The pups turned four-weeks-old yesterday. They are growing so fast. They have started seeking out attention from 'their humans' far more, and set up quite the hullabaloo when we walk by and don't go play with them. Of course, if we stop everything we were doing and sit with them, they become quite content.
(Procrastinating on chores to give the puppies attention - chores
don't need to be done anyway, right?)
They started to show quite a lot of interest in mama's food this week, swarming her bowl when she would be fed.
So we started introducing the puppies to solid food. Or rather, mushy food, since I soak it in water for an hour or more to get it good and soft before giving it to them. They seem to like it, as they swarm to the dish when I put it down.
Of course, it's not better than mama's milk, and the puppies are quite insistent that they get to nurse. With their sharp little claws (which I need to trim), and their teeth starting to come in, mama is probably not always thrilled with them nursing, but she's being so good. Even when they swarm her before she has a chance to lay down.
We've also put toys in the pen with them, though they prefer wrestling with each other and the blankets. They've started figuring out some of the toys though, and carry them around or chew on them.
Of course, they also think chewing on their humans is a good idea.
The puppies can all hear now. It's been entertaining watching them over this past week, as they slowly developed the ability to hear the noises around them, as well as the noises they themselves were making. Many times I'd have to laugh, as they'd bark, and then jump, having scared themselves from the noise they just made. (sorry, no pictures of that.)
The puppies are much more active, which means that cleaning their pen takes a bit more work, as they do not understand that being underfoot actually DELAYS me being able to sit and play with them. So now, they are removed to an 'isolation'area, which they consider quite cruel, while I hastily clean up their pen.
The pups are also not so sure about the whole 'confined to a pen' during the day, when mama and their humans can come and go, and regularly are on the other side of the bars that confine them. They have identified the pen's weak spot (the entrance), and have begun trying to figure out how to escape their confinement. I think it won't be long before I see a pup scampering towards me across the room.
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