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Page Updated 05/24/21 |
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pUpdates BLOG / Reservations / Pedigree The Pups: (birth stats, body markings, weekly portraits) |
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Shelby / Duke |
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Price: $1200 male or female |
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Breeding: We are excited to offer our second litter out of these two beautiful Llewellins. Our first litter turned out beautiful and so we're pleased to do it again! Check out the pups in their first litter, Litter Z. Shelby is our little dynamo, she's as fast as lightning with boundless energy and is extremely agile and gets straight to the point! You can see the power in her acceleration when she takes off and can see the determination in her eyes as she's turned loose outdoors. She's a natural retriever and is happy to bring you back her prize. She's also a very sweet and affectionate girl, who will stick to you like glue if you're giving her attention. She's also submissive in nature and doesn't challenge authority. Her bloodline boasts Highway Dan and Awbonnie's Bull. Duke was whelped here at HHLS in Litter P (aka Pierce) out of HOPE x Jack. He now has several hunting seasons under his belt and is rocking it! He has "mastered" his purpose for being in the field and is all business when turned loose in bird country. He's a usually a medium to long-range runner, however has learned to adjust his range based on the type of cover being hunting. He naturally honors his Llew brother Deacon (Lancelot, Litter L), and together they make a great hunting duo. He is a 3rd generation pup out of Hank from the Hunting with Hank TV show. Both dogs have been evaluated by OFA for hips and eyes. Check out the PEDIGREE. This pups in this litter will all be tricolor based on the parent's 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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2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
| Call Name: |
Baxter |
Beatrix |
Betsy |
Beckett |
Boone |
Blossom |
Bristol |
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Gender: |
Male |
Female |
Female |
Male |
Male |
Female |
Female |
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Colors: |
Tricolor |
Tricolor |
Tricolor Belton |
Tricolor |
Tricolor Belton |
Tricolor |
Tricolor Belton |
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Ticking: |
Heavy |
Heavy |
Light |
Moderate |
Heavy |
Moderate |
Very Light |
| Birth Stats: |
Born: 8:55 pm Weight: 15.2 oz Length: 7 1/2" |
Born: 12:15 am Weight: 1 lb 0.7 oz Length: 8 1/4" |
Born: 12:30 am Weight: 1 lb, 0.1 oz Length: 8 1/4" |
Born: 1:02 am Weight: 1 lb, 0.4 oz Length: 8 1/4" |
Born: 2:11 am Weight: 15.0 oz Length: 7 1/2" |
Born: 3:03 am Weight: 15.2 oz Length: 7 1/2" |
Born: 5:00 am |
| Name Meaning: | A baker | Bringer of Joy, blessings | Pledged to God | Beehive | A blessing | A delicate flower, or bloom | Meeting place by the bridge |
| Markings: |
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Click on any of the photos to super size them. |
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Birth Week |
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Week 6 |
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Take Home |
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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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Video Clips: (hosted by YouTube on the Hickory Hollow Llewellins channel)
V I D E O C L I P S
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V I D E O C L I P S |
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"Eye Opening Progress" -- Video taken 04/12/21 @ 7:42 am I don't normally like to talk during my videos, but I guess there's a first for everything because I figured this clip could use a little narration. So this is Day 12 of the pups lives and they are now in the middle of the process where their eyes opening. This started happening around Day 9, so a few pups have their eyes fully open now, but a few others are lagging behind a little. There is a crease that has formed between the upper and lower eye lids which is deepending and separating. This video shows and up-close-and-personal view of what the pups eyes look like during the eye opening process. |
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"Shelby Caring for Pups" -- Video taken 04/12/21 @ 2:24 pm I had just cleaned the box and replaced the carpet so I put the pups back in one-by-one and in comes Momma Shelby to care for her pups. Eventually a bunch of the pups are able to nurse (left side of screen), then Shelby must partially lay down on one because you can hear the pup grunting, but eventually it makes it's way out from under her and around to the front again. These pups are really good at wiggling out of tight situations. This is why it's so hard to hold onto them right now because they can easily wiggle free. |
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"Walkin' and Talkin'" -- Video taken 04/14/21 @ 9:32 am The pups were just placed in a clean box with fresh carpet and were fully awake, up and walking and talking. This is such a cute video clip of the pups, their eyes fully opened within the last day and they now are finding the strength to get up on all fours and walk around as well as express their opinions on things. I love to hear them talk with their little grunts, yips and rolling growls and thought you would enjoy hearing their voices as well. |
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"Puppy Interactions" -- Video taken 04/16/21 @ 10:04 am I love it when the pups eyes are fully opened (FYI, just two days ago in fact), because their faces take on a whole new dimension and their development progress seems to accelerate rapidly from this point. They can see now, so they do more. The first thing is that they start interacting with their litter mates, momma Shelby and with me. |
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"The BIG Move" -- Video taken 04/20/21 @ 1:22 pm The pups are really big for their age and also becoming much more active now that they can see and hear well, so we thought it was time to move them to the Puppy Cottage. Here they will have a 9'x5' playpen to romp and play in and I will have my kitchenette where I can prepare their weaning meals more efficiently than in the nursery. This video clip shows the first few minutes of the litter in their new playpen. It's fun to see their reaction to their new surroundings and how quickly they venture out to explore. |
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"First Breakfast Meal" -- Video taken 04/24/21 @ 8:58 am This is such a cute video of the pups figuring out and tasting their first weaning meal. Beautiful Blossom is the first out of the playpen and to the saucer but then ignores it and walks right by. I stepped in and redirected her back to the pan and dipped her chin in the gruel before the light bulb came on. I placed a few more of the pups in front of the pan before they understood, but once they got their first taste of the cereal they went to town! A few pups even returned to the bowl to do a little more cleanup. Once they were done I wiped away their milk mustaches with a warm wash cloth. Just like kids, some pups don't care for that and turn their heads away and squeal in protest. |
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"Musical Milkbar" -- Video taken 04/27/21 @ 9:48 pm Here's a cute clip of the pups nursing on momma Shelby while she was standing in the playpen. I've titled it "Musical Milkbar" because the pups keep changing nipples reminiscent of the game musical chairs we played as children. They drain a faucet, then pop off, then go to another only to find it's empty too. The smacking sound the pups make while nursing cracks me up and they way they sit on their haunches and suckle for all their worth makes you think they might go cross-eyed, LOL. My apologies for the barking disruption in the background. That's our impatient Miss Skylar barking from all the way over in the backyard, she's acting this way because she thinks this is her litter and she wants to be out in the cottage with me whenever I'm out there with the pups. I keep telling her these are not her puppies, but it hasn't sunk in yet... :0)~ |
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"Yard Play Date" -- Video taken 05/01/21 @ 11:24 am New puppy parents Jim and Jen DeMars drove down from Minnesota for a play date in the yard with the 4 1/2 week old pups the weekend before puppy selection. They wanted to meet the pups in person to help them formulate their opinions to make it easier to finalize their choice in a few days. This is a short clip of their time with the pups and meeting momma Shelby. |
