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Skylar / Sawyer |
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Price: $1300 male or female |
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Breeding: Skylar is a 4th generation descendent of Hank from the "Hunting with Hank" TV show and is of Dashing Bondhu lines. She has an amazing prey drive and lives to be outdoors hunting, pointing critters and leaping effortlessly with an amazing spring in her stride all the while holding a high and lively tail. Being a daughter of Benelli, we hope that her pups will continue the tradition of being extremely bird crazy pups. Skylar has been evaluated by OFA for hips = GOOD, eyes = NORMAL and thyroid = NORMAL. Sawyer is of Blizzard/Bondhu lines that includes Awbonnie's Bull and he is the perfect combination of our foundation dogs Duchess and Splash. He's got a serious prey drive and intensity with a stylish 10:00 tail while on point and is a natural retriever. He's the typical happy-go-lucky male setter with a little bit of goofball mixed in with a serious hunter. Sawyer has been evaluated by OFA for hips = GOOD, eyes = NORMAL and by Embark DNA for congenital hypothyroidism = CLEAR Check out the PEDIGREE. This litter will consist of all chestnut pups with a probability of 50/50 chestnut to chestnut tricolor based on the following coat color genetics: |
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*All reservations are secured with A $200 deposit.
The Pups: |
T H E P U P P I E S |
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Status: |
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| Puppy #: (according to birth order) |
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| Call Name: |
AAero |
AAjax |
AAlfie |
AAngus |
AArchie |
AAtticus |
AAvery |
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Gender: |
Male |
Male |
Male |
Male |
Male |
Male |
Male |
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Colors: |
Chestnut Tricolor |
Chestnut |
Chesnut Tricolor |
Chestnut |
Chestnut |
Chestnut |
Chestnut |
| Birth Stats: |
Born: 8:27 pm Weight: 12.1 oz Length: 7" |
Born: 8:51 pm Weight: 14.1 oz Length: 7 1/2" |
Born: 9:30 pm Weight: 12.7 oz Length: 7 1/4" |
Born: 9:48 pm Weight: 10.8 oz Length: 6 3/4" |
Born: 11:08 pm Weight: 11.4 oz Length: 7" |
Born: 11:26 pm Weight: 14.3 oz Length: 7 1/2" |
Born: 11:45 pm |
| Name Meaning: | Of the Sky | Of the Earth | Elf or magical counsel | One strength | truly brave, bold | Of/From Attica | Ruler of the elves |
| Markings: |
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Click on any of the photos to super size them. |
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Puppy Profiles
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P U P P Y P R O F I L E S The pups have been given a temperament rating at 5 weeks of age based on the following observations: Interaction, Play, Cradle, Call back, Tuck and Pat, Bend over, Nose kiss, Toe squeeze, Startle sound, and Uplift. (See definitions of the observations and ratings at the bottom of the table). However, please note that this evaluation is done a couple weeks earlier than the recommended age. Pup personalities will continue to evolve based on environmental factors and eventually training by their new owners. |
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Temperament Types:
The Tests:
Results:
Excerpts taken from https://www.dummies.com/pets/dogs/how-to-test-a-puppys-temperament/
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Miscellaneous Litter Photos:
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Birth Week (click on thumbnails below to display full size in upper frame) |
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Week 1 (click on thumbnails below to display full size in upper frame) |
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Week 2 (click on thumbnails below to display full size in upper frame) |
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Week 3 (click on thumbnails below to display full size in upper frame) |
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Week 4 (click on thumbnails below to display full size in upper frame) |
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Week 5 (click on thumbnails below to display full size in upper frame) |
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Week 6 (click on thumbnails below to display full size in upper frame) |
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Video Clips: (hosted by YouTube on the Hickory Hollow Llewellins channel)
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V I D E O C L I P S |
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"Newborn Pups" -- Video taken 01/19/21 @ 10:35 pm Here is your first up-close-and-personal glimpse of the "Litter AA" pups at just barely 24-hours old. Their instincts to nurse and seek warmth are above all else at this point. They are all healthy and strong and are just amazing to watch while being so young. |
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"Dinner Time" -- Video taken 01/27/21 @ 10:36 am Momma Skylar enters the box and the pups come toddling over to secure a position on the milk bar. The pups are becoming more vocal and squeal with excitement and coo with enjoyment of their meal. Toward the end they also protest the fact that the milk is running out. |
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"Wash Up Before Meal" -- Video taken 01/31/21 @ 10:24 am Momma Skylar cleans up the box and her pups before she lays down to offer them their mid-morning milkbar. In the meantime you get a good glimpse into how well they are getting around on all fours now compared to just a few days ago and also hear their voices of protest of the clean up effort and demand for a snack. Pups have also just started pooping on their own without stimulation from momma, so the box will need a little more tending to going forward. |
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"When Milk Runs Low" -- Video taken 02/04/21 @ 10:49 am This is a cute video that shows how you know when the milkbar is running dry. You can hear the pups making gulping sounds which get faster and faster as they suckle, their body starts to tense up and tails get more rigid and start to rise. Then once their faucet dries up, they pop off and play musical teats until they find a new one only to realize that one is dry too. Once that whole scenario plays out, then they settle down for nap time. |
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"Milkbar Pile-Up" -- Video taken 02/05/21 @ 10:15 am The pups are getting so big now that they really can no longer lay side-by-side at the milkbar, so now they just pile on top of each other and start digging for a faucet. Rolly-polly pups sometimes pop off and roll away, but come back and dig their way back in. It's becoming a rarity to see momma Skylar laying down to nurse, she more often will sit so the pups pile up even more underneath her. |
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"Puppy Voices/Glimpses of Play" -- Video taken 02/08/21 @ 7:22 am This is a great video of the puppies exercising their voices. In this clip you will hear their yips, yaps, howls and rolling growls as I've described in the blog. I hope you get as much enjoyment out of their little voices as I do. If you watch their behavior closely, you will also see glimpses of the beginnings of play behavior between the pups as they begin to interact more and more with each other. |
