The Misty x Laddie pups turned 4 weeks old today. They are very active and mobile now. In fact, we had some escapees this week into mom's break area, so made up a 'coyote roller' to still allow her access to the puppy area while discouraging pups from climbing up and over the lower gate. Then there was a quick intro to Misty so she understood how it functioned and that she was still allowed to go over it to see her pups. It didn't take her long to adjust. So far it's working beautifully :)
*With all videos, click the link, then click the video to open it fully.*
Due to a sewer back-up earlier this week, I was unable to do laundry for a couple of days, so ended up purchasing more puppy bedding in town. I was also getting tired of trying to wipe down the poorly poly wrapped straw / duvet bed (my bad - I was in a hurry when I wrapped it, so it was full of creases which made it super difficult to keep clean), so I changed things up a bit with how I make the bed. I purchased a cheap vinyl zippered mattress protector and used it to enclose the entire nest, than another placed another inexpensive fitted vinyl mattress protector over that as an additional protective layer against sharp claws. (I think next time I'll purchase two zippered ones.) I then place a plush (usually Vellux) blanket over, after which I place a fitted sheet. This greatly reduces the number of layers that have to be washed, and the large blankets are very absorbent & stay put better than a raft of towels; I'm quite pleased with the result. However, this coming week, I plan to expand the potty area & reduce the nest size due to the number of pups.
As expected, the pups are still working on understanding the potty system, so it's nice to have a lot of bedding options.
A quick video of Misty feeding the pups Mar 3, with a short, newsy update.
Puppies were dewormed this week for 3 days in a row, which they did not appreciate. However, now that that's complete, they have teeth, and they've reached the 4 week milestone, they have been introduced to their first puppy gruel. They absolutely LOVED it (stepped in it, got covered in it... made an absolute mess, lol), but inhaled it rapidly, so were obviously ready for it!
Another first this week was being placed in a crate while bedding changes happened. Pups definitely didn't like the restriction, but as the week progressed, they actually started to spend some of their time sleeping rather than complaining, lol. Unfortunately, the minute I stepped close to take this video of them being quiet, they woke up and let me know it had been far too long without a meal!
Puppy weights: Pups grew enough this week that I had to change scales... Blue topped the charts this week at 4 lbs 13 oz. Pink remains the pipsqueak at 3 lbs 12 oz. However, she's voracious at the food bowl, so I expect to see some changes there this week.
Individual puppy pics (Day 28) All pups that are not obviously sable appear to be some version of b/w or seal (more info here & here). A video of the puppy group at almost 4 weeks. They're starting to be quite responsive to me, and are starting to learn that sitting gets rewarded.
Blue (m) This boy may be seal; he looks quite b/w here, but has a bit of reddish hue to his coat. Video at 4 weeks
(Please excuse the noise. Pups that are separated from the action tend to be vocal)
Gold (m) Shaded sable.
Green (m)
Black & white boy with a hint of red tint on occasion. He still has a bit of blue to his eyes, but I believe they will turn brown. Video at 4 weeks
Purple (f)
Sable with Black mask.
Red (m)
Red appears to be a seal; he has a bit of reddish hue to his coat. His fur is also coming in a bit fluffier than some of the others. Video at 4 weeks
Silver (m)
Sable with black mask. Video at 4 weeks
Pink (f)
This girl may be a seal; sometimes she has a bit of greyish hue to her coat, other times, reddish. Video at 4 weeks
Spot (m)
This boy may be a seal; sometimes he has a bit of greyish hue to his coat while others, it appears to have some red. And, it looks like Spot will have a blue eye as well (One of Laddie's litter brothers had blue eyes).
Several puppy spots are reserved, but there are still some openings available. If you're interested in this litter (or want to be on a wait list for a future litter), please fill out our Application Form.