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"Holee-Roller Fun" -- Video taken 05/04/21 @ 8:54 pm At 5 weeks, the pups are now at the age where they are becoming very mischievous, getting into things and being naughty. The introduction of toys at this point helps to stimulate their brains and eases boredom and hopefully diverts their attention from doing something unacceptable and instead promotes acceptable behavior. This breed is high energy and they need lots mental stimulation to keep them from being bored and inventing ways to amuse themselves which can be destructive in nature. The Holee-Rollers are a perfect diversion, they're light weight and the pups can easily pick them up and carry them around. |
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"A Whole New World" -- Video taken 05/13/21 @ 2:05 pm Today the pups figured out how to "escape" to a whole new world. I had let the pups out of the playpen for lunch in the Puppy Cottage and needed to run back into the house to get my phone and by the time I came back, the pups had figured out the doggy door, went through it and were all frolicking around in the outdoor kennel run. This litter is just so smart, usually I have to show the pups the doorway by lifting the flap and then help the first few pups through because there is a drop off on the outside. I put a couple stepping stones there to make a stairway to help the descent down to the concrete, but this litter didn't need my help and they figured it out in a matter of mere minutes. |
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"Outdoor Playtime" -- Video taken 05/14/21 @ 12:15 pm At 6 weeks old, the pups are frolicking and playing to their heart's content while enjoying some outdoor playtime. Baxter is missing from the playpen as he is down by the woodshed with my niece because she's taking some pics of him with the split wood as a natural backdrop. Apparently she captured a good one because you can hear her whooping and hollering that it's "SO CUTE!" The pups were really sad to have to go back inside after my lunch hour was over, they whined and cried jumping up on the playpen door, it made me feel guilty I couldn't let them stay out longer. |
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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pUpdates BLOG (Litter BB):
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Monday, May 24th, 2021 (Week 7, Day 54) Today was a bittersweet day here at Hickory Hollow because our last sweet little pup Beatrix flew the coop, literally. She has been a trooper here the past couple days after all her other littermates have gone to their new homes, but we gave her some extra special attention to help the hours pass before leaving herself. She just needed a little mental stimulation and companionship so we accomplished that and she seemed more content. Her new dad Rich flew all the way from Oregon to pick her up. He arrived on a flight into Cedar Rapids around 3:00 pm and I met him at the airport with Beatrix. The trip to the airport with Beatrix was much more relaxed and comfortable than the trip to the vet last Friday. After her morning exercise of romping and playing with the Holee-Roller out in the fresh air of the Puppy Cottage dog run, she settled right into the travel kennel and curled up for a nap during the drive. We arrived at the airport before Rich's flight had deplaned so we found a comfy seat in the main lobby and waited for him to appear. When Rich spotted us sitting there he rushed right over with arms stretched out to receive his new little bundle of joy. He was SO happy to meet her and couldn't wait to hold her and snuggle her in his arms. She immediately responded by giving puppy kisses all over his face. These are the rewarding moments that make everything I do worthwhile. I thoroughly enjoyed my visit with Rich and the whole time Beatrix (now called Ruby) was being a perfect angel. It couldn't have gone any better. Anxiously waiting at home in Oregon is her new momma Kate who has said several times in posts on Facebook that she "can't wait to snuggle that puppy"! It won't be long now! Well, sadly that's all she wrote for Litter BB folks, it's been fun and I've enjoyed corresponding with many of you through e-mails and Facebook. The LIVE Puppy Cam is now offline until the next litter. Stay tuned for Litter CC, maybe later this year, we'll just have to wait and see.... :0)~ |
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Saturday, May 22nd, 2021 (Week 7, Day 52) Today was Beckett's turn to leave Hickory Hollow. His new dad Greg flew first-class all the way from California to pickup him up thinking first-class would help with extra leg room for Beckett's kennel on the return flight. John and I met Greg at the airport with his new bundle of joy because he only had a couple hour layover before boarding a flight to head back home with Beckett. We visited with
Greg for a little while during his layover and really enjoyed our time together. Anxiously waiting at home in California is Beckett's new momma Anne where he will also get to meet his new Australian Shepherd big sister named Abbie. He will have the opportunity to hunt dove and quail. His new name may become Mac. |
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Friday, May 21st, 2021 (Week 7, Day 51) This morning I loaded up Beatrix and Beckett into my SUV crossover and headed north towards my vet's office so the pups could be issued health certificates for their upcoming flights. Beatrix will be flying to Oregon and Beckett will be flying to California very soon, both pups will be accompanied by their new dads and will be flying in cabin. Beckett was very well behaved on the 1.5 hour long roundtrip ride to and from the vet. He didn’t whimper, cry or go potty in the kennel until after we got parked in the vet’s lot and Beatrix had just gone in for her appointment. I was standing right there with him to keep him company while we were waiting, so I was able to clean up his mess right away. We always use pine shavings in their travel kennel because it really helps keep the pups clean while traveling, it coats the poop and soaks up the wet messes and works just great for these cases. I will do the same when we bring pups to the airport so hopefully their freshly bathed coats will still be fluffy and sweet smelling by the time we arrive. Beatrix on the other hand was the exact opposite. She was frantically clawing at the kennel wanting out, she barked the high-pitch bark at least halfway there, did her poopy job (partially on her brother I might add, but luckily their poops are well formed and it rolled right off, LOL – yes I witnessed this while watching them in my rearview mirror while my car was piloting itself – it can do that thankfully for times like this!) and she also vomited a couple times both on the way there and again on the way back. Her frantic mannerisms and desperate, high-pitched barking was her way of trying to tell me she had to potty. It’s ALWAYS an adventure with these pups because you never know how they’ll do the first time traveling, but this is the nature of the business, so we expect it and always have a cleanup kit handy. Pups both got a clean bill of health at the vet and were issued health certs so they can fly. This afternoon our little busy body Baxter left for his new home. He will be staying here in Iowa heading to Fort Dodge with his new dad Derek. He will have a German Shepherd named Jax for an older canine brother, but not too much older since he's still under a year old. Hopefully since they are both "puppies" they will help each other run off all that rambunctious puppy energy and become the best of
buds. He will also have the opportunity to hunt birds which we all know he will love. As of now, he does not have a new name yet, but will post as soon as I know what that will be. |
