Wednesday, 30 October 2013

milestone

The puppies are just about to reach the first milestone of their young lives.  Once they hit the one-week mark they are pretty much out of the woods in terms of the mysterious, often fatal, conditions that new puppies can develop.  I can relax a little bit more now knowing that not only are they all eating well and growing as they should, but that Tuuli is less likely to plunk herself down on top of one and smother him.

Were you wondering why I don't get much sleep during the first week?  One reason is the frequent wail of a puppy at the receiving end of mum's big rear end when she doesn't look where she's sitting.  This is a bigger problem for the first couple of days when mum is particularly tired and careless and, as in Tuuli's case, inexperienced.  With her litter of 9, Neka became remarkably adept at lying down while simultaneously scooping the whole litter into her belly and not squishing anyone.  Now that they are bigger and stronger, the Pippuri puppies can usually wriggle their way out before they are completely squashed.

The primary and loudest cause of puppy vocal complaint is when someone finds themselves on the wrong side of the body from the milk bar.  Woe is the puppy who is lost in the hinterland behind mum's back when she lies down to nurse the family.  The puppies can motor around the box surprisingly quickly, but asking them to navigate all the way around to the other side of a reclining mum is expecting a bit much, apparently. 

So in addition to Tuuli's frequent loo trips, there are many instances through the night for the first week when the humans come rocketing up out of bed to the sound of a puppy in dire distress.  By day 4 or 5 you're on your feet and halfway to the puppy room before you are even awake.

By day 7 the puppies in distress are pretty much on their own as it takes a truly life-or-death situation to actually wake you up.

If you would like a few more day-to-day photos of the puppies, you can join us on Instagram (@infindigo_jennifer) or Twitter (@infindigo).  If you are not so inclined, here are a few examples of what's been going on over there during the puppies' first week.

Brand new babies  -  Gentle new mum with Socks
Tiny new Tuulen  -  Tiny new Tito
Tiny new Mini  -  Clever Tuuli making a comfy pillow


2 comments:

Karen White said...

I love reading your blog and seeing the pics. Adorable!

Jennifer said...

Thank you Karen! I enjoy writing it :-)