5-8-08 -- We have 6 beautiful puppies: 2 boys and 4 girls. The tri-color girls all have faces like their Mom and big sister, Mango. They were whelped shortly after noon on Thursday, May 8th, and everyone is doing well. The pups weighed between 14 and 17 ounces, and will gain weight rapidly; a weight chart will be posted late next week. 5-15-08 Update -- The puppies are one week old today; they're all doing very well, eating heartily and gaining weight. The color on the red pups is getting a little darker each day, and the brown on the tris is beginning to appear. Ears, initially just tiny nubs, get longer by the hour. They're quite mobile, and will become even more so when their eyes begin to open in about a week. Pineapple is being a wonderful Mom, spending most of her time in the whelping box feeding, cleaning and napping with the babies. She tip-toes so gently around them, and we haven't heard a single yelp from a misplaced foot. Today, she had liver and cottage cheese for breakfast (!). Mango is very curious about her little siblings, and wants to play with them; Mom, however, has laid down the law and Mango knows just how close she's allowed to come. As with previous puppies, Lizzie is ambivalent, assuming they'll all go away soon. 5-20-08 Update -- Some eyes are opening! The babies are 12 days old, and several of them have one eye open. Eyes are initially quite dark, and will lighten as they age. 5-22-08 Update -- Pups are 2 weeks old today, and eyes are open. They're beginning to test their legs as they try to stand on all fours and move about the whelping box. At 3 pounds each, Pumpkin and Tangerine share the "Buffalo of the Week" award; Honeydew and Rhubarb remain our petites. Pineapple cleans, feeds and nuzzles regularly, but is spending less time with the puppies and more time lounging around the house and visiting with Mango and Lizzie; she pays close attention, however, as we've yet to hear a single "I'm hungry" sound from any of the babies. She got her stiches out today, and barely noticed; the pups went along for the ride and a brief checkup (can't separate Mom and babies). Everyone at the Vet's office immediately swarmed their basket -- how could they resist? We're reconstructing the "Puppy Empire" in the garage, and everybody will be moving to roomier quarters soon; this should provide Mango with hours of "Puppy TV" watching, and they can touch noses thru the pen. They'll get their first solid food in about a week (Gerber's baby cereal...yum). 5-29-08 Update -- Puppies are 3 weeks old today. They're much more mobile now, walking around the whelping box rather than slithering. They completely drain Mama's milk each time they nurse, and it keeps her quite weary; her appetite is enormous, but kibble still isn't that cool. Pups are getting baby cereal (oatmeal w/ formula) twice daily now, and find it quite yummy (see photos); this starts the weaning process and takes a little pressure off of Mom. All had good weight gain this week...and they show it. The Buffalo of the Week award again goes to Tangerine at 4 lbs/6 ozs (Pumpkin was a close 2nd). Their baby teeth are just starting to emerge; you can feel them when they lick cereal off of your fingers. They all sat up for their photos today, but most preferred to stare at the towel rather than the photographer. The babies will make their first visit to the Puppy Empire on Friday; it'll be a great adventure. Mango will be fascinated, probably unable to take her eyes off of them; Lizzie will be good ol' ambivalent Lizzie. They'll gradually start spending more time there during the day, but still returning to the whelping box for the night's snooze with Mom. 6-5-08 Update -- They're 4 weeks old today, and have permanently moved to the Puppy Empire in the garage; they really like it, and are starting to potty-train themselves. The Puppy Empire is about 6x8 feet; blankets and towels on one end, papers on the other; very luxurious. They get 4 meals per day of cereal topped with strained veggies, and were introduced to strained meats at luncheon today. They've had their first taste of pure water, but are slow to develop a taste for it. Mom's milk supply is beginning to dry up, and she's only too happy to let us take over feeding duties (their sharp little teeth helped encourage her). She still needs to go in and check them over several times daily, and spends the night with them in her raised crate (the pups can't reach her, but she can go to them when she feels the need). Between naps, the babies play together, and it's very entertaining. The tails wag constantly, and they're each developing a "vocabulary" of woofs and yaps. Weight gains were substantial, due in large part to those cereal dinners (you may notice the remains of lunch on their faces and ears). Rhubarb gained 2 pounds, with Boysenberry and Honeydew only a few ounces behind. Tangerine is still the heavyweight at 6 lbs, but even the least gains (Cranberry and Pumpkin) were substantial (1 lb/12 oz and 1 lb/8 oz, respectively). Pineapple took her first long walk with Mango and Lizzie Wednesday, and seemed very happy to be doing "normal" stuff like she did BP (Before Puppies). We walked early, before it got too hot. Mango gets to spend 30-45 minutes with her little siblings each day, and she's thrilled by the adventure; she's very gentle, checking each puppy before settling down to play with them (Mom does not know about this; it happens when she's in the house). The puppies thoroughly enjoy the time with big sister, cuddling, nibbling and batting at her (see photos); it's truly heart-warming to watch. 