Carnie & Boink Litter

* 2010 *

? Boys & ?  Girls

*These pups are all spoken for *

** **

Days 1-10

Westie  pups are born with their eyes sealed shut and their ears closed., their nose and paw pads are pink and later turn black as they mature.. Their only needs at this age are warmth & food, both provided by their mother.  The litter is kept in our bedroom so they can be closely monitored day & night in these early crucial days.

 Days 10-14

Between 1 1/2 & 2wks old, the pup's eyes & ears begin to open & they slowly become aware of their surroundings even though they still rely on their mother exclusively for food & warmth.

3 wks

At 3 wks old, the pups begin to toddle around and although quite unsteady, they begin to interact more with their littermates and can go for longer periods of time without their mom.  Depending on the litter, I usually move them out of our bedroom into a spare room at this time.  They continue to spend about half their time with their mother and the other time she is taking a much needed break from them.

4-5 wks

During this time, the pups begin transitioning from their mother's milk to dog food.  This is done at a gradual pace and is quite a messy stage. They receive dog food soaked in water to form an oatmeal like mash that they flop around in and make a royal mess.  Lucky for me, mom happily cleans them and their leftovers up when she returns to them. The pups also begin to get their puppy teeth which makes the mom less than enthusiastic to have her pups nurse. They spend more time away from their mother than with at this age.  The pups are moved into a playpen in my family room at this stage to get them used to basic household sounds.

 5-6 wks

Most of the time, the pups will be getting their nutrients from dog food by this age but I still like to put mom in with the pups to instill manners and teach them bite inhibition.  This is also the age I usually have people come to visit the litter.

6-7 wks

The pups are very playful and interact not only with their littermates, but also are now very people orientated and eager for attention

7-8wks

The pups continue to mature and become more confident.  They are very aware of their surroundings and are very playful.

8-9 wks

This is the age at which time most of the pups will go to their new homes.  They receive their first set of vaccinations and an over all vet check to ensure good health before leaving for their new homes.

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