It is hard to believe that the pups are 5 weeks old today. This week was Christmas week. As we debated the timing of the litter and the 'to breed or not to breed' question, this week was my biggest concern. How would we manage puppies and still keep all the traditions of the holidays in place for our children. Would they resent any changes we would have to make to accommodate puppies? Would we be able to manage presents and trees and decorations? Could we still visit with friends and family with puppies in tow? None of these fears came to be this week! We were blessed with a spectacular Christmas filled with traditions and family and friends and YES! even puppies. Squirrel and Mudge made the holiday a delight! We didn't think it could be possible to add more magic to the season, but they certainly did! The pups alerted us at 5 am that Santa had come and it was all clear to start the day! They accompanied us to my sisters house where they got to meet the whole family. They played in the yard with children and their dog cousins, Pooka and Guinness. After a lot of oohing and aahing they spent most of the day napping. This week meant a lot of visits from friends and neighbors, they met tons of people and several dogs and showed their true Chinook spirit through it all - tails wagging and plenty of kisses!
SQUIRREL
birth weight: 15.8 oz, weight at 5 weeks: 9 lbs 2 oz
SQUIRRELbirth weight: 15.8 oz, weight at 5 weeks: 9 lbs 2 oz
Squirrel is at once a beauty queen and a warrior. Her looks are sleek and elegant but she is full of zest and as adventuresome as they come. She loves to explore, pounce, play, bite and yes! escape all forms of containment! She is very attached to Tioga and while her position as "favorite kid" has given her more confidence and stubbornness, it also makes her very dependent. As Tioga weens them, Squirrel is more vocal about her disapproval of not having mom on demand. She is the most playful of the two. Often when the food bowl goes down she is more interested in playing with the hand that placed it there and ends up jumping all over the food to get to the human!
Ever curious, Squirrel would rather eat the tree than pose beside it.
Side by side she looks much leaner than Mudge, however she only let him beat her once on the scale. She is sleek and Mudge is all fluff!
I wonder what the ears will do in the future?
MUDGEbirth weight: 15.2 oz, weight at 5 weeks: 8 lbs 15oz
Mudge continues to be the love-bug! Though he is always the winner in a wrestling match with Squirrel, he still prefers to cuddle. He is very interested in watching the big dogs play and tries to mimic them in games of chase. Dakota is becoming more and more at ease with them, now that they can run and play. Mudge was the first pup to figure out the potty routine. He almost always pees on the paper and hasn't pooped inside in the last week. He whines to go out whenever he needs. They both are doing incredibly well with preliminary housebreaking. They are a wonderful balance to each other - In any given situation one is tentative and the other is bold and then in a different situation the roles are reversed. It is fun to watch who will take the lead, who learns what skill first, who is the first to venture out and who is the quickest to come running back.
Mudge is a much easier pup to photograph as he more readily sits STILL. Squirrel needs a high speed shutter at all times!
Just hanging out!
----------------------------
Squirrel is almost always found napping in Tioga's crate. This particular sleeping position is a total GreatMountain gene!
With all that fluff, Mudge usually naps where there is a draft. He almost always sleeps up against the gate. That is until Santa brought them new doggie beds...
Squirrel and Mudge
Out early to watch the snow fall.
Chasing each other under the deck.
Squirrel is wondering what Dakota finds so interesting about this stick.
Tioga says, "being a mom is exhausting!"
