to go potty. Hopefully I can get my husband to help me this weekend.

They turned 6 weeks old today. I just can't believe it. They got wormed again.

I'm working on getting photos of everyone so that the rescue can post them on PetFinder. I am able to get good shots of a few but not all. Here are some that I like (I won't repost the ones of Prim).

This is Gael

This is Haymitch

Here's Katness

Here come Peeta

Prim

Is this not the cutest thing you have ever seen? I'm not sure why, but the last couple of days, Prim has taken the best pictures. Here's another one from yesterday.

and another

oh, and how about a mother/daughter shot?

Life has gotten a lot busier this week. I'm working on getting the puppies to eat. They are just not very interested. They really would rather play. And I am also trying to write biographies for all the puppies and Gidget so they can get posted on PetFinder. I need to get good photos too. Hence all the shots of Prim. She is one that will wander away from me... and stay out of the shade so I guess that leads to better pictures. The others either try climbing up in my lap or go play in the shade. 

I'm asking some people to come over and play with the puppies for socialization. It's time to start that. Maybe I can get some better shots then. I'd love to get some good ones of them running towards me. They are so fast, though that I haven't been able to get anything useable.

I tried the clicker around them yesterday. It got their attention and didn't scare them. I just wanted to see if it scared them. I think I am going to charge it using Cheerios. With their disinterest in food, I was trying to come up with something they might like and thought of Cheerios. Will let you know how that goes. 

My plan was to take 1 at a time to work with the clicker. I also want them to spend more time outside. And I have to get them to eat in there as well. They sleep a great deal of the time but are staying awake a bit longer at a time. There's a lot to do while they are awake. Try to get them to go potty (where I want them to), eat, play, learn... and they will be 6 weeks old tomorrow. How time has flown. I am going to miss them SO MUCH!

The great outdoors and beyond

I got some video last night of a few of the puppies playing on the exercise pod thingy. They really love it. C'mon agility people. These guys love things moving under their feet.

This afternoon we took the babies outside without the small ex pen. I was a bit anxious but they had a ball. Just got a bit of video here to show. They are so much fun. 

More time alone

This ia a super small Kong Teddy Bear. I bought a couple of these tiny toys for the puppies thinking they would be a good size (which they are and the puppies love them). Gidget decided she likes it too. She was playing with it (remember, she is 10 years old, this was the 1st time I had seen her playing with anything). When I went to get the camera, she got up and wanted out of the pen. She took the bear and "buried" it in the blankets that are in the tub I store clean linens in (well, I did use it to store the clean linens, she has taken it over as her own nesting area). And, yes, she is a bit "chubby" these days. 

I took Prim to the living room yesterday by herself. She wasn't as adventurous as Katness or even Gael were but still sniffed around a bit. She was really drawn to underneath the stairs as were the others. As I mentioned, I think, Gidget spent a lot of time under there when the pups were 1st born so I guess they smell her there.

The weather hasa turned cool so I haven't taken them outside again. I had hoped to be able to take them to the front yard this weekend. Maybe next week.

I'm still having a challenge getting them to eat. I thought they were set when I offered them just plain dry kibble. They really seemed to like it at first but now don't have much use for it. They'd rather play. The rescue would like them to be completely on solids by 6 weeks which is 4 days from today. I don't think I am going to get there:-(

Still working on potty training. Prim went over to the paper when she got up the last time and peed. Then Gael promptly peed on the bedding on the floor. I've kept the paper in a larger area than I had wanted to hoping they would hit it. Some just don't like going in the litter pan. I tried putting litter in it the other day when I cleaned it out. I ended up having to cover it with newspaper because they were trying to eat the litter - they'll eat the litter but not the food!  I'm not cleaning it out very often hoping that it will smell for them and I am taking all bedding out as soon as they mess it so that there is a difference between the sweet smell of where they are not supposed to potty and where they are supposed to go will smell. Only having about a 50% success rate as far as the play area. They do seem to get it (I don't want to jinx it by saying this but...) in their whelping box. For the last several days, I haven't found any signs of pee in there when I change the bedding. Not sure about poop, however. Gidget is still cleaning it up although Haymitch went over to the paper to poop this morning when I was in there! Yea!!!

My husband got into the pen with them this afternoon. Only Gael showed any interest in him at all. I had Peeta sitting on my lap on the sofa for a bit. My dog wanted to stiff and nose him so badly. I was afraid he was going to be too rough so made him sit away a bit. He's a good boy but I have no idea how he'll be with the babies. I don't know if he will know to be gentle with them so I am not letting him get too near but they are getting some socialization with him.

