We are officially in the fun stage. Play is really starting to take off now. What you are seeing here is not just cute behavior, it is incredibly important development. These early play sessions are how puppies begin learning social skills like bite inhibition, body language, and how to read one another. When one puppy gets a little too rough, the other will respond, and that feedback loop is what teaches them how to interact appropriately for life. You will also notice their

At this stage, we are starting to see those first little teeth breaking through. This is an important milestone because it signals that the puppies are getting ready for the next phase, which is weaning. Once a full set of baby teeth is in, puppies are physically ready to begin transitioning away from relying solely on mom. That process starts very gently. Today marks the first introduction to lapping from a tray, using goat’s milk as the base. Goat’s milk is easy to digest a

At this stage, you may notice that mama is no longer always laying down to nurse. She’s starting to stand for some of their feedings, and this is actually a really important part of their development. When puppies nurse from a standing dam, it naturally challenges their coordination and balance. They have to get their feet underneath them, stabilize themselves, and reach upward while staying engaged. All of that builds strength, body awareness, and early motor control. It als

The puppies are growing so nicely and getting stronger every day. Their eyes are open now, their ears are beginning to open, and you can really see them starting to notice the world around them. At this stage, we keep classical music playing most of the time. It creates a calm environment for them, and studies have shown it can actually help dogs relax and settle. We’re also continuing daily sound exposure. Along with normal household noises, we introduce a variety of sounds,

The puppies are becoming much more interactive and really starting to enjoy human attention. Most of them were still a bit sleepy in this video since they had just finished breakfast and settled in for a nap, but Lydia and Jane were wide awake and soaking it all in. Lydia was especially curious, following the camera around and even finding her voice, practicing those early little barks, which was adorable to watch. Jane, on the other hand, was perfectly content just soaking u

Everyone is doing great, and we’re just starting to see those little eyes crack open at the corners. Over the next few days, they’ll be fully open, and that’s always such a fun milestone. It completely changes their expressions and you start to see a whole new level of awareness come in.

It’s nap time… and at this stage, that’s pretty much their full-time job. Puppies this age are sleeping about 90 percent of the day. You’ll see short bursts of activity where they wiggle around, nurse, or attempt those early, wobbly step, and then they’re right back to sleep. That sleep is doing a lot more than just resting them. This is when their brains are developing the fastest. During sleep, especially those little twitchy “active sleep” moments you’ll notice their nervo

They have been up and walking for a bit now. It is still a little wobbly, but they are really starting to get their feet underneath them and move around with purpose. Over the past couple of days, they have also started practicing their tiny growls and barks, which is just about as adorable as it sounds. Here is a little clip of them figuring it all out and finding their voices.

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