"Kindle" (Puppy #6) Being Born

February 8, 2012

"Kinnick" (Puppy #7) Being Born

February 8, 2012

"Litter K" on their Birthday

February 8, 2012

The Scratch Reflex

February 10, 2012

First Steps

February 19, 2012

Draining the Milkbar

February 24, 2012

First Playtime

February 26, 2012

First Cereal

March 3, 2012

Checking Out The Puppy Cottage

March 6, 2012

First Playdate Outdoors

March 10, 2012

Jimmy's Meets Son

March 11, 2012

Doggy Door to Play Yard

March 18, 2012

Kaplan and Blankie

March 13, 2012

Jimmy Puppy Daddy

March 11, 2012

Kasha and Broom

March 13, 2012

Kaplan
 

This big guy is truly a real sweetheart, not only does he look like his daddy James, but he has the most laid back and docile personality to match.  He is somewhat independent and is not afraid to venture out and seek new nooks and crannies in the Puppy Cottage, but he is usually the first to crash after playtime. During play, he will sit back and watch the others wrestle and pounce, just waiting for the right time to join the fun. He was interested when presented with the wing and readily followed it ready to pounce. He does not mind being placed on his back and will lay content cuddled in your arms. Right now he is quite the chow hound and will be the first one on top of or in the middle of the food bowl trying to get every last morsel away from his siblings. He is quite the chewer and digger during play.

Kasha
 

Keaton
 

Kelso

Kenji
 

Kindle

 

Kinnick
 

Krystal

Week 7

Well, the "go home" week has finally arrived and I know that all of you who are coming to get pups are very excited! In prepration for "flying the coop", two of the pups, Keaton and Krystal, took their first trip to the vet to get their Health Certificates so that they can fly to their new homes. Most of the pups are leaving within the next couple days, with three going home this Saturday. Needless to say, I will miss the little pupper doodles so very much, but they are really ready to get out of here and experience something much more exciting than the playpen and play yard at Hickory Hollow.  Once again, the pups in this litter are all going to top notch new homes and I'm truly excited for the new lives that lay ahead for these little darlings!   

I had one new puppy parent e-mail me and ask if there was a way to get in touch with other Litter K puppy parents, so I wanted to pose the question if I can share e-mail adresses with the group so you can all correspond through e-mail if you want. Of course, there's always Facebook for posting photos, video and puppy updates where we can all enjoy them. Send me a quick note if you want to be in on the e-mail distribution and "like" Hickory Hollow Llewellin Setters on Facebook to add our pupdates to your newsfeed. Then you'll never be out of the loop! 
 

This week's milestone: Pups go home.
This is the week that all the puppies will fly the coop and begin their exciting new lives with their new families. While I will miss them, I am so excited for them and for all the adventures they will have.
 

Week 6

Well, Kinnick was the first to fly the coop today, a mere three days early. His new dad had stuff going on the next few weekends so this one was the only one that worked for him to pick up his pup.  Kinnick will hopefully someday be an awesome field trial competition dog.  Watch for news about that in a couple years. :0)

It was another beautiful day here in Eastern Iowa, so the pups had another socialization/outdoor play session in our front yard.  A fun young couple, one of which is a co-worker of mine, came out for some puppy love. It's always fun to sit in the middle of the front yard and have puppies literally all over you! We had a great time!
 

Several of the pups were microchipped today.  If you weren't on the list to be done, it's not too late. Contact me asap if you want to have that done, my cost is $40.

