ATB: Happiness Is a Warm [Brittany] Puppy

True & Piper's Pups - 19 Days Old

 

Dramatic changes can be seen daily in the puppies. Sometimes even from morning to night I see significant development. John extended the height of the open side of the whelping box as a couple of pups found their way to the pig rail and pulled their front legs and chest up onto it.  We felt it would be just a matter of time before they went up and over!  That will happen soon enough, just not this soon please.

 

All eyes are fully open now and each day their vision will become clearer. Tonight I smiled to myself as I watched one of them try to follow the shadow caused by a litter mate. Their little bodies are so uncoordinated right now and their heads are somewhat out of proportion compared to the rest of their bodies.  They are responding to sound and noises and it's just the cutest thing to observe their reactions to some of them. A tilt of the head or perhaps a little woof, the tell tale sound of listening in a Brittany when the ears perk up, on full alert!

 

Daily, John and I routinely handle, play with, and check each puppy in a variety of ways, the majority of which are simply pure fun. I've really enjoyed seeing the depth of attention he is giving to Piper, his girl.  She is after all a daughter of Jack and we all know how he feels about his Jack. But it's a very sweet relationship they have together. Yesterday afternoon when I was holding one of the pups I discovered she had teeth!  So I quickly checked the mouths of the other 5 and sure enough, they all have their teeth too.  Thinking of Piper and pups that nurse with milk teeth tells us that it is time to begin the weaning process.

 

Soon and very soon this quiet time will erupt into full blown energy, curiosity, and the activity level which is inherent in these puppies. I'm anxious for it and can't wait to make even more discoveries about these new Brittany puppies that I love so much already. Although their spurts of energy in the whelping box really do not last very long at all, you can see what is coming.  As I watched them today it was almost as if they were fighting to hold onto the safety, warmth, and comfort of the neo natal period with sleep taking up the greatest percentage of their life. Yet when they were wide awake boy did they have fun with each other. They already have me laughing at their antics, antics which are once again an indication of the true Brittany spirit within them.

 

Piper and I had a grand time today when we were outdoors together.  We received another 8" of snow and John was out plowing the neighbors driveways. Piper and I took our time walking around the  yard.  She made me laugh, she was just so happy and comical.  Piper ran full speed ahead from one side of the yard to the other several times in a row. Then she jumped off the path that John plowed for the dogs to run on, into the deep snow off to the side.  Then suddenly she took a nose dive down into the snow and scooted her entire body underneath it, as if she were swimming underwater in the snow!  It must have felt so refreshing!!  Piper's appetite is phenomenal again and we don't have to supplement quite as much as we have been doing for the past month.  It is a relief to know she's eating exactly what she needs to be eating without any guesswork as to whether or not the nutritional needs of she and her puppies are being met.

 

I have been placing each puppy in the crook of my arm daily since birth.  Gently I lay them on their back and then place my hand upon their chest and under their chin.  This lets them feel a sense of security in this new position.  Almost after 3 weeks of doing that to each of them their is no resistance at all, which is a very very good thing.

 

Well, this is an early night for me in comparison to most of them lately.  And my eyelids have already shut a few times, my head nodding, and the keyboard is begging me to use it for a pillow.  I am tied to the desktop computer literally when it comes to communicating electronically. Some day I will go wireless and I really can't wait.  But for now, I'll continue to appreciate this workhorse of of PC, which is a Dell Inspiron 530 - it keeps going and going and going like the ever ready bunny.

 

Having said that, I turn around and see there are several adult Brittanys nearby who would really love me to go snuggle with them. I think I can manage that. And besides, resting my head on a soft willing Brittany is much nicer than clunking it on the keyboard!

 

Take care and God bless you always... John, Ann, and All Things Brittany