Pupdate: September 29, 2006
My apologies on the length between the last update and this one. I have been dealing with a sick personal pet on top of everything else. Things have finally settled down a bit so I could get some new pictures to share and send out a pupdate!
Puppies are continuing to grow like weeds. I havc not weighed them but they feel about 7-9 lbs right now. Osiris is the chunk and Jade is the delicate petite one. And the others fall in the middle.
Personalities are starting to develop. Jade is my very smart one as she figured out how to get out of the Xpen and back into the pen to be with me last night as I was doing some work on the pen. BlackJack is very aloof but when approached is a very sweet, tractable boy. Osiris, Kiara, and Bongo are my three most outgoing pups. They are the greeters and demanders of attention. Bongo uses his paws a lot and couple with his coloring I wonder if there may not be some Boxer back in daddy's lineage somewhere.
Tara is still the largest female and she is one of the more mellow pups right now. And little Monty -- well not so little he is catching up with the larger pups in weight or so it feels -- is a thinker. He sits back and watches things. He is going to be a very smart one for sure - he, Blackjack, & Jade are my three thinkers.
Nykeita is doing well although I think she is tiring of being a mom. I try to let her have at least 4-5 hours away time out of the pen and the pups, despite gallant efforts, have not managed to get up on the platform yet so her safe haven is still safe.
The pen has been upgraded to hopefully the last Phase of Containment. I put hardware cloth along the sides where Nykeita keeps digging. She can't get out because the fence is staked with 2 foot camping stakes into the ground. BUT the puppies can squeeze out the holes. Luckily they are still too young to leave mom but once mom was out of the pen all bets were off.
And I finally put together the multi-surface feeding and playing center. Complete with wooden platform with several stick on tiles of various textures. Used some patio block and stepping stones to make a mini-step as well as get them used to stone/concrete footing. And the platform with its cinderblocks has already become a favorite maze/tunnel play area!
We had a scare Wednesday night when a heavy rain collapsed the canopy. Luckily it help and just sagged so no flooded puppies. We got that all fixed up last night as well.
Puppies are set to be spayed/neutered next week. And then onto their new homes (those placed anyway) in about 3 weekends - I am going to miss the herd but I will be happy when each gets his/her forever home.
Pictures below -- one of the pen, one of Nykeita and the pups, and one of all the pups. Lots more pictures up on the website under the group, week 6, page. And there are a couple individual pictures which will be there as well as on the indiviudal pup's page.
Pictures of the pen - containment phase IV.
Nykeita joining the eating puppies.
Group shot -- front row is BlackJack (laughing or yawning?), Osiris, Bongo; next row - Jade, Kiara, and Monty, and Tara is hanging out on her own behind all of them!