I keep thinking I should take them to meet our cat (she lives in our bedroom) but I am even less sure of how she will act. She is old and crotchety with our dog. She was actually quite nice to Gidget when she 1st came here but Gidget, on the other hand, let her know in no uncertain terms exactly how far away from her (very) she needed to stay. Smart cat. She gives Gidget plenty of room.

Outdoors Day 2

Just 'cos I like this picture of Katness:-)

This morning, I got up to find several wet spots in the litter pan!!! That means that someone (or a few someones) went further than the padding right in front of the whelping box to go pee. I was beyond excited. The other good news is that I can't see any signs that they wet in the whelping box last night. They still pee and poop where they play but we're getting closer to not pottying where they sleep.

I took them all outside this afternoon. I had the small ex pen set up and put a blanket down since they didn't seem to like the grass last time. I also put the tunnel and some toys and then took them out. Everyone piled into the tunnel at first but soon began exploring. I had to bring my dog and Gidget into the house as Gidget started a fight with my dog for getting too close to the pen. I think the added anxiety of them being outside had her more on edge. She still doesn't want my dog near the puppies and isn't happy with many other people around them either.

I got in the pen with them and they climbed all over me. Every time I moved, there they were all over me again. I love it. I hope they find homes where the people like all the attention they like. Their little teeth are really starting to come in now and I had to yelp a few times because they were biting pretty hard on my toes. Oh, and they seemed to find the grass more to their liking this time, even to teh point of chewing on it. Just like all babies, everything goes into the mouth.

When I brought them back in, I decided to throw a handful of dry kibble on the floor to see what would happen. I have been soaking kibble and adding canned food and mushed up chicken and all kinds of stuff trying to entice them to eat. Well, they attacked the kibble and wolfed it down. I guess the hardness feels goo on their gums. I am no longer going to do anything but put down dry kibble, at least for now to see if they will continue to eat it or if it was just te novelty.

Gael's turn

This afternoon, I took Gael into the living room by himself to explore and play. I don't know whether having spent the 1st week or so of his life in that room made any difference (he couldn't see or hear when he was in there as a baby) or whether it is just a "friendlier" room or he is just becoming more confident but he seemed much more confident today than he did when I took him and Peeta into the other room last week.

He sniffed around and investigated under the stairs. Gidget spent a lot if time under there when the puppy pen was in there so I guess they are smelling her. He was hesitant to walk on the board with the non skid strips but did follow the tug toy when I played with it over the board. He also didn't try to climb over the jump bump but did crawl up onto my lap. He also tried to dig in the carpet under my leg.

All in all, I was very pleased with how well he did and cuddled with him a bit before bringing him back to the puppy pen where Gidget was very pleased to have her baby returned.

Katness' day out... almost

Today the puppies are 5 weeks old and I am starting to take them one at a time into another room to let them explore on their own and play with me by themselves. Katness went first.  I took her into the living room which has been set up with equipment for playing with my dog and teaching him basics of agility. I put out a jump bump and a ladder as well as a crate and a plywood board with strips of non slip adhesive strips that I use for teaching my god to use his back legs (he has to back up it while it is leaning against the wall so that he ends up doing a hand stand) - it was flat on the floor for this exercise so that it provided a different surface for her to walk on. Began by sniffing around and exploring. Didn't hesitate to walk on anything. Climbed over the jump bump (a 4" pvc pipe cut in half lengthwise so that it doesn't roll). I didn't get any photos as I am working by myself. Wish I could have because she was amazing. Once she had investigated under the stairs (a freestanding set (you can see them in some of the early videos when I was working with Gidget) she came over to play with me. I had brought a toy to play with and after a bit of encouragement, she moved her attack from my hand to the toy and played for a bit with it.

I ended our session on that high note and took her back to the pen (where Gidget had been having a fit because one of her babies was not there). All the others were asleep so I didn't wake anyone up. Katness was still wired though and was running around trying to find something to play with. I had put things away to change out the bedding. She found the balance pod (looks like this) so I pulled it out into the middle of the pen so she had better access to it. She climbed right on, and of course, wobbled all over. I thought she might be a bit afraid but when she got off, she got right back on. Did that several times. Fantastic!! Anyone out there looking for a small agility dog? This little lady has no fear of things moving under her feet. Teeter, here she comes.

