The half-way mark.

a few pups found Tioga's "hiding spot" and
came in for a snuggle and a nap.

This week is a tough week for any "mom" raising a litter. While Tioga technically is their mom, I feel like their mommy too and this week marks the half-way point of their time here at Daybreak. It is bittersweet to think about all they have learned, how much they have grown and how quickly 4-weeks has flown by... that means the last 4-weeks will go by twice as fast. To that end, we have some really great families lined-up to raise these pups and we are excited about building friendships with them.

This week our Brew Crew has ventured outdoors to take the first steps in house training. We are trying to get them used to the idea of a 'wake-up, go out to potty, then come in for breakfast' routine. We are so pleased with their progress especially since we have had a surprise October snow shower and it is quite cold on little paws. The Morning Blend beans have proven they are big brave dogs - all of them, after the appropriate initial tentative whines, have been curious and adventuresome.

Tioga has been a marvelous teacher and caregiver to the babies. She nudges them on to encourage them outdoors, cuddles them close when they just can't seem to settle at night, and without a doubt LOVES to clean them up after a messy meal. She seems relaxed and happy in her role as mom. During the next several weeks, she will begin to teach them through play about controlling those sharp little teeth that have emerged in the past week. I am sure she will love having them all as playmates and less as suckling babies.

We have begun "testing" them following the rules of seven. 7 days, 7 new experiences. New floor surfaces, new food bowls, new outdoor adventures, new visitors, new positions to be held in and beds to sleep in. While we have seen slight differences in who is bravest, who is most reserved, who waits to let another pup try it first, we are very pleased overall with the outgoing nature of this group. Kona has proven time and again that he will not be contained. He has escaped both whelping box and puppy pen set-ups. India and Kenya continue to be the aggressors in wrestling matches often looking for unsuspecting sleeping siblings to torment. Maxwell and Peaberry continue to rule the food bowl - climbing over other puppies to get to the best spot. Vienna and Peaberry continue to be the snuggle bugs. They tend to seek out the attention of people that come to play. Joe continues to be laid back. Make no mistake he still is a feisty match when playing with the other pups, but he finds a spot to settle easily and seriously loves a good nap!

Without further ado ~ here are the 4-week old coffee cuties!

VIENNA

female, id: purple, weight at birth: 15.4ozs, weight at week three: 4lbs 10.8ozs

JOE

male, id: blue, weight at birth: 16.7ozs, weight at week three: 4lbs 10.4ozs

 KENYA

female, id: black, weight at birth: 16.4ozs, weight at week three: 4lbs 15ozs

 KONA

male, id: red, weight at birth: 16.8ozs, weight at week three: 5lbs 2.4ozs

 MAXWELL
male, id: green, weight at birth: 17ozs, weight at week three: 4lbs 6.2ozs

 INDIA
female, id: pink, weight at birth: 14.8ozs, weight at week three: 4lbs 6.2ozs

 PEABERRY
female, id: light green pattern, weight at birth: 13.6ozs, weight at week three: 4lbs 13.8ozs

The Brew Crew: Intrepid Explorers!

The one thing I lamented about with our first litter was that because of the timing (dead of winter... freezing cold) we didn't have any of those wonderful 'puppies playing in the grass on a sunny afternoon' kind of days. I was very excited this time around that our timing was a little kinder to not so sturdy pups and a temperature wimp like me. Yesterday was a beautiful, crisp fall day. There was a bit of wind, but the sun was bright and warm, so the pups and I ventured out into the backyard. I didn't set up an x-pen or just plunk them right outside the door - we went all the way up the small slope toward our garden shed. I say 'all the way up' but as I have mentioned we are on less than half an acre - it is not so far away, unless you are with seven tiny puppies! I sat in the grass and took the puppies out of the bin I had carried them out in. I readied my camera for the intrepid explorers first taste of freedom! As I sat with my lens focused on the group I began to notice all the little gaps in the fence and areas under the shed that they might be able to slip under and began to panic a bit, but this fearless crew decided to huddle beside the big boulder - too afraid of the wind or their shadows to do much exploring. Here is a little photo blog of our adventure:

The pups on their first big outdoor adventure!

 After a few minutes of serious whining (they sound like a flock of seagulls!) Tioga came over to coax them to see what the backyard had to offer. 

The pups began to look around and at each other as if to say, "okay YOU go first!"

And finally, they all began to wander.

