Lucky Seven

Everyone loves this picture. I show it to the Petco Cashiers and they always notice the puppy holding the other puppy like a pillow. Now, is their best time as puppies. They act and think like their future self. I see who is laid back and who wants to be the leader. I see who solves some problems by waiting and who solves some problems by fighting for it. They make more sounds, with lots of different meanings. Some sounds are so loud that I can hear them from the garage! Other sounds are so soft and playful that I almost want to cry hearing how nice they talk to each other.  

The days and nights are starting to become more of a repeated routine than all the other weeks. They nap during the day and sleep through most of the night. They eat and play more, of course. They can lap up water, when at first they were trying to suckle it out of the bowl. It was so funny and cute at the same time! All are able to eat hard food and less of Cora's milk. She tries to help feed them, but it's really gross how she throws up what she just ate for them to eat. A lot of times she asks to go in, but the puppies just end up running loose around the house after I unlock the gate, because she doesn't enter the room fast enough. Puppy stampede! They run under the couch, under the coffee table, under the dining chairs, and through the living room in the kitchen. The stampede is not as bad as it once was, because they don't potty as often. 

There still is potty! Don't get me wrong, it's always there, but they're doing much better about going potty in the right spot. We're down to conditioning them into going in one corner of the room. Hooray! It helps being home all day to clean up as soon as one goes in the wrong spot. Vital move to the potty training. We introduce potty pads and the best are from Costco. We get 100 in a box for $11.99! They barely chew those, versus the others we buy, and I have no idea why. Newspapers still help. They just don't hold as much waste as potty pads do. 

Here's a video of them, after just having food, water, and being cleaned up. They are so happy to play. Watch for the small puppy pile! 

They can entertain each other and with their toys, but it doesn't hurt to stimulate them. I have put in many types of materials and things to chew on or be introduced to, like a cardboard box or a bucket. Here's a couple pictures of their husky nature to new things! 

"Me first!"

"Scoot over!"

Huskies, and puppies in general, should be curious of new things. Some of the puppies hesitate and wait for the others to try things first. Some puppies want to be the first to try everything. Having no fear could get them in trouble. The curiosity of a Husky could be its weakness or strength, if nurtured appropriately. 

Although, this litter is one more than the last, it still is hard for me to tell who is who! 

 Brew, this is my favorite boy. He's got one blue and one brown eye. I call him Brew, named after the first Great Dane that I ever met, because he is the biggest of the litter. I'm thinking of keeping him since this is our last litter. Cora is showing him some love too. 

This is Cora's mini-me. She is the smallest, but the one with the most fight. She also hangs with Brew, because he's the biggest. She is the first puppy to escape and also one of the best talkers. She has two blue eyes. 

This is another girl. She can be a follower, but will start a play session anytime. She loves attention. She is the first puppy to ask to be picked up at the gate. I love rocking her in my arms. 

 

On the left is a girl. She's got one brown and one blue eye. On the right is a boy who also has the same color eyes. I constantly get him and her mixed up. I feel like I see double with them and can't figure out who is who so I can't distinguish their behavior tendencies. However, they are both pretty mellow in comparison to the other puppies.

This boy is a daredevil. He is the first puppy to do the craziest stunt, jump off the kitchen table to run away from getting his picture taken. He is okay, but he is the smallest in comparison to the other boys. He looks like Cora too. 

This a boy who looks like Brew's twin or a Benny Junior. He is pretty big and smart too. He is the first puppy I notice to potty in the right spot consistently. He is also another puppy that asks to be picked up a lot. 

I love them all. My secret wish is to keep all of them on a ranch somewhere in California and grow up happily with our Husky pack. They are always a lot of work, but the reward is so much greater. 

Sometimes it's better not to get what you wish for, but I ultimately wish that all these puppies find a forever home, either with me or someone who will love them just as much. We are still on puppyfind.com.

Thanks for reading and wish us good luck!

Puppy Faces

Every day I spend more and more time with them. Yesterday, for the first time, I sit down in their pen with them. One puppy curls up right next to me and falls asleep. The others try to crawl in my lap. They treat me like I'm a warm blanket. Which is exactly what they sleep on. They need help staying warm because they are still so small. A couple weeks ago one puppy decides to find its own warm spot. 

They are not crawling anymore and actually walking around. They try to run fast but they are still coordinating their legs. It's adorable to watch. They go to the bathroom on their own. They will eat soft puppy can food 3 or 4 times a day. Cora feeds them less and cleans up after them less. We have to clean up more now. It's not as bad as the first time around, because this time we know more things. For example, being out of the house for more than a couple hours means we come home to a huge mess. So we try to stay home as much as possible although we still have to go to work to make our money. 