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Wednesday, May 19th, 2021 (Week 7, Day 49) Week 7 Developmental Milestone: Pups go home! Pups are officially 7 weeks old today and have started going to their new homes. Four pups left today to embark on their new lives, free of the puppy playpen and with a whole wide world out there just waiting for them to explore. I'm so excited for them and their new families! The first pup to leave Hickory Hollow today was Betsy. Freshly bathed, fluffy and cute as a button, miss Betsy's new parents Randy and Karen arrived promptly at 10:00 am from Wisconsin to pick up their new baby. They think they will call her Maggie, but really liked the name Betsy so they may keep that name, we just have to wait and see. The second pup to leave was sweet little miss Bristol. Her new dad Jim came down from Minnesota with his dad to pick up his girl. He had visited when she was 4 weeks old and fell in love with her, today she snuggled right into his arms and was very content. Her new name will be Harley Raine, but they also really liked the name Bristol so they briefly talked about keeping that name, however I think Harley won. Jim said they may save that name for their next pup in a couple years. :0)~ The next pup to leave was our little belton boy (and possibly future stud) Boone. His new parents Aaron and Emily are close by in Norway Iowa and we plan to breed him in a couple years if he passes his health testing. They are keeping his name Boone and we're trying to come up with a cool name for his FDSB papers. I look forward to working with Aaron and Emily on this future endeavor! And finally, the last pup to leave today was our beautiful little Blossom. Her new parents Tim and Alison along with their son, drove up from Grinnell Iowa to pickup their little sweetheart. They had their daughter on video chat so she could be there in the moment with them too (I love that)! I don't recall them saying what Blossom's new name will be so I will post as soon as I know. I already had comments this afternoon about how empty the playpen looks on the LIVE Puppy Cam now that 4 of the 7 pups are gone and wondering how the three remaining pups are handing the loss of their littermates. They seem to be fine and Shelby was there when her first four went home so she's aware that they are no longer in the playpen too which I feel is important because she's so smart. The three remaining pups are leaving fairly soon, two of which are flying out to the west coast to California and Oregon. I'll post about those pups after they've left. Here's how the pups weighed-in on pickup day along with their new names:
A final set of puppy portraits have been/will be taken with their new families on pickup day and will be posted soon. |
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This morning I was finally able to get the pups 6 week portraits posted. Sorry for the delay... Now I'm working on CDs for everyone to take home with them when they pick up their pups starting next Wednesday already, WOW time flies! The CDs will have all the photos for this litter on it in a little mini-website format dedicated to Litter BB. |
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Friday, May 14th, 2021 (Week 6, Day 44) My niece Macey came out over my lunch hour today for a playdate in the yard with the pups. They REALLY needed this playtime outing as they are getting really bored in the playpen. I took a short video of the outing called Outdoor Playtime
and you can see the pups frolicking and playing to their heart's content. Baxter is missing from the playpen as he is down by the woodshed with my niece because she's taking some pics of him. Apparently she captured a good one because you can hear her whooping and hollering that it's SO CUTE! The pups were really sad to have to go back inside after my lunch hour was over, they whined and cried jumping up on the playpen door, it made me feel guilty I couldn't let them stay out longer. Macey took some really
cute photos of a few of the pups down by our woodshed which I plan to post the best of them with the miscellaneous litter photos from Week 6, so stay tuned for those. |
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Thursday, May 13th, 2021 (Week 6, Day 43) Today was a beautiful day here at Hickory Hollow and the pups figured out how to "escape" to a whole new world. I had let the pups out of the playpen for lunch in the cottage and needed to run back into the house to get my phone and by the time I came back, the pups had figured out the doggy door, went through it and were all frolicking around in the outdoor kennel run like they had done it a thousand times
even though this was the FIRST! This litter is just so smart, usually
I have to show the pups the doorway by lifting the flap and then help the first few pups through because there is a drop off on the outside. I put a couple stepping stones there to make a stairway to help the descent down to the concrete, but this litter didn't need my help and they figured it out in a matter of mere minutes. Since I now had my camera in hand, I took a short video of the pups playing in their newfound outdoor playpen. |
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Wednesday, May 12th, 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 amber for tricolors. 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:
At this point I will also start limiting Shelby'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 maybe 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 as you can see in the "floppy ear" photos of the pups I took during the portrait sessions out in the yard. There were too many cute photos taken during that session not to share them. Hope you enjoy what I have posted. |
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Weaning is going very well, the pups are now eating dry kibble without anything special mixed in. I am still allowing nursing sessions from momma Shelby but that won't be for much longer. They are also doing well on their 5-day regimen of Fenbendazole. I weigh and feed each one separately with their dose mixed into some warm canned food and they are snarfing it right up, no problem. I was finally able to carve out some time to review and choose the Week 5 Puppy Portraits which are now posted above. Some of the pups had so many cute photos to choose from it was a hard thing to do, but others were difficult because I didn't have enough good ones or the good ones were from too far away so they ended up grainy. I think I'm going to have to invest in a nice Nikon with a giant telephoto lens that will
take
closeups of craters on the moon, one like my sister has so that I can strive to produce some quality puppy photos for everyone! I like photo clarity to be so good that you can count the whiskers on the pups faces. Next up would be learning how to use it. I hope you enjoy the photos. I also got some cute ones of the pups running, flappy ears and tongue hanging out. I will try to get some posted here in the blog soon. |
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Sunday, May 9th, 2021 (Week 5, Day 39) HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY to all the moms out there! We hope you are having a special day spent with loved ones. We started out by taking my mom out for breakfast at IHOP, one of the first restaurant dine-in experiences we've had in over a year since the pandemic started. Then later in the day daddy Duke's family visited to see his pups. We did another play session out in the yard since the weather was decent. It was sunny
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dry, albeit a bit on the cool side however the pups didn't notice as they jumped and frolicked and pounced and gave lots of puppy kisses with Duke's family. It was exactly what the pups needed as it seems they are starting to get a bit bored of the puppy playpen and are ready for new and more exciting adventures. |
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Saturday, May 8th, 2021 (Week 5, Day 38) Since the pups are a little ahead of the game in terms of deveopment, I went ahead and gave the pups their distemper/parvo vaccinations today and microchipped them. The vaccines are rated for 4 weeks or older, so the shift up in timeframe should not be a problem doing them 1/2 week earlier than I normally would. I also ran a couple fecal tests on the pups, Baxter and Bristol were so gracious to provide me with samples during playtime. I have a small lab in the Puppy Cottage with fecal float tubes, fecasol solvent and a high powered microscope with which I can use to evaluate the fecal samples on a slide in the same manner in which we used to do at the veterinary clinic where I worked for several years. Under the microscope
I can evaluate the slide looking for intestinal worm eggs as well as coccidia oocysts. Good news is the deworming protocol has worked well so far for intestinal worms because neither pup had any eggs on the slide. The not so good news is that both pups have coccidia, which means the entire litter typically has it so they will all be treated. The deworming protocol thus far has only been targeted at worms, but the next deworming course is specifically designed to take care of coccidia
as well as any other intestinal parasites. Coccidia can cause vomiting and diarrhea if left untreated, but so far the pups have been eating well and have solid stools. They will now go on a 5-day course of Fenbendazole liquid which will be mixed with a little canned food in order to keep the pups from advancing to the symptomatic stage. |