I'll take another one out when they wake up again. Right now, I'm only shooting for having them out a total of 10 minutes this week individually. Next week it'll be 10 minutes a day (hopefully)  Time is going by so fast and they are growing up so rapidly. I am sure going to miss them when they are gone.

Everyone got wormed again today. They are so good. I had put the lid to the bottle of wormer down on the floor in the pen while I was giving the wormers to them and one of the puppies came over and licked the stuff out of it. I guess it tases good.

Someone new in the pen

My husband got into the pen with the puppies this evening. It's the first person besides me to be in there with them. He has held them before but I have handed them to him. At first they were a bit shy but before long they were all chewing on his hand. Not really playing with him or crawling all over him like they do me but still pretty friendly and inquisitive.

The great outdoors

The puppies had their first excursion outside this morning. The general consensus was that they do not like the sticky grass. Once tehy realized I had gotten into the pen,most ended up climbing in my lap and hiding behind me. A couple of times Katness and Gael romped (for a few seconds). All in all, though not a disaster. They were a bit hesitant but not too scared.

I also got a few photos of them eating this morning and a few of them playing.

Miracles of miracles!

I have been disparing of ever getting the puppies to pee or poop in the designated potty area. I started out with a litter pan (actually an under the bed storage container) with the front cut out so that they could get in and out easily. Originally I tried to use doggie litter but it is so uneven that they couldn't walk on it (little cylinders). So I switched to newspaper. I also put paper in front of the litter pan to catch the "run off" for when they missed. I catch them just as they are waking up and put them in the litter pan. At first it wasn't so difficult but now that they are so mobile and playful, what I get is puppies tussling and playing in the litter pan, Gidget will get in there and lie down to nurse them, puppies running out in all directions. And if I am extremely lucky, I can get 1 or 2 (sometimes even all 5) to pee on the papers. Gidget still cleans up the poop so I rarely ever see it and don't really have a good idea when they do it.

Well, this morning, after I changed all the bedding, Gidget came out and hung with my dog and me. I was reading the paper and drinking coffee when she started barking and acting like she wanted to get into the pen. I looked over and it appeared as though the puppies were still sleeping so I told her to chill. She kept it up so I went over to let her in. One of the puppies had gotten up, gone over to the litter pan and pooped!!!! She wanted to get in there and clean it up. I was so excited. I really didn't think any of them had any idea what I was trying to teach them. (It's really hard to reinforce when they can't take a treat yet.) And, I have no idea which one of them did it.

I didn't see any pee in the whelping box this morning when I changed the bedding either. There was some on the towels on the floor. The papers in the litter box and on the floor were a mess. Gidget will get in there and dig and shred them. I couldn't tell if anyone had used them for their intended purpose during the night or not.

Guess it seems as though I am obsessing over their elimination. Well, I am. I am aiming to have them understand that there is a place to go potty so that when they go to their forever homes, they will be easier to train. Since Gidget is so well trained, I am expecting them to be. One thing Gidget has learned, which was unintentional. When I put them into the litter pan I say "go potty". Well, Gidget has figured out what that means so when I take her outside and say "go potty", which is the cue I use to tell my dog to go, she goes.

Time to lose

It appears that I spoke too soon. Gidget is not ready to feed herself yet. This morning, I put her breakfast down and she just stared at me. I told her that it was time that she fed herself and left it there. For 20 minutes. She just kept staring at me. One of the puppies, Gael, went over and ate some (he's the only one that has shown any interest in eating solid food) but Gidget just lay in the whelping box with the puppies and stared at me. I finally gave in and fed her. She ate everything and then licked the plate but she won't eat anything unless I pick it up and hold it in my hand:-). Maybe dinner.

I bathed her yesterday. It's the 1st time since the puppies came. I had wanted to before but was afraid of having her wet when the puppies were younger. She stays away from them for longer periods to time now so I thought it would work. I haven't ever used a dryer on her and didn't think trying to do something like that right now was a good idea. Don't want to stress her too much.

I knew she was pretty fat but really didn't realize how fat until I started washing her. Granted some of that is breasts filled with milk but still, I don't think her spine should be an indentation in her back. Also, her neck looks a tad thick. The good news is that it's time to cut back on what she is eating so that her milk production begins to decrease. And she really doesn't seem to be as hungry as she was. I bet she weighs 15 pounds, though. I think she may weigh more than she did before the puppies came.

Notice the black spot on her side. That's from the mastitis. Not sure if it is going to be permanent or not. She's shedding a lot and her coat is very thin. Maybe when her coat comes back in, it'll be less pronounced. Just her battle scars. She's sure earned them. She is such a strong girl.

