The Moving On Up litter is a week old today and boy what a lot of changes have taken place since they were born last Thursday.

The puppies readily find Mama Oceana and the Milk Bar and are all healthy eaters.  Oceana is doing a terrific job and is much more relaxed and happy with her Mommy duties than she was with her first litter.  She is an attentive Mother who keeps the nest spotless and all her babies well cared for. 

The pups are all gaining weight well (when you review the weight gain figures on this week’s Stats, please note this only represents a 3 day weight gain as the previous weights were taken on the 25^th of Sept.) and moving about with ease.  They are vocal when out of place and unable to locate their littermates or Oceana but generally speaking it is wagging tails that we see most from this group.

You will note on the individual photos of the puppies that some have a few more shots than the others.  At this very young age, they are not always too pleased about being removed from the nest and having their pictures taken.  Those who only have a few shots and shots that aren’t entirely great are the ones who were protesting.  We don’t keep them for more than a few quick pictures before returning them to Oceana as that is the maximum amount of stress that is good for them at this young age.

We do introduce a small stressor each day to the puppies such as simply turning them upside down.  This helps to develop puppies who learn not to fear new and unfamiliar experiences but rather to welcome them with curiosity and confidence. 

By the time we do next week’s update we will be able to see everyone’s beautiful eyes.  For me, once the eyes open you really begin to know each puppy and their unique personality.  Always an exciting time for us and the lucky families on the Moving On Up litter list.