I cut their nails twice, because they're growing so fast! They still make cute sounds but now the sounds come with body language which makes trying to understand them even cuter! Sometimes it seems they say these things: "Feed me", "I feel alone", "I'm not sure", or "I challenge you". Here's a video of them talking about getting comfortable enough to go to sleep.

Just like human babies, it's important to talk to puppies for brain development and learning. In the video, I try timing the sound of my voice with a sleep command, right when they are about to fall asleep, in an effort to associate my voice and command with that behavior. I do that when I feed and greet them. I use the same greeting every time I enter their pen.

Each one is special in their own way, but I can't help but make comparisons to their parents and the breed in general. I am able to scratch them in the same spots their parents like and get the same responses. I scratch their chest and a leg starts thumping, identical reaction as Benny and Cora. There's even a girl, who looks like Cora, that is escaping the pen whenever there's a chance!

There she is. Cora's mini-me. She and Cora are perfect examples of the escape artist Husky character. There is another puppy that looks like Cora, but it's a boy. 

The other five look more like Benny. The first two are girls. 

These three are boys. 

I still have to weigh them all before labeling them. The PuppyFind ad is up for them anyway. There are two puppies with potential future homes. We will be letting visitors come after their first set of shots, so that will be around December 15th. Sorry for the wait everyone! Stay posted on here for now. Thanks for reading and I'll try blogging sooner than later! 

2nd Round

We're back! Second round of puppies in our own home this time! 

Benny and Cora have 7 puppies this time. As one visitor says "She outdid herself." Cora's doing really well handling an extra puppy in comparison to her last litter of 6. There are 4 boys and 3 girls. Go ahead and count the puppies in the picture. There's seven!  

Cora is aware of taking care of herself this time around. She knows when to feed her babies and when to ask for food. She knows to go to the bathroom as often as the puppies do. She's eating more this time than last time. Even though the puppies are now 13 days old, they are already growing quickly. 

Right now, the puppies are less work than in the future weeks to come. All they do is make cute sounds, eat, sleep, go to the bathroom, and move around on their legs. At first, they move like wiggly worms on their bellies but now they can actually pick themselves up and use their legs. They move slow, but surely. They can walk under and over the blankets they sleep on. Their eyes aren't open yet, but we are expecting them to open soon. Here's a video of a puppy trying to get comfortable. 

There is less stress this time around. We actually sleep more too! Everybody knows how this goes from the first experience. John and I understand when to trust Cora to help herself and when she does need our help. I can distinguish puppy sounds and react accordingly. May and Benny know to give Cora her space. Benny sometimes lets her eat more dog food when feeding time happens. The puppies even have their own room, that we call the "Puppy Room". 

The puppy room layout will change, probably every week, as the puppies grow. Them having their own room is very convenient to all of us and how we live in our home. We all definitely have our own separated and designated spaces. In addition, we have floors instead of carpet. It is so much easier to clean, especially during the whelping. The picture of the puppies in the laundry basket is when we have to sanitize all the floors in their room. Their blankets are switched and washed every day. Cleanliness is key to healthy puppies.

John and I are constantly attending to Cora, Benny, May, and the puppies so our energy is emptied every day. All our animals are worth it, but having 10 pets under one roof is a lot of work. We are buying food like every other day. They eat more food than us! However, we are doing fine, especially with family visiting and helping us. In addition, many teachers have been supplying us with newspapers for reusing. The puppies are now on puppyfind.com, but continue to stay updated by reading this blog. 

That's all the energy for blogging I have now. Thanks for reading the first post of the second round! 

No Puppy Left Behind

This morning I thought I would sleep in later, than when the last two puppy boys wake me up, but I wake up the same time anyway. I think my body is still in automatic mode of a work schedule and living with puppies. Yesterday our last two boys went to their new home and ever since I've been trying to not think about them being here. It's hard. At first, I couldn't even clean up the garage without imagining them looking up at me with that what are we going to do now face. 

I'm on spring break, but have had most of it with all four huskies. It is fun to not have to go to work and stay as long as you want with your animal family. We have fun running around, playing with toys, and even napping together. Now all the puppies are gone. I'm so thankful that our last new puppy parents wanted to take both boys. It is a miracle, because that is what we waited for. 

All I want for each puppy in their new homes is to be HEALTHY and HAPPY. That's it. Each home is different and each of their lives growing up will be different, but in the end I just wish that they live a healthy and happy life. I'm not sad anymore of them being gone, but I will confess my tears when the first puppy and the last puppies left. I did my best to not get attached to any of them, but when factors like extra time and love are involved, it's almost impossible not to. I always tell myself that they are going to great homes and it helps heal the loss. 