A new day

What a great day!! Gidget has decided that she can feed herself!!!! And, a couple of the puppies are starting to eat. Gael wolfed food down this afternoon. I tried a different recipe. Just put kibble in hot water with dried milk replacer (they will not touch the goat's milk) and a bit of rice cereal to thicken once the kibble had softened. They still don't have many teeth but evidently can gum the smooshy kibble. They seem to like it better than the blended stuff so I'll stick with that. They will also lick at Gidget's food. Not really eating but investigating. She lets them. I am always anxious that she'll get protective but she is such a great mother.

I got my husband to try to take individual photos today. I haven't had much luck getting any in the pen so wanted to try to get something better. Not sure if these are an improvement. Next time I think I'll get out my better camera and see if we can do better. In the meantime, here they are at 4 1/2 weeks. (OOPS, just realized we missed Peeta and they are all sacked out right now. Will take better photos tomorrow)

Gael

Katness

(really not a good photo. Her face looks more like Haymitch to me)

Prim

Haymitch

A field trip

I took the puppies to the office space in our house this afternoon. The floor in there is ceramic tile. It's an opportunity to offer them a different flooring to walk on and a different room to experience (I am working on the puppy rule of 7 for them).

Gael and Peeta were first. Gael didn't like it. He cried and hunkered down.I touched him and he did come over to me and kind of leaned against me. Peeta nosed around a bit and then come over to play with me. I took Katness and Prim next. They were almost not impressed. Katness sniffed around a bit after standing there a minute and then came over by me, lay down and started to go to sleep. Prim came over to me and sniffed around my foot and then tried to chew on my toes. I took Peeta out again with Haymitch so he wasn't alone. This time, Peeta went adventuring. Haymitch peed on the floor and didn't move much. He didn't cry but obviously didn't like it in there.

Now, Gidget on the other hand was very unhappy with me moving her babies around. She was anxious, paced and barked and barked. They need these kinds of things at this point so that later they can adjust better to changes and stresses. I hate seeing the ones that don't like it but they are the ones that need it most. We were only in there maybe 60-90 seconds at a time. Will do it again tomorrow. Same room. Hopefully they'll like it better next time. I may take some toys in there 1st.

I'm noticing this afternoon that some of Gidget's breasts are swollen. I tried to get puppies to nurse from them but no luck. I'm not going to try to give them any more solid food today in the hopes that they will nurse more on those teats. I'm feeding Gidget less and will probably cut back a bit more as it appears she may be producing more milk than they can consume. Also, it may encourage them to eat a bit more of the solid food.

I found a couple more teeth in mouths this afternoon. Just starting to come in. I'm not looking forward to them, at least not for playing. It'll make feeding easier but they are pretty ferocious when they play. Grabbing and shaking their heads. Once those tiny teeth come in, I'm going to be bloody. WIll have to make it a point to stop playing if they bite too hard.

They are such sweet babies. And Gidget seems to be wanting more attention. As I look back, she has wanted me but it was more a "help me with these things" kind of thing. Today, she got in my face and just seemed to say "I need some loving, too".

I'm still playing the sound desensitization files. The puppies are oblivious. I'll turn them up a notch tomorrow. I haven't run the vacuum in here since they were born. Will have to do that soon. I am so afraid to do it as my own dog is less than relaxed around it and I don't want him to set them off. I guess I could put him in another room... but that would be the easy way:-)

Gidget's Puppies' New Tunnel

I had ordered a cat tunnel for the puppies and it came last night. They LOVE it. Have a look.

And they are starting to get teeth. I can feel a lower molar in most of their mouths. Not enough teeth to do any damage or handle kibble but we're getting there.

So far, they still aren't showing much interest in the mush I am making for them but several of them tried to eat from Gidget's bowl this morning. They're still nursing and I havent been able to catch them before she starts to nurse them. When they wake up, I try to get them to pee on the paper (I'm getting better at it:-) and I am seeing signs that some of them are getting up and using the paper when I am not in there.  By then, Gidget is nursing some so we are back to waiting a while to try to feed them solids. I'm not getting real anxious about it as long as they are eating and she is eating. Plenty of time to do this gradually. 

I got them wormed for the 2nd time today. They are so good. I can handle their mouths, their feet, their ears, touch them anywhere and they are calm and relaxed. I think they are going to make fantastic pets. What fun they are.

