Litter #1 - Back to a Family of Four

That's it. All of the pups are now transitioning in their new homes. After a very rough day of mourning (dogs and humans ... mainly humans), our family of four is getting back on track. We are washing and packing up all of the puppy supplies, breaking down the puppy condo and conducting a massive cleaning mission this weekend. This experience has been so much fun for us and we look forward to doing it again in a year or so!

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We will keep updating this blog as we receive pictures of the growing pups, so stay tuned ...

Litter #1 - And Then There Were Two

Well folks, seven of our little pups are enjoying life in their new homes with their wonderful families. This weekend was a little rough for us, having to say goodbye to them all, but we have been fortunate to hold on to lime and purple a few extra days to ease the pain.

We have heard wonderful news from many of our owners with updates that the new member of their family is fitting right in and adjusting well. We have been getting some pictures in too, which we are posting in the Watch Your Puppy Grow section of the website. Keep watching for updates.

Litter #1 - Then and Now

1 Day - Yellow Males

Almost 8 Weeks - Yellow Males

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1 Day - Yellow Females Almost 8 Weeks - Yellow Females

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1 Day - Black Males

Almost 8 Weeks - Black Males

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Day 1 - Black Females

Almost 8 Weeks - Black Females

Litter #1 - Wear 'em out!

Our tip for the day ... wear your little ladies and gents out or they will wear you out! We have moved to the back yard for play time and the pups love it! They chase Kora and Jake around at full speed.

Litter #1 - 7 Weeks

It is amazing to me how fast these guys are growing! I wanted to share some pictures from weeks one and two to put it into perspective ...

Week 1

Week 2

Week 7

We learned today that we can't take them all out in the front yard at one time any more. They scatter so fast, searching for new sights and smells, even with two of us out there, they are too much to handle.

Several of them have begun to explore their love for water ... in the kitchen water bowls. It is not unusual to peek into the kitchen and catch one sitting in the water bowl or another with their front paws in the bowl and splashing water on their belly. Too cute!

Litter #1 - 6 Weeks

Oh my goodness ... these little rascals are keeping us busy now. At first when we let them outside or to the living room for play time, they stayed right together in one little spot. Now they are feeling more independent and wander off on their own to explore. We are constantly doing head counts to make sure one of them has not disappeared into a hidden nook.

We loaded up and headed back to the vet for the pup's first set of vaccinations. They all did perfectly and always seem to draw a crowd of onlookers ... even when we were driving, people were smiling and pointing. They are irrestible, I'll give them that. The best part of my day is when I wake up and stand at their pen ... they all run to the side and jump and wimper so I will pick them up.

Litter #1 - 5 Weeks

Play! Play! Play! That's what it is all about this week. The little ones play hard for about 20 minutes and then one by one they start to drop to the floor in exhaustion. They're still nursing, but much less. It is amazing how fast they are growing! They're all up to six and seven pounds.

Litter #1 - 4 Weeks

This week the little ones are over four pounds and two of them have past the five pound mark. On Friday they went for their second round of de-worming medicine. We have been using a laundry basket to cart them around in, but we will have to find another method when they go back for their vaccinations in two weeks. They have outgrown the basket in four weeks! Yesterday the pups explored the outdoors for the first time. Within five minutes they were all sound asleep. That is pretty much how it works ... they play hard for five to ten minutes and then they are all out like a light.

Litter #1 - 3 Weeks

So many advancements and it is all happening so fast. Eighteen little eyes are open and focusing on their surroundings. Before when we walked in the room and turned on the light, the little ones slept soundly. Now any noise wakes them up ... all of them ... and then it is chaos. All to the potty room imediately ... some of them actually understand this concept ... hopefully the others will catch on soon. They have all begun to "go outside" on their own now which is a ton more work on us!

They wobble no longer and can scatter all over the place in seconds. They are barking which is too cute and they play with each other now too. I can feel some teeth popping through, so their little nibbles will soon be painful. Yesterday they tried real puppy food for the first time and all went at it like pros.

Litter #1 - 2 Weeks

Walk the dogs. Feed the puppies. Weigh the puppies. Feed the dogs. Clean the puppy condo. Our lives are consumed with four legged fur balls. The little ones are now attempting to walk or wobble their way around the condo. So cute! They are getting better each day and make us very aware that this is probably the “easy” part. Those little critters are going to be all over the place soon.
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We have been weighing them every day and keeping track of their progress. All are over a pound and a couple of the big dawgs have passed the two pound mark already. AND, two of them have started to open their eyes too! They had their first visit to the vet today to get their de-worming medicine. Now I know how people capture pictures like this ... they do it after their medications when they are completely vegged out.

Litter #1 - What A Difference A Week Makes

The pups are ONE week old and are packing on the ounces each day. Poor Kora is eating five or six times a day and drinking tons of water and chicken broth just to keep her little belly full. Compare this picture to the one below ... they have almost outgrown the box they were in on welp day!

Litter #1 - They Are Here!

Kora was a champ last night as she welped TEN puppies in 2.5 hours!!! One little yellow lady, the eighth of the litter, was sadly still born, so there are nine thriving, healthy, hungry puppies that Kora is caring for. She is a wonderful mother which makes us proud.

2 black males

2 black females

2 yellow males

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3 yellow females

Coat Color Facts

I found a chart that predicts the color puppies a labs can have, which explains why we ended up with a litter of only yellow and black coats. Jake, our chocolate lab, has possible gene types of VIII or IX and Kora, our yellow lab with a black nose, has possible gene types of V or VI. Together that can create one of the following litter combinations:

A) all black
B) 1/2 black, 1/2 yellow
C) 1/2 black, 1/2 chocolate
D) 1/4 black, 1/2 yellow, 1/4 chocolate

Buffett (aka blue)

Buffett with his new brother

8 Weeks

7 Weeks

6 Weeks

6 Weeks

5 Weeks

4 Weeks

3 Weeks

2 Weeks

3 Days

Stella (aka orange)

7 Weeks

6 Weeks

6 Weeks

5 Weeks

4 Weeks

3 Weeks

2 Weeks

5 Days

3 Days

3 Days

Beau (aka green)

Puppy Reunion (May 2009)

6 Weeks

Almost 6 Weeks

5 Weeks

4 Weeks

3 Weeks

2 Weeks

5 Days (12 oz)

5 Days

3 Days