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"Momma Playtime" -- Video taken 02/12/21 @ 7:49 am I recorded this video just shortly after I had cleaned the box and the pups were out playing on the floor then momma Skylar joined the fun. I'm always on alert for unique and precious moments to capture and this was one of those times. You can see how she playfully interacts with her pups and they respond. I thought it was so cute the way they hung out over the door to the box watching as she nursed then played with one of their brothers. They certainly are an inquisitive bunch. |
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"Standing Milkbar" -- Video taken 02/12/21 @ 10:32 am I just happened to have my camera with me so I was able to capture this moment on video. I have seen momma Skylar stand to nurse a few times, but that is not the norm yet. The pups have to sit on their haunches or stand to nurse all the while try to keep their balance as Skylar is also thrown off balance as the pups jump up on her and pull her from side to side. Momma Skylar has certainly set the bar a little high, LOL! |
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"The New Playpen" -- Video taken 02/14/21 @ 6:04 pm The pups are now a day shy of 4 weeks old so today they made the move to the Puppy Cottage and got to experience their new 9x5 puppy playpen encolosure for the first time. I thought you would enjoy getting to see their first few moments in their new surroundings and how they react to it all. It doesn't take long for the first pup to find his way to the comfy bed and crash for a nap. Other pups eventually follow suit. |
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"First Weaning Meal" -- Video taken 02/15/21 @ 9:52 am I had to scramble to get all the pups to stay around the feeding dish since they didn't know what it was at first. There were a few I had to chase around the cottage just to catch them -- behind the laundry baskets and under the water heater -- so I was a little out of breath (hopefully you can't hear that in the clip), but once they figured it out what was in the bowl they ate with gusto and thought it was good to the last drop! The video also shows momma Skylar cleaning up the pups faces which I think is always a precious moment to capture on video. |
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"Meal Cleanup" -- Video taken 02/19/21 @ 10:25 am This video was taken right at the end of a weaning meal for the pups. I was hoping to catch some cute moments of momma Skylar cleaning puppy faces, but she was more interested in lick-shining the flying saucer pan. I must say that her helping with the clean up is appreciated, that way I don't have any chunks of left over food going down the drain. She's surely good at what she does, she should be hired as a dishwasher somewhere, because once she's done you can hardly tell it's been used. :0)~ |
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"Puppies Being Puppies" -- Video taken 02/22/21 @ 10:10 am This is a cute video clip of the pups during playtime after a weaning meal in the cottage. The boys can be seen chewing on momma Skylar's comfy bed as well as each other or anything else they can get their mouths on. Their interaction with each other is fun to see, the play bowing and growls crack me up. Playtime on the floor with the pups can be painful because they will chew anything, even on me! Puppy teeth are sharp, even through socks! |
pUpdates BLOG (Litter AA):
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Monday, March 15, 2021 (Week 8, Day 56) Today our last pup Atticus got to meet his new momma Wendy Taylor. She traveled by air all the way from Mesa Arizona to pick up her new baby boy, bringing along with her a bunch of goodies that any new puppy parent would be excited to have. New carrier, new leash, new toys, harness, chewies, food, etc. She was just giddy with excitement over all her puppy items that she was finally going to get to use with her new puppy! She said she's been stock piling her goodies for a few weeks in anticipation of picking up her pup and today's the day. Wendy will call her pup Dylan and he will have an older Llew sister named Cheyenne (Krystal, Litter K). I'm excited he will also have the opportunity to hunt and be trained for sport dog events. Week 6 miscellaneous litter photos have been posted above. Well, that's all for Litter AA folks, it's been fun! Stay tuned for Litter BB, due in a few short weeks! |
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Saturday, March 13, 2021 (Week 7, Day 54) Well folks, the LIVE Puppy Cam is now offline for this litter. Unfortunately my subscription for the Puppy Playpen camera expired last night, so the final couple days while AAtticus is here can't be broadcast to the internet. My apologies for the bad timing on that. The subscription will be renewed next month for Litter BB so stay tuned for that. In the meantime AAtticus has been doing fine and will be going home very soon! I received an update on AAjax (now Elvis), he has finally arrived to his new home in Juneau Alaska after a long cross-country trek and his family is "smitten". So far he's been super easy and is quiet while in his kennel, and has a desire to chase things. I posted a photo of him with the kids in his new family, pictured are Ava, Mya and Lyla Gibson. |
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Friday, March 12, 2021 (Week 7, Day 53) AAtticus went to see the vet this morning to be issued his health certificate for his flight on Monday with his new momma and the vet said all is good!! He was the perfect gentleman during the 2-hour round trip with not even a whimper however he did get car sick, poor little guy. When we arrived at the vet he was a drooling mess, but this is why I always bring along a bag with essential items which I call my "cleanup kit" and in it I have several old dog towels which I used to cleanup his face and chest. Poor little pumpkin, it's hard to see them like that. I hope he rides better for his momma when she arrives from Arizona to pick him up on Monday. |
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Monday, March 8th, 2021 (Week 7, Day 49) Week 7 Developmental Milestone: Pups go home! Pups are officially 7 weeks old today, however since Day 49 is on an awkward day of the week, I agreed to let pups go a couple days early so they could travel on the weekend. As of today we have three pups left here at HHLS but not for long as two more are leaving this morning. The pups in this litter are probably the most scattered across the country as any litter we've ever had. The pups that have left so far have stayed here in Iowa and close by in our neighboring state of Wisconsin, but the final three pups are headed west and I mean WAY WEST to Montana, Alaska and Arizona! Since we are not air shipping puppies right now due to COVID-19, Rod Madsen arrived around 9:00 this morning after his two day drive from Montana to pick up his new pup AAero and also retrieve AAjax for the Gibsons who live in Alaska. AAero's new name will be Duke and he will have an older Llew brother named "Hank" from Litter G (aka Gideon) to "play" with (aka terrorize). He will have a great home in Montana with Rod who is a retired veterinarian. AAjax will be traveling with AAero back to Montana where Dave Gibson will fly into Montana from Alaska and pick him up from Rod, then make the long drive back to Alaska with his new pup. We figured it would be a shorter drive from Montana back to Alaska than from Iowa, so Rod was gracious to offer to transport their pup all the way home with him to Montana for pickup there. Thanks Rod! AAjax's new name will be Elvis. We are now down to only one pup left here at Hickory Hollow and that's AAtticus. He will be with us for another week as he will be flying at 8 weeks in-cabin with his new mom Wendy as she will be traveling here to pick him up in person from Arizona. Stay tuned for notes and photos on his pickup day. Here's how the pups weighed-in on pickup day along with their new names:
A final set of puppy portraits have been taken with their new families on pickup day and have been posted above. AAtticus photos to follow after he's picked up. |
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Four pups left Hickory Hollow today to start the next chapter of their lives with their new families! Usually pups leave at 7 weeks which would be Day 49, but since that day falls on a Monday for this litter, I decided to let the pups go a couple days early so they could enjoy the weekend with their new families. I always provide my clients with a puppy care package that includes a fleece puppy blanket, small bag of food, a rawhide chewy and an adjustable puppy collar. First was AAlfie. His new parents Sam and Katie arrived around 11:00 am to pickup their new baby. They were so sweet and full of praises and questions which I am always happy to answer. I told them I am always here for my clients unless I'm dead or in the hospital with COVID-19, LOL (funny/not funny). In lieu of a 4-week puppy visit, we had done a Zoom call prior to puppy selection and they got to see live closeups of the pups in order to help them make their decision. In seeing their faces today I think they made the right one! AAlfie's new name will be Aldo and he will be living with them in Wisconsin. Next was AAvery. His new dad Jordan (and girlfriend) arrived around 1:00 pm and was super excited to meet his new pup. He had asked me about the travel carrier he had prior to arriving today and thought it might be too small because it was designed for cats. He was right, it ended up being too short for AAvery to sit up in the kennel without hitting his head, so Jordan purchased a travel kennel from me. FYI, I usually have them on hand for when I air ship puppies, and therefore just happened to have one for him today. I'm so thankful for such thoughtful and responsible puppy parents who always put the comfort of their pups before all else. AAvery fit comfortably in the new kennel with his soft and comfy fleece puppy blanket, so I'm hoping he snuggled in for the ride back to Wisconsin. AAvery's new name will be Wallace and they will call him Wally for short. Lastly was AAngus and AArchie. Their new parents Bill and Jeanne arrived around 3:00 pm to pickup their boys! I'm so happy they will get to stay together as they have really been good buddies while here at Hickory Hollow. Both Bill and Jeanne had their favorite pups singled out before puppy selection and I was pleased to hear that AAngus was Bill's favorite and AArchie was Jeanne's; it just can't get any better than that! I'm
sure the pair of pups will give them a run for their money, but since the pups have each other, they will entertain each other and keep the other occupied, remain good playmates and take some of the pressure off their new puppy parents. I'm also excited to report that AArchie has been singled out for potential breeding, so he could be a future HHLS stud if he passes his health testing in a couple years. I am just over-the-moon with excitement about the development and really look forward to working together with Bill and Jeanne on this endeavor to continue the Skylar x Sawyer
bloodline. The pups will remain in Iowa and will be living only about 1.5 hours away, so very convenient for breeding. I was also delighted to hear that both the boys will keep their Litter AA names, however they will be spelled with only one leading "A". :0)~ |
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Wednesday, March 3, 2021 (Week 6, Day 44) I've been really busy lately, it's just crazy around here! I have been getting puppy document packets ready to go for puppy pickup appointments this weekend, but managed to get the Week 6 Puppy Portraits taken today and posted above. I probably won't be blogging too much more often, the pups are taking up more time lately with all the daily dewormings, increased number of feedings now that they're weaned, plus additional playpen cleanings and getting ready for pickup appointments. I've still got to take a couple pups to the vet for Health Certificates so they can travel across the country (Alaska and Arizona), so super busy, busy! We look forward to meeting everyone soon! |
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Monday, March 1st, 2021 (Week 6, Day 42) Week 6 Developmental Milestone: Eye color starts changing from blue to gold This week, the puppies eyes will start to transition from their current baby blues to their final adult color which is gold for chestnuts. It's too bad they have to lose those beautiful baby blues so soon... The transition takes a few weeks and the color mix (sea green/azure blue) during the transition is neat to see. Here's how the pups weigh-in at 6 weeks old:
Today is a big day for the pups, they will receive their first distemper/parvo vaccination and they will be microchipped and paw printed. Between 5-6 weeks I always run a few random fecal floats and evaluate the samples under a microscope to see how our anti-parasitic program is progressing. In the three samples I checked I didn't see any evidence of worms (no eggs present), but I did find a few coccidia on the slide, so the entire litter will be treated for that parasite for the next 5 days using a liquid medication called Fenbendazole (Safeguard). Each pup will be weighed daily and treated individually with the medication dose mixed in with a small canned food meal. This medication will effectively treat the coccidia as well as all types of intestinal worms and giardia, so they should be completely clean by the time they start leaving this weekend. At this point I will also start limiting Skylar's nursing sessions with the pups so they will be entirely weaned by the end of this week. She will still spend the overnight hours with the pups, but will limit daytime hours to check-in visits only and I will start feeding three or four dry kibble meals per day in absence of milkbar meals. Week 5 miscellaneous litter photos are now posted above. It's getting harder and harder to get cute pics of the pups because they are constantly on the move. Hope you enjoy what I have captured. |
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The pups are now officially "little monsters"! Dinnertime and playtime are complete chaos in the cottage. Puppies are bounding EVERYWHERE and are into EVERYTHING! I've had to put up a 2' fence around the perimiter of the room to keep the pups out from under the water heater and out of the laundry baskets and from climbing up on my storage shelf, but despite my efforts, the pups still manage to grab a corner of a towel through the fencing and play tug trying to pull it out of the laundry basket and through the fencing. Jumping around and playing with each other causes food kibble to go flying when a pup lands in the food dish, then there's always the task of keeping up with pee and poo spots, but for the most part many of the pups are going back into the playpen to potty in the shavings which I'm happy to see. I should reassign nicknames for a couple of the pups on their personality profiles based on recent behavior over the past couple days. I would call AAvery "The Pantleg Puller" because no matter where I go he's attached to my pantleg and likes swinging around with movement of my leg. As soon as I stop moving, he's tugging, tugging, tugging! I would call AAtticus "The Attention Hound" because he's always the first in my lap or trying to climb my leg or knocking his littermates out of the way for my attention, or maybe call him "The Digger Doggie" because he seems to be the one digging all the sawdust out of the corners to expose the rubber floor, the little stinker! I will try to get some footage of this chaos, but I'm warning you now, it's NOT pretty! (Yeah, I know you are all thinking it may not be pretty, but it's probably pretty funny!) I once had a girlfriend bring out her young daughter (around 7 years old) to see the puppies thinking it would be so fun to play with the sweet little babies at this age, but after less than 5 minutes in the play area with the little monsters she literally begged to get away from them! They are ruthless and relentless and have really sharp teeth! |