A little more adventurous

They're starting to be a bit more adventurous. I've got a small crate in their pen so that they can start to get used to one. This is the 1st time any of them has gotten into the crate. A couple of them have stuck their noses in but didn't venture inside. That's Haymitch sacked out just inside the crate.

So far, he tends to be the 1st to do things. He was the 1st born and the 1st to climb out of the whelping box. He is the smallest and tends to be the quietest. He'll sleep a lot more than the others although he will play a bit if someone else instigates it.

Prim, however, seems to be getting the potty training best. She usually goes when I put her on the paper. The others take some time but she tends to go pretty quickly. Last night, I put her on the paper to pee and she did. I told her what a good girlie she was and put her in the whelping box. She climbed out and I put her back. We did that 3 times and I finally just let her go where she wanted. She went to the paper and pooped. Not sure if that was completely coincidence but I was excited!

I was able to get 4 out of 5 to pee on the paper this morning one time. That's about my best average. They don't all want to pee right when they wake up and once they decide to go, there is no waiting.  So, for now, it's still pretty much a combo of catching them and doing a LOT of laundry. I'm letting them stay out of the box during the day unless they venture in which they might do once or twice. It's way easier to change the loose bedding on the floor than it is to take that whelping box apart and change it.

No teeth so far. I tried solid food again today with similar results. They will lick it off my fingers if I stick my fingers right in front of their mouths but not much excitement. Maybe they are getting enough from Gidget still. She still feeds them every 2-4 hours or so (sometimes longer between feedings and sometimes closer.) Basically whenever they wake up. She doesn't usually feed them for very long at a time, though.  So long as they are gaining weight, I'm not going to get too excited. They will be 4 weeks old in 2 days (Wednesday). Plenty of time for them to learn to eat.

Peeta is the social butterfly of the bunch, at least so far. He will come to me when I go into the pen and he will try really hard to play with my dog through the pen. Gidget doesn't like that at all and growls at my dog. She gets along with him fine when she is not around the babies but she is still very protective of them. She did let my husband go into the pen with them the other day, actually acted as though is was pretty normal. She'll bark and have a fit when he looks over the side of the pen usually, though.

They are all pretty "mouthy". I guess that's a good thing because they'll learn bite inhibition. As they have no teeth yet, there's not been anyone, including me, who has objected to their chewing. And they can be very active with their mouths. They will grab on and shake their heads. I've been redirecting them to a toy when they chew on me (well, I let them chew on me a little because it is so sweet - I know - probably shouldn't but time enough to be more proactive in redirecting when the teeth come in.)

They are getting better at walking (some more so than others). I saw Peeta actually try to run for a few steps this morning.

The last shall be first

OK, here's the weird thing. Gael was the smallest boy (the same size as the 2 girls) at birth. He is now the biggest of all. Peeta who was biggest at birth, by a good deal, is now only bigger than Haymitch (who was the 2nd largest at birth and who is now the smallest). Not sure how that happened but they all seem to be doing pretty well.

I've been trying to catch them when they wake up and put them in the litter box. I can usually get most of them to pee in there and Prim pooped in there around noon. I'm trying really hard to keep their bedding clean so that it is easier to potty train them. That translated to 7 loads of laundry yesterday. Today has been better. I've caught them most times and they were out on towels on the floor for most of the morning instead of the whelping box which resulted in less bedding to wash.

I'm sure that they don't have any idea what I am doing or what I want them to do yet but if I can keep them clean, perhaps at some point it'll kick in. I had never thought of beginning potty training this early but I can see the benefits if I only keep them clean, it'll make it so they are less likely to mess their bedding when they go to their forever homes.

Gidget has been so good about her own potty habits. I am amazed that she is so good and hope that it is hereditary. She has still yet to have an accident in the house. I would think that just the stress of going from one home to another might lead to at least 1 mistake.

One thing I realized today is that Gidget isn't trembling at all any more. When she first came here, she trembled all the time. I have known many small dogs that do that when they are afraid or anxious. I had thought that perhaps it was just her high energy level as she didn't seem to be afraid or shy before but now I wonder what it was about. Of course she has only been in our house and yard for several weeks and the only stresses she has are with the puppies. Very big stressors, I know:-)

The puppies are sleeping, eating and playing a bit. Some more than others. Prim and Katness seem to be the most playful. Haymitch is probably the least playful. Prim plays with toys more than the others although they all will play a little with the ones we have hanging over the whelping box.

