Two of the puppies have hit the 1-kilo mark today - that would be Ensi and Liila. Yesterday they all started to open their eyes and today most of them are open. In fact, all of them have opened their eyes today... except for one puppy. And so to the next poll:
Which puppy has been a bit shy in opening his or her eyes? You have a couple of days to vote - GO!
And for your enjoyment (but not Tuuli's), here are some very hungry puppies.
Showing posts with label poll. Show all posts
Showing posts with label poll. Show all posts
Sunday, 11 January 2015
Saturday, 3 January 2015
weights
Time for the guessing game that is the puppies' weights. They were all a good size at birth (just ask Tuuli who had to squeeze them out, occasionally bum-first) and they are gaining weight well. We generally expect them to gain approximately 10% of their weight per day and to double their weight in the first week. I weigh them daily and any who are lagging behind I make sure get extra time at the milk bar when others are sleeping. Some puppies will gain more one day and less the next, so it is not always the case that the heaviest puppy at birth will be the heaviest at 1 week old.
I have to say that these puppies are growing fast. As you can see from the chart below, they are mainly gaining much more than 10% per day.
And, incidentally, just so ya know, the weight and size of puppies at any age bear no resemblance to the size of the eventual adult dog. Not with my puppies anyway.
So here is the weight info to date - you can click on the image to see a bigger version. The question is this: who will be the heaviest at the 7-day weigh-in? The poll is at the top right. Happy voting!
And for those who drop in to see photos of puppies instead of numbers and coloured lines, here is a selection of happy mum & babies from the past 2 days.
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| Row of Sleeping Puppies |
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| Row of Suckling Puppies |
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| Little Faces - Liila getting browner everyday :-) |
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| Little Sticking-Out Tails |
And from the out-takes file, Tuuli is looking a bit taken aback - I must have caught a puppy in mid-squawk.
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| "WTF?!" |
Friday, 29 November 2013
5 weeks weights
Well, she did it. Fooled most people, that is. Granted, Mini still isn't, well, mini, but Sox has very quickly taken over the job of biggest puppy. And he's rather a lot bigger when you see them. In fact, I'm guessing that the people who guessed Sox are those who saw the puppies in person recently. (Jay, you haven't been cheating, have you?)
Here's the news.
And here are some cute, sadly not-very-sharp photos of the gang scampering around in the frosty grass that I just couldn't resist a couple of days ago. But first, and in haste because I have much to do before the arrival of puppy visitors today, evidence of just how incorrigible these water babies are. New owners, consider yourselves warned.
Here's the news.
And here are some cute, sadly not-very-sharp photos of the gang scampering around in the frosty grass that I just couldn't resist a couple of days ago. But first, and in haste because I have much to do before the arrival of puppy visitors today, evidence of just how incorrigible these water babies are. New owners, consider yourselves warned.
Friday, 22 November 2013
4 weeks weights
You did it. Well, some of you did, anyway. A small majority of you guessed that Mini would be the biggest puppy at the 4-week weigh-in and you were right. I was wrong, I really thought it would be Tito, based on the way he tucks into his meals now that they are getting real food 4 times a day. Mind you, I failed to take into account how well Mini tucks in. In fact, she is the first to start and the last to give up, so it really is no wonder she is the biggest by such a margin. I am going to go out on a limb here and say that one of these days all of the boys will out-weigh their sisters by a kilo or 2. Or possibly 3. But not yet.
Here are the stats and the pictures. You will notice that this litter is no longer the largest thanks, I think, to Tuulen's apparent reticence at mealtimes. Yet, I'm willing to bet that he, too, will one day out-weigh even Mini. Let's check back on this in 11 months or so, shall we?
I've said on many occasions that Neka is my pride and joy. Here is one reason why: puppies meeting their granny for the first time.
Here are the stats and the pictures. You will notice that this litter is no longer the largest thanks, I think, to Tuulen's apparent reticence at mealtimes. Yet, I'm willing to bet that he, too, will one day out-weigh even Mini. Let's check back on this in 11 months or so, shall we?
I've said on many occasions that Neka is my pride and joy. Here is one reason why: puppies meeting their granny for the first time.
Friday, 15 November 2013
3 weeks weights
I've been trying to get a video of the puppies in group play but this is proving more complicated than I would wish.
