Day 4

Here is a pic of the whelping room at my house.

It is pretty comfy with a couch for visitors and a separate heater for the pups.

Pups from this litter are a very good size and all pretty uniform.

The males are smaller than the females, which is a first for me. I've learned over time that birth size has nothing to do with how big the pups will be when they are grown. Oftentimes the smallest pup in the litter will grow up to be the largest.

For eg. "Dottie", from the last Miikka x Shaq breeding was TINY. She was 11 oz. at birth and always smaller than her littermates. When I met her and 3 of her siblings this summer, she was as big or bigger than the rest and she was most certainly larger than her mother.

But here is a rundown on the pups in order of birth anyways:

Puppy #1 - BROWN with dots Collar (female): 1 lb. at birth/1.4 lb. now

Puppy #2 - RED Collar (male): 12 oz. /1.1 lb

Puppy #3 - GREEN Collar (male): 12 oz./1.1 lb.

Puppy #4 - PINK Collar (female): 17 oz./1.7 lb.

Puppy #5 - YELLOW Collar (female): 15 oz./1.2 lb.

Puppy #6 - BLUE with dots Collar (female): 17 oz./1.8 lb.

Pups are getting their dew claws removed tomorrow. I don't like removing them past day 4, but with all the vet clinic closures between Christmas and New Years, that was my best option rather than driving them 45 minutes one way.

They have started on their Early Neurological Stimulation as well. If you're unfamiliar with that, give it a "google" and there is lots of info. I have done this on every litter I've had. Not sure if it helps, but it sure doesn't hurt.

And finally...the babes having their mid-morning meal. Everyone is doing fantastic. You wouldn't believe how shiny the little guys are and Miikka looks GREAT.