Learning about the world....

  July 3rd: While the pups are still blind they will soon begin the process of opening their eyes.  Alexandra Horowitz, in her book "Inside a Dog: What Dogs See, Smell and Know," notes that "as we see the world, the dog smells it." This is particularly evident watching the puppies find each other and their mother in the whelping box.  When we pick the puppies up, we cuddle them against us so that they can get to know us by the way we smell.  Their sounds, literally, still fall on deaf ears but soon, when their eyes open, their ears will begin to open up as well.  Some sounds, like squeals and yelps are high pitched and seem to occur when a puppy isn't sure where she is, the so-called "come find me" cries.  Other sounds according to Horowitz might simply be utterances without specific meaning, and are used instead to see how others respond.  Still other sounds--like a low pitched moan--are likened to a kind of dog purr.  Right now  Emerald is making a plaintive little cry, crawling in circles, just barely lifting herself onto her legs to stand briefly.  She eventually tucks in next to Red but is still complaining.  The other pups are mostly silent.  Lime lies on top of Red with Navy and O-Girl lined up head to toe.  All of a sudden, Lime makes a move, crawling between Navy and O-Girl.  The entire configuration of puppies realigns itself and everyone goes back to sleep. While much of their time is still spent sleeping, I've noticed more yawning and stretching as pups move between wake and sleep states.  The first poop begins to appear in the whelping box, something new for the pups to unknowingly crawl in. Up until now, Sophie kept them clean and helped with their bathroom functions. Mom rests nearby but is comfortable spending longer periods of time outside of the whelping box and enjoys her own walks rather than the brief out and in trips she made when the pups were first born.