Things to Come?

Hmmm, I'm wondering if last night was a preview of things to come. The pups were noisy, noisy, NOISY last night. I kept going in to check on them and all was well, they just had a lot to say. Even Risk looked fed up with them at 4:30 AM. Andy got up this morning telling me we were moving them downstairs this weekend. I know he was kidding since we don't do that till they are 3 to 3.5 weeks old, but I am also a little tempted. They aren't big, but they sure can make a lot of noise when they want to.

Aside from being vocal, the pups are growing well; each is putting on 2-3 ounces per day. They are sleek and solid. Even Miss Raspberry is now 1#11 ounces. They are on their third set of collars and no longer can fit under Risk to nurse so she is sitting up more and more. She was tired today so she ended up lying on the pig rail so as not to crush any pups. I've seen a lot of dams in my day but I've never seen one so aware of her pups. She really is something.

Yesterday's Scent of the Day was duck and I'll confess, these little hunting dawgs were decidedly unimpressed. Only one pup buried its nose in the duck. The rest sniffed briefly and turned away, refusing to go back to it. This is a very different response from the pheasant and grouse, which they just breathed in. Pigeon didn't interest them but it wasn't really avoidance, just boredom. So, we'll do duck a few more times to see if we can pique their interest.

The pups are enjoying the toys in the pen. I find them draped over or curled under them each time I go in. Here is a photo of them piled on the newest toy. They crack me up when I put them back in the pen after cleaning--the vinegar makes them sneeze but the new sheepskin is so fascinating to them that they look like a Fabreeze commercial with their noses buried in the new bedding.

New Photos and video are up in the Week 2 folders.