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Tachi's 2018 Puppies - 4 Weeks Old

1/21/2019

6 Comments

 
4 weeks old!  So much has changed in our puppies' ever-expanding world this week.  They are now walking and romping with each other.  Though they spend the majority of their day sleeping, they are now much more aware of the world around them when they are awake.  Since their eyes and ears are much more developed than last week, they are now learning all kinds of things through their senses.  Of course, we don't have to intentionally socialize them to normal household noises.  Our household of 7 people supplies lots of interesting sounds - vacuum cleaner, door opening and closing, adult voices, children voices, plates clattering, a washing machine, and on and on.  I did start playing short youtube clips of puppy sound desensitization for them.  I play these clips softly to give them a gentle introduction to sounds like a circular saw, a hair dryer, a siren, horns blowing, etc. 

The puppies are doing well with lapping up milk.  They now look forward to their bowl in the morning and the evening.  Just this morning, we introduced Life's Abundance Small and Medium Breed puppy food softened in goat milk. (You can read all about Life’s Abundance on our nutrition page.)  This litter is very eager for food!  Tachi has been showing us some signs of weaning in the past week, such as leaving the puppies for extended periods of time.  It is becoming nearly impossible for her to feed all 8 at one time - there simply isn't enough room!  Over the next week, we will gradually increase the amount of food we give them while decreasing how much milk they get from Tachi.  
Picture
The puppies are growing beautifully!  I put their 4 week weights on their individual pages.  King remains the largest at 2lbs, 9oz and Angel and Noel the smallest at 2lbs.  They are now sporting simply adorable Lupine ribbon whelping collars.  The collars are super soft and gentle.  The children LOVE these collars because now they can readily identify "their" puppy.  I will soon be switching them over to Lupine's 6-9" small collars.
Picture
Above, you can see that the whelping area has changed once again.  (Notice Mary being a good girl and using the potty box!)  We expanded their area this week to include a play area.  They now have 3 areas - sleeping area, potty area, and play area.  They are doing excellent with sleeping in the proper place and not soiling that area.  A few of them are using the potty box, but most toddle to a quiet corner to do their business.  To continue to train them, we clean up messes often (Life's Abundance Biodeodorizer to the rescue!) and place them in the potty box when we see them wake up or after eating.

Below are lots of pictures from this week.  The children can now spend long periods of time with them.  MJ was playing with them the other day for about 20 minutes when I heard her say, "Mommy, they are all falling asleep!"  They still tire quickly and need their sleep.  You'll also see a few adorable sleeping positions that I captured below.
Thanks for stopping by!
6 Comments
Scott Chivinski
1/21/2019 05:15:58 pm

Bliss, who we picked up from you 2 years ago, is doing wonderfully. While I doubt I'd get permission from my wife I'd love to bring home one of these puppies for Bliss's first challenge as a big sister. We often remark how wonderful she'd be as a mom. We give all the glory to you and yours being her 'first' family.

Reply
Vanessa link
1/21/2019 06:56:08 pm

Thanks, Scott! It's great to hear such a good update on Bliss :) We love, love hearing how well she is doing! We count it an honor to be a small part of bringing joy to families for many years through a loyal buddy! And, we'd love to have another of our babies go to you!! Two boys are available :) :)

Reply
Julie
1/21/2019 06:25:34 pm

ADORABLE!
Love these updates. The children take their job as cuddlers very seriously, I see. :)

Reply
Vanessa link
1/21/2019 06:59:02 pm

Yes, Julie, they do! We spend time teaching them to be gentle, and it is fun to see that pay off with our older children who do so well with the puppies. Even our 2 year old is amazingly gentle :) Thanks for stopping by!!

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COLLEEN & MIKE
1/21/2019 08:56:33 pm

GOOD EVENING, ONCE AGAIN THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR SHARING ALL THESE UPDATES. IT'S AMAZING HOW FAST THEY GROW IN SUCH A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. WE ENJOY ALL THAT YOU SHARE WITH US. SO SOOTHING, THANK YOU.

Reply
Vanessa link
1/28/2019 04:19:59 pm

Thanks for stopping by, Colleen! Yes, they are growing quickly - children & puppies alike!!

Reply



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    Vanessa from Russell Homestead.  Follower of the Lord Jesus, wife of my knight in shining armor, mother of 5 wonderful children, and joint-keeper of the Russell homestead.  Thanks for stopping by!
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"The earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein." Psalm 24:1

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  • Home
  • Mini Schnauzers
    • Mini Schnauzers - The Basics
    • Current & Upcoming Litters
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Nutrition >
      • Nutrition - The Basics
      • Recommended Products
      • Life's Abundance-FAQ
    • Past Puppies
    • Puppy Photo Updates
    • Testimonials
    • Past Puppy Blogs
    • Documents
  • Goats
    • Our Goat Herd >
      • Goats - The Basics
      • Velvet
      • Nickel
      • Llama
    • Available Goat Kids
    • Past Goat Kids
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  • Contact
  • Blog