pUpdates

Week 5 pUpdate

Week 4 (6/4–6/10)

We finally got the pups outside for some fresh air and sunshine! Outdoor pictures are always better, and it’s pretty entertaining watching them figure out how to coordinate all their moving parts and navigate grass, rocks, and each other.

If you’ve been following along on the puppy cam, you’ve probably noticed that the transition to puppy food is going great. Ruby still hops in once in a while, but she never stays long. At this point, the pups definitely outweigh her. She’s more than happy to let them handle most of their meals on their own.

We’re also working on teaching them to use the dog door to expand their territory a little more. The Kansas heat has limited how much time we’ve been able to spend outside, but we’re hoping to make some good progress this weekend when we can dedicate a larger block of time to it. Our day jobs have been keeping us busier than we’d like lately, but Belle and Dash have been fantastic about spending time with the pups. Thankfully, these puppies are big fans of people, so socialization comes pretty naturally.

Shout out to Belle. She volunteered her professional photography skills for a quick photo shoot of the pups one evening this week. You’ll be able to tell without question her pictures from mine. My eye doesn’t quite capture these pups as well as Belle’s. Luckily Belle’s going to school in the aviation field, so future litters she can just fly home for a quick photo shoot.

We’ve been getting Ruby out for early morning runs with all her canine friends before the heat sets in. It’s the highlight of her day and a relief to us that we can get her back outside for exercise.  She has ample amounts of energy and always needs to burn some off.  Which is partly why we can’t keep weight on her.  Try as we might, she ploughs through calories.

We’re continuing to provide as much socialization as possible for the pups and have invited friends and neighbors over to visit. We’re incredibly fortunate to have such wonderful support from everyone around us. There’s a lot happening on our little 4.7-acre patch of the Kansas Flint Hills. 

On Tuesday, we hosted cross country practice. Just when you think ten puppies is a lot, you find yourself with a yard full of kids and only ten puppies to go around. Needless to say, the pups were exhausted and settled into their box for a long nap afterward.

Over the next week, we’ll also be putting together some personality profiles based on our observations and a few simple evaluations. The goal is to help families on our reservation list narrow down their choices when puppy-picking time arrives.

Our next big undertaking will be capturing the traditional family portrait in the back of our 1958 Jeep. We started this tradition with a nice, manageable litter of five puppies. As it turns out, ten puppies are much more than twice the work—on everything. We’ll see how this goes. Wish us luck, and tune in next week!

Week 2 pUpdate

Week 2 (5/14–5/20)

Eyes Open – Hercules was the last to open his eyes, although at times I wasn’t sure if he was just too tired to do it for me. Regardless, we’ll soon have ten pairs of baby blues dazzling us! The pups are becoming more mobile every day, which means chaos is on the horizon.

Weight Gain – Weight gain continues to be slower for Honey and Hazel, but they are still making progress. They’ve never lost weight, so they are moving in the right direction. Both are strong and can hold their own at the milk bar.

Vet Visit & Feeding – Dr. Frese stopped by to check on Ruby’s ears, and we gave all the pups a dewormer. No concerns were noted. We are continuing to increase Ruby’s calorie intake as the pups grow and their appetites expand. She always has kibble available, along with a cup of cottage cheese and an additional bowl of kibble offered three times a day. To say Ruby’s appetite is voracious is an understatement—she finishes her meals in no time.

Weather Event – On Monday night, a round of severe weather moved through, so we brought Ruby and all the pups inside. While there were no tornados in our area, there was heavy rain, strong winds, and plenty of sirens and warnings—you can never be too careful.

One positive note: Ruby handled the situation incredibly well with our other six Llews when the pups were brought inside. Although we kept them separated, she showed no aggression as we moved the pups through the house—especially impressive since they have yet to meet the others. This was a relief, as Shelby likely would have reacted very differently, adding another layer of stress to an already urgent situation.

Thank you, Ruby, for taking it all in stride!

That’s is for the pUpdate this week.  There’s lots to share but hopefully you’re starting to see more activity through the camera as the pups get their feet under them.  We’ll see who the first one is to climb out…any bets?