Almost ready to go

The puppies are continuing to progress well, not long until the first puppies start their new lives with their new families (Good Friday). They are encountering more people and situations and are taking it all in their stride, there isn't a shy or reserved pup amongst them!

They have adapted well to their routine of sleep, toilet, food and play and accidents are becoming fewer, we have not had a pup leave a parcel indoors for nearly a week now, and at 5.5 weeks old they are starting to be clean overnight (just a few puddles in the morning) so hopefully proper house training will follow easily.

The girls have all found new homes now (Graham is pleased as I was very keen to keep one) but we are still looking for homes for four of the boys, including my favourite who is the most affectionate snugly boy.

The chickens will miss the pups, as when they hear the food going down they circle like vultures for any scraps that might be left.

Sorry Ceil, it is Charlie chewing the shoe in the above picture!

Wish I could figure out the video!

Thankfully my friend, Rosie, who has the necessary know, how is coming to stay in 10 days so should have some video footage then. It' such a shame I can't figure it out as you just can't see what cracking characters these pups have become by looking at photos

Having said that, even taking a photo is becoming harder as the pups are so much more active now, and as soon as I kneel down to take a shot they come bounding over to play with me.

They are well and truly on solid food now, they are all looking on the plump side! They all go outside after they have eaten in order to go to the toilet and this seems to be working quite well, we have very few parcels in the house- though I can't say the same for puddles but I'm sure we'll get there over the next few weeks. As can be seen by one of the photos they are all keen to come back indoors when they have finished their ablutions.

Out and about

Well the easy part is over. The pups have now started on solid food- going down a treat! which is great, the downside is what goes in 1 end comes out the other so keeping the pups and their environment clean has become a full time job.

Hand in hand with feeding them comes getting them out of their whelping box, which is the start of house training. This is the fun part of having puppies. They are starting to have visitors now and today my friend and her son joined me and my daughter to play with them. All parties had fun, the pups loved all the attention and some have started to play with toys whilst others wanted to use us as climbing frames/chew toys or somewhere comfy to have a nap.

Just a few more pictures

Will try and do some video soon as pups are getting quite entertaining now, and VERY noisy.

Eyes open, pups getting mobile.

Well in the few days I was away the pups have made good progress. As the title implies all pups have their eyes open and they are all wobbling around the whelping box. They have started play fighting as well, all in slow motion, and the progress I'm not so happy about is that they have found their voices, lots of funny barks and growls coming from them.

11 days old

Just a couple more recent pictures as off to crufts this evening so won't be updating again for a couple of days.