One Week Update

Well, a week and a couple of days, but close enough.  The puppies are still hunkered down, dealing with survival skills.  They are all very talented at eating and sleeping right now. 

#1 Little Reba hasn't really run her chops since her first 24 hours, but she still strikes me as a strong female who will be able to stand on her own.

#2 Gable is super sweet.  All of the black pups have a bit of a white patch except #2 and #7 and it's like they're twins - they look a lot alike and they both have meltingly sweet personalities. 

#3 Asher is taking it all in.  He gets a bit grumpy when you pick him up.  He likes his warm little area he's made and don't disturb his peace and quiet!!  And especially don't pick him up with cold hands!!

#4 Rocky cracks me up every day.  Tony looked at him and said, wow, look at the head on that one!  And as he picked up Rocky, he came up swinging.  I didn't even have to see the mark to know which one he had in his hands.  So funny!  But he has finally started settling into my hands when I'm holding him (which is part of his exercises, but the turning point was when he let me comfort him after doing his dew claws).

#5 Mowhawk is just too darned cute.  He is going to be your typical pug boy.  Love, love, love oh, and show me the food.  He will be very easily trained with treats - lol.  Can't wait to see what happens with the hair/markings/wrinkles on his forehead.

#6 Mystery - this one surprises me.  I expected her to show me something of herself by now, but she's playing it low key, just biding her time.  She is really concentrating on being a puppy, and taking one day at a time.  The mystery is still a mystery!

#7 Bella - talked about her with #2, but the other funny thing about Bella is that she always finds herself at the bottom of the puppy piles.  When I move the litter to change bedding or for whatever reason, she is almost always the last puppy I pick up, and has been protected by her position in relation to the rest of the puppy pack/pile.  She's adorably sweet and cuddly!  And quiet - she might be my favorite - lol.

Isabelle is hanging in there tough.  She's attentive, keeps them very clean and warm and taken care of.  She is starting to rotate them in shifts.  Mostly they eat together, but she is starting to divide them into groups of 3 and 4.  They have to get just a little more mobile before she actually succeeds, but I give her props for trying.  Isabelle rocks! 

She is letting out her inner diva, though.  The other morning as I was getting ready for work, she sat in her whelping pen and started bossing.  She wanted the bedding in the pen changed, she thanked me for the strip of venison that was longer than she was, and she was happy that there was kibble available, but she made me promise to bring her some chicken with bone at lunchtime to keep up her calcium.  Not that I wasn't handling it all, anyway, it was just the WAY she started telling me what needed to be done that cracked me up. 

Even when she's out of her pen, she isn't very far from her pups.  Here is Isabelle keeping vigil while her pups sleep.