still here

We are still here and still playing with puppies.  In between the house training, cleaning up, feeding, walking and all the rest, that is.

On Friday the puppies had their eye test and were pronounced all to have healthy eyes.

As you can see in this video, they also have healthy, bouncy legs and nice strong jaws.  Oh, and lungs, let's not forget the lung-power.

And at some point I promised to share another cute shot from the Jenny Duckworth photoshoot and then I forgot.  So here it is now.  Can you see how much they have changed in 2 weeks between the still and the video?  Click on the image for a larger size.

L-R: Tux (Veli), Ensi (Malaki), Liila (Kaija), Tan (Niko), Kukka (Eevi)

6 weeks old

The fluff-monsters are 6 weeks old, cute as can be, and have their new families and new names all arranged.  I'm busy as you like - or at least certainly as busy as I ever like! - so without any fantare, here they are.

Tux - Infindigo Juhla Pikkuveli  -  to be known as Veli

Pikku is Finnish for "little" and veli is "brother" and he is going to be the little brother of Pikkukarhu (Karhu) in Glasgow with Wendy & Scott.

Kukka - Infindigo Juhla Eevi  -  to be known as Eevi

Eevi is a Finnish girl's name.  She is going to live with Helen & Matt in Flintshire, north Wales.

Ensi - Infindigo Juhla Ismo - to be known as Malaki

This boy was named in honour of his dad Kuura's big brother Ismo (Lakeslapps Rakko) who died too young less than a week before these puppies were born.  Run free at the Rainbow Bridge, sweet Ismo.  We will remember you whenever we think of this puppy who is so affectionate, calm and waggy.  This boy will be going to live with the Sinclair family and his new big Lappy brother Shadow.

Liila - Infindigo Juhla Kaija - to be known as Kaija

 Kaija is a Finnish girl's name and also the pet name of Infindigo Monta Sulo, so there's a fine recipe built in there to keep me confused.  It doesn't take much these days.

She is staying right here in Devon and going to live in Plymouth with the Perks family and 2 rabbits.

Tan - Infindigo Juhla Niko - to be known as Niko

Niko is a Finnish boy's name.  He stole the hearts of photographer Jenny & Rob and will be going to live in Nottingham and be the subject of many, many photos!  That's the plan, anyway, if they can convince him to stay still long enough, that is.......

random acts of cuteness pt 2

Thanks again to Jenny Duckworth, I have some photos to post.  Here's a selection of the gang at 4.5 weeks in various states of cuteness - all were taken by Jenny.

That's just about it now for Jenny's fine work.  You've had the cute portraits, and you have had the hilarious scale photo.  Here are the candids and there are just 2 more special ones I've been holding back.  One will be posted tomorrow and if you want to see the other, you'll have to get your hands on a copy of the Finnish Lapphund Club of Great Britain yearbook when it is published in March because that's where that one is going.

Various chomping activites

Hanging around activities

Ensi looking adorable

Tan & Ensi

My guess would be Kukka

Various snoozing activities

Pile of puppies

Bookends

Toes!

the great outdoors

It's been super-cold here since the puppies moved downstairs so they haven't been spending much time outside.  Ok, so it's not super-cold by Finnish standards, but it's definitely cold by English ones, and with a north wind, it's downright nippy.  Too nippy for baby puppies for very long.  They go out into the pen for as long as it takes to clean out the indoor pen, and hopefully that's about the length of time it takes for them to all do their wees and poos too. 

Today it was a bit warmer and they got lots of outside time.  You can see how much they love it in the big pen.  There is much pouncing!

4 weeks old

Well Tuuli has done it again!  She has produced a litter of puppies who will all (more or less) sit and stand to have their photos taken.  It's difficult enough to get photos of puppies without expecting them to be still.  And more difficult again to try and accomplish this single-handedly.  However, we did and I did and it all went beautifully well.

Until I checked the photos I had taken.

Apparently I had forgotten to check the first one or two to make sure the camera was lined up properly on its tripod...  Yes I did forget to do that.  I took at whole set of impossible-to-achieve photos with the tops chopped off.  SIGH.

So I set it all up again and did it all over again.

Tux

Kukka

Ensi

Liila

Tan

And from the If-Only file:

Kukka looking demure

Liila doing her supermodel pose

Tan being all kinds of cute

And Kukka doing the same!

mama & baby time

Tomorrow the puppies turn 4 weeks so it will be time for the weekly portraits, weighing, nail cutting and brushing.  In the meantime, here are the puppies enjoying their mum.

growing

It's been hectic as all get-out here, and I'm on my own (apart from the 8 dogs of various sizes, that is) so the blog has been suffering from a bit of neglect.  Apologies for that.

Here's what's been happening while we've been away.

Getting crowded at the milk bar

Standing room only

Getting cute

More getting cute

Starting to play with toys

Toys also make good pillows

Playtime with Mama

More play with Mama

As well as struggling to keep up with the blog, I have also been struggling to get the puppies to eat the porridge I usually start to wean them on.  They just haven't been that interested.  Particularly Liila, who turned her nose up at it every time.  Today I hit upon a winning formula - Burns puppy kibble soaked in warm goat's milk and mashed up.  Everyone approved of that.  Later today they will have their first taste of scrambled eggs and tomorrow they will have their first raw food, and I anticipate all of that going down well. 

I'll try to keep you up-to-date, but if you want at least one photo daily, you can follow me on Instagram (@infindigo_jennifer) where I try to post at least one photo or little video a day.  It's much quicker and easier than the blog, obviously.  If you're not on Instagram, then you can still see what's going on here:  http://instagram.com/infindigo_jennifer

random acts of cuteness pt 1

The puppies are stomping around the whelping box now, tails sticking straight up and wagging.  They are barking, growling and - yes - I think this litter will be howlers too.

Like proper Lappies, they like to get up high if they can (which, in the box, isn't very high), they like to sleep with a pillow (a sibling will do in a pinch) and they also like to sleep flaked out on their backs with bellies on display.

Bellies galore

Group shot

The girls getting their heads together

Game of bitey-face

Chomp!

Looks like they both got their granny Keksi's paw

Chewing a wasp?  Just got punched??  Who knows.

Here they are from a couple of days ago.  That enormous Bernese Mountain Dog in the middle of all the action?  That would be Ensi.

3 weeks old

I have been told a few times in my time that the time at the waiting end of the deal drags on for a very long time.  I'm here to tell ya that the time at the puppy end zips by in no time at all.

Still with me?

Good.  Now, on to the 3-week portraits.  As always, the puppies at this age might be a little crusty around the edges thanks to their daily porridge experiences.

Tux

Serious puppy

Kukka

Ensi

Got any number of these - perfect poser

Liila

Hard work!

 Tan

And any number of these blurry ones of Tan...

Some more wiggling