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Friday, May 7th, 2021 (Week 5, Day 37) With the help of my wonderful hubby John, we were able to take Week 5 Puppy Portraits out in the sunny yard with the beautiful green grass as a backdrop. Unfortunately I wasn't able to procure my talented sister and photographer to take the portraits for us with her high powered camera equipment as I have for past litters, but regardless I was able to capture some cute ones with my cell phone although not as high of
quality
as she would've gotten. I took over 400 photos, so it will take me some time to go through them all and post the best ones, so stay tuned for that. |
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Thursday, May 6th, 2021 (Week 5, Day 36) The puppies were naughty little pupper-doodles last night! When I went out to the cottage this morning to feed them breakfast, I found that they had figured out the zipper on the puppy bed and had unzipped it and pulled out a lot of the stuffing which was strewn all over the playpen. I guess that's better than chewing open a corner and pulling the stuffing out, but regardless the end result is the same - removal of the puppy bed. I just wish I had witnessed the fun they must have been having while doing that because they won't get a second chance. For their safety, once they figure something like that out it must be removed or they will continue to do it and I don't want them eating the stuffing. It seems like from this point forward, it's action and reaction with the pups. They do a naughty thing and I have to figure out how to keep them from doing it again. This is why I went ahead and put in the landscaping bricks in the corners of the playpen which are there to prevent them from digging up the rubber floor mat and tugging, ripping or chewing on that. I also introduced a few rubber balls (Holee-Rollers) to give them something to do. See video clip "Holee-Roller Fun". These dogs need a lot of mental stimulation otherwise they get bored easily and manufacture their own fun - unzipping the bedding and having a hey day with the stuffing - case in point. I just posted Week 4 Miscellaneous Litter Photos above. Those include last Saturday's play date in the yard. I also posted the video clip "Yard Play Date" to go with them. |
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Wednesday, May 5th, 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! Usually the pups are selected within a matter of mere hours (if I can reach everyone in a timely manner) but hopefully by the end of the day if we're lucky, then 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:
This morning I tweaked the Puppy Profiles a bit after having time to think on it with a fresh perspective. I refined some of the wording and formulated a few more thoughts so you may need to reread through them. 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 am still waiting to hear from the first pick folks and then I will continue to work my way down the list. Puppy Selection Status:
Up next, I will be posting a couple cute videos I took recently as well as posting Week 4 miscellaneous litter photos so stay tuned for that... |
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Hi folks, sorry for the lack of blogging lately, been a lot going on around here lately and I'm struggling to keep up with everything, but plan to catch up and backpost when I get time. I am currently working on puppy profiles and will try to get them posted tonight at some point. It might be around midnight with the way my day is going but I am working on them now. I also plan to update the weekend blogs at some point... Sorry for the delay. I am still planning on puppy selection tomorrow too, in case you're wondering, and thus the push to get the profiles posted. Update 11:24 pm: Well, not quite midnight, but I made it, WHEW! Puppy Profiles have been posted above. Please note that these personality profiles are based on observations during playtime over the past few days and are not by any means well-rounded in such a small blurb. Pups personalities are somewhat tailored by their environments and the humans they interact with daily. They can be molded and shaped to some degree by how they are treated and trained once they go into their new homes. Regarding Puppy Selection tomorrow, I will start calling folks sometime between mid-morning and noon (as my schedule allows). I will start at the top of the reservation list and work my way down. I have added a status line to the Puppy Stats at the top of this page and all the pups will be set to RESERVED as they are chosen. I have also added a stat for body ticking so you know how much ticking to expect the pup to have as an adult. Talk to you tomorrow! Hopefully you can get some sleep tonight, ha ha!
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Monday, May 3rd, 2021 (Week 4, Day 33) The pups are really eating well, some of them too well (aka Beckett, who is turing into a little chunky monkey). This evening I transitioned the pups from baby rice cereal mixed with canned food to soggy kibble and a little bit of canned food, but will be weaning them off the canned food shortly. During playtime they found momma Shelby's bowl of dry kibble and were sampling that meal just fine so I figured it was time. I have timelines in my head about when things should happen while raising a litter of pups, but I also take into account the development progress of the litter and what they tell me through their actions so usually I tailor my practices to the needs of the litter. With that said, I removed the platform under the waterer and replaced it with several small garden stones they can use as stepping stones. The pups are big enough now that they can reach the waterer with just the stones. This also helps to keep them from swimming in it or pawing all the water out of it. |
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Saturday, May 1st, 2021 (Week 4, Day 31) Happy May Day everyone! Today was a really fun day, the pups met some very special visitors who traveled all the way from Minnesota to have a play date with them out in the yard. The weather was nice and warm, but also quite breezy. Around 11 am, Jim and Jen DeMars arrived for the play date with the pups. They seemed to be in awe of the litter as I brought the pups out of the Puppy Cottage two-by-two and placed them in the giant playpen I had set up in the yard next to the cottage so we had some shade *. This was the first time the pups have been outside and have seen grass. They really seemed to enjoy it by laying flat out on it and scooting across it on their bellies and rolling in it. Sometimes they would run right strait into the playpen fence as if they didn't see it, bounce right off and then keep going. It was fun to watch them with another of their "firsts". I took a bunch of photos I will post with the Week 4 Miscellaneous Litter Photos as well as a video I may post when I get some time. The play date lasted for a couple hours but during that time Jim and Jen got to spend some real quality time with the pups and even got to watch them eat a weaning meal I prepared and served to them as a picnic in the yard. They totally fell in LOVE with little Miss Bristol and hope that she will be the one they get to bring home in a few weeks. They also got to meet momma Shelby who readily accepted them and showered them with kisses. I always tell people about Shelby that "she can't hold her licker"! They received plenty of kisses to prove that statement. * FYI, we endured a bad storm late last summer (a derecho on August 10, 2020) that took down most of our shade trees that lined the edge of our yard and damaged the Puppy Cottage porch among other things, so the 2x4 cross braces you see in the yard in my photos (Week 4 miscellaneous litter photos) are reinforcing that roof structure until we can get it fixed. |
