Thursday, July 21, 2011

Out of the box, into the world

July 17th::  Less that a day after writing my last post, Red Boy did indeed successfully scale the wall of the whelping box only to be rudely surprised by the fall to the floor--all was well after scared shrieks were calmed..  The next day two more siblings followed over the wall and by Friday, at 23 days old, the pups were moved to their puppy pen which will be their home for the next five weeks.  The pups quickly adapted to their new environment and Sophie continues to join them periodically to nurse and to visit.  Their nursing periods are shorter and often Sophie nurses while standing up. Later today we will introduce them to goat's milk, to be followed soon by kibble.  No teeth yet, but the hard bumps in their mouths signal that teeth will soon arrive. The pups are increasingly curious about the world around them.  A noise is heard outside of the pen and everyone is alert "what's going on?"  Tails are wagging and the talking continues: from musical trills and play growls as the siblings begin to play with each other to the moans and sighs that accompany their dreams.  Today I noticed for the first time that one of the puppies began to investigate a toy in the pen.  During these next weeks, their socialization experiences are critical to the development of their curiosity and confidence. 

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