Their weights haven’t quite doubled yet, but they’re getting really close. I expect we’ll see those weights double within the next couple of days. They’re growing beautifully and everyone is looking great. Mama is doing wonderful too.

Forgive me for not having videos the last few days. I did have a small farm incident this weekend that slowed me down a bit, so I have not been quite as on top of getting videos out as I normally am. That said, everything here has continued right on schedule. The kids have stepped up in a big way helping with weighing, cleaning, ENS, ESI, and all the daily handling, and they truly enjoy being part of it. It is something really special to see. We are on Day 16 now, and they ar

We’re starting to see those little eyes just barely crack open in the corners. Over the next few days, they’ll continue opening until they’re fully open. At this stage, their vision is still very limited. Everything is blurry and they rely much more on smell and touch than sight. As the days go on, their eyesight will slowly improve, and you’ll start to see them become more aware of their surroundings.

At this stage, a lot of it still looks the same on the surface, but they’re growing quickly behind the scenes. Most of their time is spent nursing or snuggled up with mama, using all that rest and nutrition to fuel their development. In today’s video, you can see Mercy and Promise both working for the same spot at the dinner table. Even at this age, it’s normal to see a little bit of pushing and competition between siblings as they instinctively try to secure the best place t

A little roles reversed moment: If you remember our “Not the mama” video, Reba was pretty clear about boundaries when Patsy visited her newborns. Well here is a little peek of Reba sneaking into Patsy’s puppy pen. Now that Patsy’s puppies are old enough, Reba has happily stepped into auntie mode. Our adult dogs often help each other with grooming, cleaning, and later even supervising playtime. Reba especially loves the housekeeping duties.

The Pride and Prejudice puppies have officially more than doubled their birth weights, which is exactly what we want to see at this stage. They are thriving, they are full, and yes… they are very, very chunky. In today’s video, you are seeing something called active sleep. This is completely normal and actually really important for their development. Active sleep is when puppies appear to be asleep, but their bodies are busy. You will notice little muscle twitches, paddling m

Today was a quieter kind of day, the kind where you start to see just how content a healthy litter really is. Most of the video is everyone nursing, and a few of them drifted off mid meal. Full bellies, warm milk, and they just cannot help themselves. They fall asleep right there on mom. Then there is Zion. The tiniest of the bunch, tucked in next to all those bigger siblings, but he is not missing a beat. He is steady, focused, and determined to get his share. I always watch

Patsy has started doing something new… every now and then, she’ll sit up to feed her puppies instead of laying all the way down. Most of the time she still nurses laying on her side, but here and there she chooses to sit, and that’s completely normal. Sometimes moms do this to make the puppies work a little more. It encourages them to reach, push, and start getting up on their feet as they grow stronger. And sometimes… it’s just what feels more comfortable for her in that mom

We are in that true newborn stage. Eyes and ears are still sealed shut, so they are completely reliant on scent and heat to find mama. You will see them scooting and rooting, using those instincts to work their way to a nipple. Once they latch, most of their time is spent either eating or sleeping. At this stage, they are still very fragile, so we keep a close eye on everyone around the clock, making sure no one gets stuck or pushed away from mama. Not a lot of activity yet,

Right now, it may look quiet… just a pile of puppies nursing and those tiny little grunts 🥰. But this stage is actually quite hands-on for us behind the scenes. We are still on a full 24/7 watch. This is very much their NICU phase, where they are fragile, completely dependent, and still learning how to navigate even the smallest movements. You will notice how they root and crawl with purpose to find mama using only scent and heat, then settle in and nurse until they are full

I just love the little puppy grunts while they’re nursing, all of them wiggling and wrestling to find their perfect spot with mama. Their pigment is still mostly pink right now, although you’ll start to see little hints of color coming in on their paws. Their noses and pads still have quite a bit of pink left, but that will continue to darken over the next several days. Their ears are these tiny, thick little triangles, still sealed shut, and their eyes are closed as well. Ov

At three days old, these puppies are still in that incredible early newborn stage. Their eyes and ears are closed, so they are completely dependent on their sense of smell and their ability to detect warmth to find mama. You will see them instinctively root and crawl toward her, guided by scent and body heat alone. Right now, their entire world revolves around sleeping and eating. This is exactly what we want. During these first days, their bodies are growing rapidly, and the

These first couple of days are very much eyes on, hands off. We are with them around the clock, watching closely, making sure each puppy is nursing well and that mom is doing her job comfortably. But during this stage, we keep handling to a minimum. No holding or passing puppies around just yet, just light, intentional touch when needed. Right now, mom does the majority of the work. She is regulating their temperature, stimulating them, feeding them, and keeping them clean. O

Patsy welcomed a beautiful litter yesterday, and we’re thrilled to share that 9 healthy puppies are doing wonderful — 5 girls and 4 boys. While she had 12 in total, 3 were born sleeping, which made for a hard night. Each one matters, and we do everything we can in those moments, so those losses are always felt. We are incredibly thankful for the 9 healthy babies we have, and everyone is doing really well this morning. ❤️

Today, we added the puppy swing to the pen, and I love what it brings to their development. On the surface, it looks simple: a fun new toy, something different, but there’s more happening than meets the eye. The swing introduces a large moving object into their world. That movement matters. Puppies learn confidence through exposure, and controlled novelty is one of the safest ways to build that confidence. A gently swaying surface also challenges their balance and engages the

Today was Puppy Party day. At six weeks old, we host a structured Puppy Party as part of our Puppy Culture program. It is one of my favorite milestone days because it blends intentional exposure, thoughtful observation, and a whole lot of wagging tails. We set up four obstacle stations: • A teeter totter • A bridge • A tunnel • A wobble board Each station offers a brand new experience. Moving surfaces. Slight elevation. Shifting balance. Narrow spaces. Nothing forced. Nothing

Today was bath day! But really… bath day started several days ago. We don’t just introduce a brand-new, overwhelming experience all at once. Instead, we layer it. Over the past few days the puppies have: • Spent time in the bathroom • Heard the water running • Experienced the sights and smells of the space • Felt gentle handling around their faces, feet, and bodies • Watched littermates explore the area calmly Each piece is small on its own, but together, they build confidenc

Today we played the box game, and it is one of those simple looking activities that actually does a lot of heavy lifting behind the scenes. The box game can be done with a shallow box or a shallow pan. Today, we used a metal aluminum pan. The point is not the object itself. The point is that it is something new. At first, most puppies simply sniff it, touch it with their nose, or paw at it. Sometimes they will place one paw in, sometimes two. That first session is usually ver

Today, we worked on ramping up the clicker. At this stage, the clicker is not about asking for behaviors or shaping responses yet. Right now, it has one simple job: to teach the puppies that the sound of the click always predicts something good. Every click is followed immediately by a reward. No exceptions. No pressure. No excitement. Just consistency. For this session, I chose to use a raw dog food as the reward. Although we do not feed a raw diet long term, I do intentiona

Day 33 in the puppy pen and things are getting really fun around here. I caught a little bit of playtime today with Patsy and Loretta coming in to check out the puppies and explore the puppy area with them. I’m pretty convinced at this point that Patsy might be the puppies’ favorite visitor outside of people. She gets right down on their level, rolls onto her back, and is completely happy to let them climb all over her. The puppies absolutely love it. The puppies themselves a