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Friday, February 26, 2021 (Week 5, Day 39) The pups are now becoming mischievous! They certainly have sweet little innocent faces, but don't let them fool you. If you watch the LIVE Puppy Cam at all, you may catch them doing naughty things! Yesterday I had to remove the comfy bed from the enclosure as one or more of the curious pups figured out the zipper on one end of the bed was fun to tug on. Once the zipper was opened they proceeded to pull out some of the stuffing because I found it strewn all over the enclosure. Usually the zipper isn't the true issue though, the pups just merely chew off a corner of the bed and pull the stuffing out. Once they figure that out they will keep doing it so it needs to be removed for the safety of all the pups. The last thing we need is for them to eat the stuffing which will cause bigger problems. Lately they haven't been sleeping in it much anyway, they seem to prefer laying up against the tile on the opposite end of the playpen. They also eventually find the edge of the rubber floor liner by the walls and start to tug on that. Last evening I found they had tugged on it and ripped it about 1/4 way across the width of the playpen so another repair job will be in order before Shelby's litter is born later this spring. This is the time when I start putting big landscaping bricks down to keep the rubber flooring from being pulled back and/or ripped up. The last week and a half are always the hardest with the pups because their actions and my reactions are ongoing to try and provide them with the healthiest and safest environment that I can. |
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Wednesday, February 24, 2021 (Week 5, Day 37) Puppy weaning is still progressing as planned. I am feeding them 2 - 3 times per day opposite momma Skylar's nursing sessions. They are currently eating a mixture of dried kibble, canned food and warm water. They still aren't great at drinking from the water bowl and sometimes accidentally inhale it or get water down the wrong tube, so the added water in their weaning meal is a good way to help keep them hydrated. Once they get better at drinking from the water bowl without choking, I will decrease the water in their weaning meals. Noise conditioning is also progressing nicely. Over the past few days while the pups are eating or playing, I've been doing my "percussion sessions" which consist of tapping on different types of surfaces to create different tones of sound and also at different volumes. I have been clinking forks on the dog food cans, glass dishes, steel dishes, clapping hands, tapping on the countertop, walls or doors. Each surface makes a different type of noise so I am exposing them to a wide-variety of sounds. At first the pups would startle at the new noise, they'd shrink down close to the floor and slink off in search of a safer place to be, but just over the past three days I've noticed a HUGE improvement. They no longer shrink down to the floor, they either stop what their doing, look up and listen, or are curious about it and seek it out by walking toward the sound. The next phase of their conditioning will be for them to be completely oblivious to it and ignore it altogether. I've seen that behavior already in a few of the pups, they just go about their playtime as if nothing happened. Week 5 Puppy Portraits and Week 4 miscellaneous litter photos have been posted above. |
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Tuesday, February 23, 2021 (Week 5, Day 36)
After a delay in the Puppy Selection process yesterday, we are back on track this morning. The reservation list has been revised and we are moving forward again. Puppy Selection Status: Well, that does it folks, all the pups have been chosen! Next up is invoicing which I will be sending via e-mail soon. |
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Monday, February 22nd, 2021 (Week 5, Day 35)
Week 5 Developmental Milestone: Puppy Selection / Noise Desensitization / Socialization / Potty Training This is one of the most anticipated times in this process; Puppy Selection time! In just a few days (or even in a matter of hours) all the puppies will have been assigned a new family! That's exciting stuff!! The pups will still have lots of opportunities for socialization in the next couple weeks. I will also continue to concentrate on acclimating them to noises of all varieties so by the time they leave they will be desensitized to strange sounds. During each mealtime or play session I have started incorporating what I call "percussion sessions" into the mix. During that time I will make a variety of different sounds while increasing then decreasing volume and severity including tapping on metal pans, knocking on walls, stomping the floor, opening and closing doors, running a can opener, playing Christian pop music on the radio, and whatever else we can think of to condition them for life after Hickory Hollow. The pups are also in the first stages of potty training. During playtime, any pups that start to potty on the floor are swiftly airlifted and placed into the playpen to finish the job (this reinforces the area where I desire them to potty), but most choose to go in and potty in the pine shavings on their own. By the time they go home, they associate the "place to potty" with the pine shavings so I always suggest using the same philosophy at home by placing some pine shavings in the yard when potty training pups to go outside. That association with the pine shavings and the place to potty can help speed up the house training process. Here's how the pups weigh-in at 5 weeks:
Just posted a new video clip called "Puppies Being Puppies" filmed during a play session today. ENJOY! Since today is when Puppy Selection starts, I have added a Status row to the top of the Puppy Stats table, all pups are marked as "Available" right now and as they are selected, the status will be updated to "Reserved". I will start calling people on the reservation list later this morning after puppy chores have been done. Stay tuned! Puppy Selection Status:
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Later today I will be posting puppy personality profiles in preparation for Puppy Selection starting tomorrow. I plan to sit down with them today during playtime and put some observations on paper to create a bio as well as perform the aptitude tests because folks are asking for them. I realize they will be used as a gauge for making puppy selection decisions, but please bear in mind, these aptitude tests are usually done on pups at youngest 7 weeks, so take these results at only 5 weeks with a minimal grain of sand. Overall temperament of your pup can also be shaped by their new home environments and training, so there will be a lot of psychological development that will happen after they leave HHLS. Update: 4:30 pm: During my observatory play session, here are some things I jotted down: Update 10:45 pm: Personality profiles have been posted above. After spending a good portion of the day evaluating pups and assigning temerament ratings, observing interaction with others and writing up their bios, I am finally done. I'm sorry for posting so late this evening, but this process always takes a while to do.
