4.5 week video--leave my tail alone!

You can see one pup's obsession with biting the other pup's tail lead to a take-down, younger puppy style. As they get a bit older, take-downs will be both loud and ferocious looking and sounding.



You can also see that pups LOVE toys with smaller legs that allow them to fit part of the toy in the mouth and manipulate the rest of the larger toy. I have found octopus toys to be VERY popular. In fact, the blue octopus has been with me for years and is a favorite toy of both adults and pups. You can see that this toy is gradually loosing its legs, but it is amazing that blue octopus still survives when one considers the standard schnauzer's desire and superb skill at "killing" plush toys within 10 seconds to 30 minutes of receiving them. Of course, not all schnauzers have this desire, but mine certainly do and I know of many others' schnauzers with the same desire and rapid toy "killing" power.

Must be something special about blue octopus.

I would recommend that all people getting a standard schnauzer puppy get a couple of octopi for their pup. Adult schnauzer can handle much bigger octopi and LOVE carrying them and dragging them about. Another purchasing recommendation!

4.5 week video--a visit from Flute

Listen to the sound on this video. You can hear Flute panting in excitement outside the box before she comes into frame.



Flute LOVES pups. She is in the box with the pups right now as I type this. Iska is only too happy to let Auntie Flute be with the pups sometimes. Iska is in the kitchen supervising my husband as he makes Linguine with Clam Sauce. Have I mentioned that Iska LOVES food :-D??

First meal

Pups had their first non-Iska milk meal this week. They had a mixture of fresh ground sirloin, over-boiled barley, and goat's milk. The meal met with their approval, as you can see and hear in this video.

Iska came in afterward to clean up what they didn't finish and to clean up pups! "My pups taste delicious," proclaimed Iska.

Since that first meal, pups have been having this same mixture to supplement Iska's milk. This mixture is ideal for them because it is all natural, nutritionally-balanced, and very easy on the stomach. This is the first step towards gradually transitioning the pups to food and off of mother's milk.

Week 5--a visit from Auntie Flute

Pups have their first visit from Auntie Flute. Flute has been dying to get in and visit the pups.

She finally got her wish.

At first, pups seem to check her out, then they accept her, and move in to see if she has milk.

"Why not?," ask the pups. "Perhaps if she's in here, she's our new mama!"

Week 5--Lions surround their kill

These mighty predators have taken down and subdued a ferocious toy and move in to enjoy the spoils.

Week 4--Tell me a secret

These two girls seem to share a secret ...

What might it be??

3.5 weeks old videos

3.5 wks-we now enjoy toys

3.5 weeks old--sleeping

3 weeks--Cuddling on sisters

These two girls seem very content as they snuggle on their sisters.

3 weeks old and all mouth

Each pup seems to be saying, "I've got you!"

Do you think they realize that while they may have the bite on their sister, their sister also has the bite on them??

3 week old videos

Pups are 3 weeks old and are very interested in each other and the world around them. They use their mouths to learn about their world and you can see that they put their mouths on everything--and everyone--close to them.

End of Week 3--Big changes

Lots of big changes for pups during their third full week of life:

• eyes opened & pups can see
• ears opened & pups can hear
• walking began and became more coordinated
• playing with each other began and became more engaged
• early neurological stimulation finished (info)
  

Pups also grew a lot. All puppies now weigh over 2 pounds and baby bear boy is over 2.5 lbs. Iska is proud of her super milk production and excellent care of the pups. She is very attentive and is keeping everyone nice and clean and feeling loved.

Here is the story of what is always very big first in puppies' lives:

Wednesday night, I checked on the pups and saw what you see in the first photo below. I counted pups and assumed 2 were under the rails. Put my hand under the rails, expecting to find 2 there. Nope. Where did 2 pups go?

I look under the mat. Nothing. Now, I'm starting to worry.

Suddenly, I hear nursing. I look and Iska is under the desk, with the chair pushed all the way in so I had not seen her and two girls, one black and one pepper & salt, are nursing away, happy as can be.

Clearly, trouble coming my way.

Now, the whelping box's half door is securely in place to prevent future breaks for freedom ... for now! Soon enough, pups will be clambering over the half door and I will need to put the full door in except for during nursing sessions.

Week 3--trouble coming my way

4 pups in the whelping box.

Where are the other 2 pups?

Escaped to find Iska!

Smart, naughty puppy girls!