People with their first Lapphund puppies are always amazed when they witness the daily mad 5 minutes known as zoomies (yes, that's a technical term). Zoomies occur when the puppy explodes into a brief period of manic activity, careering around as fast as he can go, often with tail tucked down for maximum speed, and often barking or yipping in excitement. With Neka this involved a circuit consisting of a figure-8 of the garden followed by a tour of the living room via the sofa (or the back of the sofa, to be precise). Repeated x 4 or 5. All at top speed.
Puppies often have an attack of the zoomies in the evenings. If not zoomies, then a period of restlessness that translates into naughtiness. Hyperactivity, barking, nipping, that sort of thing. I always warn people about it because, like everything, it is best managed with patience and the knowledge that puppyhood will not last forever. And this evening activity is already apparent in these puppies at 3 weeks old.
You see, there was a point to all this, and I'm getting to it now. The point is that the evenings are the time when the puppies are most active. It is in the evenings that we get the fabulously entertaining group games. Unfortunately the lighting in the puppy room is insufficient for good video results in the evening, so I've been grabbing my videos in the daytime where I can.
And so here are a couple of videos for your entertainment. They are not quite up to the full group play experience of the evening time, but there is some cuteness to be had nonetheless. The first is a brief game of bitey-face between Tito and Tuulen as they practice using their tiny new teeth. The second is a little after-lunch game amongst tired puppies. There is barking, howling, growling, random squawking, wagging and wrestling.
And so to the weight update. They are, in a word, all enormous. Ok, that's two words. And perhaps not enormous, per se, just super chunky. They are pulling way ahead in the average litter weight race.
All of which leads me to the next weight poll as they head for the 2 kg milestone. Who will be the heaviest at the 4-week weigh-in? You have until sometime on Tuesday, depending on what Blogger does with the time difference. Go vote!
People with their first Lapphund puppies are always amazed when they witness the daily mad 5 minutes known as zoomies (yes, that's a technical term). Zoomies occur when the puppy explodes into a brief period of manic activity, careering around as fast as he can go, often with tail tucked down for maximum speed, and often barking or yipping in excitement. With Neka this involved a circuit consisting of a figure-8 of the garden followed by a tour of the living room via the sofa (or the back of the sofa, to be precise). Repeated x 4 or 5. All at top speed.
Puppies often have an attack of the zoomies in the evenings. If not zoomies, then a period of restlessness that translates into naughtiness. Hyperactivity, barking, nipping, that sort of thing. I always warn people about it because, like everything, it is best managed with patience and the knowledge that puppyhood will not last forever. And this evening activity is already apparent in these puppies at 3 weeks old.
You see, there was a point to all this, and I'm getting to it now. The point is that the evenings are the time when the puppies are most active. It is in the evenings that we get the fabulously entertaining group games. Unfortunately the lighting in the puppy room is insufficient for good video results in the evening, so I've been grabbing my videos in the daytime where I can.
And so here are a couple of videos for your entertainment. They are not quite up to the full group play experience of the evening time, but there is some cuteness to be had nonetheless. The first is a brief game of bitey-face between Tito and Tuulen as they practice using their tiny new teeth. The second is a little after-lunch game amongst tired puppies. There is barking, howling, growling, random squawking, wagging and wrestling.
And so to the weight update. They are, in a word, all enormous. Ok, that's two words. And perhaps not enormous, per se, just super chunky. They are pulling way ahead in the average litter weight race.
All of which leads me to the next weight poll as they head for the 2 kg milestone. Who will be the heaviest at the 4-week weigh-in? You have until sometime on Tuesday, depending on what Blogger does with the time difference. Go vote!
Monday, 4 November 2013
microsurgery
And the winner is ... FIIA!
She has been the biggest puppy for most of the daily weigh-ins and she was the first to hit the 1 kilo mark too. What's funny is that only one clever person voted for Mini and she was only 12 grams behind Fiia on the 1 kilo day with all of the boys trailing behind in the 900s.
One of the weekly chores that starts at the one-week-old mark is the Cutting of the Claws. Yes, that's right, we're back on the subject of toes. Don't complain, it could be worse - it could be diarrhea again.
This job, performed on the tiniest of dog paws, requires tools of almost microscopic proportions. Not to mention reading glasses. In fact, my reading glasses no longer seem to be quite up to the job, so I may have to break down and get one of those excruciatingly unstylish magnifying sets they sell in supermarkets and chemists. And, no, I won't be sharing that look with you.
Although, as befits any Taito offspring, these puppies have rather larger paws than others have had at this age. But still, even with "big" one-week-old paws, we're talking about miniscule little dog feet. And with the wiggling, it can be pretty tricky. The Pippuri puppies were all done without event and I didn't even get peed on once!