Even after a night without momma nursing at 2 am, I had to hand feed a couple of the pups some canned food so that they'd eat, they are just not really interested in the dry Earthborn Puppy food that I'm serving them. I'm afraid that some of you folks will have to continue the weaning process after they go home with you. This just means you may have to mix some canned food in with the dry for a few more days and gradually reduce the canned food until they are on solid dry. I'm not sure why this particular litter is slower with the weaning process, but I have noticed some significant differences with this litter than past ones. These pups are much more laid back at this age than previous litters and are also much quieter. Usually when I go out to feed pups at this age breakfast or dinner they are barking and howling at the top of their lungs until I let them out of the playpen to serve them. I literally have a spare pair of ear plugs out there to wear while I fixing the meal because their shrill barks can be deafening, however this litter just stands up on their hind legs and peers at me over the door without much fuss. I actually kinda like that!
 

I am having to add some canned food back into the mix because the pups are not as enthusiastic about breakfast and dinner now without it. I am giving special attention to Kasha and Kaplan with the canned food to ensure they keep gaining weight.  

The pups had some really fun visitors again last night, my best friend brought her daughter and two grandkids to see the pups and the pups were being so cute and funny during playtime.  Kasha was quite the little hoot while playing with a broom while we were sweeping the floor, so as soon as I noticed how funny she was being I grabbed the video camera and started filming.  I think I captured a few fun moments which I have just posted to YouTube, but I'm afraid I missed the funniest stuff. BUMMER!
 

Today is the first day that the pups will be on solid kibble without any canned food mixed in.  The pups didn't seem to eat as much as they have at breakfast and dinner as they have done in the past. I will be keeping an eye on them to make sure they are eating enough. For now, momma will remain in the Puppy Cottage to nurse them during the night. At six weeks, here's how the pups measure up:

This week's milestone: Eye color changes from blue to brown.

This week, the puppies eyes will transition from their current baby blues to their final adult color, brown or gold.
 

Week 5

This week's milestones: Puppy Socialization / Puppy Selection Week - Pups will belong to a new family!

At the start of this week, the puppies belong to Hickory Hollow, but by the end of the week, they will belong to a new family! Even though they won't know it yet, they will have been spoken for by their new puppy parents and in a couple weeks will get to go to their new homes.

Now that the pups are old enough to have visitors, they will have lots of opportunities for socialization with our big dogs, adults and children. We will also concentrate on acclimating them to noises of all varieties during "percussion sessions" where they will endure rapping on pans, opening and closing of doors, music on the radio, and whatever else I can think of to condition them for life after Hickory Hollow.
 

Week 4

Third Worming  The puppies were wormed again today and they hated it just as much this time as they did the last two times. At least this time I fed them some dinner right afterward to help chase away that icky taste. The pups are now drinking water from the automatic waterer which HOPE  has so graciously taught them to do (monkey see, monkey do). They learn from their momma! Everytime HOPE goes to the waterer to drink, she makes slurpuing noises that cause the pups to come running out of curiosity to see what she's doing. Then they try lapping the water too and end up liking it.  It's a fun process to watch.
 

We took some video and lots of photos during playtime. My sister has a fantastic 18 Megapixel Professional Camera and she offered to take the puppy portraits for this week. We focused on one puppy at a time to try and capture their personality on film. Tasha got down on the ground and propped herself on her elbows in the grass so that she was down at "puppy level", then we took one pup and set him/her out in the yard about 10-15 feet away and called them toward us, trying to get them to run across in front of her an an angle (instead of getting a straight on camera angle).  The pups didn't always cooperate with our preferred angle, so we had quite a few "takes" for each pup, setting them out in the yard and recalling them to us across her field of view. My brother-in-law would take a pup and walk him/her across the yard and talk to them asking if they were ready for their "Glamour Shots"! He's got such a good sense of humor. I was thrilled with the way the photos came out, some are simply stunning as you will see. Tasha did a fantastic job! KUDOS TO MY SISSY FOR our Week 4 Puppy Portraits! Thank You!!

Weaning is going great! The pups are no longer getting a mixture of Gerber Baby Rice Cereal and goat's milk, they have graduated to canned Science Diet Puppy mixed with water.  I add the water so that the canned food will be easier for them to eat, but also to help keep them hydrated since they are not yet drinking water, only momma's milk.  The pups LOVE their dinner and literally step all over each other to get to the bowl. Pretty soon I will have to divvy up the food into two bowls so they can all have a fair chance at it. In the last photo below you can see Krystal really gets into her food, she has it smeared literally from ear to ear!

