Here's a photo summary of the pups so far today. Pretty much all they do is suckle and sleep and twitch (neurological development) and poo and pee (when Kenya stimulates them to do so).
They sigh and "sing" and will occasionally "yell" when they find themselves not touching Kenya or their litter-mates.
They are all doing exactly what they should be doing as 2-day-olds. I'll post on this stage of development in a separate post (for those who might want to know).
The pups are also huge! And quite strong for this age.
Momma Kenya, too, is well. : o)
Take a look:
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| Master Blue likes to use his brothers as a head rest. |
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| The pups instinctively know to "knead" their dam's teats to encourage her milk to let down. They do this from the moment they're born. It looks a bit like a swimming motion. |
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| They are just starting to hold their tails out while they nurse (this is *quite* early). I think these pups, because they were older gestationally than any litter we've had, are going to hit their early milestones sooner than we've ever seen. In previous litters, we didn't see this tail-raising until 4-6 days. |
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| Good stuff. High five! |
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| Kenya likes her puppies close. In this photo, Master Green is stretching. |
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| Master Blue is looking for a head rest again. :) |
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| Big stretch! |
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| Nom, nom, nom... |
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| They will squiggle underneath Kenya for access to other teats. That's fine as long as she doesn't roll too heavily onto them (which is why we do 24/7 puppy watch to make sure the neonates don't smother). |
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| Plumping up! |
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| The headrest. |
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| Oooo... puppy face! |
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| Momma Kenya still needs lovin' from her humans. |
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| And she's a little tired (but looks great!). |
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| She is, however, ever-mindful of her pups (one squeaked as I took this). |
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| She's okay with them not against her, but not for long. |
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| Kenya: "You mean of I have to clean *that*?" (note Master Red's bottom) |
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| Snuggle bugs. |
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| Master Green on Kenya's leg. Master Green seems to prefer Kenya's legs for headrests. |
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| BIG neonates! |
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| Master Red |
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| Contentment. |
So it's all good here for now (except Kenya's new-found reluctance to do poo duty, but we can live with that -- the poo looks fine and healthy, so it's not a problem with the pups).
I'll try to get more videos over night (I'm on all-night duty again). Until then, enjoy the stills!
'til next time,
Joan
thanks for sharing...so precious...look so little to be "huge"
ReplyDeleteAdorable pups! I was wondering yesterday if they will get bigger quicker because they are not having to squirm in for a prime spot when nursing?
ReplyDeleteAnd my lab does the head resting thing too! Especially when he's begging for food. They seem to know it makes them extra, super cute!
Yes, Kristi: no competition for teats; they can eat to their hearts' content.
ReplyDeleteKenya will produce milk in cycles as is normal, so it's not like they're eating all the while they're attached. But with fewer pups, they should all eat heartily.
We may have to separate them a bit from Kenya if they put on too much too soon (they're little legs have to be able to support them).
I'm planning to check with the vet tomorrow about that. :)
Fat little darlings. :)
ReplyDeleteKenya reminds me so strongly of our old girl, Brandy, it made tears come to my eyes. It's been almost 10 years, but some dogs are just special and they're always in your heart.
I love seeing their personalities develop already. Charlie uses my leg (or my laptop if I don't move it out of the way!) for a headrest. :) Too funny.
Thanks for sharing, Joan. This always makes me smile.
Rejoicing in the day,
-Mary
Hi Joan! Thanks for telling me about this site~I will indeed need to follow!
ReplyDeleteMy hubby & I used to breed German Shepherd Dogs~I remember the days (or should I say nights) of all night duty, of falling asleep with a flashlight so that the moment I heard the faintest "yelp" I was counting pups!
I'm thinking just like you that along with the fact that the were a bit late, there are only 3, so much less competition~they can nurse to their hearts content! We had just a few small litters & our vet told us not to worry, Mom would know instinctively how long was enough! (LOL, are Shepherds smarter than Labs? I think not! I think a Momma is a Momma & she KNOWS what to do!)
I am so looking forward to following along!
Joan, your puppies are really adorable & BIG!
ReplyDeleteI understand my mom saw you today in PA, great!
I admire you for all your hard work, you're a great
dog breeder and seem to really care about your dogs.
joan, your puppies are really adorable! and BIG!
ReplyDeleteThank you for all your hard work! Can't wait to see
them develop as they get older.