We had to move the ex pens this morning as the ants are back and my husband decided that we needed to go ahead and spray inside. I put up a barrier between the ex pens and the outside wall and my husband got down on all fours and made sure that the spray just went in the crack between the floor and the baseboard. At any rate, Peeta was out "exploring" behind the whelping box (it was up against the ex pen before and he couldn't have gotten there) and the sheets were moved to the back side so the front side of the pens was open. He could see my dog who wanted so much to play with him. Peeta was not fazed by this other dog and looked as though he'd try to play with him given half a chance. I had to put him back in the whelping box to keep them separated though (Gidget was not happy about the nearness of the 2).

Starting solid food

Sorry, no photos of the first solid food feeding. I had my hands full.

I mixed up a "mousse" of milk replacer, dry food and baby rice cereal. When they woke up from their mid morning nap, I put Gidget out (she was not a happy camper) and offered a bit of the mush on the end of my finger to each puppy. They seemed to like it and lapped it off my finger but showed no interest at all in trying to eat it out of the bowl. After they each had a chance to lap some up several times, I let Gidget back in (she was having a fit outside the ex pens) and she ate the rest of the mess as well as clean up the puppies.

Earlier this morning, several pups climbed out of the box. Haymitch kept getting out and I finally left him. He crawled under a quilt at one time and I couldn't find him. Scared me a bit but as Gidget loved to crawl under the covers and i've noticed the propensity to do that in a couple of the puppies, I guess it's to be expected. Here's a photo of Gidget this morning finding a place to burrow in the clean laundry i had in a chair.

Here's Haymitch making his escape

Worming day

Just a little playing

I got Strongid wormer from Pup Squad yesterday so this morning everyone got wormed. I hadn't realized that you could use Strongid for dogs. I used to put it in my horses feed every day and still have green 5 gallon buckets that we use around here that it came in. This is probably a different strength although it looks like the stuff that came in tubes for once a month worming. Everyone took it so nicely. No struggling, even Gidget. Must not taste bad.

Last night around midnight, Gidget wanted to go out. Haymitch was out of the whelping box. Then again when we got us this morning, he was out of the box. Gidget was sleeping next to him. My rescue coordinator warned me to keep an eye on him as Gidget might be rejecting him. I had a dental appointment this morning and was super worried about leaving the house in case she was. I put a board in the opening to the box so that it would be difficult for him to get out or for her to put him out.

I haven't seen her pick any of the pups up yet so if she is taking him out, it's unusual. Also, I think I might have heard him cry if she had. We have a baby monitor in the bedroom so I can hear her during the night.

When I got back from the dentist, I mixed up some milk replacer and tried to see if he would lap it up. He would lick it off my finger and I could lure him almost to the surface of the liquid but he really wansn't showing much interest. Gidget nursed him along with the others after that and she cleaned him up. I didn't see any signs that she didn't want him to nurse or that she was treating him any differently than the others. I will keep a close eye on him and will put the board in before I go to bed tonight.

Haymitch and Peeta are both showing signs they want to get out of the box. They will climb up on to the ledge and get their front ends over but haven't gotten their rear ends over when I have been watching.

I cleaned out the box before they nursed a bit ago and held each one up for Gidget to clean. She takes a good 2-3 minutes to do that per puppy. Then after she left the box, they were all playing around and I noticed Peeta squatting. Sure enough, he peed. Then I noticed that Gael was squatting too. So I put both of them on a pee pee pad. No more pee but both of them pooped. What a mess. I'm trying to clean it up so they don't step in it and they are waking all over and pooping all over.

The good news is that I think I will be able to tell when they are going and can put them on the pad and start potty training. I am doing so many loads of laundry every day. I know it's going to get worse before it gets better but at least I am seeing a way to get from here to there.

Everyone is still gaining weight. All looking good and playing a bit more with each other every time they finish eating. They'll chew on my hand if they can get a chance. I know I probably shouldn't let them do it but they are so cute. Once they get their teeth, I'll really have to stop letting them  I've got bunches of toys for them so it'll be easy to redirect them.

I ordered a cat tunnel the other day. It's supposed to get here next week. I can't wait to watch them playing. I put the Nylabone teething keys with them today and Prim showed some interest. They will chew on Gidget's legs and sometimes after nursing. She has been so patient with them. No telling what she'll do when they get teeth.

and some more playing

Just some videos for a puppy fix

I mainly just did a bit of desensitization with the puppies today. I touched their feet and ears and checked out their mouths (no signs of teeth yet). Things that the vet might do and getting them used to having their mouths handled for teeth brushing. 

They're still mostly eating and sleeping but did have a few times where they were playful or walking. Here are a couple of clips.

