A Mother's Love

The puppies have changed so much in the past week!  They are all over twice their birth weight.  They are beginning to stand up on their legs and walk like little sand crabs across the litter box.  Markings are beginning to peep through their coats. In another week the markings will be much more visible.


As part of the healthy development of the puppies we go through a series of daily exercises with each puppy.  This is referred to as The Early Neurological Stimulation Program and it was developed by the US Military as part of their canine training program.  The program consists of 5 simple exercise meant to provide mild neurological stimulation to the puppy, which is believed to enhance the puppy's ability to deal with stress throughout their lives.  The exercises are simple and are done for 3-5 seconds.  The pup's paw is rubbed gently with a Q-tip - between it's toes; the pup is held with it;s head errect, and then with its head pointing down; the pup is held on its back and then placed feet-down on a damp towel that has been refrigerated for 10 minutes or so.  It takes about 30 seconds to do.  We will continue these exercises until the puppies are 16 days old.  

Mary Kate is a great mom, and she has been very attentive to her pups.  She does come out to visit us - but then runs back to the puppy room to check on her pups.  She hops back into the puppy box, touches each pup with her nose, and then finds a comfortable place to relax.  The puppies come toddling and scooting over and before you know it, Mom seems to disappear under a blanket of pups.  The next week will be an exciting one.  Eyes should begin to open, markings will become more distinct and the puppies will become more mobile.  The fun is about to begin!