chow down

Oh, these puppies are too funny.  I have about a dozen adorable videos and can't decide which ones to post - the one of them stomping around wagging and barking at 6 am?  The one of them drinking milk for the first time 2 days ago?  The one of them cleaning the milk from each other's faces?  The one of them barking and growling?  If I had some good video editing software I would make one fabulous video from the various different ones.  Alas, I have no such software, so a couple of specially selected ones will have to do.

Everyone commented on how noisy the polar bear (aka Hopea) was in the last video.  After she took her turn, Brown Wolf was the noisy one for a couple of days and now it's Toes, who has been barking and squawking since yesterday.  Don't worry - they all take their turns being the naughty puppy, no one gets left out.

In this video, taken yesterday, you can see that the gang are already getting very good at drinking milk.  This weekend they'll start on mushed up puppy food and, if they're really lucky, some raw minced beef or scrambled egg.





And here is what was happening at 6 am yesterday.  Some of the high-pitched barking was contributed by Tuuli who was downstairs complaining that all the fun was taking place without her presence.  Oh, and she was ready for a wee, thank you very much, so the filming had to be cut short so I could attend to her very pressing needs.





And a couple of stills:

Clockwise from left:
Brownie, Little Ilo, Brown Wolf, Toes

Brownie licking the milk from Hopea's face.

Brownie still eating while Hopea falls asleep almost in the pan of milk.

the 'riemu' puppies

The pollsters got it right, more or less.  I admit I was expecting 8, although Keksi's belly was lopsided, suggesting more puppies on one side than the other.  She did have 7 puppies - 7 good sized ones too - so well done you majority poll voters.  Especially Mark who even called the right number of dogs v bitches - very impressive!  Ok, or lucky...

Number 7 appeared more than 5 hours after number 6 - and that's a very long time, even for Keksi.  But unfortunately he was unable to eat, even when I tried to feed him myself.  He wouldn't stick on to Keksi, and when I tried to feed him drops of puppy milk from a tiny syringe, he didn't swallow it, just let it drain from his mouth.  Keksi knew he wasn't going to make it and two or three times she actually pushed him away from the rest with her nose.  I kept him inside my top to keep him warm, but bit by bit he faded away and died 3 hours after birth. 

As someone said to me, it is certainly much better to lose him now than later.  But it's still sad.  I realise that until now I've been so lucky - 4 litters before this one and I've never lost a puppy before.  It's hard, even if you try to steel yourself against it and even if you know it's the right thing and that nature is just doing her job.  Keksi knew and just accepted it.  I aspire to a little of her dignity and grace.  RIP little black Lappy.

But the remaining 6 are strong & noisy.  Fingers crossed they all continue to do well over this first crucial week.

You can find an explanation of the name 'Riemu' here.

Brown Wolf - Puppy 1

Colour:  brown wolf sable
Sex:  female
Birth Time:  21.32
Birth Weight:  362g

Named for her cousin from Taika's litter, Grey Wolf.

Hopea - Puppy 2

Colour:  cream
Sex:  female
Birth Time:  22:00
Birth Weight:  344g

"Hopea" is Finnish for silver - and this girl is definitely silvery-white, just like her half-sister Marja, who was the Marilyn of Keksi's last litter.  She looks like she has a very nice wolf sable-y cast to her fur here, don't you think?  Yeah, but that's actually just newsprint!  Hopefully she'll be a bit cleaner for her next portrait. 

Toes - Puppy 3

Colour:  black, tan & white
Sex:  female
Birth Time:  22:58
Birth Weight:  393g

Named for her 2 white toes - her only really distinguishing feature.  But I couldn't call her 2 Toes, because that name was already taken by one of her cousins too.

 

Ilo-ette - Puppy 4

Colour:  wolf sable
Sex:  female
Birth Time:  23:08
Birth Weight:  332g

Named for her dad because she is the wolf sable one with the flashy bright markings, just like him.

Claw - Puppy 5

Colour:  black, tan & white
Sex:  male
Birth Time:  1:10
Birth Weight:  343g

Named because his only distinguishing feature were his white claws on dark tan paws.  It was going to be White Claw, but just Claw is a more butch version.  I'm sure he'll appreciate the gesture when he grows up.

Brownie - Puppy 6

Colour:  brown, tan & white
Sex:  male
Birth Time:  2:16
Birth Weight:  382g

Named because he is the brown one, obviously.  Also, my grandfather's dog was named Brownie, the first dog I ever knew.

Puppy 7

Colour:  Black, tan & white
Sex:  male
Birth Time:  7:30
Died:  10:30
Birth Weight:  339g

RIP little Lappy - Anniebear will take care of you at Rainbow Bridge.  I will always wonder how you would have turned out.








So, there they are: 6 puppies - 4 bitches, 2 dogs - 1 brown, 1 wolf sable, 1 both, 1 cream, 2 black.  And now things are going to start getting really busy around here.