left to right: Eddie, Lulu, Bangsi - partially hidden, Betty, Kippa, Kitty - under Kippa.
They are now walking around the whelping pen. They are not steady on their feet yet but soon they will be. They do come when I call, "Puppy, puppy, puppy! Come!" - except when they are nursing or eating kibble.
Starting at 12:00 O'clock: Betty, Bangsi, Kippa, Lulu, Kitty, Eddie.
The feeding dish (above) is called a hubcap; it's not really one; it does, however, keep the food near the edge and the pups out of the middle - which helps keep the mess down.
Starting at 9:00 O'clock: Eddie, Betty, Bangsi, Lulu, ?
Kitty - with the blaze
Bangsi, Lulu
It's too soon to tell for sure whether they pups will eventually be long or short furred. However, at this age the ones who might eventually have shorter fur look thinner - like the two pups above, Bangsi (r) and Lulu (l). The longer furred pups look larger and fluffier. They weigh about the same regardless.
I may have mentioned previously that during the first day or so the pups were restless when I held them. I suspect they bonded with mother's smell almost immediately after they were born. I hold them, pet them, talk to them, smooch them, etc. several times each day. After only a few days, even before their eyes were open, when I would put my hands in the whelping box, they would wake up and crawl to my hands, following them around the box.
For the first few days Totty wouldn't let any other dogs near the whelping box. Then she allowed Kata and Korpur near the entrance and would let them smell and lick the pups as I held them. (Grandma Kria shows little interest in the puppies; she just ignores them which is what she's always done to any pups except her own. She's very funny. Or maybe smart?) I would NEVER let a dog not part of my pack near mom and the pups. When people visit, I always insist they thoroughly wash their hands.
Although it's beautiful, winter seems to be lasting a long time. It's still very cold and snowy.
Sunrise
Sunset
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