Boomer x Ellie Pups @ 2 Weeks

Well here we are mid-way into the puppies third week of life.  They turned two weeks old on Monday and everyone is doing really well.  Ellie continues doing a great job mothering her puppies.  She is keeping the whelping box very clean and is incredibly patient with her little puppies.  

Ellie is brushed regularly and is looking good and feeling great and I think she enjoys the added attention.  She has quite the appetite and is eating several meals throughout the day including a midnight meal and a very early breakfast. 

The puppies are growing steadily and all of them have opened their eyes.  They are beginning to really get up on their legs to move around the box and it's surprising how quickly they can motor about.  We have continued with the Early Neurological Stimulation exercises and the Early Scent Introduction.  Some of the scents that we have introduced the puppies to so far include lavender, orange peel, rose, cedar, cloves, leather, mint and soap.  Sometimes we don't observe much of a reaction in the puppies at all but at other times their little nostrils flare and you can really see them taking it in.  The leather was particularly intriguing to most of the puppies and so was the orange.

The puppies are starting to take up more room in the whelping box and it's beginning to get a little crowded at the milk bar.  There is quite a bit of jostling around as they settle in to a spot - it's all such valuable stimulation for their little senses.   Every day we snuggle and weigh the puppies and their nails are trimmed every three days so they won't scratch Ellie.