Days 16 & 17 for the HG pups - let the potty training begin!

We have 'walking'!  The pups are really starting to try to walk (still mostly just staggering), and even beginning the tiniest bit of play with each other and Lyla - which consists of biting Lyla's legs, or each others' ears, heads, butts, or legs like little zombies.

Today marked the first day of litter box training - which will really progress quickly as they become more coordinated.  For now, it's just a matter of us 'catching' them when they're awake and thinking of doing some business, and putting them in the boxes.

Just like Lyla's first litter, these guys look like they're going to be very agile and coordinated before long - they all figured out how to climb out of the litter box without a fuss the very first time!  (Usually pups hate the boxes to begin with and get 'stuck' in there and cry and fuss quite a lot, but not Lyla's pups!)

On to some pics from the last 2 days:

Solo snackies for Patsy

And...then joined by everyone else.

Concorde, taking a nap off by himself.

Rabbit in her favorite spot.

Lyla loves snuggling with them.

Concorde - soaking up the heat under the heat lamp, so he's not inclined to get in on the cuddle fest.

Perfect lineup - from back:  Concorde, Dingo, Zoot, Rabbit, Patsy

Concorde inch-wormed his way to the middle of the pile.

They're getting SO big - they collectively weigh in at 12.71lbs, so they're just over 1/2 of what Lyla weighs!

Silly mama!

HG Litter days 13 to 15 - So much more room for activities!

We're hoping everyone had a wonderful Christmas!  We had a great, relaxing day at home for the pups' first Christmas, with our traditional giant pan of homemade lasagna.  

All of the adult dogs enjoyed the day, with some nice, sunny, outside time in the morning, followed by snuggles in the evening with an unexpected rain.

Lyla and the pups have been busy doing what they do best - mama snuggling, nursing them, and cleaning; pups eating and sleeping.   

Zoot wins the prize for first open eyes (right on time on the 26th - day 14), and everyone has at least cracked open a bit.  Concorde is the only other one all the way open, but by tomorrow, they should all be wide open.  That means no flash photography for a few days as they adjust.

Today marked the pups' second toenail trim, and they graduated to our BIG whelping pools.  Even though no one has fallen or climbed out of the small pools yet, this is normally the time we move to the bigger pools for a week or so before removing the pools entirely and graduating the pups to just sleeping in the whelping pen.

Litter box training and solid food will begin soon!

And - on to the pics:

Last aerial "drone" shot in the small pool.  They are really stretching out and taking up a lot of room!

Sleepy mama.  Pups from back to front of frame:  Dingo, Zoot, Rabbit, Concorde, Patsy

Annnd - creative nursing courtesy of silly Lyla.

YUM!

Puppy pile

Patsy, Rabbit and Dingo snuggled up to mum's bum in the new, big pool.

Meanwhile, Zoot & Concorde were snoozing under their heat lamp.

1st aerial/drone shot of the big pool - everyone is sooo spread out, and the pups look tiny again.  :)

Days 10 to 12 for the HG pups!

We're waiting for peepers to open (should be any day now), while the pups are still mostly just sleeping and eating.  

The pups and mom have logged yet another trip to the training facility, so are up to about 12 hours of car travel/crate  time.  They are little troopers - still quiet as mice for the drive, and not phased at all by the travel - continuing to eat well and gain weight.

Even though their eyes have yet to open, these guys are STRONG and adventurous.  More than once, we've seen a pup actually STAND UP and 'walk' (ok, 'stagger' is a more appropriate word) across the whelping pool.  

Lyla continues to be a wonderful, attentive mom - cleaning them, nursing, and snuggling day & night.  She's comfortable and confident enough to take brief breaks from them now, but after 30 minutes or so, she feels the need to check in on them.  Sometimes, if they're all asleep, she looks at us as if to say, "Boy, these things are boring!"  But even so, she can't resist climbing into the pool and cuddling them, or just sleeping right along with them.

On to the new pics:

Our resident Maine Coon, "Uncle Buck" has been instrumental in raising puppies for over 13 years now.  He loves to 'supervise' and does so from a bed in the puppy pen - he wanted to start his supervisory role on day one, but it's only been the last few days that Lyla is willing to let him that close to her and the pups.

Proud mama and pups - they're getting so big!

From left:  Zoot, Rabbit, Patsy, Dingo, Concorde

More creative nursing poses, courtesy of Lylabeans.

Zoot, Concorde (perfecting the roach pose), Rabbit, Dingo

Sleepy Patsy

Zoot snoozing on brother Concorde.

Patsy & Dingo snuggles.

Rabbit

Patsy & Dingo

More Zoot & Concorde

Rabbit

Drone footage, lol

Patsy

Rabbit - starting to get some pigment on her nose and lips!

Dingo, Rabbit, and a snippet of Patsy

Concorde

Zoot

Days 8 & 9 for the HG pups!

 The pups had another trip to the training facility yesterday, and again were quiet as little mice on the way down and the way back.  They've now logged over 8 hours in the car in commute time!

Today was another first - their first toenail trim.  They were little champs, and mama Lyla will hopefully appreciate their little needle-sharp nails being much shorter and more blunt when they're nursing.  :)

And - on to the good stuff - pics!

Wondering how pups end up going 'overboard' and falling out of the pool occasionally?  Here's your sign.....

Not a care in the world for Dingo, who has scaled Mt. Lyla.

And as long as Lyla doesn't turn over, or stand up too quickly, Dingo will stay in the pool!

Snackies for Rabbit and Concorde.  Nappies for Patsy and Zoot.

Puppy jumble!

Rabbit - always seems to be snuggling on her mama.

Sleepy Patsy.

More post-prandial puppy piles.

Rabbit says, "Hey, Patsy!  You're squeezing me out of my favorite spot!"

"Light & Shadows"