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Saturday, February 20, 2021 (Week 4, Day 33)
Weaning is still going great, today I have started adding dry kibble to the goat's milk, canned puppy food mix to create a thicker mixture. The pups are eager and willing to try kibble, in fact I have caught a few pups stealing a few kibbles out of momma Skylar's bowl during playtime. Therefore, I think I am going to start removing the liquid from the mix starting tomorrow and just feed them canned food mixed with dry kibble. This is a much
more filling meal for the pups and will help to satisfy their hunger for a longer time allowing me to spread out their meals a littler longer. |
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Friday, February 19, 2021 (Week 4, Day 32)
The pups are getting big enough now that I have removed the platform underneath the water dish and have repaced it with a ring of garden stones that the pups can use as stepping stones to reach the water. I have done this for a couple reasons; the platform is something that past litters have enjoyed chewing the corners so it's best to remove it before that starts to happen, and also the pups tend to enjoy pooping on it, so it will keep the area around the water dish more sanitary. I have also posted a new video clip called "Meal Cleanup" showing momma Skylar cleaning the flying saucer pan as well as a couple of her pups. |
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Wednesday, February 17, 2021 (Week 4, Day 30)
Week 4 Puppy Portraits are now posted above. They just keep getting cuter and cuter! |
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Tuesday, February 16, 2021 (Week 4, Day 29)
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Monday, February 15th, 2021 (Week 4, Day 28) Week 4 Development Milestone: Weaning Begins / Rough Play Weaning begins this week! Starting today the pups will be fed supplemental meals from a flying saucer pan on the floor rather than nursing from momma Skylar all the time. I'll start with a porridge of warm goat's milk mixed with Gerber Baby Rice Cereal for the first few meals so they can get used to lapping up and swallowing a thicker meal, then transition to canned puppy food mixed into that porridge and later add soggy kibble, and eventually mix in dry kibble, then slowly remove the wet food until they are on solid dry. This progression will happen gradually through the next couple weeks until they are given only dry kibble starting at week six. Play behavior started late in the pups' second week, but this week it will turn rough and rowdy with pouncing, pinning, biting, pulling, head shaking, chewing and growling. By the end of this week I will lovingly refer to them as "my little monsters", because they will bite and chew anything they can get their mouths on, including their siblings, show laces, toes, ankles, fingers and long hair. A play session on the floor with the pups can be painful at times and sensitive areas of the body need to be protected! As their personalities emerge more this week, I will start formulating some comments for the pup Personality Profiles so they are posted by the time Puppy Selection starts next Monday! Here's how the pups weigh-in at 4 weeks old: (last daily weight, now weighing only weekly)
Week 3 miscellaneous litter photos have been posted above. New Video, "First Weaning Meal" - I had to scramble to get all the pups to stay around the feeding dish since they didn't know what it was at first. There were a few I had to chase around the cottage just to catch them -- behind the laundry baskets and under the water heater -- so I was a little out of breath (hopefully you can't hear that in the clip), but once they figured it out what was in the bowl they ate
with gusto and thought it was good to the last drop! The video also shows momma Skylar cleaning up the pups faces which I think is always a precious moment to capture on video. |
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HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY! I hope you are sharing this special day with loved ones. I am really fortunate to have my wonderful hubby John by my side; he is a partner to me in every way. He is also a silent partner in this Hickory Hollow Llewellins business venture, because he really does a lot behind the scenes. When I have been up overnight assisting momma with whelping and am completely exhausted, he helps me prepare up the nursery by placing the tarp over the carpet, preparing the whelping box and setting up the warming lamp among many other things. Raising these pups is truly a labor of love, but I couldn't do it without him! I am also surrounded by our loving Llews and these seven beautiful pups that bring us great joy! Here is a little something special for you on this special day of love. I hope these previously unseen portrait photos warm your hearts today on this day of hearts! Sending LOVE and HUGS to everyone today from all of us here at Hickory Hollow!
Today will be a very exciting day for the pups here at HHLS, they will receive their first weaning meal and will be moving out to their new enclosure in the Puppy Cottage. Stay tuned for video clips of these milestone events! The pups are becoming so vocal -- yips, barks and growls -- romping and playing with each other and moving around the box thumping and bumping the sides, that it's becoming very difficult to get a full and uninterrupted night's sleep. This is about the time that they outgrow the whelping box anyway, they saturate the carpeted floor and it's harder for momma Skylar to keep the pups and the box clean, so the move is appropriately timed. Therefore, the LIVE Puppy Cam will be down temporarily for a short period today during the move. Update 8:36 pm: The pups have been sucessfully relocated to the puppy playpen and are settling in nicely. I posted the video "The New Playpen" above so you could share the moment when they experienced their new enclosure for the first time. |
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Friday, February 12, 2021 (Week 3, Day 25)
I captured a couple really cute videos of the pups this morning, here's quick synopsis of each: Momma Playtime - I had just finished cleaning out the box after breakfast and the pups were playing out on the nursery floor when momma Skylar came in. I'm always on alert for fun and unique precious moments with the pups to capture for you and this was one of those times. Momma Skylar went into the box, the pups followed her, she exited the box and the pups tried to follow her again. Check out the pups hanging over the doorway to the box, simply precious. You can also catch glimpses of Skylar playing with her pups too. Standing Milkbar - About mid-morning, Skylar asked me to let her in to visit her pups and offer them a meal. This time she chose to stand and allow them to nurse. While this method is not the norm yet it is becoming more frequent. The pups are still on the small side for this style of nursing as you can see the pups have to stand on their back legs in order to reach the milkbar and really struggle to keep their balance when their brothers are leaning on them and fighting for their faucet. All this jostling around pulls Skylar off balance too. I laughed thinking Skylar has set the bar a little high, LOL!
