14Apr
It felt like a long time waiting for their arrival and now it is hard to believe 2 week have gone by.
I couldn't be happier with their weight gains and their development. Every puppies weight gain has been consistent and if I wasn't keeping an eye on Eclipse, he may not have gained weight as well as he has. I had noticed he got pushed off the milk bar at many feeds so I sat in the whelping box and made sure he got the fuller teats without getting pushed off.
They all have their eyes wide open. Our 2 smallest girls (Evie and Eden) opened their eyes first and the 2 biggest girls opened theirs last (Ellie and Ember). It always makes me smile how they open their eyes and suddenly they seem like can do so much more. From nibbling their own paws, nibbling each other, wanting to nibble my fingers and chin and moving around a lot better than before.
Raven continues to look after them well and is well in herself. Having an attentive mother makes a monumental difference to the puppies, not only are they well fed, clean, unlikely to suffer from constipation but they also gain confidence. They feel a strong sense of security and love which is an excellent start to socialisation and to developing their personality. Raven is calm and content and the puppies feel this from her physical contact and via the hormones in the milk.
ENS and ESI will continue until day 16 and from day 17, I will start sound desensitisation. Sound desensitisation occurs every day until they leave. I found sound clips on the free version of Spotify, specifically for dogs and they added to the repertoire of sounds that I play to the puppies. I don't just do storms and fireworks- I also do construction sounds, parrot noises, children playing, babies crying, waves crashing, doorbells, busy roads, wildlife noises and so much more. When we venture outdoors, the puppies recognise a lot of noises and it becomes background noise that doesn't cause any worry. I also play indoor noises like the vacuum, washing machine, hairdryer etc so they get used to those before they see them.
I couldn't resist using their keepsake bunnies for some Easter photos. I like how I caught Ellie's yawn :)
As part of the daily handling, I stroke every part of their body in the hope that they will be relaxed when it comes to the vet checks. Many dogs don't like their paws or ears being touched and I hope I can avoid that or at least decrease the level of worry that it could bring. The handling increases confidence levels as I am taking them away from their siblings for short amounts of time. They cannot rely on them to hide behind and they aren't using their mum for confidence. This will help as part of their separation anxiety socialisation.
I gradually add and swap items in the whelping box around this time (1 or 2 new items a day). They get accustomed to change and learn to smell new things without feeling stressed. I find that they encounter new items and snuggle up to them. It won't be long until they nibble at them :)
~ Claire 🐾
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