Benny and Cora are not puppies, but I do look at them differently. There's a mature feeling I have when I look at them. I think I appreciate them more for what they have learned since being puppies. I also know this experience has given them more happiness to their life. So I see how they are as individuals and as a parent team. I love them for it. They are definitely less work, but still require husky attention. They deserve more walks, car rides, and chew toys than what we've been giving them since the puppies have come.

This whole experience is very rewarding and requiring of my money, time, and care, but again, they are all worth it. It's worth it to put all your energy into raising an animal the right way because it satisfies my conscious and their well being for life. I will accept another litter from Cora, but I think two is the most I can do. It's just hard when I work to carry this on. It could be different the second time around and in a new setting. 

Anyway, I'm tired but I need to get up and start my last few days of spring break with my animal family that's left. Still honored and proud to say that all our husky puppies went to great homes, loving families, and I wish the best and only good thoughts their way. 

Thank you for reading this blog, especially those of you who were with me since entry one. I really appreciate the support and comments from all of you during the journey. I will post more if a new litter comes soon. If not, you'll have to wait until the next adventure with husky puppies. 

Husky puppy freedom and love!
-Ms. F 

2 Boys Left

Hello MsFsHuskyPuppies Visitors!

As of right now, we only have two puppies left. Boy 2 and Boy 3 are hogging all our attention. I think these two boys should stay together and go to a new home together. They are the cutest growing up together! 

They do everything together. Boy 2 is the leader and Boy 3 is the follower. Boy 2 is more independent and Boy 3 is more playful. If Boy 2 drinks water, Boy 3 will follow. If Boy 2 wants to play with a toy, Boy 3 will try to take it. If Boy 3 gets a jerky treat first, then Boy 2 will try to take it away. They do act like little brothers. 

I am so happy to have two left and I didn't think I would say that. I am still sad to not see the other puppies here, but I'm not missing the work it is to keep them. If I live in a bigger house sooner than later, I will keep these boys. I know all the puppies so far are living in great homes where they will get a lot of attention from loving puppy parents. I still wonder sometimes what they would be doing when I think of each one.

I will continue to be patient and wait for two more good homes. These boys deserve it. They are curious, smart, playful, and so sweet. One day this past week, coming home from work I am really stressed and realize that I am on puppy duty alone. So I sit in the garage with one of my camping chairs. I take out my camping chair, turn a storage box over, and place my work laptop on top. I work away on report cards and emails while Boy 2 and Boy 3 chill with me there. Boy 2 and 3 love to sit in my lap, but Boy 3 loves it more. He always asks to sit in my lap. 

All four huskies living in this home are behaving like a real wolf pack. Benny tries to get everything first, whether it's food, treats, or toys. Cora knows to wait, but the puppies try to test Benny if he's not paying attention to steal whatever he is protecting. Usually Benny gives a scary growl and the puppies change their mind and wait too. They all lie down and eat together sometimes. I really can see the beauty in wild dog families. 

This whole experience is really making me want to work with animals. I love teaching, but sorry kids; puppies are cuter! Here's a video of the boys puppy wrestling. Enjoy until I post again!

Here's the link to these boys on puppyfind.com
<a href="http://www.puppyfind.com/l/?acct_id=717399">Puppies for Sale...</a>
I hope that works!

Sharing Puppies

This is the first night I feel in weeks that I can actually relax. There are no prospective puppy owners visiting, less puppy cleaning to do, and no other appointments life brings. I think I can go to bed before 11 o'clock tonight! Yay! 

The puppies are big. They run, play fight, eat jerky treats, chew on all kinds of toys, go potty most of the time in the right spots, and are living outside of their whelping box (still in the garage) safely on their own for most of the day. We are always around though and still only go out for a couple hours at the most. 

They are more social, because four new groups of people came to visit and say they want us to hold the puppy for them or not. Two are families with children and two are just a couple. All seem to have some understanding of what a husky is like. It is really hard for me to let these puppies experience new people only because I care a lot about how they feel. When the puppy is comfortable in the arms of the visitor is when I start to relax. I feel as nervous as if these were my own children meeting new people. The puppies appreciate us more after the visitors leave because we really are their sense of security.

All the puppies are awake more now. Not one sleeps more than another. Their bodies are growing proportionately but there is still one small and large one. We call the small one, "Corita", and the large one, "Benito". Cora and Benny are learning well to let visitors see the puppies, although they are still protective and bark to make sure we know they are not approving visitors no matter what. They stay outside during the visits but everyone still gets to look at them. 

Our animals are like celebrities! Everyone wants to see them all, take pictures, hold them, and stare at how beautiful they are. I really am happy to share our animals because they are the reflection of a Creator with unfathomable intelligence to form such wondrous creatures. 

This is a picture of the puppies all passed out on their parents' beds.

