6 weeks old

The puppies are getting big and heavy now and are proper chunky little bears.  They play rough, but as they are all a bit sensitive like their mum (i.e. they are a bunch of big babies), there is much screeching at the same time.   If I dare to stick a foot or an arm into the pen, then I have at least 3 hanging off me as I try to retrieve my limb, and their favorite game of all is trashing the indoor pen, digging and ripping up the paper.

And they now have their new names, subject to approval by the Kennel Club.  Introducing ...

Infindigo Pippuri Aatami
aka Tito

'Aatami' is the Finnish form of the name Adam.

Infindigo Pippuri Kai
aka Sox

'Kai' is a Finnish boy's name.

Infindigo Pippuri Fiia
aka Fiia

'Fiia' is a girl's name and the Finnish form of mum Tuuli's kennel name.  And, of course, it's also her baby name.

Infindigo Pippuri Kaito
aka Tuulen

In Finnish mythology Kaitolainen is the son of the god of metals.  As that was too long for the registered name, we are sticking with simply Kaito.  And it sounds like dad Taito, see what we did there?  It might not have escaped your attention that it is also rather a lot like Kai... I can see some confusing times ahead for yours truly.

Infindigo Pippuri Talvi
aka Mini

'Talvi' is Finnish for 'winter'.

doppelgänger pt 2

It was a busy, busy weekend with lots of visitors and puppy activity.  So I have few words today - I'm all talked out.  But don't worry, I plan on making up for it tomorrow.

For now, here is an update of how the puppies compare with their namesakes. 

Maija  -  Mini

Taito  -  Tito

Tuuli  -  Fiia

Tuuli  -  Tuulen

Tuuli  -  Sox

Well, whaddeya know.  It turns out that the one who looks most like mum is the one who isn't named after her.  But I don't know if I could have come up with another appropriate name for a third Tuuli look-a-like, so Sox still works as a name.

By the time of the 6-week update later this week the puppies will have their new names.  And you shall be the first to know, of course.

7 weeks old

It's been a busy time but the puppies are doing what puppies tend to do: they are growing up. Getting more demanding as they learn about housetraining and more noisy as they learn just how hard they can bite each other's ears before all hell breaks loose.

They are also getting very fluffy and their ears are starting to come up. In fact, Marja (Marilyn) had one ear up and one ear down today, so hers are just about up all the way.

Since the last update who goes where has all been settled, and so we know for sure who's who. We still don't know if the Kennel Club will approve the names, but we live in hope.

And speaking of names ... I do know better than to settle on Finnish puppy names without first consulting my Finnish friends. Yes, of course I do. So, did I consult any of my Finnish friends before agreeing the pups' new families choice of names? Er, no.

Apparently one or two names might be a little amusing in Finnish. We can live with that.





Kuura (Junior)

Kuura means "frost" and is part of his sire's name.
































Bo (Budgie)

Bo is not a Finnish girl's name - and don't believe the online naming sites if they tell you so. It's a Swedish boy's name. But we don't mind, she's still Bo to us.
































Sonni (Kicker)

Sonni means "bull" but this one is not a bit stubborn or clumsy. At home he'll be called Buddy.
































Tippi (Honey)

Tippi is a Swedish name, but it's also a Finnish word meaning "tip" as in to tip a waiter. Any waiter would be lucky!

































Marja (Marilyn)

Marja means "berry".



































Ukko (Kuusi)

Ukko is the Finnish god of the sky and the natural world.
































Sisu (Vee)

Sisu means "perseverance". Aptly named puppy. That's all I'm saying.

6 weeks old

The puppies now have names, and I have written to the Kennel Club to register them. Usually litters can be registered online which is much quicker and more convenient. However, when using a sire from outside the UK, we have to send the KC all that dog's health and home registration information, so the process takes a little longer and must be done the old fashioned way. Hopefully they will approve all the names chosen by the puppies' new owners-to-be.

Having said the puppies have names, as I write I still don't know which name will be given to Marilyn and Honey. Later today that little mystery should be solved once and for all! Can I just say I'm glad I'm not the one who has to choose.


Junior - Infindigo Persikka Kuura

As with his nickname, he has been named after his father, Kuuraturkki. 'Kuura' is Finnish for 'frost', a fitting name for a boy who looks like his coat is frost-tipped.































Budgie - Infindigo Persikka Bo

'Bo' is a Finnish girl's name, and this little puppy almost responds to it already.































Kicker - Infindigo Persikka Sonni

'Sonni' is Finnish for 'bull' in honour of this chunky little guy's stance much of the time as he stomps and hops all around the pen.



























Honey & Marilyn

Infindigo Persikka Tippi
&
Infindigo Persikka Marja

'Tippi' is a Swedish girl's nickname
'Marja' is a Finnish girl's name

But I'll have to get back to you on which name applies to which girl.





































Kuusi - Infindigo Persikka Ukko

'Ukko' is the Finnish god of the sky, weather, harvest and all natural things. You may recall there was an 'Usko' from my last litter so I can see some confusion in my future. Just for a change.





























Vee - Infindigo Persikka Sisu

'Sisu' is Finnish for 'perseverence', 'go' or 'guts'.
His new family are about to find out just how appropriate that name is for this plucky little guy.

5 weeks old

I cannot believe we are at the 5-week mark already. After such a shaky first couple of weeks, it's been so much fun ever since. Not to mention so unexpectedly easy compared to my first litters of 7 and then 9. In fact, when the puppies were about 3 days old, Jay came into the puppy room, looked into the box containing 5 tiny wigglers and said, "Where's the rest of them?"

I've been determined not to teach these puppies to scream at people who enter the room. I really didn't want a repeat of the cacophony the last lot used to make each morning when I came downstairs. To date, they're staying pretty quiet when I first come downstairs and sort out the other dogs.

Of course, the litter of 9 constituted twice the lung-power, and it's still early days. However, we're working on ignoring the cutest thing in the room when we first enter. It's good for the puppies and a useful lesson to take home with the youngsters when they leave here. Puppies need to learn that the world doesn't actually revolve around them and that they are not the most important person in the household. Tricky, that one. I've yet to see a 8- or 10-week-old puppy who was not the most interesting thing in any household.

Anyway, so far so good.

And, so, to the 5-week photos. I have been informed by a member or two of the Facebook Lapphund community that Jay & I are not the only ones who struggle to take good photos of the puppies standing at this age. Reassuring! Nonetheless, this week we have managed to join the 'them' who display lovely standing photos. Ours are not as good as 'theirs', obviously, but we persevere.

The decisions have now been made as to which puppy is going where, so I'm also unveiling their new names (pending KC approval, that is) - ta da!

2Toes: Infindigo Tuisku Minna
Pet name 'Minna' - a girl's name































2Tone: Infindigo Tuisku Kallio
Pet name 'Kallio' - meaning 'rock'





































GreyWolf: Infindigo Tuisku Kesä
Pet name 'Kesä' - meaning 'summer'


































Dino: Infindigo Tuisku Usko
(How's that one for a tongue-twister?)
Pet name 'Usko' - meaning 'belief' or 'faith'





































Butterfly: Infindigo Tuisku Piia
Pet name 'Jaana' - a girl's name
(It's nice to have a puppy in the family called Jaana. Maija has a sister whose kennel name is Jaana, but she is called Sybil! Hence, Jaana's kennel name shall be Piia. Just don't ask how I will distinguish between Piia-Jaana and Jaana-Sybil in future blog posts...)