Crossed Pines Ridgebacks

What a fun week. We have been adding toys as per the Puppy Culture program.
I even put a juice jug with rocks into the mix. They have a blast.

We have a section with pee pads and a little rail separating it.
Amazingly enough, they are pretty good about using the pads.
They actually stop play to run to the pads when nature calls.
WHAT GOOD PUPPIES.

Weighed everyone today. As seems to be the trend the boys are
growing a little slower.
Pink 7 pounds 8 ounces
Blue 7 pounds 4 ounces
Yellow  7 pounds 10 ounces. chunky monkey
Lime 7 pounds 3 ounces
Red  6 pounds 15 ounces.
Green 7 pounds 10 ounces  the other chunk
Light Blue 7 pounds 8 ounces  Lucy
White  7 pounds 8 ounces  Kimber

Everyone has great appetites and are nearly weaned.

Lila goes in for brief feeding but it doesn't last long. Those teeth are sharp.

We set-up a play area from their room into the living room today.
Big dogs outside, except Lila.  They came venturing out into the living room
by themselves for the first time. 

Confidence is really good in all. I was a little concerned about pink at first but
she has more than made up for it. She was the first one into the living room today.

Hope the weather warms enough for outside play time this week.
We have the fencing but it was way too windy today.

Let me know how you like the new pictures.
 

Puppies are 3 1/2 weeks old. 

We had several puppy families visit over the weekend and I enjoyed watching
everyone with the puppies. The "kids" both human and dog had fun but mine were exhausted
at the end of each visit. Good naps were had by all.

A couple of days ago we tried an experiment with an empty 40lb. dog food bag.
We dropped it into the playpen.
Pink was one of the first ones onto the crinkly paper and then everyone came running.
They had a ball running around making the paper move and sound funny.

They are all very confident and have started to look up.
Instead of looking at the ground.  They look at us when we come into the room.
Of course, up at Lila and to find those faucets even if she doesn't lay down to nurse.

We are feeding them food twice a day, and the mess of who climbed into the dish
and who climbed onto their siblings back with cereal all over their feet. Ick.

We have added little toys to the mix and some really like to play.
The random blankets are now being dragged and watch out for your fingers.
Those teeth are sharp. I spent time today with yellow and one of the toys. She
chewed on my finger and I switched it for a toy. Then she learned it squeaked.

Lucy has learned to lick my nose when I hold her to my face. White licks my chin.
I guess I taste good. Or maybe that's from the cereal I spilled when making them breakfast...

Two nights ago Tom and I were both awake in the middle of the night.
We worked on names if we keep one of the puppies.
After much consideration..... we decided.  No, I'm not telling.



 

Today my teenaged neighbor Sadie came to help me take photos.  Some puppies are easier to photograph than others. Some were sleepy.
Some NOT....

They all weigh between 3 pounds and 3 pounds 4 ounces.

They all have teeth.

The boys have both learned to bark.  Very funny.
Lime has taken a firm interest in moving, everywhere but in front of the camera.

Lila watched the photo session from outside.  She was not happy.

FYI,  we have trimmed their nails twice, (once each week), but they are still pretty sharp.
They also got their first toy this week. Tom gave them a pink turtle. Just about their size.

Play has begun.
 

Over the weekend we added the play pen attachment to the whelping box.  The wait to see who could climb over the rail and into the play pen did not take long.

The winners were Lime and White.  Then everyone else..  EXCEPT  ... pink.  Who is holding out for help, which we are not going to give.

They all go back and forth, (except Pink) play and sleep together and generally are great fun now that eyes are open. One of the puppies usually climbs back and stays with Pink if she gets left in the whelping box alone. She is a silly and hangs half over but still doesn't want to push that last little bit.

Everyone weighs between 2 pounds 5 ounces and 2 pounds 11 ounces. Nice sized and very happy.

Reddington received his monthly bark box yesterday and decided to share. He never shares so, much to our surprise, he brought one of his new toys into the play pen, left it with the kids and went back out.  He did come back a couple of hours later to get it for his bed time.