Also, I am no longer weighing puppies daily, but I will still weigh them weekly. At four weeks, the pups now weigh:

This week's milestone: Rough Play

Right now the pups are so sweet and gentle and when they come to see you they are snuggly and want to be held and get some attention. For the most part, they like to crawl into your lap and go to sleep. In a few days, this will all go away and they begin to become little monsters (lovingly referred to of course). They will bite everything they can get their little mouths on including fingers, toes and their favorites... shoelaces! As their little personalities emerge this week, we will be posting puppy personality profiles in preparation for Puppy Selection Week starting next Wednesday.
 

Week 3

Second Worming This afternoon I went out and readied The Puppy Cottage in anticipation for moving the pups out from the house, cleaning everything, wiping down the walls and preparing the puppy playpen with fresh pine shavings. I also turned up the heat in order to get the room at the right temp for the puppies and give the concrete floor a few days to warm up.

The pups had a BIG day today! First, they were visited by the McDonald family and I was proud to see that the pups were on their very best behavior for our special company. They snuggled contently with the two kids and stole a few hearts. Then, tonight they got to taste their FIRST cereal meal! (I took some video which I will be posting to YouTube very soon!).

The pups are 3 1/2 weeks old now and the weaning process can begin. The pups are hungry all the time and momma HOPE just doesn't have enough milk to keep their bellies full and fat, so the supplemental feedings will help. I usually start the weaning process by feeding the pups a mixture of Gerber Baby Rice Cereal mixed with warm goat's milk. Learning from past mistakes, tonight I fed the pups outside of the whelping box (to help keep it clean), because these first few cereal meals are very messy and the pups tend to get it everywhere!  I laid out a blanket (which can be easily thrown in the wash) on the carpet and put the cereal bowl in the middle. The pups did not object to their new type of meal and snarfled it right up, with Krystal being the funniest one. She stuck her nose down in the feeding pan as far as she could get it and was gobbling up the cereal with gusto, she even stepped into the pan and became covered in cereal. All the pups loved it and the 2 cups of cereal meal was gone in less than 5 minutes. Momma HOPE was allowed to come in and clean up the pan, the surrounding area and the pups faces, which were covered in cereal from ear to ear!  FUN TIMES!
 

Now that the pups can hear fairly well, I was able to use my "clicker" during today's photo session which helps to get the puppies to sit still for their portraits. Since it's a new noise, they stop dead in their tracks to listen intently which is a good thing because it's usually a beeline straight out of my camera's view finder!  So, with the help of Clicker,  I got some really GOOD photos today! I hope you all enjoy them, they are now posted online!

As you can see in the photos, the pups' ticking is starting to come in and is becoming visible on their paws, what a difference a week makes!
 

Happy Leap Day!!  Today the pups are 3 weeks old and still growing like little weeds. Their sense of hearing has definitely changed in the past couple days and now they awaken when I enter the room and can be easily startled if I'm not careful.

Here's how the pups measure up at 3 weeks old:

This week's milestones: Play behavior

I know I say this all the time, but this is my absolute favorite time with the pups. Their eyes and ears are open and they are becoming playful and inquisitive about their surroundings. This week the pups will really start playing with each other, even though I think this litter is a bit ahead of the game as they started some of this behavior in the past few days. They will begin to exhibit play bowing, yipping, pouncing and chewing on each other. Their individual personalities begin to develop and they will begin to do some of their natural doggy behavior for the first time.
 

Week 2

I just took some really cute video of the pups during one of their first play sessions. Check out the video clips section for the new clip titled "First Playtime". Pup Portraits are coming soon! I just need to crop/edit them and get them uploaded.  Pups are cutting teeth now, so they are starting to chew on my fingers and on each other.
 

