It's hard to believe the pups are already six weeks old. They are getting so big and playful. I've quickly discovered they like trying to eat my hair, and think it is the best tug of war toy (something that can get a bit painful if they tug hard enough). Well, last week I got some videos up on both facebook and my new youtube channel, and I have a few more videos to upload, so we'll see how that works. I can't record the pups trying to eat my hair though, as I'm not skilled enough with a camera for that.
This was a week of firsts for the pups. They are showing little interest in the piddle pads, other than ripping them to shreds or sleeping on them, which means they are often rolling in any filth I didn't clean up in time (like over night when I'm sleeping), so they have been introduced to baths. They weren't to thrilled with this, but didn't complain too much. The biggest complaints tended to be from the very first or very last pup, since they were by themselves till more pups were bathed and joined them, or they finally got their bath and could join their buddies.
I've also started using nail clippers to trim their nails, as they are getting rather sharp. I quickly discovered that trying to trim nails with the other pups around was not going to work, as they are all determined to get in the way, try to get attention, or chew on the pup that is in my lap. So that means taking each pup out of the room to trim their claws. (Sorry, no pictures since I don't have enough arms to trim claws and take pictures.)
I also moved the pups from their pen, to our guest room (after taking out the bed). They now have a lot more space to run and play.
I purchased a second pen, to be able to completely go around the room, to protect our baseboards. Originally I had only planned on having a pen around our bookcase, but the pups soon proved that they thought baseboards would be the perfect teething toy, and to prevent the baseboards from becoming completely splintered, the room is penned in. The baby gate makes for a nice easy way for me to get in and out of the room, but keeps the pups contained. Shisa can jump in if she really wants to (which she proved when I took the first pup in there after his bath), but she doesn't like jumping it unless she feels there is an emergency, so just whines at the gate till I open it to let her in or out.
The one downside to the bigger room, is that it means more work keeping it clean. Thankfully I have a floor scrubber, which I use after I get as much up as I can with paper towels. I don't risk any chemicals with the pups, so it's just water, or a water-vinegar mix that I use, but it definitely makes the initial morning clean-up easier. The one difficulty I have, is that the puppies aren't scared of it. Now, this is a good thing, as I don't want to terrify them, but it also means they see no reason to get out of the way, or move, when I am trying to clean.
The first day they were more cautious, but that just meant sitting on or between my feet as they watched me try to clean, or all piling in a heap to sleep in the doorway, as opposed to staying away - and only when it was on making noise. The rest of the time I had to keep them from trying to turn it into their new chew toy, and move them after they'd walked over to flop against it to take their nap when I had to change the water.
In addition to the new room with lots of space to play, I also introduced them to the outdoors this week.
They all loved it.
If you are trying to keep track of which pup is which, the pup with the pink collar is formerly 'yellow'. I couldn't find a yellow puppy collar, so had to find a different one. All the collars are still a bit big, but they seem to be keeping them on - unlike the velcro ones, which thankfully they didn't all pull off at once, so I could keep track of which pup was which. So their new collars became much more important to start using now.
Raiju wasn't so sure about the pups being outside, where they could chase after him. He's fine with the pups, as long as they give him some space, but he thinks they are highly dangerous critters otherwise. Of course, some pups were determined to chase after him (like the light blue pup here).
Of course, after racing around, exploring, and playing, they decided it was time for a nap.
All in all, a good week. I'll be taking them to the vet this week to have them checked out and to get their first round of shots. They probably won't be fond of that, but they will love getting attention from more humans.
I took far more pictures than I can (or at least should) post here, but I'll put them on my facebook page, so feel free to take a look there for lots of puppy pictures.
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