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Friday, April 30th, 2021 (Week 4, Day 30) Good morning folks, I finally got the miscellaneous litter photos from Week 3 posted, so sorry for the delay. Week 4 Puppy Portraits have also been posted above. Notice the tan ticking on the paws and muzzle which is much more visible this week than last. I tell people the ticking in a Llewellin coat is like a Polaroid photo, it gets darker and darker as it develops until they are fully ticked at adulthood. Pups were also given their second deworming dose today with their lunch weaning meal. I am super excited that I FINALLY found a dewormer formula they like again which is Nemex 2. I have complained in several numerous previous litter blogs about the fact that many manufacturers had changed the formula for the Pyrantel Pamoate (which is the active ingredient in most liquid dewormers) putting it in a tan-ish colored watery suspension form which separated in a short amount of time and required frequent remixing during dosing an entire litter. The worst part was that the pups hated it and literally foamed at the mouth and choked on it so much that I had to resort to tube feeding their dosage which was awful! Since the formula change, I've tried many different brands looking for something more palatable but most were the watery bad tasting kind and I wasted lots of money and product during my search because most of it ended up in the garbage. But Nemex 2 is like the old stuff I used to get which they really like, so that makes it super easy. It's a thicker, bright yellow liquid that is much more stable and doesn't require remixing during dosing, only needing a good mix before starting. I can feed their measured dose to them orally from a needle-less syringe and when the dose is gone they like to lick the tip of the syringe like I used to do with cake batter on mixer beaters when I was a kid. I'm just SO HAPPY and relieved that I found a product that they like again. Now I don't dread deworming day anymore :0)~ Pups are much more personable the past couple days, they are coming over to the playpen doorway and jumping up and putting paws on it to get attention. They also come over to me more often with tails wagging during playtime for some attention and are quick to give puppy kisses. I'm also really impressed with this litter in that most pups are already returning to the playpen to do their potty business. I've only had to clean up one potty mistake on the concrete floor so far. Folks, these pups are only 4 weeks old! Usually this behavior is seen starting in week 5, so again I feel like these pups are ahead of other litters in certain aspects of development. Since the pups seem cognitively ahead of schedule, I have already started some noise conditioning during mealtime and play sessions to help desensitize them from alarming sounds. We are looking forward to a playdate with the pups tomorrow. It's supposed to be warm enough to setup the giant playpen in the yard and we have people coming to visit them. I'm going to try and capture some cute photos during the outdoor playtime, maybe even a video if I remember. Should be a fun time! |
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Wednesday, April 28th, 2021 (Week 4, Day 28) Week 4 Development Milestone: Weaning / Rough Play Weaning USUALLY begins this week, but due to the pups size in this litter, I started them several days early. The pups are currently being fed supplemental meals from a flying saucer pan on the floor rather than nursing from momma Shelby all the time. I started with a porridge of warm goat's milk mixed with Gerber Baby Rice Cereal for the first few meals so they could get used to lapping up and swallowing a thicker meal, now they have transitioned to canned puppy food mixed into that porridge and later I will 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 six weeks. Play behavior started late in the pups' second week and the intensity of the play has been increasing. This week it will turn really 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! Here's how the pups weigh-in at 4 weeks old: (last daily weight, now weighing only weekly)
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 Wednesday! Speaking of Puppy Selection, for those who want to come for a puppy visit, I am open to scheduling outdoor Puppy Play Dates this weekend (weather permitting) so you can visit and form your opinions before Puppy Selection next week. Just call to schedule an appointment time realizing that weather will be a determining factor as to the go or no-go decision to continue on your scheduled day. If you've been fully vaccinated for COVID-19 and can provide your vaccination card as proof, we can allow you into the Puppy Cottage if the weather does not cooperate for an outdoor play date (masks will be required). I'm also working on posting the Week 3 miscellaneous litter photos for you, and hopefully I will have those done sometime later this evening, otherwise I will get them online soon. |
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This evening I captured a cute clip of the pups nursing on momma Shelby while she was standing in the playpen. I've titled it "Musical Milkbar" because the pups keep changing nipples reminiscent of the game musical chairs we played as children. They drain a faucet, then pop off, then go to another only to find it's empty too.The smacking sound the pups make while nursing cracks me up and they way they sit on their haunches and suckle for all their worth makes you think they might go cross-eyed, LOL. My apologies for the barking disruption in the background. That's our impatient Miss Skylar barking from all the way over in the backyard (yes, you can hear her high-pitched bark from that far away from indoors), she's acting this way because she thinks this is her litter and she wants to be out in the cottage with me whenever I'm out there with the pups. I keep telling her these are not her puppies, but it hasn't
sunk
in yet... |
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Monday, April 26th, 2021 (Week 3, Day 26) This evening while snuggling a few of the puppies, I noticed that their tan ticking is coming in now and is visible on their legs. With tricolor dogs (white/black/tan) -- which is the color of all the pups in this litter -- the tan (3rd color) only appears in certain areas of the body which we call "points", not to be confused with the stance when "on point" when hunting birds. The tan points are
most
noticeably above the eyes, on the muzzle, chest, tail area but only if next to a black patch, and ticking (specks of color) on the legs only. You will not find tan on the torso anywhere. I've always thought it was fascinating and wanted to share this interesting fact with you. |
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Sunday, April 25th, 2021 (Week 3, Day 25) The pups are eating well and appear to love their weaning meals and because of it they are gaining double in a 24-hour period than what they were before I started the weaning meals (5 oz instead of 2.5 oz). They definitely have fat little bellies. For their evening meal I added a little canned food in the mix and the meal was a thicker consistency, so then I noticed that afterwards the pups were making smacking sounds with their mouths like they still had thick residue in there. I thought they might want to wash it down with a little water so I figured now was the time to add the platform under the water dish so they could reach it. Immediately after
placing the platform, I took each pup to the water dish for a little lesson. I placed each of them in front of the water dish and dipped their chins, just like I do for the the first weaning meal, hoping they will try it out. Many pups took double and triple dips into the bowl and seemed to enjoy their first sips of water. It's always fun to introduce the pups to new things and to see how they react. |
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Saturday, April 24th, 2021 (Week 3, Day 24) This morning was a success! I left Shelby in the house when I headed back out to the Puppy Cottage to feed the pups their first weaning meal of warm goat's milk and Gerber Baby Rice cereal. This is how I always start out my pups on solid food. I use goat's milk because it's readily available on the market for human consumption (at Walmart) and it's easily digestible by the pups whereas cow's milk is not. I use the microwave in my little kitchenette to heat the milk to almost scalding so it's pretty steamy, then I add the powdered rice cereal and mix it until it's just a little less than oatmeal consistency, meaning a little runnier which makes it easy for the pups to lap up. By the time I add the rice cereal, mix it, then pour it into the stainless steel flying saucer pan, it has cooled enough to be the perfect temperature for the pups to eat. Temperature of the weaning meal is extremely important. If the meal is too cold, it will chill the pups from the inside which can slow or stop their digestive system and in some cases may cause them to regurgitate their meal. Last night when the pups were eating their weaning meal provided by momma Shelby, the pups were slip sliding around on the concrete like it was a skating rink, so for this morning's meal I laid down a giant felt and rubber-backed mat that I had purchased a while back for just such an occasion. This worked well and allowed the pups to walk normally around the dinner pan. I just posted the new video "First Breakfast Meal", it's such a cute video of the pups figuring out and tasting their first weaning meal. Beautiful Blossom is the first out of the playpen and to the pan but then ignores it and walks right by. I had to step in and redirect her back and dip her chin in the gruel and then the light bulb came on. I had to place a few more of the pups in front of the pan before
