All Is Well

Fulton, resting on my foot.

Pups are coming along well and starting to get cute now.  So far I am able to check on them in the morning and at noon, then wait until evening to crawl in the box for an hour.  That won't be possible in a few more days, are they will be TOO cute, and my life will be put on hold for awhile.

I LOVE three week old pups as they start to greet me with wagging tails, explore their world and turn into little dogs.  It's the absolute best age, and starting this weekend not much else will get done around here for awhile.

It's fun to watch the spotting come in and that changes from day to day now as their spots clear and become more distinct.  Trim is moving nicely, and Surly has complete nose trim now.  Everyone was born with complete eye trim which is always a relief, and all pups have the heavy thick eye rims that add so much to Dalmatian expressions.  Like so many livers, Fulton's nose is a bit slower to fill, but is only missing some trim along the bottom, and dots of color are filling in the open spaces, so it should be finished soon.

My favorite pup for personality right now is Jack Pine who is very mobile, always alert, and so easy to cuddle.  He's determined to climb in my pants leg though, so I have to be careful when I sit in the box - I've had to shake him out once already.  The girls Summit and Schell(y) are both similar to Jack Pine and I still have trouble telling them apart because they are so similar in appearance at this age.  Surly and Fulton are the chubbiest and sleepiest of the puppies, but can really motor around the box when they are looking for mom! 

It's a very quiet content litter, and Nena is an excellent mother although I sometimes have to remind her that the pups could use a bit of cleaning.  When I sit in the box with the pups, Nena goes upstairs to the family room to hang out with Ron and the other dogs, and she's perfectly content to do so.