Ants, ants, ants!

Uncle Brinkley meeting the babies for the 1st time

We've had a cold snap and it's driven ants into the house. I was lying on the floor playing with Gael and noticed one (I had seen one last night and had my husband spray around the outside of the foundation. Didn't want any spray near the babies). Well, I picked up the ant and killed it and then noticed another, and another, and another... What a mess. They were in the bowl of dry food I had been keeping in case Gidget wanted something to eat in between meals (I didn't think she would eat it as I am still having to hand feed her (Innova dry and canned plus cottage cheese, boiled chicken and a scrambled egg).

So, I have set up the small ex pen in front of the fireplace (fits well there actually) and have taken everything out of the larger ex pens. Everything is in the wash. I've scrubbed the floor and sprinkled baby powder. Will clean that up before I put them back but may not do that until tonight. The good news is that I haven't put sheets around the smaller ex pen. Gidget's a bit restless about Brinkley seeing the puppies but he is being very nice and a few of them have shown some interest in him. If she can allow this, it will make life much easier for me and I think will be good for the puppies. So far, she is just restless - in and out of the pen and wandering around the family room. Almost seems confused. They are pretty laid back and so far seem unbothered by the move. They are sleeping quietly.

Gidget jumped into the chair I have all the clean linens piled on. She rooted around in them until she knocked them off and then crawled into the middle of them and scattered them all over the room. She loves to get under covers. I notice that some of the puppies do the same thing. (notice the pee spot. And Gidget had just finished cleaning them. See the rest of my post)

The other thing having them in the family room will do is allow me is to watch them closer without having to sit it in the ex pen. They are peeing on their own much more now and she isn't cleaning it all up so they are ending up sleeping in pee (so far, no poop). I've been trying to catch them and put them on paper but so far have only caught one a single time. They aren't very steady on their feet yet and are still pretty much just eating and sleeping. As they get more mobile, I am sure I will have more luck catching them and moving them to the paper but in the meantime, I don't want them lying in pee. This morning and yesterday morning, their bedding was pretty wet.

They're starting to play with each other

I don't know if anyone can get as excited about this tiny little bit of early play behavior as I do but it is just a sign of how much they are changing. I guess it's like being so excited when your first born starts to crawl... until you discover all the mischief they can now get into. they are so cute, though.

The puppies are starting to pee on their own as well. How do I know this? Because when I changed the fleece pad this morning, there were pee stains all over the incontinence pads I use under the fleece.

My quandary is that they are not really walking yet and all the literature that I have read says that you start litter box/potty training around 3-4 weeks. But, if I let them continue to soil the whelping box, how does that effect their eventual potty training? And, since I have not figured out how to tell when they are going to pee, how do I handle that?

Gidget is still cleaning them around the time they nurse, usually just before (it seems to serve as a wake up call). I tried putting them in a litter box lined with pee pads after they nursed a while ago but they didn't do anything. I haven't actually seen one of them peeing so I don't know whether or not they are even standing or just letting it go while lying there:-).

I know I am getting ready for the really busy time. After next week (or maybe before), I'll start giving them some milk replacement to lap and then some puppy "mush". I haven't seen any teeth yet and since Gidget still seems happy to nurse, I'm going to let her as long as she wants. I don't think I'll need to supplement yet. They are all still packing on the ounces. Haymitch who is the smallest now, gained almost 2 oz yesterday.

I put them on a piece of rubber yoga mat yesterday and today. It's a novel surface for them and they seemed to be able to get a little better footing to walk. They are all walking after a fashion now. Still doing their drunken sailor routines and toppling over. It is so funny to watch.

Our son works nights and lives with us. I now know exactly when he gets home because our early warning system (aka Gidget) lets the whole world know. It takes her a while to settle down so I am up for at least an hour and then of course I can't get back to sleep. He's off Sunday - Tuesday so hopefully we'll get a better night's sleep then.

Day 16

Gidget's babies just keep growing. Everyone's eyes are now open (well, Prim still has 1 that is stuck at about 75% open) and they are getting much more mobile but still sleeping a lot. They are looking so much different. And you can start telling them apart by their faces, not just their markings. It'll be interesting to see how much they look like Godget and how much they look like their unknown father. He was supposed to be a wire haired Fox Terrier. She is supposed to be a smooth coated Fox Terrier. I wonder if any of them will have the wire coat.

I cut their nails again this morning. Most were really good but I did it right after they finished nursing so they were probably drowsy. Gael was really squirmy, though. I'll do our last ENS today.

