Gangsters - 3 weeks!

 Amazing that these guys are 3 weeks old today!

Sure enough, as predicted, they graduated to the 'big pools' in our living room and bedroom whelping kennel areas yesterday.

Bonnie wins the prize for first one out of the pool!  She climbed right over the edge of the little pool and landed in a puddle at my feet.

Mama Lyla and the pups are enjoying having more room to spread out.  Still mostly sleeping and eating, with just a few moments of play in between.

Litterbox training continues, and they're getting tiny little teeth-buds popping through their gums already.  Everyone is still eating well and gaining like the little piggies that they are.

On to the pics from the last few days!

Lyla's wondering how much bigger they can possibly get!

Silly Twist, chewing his own leg.

New digs!  Everyone into the BIG pool!

Nom, nom, nom, nommmmm.

They look almost as big as their mom!

Floyd, Twist, Nelson, Bonnie, Opal.

Gangsters Day 18 - first solid meal!

 Another milestone for the pups!  This morning, we introduced their first solid, raw meal.  They tried out RDF&C (Raw Dog Food & Co)'s Turkey Puppy recipe...and they LOVED it.

As many folks know, we've been feeding a raw, biologically appropriate diet to our pack for nearly 8 years now.  The difference in our dogs' teeth, coats, longevity, poops (so tiny and not smelly!) and overall health since we switched away from kibble has been impressive.

Another thing that really jumps out is the difference in how quickly & easily the pups transition into weaning when they are fed a raw diet.  Back in the days when we fed kibble, it would take days and days (and lots of upset tummies) to convince those little carnivores to eat kibble.  But since we've started weaning directly to raw, the pups 'tell' us when they're ready to begin trying 'real' food - by sniffing about in their mom's bowl a few days before we introduce them to their own food.  

Sure enough, over the last few days, all pups have been showing an interest in Lyla's food, so today was the big day.

I'll be posting lots more about the benefits of a raw diet, along with lots of links and resources, as we really do encourage our puppy homes to keep the pups on raw.  Stay tuned for those informational posts coming up, and for now, here are the pics!

 

Mama Lyla's looking bored while all the pups are in a deep sleep/milk coma!

Puppy pile!

Stink-eye from Lyla while she gets cuddles from Twist, Opal, Bonnie, and Nelson.

Meanwhile, Floyd - 'roaching' behind the scenes.

Floyd (on top of Twist), Twist, Opal, Bonnie, Nelson.

Lyla says, "C'mon guys!  Wake up!  This is boooring!"

And...the first solid meal.  Floyd (left), Bonnie (just sniffing...), and Nelson (pigging out).

Bonnie & Opal really digging in...Nelson seems to have lost the bowl...

Bonnie - creatively climbing INTO the bowl to eat; Nelson found the bowl again; Opal (still nomming.)

Bonnie, Nelson, Opal.

Everbody digging in.  Clockwise from top:  Nelson, Twist, Opal, Bonnie, Floyd.

Annnnnd...back to the milkbar to wash it all down.

Gangsters days 16 & 17

 We have open eyes on all pups!  Bonnie was the last one to decide to take a look at the world...and was staggering about like a drunken sailor yesterday, with one open and one closed...but now we've got 'peepers' open on everyone.

They're starting to show the very beginnings of 'zombie' play...biting at each other with wide-open mouths, and also just beginning to track movements with their eyes.  A few more days of mostly sleeping and eating are most likely on the horizon, and then all heck will break loose as they 'wake up' more and more!

Mama Lyla taking cleaning duties seriously!

Floyd snuggling Lyla; Nelson with 'creative nursing'; Twist & Opal underneath.

Awwww

Bonnie was sleeping this one out.

Milkbar is open!  Floyd, Twist, Bonnie, Opal, Nelson

Pile of Chunky Monkeys! 

Gangsters Days 12 to 15

 We've hit the 2 week mark!  Not a whole lot to report, as pups are still mostly just sleeping and eating all the time.

Opal wins the prize for first eyes open (day 14).   Bonnie is the last pup holding out on keeping her peepers closed.  :)

Floyd wins the prize for first pup to actually 'walk' (ok...stagger) across the pool!

It's going to be a heated competition to see who climbs out of the small pool first (which will prompt me to get out the much bigger pool)...All pups are willing to 'scale' the sides and peek over the edge.

Litter box training begins today, and in the next 5 to 7 days, it'll be time to begin to introduce real food.  Time is just flying by!

And on to the good part - a few pics.  Not a lot, as I've been super busy with work this week, and also, the flash will be off the camera for a week to make sure to protect those newly-opened, delicate eyes.

Opal (top left), Twist, and Bonnie up top.  Nelson & Floyd together at bottom of pic.

I didn't arrange them this way - they did themselves!  💓
From left:  Nelson, Bonnie, Opal, Floyd, Twist

Nelson staggering about, while bonnie, Opal, Twist & Floyd are passed out.

Puppy pile!

Mama Lyla power washing  a nursing Nelson.

Floyd's thinking about waking up and wandering around a bit...

Or maybe just chewing on brother Twist's head...while Bonnie is 'ooozing' across the pool.

Lunch time!

Gangsters Day 10 & 11

While they're not breaking our all-time records, all pups are still growing like crazy.  They're such fat little potatoes!

Mama Lyla is starting to spend a bit more time away from them.  She's not quite ready to let the other dogs near the pups, but she's taking breaks to go outside without prompting, and also enjoying reuniting with her adult packmates.  Then it's right back to the living room whelping pen and either sleeping with them, cleaning them, or nursing them.  Such a good mama.

Upside down nursing!  The pups don't seem to mind - they just climb right up.

Floyd (nursing on Lyla's left side), Opal (opposite Floyd), Nelson (taking a nap), Twist (left of Opal) & Bonnie (on top of Twist).

Later - post-prandial bliss!  Opal & Twist

Back to the milkbar.  Floyd, Nelson, Bonnie

Our spotted turtles got in on the photo action today.  It's not common for ALL 6 of them to be basking at the same time.  Can you find all 6?  And yes - they all have names.  Bertha and Blackie are on the left, in the background.  Seen, Dinah, Bashful, and Helmut are in the foreground.

Back to pups!  Floyd & Bonnie at the milkbar.

Opal on top of the pile!

This angle really shows how big they're getting, compared to mama Lyla!

From left:  Twist, Floyd (underneath), Nelson, Bonnie.  If Opal is in there, she's totally hidden!

Baby Face Nelson

Bonnie Parker

Opal Long

Opal (top), Twist (right), Floyd (left).

Chunky Monkey!  Pretty Boy Floyd.

Kid Twist