6-12-06 Update -- At 5 weeks, the puppies are spending much more time playing with stuffed toys, chew sticks and each other; their personalities are becoming distinct. They've become quite affectionate when held (Honeydew is the premier kisser), and enjoy getting out of the pen to thoroughly explore the garage. Nursing has ended, and Mom wears her T-shirt when she goes in with the pups; she initally experienced a bit of withdrawal, but it's time for everyone to move on. Pineapple has resumed her daily walk and is slowly returning to her pre-pregnancy dining routine; the cook is greatly relieved. The daily feeding schedule is Breakfast @ 7AM, Luncheon @ Noon, Dinner @ 5PM and Late Supper @ 10PM; Breakfast and Dinner are cereal w/ veggies, Luncheon and Supper are meat gruel. They always clean their dishes. Gruel is a big hit, and soon cereal will be reduced to once per day...then no cereal. Their teeth are just about capable of chewing kibble, and a mostly-kibble diet will greatly reduce the workload for the staff. All of the pups have now learned to climb into the crate. That ended Mom's sleeping in the pen, and she's now snoozing with Mango and Lizzie "on the outside." Mango has learned how to get her head under the drape that covers the crate, and nuzzles the pups whenever anyone is "en crate." Leash training will begin in another week; always an experience, and an important milestone. Everyone had good weight gain this week, no doubt owing to the tasty gruel; Honeydew is no longer our petite, now weighing the same as Pumpkin and Rhubarb (7 lbs). In this week's portraits, a sharp-eyed observer will probably note that ears seem to be caked with something -- it's cereal, and it'll be that way for a while yet. 6-16-08 Update -- Puppies have made another big step forward in their dining: all 4 of their daily meals are now lightly-softened Science Diet Puppy kibble; meal times remain the same as below. Kibble is a big hit, and they usually devour every morsel (they average 1½ cups per day...each). Cereal ended on Sunday. They get canned puppy food with their kibble once daily (meal varies). The staff's workload is significantly reduced, and they're grateful. The kibble diet will result in cleaner puppies; their ears -- which grow longer daily -- are already losing some of the caked-on cereal. The water dish has become very important -- not just for drinking, but also for washing ears and occasional wading. 6-19-08 Update -- The 6-week-old puppies are spending much more time playing and exploring, accompanied by a wide range of growls, snarls and barks. They're truly miniature Bassets now, dashing here and there, generally doing Basset things and resisting sleep until they simply collapse. Their diet remains lightly-softened kibble 4 times per day (7AM, Noon, 5PM and 10PM); canned meat is added to one daily meal. The weight gains were significant this past week, Boysenberry and Cranberry showing the greatest percentage gains (27%); Honeydew is no longer our petite. The favorite toys are empty paper sacks, empty cardboard boxes and siblings' limbs. Several small crates are available on the garage floor, and they enjoy exploring and defending them. Mom still dons her T-shirt and goes in for visitation and counseling twice each day; they love to climb on her and nibble at her ears and tail. A favorite game is "Barbarians at the Gate," where Mom goes in the crate and tries unsuccessfully to keep the babies out. Puppy ears are becoming quite long now, and always get washed when they drink (at least this helps remove some of the caked-on cereal). They're a happy bunch, and tails wag constantly; they eagerly receive all visitors every day. They are becoming enured to sudden noises, taking most everything in stride. They're starting to come when called ("Puppy, puppy, puppy!"), and will follow us when we walk backwards; soon comes the first taste of a slip-lead (step 2 in leash training). The sheer joy they bring to every observer cannot be overstated; nobody ever leaves the garage without a smile on their face. Nobody. 