Litter 4 - Day Ten

Well they are ten days old today. We are spending less and less time hovering over the whelping box - didn't even sleep next to it last night. Pepper is being really good about going in and letting them nurse enough. Everyone's health continues to be excellent including Pepper's. . Weight gain is normal and they've all doubled their birth weight by now. Here are some pictures I took today of the litter and some of the activities they are enjoying at Camp Coppertop.

On the pages from Pepper's first breeding to Jammer, I explained how we use some exercises we learned from a booklet written by Grace Blair and distributed by a group known as Versatility In Poodles. I would encourage you to make a donation to Versatility in Poodles, C/O Miriam Hillier, Treasurer, 4 Emerald Court, San Mateo, CA 94403 if you find the material of value. VIP does a lot to support canine health research.

Below, I've included some pictures of a couple of the exercises we do with the pups. We start this right away at Day Two. In a couple of shots, you can actually see the nifty new whelping box I built. We had been borrowing a box from our friend, Jan Teichman, all these years but it was needed elsewhere this time. Its' just as well as it forced me to get off my duff and build one of our own. I used the white vinyl covered particle board for two reasons. One was to facilitate cleaning. The other was because I wanted better light characteristics for my photography. This has worked out way above my expectations! The lighting is superb in the box and it enables me to use a slower speed, higher quality film if I desire. I capped the top edges of the box and the front opening with heart redwood. It's beautiful wood but less expensive than something like oak or ash. I'm not concerned about possible toxicity to the pups as they will only be in this box for the first three weeks. They will barely have their first set of teeth and they will be moving into new and bigger digs. The rail caps were MUCH appreciated when spending long moments assisting with the births and having to prop ourselves on the edge of the box. Nice and smooth with no sharp edges to cut into you and it looks nice with the redwood trim. Finally, I included a shot of my webcam rig. I used an old microphone stand with a boom so that I could move the camera around in the box much like a movie crew does. It works VERY well.

I think this is the first shot I've gotten of them all together.

One of the exercises I mentioned earlier involves stimulating the sense of smell. Here, Terry uses a piece of Honeydew melon. Miss Green REALLY liked that and was hoping to take a big bite!

There's the shot of the spiffy whelping box.

The webcam rig and a better look at those top rails on the box.

More exercises! This one involves touch sensitivity. Exposing the pup to different surfaces. This time it was peg board. What was the Beatles tune? Four thousand holes in Blackburn, Lancashire?

Ah! Mr. Blue needs a hug from his Mummy. Wait, you aren't my Mummy!

Another exercise combining touch sensitivity and problem solving. How do you get out of the pie tin? By the time they are this age, they just stand up and fall out. Cheaters! It takes much more work when they are just two days old but they do it.