Squeals and squeaks, ‘purrs’ and hums, yips and yipes, and grunts and moans are what fills the air around here. Many of you are unaware how vocal newborns are. Right from the start my world around me vibrates, sings, hums and is filled with tiny singing glorious little beings. And I am in heaven on earth. Now I have to figure out how to not include 839 photos into this one blog post! Oh the dilemma is REAL!

Meiko’s Spice kids and Isla’s Beach babies are now 2 wks. Old and really starting to take off. Eyes are wide open and taking in the wide world. Their eye sight is still developing so plenty of running into walls still and using their sense of smell to get back to mama. When they are outside their eyes squirt and blink letting me know that they fully register the light of the big bright world around them.  

They snuggle deep inside my kangaroo carrying pouch as I tote them around either for a walk in this fashion or to carry them safely to the stroller. They have all been out multiple times this week for property stroller walks lap after lap. First a bit fussy in a new environment, which is the point of the walks, but then they settle quickly. Another point of the walks, I’m not going to die AND look at me! I recovered all on my own!

Confidence building right from the get go. A lot of confidence building exercises took place this week. Of course, our ENS work continues with mild stressors like holding pups on their backs and momentarily holding them upside down. Showing them that they are indeed ok and that recovery all on their own is not only possible but accomplished by them and them alone. The weather has been beautiful and warm opening up many opportunities to have the babes outside in the small pup yard to sniff the outside air, and to say hello to the rest of the dogs. The dogs all gather on the outside of the outside puppy pen and watch the wee potatoes squirm and wiggle. “Can I go in to say Hi?” Tonka asks sweetly. I pat him gently and tell him “Soon daddy, soon” He’s gotten the chance to sniff them in the hands but I will wait a bit longer till he goes in with his big barreling self into the pen.

The babes are still tiny even though ‘tiny’ is not really the right word anymore. At an astounding 3.5 lbs. now they are packing it on each and every day.

Little Cayenne is doing exceptional even though she continues to be my teeny tiny one. She is gaining and thriving and has a will and drive that is already apparent in everything that she does. She may be on her own path but it’s a wonderful path and I feel incredibly blessed to be part of it.

Leia’s BUG trio is blowing every milestone out of the water. There may be only 3 but they are an incredible 3. Bumblebee is a beast @ 3 lbs. 2 oz. already at 1 wk. old (almost as big as the 2 wk. old Spice & Beach pups), Cricket is not that far behind @ 2 lbs. 10 oz. and challenges Bumblebee constantly. Even Miss Dragonfly is already @ 2 lbs. 6 oz. and is as lovely as could be. These 3 families are going to be incredibly lucky to get a hold of these amazing little BUGS!

We started our water exposure this week which gives them the opportunity to get their toes into water but it also adds to their confidence building exercises. Stress and recovery. Each pup reacted a little differently and I honored each one. Some slept through the exercise, some pulled up their toes and kindly said no thank you and then others cried and asked for more time before being exposed again. I noted each behavior and will honor each one as I take the time and care to alter this exercise according to what each pup needs in the moment.

Music and brown noise are always used in the nursery and out in the dog yard which sends vibration into the floor but the week ahead their ears will open and they will start to actual hear what is being played. I call out to the babes every time I go into their house “Puppy, puppy, puppy!!!!” which is early conditioning to their safety recall that they will learn associating it with a good thing/person but it also shows me the very moment that their ears start to open up. They go from their sleeping lumps of potato states to perking up squirming walking and trying to locate the call. Music of all genres will be played but also soundtracks of city noises, fireworks and other odd sounds will also be played to expose them to what they will be part of in the outside world early. Their bellies are coming off the floor now and you can see their determination to get around is growing by the hour. They are up, they wobble and fall but their shaky legs gain strength every minute and they get around faster and faster all the time.

I will put a puppy pad in their box probably in the next day or 2 to see if they will gravitate towards one place to start their potty training.  By the 3 wk. mark I will have taken out their whelping box and started to slowly open up their space. I do this slowly as they show me that they are successful at their potty training. If I do this too quickly, they won’t get the concept, they will get confused and I will have to reverse train which is 10x harder. Their grated top potty trays will go in at that point and they will be strong enough to get up onto them and also realize that there are 2 different areas in their space and they will learn to tell the difference between the 2.

Personalities surprisingly are starting to surface already. Behaviors not only show up but they are starting to repeat now. I sit and observe longer than I realize when I should be inside tending to my next task but I get lost in time around here as I can’t seem to be pulled away from these little wonders. I make notes in each puppy file as I notice little things here and there. It’s not about 1 or 2 testing days for me, it’s about these wee moments of the morning when they speak to me. Who is quick to get to the milk bar and who is more content to sleep a little longer. Who is irritated that they got a foot to the face as the race to mama is in full swing. Who squeaks a little louder when moved a little too quickly. And who touches my heart and why and with what kind of energy did they do it with. I take it all into account as I assess them all. Whether it be with a handful of pups or 21, I notice them all, honor each one and will get to know them better everyday so I feel confident that they are being matched with the right family.

Speaking of being matched, this process here is definitely in full swing but the families are eager to get into the mix of it as well. Every family now has their visits here booked in and are counting down the days on their calendars to come and meet their potential forever after fur friend. I can’t wait to share them with so many little hands, longing hearts, and eagerly awaiting families itching to add to their stories. It’ll be busy around here yes, but in the best way possible.

As I’ve talked with all the families I had lined up for these current pups, I had a record # of families, 7 actually, needing to push out their reservations to next spring for numerous reasons. My heart is with them all as these reasons seem very challenging and heavy. I send them all my very best as they go through this time. After shuffling my lists with all these changes, I do now have 3 puppy placements open up for availability. I hope the right family will be in the right place for these 3 exceptional new placements for these pups. These 3 are not the exact pups available just to clarify.

For now I will run back to the babies and my pack as there is work to be done, snuggles to be had, fur to sniff and moments to be captured.

Happy shopping to all the families as they start to prepare for new pup to come home. Happy reading as research is thick and info. Is long. Setting these families up for success is key to a long happy successful life with their new forever after. All our best from all of us here!