What a day

There have been many steps today. All their eyes are open and beginning to focus. Play is non stop whilst they are awake, biting each other, jumping onto one another and all the lovely things that pups do. They are even climbing out of the whelping box so it is a constant excuse to watch whilst they are awake. They have taken very well to a bit of mushed up meat with ground complete mixed in. They also really get stuck into natural yogurt. It's time for the weanafeeda tonight so watch this space to see what they make of that. Luca is still the wingeing male of the pack but he is still the biggest and strongest. He is going to take some handling me thinks. But he really is a lovely boy and we are looking forward to him developing. The girls markings are fading a bit and it looks as though Domino is the only one keeping mum's colouring. The others are quite light brown now but still very pretty. Click on each photo to find out which is which.

Todays photos

Weaning

They have all just had their first taste of solid food. None of the cheap stuff. Cesar puppy (was all my local store had) at 72p a tin!!!!!!! How do people afford to feed their dogs on this. A 10kg dog needs 6 tins a day, that's over £4.00 a day. Well the pups wont be on this for long. It is really just a taster, soft and mushy to start them off. And boy did it work. None of this from the end of your finger lark, no, put it straight on the plate. Needless to say Luca needed seconds before he would settle. I wish he'd open his eyes like the girls as he gets lost and screams the place down like a wolf howling. You know it's him alright, but Betsie also recognises his sound and tends to ignore him. She's got him well sussed out. Maybe later he'll open up but at the moment he is just being a lazy boy.

Big Day in the Life of The Lickle Delbets

A really big forward leap today. Firtly, as they are now two weeks old, it is time to give them their first worming syrup. I wasn't looking forward to doing it but the girls took it all with a bit of face washing afterwards. Luca however thought it was christmas and lapped it up like there was no tomorrow. he even licked his lips and whiskers afterwards. He now weighs in at 1250 gms, a bit more than the girls who are now round about a kilo. They have all had a good lick off my fingers of natural yoghurt which went down a treat. The big leap today has been that at last their eyes are beginning to open. Some with only the one eye and a blink with the other but Cassie has both open. Tomorrow should see even more opening. If so, there will be pictures on as soon as I can.
I am off training with Tigi now so Mike can puppy watch to his heart's content.

No eyes open yet

I had hoped to show the eyes opening today, but they are still keeping them tight closed. However it should not be long now. They have all but one, doubled their birth weight the one in particular is a right little pig. Yes it's my BOY. He is now over a kilo, can stand and walk more steadier than the girls, climbs over the crush bars and generally screams till he gets his own way. A bit of a holligan but us girls will soon sort him out. No worries what's going to turn him on to working and training. Just feed me, feed me and feed me more. Betsie is still coping very well and is very happy to leave them for quite long periods, just keeping a back glance every so oftes to make sure all is well. Feeding her is a bit of a nightmare at the moment, like every two hours and three times through the night. She is so anxious to get her food that the pups if suckling they just get thrown off very unceremonially with lots of resentful squeals. Today however, Domino did not let go and finished up on the floor still stuck on whilst Betsie carried on eating quite unconcerned. Bless Mike though, at night, he can get up, feed her and drop straight off to sleep, whereas I cannot drop off for ages and sometimes its time to feed her again. So Mike very happily does the night shift. Hope to start getting some solid gruel (is there such a thing) into them by the weekend.
Pup order of photos. Top left Poser Top right Cassie
Middle left Una Middle right Domino
Bottom left Dotty Bottom right Luca

Hopefully post tomorrow will contain eyes opening.