they understood, but once they got their first taste of the cereal they went to town! A few pups even returned to the bowl to do a little more cleanup. Once they were done I wiped away their milk mustaches with a warm wash cloth. Just like kids, some don't care for that and turn their heads away and squeal in protest. |
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Friday, April 23rd, 2021 (Week 3, Day 23) My wonderful hubby helped me take the Week 3 Puppy Portraits this morning so those have just been posted above. These pups are just so beautiful (I say that about every litter), but I really mean it. Shelby and Duke are a winning combination! Maybe someday I'll be lucky enough to keep one of these beauties for myself. The pups are doing really well in their new puppy playpen. The pups consistently leave the comfy bed to potty in the pine shavings which is much appreciated on my part. As of now I don't have the drinking water platform underneath the water bowl because the pups are still gaining strength and dexterity and wanted to give them a little more time to mature before I provide them with an easier way to access the "swimming pool" in which they could drown. I ALWAYS worry about the pups and try to make their enclosure as safe as possible. Once the pups start eating their weaning meals and prove they are ready for eating and drinking from a bowl, I will add the platform so they can get up there and drink. I plan on feeding their first weaning meal later this afternoon which I will capture on video for you and share on YouTube. UPDATE: I went out to the cottage to feed the pups their first weaning meal but Shelby beat me to it. She regurgitated her own recently eaten meal for her pups, luckily I had not allowed her in the playpen to do it because I don't want the pups eating the pine shavings along with the meal, so she was out on the concrete floor. I have seen this behavior frequently in my females at about this same developmental stage
in the pups lives, so this makes sense. I will try again tomorrow morning. |
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Thursday, April 22nd, 2021 (Week 3, Day 22) Sorry folks, I'm behind again as usual. I have been working long hours at my job so not much time left over in the day right now for blogging, taking and posting photos. However, I carved out some time this evening to post the Week 2 miscellaneous photos. We plan to take the Week 3 portraits tomorrow, so hopefully I can get those posted by tomorrow night. In the meantime, I hope you're enjoying the LIVE Puppy Cam. :0)~ |
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Wednesday, April 21st, 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 things 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 had posted on 4/16/21 above titled "Puppy Interactions" 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 another recent 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:
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Tuesday, April 20th, 2021 (Week 2, Day 20) The pups are really becoming active lately and we are already seeing glimpses of play behavior between the pups, it's such an exciting time and they are just so cute right now! This morning John went in to say "hello" to the group and one of the pups barked back at him, he just came out of the nursery giggling like crazy saying those pups are just so stinkin' cute! They are becoming more and more reactive to their surroundings and the pups barking in reaction to noises they hear is just one of those things. Yesterday, the dogs started barking at a delivery man and then one of the pups had to chime in too. It was hilarous to hear all the deep sounding barks of the adult dogs and then a tiny little yip-yap from one of the pups. So funny! This morning I prepared the Puppy Cottage for the big BB move to their new playpen. There they will have more than enough room to sprawl out, romp around and stretch their legs. This will mean that the LIVE Puppy Cam will temporarily be down at some point while we move the litter. I usually capture a video clip of their first few moments in the playpen, so I will post that for you at some point. Once moved, the LIVE Puppy Cam will follow and when I bring it back online you will have a new view of the pups, so stay tuned for that later today. Having our Puppy Cottage for the pups makes it so much easier to start the weaning process because I have a little kitchenette where I can prepare their meals with a microwave and hot running water and all the dishes I need along with plenty of countertop space to spread out. UPDATE: The pups have been moved! I captured a video clip for you as I said I would, the pups did pretty well for the first time in their new enclosure, most of them were happy to explore a little and settled in pretty nicely. The pups quickly find the comfy bed and crash for a nap, all except for one pup, but I think it may have been after the camera stopped rolling. Bristol was pretty displeased with her new surroundings and voiced her opinion rather loudly and for quite a while. I picked her up and snuggled her for a bit and when I put her back in the playpen with her brothers and sister, she would start crying again. I think she was just calling for momma...
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Sunday, April 18th, 2021 (Week 2, Day 18) The pups are starting to cut teeth. If you look in their mouths right now you can see what looks like piranha teeth just below the gum line that will be breaking through very soon. The canines are the first to break the gum, but the incisors will follow shortly after. I always feel bad for the momma dogs when the teeth come in which I'm sure makes nursing much more uncomfortable. The pups are also hearing better meaning their ear canals have opened. Because they hear really well now, they are reacting to sounds in their environment more than in the past. |
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Saturday, April 17th, 2021 (Week 2, Day 17) Well, I have to apologize for the body shots on the pups, most all ended up being blurry. I keep telling the pups they need to just sit still / stop moving for only a couple seconds to allow me to snap some good shots, but that rarely happens :0)~ On the flip side, the closeups of the faces were in focus and turned out really well. For this litter I've been using a tripod for the portraits which I thought would
keep the photos from being blurry because the tripod is more stable than my shaky hand, however the camera focus doesn't seem to be staying on the subject like it does when I hold the camera in my hand, which is strange. You'd think it would focus no matter what's holding it. |
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Friday, April 16th, 2021 (Week 2, Day 16) Now that the pups are getting around the box so well -- they can see where they are going and have the strength to maneuver around better -- I had to add the half door to the entryway to the box to prevent escapees! This half door boosts the height of the entryway from 7-inches to 15-inches which is still an easy jump for momma Shelby to get in to tend to her pups, but adds a safety barrier so curious pups stay safely contained. The full door boosts the entryway to the full height of the box which is 20-inches. The pups are now hearing noises and are reacting to them. They now sit at attention and look around when I run the vacuum cleaner in the room. They also hear the cabinet and closet doors opening and closing, and most importantly they are now responding to my voice when I talk to them. This is helpful when I'm trying to take their portraits because I might be able to persuade them to actually look at me (the camera) during the photo session, LOL! Up until this point it seemed like they are always turned the opposite direction or looking away from me when I was trying to get their cute faces in a photo, which is why the photo sessions take so long. Week 2 Puppy portraits were taken today, but before I could do that I had to trim all the pups toenails. They were really long and kept snagging on the towel I was using as a backdrop for the photos. The pups don't mind getting nail trims at this age which makes it a fairly easy task to accomplish. Week 2 Puppy Portraits will be posted as soon as I have some time to review, select and edit the ones I want to post.
