We are 5 Weeks Old Already!

A special shout out to our daughter Maryann, and three of our grandchildren Callum, Alana, and Ayden for helping John and me with our 5 week puppy weigh in and evaluation.  I think Maryann did a great job with the photos considering it's the first time she ever did this. It was a little challenging with some of the pups but overall we did get some good photos. She will come help us out again as will Julie and also our other grandchildren. So the pups may not be getting the one on one attention from me which I so enjoy lavishing upon them but they will be receiving all the love and devotion our family and friends have to offer.  On Easter afternoon they were all outdoors for the first time romping and playing and I was tucked into my room with a view and observed from the bed. They all had so much fun.  Hope you enjoy these photos and also have been following the "BELIEVE all things are possible" puppies of Bullet and Thistle. Speaking of Thistle, she is doing very well in her own right, spending more time in the house with John and also the other dogs. She is weaning her puppies on her own terms and doing very well. She's been and continues to be a really good momma. In the meantime here's the weight and photo of each puppy at 5 weeks old.  There are more pictures in a Facebook Album at the All Things Brittanys page there.  Take care, God bless, and join me in praying for a full recovery with complete return to normal activities following my recent total knee replacement surgery!  John, Ann, and ATB

 

 

ATB: 3 Week Weigh In

We've been waiting to get our puppy ID bands in the mail since ordering them over a week ago. They are great. Made of thin, lightweight Velcro coming in 12 assorted colors they will be perfect to help us keep track Bullet and Thistles beautiful puppies.  We share a private web cam for our puppy families and hope this will make it easier for them also to keep an eye on them. Today we introduced a lot of small puppy toys to the litter and they were completely mesmerized.  They have several very brief period of play and exercise at this age but mostly they sleep.  When Thistle comes into their whelping box to nurse them they come to life with great enthusiasm about nursing.  She is a good mom and even when it is not time to feed her litter of 11 she enjoys some special time with them giving much affection. Thistle is doing well and because of the huge demand upon her body will introduce the pups to puppy mash this week. We are no where close to weaning but this simply will help her. Half of the litter is very excited about hearing me say the infamous "Puppy! Puppy! Puppy!" when approaching and the other half would like to go back to sleep thinking they are having some kind of nightmare when they hear my voice.  Lots of changes from this week into next but the big changes occur 4 - 5 weeks.  Time is passing by. Take care and God bless, John, Ann, and All Things Brittany.  Enjoy the pictures! (There are many more on the All Things Brittany Facebook page)



Ammo - (Black Boy)  1 lb. 6 oz.



Cotton - (Dark Green Girl)  1 lb. 13 oz.



Daffodil - (Yellow Girl) 2 lb. 11 oz.

Flower - (Pink Girl) 2 lb. 3 oz.

Lilac - (Purple Girl) 2 lbs.

Snow Drop (Light Green Girl) 2 lbs 8 oz.



Swift - (Dark Blue Boy) 2 lbs. 1. 6 oz.



Taurus - (Light Blue Boy) 1 lb. 15 oz.

Tulip - (Red Girl) 2 lbs 3 oz.

Violet - (Lavender Girl) 2 lbs. 10 oz.

WOLF - (Brown Boy)  2 lbs. 6 oz.

ATB VIDEO: Brittany Puppies On the Move

 

The neonatal stage (birth to two weeks) has officially ended! This stage as you may remember began with the initial sense of touch and taste which was present immediately after birth. It is also the stage in which Thistle has the single most important influence upon the development of her pups.  When the pups behavior and responses indicate that they are beginning to see, hear, and their activity level increases this period of development has come to an end.

 

The transitional stage (two to four weeks) is now upon the "Only Believe (all things are possible)" litter and it is a stage they have been approaching rapidly and without hesitation. Thistle will of course continue to influence the behavior of the puppies but they also are now influenced by their play and interaction with each other. John and I will continue on with our S.M.A.R.T. puppy training and create more opportunities for learning. Within just a few days the pups go from the uncertainty of seeing blurry shapes and hearing strange sounds to a new found confidence. There are those who will advance and approach the unknown and there are those who will gather together with other littermate and observe from a difference. However eventually each puppy becomes confident, playful and desiring of more interaction with John, and I and anyone who comes to visit. 

 

I took the above video today which is Day 19.  Last night several of the pups crawled up, over, and out of the whelping box. They did not go far and Thistle stayed very close to them until John or I put them back in. We like to observe what is called their 'startle response' to these accidental tumbles out of the box as well as how the react to new sights and sounds.  We learn a lot about the entire litter in these early episodes of discovery. Although understandably wobbly the pups are standing, walking a little, wagging their tail and even woofing! By the end of the fourth week their eyesight will be well-developed, they will have teeth, and we will have started the process of weaning.

 

As always thank you for your interest in All Things Brittany.  We have shared many more photos on our All Things Brittanys Facebook page where there is an online photo album of pictures of the pups. Take care and God bless, John, Ann, and our canine crew.

ATB VIDEO: Bullet x Thistle Pups at 2 weeks old