6 Weeks 4 Days

We had a beautiful 70 degree day the other day and I took advantage of it and took puppies out on the deck for a bit, just to introduce them to the great outdoors and their future potty area. That was on Sat I believe. A couple of the pups now want to go outside to potty and sometimes even poo. Most don't get it just yet, but it is a start of potty training. :)

WOW just had three pups in a row wake up and come to the front of their pen and stop. I picked the first one up and took outside and YES! Potty outside! From someone who has been non-stop in bleach water and laundry (wipe rags) for weeks I am THRILLED to say the least. 2nd pup wakes up, comes to front of pen and looks at me. I pick him up and take him outside. POTTY again!!! WHOO HOO! Girl wakes up and comes to front of pen and looks at me. I pick her up and take her outside.. Potty #3 in a row! We are on a roll, but I am going to be very tired if I have to do this one at a time for all nine pups! Okay you won't believe this... another pup woke up and was walking around. I ask "You want to go out to potty?" And she comes up to the front of the pen (that is where I can pick them up) and I take her outside and YES! 4 potties! But while I was gone the other girl woke up and went on the newspapers. Oh well... was on a roll with 4 in a row.

Of course when you take them outside to potty, you give the Potty command... I say "go potty" and keep repeating and then they go I say in a happy voice GOOD POTTY!!! YEA! You are the best boy/girl and say their name. They get so excited that they did a good thing for you to make you so happy. It's a party! :)

It's the little things and puppy kisses that keep us going...

6 Weeks (& 3 Days) Stack Photos!

Antonio Doviggy - Show Prospect

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Vincenzo Doviggy - Show Prospect

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 Dante Doviggy - Show Prospect

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 Gabriella Doviggy - Companion (Reserved)

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Fabiola Doviggy - Show Prospect (Reserved)

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 Bruno Doviggy - Show Prospect

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Emilio Doviggy - Available Pet/Companion

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Alessandra Doviggy - (Reserved)

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Bernardo Doviggy - Show Prospect

6 Weeks, 3 Days...

Well.... I didn't get stack shots yet... It has been very busy just keeping up with them! I did get them outside yesterday to potty! A few actually peed and pooped outside. And now a few do run to the door when I say "outside". YES! If I can get them doing that, that will make my life so much easier. However, there are always those that run back inside and take the herd with them... <SIGH>. You have to be a master of manipulation, quick, and flexible to get "most" pups where you want them at any given time. LOL

I also got to see them trot across my 28 foot deck. Great place to watch movement! Nice and level and long enough to really get a good idea. Of course... only a couple really cooperated. It was fun to hop and skip for a couple, and some were a bit unsure being outside. A bit chilly and windy, but another cold spell came through last night, so that was the best it is going to get for awhile. I will have to eval movement inside the house.

Today I promise to get stack shots! I went to the store and got more block cheese and would have taken photos last night if the lighting was good for photos. Best time is during the day with lots of natural light coming in my windows. I know I said, I usually like to make my preliminary picks at 6 weeks, but the Cramers said their line matures more slowly and I can see that in several of the pups. When outcrossing, the norms change. But I do have to say I am pleased with several of the pups as show prospects and all of the pups as happy and outgoing so far.

More to come... stay tuned!

6 Weeks OLD!

Puppies were 6 weeks old  yesterday. I will be evaluating them and photos today as yesterday was Thanksgiving. What a fun day of eating for us humans and socializing for the pups! After turkey haze settled in, I was in no mood to do a puppy photo session. So today will be the day. Stay tuned!

5 Weeks, 2 Days (37 Days old)...

Pups turned 5 weeks of age on this Thursday! Stacked them out and pleased with what I am seeing at this age. I really like to make an eval at 6 weeks so no judgements by me this week. Just first impression on spotting, pressence, etc.

Since this is the Doviggy litter, and it sounds Italian to me. I decided to name them all with Italian  names and use Doviggy as their last name... ha ha. They are just temporary names but fun anyway. I have to call them a name besides Boy 2 and Girl 2. LOL

So we now have:

Antonio Doviggy (Boy 1)
Vincenzo Doviggy (Boy 2)
Dante Doviggy (Boy 3)
Bruno Doviggy (Liver Boy 4)
Emilio Doviggy (Patch Boy 5)
Bernardo Doviggy (Boy 6)
Gabriella Doviggy (Girl 1)
Fabiola Doviggy (Girl 2)
Alessandra Doviggy (Girl 3)

You can see the 5 week stack photos on my web site at:
http://jlsdals.com/DoviggyWeek5.html

Day 27...

I have not posted for awhile! Been a very busy time and it only keeps on getting busier and busier as these little ones grow up! They are eating gruel three times a day now. Figgy is still nursing them too of course. Just supplementing them as 9 puppies is quite a few for a momma dog to feed, and Figgy is doing a great job. 

All is going well. I just do laundry all day long and wipe out whelping box every couple hours and laydown a new blanket with a heating pad underneath one corner. I use the blender to prepare the puppy gruel three times a day and serve them in their puppy saucer. I feed momma dog small meals with lots of water several times a day and of course let her outside to potty frequently as well. 

The good news is that the puppies are starting to not want to poop in the whelping box! They are showing signs of potty training already just by instinct or by Figgy's direction. I have called her a bit of a drill Sergeant in the past. LOL. Boy 1 ("JBoy" now as he has spots that form an upside down "J" on his nose) will crawl out of the box and do his pooping and then crawls back in! Girl 1 and Girl 2 also holler their heads off, wanting out. They can usually crawl out, but cannot get themselves back in just yet. 

This is awesome, but also presents me with an urgency to go to the next conversion of their rearing quarters. I will remove the pool I use for whelping and go with blanket on one side and papers on the other side. NOW more work commences of changing papers every couple hours and disposing of it.  

A very happy Figgy smiling at me... I told her she is a good girl and a great Momma! She is SO pleased with herself.

Boy 3, Girl 2 and Liver Boy in the background. Wonder what they are thinking as they look at me?

A wild time in the puppy pool... LOL

Just settling in for bedtime... 

Day 22... First Gruel!

No, the gruel was not PINK! Somehow the red camera and the flash made it look pink instead of tan! So strange.