Bluestem Kennels

The puppies’ eyes are nearly open all the way and they are sometimes getting up on their feet and moving around a little.  This is the last week of only nursing from Mae, as they will be introduced to solid food (if you can call it that, it is really mush) at 3 weeks old.  Soon they will be too big for the whelping box and will be moving outside into a kennel and doghouse.  I am not for certain when that move will be, it is really dictated by the development of the puppies and their ability to get around.

Here’s the latest video, taken on Sunday: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CJTMAu3r-o

I decided against the Roman names for the time of their birth (near the Ides of March) and opted for Spanish names in honor of the day they are ready to go home: Cinco de Mayo.  Keep in mind that these nicknames are only for reference to tell them apart and I don’t actually call them by these names.

For all of the future owners of these little gems, prepare to come and collect them the weekend of May 5-6.  If your puppy will be traveling by air cargo, it will fly on Monday, May 7th.  I will not be making decisions on placement until around 6-7 weeks old, because as of right now it isn’t as clear what their personality, aptitudes or physical makeup will be.  We love all of them and think they are all going to be terrific hunting dogs and family companions!!

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The "C" litter asleep at 8 days old.

The puppies turned one week old on Saturday and are growing like spring buds!  They are all around 3 pounds now and spend their time sleeping and eating, like all babies.  Caleb and I visit the whelping box 2-3 times a day to hold and pet the puppies.  It is a little chaotic trying to handle a toddler with six puppies; he has mastered picking one up and putting it on his lap gently, but keeping it on his lap is tricky for him and they sometimes take a tumble.  Luckily he’s low enough to the ground and they land in their soft bedding, so it’s an injury-free tumble, but enough for mom to stress out.  He is so enthusiastic about spending time with them, he always cries when our time is up. He would spend the whole day in the whelping box if I let him!

Mae is doing fabulous, as the puppies are growing fatter she is more relaxed about spending time away from the whelping box.  The first few days, I had to pick up the food dish and hold it for her to eat from while she was in the box with the puppies, she just didn’t want to leave them.  Now she’s able to enjoy walks with her kennelmates and a little time in the house with the family (spent mostly looking for neglected scraps of food).  It was during one of her visits with the human family that I took this week’s photos and video:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqqTbME9fsU  Makes one wonder what puppies dream about…

Dreaming of birds...

Dreaming of lunch...

It's a dog's life!

It takes a lot of food to power the litter, daily I am giving Mae a double ration of Diamond Performance (so twice as much high-energy food as during hunting season), mixing in a full can of Iams puppy food, 1 cup of mixed veggies (corn, grean beans, peas and carrots) and a calcium supplement tablet.  That seems to be enough for her to maintain her weight and produce plenty of milk.

It’s possible that by the time of my next pupdate that the puppies eyes will be open, but it might not be until later next week, as it usually happens between 2-3 weeks.  They are all fat, healthy and a great addition to the miracles of spring happening all around us!

I wanted to catch these little squirming sausages on video before they got any bigger!  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5HXCRSjWFr0 (A technical aside, if any of you are subscribed to us on YouTube, please subscribe to our new channel bluestemkennelswpg, as there were some problems with the old one.)

The puppies all weighed around the 1.5 lb range when we took them to the vet yesterday for tail docking and dew claw removal.  Mae is a fabulous mother and is producing plenty of milk, making the puppies pretty chubby!  As you can see in the video, our little guy Caleb is obsessed with the puppies and asks to visit them at least once and hour.  We are all excited for when they are old enough to play.

I did take the opportunity to grab some still shots also:

The squirmy bunch

Cute faces

Snoozin'!

Puppy Love

Cuteness!!

Everyone is doing great and is healthy.  I really don’t know them as individuals as of yet, but will get to know them over the upcoming weeks.  By the time they open their eyes around 2 1/2 – 3 weeks I will be able to tell them apart by markings and have their nicknames picked out.  I do handle them only briefly at this time, as they are most comfortable in the whelping box with the litter.  They grow so fast, they’ll be little personalities before I know it!

Congratulations to all of the future owners out there!