Individual Achievement

The prize for first to make Honest, Unadulterated Contact with a Human...
goes to the smallest red girl in Diamond's litter.
(I was holding her in my hand, with her belly up so I could rub it, looking in her face and making small talk with her when she made eye contact with me and started answering with little barking sounds. She was lying still, just looking straight in my eyes, making sure I knew it was ME she was talking to.)

Winner of first prize for Walking All the Way Across the Nest without Falling, Staggering or even Touching a Nose to the Ground to Maintain Balance...
is one of Cotton's larger boys.
(I had all the pups out of the nest while I changed the bedding and I put him back first, on the side away from where the gang always congregates and watched in amazement as he marched his little butt straight across to where his mama had left him. He's one pup who will always be first in the chow line.)

And finally, the prize for the first pup to make a Deliberate and Planned Escape from the Nest without the Aid of Mom's Nipple or Climbing Up and Over a Pile of Littermates...
is presented to Emy's smallest black guy.
(And he's done it not once or twice, but several times. Here we have an Edmond Dantes, folks!)

BIG Progress

Monday night I was watching tv and Marco WALKED across the nest. Made all 4 feet just as steady as can be. All day long the gang was practicing being up on all 4s... they are now trying to squat for certain activities... but they couldn't get more than one foot moved before they fell, kerplunk! And then big ol' Marco! Yesterday, most of them were able to move several steps before going down and this morning you'd think they'd been walking all their lives! The interesting thing is Emy gets into the nest and goes to the opposite side from where they've all gathered, so they have to come to her for mothering. She stays a few minutes, then leaves, then does it again. Very smart mama, that Emy.

And to celebrate being 3 weeks old, they've started wrestling with each other. Now, this is from a lying down position, but there are heads being bumped together and mouths closed around other pups' feet and heads.

They grow up so fast!

12 Days and Movin' On

And I do mean moving'. Cotton's babies are all over the place... when they're awake (which isn't much!) Most of them are already trying to get up on their feet. Usually one end is in the air and the other still on the ground, but they get "A" for effort! Cotton has an interesting way of dealing with their hunger. She still doesn't like it when they cry, so she'll get in with them and let them nurse for 5-10 minutes, then she's back out of the nest and lying elsewhere in the pen. A half hour later, she goes back in the nest. Normally, that is with a normal size litter, 5-10 minutes would be enough for everyone to get some chow, but with this many pups... well, it looks like a run on the bank! And yet, for the most part, they're quiet and they're growing like weeds AND they always seem to have full tummies when I pick them up. AND their bottoms are clean (thank you, Cotton!) At night, Cotton usually stays with them most of the time. I'm torn about starting to supplement them as I don't want them getting loose stools, but I also don't want Cotton getting run down for having so many mouths to feed. (Even though it IS her fault in the first place!)

And by the way
Someone didn't have their fingers crossed when it came to placing this rescue puppy... she's still with me. The family drove several hours to meet her and she, all 6-1/2 pounds of her, was too BIG. Since she's now living with a group of adults, she's doing great... hasn't used the newspaper at night for several weeks and has toned down some of her excessive energy. Guess she feels like a big girl now! She still needs to go....