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Thursday, February 11, 2021 (Week 3, Day 24)
Week 3 puppy portraits are now posted above. Just look at how much these little beauties have matured over the past week. Their muzzles and jowls have elongated, their eyes are larger and open wider and their ticking is starting to show on their legs and muzzles. "Ticking" is what we call the spots of colored hair that intermingles with their white coats. Their ticking will continue to emerge as they mature and pups will
be fully ticked by around 8 or 9 months of age. They're just such CUTE little subjects, I hope you enjoy these photos as much as I do! |
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Wednesday, February 10, 2021 (Week 3, Day 23)
First, I want to thank everyone for all the wonderful feedback I've been getting about this litter, from just the sheer beauty of these pups to all the photos, videos and blogging being posted about them. I have to say it's been my pleasure and I'm glad you all are checking in daily and enjoying the process because that's the entire reason why I do all that stuff. :0)~ Now, on to the good stuff! The little "hoglet" sitation has seemed to straighten itself out with my intervention of rotating the lacking pups on the bigger teats and putting the pudgy pups on the smaller teats (which they didn't care for I might add). The little plumpers are now not gaining as much and the other pups that were lacking are catching up. Mother Nature is just not fair and never has been, so I like to jump in there and even out the playing field. Here's how the pups weigh-in today:
Yesterday was the first time I've noticed Skylar intentionally standing to nurse versus trying to snag a faucet while momma is busy cleaning the box. The pups are so funny while trying to catch a moving target but their natural determination is surely a sight to see. I am working on Week 3 puppy portraits and hope to have them posted sometime tomorrow. |
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Monday, February 8th, 2021 (Week 3, Day 21) Week 3 Development Milestone: Play Behavior This is my absolute favorite time with the pups! Their eyes are open and they are noticing things around them, they are hearing now so they react to my voice and other noises and they are walking around and actually keeping their balance and are becoming playful and inquisitive about their surroundings. We are now seeing early glimpses of play in a video I just posted above "Puppy Voices / Glimpses of Play" so this week the pups will start playing with each other more and more, bowing, yipping, pouncing and gently chewing on each other. Their individual personalities begin to emerge and by now they have already begun to do some of their natural doggy behavior for the first time instead of just sleeping and nursing all the time. The pups are also becoming quite vocal. There are a few pups that are very animated and "talkative", speaking in rolling growls as also seen in the new video. Actual barking, versus yips, is becoming more and more frequent, and at this point I actually like to hear their little voices, which will change the older and louder they become. Here's how the pups weigh-in at 3 weeks old:
Week 2 miscellaneous litter photos are posted above. |
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Saturday, February 6, 2021 (Week 2, Day 19)
The pups are starting to cut teeth now. If I pull back their upper lip, I can see the teeth are just below the gum line, and the pointed tips will be breaking through any time. All I can say once that happens is "poor momma Skylar" as it becomes more and more uncomfortable for her to nurse. Here's how the pups weigh-in today:
Over the past few days, a few "hoglets" as I lovingly call them, have emerged in the group. There are a couple pups that are hogging all the milk and are gaining 4 to 6 ounces per day versus the other pups that are around 2 ounces per day. Those pups are AAjax and AAero, so I have been closely monitoring momma Skylar's nursing sessions and have been rotating the pups with less weight gain on the heavier teats so they get a few larger meals. Hopefully this will help even out the overall weight gain of the litter instead of a couple pups gaining a superfluous amount over the others.
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Friday, February 5, 2021 (Week 2, Day 18)
Today I noticed that momma Skylar is now sitting to nurse instead of always laying flat out. When she comes into the box to clean up after her pups, they are now looking upward for a faucet on the milkbar and will try to latch on to momma even though she's a moving target. Here's how the pups weigh-in today:
I just posted a really cute video called "Milkbar Pile Up" in the Video Clips section above. The pups are getting so big now that they really can no longer lay side-by-side at the milkbar, so now they just pile on top of each other and start digging for a faucet. Rolly-polly pups sometimes pop off and roll away, but come back and dig their way back in. It's becoming a rarity to see momma Skylar laying down to nurse, she more often will sit so the pups pile up even more underneath her.
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Thursday, February 4, 2021 (Week 2, Day 17)
The pups are hearing much better lately now that their ear canals are fully opened. They wake when I talk to them or snap my fingers and seem to be enjoying hearing their own voices as they appear to be testing them out more and more. Their little yips, yaps, howls and rolling growls really crack me up. It's interesting how momma Skylar can tell the difference between when her pups are just "chit chatting" or just saying "I'm hungry" or are in distress. Her reaction those calls equals the urgency in her pups voices. Now that the pups are seeing really well and also walking around like pros, I had to add the half door to the whelping box opening so that the pups don't escape from the enclosure. They are starting to climb up on the side rails, so I figure it wouldn't be long before they got up and over that opening. I just posted another video above titled "When Milk Runs Low", which is a cute video that shows how you know when the milkbar is starting to run dry. In the video clip, you can hear the pups making gulping sounds which get faster and faster as they suckle, their body starts to tense up and tails get more rigid and start to rise. Then once their faucet dries up, they pop off and play musical teats until they find a new one only to realize that one is dry too. Once that whole scenario plays out, then they settle down for nap time, pretty much staying piled on top of each other and snuggled into mom. Here's how the pups weigh-in today:
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Wednesday, February 3, 2021 (Week 2, Day 16)
Today was the last day for the Super Dog program. The pups are getting around really well now and when they walk they waddle and tend to wag their hips and tail with every step, it's just so cute! They are also yipping and barking more often now. It's kind of comical, I'll be sitting in the other room working on the computer and then I'll hear a single yowl and I just have to giggle. Here's how the pups weigh-in today, a couple of the pups have hit the 3 pound mark already!
Week 2 Puppy Portraits have been posted above. ENJOY! :0)~ |
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Tuesday, February 2, 2021 (Week 2, Day 15)
Good news, the remaining three pups have their eyes open this morning just in time for their 2 Week Puppy Portraits to be taken later today.
The area where the dew claws were removed has healed nicely and most of the scabs have fallen off already. I also noticed their toenails are getting pretty long so they will get their first nail trims today which will make taking their photos much easier because their nails won't get caught in the towel that I use for a backdrop. Miscellaneous photos from Week 1 have been posted above. Pups will get their first deworming dose today. |
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Monday, February 1st, 2021 (Week 2, Day 14) Week 2 Developmental Milestone: Ears will open / Cutting Teeth Now that the puppies eyes are mostly open they will begin to see clearer and clearer each day. Supposedly they can only see shadows for the first few days, but pretty soon they will begin to notice me as I come into the nursery and will wander to the edge of the box for some love and attention. Just as significant as the eyes opening, the ear canals will deepen this week until they will become completely open and allow the pups to hear crisp noises and not just muffled sounds. Later this week, the pups will be noticeably affected by all the new sounds around them, so I am usually very careful for the first few days to introduce them to noises gently and try not to scare them. They will also begin to cut teeth, first the canines will poke through followed by the incisors a few days later. Here's how the pups weigh-in at 2 weeks old:
Our little Angus finally passed the 2 pound mark today, YAY! He's smaller than the rest but catching up! I will post miscellaneous litter photos from Week 1 sometime this evening. |
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Sunday, January 31, 2021 (Week 1, Day 13)
More eye-opening news today! It's so fun to see those beautiful baby blues, they are just so precious and the pups personalities seems to change almost instantly because of it. I look forward to the day when they can see and hear and come over to the edge of the box to say "Hello" when I come in the room. Here's how the pups measure up today:
Today is the first day I've noticed any puppy poo smell in the nursery. Up until now Momma Skylar has kept the pups immaculately clean, but now that pups are pooping on their own, the task will become more difficult. I just posted a cute video "Wash Up Before Meal" of the clean up process Momma Skylar goes through each time she enters the box. During the video clip you can see how well the pups are getting around on all fours and also hear their little voices as they protest the cleanup and demand a snack.
