Pascal x Summer Puppies: One Week Old

Our precious puppies have made it through their first week of life.  Summer is proving to be an excellent mother to her little puppies.  They are gaining weight exponentially and have become fat and chubby little pups.  

 In their first week of life the puppies are very vulnerable as they cannot regulate their own temperature so need to be kept warm and safe.  We keep the whelping box at a temperature that allows the puppies to be safe while not being uncomfortable for Summer.  The puppies spend lots of time snuggling up with her for comfort and warmth.                                    


At this young age the neonates cannot hear and their eyes are not yet open, they are however pretty good at moving around in order to get to their mother for nursing.  Summer is attentive and gentle, calm and content.  I could sit and watch them for hours on end.

Bert on the left and Ernie on the right.

Although the puppies can't see and hear at this young age they are capable of smelling, feeling and tasting.  We started the Bio Sensor Exercises and Early Scent Introduction on day three and will continue until the puppies are sixteen days old.  It is always enjoyable for me doing these exercises and introducing the puppies to novel scents and seeing how they will react to them.   Their nails are trimmed every three days and they receive a plentiful amount of cuddles.  These early days are tender and sweet and as much as I am looking forward to watching their personalities develop I am definitely enjoying every minute of their early weeks of life.

 

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