Lacy enjoys looking over the edge of the boxes but was startled when she laid in the box and had one climb on her. She jumped up and looked very puzzled.
Madison is still not ready to come into the puppy room since Lila is not too sure about Madison's intentions.

 

Puppies are 2 weeks old today.
Eyes are open and everybody is learning how to walk.

They've gone from belly scooting to getting their little hind ends
up and motating.

Little Sir Redmond Hillary "RED" is learning to woof. Super cute.

Lucy, "light blue" is an absolute love.

I commune with White and yellow the most. They give me Zen.

Lime is no longer wearing a collar. She doesn't like them...

Blue wiggles the most when we tickle his toes with the q-tip and
Pink, now orange, snuggles when she is "turtled", (held on her back)

Green has super cute eyes and an adorable face.

The yarn collars were fraying so we got little Velcro collars.
No pink in the set so pink got the orange one.

We are using a puppy socialization method called "puppy culture".
For more info check out their web site "puppyculture.com"

It is supposed to help puppies be better able to adapt and
socialize in varying environments.

Right now we do puppy exercises every evening.
5 seconds each of 5 exercises for every puppy.
We keep a clip board and Tom and I do 4 puppies each.

It's fun and a great opportunity to spend time with all the "kids"

I sit in the whelping box with Lila and the pups.. and the clipboard.
Lacy and Reddington come and lick puppies as opportunity allows.
Madison sits in the doorway. She's afraid Lila will growl at her, so
she gives Momma space.

At the end, I'm usually covered in sleeping puppies and
Tom is playing with Reddington and Lacy at the edge of the whelping box.

Lila has started to spend time outside the box. This morning she
came and snuggled in bed with me. I have missed that and I think she has too.
We have a baby monitor in our room, with the speaker next to the whelping box.
When puppies woke up and started to complain, Lila headed downstairs.
What a great Momma she is.

We weighed all puppies everyday for the first week.
Then we've moved to once a week. Tonight is weigh-in.
I weighed yellow yesterday. She was 2 pounds 7 ounces.


 

Now that I've had some sleep I can update everyone on our beautiful litter.

After several hours of labor Lila delivered out first girl at 6:04 am Saturday morning.
#1  Pink was 15.3 ounces at birth and up to 16.5 in 24 hours. girl
#2 Blue born at 7:00 am  18 ounces at birth up to 19 in 24 hours. boy
#3 Yellow born at 7:18 am 14 ounces and 15.8 in 24 hours girl
#4 Lime was born at 7:36am 17.9 ounces and 19.5 in 24 hours  she is ridgeless girl
# 5 puppy was Red and in a hurry born just 7 minutes after his sister,
                     the smallest at birth of 13.3 ounces still nice sized and 14.8 ounces in 24 hours.
                          Red already has a nick name for his climbing skills  "Sir Redmond Hillary" boy
#6 Aqua born 8:18 am 17.2 ounces and 17.9 in 24 hours   girl
#7 Lucky Lucy light blue born at 9:06 am weighs 17.3 and 19.5 in 24 hours a girl
#8 White born at 9:33 am weighing 15.7 ounces and 17.0 in 24 hours a girl.

And sadly 1 1/2 hours later Lila delivered a still born boy. He must have had
placenta issues during delivery of his siblings and we could not revive him.

Lila is a stellar Mom letting the other 3 adult ridgebacks to see HER puppies only with
strict supervision and growling on her part.

Below pictures have a couple with Lacy (Lila's daughter from her first litter) peeking at her new half siblings.

I will try to update this blog to keep you up to date.

Later today I hope to get my husbands 300 Italy pictures off the camera so I can get
nice pictures of the puppies. My phone camera is slow and often the puppies move
before the picture snaps.

Tom arrive home Friday night from Italy in time to help with the whelping of this litter.

Also, found out Beckett, from our first Lila litter completed his championship on Sunday March 5.
Congratulations to Kathleen and Jeff on all the hard work.