The puppies are seven days old today. Everyone has been steadily gaining weight and we are pleased with the progress that they are making. We have started the Early Neurological Stimulation Exercises for the puppies. This program was originally developed to improve the performance of dogs used for military purposes. The study confirmed that there is a window of time beginning at Day 3 and continuing through Day 16 where rapid neurological growth and development occurs. There are 5 simple exercises that are done each day with each of the pups during this time period. These exercises impact the puppy's neurological system by kicking it into action earlier than would be normally expected. There are several benefits that have been attributed to the exercises, including increased tolerance of stress and greater resistance to disease.
You can find more information on these exercises at:
http://www.tehillahgermanshepherds.com/earlystimulation.html
Pigment is starting to intensify on the pups. Nose trim is continuing to fill and we are starting to see the shadowy images of the spots coming through their coats. Ginger has been a very attentive mom, leaving the whelping box just long enough for a quick meal and romp around the yard. With 9 pups to feed, she's been a voracious eater, and we've upped both the amount of food and the frequency that she is eating. We feed Purina Pro Plan Puppy formula, which provides Ginger with the additional calcium and calories that she needs right now. We made the change to puppy food 2 weeks before the litter was due and Ginger will continue with the richer diet until the pups are weaned. Then she'll have to go back to watching her weight like the rest of us girls!
Here's a video example of a typical day in the life of a day's old litter:
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