She has been the biggest puppy for most of the daily weigh-ins and she was the first to hit the 1 kilo mark too. What's funny is that only one clever person voted for Mini and she was only 12 grams behind Fiia on the 1 kilo day with all of the boys trailing behind in the 900s.
* * *
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| Big toes, little toes |
One of the weekly chores that starts at the one-week-old mark is the Cutting of the Claws. Yes, that's right, we're back on the subject of toes. Don't complain, it could be worse - it could be diarrhea again.
This job, performed on the tiniest of dog paws, requires tools of almost microscopic proportions. Not to mention reading glasses. In fact, my reading glasses no longer seem to be quite up to the job, so I may have to break down and get one of those excruciatingly unstylish magnifying sets they sell in supermarkets and chemists. And, no, I won't be sharing that look with you.
Although, as befits any Taito offspring, these puppies have rather larger paws than others have had at this age. But still, even with "big" one-week-old paws, we're talking about miniscule little dog feet. And with the wiggling, it can be pretty tricky. The Pippuri puppies were all done without event and I didn't even get peed on once!
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| Care and patience required. Lots of patience. |
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| Wiggly |
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| And interference doesn't help |
Friday, 1 November 2013
1 week weights
As usual, here is the one-week weight update. We look for the puppies to have approximately doubled their weight in the first week, and they all have, give or take 10-20 grams. At the moment, the smallest is Tuulen and the biggest is Tito. However, as you can see from the charts, he was a late bloomer because up until today, the biggest puppy by a mile at every weigh-in was Fiia.
Click on the images for a bigger version.
Not that it means anything (because it doesn't), here is an average weight comparison of each litter. This is just for fun and because I have a nerdy compulsion to observe such things.
I should point out for those who were not around at the time that, in spite of the apparent evidence to the contrary, the Tuisku litter were not actually so much "bigger" than all the others. They were mostly quite average-sized puppies but the average was skewed by one or two particularly large puppies, namely Usko and Minna. At birth Usko was almost 100 grams heavier than the heaviest of the Pippuri puppies, and Minna wasn't far behind. It's interesting to note that neither of those dogs is particularly large as adults, and certainly no larger than their siblings who were so much smaller at birth.
And as the puppies are getting close to the first growth milestone, a little poll for fun. Who do you think will reach 1 kg first? Voting buttons at the top right corner. Be quick - at the rate these puppies are growing, this poll is unlikely to last more than a day or two!
And here is a little video of dubious quality. But it does show how strong the puppies are getting and what a sweet, attentive mum Tuuli is.
Click on the images for a bigger version.
Not that it means anything (because it doesn't), here is an average weight comparison of each litter. This is just for fun and because I have a nerdy compulsion to observe such things.
I should point out for those who were not around at the time that, in spite of the apparent evidence to the contrary, the Tuisku litter were not actually so much "bigger" than all the others. They were mostly quite average-sized puppies but the average was skewed by one or two particularly large puppies, namely Usko and Minna. At birth Usko was almost 100 grams heavier than the heaviest of the Pippuri puppies, and Minna wasn't far behind. It's interesting to note that neither of those dogs is particularly large as adults, and certainly no larger than their siblings who were so much smaller at birth.
And as the puppies are getting close to the first growth milestone, a little poll for fun. Who do you think will reach 1 kg first? Voting buttons at the top right corner. Be quick - at the rate these puppies are growing, this poll is unlikely to last more than a day or two!
And here is a little video of dubious quality. But it does show how strong the puppies are getting and what a sweet, attentive mum Tuuli is.
Wednesday, 29 February 2012
1 week weights
First of all, the poll result: the heaviest by a mile - or perhaps only a half a kilometer or so - at the weigh-in on Sunday was Toes at a whopping 760 grams. From now on, we are calling her Big Toes! I must say I was surprised she beat Brownie, who looks like a stonking big boy, but the real surprise was Hopea who was second-smallest at birth and, at 746 grams, was second-heaviest at 1 week.
The graphs and tables I like to produce will follow, but first, for those of you less enamoured of coloured lines on a grid, here is a cute video taken this morning. How big these puppies are looking now! And don't miss Claw up on his feet staggering around. He wasn't the first to start walking though, that was Brownie.
And so to the comparative weight info. Does this stuff matter at this point? Not really, no. I keep a close eye on the puppies' weight just to be sure they are developing as they should and that no one gets left behind. Apart from that, the numbers don't have much meaning. But I just like to compare and watch trends.