Maxwell looking off in the distance.

A few pups even decided to go ask Dakota what he thought of the backyard adventure!

Pretty soon all the puppies were exploring! Sniffing the grass and chasing
the leaves blown by the wind.

Everyone, that is, EXCEPT INDIA! Can you spot her in the picture below? She curled right up in a little well by the boulder and had a good long nap. Tioga and Dakota each went by a few times to sniff her to be sure she was in fact alive. Tioga even nudged her a time or two, but on she slept!

Tioga on Sentry duty.

The Brew Crew huddle up against the wind.

Pretty soon, the wind and the outdoors got to be too much. Even India woke up and joined the crew. And where did the pups head? Right on my lap!

Peaberry gives my jeans a little nibble.

And eventually they all ended up right in my shadow (literally!)

So I loaded them up in the bucket to bring them back into the house.

And they all had a lovely long nap!

Look at Vienna trying to sneak a drink from mom.

Morning Blend Pups Are 3 Weeks Old Today!

First off, sorry folks - I have run out of theme related fabrics to line the whelping box! The good news is, the puppies may be "movin' on up" to a deluxe puppy pen set-up since our dear sweet Kona has learned how to escape.

The delicious "Brew Crew"!

This week has been such fun! More milestones and more mayhem! As I mentioned the pups have become much more agile. They are walking in earnest and some have even attempted a very head heavy run which always results is a tumble. The pups are pouncing, wrestling, climbing, teething, barking, howling AND... having their first "big dog" meals! Granted it is only goats milk. It is messy and goofy - but what a reward for Tioga to clean all those soaking wet faces when they are through with a meal. I was noting that this litter (different from the last of only 2) seems to be much more animated. They are so interactive with us, each other and the various toys we have introduced to their play area. We have tried new surfaces and seen funny responses. We have been outdoors, not on blankets but on the cool grass. We have had many visitors and the pups even got to attend a few baseball games and practices to the delight of my son's entire team (kids and parents) We experimented with taking off their collars because their beautiful ruffs are getting crunched but after just one day they were right back on. I was way to scared I would forget who was who! The only negative I can say is that they are quite noisy in the night if Tioga doesn't respond immediately to them. There is less and less room at the milk bar as they grow. They whine and squabble when they haven't got a spot. I am trying to weigh the benefits of just letting them figure it out (which results in 3 crabby kids who are awoken in the night by noisy pups) or going down stairs to sleep beside the box in hopes of helping Tioga manage (which results in a crabby me) Some nights are better than others, but we are surviving just fine. Tioga's constantly wagging tail makes it all worth it. She seems happy as can be. All in all, we are having a blast with these little beans.

VIENNA
"The Sweetheart"

female, id: purple
weight at birth: 15.4 oz, weight at week three: 2 lbs 15.2 ozs

Kona came tumbling in to disrupt the photo shoot. He says, "wrestling is
so much more fun than pictures!"

Vienna playing in the grass like a big dog!

JOE
"The Cool Dude"

male, id: blue
weight at birth: 16.7 ozs, weight at week three: 2 lbs 15.4 ozs

Joe sniffing the grass to see what it is all about.
He ended up liking it!

Sound asleep on Mom's head!

 KENYA
"The Playful One"

female, id: black
weight at birth: 16.4 ozs, weight at week three: 3 lbs 2.8 ozs

Kenya hunkered down, unsure about walking on this new stuff called grass!

Naptime with Mamma!

 KONA
"The Adventurer"

 male, id: red
weight at birth: 16.8 ozs, weight at week three: 3 lbs 7.6 ozs

Kona says, "I like playing outside!" MAXWELL "The Mellow Boy"   male, id: green weight at birth: 17ozs, weight at week three: 3 lbs .2 ozs Maxwell is sick of the evil stare of the frog. Soaking wet after his first attempt at lapping milk from a dish. Some is milk, and some is slobber from all the licks he got afterward! Maxwell loves his Mom. INDIA "The Princess" female, id: pink weight at birth: 14.8 ozs, weight at week three: 3 lbs .8 ozs

India loved running (wobbling) through the grass.

Getting a bath from Peaberry after our first attempts at lapping milk.

PEABERRY

"The Cuddler"
female, id: light green pattern
weight at birth: 13.6 ozs, weight at week three: 3 lbs 3.2 ozs

And this is what "milk drunk" looks like!