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Thursday, April 15th, 2021 (Week 2, Day 15) How quickly things change ones the pups eyes are open! Here's an interesting new development to report, today I noticed that the pups are starting to look up for the milkbar when momma Shelby comes into the box and suckle while she's still standing. Whereas before they could see, they would just nose around on the floor sniffing their way to the milkbar, but now they can actually see it and look for it with their eyes rather than smell for it with their noses. Another development that I noted today was that I could smell the poo poo when I walk into the nursery, whereas up until this point it has pretty much been odorless. Shelby does a good job of keeping the box and the pups clean, but there comes a point with all litters where this happens, not sure why it seems to be such a profound change, but all the sudden, WHOOPS, there it is! I am still feeding Shelby at least two special meals and sometimes three per day. Her growing litter is taking a toll on her body and therefore she needs supplemental meals to help her out. With that said, I may start the weaning meals for the pups sooner rather than waiting until around 4 weeks which is when I normally start. This should also help take some of the strain off of poor little Shelby. This also means
that I may move the pups into the Puppy Cottage sooner than normal because they will begin rapidly soiling the carpet in the box more quickly than I can keep up with. |
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Wednesday, April 14th, 2021 (Week 2, Day 14) Week 2 Developmental Milestone: Ears will open / Cutting Teeth Now that the puppies eyes are fully 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:
For your viewing pleasure, I just posted all the miscellaneous litter photos from Week 1 above. Week 2 Puppy Portraits will be coming soon! The pups will receive their first deworming dose today. |
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Good news this morning, the three special meals I fed Shelby yesterday for breakfast, lunch and dinner did the trick, all pups gained a good amount of weight over the past 24-hours so her milk production must be back to normal. I will keep up the special meals for Shelby at least for the time being until she starts eating the dry kibble on her own again. Although, she's pretty smart and may "milk it" (pun intended) for all it's worth just to keep getting those special meals. Here's how the pups weighed in this morning along with the eye opening update:
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Monday, April 12th, 2021 (Week 1, Day 12) Well, the pups didn't gain as expected over the past 24-hours like they have been doing up until now. I think the reason is that Shelby hasn't been feeling the greatest lately after taking her monthly heartworm pill a few days ago. I usually skip heartworm preventative when my dams are pregnant or nursing, but my vet assured me that Heartgard+ is safe for nursing moms, so I went ahead and gave Shelby her dose. However, the ivermectin in the chewable tablet makes her nauseous and therefore she hasn't been eating well for the past couple days and it has finally caught up to her pups as you can see by the daily weigh-in stats. The good news is that Shelby's appetite is returning and so far today she has eaten the special breakfast and lunchtime meals I made for her which will hopefully increase her milk production again. For her "special" meals, I mix in a little canned food and warm water to her dry kibble, then finish it off with a little dab of cottage cheese on the top, which she wolfed right down first thing. Her enthusiasm for the special breakfast meal this morning was "ho-him", but she was "gung-ho" about her special lunchtime meal, so that's an improvement. Here's this morning's daily weigh-in stats and an update on the eye-opening progression: (stats in red are lower than expected and thus are flagged to keep an eye on)
I recorded a video for you this morning showing a few different pups and what their eyes look like right now. Some eyes are fully open today and others are still about halfway open. I also posted a bonus video of Shelby caring for her pups.
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Saturday, April 10th, 2021 (Week 1, Day 10) Here's this morning's daily weigh-in stats and an update on the eye-opening progression:
Bristol's weight gain over the past 24-hours is highlighted in red because her gain from the previous day was inadequate at only a half ounce. This just means that I will keep a closer eye on her to ensure her overall health. Sometimes the pups have just had a big meal before weigh-in which would show a massive gain for that 24-hour period, but in these types of cases I also take into account the percent gain from
the previous day and average that amount over a couple days to ensure proper overall gain. In her particular case, she showed a 4 oz gain the day before so the lower amount this morning is not much to worry about, yet... Like I said, I will keep a closer eye on her for the next 24-hours. Usually these situations work themselves out over time. |
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Friday, April 9th, 2021 (Week 1, Day 9) The pups eyes are opening today! This morning during weigh-in and Super Dog exercises I noticed that a few pups have started to open their eyes. Text books say that the process starts at day 10, however I'm not surprised these pups are a little ahead of the game since they have excelled in growth and development since the minute they were conceived. They were born larger than normal and have kept up the momentum after birth. Here's today's weigh-in statts and eye-opening update:
For the status of "both have started", this just means that the upper and lower eye lids have started separating in the corners closest to the nose where the tear ducts are located. It kind of makes the pups look cross-eyed (actually they are not), it's just a visualization. The parting of the upper and lower eye lids will progress horizontally across the eye kind of like a zipper opens fabric. Sometimes
this process goes rapidly over a couple days and sometimes goes more slowly over 4 days or so, each pup progresses at his/her own rate. I will keep you all updated on their progress with each daily weigh-in report. |
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Thursday, April 8th, 2021 (Week 1, Day 8) This morning I'm feeling a little better after my COVID shot, so I was able to get the Miscellaneous Litter Photos from Birth Week posted for you. There are some precious photos in the bunch, I hope you enjoy. Next up is the Week 1 Puppy Portraits, so stay tuned for those. The little wigglers are still doing well, gaining abundantly and are stronger than ever. So strong in fact that it is becoming more and more difficult by the day to complete the Super Dog exercises without fear of them wiggling free of my grip. They are a little more than a handfull in size, so I have to be super careful when handling them. Here's how the pups weigh in today:
Update, Week 1 Puppy Portraits have been posted above, ENJOY! :0)~ |
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Wednesday, April 7th, 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 few 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:
Sorry folks for the lack of Litter BB content lately, I finally got my COVID-19 vaccination and have been down for the count. I was hoping to get all the miscellaneous litter photos from birth week and the week 1 puppy portraits posted but just don't have the energy. I plan to get those posted soon, so sorry for the delay... |
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Here's how the pups weigh in today:
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Saturday, April 3rd, 2021 (Birth Week, Day 3) This morning I started the Super Dog program(click here for more info). As previously noted in yesterday's blog, the pups' nervous systems are still developing, so the Super Dog program is a way to help stimulate the nervous system during its development to boost and enhance performance later in life. I put the pups through a series of positions and tactile stimulations that apply a slight amount of stress to their system. This small amount of stress pushes the nervous system just slightly beyond normal limits helping to prep the pups for the ability to handle greater amounts of stress in the future. Here's how the pups weigh in today:
