A Wonderful Mother

Shannon is a top-notch mother. In two and a half weeks, I have yet to even glimpse a sign of puppy excrement or anything else in their nest. The puppies and whelping pen are kept immaculately clean, and they really never cry... Mama Shannon keeps them warm & very well fed (check out the growth chart!). They are one of the most content litters I have ever seen!

Now that their eyes and ears are open, we are looking forward to the next big milestone for the pups: walking!!! They are starting to get interestested (but why get up when you can lay here so nice and cozy and have some milk?!), but we are going to add a little traction to their pen tomorrow to help encourage them. The SPCA has a nice Puppy Development sheet that explains each period:

Transitional Period (13-20 days)

• Puppy’s eyes begin to open. He starts to walk and attempts to explore his surroundings.
• By 19 days, puppy’s ears begin to open and he will startle by noises.
• By 20 days puppy’s teeth begin to emerge