soup's up

I didn't intend to start weaning the puppies over Christmas. With everything else happening, I didn't need the additional chore of 4 times a day plates of puppy porridge. Not to mention all the additional cleaning that goes with that.

But needs must, as they say. (Why do they say that, exactly? And who are 'they', anyway? Are 'they' the same 'they' who say "Mustn't grumble"? Because if that's the case, then this is officially the last time I use the phrase. Either of those phrases.)

The honeymoon is well and truly over and the novelty has most emphatically worn off the puppies, as far as Keksi is concerned. Which makes for noteworthy timing, actually, as our interest in the puppies is waxing at least as quickly as Keksi's is waning. They are just starting to get interesting now, which is just as well since now is when the work really begins.

Keksi is well aware of how much fun she's missing out on when the other dogs go out for their walks each day, even though we have improved our sneaking out technique somewhat. She also wants to hang out downstairs with the rest of the family instead of being relegated to upstairs with the cats and puppies. We have agreed on a compromise: she is allowed to be on the stairs where she is officially not part of the downstairs, going-out-for-walks-in-the-snow pack, yet she can still see what's going on and get her ears scratched from time to time when we pass.

Last night she was falling asleep as we were having festive Bellinis with the neighbours. No, not drunk. Really.




















To make sure she gives the puppies a full measure of quality time, though, I still stay in the room with her for a while a few times each day. Otherwise she just hops in, tops them up to a minimum level, gives their bottoms a quick scrub then it's straight out again. If she's got some company, she's more than happy to stay in the box. And of course that gives me a chance to have some puppy time too.

But with Keksi more than happy to ignore her brood a bit more now, and with them getting so big and active, they're getting hungry. So yesterday I broke out the puppy porridge. This is a great product - as soon as the puppies smell it they wake up and make for the plate. It's truly remarkable how quickly they learn to lap it up.

Well aware that I spoiled you yesterday with some initial porridge photos, I just had to grab a couple more this morning. At each meal it seems that some puppies are more interested than others; they take turns really sticking into the porridge. This morning it was Junior, Kicker & Kuusi.