6-26-08 Update -- Pups are 7 weeks old today, and their personalities are becoming quite distinct. All love to explore the garage during "free time," and their vocabularies have grown markedly; the range of barks, yaps and growls seems endless and is constantly entertaining. Ears now touch the ground, and will soon be dragging; thanks to the water dish, the last of the caked-on cereal is long gone. We're now alternating softened kibble with "straight" (unsoftened) kibble; the latter requires more time to eat, but it's good for their gums, teeth and jaw muscles. Soon, there will be no softened stuff. Canned puppy meat accompanies breakfast; this is their favorite meal, and they've grown hungry since late supper. They made their first big journey today: to the Vet for their first vaccinations (DHPP) and an examination -- all were pronounced in excellent health, and nobody even noticed their injection. They "sang" all the way to and from the Vet...and while there. If you really want to attract attention, just cart 6 boisterous Basset puppies around with you. They had their first on-leash session yesterday on the front porch, and all did quite well. Nobody resisted or bucked, and willingly followed Grandma. They were rewarded with small bits of turkey (a perinneal Basset favorite). Mom still goes into the Puppy Empire pen after breakfast and after supper, but she stays a little less each time; the pups are happy to see her, but they lose interest and wander off to do other puppy stuff. She completes her examinations and wants out. All pups had significant weight gain this week, but Honeydew was the biggest gainer, adding 2½ lbs; everybody is between 10¾ and 11¾ lbs. When we carry three of 'em in the Puppy Express basket, you quickly believe you have about 35 pounds of puppies 7-3-08 Update -- Before, during and after breakfast this morning, the puppies had a very noisy celebration of their 8-week birthday. Howling was heard for the first time (this is the precursor to baying), and they insisted on being released for a frolic. Softened kibble is now served only at supper, and meat accompanies both breakfast and dinner. Everyone is doing well with their leash training, and they thoroughly enjoy the trips to the front porch; the landscaping is quite tasty (day lillies are a favorite), and there's much to explore. Yesterday marked the first day of "dual-puppy training" -- we take them out two at a time, and walk greater distances. During daytime, the garage door is kept up about 3" for ventilation, and Mango likes to lay on her side and look out; the pups were thrilled to discover big sister's snout protruding below the door. Great nuzzling ensued. Pineapple has now shed her T-shirt for the morning and evening visits; a random few pups still try to nurse, but they quickly lose interest and just want to play and cuddle with Mom. She still cleans and inspects each pup carefully before settling down for some quiet time with her brood. They're spending more time out of the Puppy Empire pen now...and demanding even more; they love to explore and bound about the garage -- every nook and cranny is an adventure, and every object (familiar or not) must be growled at and/or yapped at. Within the last few days, they've begun to groom and clean each other. Previous pup-to-pup contact was gnawing, chewing and biting, but now occasionally softens to a kinder, gentler touch; they're starting to grow up, and it's quite touching. Naps are less frequent now, and shorter in duration; much more time is spent playing, talking to one another, and communicating with the adults on the other side of the pen. The crate has become a popular place to hang out and attempt to conceal a chosen toy from intruders. Weight gains were a bit more modest this week, as they should be...and they're running/playing enough to really burn calories; kibble volume has been increased appropriately. 7-10-08 Update -- After a slower weight gain week last week, the puppies went into overdrive this week: Rhubarb gained over 3 lbs, and both Boysenberry and Tangerine now tip the scale at 16 lbs. Again, all this is normal, and they're tracking the last litter very closely. At 9 weeks today, they've started demanding much more out-of-the-pen time...and the garage is starting to show it (plus there's that faint "puppy scent" everywhere); they're simply too big to spend all their time confined. The favorite toys remain stuff we discard: empty plastic bottles, paper bags, cardboard boxes, sticks, empty paper towel rolls, etc. Stuffed toys (with or without squeakers) are also very popular, and 3-way tug-of-wars are commonplace. To celebrate their birthday today, they spent 2 hours loose with Mom...and we spent 2 hours cleaning up afterward. They had more fun. They go outside each day now, and love running around in the driveway and exploring the greenery; they're navigating steps quite well (we live on a hillside), and are also doing well walking on their leads. Mango greatly relishes her time playing with her little siblings, but she can still get too excited when several of them attack her simultaneously; a sharp "Easy! Easy!" usually contains her enthusiasm. Lizzie just growls if they get close, and they respond by barking at her -- seems fair. Pumpkin has become our new Petite, while Honeydew has won the title of "Most Ferocious" -- she never backs down, and battles Mango as an equal (although she has a 30 lb handicap).