MAY 27 DAY 16

Growth and Development

What seems like over night the puppies have matured from 'prehistoric potatoes on legs' to little dogs.

Now that Eyes are open and the puppies are beginning to have depth perception,  I've added a lot more objects to the whelping box.  Some of these are to encourage them to look upward and other objects are for them to start interacting with.  There have been lumps and bumps in the whelping box from their first day to force them to use their legs and mind.  Now those bumps are becoming more challenging and the objects force them to have to maneuver around.  Sometimes you can see the 'gears' starting to work in their little heads.

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Puppies are beginning to be aware of their immediate environment.  A few puppies are even interacting with objects

You can see the wide variety of textures the puppies are already climbing over and sleeping on. 

In addition to the extra visual and tactile stimulation, the box has Full Spectrum lighting.  Now that their eyes are open they are getting the benefit of absorbing vitamin D through their retinas.  It has been found that full spectrum lighting not only increases bone density in puppies but is beneficial in promoting a healthier immune system.

The water bottle is there for extra cooling should the puppies be getting too hot.  They can move to different areas of the whelping box in order to cool down or get warm.  

The pink blanket is a place they can crawl behind for a sense of security or to move away from the light. You can see little black blobs scattered around the box... LOL... those are puppies ;)

Grand Ma, TinTin
Still maintains her spot outside the box

Puppies are beginning to gain momentum in their movement.  So much so, that two of them have already figured out how to climb the lattice gate.  Ms Blue scaled the barrier when she realized that her mom was on the other side.  YIKES.  Perhaps she'll be an agility dog!

First leap over that huge hill

Preparing for the jail break....