J&A's Jack of Hearts - 1 Week Old

"If I could make days last forever, if words could make wishes come true. I'd save every day like a treasure and then, again I would spend them with you..." 

The puppies of Jack and Holly are doing exceptionally well as we now begin their second week of life. Their well being at this early neo-natal stage is primarily measured by their daily weight. I like to see at least an increase of one ounce or more per day and the Jack of Hearts puppies has been very consistent in their weight this first week. A good rule of thumb for our puppies is to see an average weight gain of one pound per week and these babies are spot on! Holly is an exceptional mother and keeps her puppies and their 'nest' very clean.  That's how it will be for the first 3 - 4 weeks but after that, she hands the full responsibility over to us so there is much to be done between now and then.  The puppies are under our watchful eye 24/7 as we stay right with Holly Beth.  Our life goes on hold when puppies are involved.  I feel if you can't dedicate the time it takes to raise a  litter of puppies, then you probably ought not to be breeding. It's a lifestyle choice which requires dedication and sacrifice.  It is always a labor of love and all for the love of the dog, both given and received.  Besides, in those first few nights of sleeping next to Holly and her puppies for me, there is also a sense of reverence and of the Presence of God.

The boys.

 A lot of development and growth are occurring already in the puppies.  Their movements become more deliberate with each passing day.  In the beginning they literally crawl and drag their little bodies across the area seemingly without purpose.  Then suddenly one morning you look at see that one puppy is beginning to use their legs to lift their little body up instead of dragging it.  For a few brief seconds they are actually walking until plop!  Down they go again. I was watching one of the pups treat the inside perimeter of the box as a race track.  Guided by the four sides the puppy seemed quite determined to  navigate the entire circumference. The times of being active are short lived as the puppies sleep most of the time. But when they are wide awake they are very busy.

The girls.

Puppy Love

This is the neo-natal stage where eyes are still shut tight.  They are aware of very little and their greatest needs are to be fed, warm, and kept clean. All of the pups are strong nursers.  I observe the puppies closely when they are nursing to be sure everyone is getting something to eat.  When there is a puppy that I feel isn't getting as much time as the others I simply take Holly aside and put that one puppy with her. Speaking of Miss Holly Beth she's always been somewhat of a fussy eater and more so now that she has puppies.  It is of utmost importance that she doubles or even triples her usual food intake because of the demands the puppies place on her. She is being fed Purina Pro Plan for puppies that is served up with either steak, hamburg, or chicken. I'm also feeding her cottage cheese, yogurt, ice cream, and nursing mother pudding.

The rest of our crew here are all doing well.  They are not allowed anywhere near Holly or the puppies. I think actually it is the hardest on Revere because he is accustomed to me being with him.  It is good for him though to spend more time with John. Even so, Revere is still just a puppy whose training needs to be ongoing and not hit or miss. When I've been away from him for any length of time he greets me by running towards me with his pig-pig toy insisting we engage in a game together! If I am with Holly and the puppies John always has the other dogs out and about enjoying the day simply being dogs. They are a very content pack and from the oldest to the youngest, they are all very very happy.

Well I think that's about all that I have in me to write tonight!  I have fallen asleep at the keyboard here and when I woke myself back up another hour had passed. I also had no idea what day it was! Sleep is a precious commodity right now and I am thankful when I can have several successive hours of it throughout the night.  But it's all worth it for this is such a short period of time in the overall life of a Brittany puppy. Take care and God bless!