Tux x Ellie Puppies - Week Three

This week the puppies' hearing has come on-line.  They are starting to react to sounds and their vision is also improving.  We've hung some dangling toys in the whelping box as added enrichment.  They are moving about the box and interacting more and more with one another and with the soft toys.   They made the big move from the guest bedroom down to the main floor of the house.  Now they are exposed to the sights and sounds and smells of family life.  They still have their whelping box but their space has been enlarged to include a play and potty space.  They can see through this pen and have more toys to interact with and different footing.  

                                              Sometimes Ellie chooses to nurse while sitting up.  This simple action creates an added challenge for the puppies.  It encourages them to reach and use different muscles to balance when nursing from the upper nipples.  She is attentive and keeps the whelping box spotless.  The pups are growing well and by the end of the week they were already four times their birth weight.

Different footing lets the puppies experience something new in addition to the toys in and above their box.  Adding novel stimuli to the their environment is something that we will focus on daily in the weeks to come.

Frequent updates and photos are posted on our Northrock Barbets Facebook Page if you would like to follow the litter's progress.