If any of you were watching the LIVE Puppy Cam around noon today, you were probably delighted by the sight of Gramma Duchess tending to the puppies. She cleaned up after them and nuzzled them and of course they came running to her looking for a milkbar where there was none. Gramma Duchess laid down in the box with the puppies for a brief few minutes and then as quick as she came in, she was gone. She loves the babies and definitely plays the Gramma role well. :0)~

(Click on the photos to enlarge)
 

First Worming  The puppies were wormed today, for the first time, using an oral medication called D-Worm which is an OTC product containing Pyrantel Pamoate. I use a syringe which allows me to accurately measure the dosage for each pup based on their weight. The company that makes the product recently changed the formula and pups that used to readily lick the medicine and love taking the dosage now shake their heads in "icky" protest and foam at the mouth trying to spit out every disgusting drop. Thanks Farnam Labs,  I appreciate this change very much, and I'm sure the pups do too. :0)~

Speaking of weight, here's how the pups measure up today!

I added a new video clip today too which I titled "Draining The Milkbar". If you listen closely, you can hear the pups gulping their milk making little chirping noises. This is the sound they start to make as the milkbar is sucked dry for that meal and they are desparately sucking harder trying to keep the milk flowing. They knead at moma's belly hoping to extract more, but once it's gone, they pop off the nipple and desparately search for another one or try to steal one from a neighbor. So funny!
 

Just last night I was snuggling Kindle on my chest and she was chewing/mouthing her front left arm... wow! I know that is a habit of the breed to chew on their legs and feet, but holy cow is she starting early, LOL! :0)~

All the pups eyes are fully open today too! Their Week 2 Puppy Portraits are going to be so cute, I bet you can hardly wait to see them!!
 

I'm sure most of you have noticed by now (if you're watching the LIVE Puppy Cam) that the pups are up on all fours walking at times and even sitting up instead of laying on their sides all the time. They still scoot across the box on their bellies, but they are getting up more and more frequently.  Now that the pups eyes are open you will begin to notice them interacting with each other more and more and the first signs of play behavior will emerge.

Here's today's eye opening update:

At two weeks old, here's how the pups measure up:

This week's milestone:  Cutting Teeth / Ears will open

Now that the puppies eyes are fully or almost 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 we must be very careful for the first few days to introduce them to noises gently and not harshly.
 

Week 1

The pups are getting so big and I've noticed that when HOPE first enters the box and stirs up the pups initially she sits to nurse them until they swarm her and knock her over. I have some video of this I might try to get online today.  

Here's today's eye opening update:

WOW, all I can say is that Kasha is a little "go-getter". It seems like every time I enter the puppy nursery she is "practicing" her walk. With as beautiful as she is, I wonder if she is planning to be a runway model someday and has to get that swank just right, LOL!

Here's today's eye opening update:

02/19/12

It's amazing how fast the puppies are changing at this age, because if you blink, you can easily miss the "very first time" the pups have done something.  For instance, they are now up on all fours and walking, even before their eyes are open! (see new video clip: First Steps) They are now pooping on their own, whereas before momma had to stimulate them to potty. Their eyes are opening and as promised I would give an "eye opening update", so here is today's report:

02/17/12

In honor of Valentine's Week, I've done something special as I mentioned earlier... This week's puppy portraits are themed with Valentine's Day flair.  Hope you enjoy!

Can you resist this box of chocolate?
 

02/16/12

Today as I was weighing the pups I noticed that the little pink noses they had at birth are now spotted with freckles as well as their little tummies. Their hair is very thin on their bellies, so the spots are easily noticed. These spots on their tummies as well as their backs will someday grow colored hair which will make their coat "ticked".
(see photos below)

When I do the Super Dog exercises, that ritual also gives me the opportunity to look the pups over real well and check them for skin conditions and monitor the healing process for their dew claws.  As I mentioned for Week 1, the milestone is that the pups eyes will be opening very soon, in fact I've noticed that the crease between their upper and lower lids is deepening and will be cracking open soon.

