Pipers Chunky Monkeys

The first week of life for the puppies is spent eating and sleeping so with only three of them bellying up to the milk bar they are getting pretty plump to say the least! On average they have been gaining over 2 ounces a day, doubling their birth weight within the first week.

Their eyes and ears at this time are still closed and movement pretty much consists of dragging themselves around to either find mom or a comfortable spot in the whelping box. Piper normally lays down for them to nurse however towards the end of the week she has started to sit up instead which will help to build and strengthen their muscles. At this age the puppies cannot regulate their own temperature and are dependant on mom, their littermates and the ambient temperature of the whelping box to keep warm. With the mild weather lately and our main source of heat being from the woodstove getting that perfect room temperature without it being too hot has been a bit challenging and been making for some cranky puppies.

Sleeping around 10 day old Golden Retriever puppies who think they are really husky puppies made for the cold weather has also been a bit challenging!