Dewclaws were removed today. |
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Friday, April 2nd, 2021 (Birth Week, Day 2)
With that said, we are also very thankful for these healthy little babies of Litter BB that continue to grow and thrive. Shelby is such a great little momma, tending to her pups non-stop and providing them with such rich nourishment that they are gaining weight at an amazing rate. Each morning when I weigh them, they have plump little bellies like they just finished gorging on momma's rich and abundant milk. Here's how the pups weigh in today:
At this point there's not much to report about the pups because all they do is nurse and sleep. If you've been watching the LIVE Puppy Cam closely, you will notice that the pups twitch and jerk while sleeping. This is completely normal and expected as the pups' nervous systems are still developing. A sleeping pup that is perfectly still indicates an abnormality and something is wrong. I tend to peek in on the pups
several times throughout the day just to make sure that they are all twitching. |
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Thursday, April 1st, 2021 (Birth Week, Day 1) Hickory Hollow Llewellins proudly presents the pups of Litter BB: BBBaxter, BBBeatrix, BBBetsy, BBBeckett, BBBoone, BBBlossom, and BBBristol. Puppy portraits have been posted above. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ APRIL FOOLS! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Even though this is technically Litter BB, I am not using "BBB", or even "BB" in front of all the pups' names like I did with the Litter AA pups. That drove me crazy throughout the entire time I had that litter and swore I'd never do that to myself again, LOL! Going forward, all the pups will be referred to using only one "B" in the name! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Pups are doing GREAT, you won't believe how much weight they've gained in a day after birth, these pups are HUGE! For the next three weeks I will weigh the pups daily, each morning at approximately the same time so the weight gain will be for a 24-hour period. Here's how the pups weigh in today:
These pups are HUGE for being barely over 24-hours old. In comparison, Skylar also had seven pups in Litter AA and her pups didn't reach these weights until they were 4-5 days old, WOW! Shelby's first litter wasn't this big at birth either and reached these weights around day 3, very interesting... I truly believe that feeding a highly nutritional food to the dam during pregnancy produces healthy and plump pups at birth. Then they tend to
thrive right away instead of slipping backwards and losing weight at the 2nd daily weigh in. Shelby is a good eater and obviously nurtures her pups very well. |
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Wednesday, March 31st, 2021 (Birth Week, Day 0) Continued from March 30th...
6:00 am - And that's all for now folks, I'm going to bed for about 7 hours (hopefully). I will put up the LIVE Puppy Cam later today. UPDATE: Only got about 3 hours of sleep, people keep calling me, LOL! Since I'm up I figured I should do some work for you guys, so the LIVE Puppy Cam is now online for your viewing pleasure. I have been working on body marking maps and the temporary BB naming. Hopefully I can get some portraits of the pups taken, edited and posted for you later also, so stay tuned for that. |
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Saturday, March 27th, 2021 The reservation list is now full for this litter. Two more reservations were moved up from my extended waiting list and I think it looks "doable". Hopefully Shelby will have at least 3 females in there this time after our last litter (AA - Skylar/Sawyer) had NONE! Wouldn't that be shocking to have two litters in a row with no females? That just can't happen, can it? Saying a few prayers here... |
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Thursday, March 25th, 2021
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Wednesday, March 17th, 2021 I laid my hand flat on Shelby's belly today and felt my first little puppy kick! An x-ray is scheduled in about a week so we'll know how many pups she's having for sure on that day. |
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Friday, March 12th, 2021 Well, it has started. Shelby's belly is so full of growing puppies that there's less room in there for her bladder and thus cannot hold it all night, so for the past couple nights she's been getting me up around 4:00 am for a potty break. She's also panting a lot due to all the hormonal changes and is drinking a lot more water, so that means more frequent potty breaks throughout the day too. Another cute sign that we see when our girls are pregnant is that there's a spot on both the right and left sides of her belly right in front of her back legs which is usually tucked in when they have an hourglass figure, but when the puppies start growing and plumping up the belly, that tuck area expands outward. The hair in that area that is normally curved in now sticks out like little wings, it's kinda funny! |
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Wednesday, March 10th, 2021 I'm sure you've all been waiting anxiously for some news on Shelby's condition, and I feel I can finally say with about 98% certainty that we believe Shelby is indeed pregnant. She is exhibiting some of the same behaviors that we witnessed during her first pregnancy and we can finally see that she is "showing" because her belly is swelling. Therefore, I scheduled a pregnancy x-ray for the week before she's due to get a pup count for the litter. I will post the photos once we've had that appointment. Due date for this litter is still estimated to be around March 31st. |
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Thursday, January 28th, 2021 Duke visited again today but no further breedings, I guess it was one and done this time. Hopefully that's all it takes. Now we wait for 4 to 5 weeks to confirm pregnancy. |
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Wednesday, January 27th, 2021 Good news folks, we had a hook up between Duke and Shelby within the first hour he was here. The breeding tie lasted a good half hour which is excellent! Hopefully this means Litter BB will be on its way! We will repeat breeding again tomorrow if possible to ensure we have success and also to hopefully help equalize male/female ratio within the litter. |
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Tuesday, January 26th, 2021 Repeat of yesterday, still no breeding, but I think tomorrow will be key as it will be day 13. |
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Monday, January 25th, 2021 Duke stopped by for an extended visit today and this time Shelby was receptive to his playful advances. We didn't get a hook up between the two, but that wasn't for lack of enthusiasm. We will get them together again tomorrow. Luckily Duke only lives about 15 minutes away. |
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Saturday, January 23rd, 2021 Duke stopped by for a short visit with Shelby today to see if there was any interest in her since we are at about day 8 of her cycle. He was interested but she was NOT! We decided to wait a couple more days and try them again. Looking back at my records on her last heat cycle, she was bred on days 13 and 14, so her cycle naturally runs a little longer, so it won't hurt to wait a little longer. |
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Thursday, January 14th, 2021 We are excited to report that Shelby has come into heat, so we are planning to breed her now in anticipation for a Spring 2021 litter rather than waiting for a late-Fall 2021 litter. We are planning to breed her to Duke next weekend. Expected breeding dates are 01/23-01/26/2021. Stay tuned here for more Litter BB news as it happens. |
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