First, the numbers (click the images for a bigger size that's easier to read):
Then the comparison puppy-to-puppy throughout the first week:
And, finally, the average weight of the litter compared to previous litters. Those of you who are new to the blog should be aware that the Tuisku litter (shown in yellow) had one enormous puppy whose weight skewed the averages slightly upwards. Said enormous puppy is a lovely normal-sized boy now.
The graphs and tables I like to produce will follow, but first, for those of you less enamoured of coloured lines on a grid, here is a cute video taken this morning. How big these puppies are looking now! And don't miss Claw up on his feet staggering around. He wasn't the first to start walking though, that was Brownie.
And so to the comparative weight info. Does this stuff matter at this point? Not really, no. I keep a close eye on the puppies' weight just to be sure they are developing as they should and that no one gets left behind. Apart from that, the numbers don't have much meaning. But I just like to compare and watch trends.
First, the numbers (click the images for a bigger size that's easier to read):
Then the comparison puppy-to-puppy throughout the first week:
And, finally, the average weight of the litter compared to previous litters. Those of you who are new to the blog should be aware that the Tuisku litter (shown in yellow) had one enormous puppy whose weight skewed the averages slightly upwards. Said enormous puppy is a lovely normal-sized boy now.
Friday, 24 February 2012
weights & a poll
Another of the great worries of the first week is whether or not the puppies are gaining weight. We expect them to grow by about 10% of their body weight each day. That's actually rather a lot and as a result they change so much from day to day. You feel like if you sat and watched them constantly you would actually see them get bigger and bigger.
To make sure everyone is developing as they should and that no one is being left behind, the puppies are weighed everyday during this week. We don't expect the puppies to be all the same size or weight so long as they are all gaining a reasonable amount each day. They will certainly all develop at different rates and the puppy who gained a lot today might not grow so much tomorrow. By keeping a close eye on the weights daily we can make sure each puppy gets a fair chance at the milk bar. Often the bigger, stronger puppies will muscle the smaller ones away from the rear teats, which are the more productive ones. I have frequently pulled a fat, sucking puppy off those teats and swapped it with a smaller one who needs a bit of help. Feels pretty mean, though!
And so to another poll. You can find the puppies' birth weight back here. Not that it means a lot when it comes to guessing how heavy they will have become at the end of their first week, but it's fun for comparing. The result is pretty much up in the air at the moment. The only thing I will say is that it won't be Little Ilo, who is the smallest. The question is this: At the weigh-in on Sunday, who will be the heaviest?
As if having a litter of pups in the house wasn't enough to keep me occupied, I have another little adventure planned for this weekend. Watch this space - all will be revealed next week! In the meantime, I won't be back until Monday night so the one-week puppy update and poll result will be posted late.
The puppies might be small at this stage, they might be deaf and blind, but they sure can get around the box without any problems whatsoever. Here, for your amusement, is The Progress of a Puppy as she travels from the hinterland of Behind Mum's Tail to the jackpot. The brothers and sisters catch on fast and follow suit.
To make sure everyone is developing as they should and that no one is being left behind, the puppies are weighed everyday during this week. We don't expect the puppies to be all the same size or weight so long as they are all gaining a reasonable amount each day. They will certainly all develop at different rates and the puppy who gained a lot today might not grow so much tomorrow. By keeping a close eye on the weights daily we can make sure each puppy gets a fair chance at the milk bar. Often the bigger, stronger puppies will muscle the smaller ones away from the rear teats, which are the more productive ones. I have frequently pulled a fat, sucking puppy off those teats and swapped it with a smaller one who needs a bit of help. Feels pretty mean, though!
And so to another poll. You can find the puppies' birth weight back here. Not that it means a lot when it comes to guessing how heavy they will have become at the end of their first week, but it's fun for comparing. The result is pretty much up in the air at the moment. The only thing I will say is that it won't be Little Ilo, who is the smallest. The question is this: At the weigh-in on Sunday, who will be the heaviest?
As if having a litter of pups in the house wasn't enough to keep me occupied, I have another little adventure planned for this weekend. Watch this space - all will be revealed next week! In the meantime, I won't be back until Monday night so the one-week puppy update and poll result will be posted late.
The puppies might be small at this stage, they might be deaf and blind, but they sure can get around the box without any problems whatsoever. Here, for your amusement, is The Progress of a Puppy as she travels from the hinterland of Behind Mum's Tail to the jackpot. The brothers and sisters catch on fast and follow suit.
