Three weeks--expanding horizons

Puppies are now 3 weeks old and have turned into a horde of adorability. They've started moving toward me whenever I am near them and if I pick them up they gum and lick me, so it's a bit like being pursued by very slow, fuzzy, cute zombies.

Puma and Petunia

I was missing my hand model this weekend, so I have some pictures of the puppies in their newly expanded and enriched habitat.

I haven't turned the TV on for them yet, but that's coming soon!

Primus, black male

The expanded area is the 4x4 Durawhelp box arranged so it rests against the front of the collapsible wooden box I built last summer. Puppies were escaping EVERYWHERE so, I made it so they have twice as much room but they are all safe. And it's pretty easy for Xita to jump in and out.

Xita has added toys to the box--she would like to have every toy in the house in there, but I have taken out anything hard that could hurt a puppy if it were dropped on their heads (e.g., bones). I also added a little wobble board and some balance disks--one with the "smooth" side up and one with the "nubby" side up--so they'll have something else to climb around on and experiment with.

 The wobble board is certainly being explored--they seem to like to climb over it and I've seen a couple of them experiment with standing on it.

Panther sneaks up on the wobble board

Athlete in training!

I don't have pictures of every puppy this week, at least not individual pics. They are all doing great--and they raise quite a ruckus when it's time for lunch, or dinner, or a midnight snack! I'll probably put collars on them next week to make it easier to identify them in the pictures. For me, it's a matter of knowing who is in the photo when I take it and of checking *really* carefully and then double-checking against my notes.

Pollux always has a purpose

Sometimes it's a process of elimination (no pun intended!)

For example, there are two "red sables" who are very tan right now--Pollux, male, and Puma, female. The female doesn't have the white on her chest and she has a different head shape. The male has distinctive black and red markings on his face already.

Pagan is adorable.

There are 3 black sables--big (the male), medium (female), and small (female). The smallest is Petunia and she has a white star on her chest. The medium girl is Pagan--she's the darkest and has a tighter coat than her brother Panther; she's also got a white blaze that is narrow but a couple of inches long. Panther is quite big and has a fluffier coat with gray tips on it (at the moment, at least)--and no white.

Pandora

Between Pandora and Peregrine, I have to see the toes to tell the difference--at least at this age. They are very similar in appearance. Pandora has the white toes. She also seems to get in more trouble (shocking, I know!).

Pandora

Peregrine seems a bit milder mannered, although it's hard to be sure.

Peregrine?