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Saturday, January 30, 2021 (Week 1, Day 12)
More eye-opening news today! The pups eye opening is progressing nicely, once the pups eyes open they will begin to be more active as well as interactive with each other and their surroundings. Here's how the pups measure up today:
The pups are now going potty on their own, before Momma Skylar had to stimulate them to potty by licking them and that's no longer necessary but she will continue to do that which also helps keep them and their environment much cleaner. Many of the pups are now taking their first steps and are getting around quite well. Gone are the days when they slide and scoot around solely on their bellies, but will now toddle around on all fours. AAvery was just going to town last night and not wobbling around too bad. To me this means the pups are really strong and healthy being already strong enough to support their own body weight on their little legs. |
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Friday, January 29, 2021 (Week 1, Day 11)
We have an exciting developmental milestone happening today, the pups eyes are opening! It's amazing how they literally change overnight. I recorded each pup's eye opening progress during today's weigh-in. Here's how the pups measure up today:
Usually the eye opening process takes on average 48-72 hours to complete, sometimes longer. Their eyes should definitely be open by the time I take their Week 2 portraits. |
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Thursday, January 28, 2021 (Week 1, Day 10)
During today's weigh-in, I noticed that AAngus has just a crack starting to open in the corner of his left eye. It's strange that it's usually the smallest pups that start first and the largest pups are the last to open. In this case that remains true. Here's how the pups weigh-in today:
Week 1 Puppy Portraits are now posted above for your viewing pleasure. They sure are cute at this age and will just keep getting cuter! I also posted a new video "Dinner Time" in the video clips section above. |
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Wednesday, January 27, 2021 (Week 1, Day 9)
During today's weigh-in, I looked for signs of the pups eyes starting to open, but nothing yet however developmentally day 10 is the day which is tomorrow. I don't know if you can tell on the LIVE Puppy Cam, but the pups are really starting to fill out now, they are plump and healthy looking and no longer have wrinkly skin. They are also starting to become more vocal, it starts with grunting while nursing, but then once in a while the a pup lets loose with a howl, or bark, it just cracks me up what their little voices sound like at this age.
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Monday, January 25th, 2021 (Week 1, Day 7) Week 1 Developmental Milestone: Eyes will open During this week, the pups will reach their first exciting milestone, their eyes will open! We are anticipating this should start happening around Day 10 during this week and will take a few days to fully open. When the pups are born, their ears and eyes are closed to keep out the amniotic fluid and any bacteria encountered in the birth canal. The eyelids are fused together but there is a crease that defines the upper from the lower lid. As their eyes start to open, the crease deepens and separates starting at the corner of the eye by the tear ducts and works it's way across the eye until they are completely separated. The opening process can take a couple days from the first peek of the glistening eyeball beneath to being able to entirely see those beautiful baby blues. Once their eyes are open, the precious little babes take on a whole new personality and more exciting things start to happen fairly rapidly. Here's how the pups weigh-in at 1 week old:
Miscellaneous litter photos from Birth Week have been posted on this page above. I will post litter photos once weekly from the entire previous week. Next up I will be working on taking Week 1 Puppy Portraits. ENJOY! :0)~ |
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I was looking back at the blog and realized I was missing some days and important information so I went back and added more so you may want to reread from the beginning. I can't believe I was remiss in mentioning that Aero was born with a kink in his tail. I was sure hoping for a good outcome on that one, but at this point it looks like the defect may cause him to have stunted tail growth. From what I can tell as compared to his brothers, his
tail is a little shorter than theirs are right now. I guess only time will tell. The wound is healing nicely in the area where the skin broke open, hopefully it will grow hair and be "normal" rather than being a bald spot, but only time will tell. |
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Saturday, January 23, 2021 (Birth Week, Day 5)
Now that Skylar is eating much better (she loves her new food by the way), the pups are gaining an amazing amount of weight in 24-hours. Skylar is getting 2-3 meals per day mixed with warm water and cottage cheese for a calcium boost. Feeding the momma dog well during gestation and nursing really has a direct affect on the pups and weighing them every day knowing what's going on with momma dog helps to illustrate that point. This is why I feel it's critically important to weigh the pups daily and at approximately the same time every day. Here's how the pups weigh in today:
Dew claws were removed today. |
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Friday, January 22, 2021 (Birth Week, Day 4)
We decided to switch Skylar's food yesterday. We feed all our dogs Native 3, but she's just refusing to eat that anymore, so we have switched her to Taste of the Wild, High Prairie formula for adult dogs. This is still a 5-star rated food by our go-to source for information (www.DogFoodAdvisor.com) and she LOVES it and has been eating much better since the switch. You can see it in the daily weight increases in the pups because they're now gaining around 2 oz in a 24-hour period. Here's how the pups weigh in today:
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Thursday, January 21, 2021 (Birth Week, Day 3)
In my absence from blogging, I've been working on the pups Birth Portraits and finally got them taken, edited, cropped and posted. It's harder to crank out all the good stuff during a work week when pups are born on a Monday (versus on a weekend) because I only have evenings to work on this stuff and thus the delay. I may try to take photos on Sunday going forward so I can get them posted sooner. Check out the portraits above in the Pups section of this page. Pups are doing great now and have gained weight as appropriate over the last 24-hours. The first couple weeks the pups really only nurse and sleep so there's not too much to report so my daily blogging consists of daily weigh-in stats. Here's how the pups weigh in today:
This morning I started the Super Dog program (read about it here). I usually do the exercizes with each pup while I have them out of the box for their daily weigh-in. Most of the pups tolerate the exercises fairly well, once in a while I will get a complainer, but for the most part the pups do okay. The exercises also give me the opportunity to look the pups over really well from head to toe to ensure all looks okay, umbilical cords are shriveling up or have already fallen off, and to make sure their belly, mouth and bum looks normal, etc.