02/15/12

The pups are growing like weeds, and still gaining at least 1.5 to 2 ounces each 24 hour period.  Here's how the pups measure up after one week of life:

This week's developmental milestone: Eyes will open!

This week the pups have an exciting milestone to "look" forward to, their eyes will open and then their little faces will take on a whole new dimension. Usually the process starts at about 10 days after birth and for most pups, the timeframe from start to finish will be relatively the same, but we will provide an "eye opening update" each day so you can follow along.  
 

Birth Week

02/14/12

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY! In honor of Valentine's Day this week, I've got something extra special planned so stay tuned!

Puppies are doing great and growing like little weeds! They are all healthy and strong and some are even getting up off their bellies already. Their individual personalities are already starting to show and I can tell you that Kinnick is the biggest complainer of all the pups. He always seems to be the one that has the most to say, so far... HOPE is still being a very diligent and protective momma. Benelli (her daughter from "Litter I") is very curious about the noises and smells coming from the puppy nursery, so there are many times you can catch her standing outside the door with a cocked ear listening intently. When the door opens, she peaks in and tries to catch a glimpse, but if her momma HOPE catches her, she gets a very stern stare with an evil eye as if to say "Stop right there and don't come any closer or else!"  Benelli does not dare challenge her mother! Pack dynamics are so fun to observe!

02/11/12

Today we started the Super Dog program, (read about it) whereby we perform different neurological stimulation exercises each day between the ages of 3 to 16 days to help boost the dog's performance later in life. Also, the pup's dewclaws were removed today and I'm happy to report at this morning's weigh-in, all the pups are steadily gaining weight! Here's how they measure up today:

I just posted some miscellaneous litter photos from the birth week. Most of them are also on Facebook, but there are a few here that aren't on there. I've got to leave something special for my website, right?

02/10/12

WOW, it's been a whirlwind since the "Litter K" wigglers have been born.  I've been weighing them twice per day as a few of the pups actually lost weight since birth.  The pups should gain at least one ounce or more in a 24 hour period. Last night I felt I needed to bottle feed the ones that lost weight or didn't gain enough, at this age they can go downhill so quickly that I didn't want to take a chance with them. I used Pro-Biolac which is a powdered milk replacer for puppies that is reconstituted with warm water. I fed them out of a regular human baby bottle using a Stage 1 nipple, however the thick milk kept clogging the hole, so I had to switch to a Stage 2 nipple part way through. The pups don't take to the artificial nipple very easily because it's made of hard rubber and it's difficult for them to latch on because it doesn't mold to their mouths like momma's natural nipples do. Bottle feeding these tiny babies takes persistance and patience, but eventually they usually take to it and start suckling vigorously. Once they realize that it's GOOD STUFF, their bodies get rigid and they start suckling like they are in a pie eating contest, shoveling it down as fast as they can go.  I have to be very careful not to let them overeat and get a bad gut ache or worse.

I just posted the Birth Week puppy portraits and a couple more videos. By the way, I created a new "channel" for Hickory Hollow puppy videos on YouTube, our channel name is HickoryHollowLlews: (http://www.youtube.com/user/HickoryHollowLlews?feature=mhee) . Feel free to subscribe to our feed so you won't miss our videos. Of course I will also post links to the videos on this page and on our Facebook page.
 

02/08/12

PUPPIES ARE COMING!
 

Throughout the night I monitored HOPE's temp and it is still above the red line, however at about 5 am she wanted outside to go potty, and was frantically running around the house, she kept going into and out of her kennel and was whining. I assumed puppies were coming, even though I had not seen the textbook temperature drop that I was expecting, sure enough, she started having contractions around 6 am and the first pup was born at 6:30.