The Hobbits are here! Four beautiful puppies were born to Punkin and Bandit on June 4
Punkin and Bandit’s babies are beautiful, healthy and strong. They all take after their Daddy with stunning red and black markings. Punkin is a great little Mama and got right to cleaning them up and nursing them. There are 3 boys and a girl. We’re calling them Pippin, Samwise, Frodo and Merry.
June 11: 1 week old
Punkin is such a good Mama! She’s feeding her babies constantly, catching naps while they nurse. Puppies are growing and gaining weight every day.
June 18, 2 weeks old
June 18: 2 weeks old! Everyone’s eyes are open now, adding a whole new level of cute. Coats are soft as silk, and some of the colors are lightening up so you can see the red more. It turns out that Pippin, who we thought was all black and white, has red eyebrows! Their little noses are filling in with black now too. They still mostly eat and sleep (notice the big yawn!), but they’re getting a little more mobile. When tummies are full, their short little legs barely reach the ground! Everyone is gaining weight right on schedule, and they’re all just over a pound. That’s a lot of weight gain for a 5 oz. puppy! We’re working hard to make sure Punkin has enough food to make milk for all her babies.
June 25, 3 weeks old
Meet Samwise! He’s the largest of the puppies. He was first to climb out of the bed a few days ago and now he is trying to get Bella to play with him. She is not his Mama but often licks the puppies through the pen. You might be able to hear his little growl in this video. Below, Samwise is checking out the food. He is just tasting a little right now–mostly getting his food from Mama Punkin.
Meanwhile, as all good siblings do, these guys have started wrestling. Merry, Frodo and Pippin have limited mobility at 3 1/2 weeks, but they do their best to be top dog!
Went for a little “picnic” outside today. Posing in a basket was not on the puppies agenda–notice Samwise is backing out 🙂 The new experience had their noses working double time! From left to right: Merry, Frodo, Pippin and Samwise.
Pippin, Frodo, Samwise and Merry
Look at those pretty colors!
Merry, Pippin, Frodo and Samwise. They’re getting so big!
July 2: 4 weeks old
July 9: 5 weeks old
Puppies are 5 weeks old now and on the move–until they’re worn out, that is, and then they drop right where they are! They’re very inquisitive and we do all we can to introduce them to new objects, textures, sounds and situations so they become well adjusted puppies. They were introduced to crinkly water bottles, a “splash pad”, balls, tennis rackets, umbrellas, chew toys, paper towel rolls, bubble wrap…etc. this week, along with lots of outside time. They heard motorcycles going by, the vacuum cleaner, loud music and all the “normal” sounds that teenagers and a family make 🙂 They are eating food very well now, but still love their Mama best. Feedings with Mama are getting less frequent, but she’s mobbed whenever she’s around!
Puppies are taking their first steps in learning to walk on a leash as they follow Mama around. (Sorry–it’s a little tough to lead and video at the same time!)
July 16: 6 weeks old
The puppies are loving their big sister, Tikka. She’s a 1 year old Chesapeake Bay Retriever, and they try to follow her everywhere their short little legs will take them! If you listen carefully in this video you can hear some rumbles of thunder. We wanted to take them to experience a little thunder so they wouldn’t have a fear of it later. They all perked up their ears and noticed at first, then got back to the business of playing.
We’re working on the beginning stages of coming when they’re called. They all do really well coming to “puppy,” so they’ll be a step ahead once they get their new names 🙂
The puppies are getting more comfortable exploring outside. They love the hosta garden, where they can explore under the cover of the big leaves. Sticks are the best for teething–all the puppies have little teeth coming in now. And they’ve all learned about stairs. Going up was the easy part, but they still hesitate getting down. It’s important for them to learn about edges and heights–just like human babies do. Wrestling helps them build up their strength and coordination, and they wrestle with their siblings constantly! Some other new experiences they’ve had this week are thunder, some new humans, and a couple of rides in the car.
July 23: 7 weeks old
Frodo, Merry, Samwise & Pippen
We had a busy week! The puppies made friends with a kitty, a chick and two little friends. They went for a couple of car rides, worked on climbing more steps, played outside in the dirt and had some indoor play days when the weather was too hot. The puppies are all eating food and done nursing now, though they still like to grab a snack if Mama walks by! They are curious, into everything, wrestle constantly and chew on anything they can reach. They still love to snuggle, and they nap together all in a pile. We’re continuing to introduce them to new things every day so they’ll be ready for their new homes!
July 30: 8 weeks old
Some of the puppies met their forever families this week. It’s so fun to meet the people who will make such wonderful homes for our puppies! Puppies are growing strong, playing longer and sleeping less. They are trying out wearing harnesses and even a little bit of walking on a lead. They will still need lots of practice with that! They are becoming more adventurous and exploring more, so they have to be watched more closely so they don’t get into something they shouldn’t. They’re definitely getting more speed–making it that much more difficult to catch them when it’s time to go inside! They’re getting used to crates, plastic and wire. They love their little “caves”. Their beautiful silky hair is getting longer, so we’ve been brushing it more. They will have their first vet visit and vaccination this week. Puppies are meeting a variety of people and continuing to play with their big “sister” Tikka. And of course we’re taking these last weeks with our pups to give them extra love and snuggles.