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Wednesday, January 20, 2021 (Birth Week, Day 2)
Skylar hasn't been eating very well lately which has reflected a bit on the pups. She appears to have an upset stomach after giving birth with a few regurges now and then, so I've been feeding her smaller meals more frequently, supplementing the meals with a little bit of canned food and warm water and then topping it off with a dollop of cottage cheese. She loves the cottage cheese and eats that off the top and leaves the rest so I've been mixing in ground beef and rice instead for the time being which she seems to like and will hopefully calm down her upset tummy. Here's how the pups weigh in today: (numbers in red indicate insufficient gain in 24-hours)
I was finally able to work out the kink in Aero's tail, it's now straight however the skin within the inner corner of the bend was stretched and split open. It's superficial and hopes are that it will scab over and heal in a similar fashion to the area where the dew claws are removed. |
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Tuesday, January 19, 2021 (Birth Week, Day 1)
Even though pups were less than 12 hours old during this morning's weigh-in, the pups have already gained quite a bit, a couple even gaining an entire ounce already! They all have plump bellies and are strong and suckling well. Aero was born with a 90 degree kink in the tip of his tail, so I've been working on straightening it out by massaging it gently. I've had success with this method in the past when a pup from a prior litter was born with one of his back feet curled backwards. At that time the vet said it was due to how he developed in utero, maybe because of cramped conditions being too close to a sibling. Anyway, he turned out great, by the time he was walking he never showed any physical disability with walking, running or playing. I'm hoping for the same outcome with Aero's tail. I will keep you posted... I will be working on getting birth portraits and figuring out the temporary AA names for all the pups so bear with me as this will take a while. In the meantime, the LIVE Puppy Cam is now online for your viewing pleasure (link in upper right corner of this page), ENJOY! :0)~ I also just posted a video titled "Newborn Pups" in the Video Clips section above. |
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Monday, January 18, 2021 (Birth Week, Day 0)
UPDATE: 8:00 am - I did end up going to bed last night, however Skylar got me up at 1:30 and again at 3:00 am, so I just stayed up with her from that point forward. Still no pups... UPDATE: 1:10 pm - still no pups... Skylar is resting comfortably. UPDATE: 7:40 pm - I think we're getting close now! Skylar is extremely restless and panting hard now and is constantly repositioning herself in order to help pups move down the birth canal. UPDATE: 8:10pm - I think I've seen a couple contractions, shouldn't be long now... UPDATE: 8:26 pm - PUPPIES ARE COMING!! Birth photos are being posted on Facebook as it happens... Logon to our Hickory Hollow Llewellin Setters page to see photo album for Litter AA.
Well, this has never happened in the history of HHLS, it's a slam dunk for males in this litter, not one female in the bunch. Kinda a bummer, I had some cute female names on the list of possibilities too, not to mention those on the reservation list that wanted a little girl pup. That's mother nature for ya! After being up since 3 am last night with Skylar thinking she might be going into labor, I'm exhausted and ready to get some sleep. Our LIVE Puppy Cam will go online tomorrow morning. |
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Well, this morning's temperature reading was back above 99°, so I'm not sure if that was a false alarm last night or what. I try to take the temp multiple times to get one reading just to make sure my thermometer is not playing tricks on me as it tends to be somewhat flaky. Usually when the temp drops it stays down for a while. I am keeping a close eye on Skylar throughout the day and taking multiple readings when she's at rest to determine what's going on. At any rate, we are getting near whelping day, I can feel the pups wiggling when I lay my hand on Skylar's belly. Can't wait to meet them all in person soon! UPDATE 7:00 pm: Skylar's temp has been fluctuating all day, I can't seem to get a good reading on my thermometer, I took her temp 5 times in a row a couple hours ago and the first time it was 97.8, the second time was 98.3, then 98.6, 98.7 and finally 98.8. SO, I don't know if her temp has dropped below 98.4 for real or not, however she has started her heavy panting, so I am thinking that she's going into labor soon. I'm planning to stay up with her overnight, just in case... UPDATE 11:45 pm: OK folks, this is it! Skylar's temp finally dropped to 97.8 (with three consistent readings in a row), so we are officially below the red line of 98.4 and are now on 24-hour puppy watch! |
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Saturday, January 16, 2021
Skylar's temperature reading this evening shows her temp is starting to drop, her reading was 98.8°, and when it gets below 98.4° is when we say we're officially on 24-hour puppy watch. I suspect tomorrow morning's reading will show an even lower temp, so stay tuned folks... |
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Tuesday, January 12, 2021
I have begun taking Skylar's daily temperature readings morning and evening. The last week of pregnancy, body temperature is usually around 99° and that's right where Skylar is right now. We'll keep an eye on this and look for the tell-tale rise and fall that indicates whelping time is near. Stay tuned here and on our Facebook page for whelping day play-by-play! |
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Monday, January 11, 2021
This morning we took Skylar to our vet for a pregnancy x-ray to determine litter count. This information will greatly help me on whelping day so I know when she's done or alert me to possible problems during whelping. Skylar's x-ray was a little difficult to read, despite our efforts to limit stool in her colon for the x-ray, unfortunately it's there and obscuring the photo. After reviewing a second x-ray, both my vet and I agree we think we count 7 pups! On one of the photos, I've traced the skulls and spines to reveal their positions for you. Now we just pray that they all arrive healthy and happy.
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Monday, December 28, 2020 We believe Skylar is pregnant! She is showing all the signs of being "with pups", things like being clingy to me, licking herself more than normal, swollen teats and her belly is starting to swell as well. We will do an x-ray around week 8 of gestation to get a pup count. |
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Friday, November 27, 2020 We have had several breedings over the past week, one tie was witnessed on cycle day 10 (which was a key target date) and several other miscellaneous slip matings, so we are optimistic this will result in a litter. Target whelping date is January 18, 2021. Next up in the blog will be pregnancy confirmation in about 4 weeks (around Christmas!). |
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Sunday, November 8, 2020 We are excited to report that Skylar came into heat a couple days ago -- about one month earlier than expected -- so we will plan to breed her to Sawyer later this week. Expected breeding dates are 11/13 through 11/18. Stay tuned here for more Litter AA news as it happens. |
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