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| Over the sister - over the tail - under the leg |
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| Over other leg - past sister who overtook on inside - then ahhh, relief! |
Monday, 20 February 2012
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.
Colour: brown wolf sable
Sex: female
Birth Time: 21.32
Birth Weight: 362g
Named for her cousin from Taika's litter, Grey Wolf.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Tuesday, 14 February 2012
one last Keksi update
During the 2 weeks that Keksi was back at home, Daniel was joking with me that she looked as though she was carrying many puppies. Many. Eleven, he said.
Now, before you get excited, he doesn't actually know anything, so his little joke was just that - a little joke. (To be precise, he does actually know stuff. Lots of stuff. And much knowledge. He is a scientist with a PhD, after all. However, his knowledge does not extend to how many puppies Keksi might or might not be carrying.)
But... just look at this belly.
Pretty impressive, no?
And, for comparison purposes, here she is from the same-ish angle as the previous belly updates.
This is what Neka looked like at a similar stage of development when she was carrying the current record-holding litter of 9.
So, do I think that Keksi is carrying a litter of 9? No, of course not... well, maybe.
And, on that note, here's the poll. It's just for fun, there are no prizes for right answers, but you can participate at the top right-hand corner of the blog. The question is this: how many puppies will Keksi have? The poll will run until the puppies are born - about a week.
And do not ask me why the girls are wearing leads in those photos. After all, with those bellies they can barely walk - where exactly did we think they were going to run off to?
Now, before you get excited, he doesn't actually know anything, so his little joke was just that - a little joke. (To be precise, he does actually know stuff. Lots of stuff. And much knowledge. He is a scientist with a PhD, after all. However, his knowledge does not extend to how many puppies Keksi might or might not be carrying.)
But... just look at this belly.
Pretty impressive, no?
And, for comparison purposes, here she is from the same-ish angle as the previous belly updates.
This is what Neka looked like at a similar stage of development when she was carrying the current record-holding litter of 9.
So, do I think that Keksi is carrying a litter of 9? No, of course not... well, maybe.
And, on that note, here's the poll. It's just for fun, there are no prizes for right answers, but you can participate at the top right-hand corner of the blog. The question is this: how many puppies will Keksi have? The poll will run until the puppies are born - about a week.
And do not ask me why the girls are wearing leads in those photos. After all, with those bellies they can barely walk - where exactly did we think they were going to run off to?
Monday, 10 January 2011
poll result
Yes, of course it was Honey first out of the box, followed by Vee. And he was the first (and the second, third, fourth AND fifth) out of the downstairs pen, too.
Monday, 3 January 2011
pup in the box
... or out of the box, as the case may be.
A day earlier than scheduled, today the puppies moved from the whelping box in their dedicated room to the big pen downstairs. The reason? These advanced and most gregarious of puppies decided it was time to leave the whelping box behind - regardless of what we thought.
The night before, we heard a squawk and thump, which usually means a puppy has scrambled up to hang over the lip of the box and then tumbled back in. On this occasion, said puppy tumbled out rather than back in. That puppy was quickly followed the next morning by a second puppy who climbed up and, with a squeak, made the break for freedom.
One of the first 2 was female and one was male. But who was first?
Poll at the top right - you only have until about midnight on Wednesday to vote. And in the meantime, tomorrow is the 4-week photos and weight update. Already? Wow.
To entertain you for now, here is a minute & a half of the excitement when they first moved into the big pen. There's yapping, howling, running, skidding, weeing, wagging & playing. Enjoy!
A day earlier than scheduled, today the puppies moved from the whelping box in their dedicated room to the big pen downstairs. The reason? These advanced and most gregarious of puppies decided it was time to leave the whelping box behind - regardless of what we thought.
The night before, we heard a squawk and thump, which usually means a puppy has scrambled up to hang over the lip of the box and then tumbled back in. On this occasion, said puppy tumbled out rather than back in. That puppy was quickly followed the next morning by a second puppy who climbed up and, with a squeak, made the break for freedom.
One of the first 2 was female and one was male. But who was first?
Poll at the top right - you only have until about midnight on Wednesday to vote. And in the meantime, tomorrow is the 4-week photos and weight update. Already? Wow.
To entertain you for now, here is a minute & a half of the excitement when they first moved into the big pen. There's yapping, howling, running, skidding, weeing, wagging & playing. Enjoy!
Thursday, 23 December 2010
eyes poll result & food
I guess you think you're clever getting it right that "someone else" would be the puppy who opened their eyes first. So, well done for getting it right!
