The puppies are now 7 weeks old and we'll be doing evaluations later this week and starting to decide who is going to which home. Since this crew is probably all going to "show" homes, one of the things the pups need to learn is how to be "stacked" for examination in the Conformation Ring. We've been stacking them informally for the past 2 weeks but it's now time for them to relax while being stacked and decide what their favorite bait is: turkey hotdogs, string cheese, boiled chicken, etc. Today, we used turkey hotdogs and they seemed to like them well enough. Tomorrow, we'll try the string cheese and then the chicken. Most professional handlers use calves liver. Since you need to place the bait in your mouth when you're showing your dog, I've tended to stuff I can actually stand having in my mouth. No liver!
We've finally picked a theme for this litter: international foods. I'll let you know what the names look like after we've finalized our list.
So, without further ado, here are the puppies in birth order. BTW, this was the first time that Linda stacked the puppies while I took the photos. I think she did an incredible job! First up, here's Pink Girl. She was the first born and was 13 oz. at birth. Today, she weighs 10 lbs. even.
Next up is Lt. Blue Girl. She was 14 oz. at birth and today weighs in at a hefty 10 lbs. 3 oz.
Red boy was the third puppy down the chute and he was also the smallest of the puppies at birth at 12 oz. Today, he is the third heaviest at 11 lbs. 5 oz.
The Plumster was next out and his lungs were filled with fluid. It took us over a 1/2 hr. to get him cleaned out and breathing properly. He also weighed just a shade over 12 oz. at birth. Today, he is the chunk of the litter at 13 lbs. 3 oz., a full pound heavier than Big Blue.
And speaking of Big Blue, he was the last puppy born and the heaviest at birth at 15 oz. Today, he's behind Plummy but hardly spindly at 12 lbs. 2 oz.
So, that's the crew. We are still debating who we're going to keep. And the list of buyers has gone through some changes since we have been looking for more "show" homes i.e. homes that want the puppies as pets and family members but would be willing to show them if they turn out. We now have 4 former buyers of our puppies on our list so we know exactly how the puppies will be treated. If you have never bred a litter, you have no idea how much of a relief it is to know your buyers and to trust them as great homes.
Enjoy the kids. They won't be with us too much longer.
Jim