One week on

Well the pups are a week and a day old now, and my how they have grown and developed certain skills already. Luca and the one we have nicknames Cassie (n06 and the biggest at birth) have battle royales over the favourite nipple. It happens to be the one they both want and sometimes they push and shove like two heavywaeight wrestlers to push the other out of the way. Betsie looks on quite unconcerned letting them sort it out. Neither is suffering because of this and in fact are still the heaviest of the six. But all six are gaining in relation to their birth weight so I am well pleased. It's keeping up with Mum now that's our problem. Because the baby gate is on the outer door to give her peace from the other dogs, she can come upstairs. 4 o'clock am, yes am, nudge nudge, I'm hungery. So she gets early breakfast. 6 am, nudge nudge, I'm hungry can you feed me please? I need a pee as well. 8am is our normal up time and dog breakfast, so then she has her normal breakfast. Elevenses? Yes please, but after ten'se please. So more food. Lunch? thought you'd never ask. Afternoon tea? yes please and can I have a tadge more? Tea time? well if you insist. Supper? I'll force myself. Must have a bedtime snack to see me through till the morning!!!!!!

This is our routine for now. In between we somehow manage to exercise the other dogs, feed ourselves and have a quick tidy (cat lick really) around the house. Then there is all the bedding to wash as well as our own clothes. But, it is wonderful and we are enjoying every moment. Watching the changes that are occurring almost hour by hour is awesome. The brown is coming through stronger and stonger in the girls faces and legs. Some quite tan and other bits beigey. Luca, my boy appears at the moment to be taking his Dad's colouring rather than Betsie's. That is great by us as we would very much like him to look a bit like Del. But we shall just have to wait and see. Their eyelids are beginning to flutter so we should have eyes open soon.

Betsie is quite happy to leave her pups and go for her normal walks now. She is spending more and more time out of the whelping box at home but is ever wakeful of pup sounds, investigates, and if all well, ignores. She is continueing to be a wonderful mum.