However, I'm guessing that you all thought it was going to be Honey. I thought it was going to be Marilyn because she was the one who was making blinking motions even with her eyes closed. That's why I included her in the group listed on the poll. In the end we were all fooled, though, because it was Kicker. He was followed later that day by Kuusi and Vee and by the next day everyone had pretty much caught up.
While I've got 5 minutes, I'm also going to do a quick weight update, and try to load a little video. I'm struggling with the new camera, I don't mind telling ya. I took a few videos, but again they were high-def and taking about 4 days to upload. This one is lower quality and shorter, but pretty cute, in spite of the fact that it's slightly out of focus. Must try harder!
Nope, it would not upload. Urggghhh.
In the video I tried to post you would have had a hint of how much they have developed. Now that they can see and hear, they are making more noise and starting to play. And they are getting pretty mobile - and pretty clever too - they make straight for the newspaper to have a wee. However, as soon as at least one paw hits paper, away they go, so it's usually their front paws that make it to the paper while the back end wees onto the vet bed. It's the thought that counts, though, right? Especially at this time of year.
The next instalment will be a report on the first attempt at real food! That's always a hoot. Truly not to be missed. Since I was unable to provide the promised videos lately, here are a couple of quick photos to whet your appetite (and theirs).
The very 1st plate of puppy porridge is a surprisingly big hit with everyone
Marilyn & Vee keep going when everyone else has given up
It's hard work learning to eat real food - Junior & Honey falling asleep licking it off each other's faces
However, I'm guessing that you all thought it was going to be Honey. I thought it was going to be Marilyn because she was the one who was making blinking motions even with her eyes closed. That's why I included her in the group listed on the poll. In the end we were all fooled, though, because it was Kicker. He was followed later that day by Kuusi and Vee and by the next day everyone had pretty much caught up.
While I've got 5 minutes, I'm also going to do a quick weight update, and try to load a little video. I'm struggling with the new camera, I don't mind telling ya. I took a few videos, but again they were high-def and taking about 4 days to upload. This one is lower quality and shorter, but pretty cute, in spite of the fact that it's slightly out of focus. Must try harder!
Nope, it would not upload. Urggghhh.
In the video I tried to post you would have had a hint of how much they have developed. Now that they can see and hear, they are making more noise and starting to play. And they are getting pretty mobile - and pretty clever too - they make straight for the newspaper to have a wee. However, as soon as at least one paw hits paper, away they go, so it's usually their front paws that make it to the paper while the back end wees onto the vet bed. It's the thought that counts, though, right? Especially at this time of year.
The next instalment will be a report on the first attempt at real food! That's always a hoot. Truly not to be missed. Since I was unable to provide the promised videos lately, here are a couple of quick photos to whet your appetite (and theirs).
The very 1st plate of puppy porridge is a surprisingly big hit with everyone
Marilyn & Vee keep going when everyone else has given up
It's hard work learning to eat real food - Junior & Honey falling asleep licking it off each other's faces
Friday, 17 December 2010
bellies
I got the eye poll up just in the nick of time - this morning the first puppy had opened his/er eyes and it was none of the ones I thought it might be! Now before you go rushing off to change your vote in the poll, I don't necessarily include in the list the puppies I think will win the poll. Having said that, I don't necessarily not include them either. I do a bit of both, different things, different polls. Just to keep it interesting, y'know.
And, not to be outdone, tonight another puppy has opened his eyes and 2 more are showing tiny slits. So I expect to see lots of eyes tomorrow.
I love this stage of the puppies' development; everyday a milestone. And they're really rocketing around the box now. As soon as they can see they'll be lifting unsteadily onto their feet and lurching around the box crashing into each other and the sides as they learn to use their little legs. Hopefully I'll catch it all on video.
In the meantime, they are starting to sleep on their backs, exposing their bellies, which is a typical Lappy puppy pose. Here's today's row of puppies at different times.
Belly: Budgie
Bellies: Junior & Marilyn
And, not to be outdone, tonight another puppy has opened his eyes and 2 more are showing tiny slits. So I expect to see lots of eyes tomorrow.
I love this stage of the puppies' development; everyday a milestone. And they're really rocketing around the box now. As soon as they can see they'll be lifting unsteadily onto their feet and lurching around the box crashing into each other and the sides as they learn to use their little legs. Hopefully I'll catch it all on video.
In the meantime, they are starting to sleep on their backs, exposing their bellies, which is a typical Lappy puppy pose. Here's today's row of puppies at different times.
Belly: Budgie
Bellies: Junior & Marilyn
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