Since their eyes are open and they are starting to move around, the next thing to do is set up some toys and things for visual stimulation. I'll put something (maybe a pvc pipe) across the ex pen and hang some bright toys and things from it. I'm keeping the TV on so that they are hearing stuff as their ears open. I got a sound desensitization CD to play when they are older but for now, the TV will work, I think. I'm also picking them up several times a day just to pet and snuggle and talk to them. So far, no one but me has handled them. Since she is so familiar with my husband, I'm thinking of seeing if she'll let him handle them soon.

A real eye opener

This morning Prims eyes are still only a tiny bit open. Gael's are still shut but the others eyes are wide open and boy do they look different. I tried to capture them in the above video. Aren't they the cutest things? I tried to get Prim's eyes but couldn't get a good angle but you can see Haymitch's and Katness's.

Gidget has a ravenous appetite today. I had to make a 2nd helping of her lunch. Puppies are nursing a lot, especially Haymitch which is good. He only gained .2 oz when I weighed this morning. He seems ok and holds his own when nursing. I think some of it has to do with his activity level. He and Gael, the 2 smallest, are also the 2 most active. The other 3 spend a lot more time just sleeping. I tried to give him a bottle this morning but he wouldn't have anything to do with it so I have been putting him on her more frequently.

Early Neurological Stimulation ends after tomorrow. How fast time has gone. I'm going to start putting toys in with them soon.

Quiet day

After the last few days, it is so nice to have a quiet one. Gidget seems to be doing very well. Her side is drying up nicely and she let me clean it up this morning without even acting like it was any different that her undamaged skin.

The puppies are back gaining nicely and Haymitch and Prim's eyes are open. Mostly Gidget and the puppies have been sleeping and eating today )oh, and barking her head off at everything. She's feeling better and very protective of her babies). I think they all need some rest after the way things have been for them the last few days so I have given them a lot of time alone to just sleep.

Gidget is eating well although still not as much as she was before she got sick. She's still getting enough, I think. There should be some changes in the next few days as they get their "sea legs" and begin walking and their eyes and ears open.

Stuff's getting better

Yesterday, last night and today were pretty stressful. After Gidget's lumps opened and started draining, she was in a lot of pain. Thankfully Patricia from Pup Squad came by with relief in the form of pain medication and antibiotics.

I stayed with her and the puppies during the night and called my vet first thing this morning. He had just had surgery recently but came in to see her. She does have an infection (I had decided it was blisters. Wishful thinking on my part). He put her on a different antibiotic and pain medication. This antibiotic does go through the mik so hopefully it will treat any bacteria that the puppies picked up when nursing.

Gidget was feeling a bit better this morning and the puppies seemed strong. Late morning and early afternoon the puppies got a bit lethargic and I got scared but by early afternoon, they were back on top and raring to go. Witness Gael below learning to walk. He was the smallest boy at birth and he's now bigger than Haymitch but he can run circles around all the others. He was fast when he was crawling but he is determined to learn to walk. Have a look below. Not to be outshone, Peeta, aka Jabba the Hutt - he is a bit chubby, opened his eyes - well, one eye) this evening. They are growing up so fast. Lots of developments right now.

Double ouchie!

Long day yesterday. The swellings on Gidget's side broke open and are draining a bloody/serous looking fluid. She was in a lot of pain and wouldn't let me clean her up. I called the emergency vet (it being Sunday afternoon) and they had a 3 hour minimum wait. With it being a half hour drive to get there, I couldn't see having her away from the puppies for 4+ hours, no telling how long it would take once we got there.

The wonderful people at Pup Squad Rescue brought me some antibiotics and pain medication. I was able to get the puppies nursed by putting them 2 at a time on her teats so that they didn't hurt her. I'm spending the night with them and when I got up at 1am for them to eat, she lay on her bad side and I was able to keep them from rooting under her so everyone got fed and all are now sleeping contentedly.

I'll call the vet in the morning and hopefully we can get in. My regular vet was having surgery himself at the end of September so I am guessing there is still a fill in at his office. I have been reading everything I can find and the drainage does not look like an infection, it looks almost like a blister that has popped. May be wishful thinking but under any circumstances, her side is in no condition to have ravenous puppies rooting and nursing on it.

But wait, the good news, while Gidget was settling in to nurse just now, one of the puppies looked like he was trying to walk. It was just a bit different, more using his legs under him that the usual scooting they do. We'll see tomorrow. Their eyes are still not open but what a hoot to have them start walking.