What a beautiful fall day! It was so nice, that we took the NASCAR pups out twice - once in the morning and once in the afternoon so they could enjoy their bones al fresco. This time, we took them out to our new patio for a different surface. Oh,and I have to report that the wagon is an epic fail. Yep, you guessed it - they can now climb out of it. Once they are eating solid food, I'll try throwing treats in the bottom. That might distract them temporarily but they will also be even bigger and stronger by then....
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The new digs are going well! They seem to enjoy the extra space and all the new stuff. Micha much prefers to nurse them in the pen than in the whelping box. Today's adventures included adding pellets to the potty box, another trip outside and lots of visitors. We also gave them their first marrow bones to strengthen their jaws in preparation for the move to solid food later this week. We also did a test fit of the wagon. At around 4.5 weeks, we have to start taking them on road trips and thought a wagon ride around Canadian Tire or a farmers market might be a good way to socialize all 9 at once. Well, they fit in the wagon but they were pretty determined that they were going to climb their way out. They're not quite big enough yet but I don't see the wagon idea lasting through to 8 weeks! Well, technically down but you know what I mean, After MULTIPLE escapes over the wall today, it was time that the kids saw some new and expanded digs. So, it;s off to the bigger pen. Since the focus is on potty training, it's not super huge buth definitely affords much more aural and visual stimulation. And another trip outside to take advantage of the nice weather. You'll also see that Micha is now nursing standing up. It was dodgy at first but they're getting the hang of it. No doubt building their core strength to enable them to escape more easily... I had felt little buds on the weekend and today, we have teeth! Poor Micha. Luckily, their jaw strength is still pretty minimal so we have a reprieve from the raptors for a little bit longer. Now that their ears are open, we've started playing music and sounds for them. I have some noise recordings - vacuuming, thunder, fireworks, dogs barking and children. Good lord the sound of screaming children sets your teeth on edge. That one I try to play when I'm out of the room for a while! We've also taken to having them nurse for a bit in the living room while we watch tv. Micha gets to hang with us, and the pups get exposed to more noises. Although not sunny, it was still warm enough to get them outside again this afternoon. Everyone enjoys these al fresco picnics. Happy 3 weeks birthday NASCAR kids! How is that possible? The pups celebrated in a big way today - they had their first trip outside (very exciting), they were wormed for the first time (kinda tasty), and of course, had their nails dremelled (not as much fun). And we really, really need to cut the grass! We continue to change the whelping box daily rotating toys in and out and changing locations of everything except for the potty box. They have such a head start on potty training using this method. The NASCAR kids are officially over the wall - of the whelping box that is. Luckily, it won't be too much longer before we move them. They have started barking and playing with each other - which is adorable, especially when they get excited and fall over! We also put an enclosed cat bed in with them and they think that's the bomb. Have started to throw some marks with Micha and she is a much happier girl to be back to work even if she isn't quite yet the finely toned athlete that she was. I'm also posting a video on the condition that you do not judge me! I literally had just woken up beside the pen and grabbed my phone to capture this for you so please do not judge the unchanged potty pads from the night before!! The NASCAR kids continue to thrive. They have now embraced the little dog beds we put in. Though most would argue that littermates still make the best pillows. And I can't get over at how good they are about using the potty boxes!
Should definitely re ready to move to bigger digs at the end of the week. With Micha, potty boxes and 9 pups, it can get a little crowded! The NASCAR kids met lots of new friends today. Thanks to everyone who visited but a special shout out to Ella and Bryer for the extraordinary puppy socialization skills! Bryer you truly are a puppy whisperer. I spent the afternoon cleaning the house, doing yet more laundry, getting caught up on some admin stuff. This is one of the easiest weeks with the pups - everyone is thriving, but they aren't yet the little heathens they will be in a few weeks so a good chance to get some work done. We'll often give them picnics outside of the box. Good for them to smell something other than the puppy room and Micha enjoys the change of scenery. I also posted a video of them nursing - not sure the sound comes across but they are loud! and sure are hauling on poor Micha. It was a cool and rainy Saturday in Ottawa so a good excuse to hang out with pups. Hopefully, these pics give you an idea of how much they've grown! We added a few balloons to the side of the pen now that they can see. Pee pad usage is going well and tomorrow we''ll add the frames. Ears are definitely opening so we'll start using the pups recall command when Micha comes in to the box. The group howl as especially cute, though not so much at 3 in the morning! |
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