Four Weeks Old (Info and Pics!)

The pups are all four weeks old now (as of yesterday), and the strides they've made in the last week astound me (happens every time!).

• They can hear now, but still cannot identify from where the sound comes (though they can get its general direction).
• They lap water.
• They're eating semi-solid food (about the consistency of runny oatmeal now when then start, but while they're eating it thickens).
• They have lots of teeth, so they're chewing and teething a ton!
• They're learning how-hard-is-too-hard when it comes to play-biting with their litter-mates (oh my... the yips are terrible when one pup latches onto another pup's ear!). This early experimentation is how they learn.
• They're pouncing (well... they tip over when they do, but they're pouncing nonetheless).
• They're "playing" with toys.  Not like they will, of course, but they're seeing them and chewing on them.
• They can almost trot (again... they tip over, but they're trying!).
• They've been exposed to several surfaces now underneath their feet (fleece, shag rug, wood laminate, brick, paper, cotton toweling, felt, wool, microfiber blankets, etc.), and after initial investigation seem comfortable with all.
• They're handling all kinds of new sounds (we expose them to these before they develop fear responses so they can handle them later): music, talk radio, TV, dishwasher, pots and pans, the blender, dishwasher, thunder (thankfully we had storms this week), hand clapping, adult dogs barking and whining, doors slamming, the ice maker, clock chimes, washer, dryer, vacuum...)
• They're spending less and less time with Kenya (really only when she nurses them and for a few hours through the night).

In short, they're growing up!

They're REAL puppies now. :)

Take a look:

 

They're learning to love and trust people (see how relaxed they are in our arms!). And they quickly recognize my voice.

Thankfully, all seems well with the litter; they're all thriving. 

And we're relaxing a bit, too. 

That frees us to focus a bit on Elsie (our other dam, 6 yo yellow), who had a Mast Cell Tumor (MCT) removed this morning at the vet's and came home this evening.  We're waiting on biopsy results for her (should take about a week), but hoping for the best.

That's the news from the whelping box!

'til next time,l
Joan