If you visit, you will hopefully notice that they are three sets of twins. Boy 1 and Girl 2 are similar to each other. Boy 2 and Girl 3 are alike. Also, Boy 3 and Girl 1 are identical looking too. Isn't the creation of life amazing? There are exactly three boys and three girls and remarkably, three sets of twins!

I love each and every puppy with all of my heart. I wake up at 3 or 4 am for them! I worry when they cry and am happy when they are happy. I play with them even if I am tired. Or I let them crawl all over me and nibble my nose and ears. They still are worth the work. Growing six huskies is an unforgettable experience that I am so happy to say I'm glad I made the choice to try it. 

Puppies Growing

We are busy here! Between working as a 2nd grade teacher, taking care of my living quarters, and caring for all the animals and people in my life, I feel like there is no time for me. I am sick on and off. I'm sure it has to do with the germs I am constantly around and the stress of taking care of 9 animals! I would love to be a zoo keeper, but it is a lot of work!

I am sick with allergies, cold, or sore throat symptoms so I said the wrong age of the puppies on my last blog. Sorry for the miscalculation, but they are now 6 weeks. If you are unsure, on puppyfind.com, the website with the ads of each puppy, it counts their age for you. So if you doubt me, you may check there.

Anyway, the puppies are now in, I think, the cutest stage of puppyhood! This week and for the next few weeks they are learning how to move in their growing bodies, how to play, eat hard food, go potty in the right spot, socialize with each other, socialize with Cora and Benny, and now socialize with different people. They get their shots this weekend so hopefully my next post will be about them going outside!

This is challenging work, but it does seem to get easier in some ways. I think it is only hard now because there are six of them. I'm sure if Cora only has two puppies I wouldn't be saying that. Don't hold me to that though. There are just enough people interested in them so far that I feel confident that they will go to new homes and not stay with me. Although, I wouldn't mind all of them staying!

I have more recent pictures of them and a cute running video. Enjoy!

Boy 1

Boy 2

Boy 3

Girl 1

Girl 2

Girl 3

6 Puppies 6 Weeks Old

Let me introduce you to my six top priorities!

Boy 1

- partial black nose, chubby, and chill

Boy 2

- pink nose, floppy ears, and shy

Boy 3

- pink nose, looks identical to Girl 1, and more mellow

Girl 1

- pink nose, looks like Boy 3, but more outgoing

Girl 2

- black nose, strong, confident, and daring

Girl 3

- pink nose, smallest, but most adventurous

We clean their pen up to five times a day. We feed them four times a day. They are three times bigger now! Soon a vet visit will happen and they will get to go outside.They are a lot of work but worth every bit of it. They greet us, play with us, run around with us, and make us smile and laugh as much as puppies will. It is the best experience to raise puppies, although the hours are not fair and labor is smelly. They are the ultimate, first place, greatest, and best pets ever! 

This blog is just a post of their profiles. I will post more later this week. Look for them on puppyfind.com if you wish to cherish one for the rest of your life in your home!

Happy One Month Birthday!

Happy Birthday to our puppies! They are one month old! 

They do everything as cute as possible. They try to run fast which is really romping. They eat soft, wet puppy food and will soon eat hard, dry puppy food. They bite everything. They taste my socks, my fingers, their toys, the edges of the crate, each other's ears, legs, and tails. Their teeth are strong and sharp. I watch them play and teach them what is safe and what isn't. Cora leaves them alone more and gives herself more space. Both Benny and Cora take care of them with attention and cleaning. It looks like a snapshot from the Jungle Book wolf family! 

Here is a video of age appropriate play!

This post is of pictures and videos mostly, because I think they speak more than my words can today. I watch and observe them more closely each day. I hope you enjoy the photos and videos for their one month birthday!

Puppy Breath and Puppy Teeth

24 days old with tiny, sharp teeth! They feel like the tips of nails. I come home and greet them in the manner I usually do, with a hellooooo and get real close to them. One reaches up to me, I pick it up, start doggy kissing its face, and feel those sharp claws on my neck and cheek. I put it down and pet another one, so this one gets my finger in its mouth. I freeze feeling four little teeth, two on top and two on the bottom. The teeth look so cute and match everything baby about them.

I thought everybody hates puppy breath, but I know my friend Tracy loves it and I think I'm use to it now. It's just when I pick up a puppy, I think I'm suppose to smell something like roses but I don't. I can't really describe puppy breath to save their reputation; although I warn you it is not a pretty smell.

They are in a bigger play pen in the garage which I think might be to big for them right now. First they walk all around inspecting it and find what it's all about. It will only take a couple more weeks for them to really take advantage of the space but for now they still do a lot of cuddling in one spot. The small dog bed in the picture is a favorite hangout.

Puppies are really developing socially and physically this week. They see farther, hear better, and play rough with each other. I hear different ways they bark and growl. They start the chewing behavior because teeth are growing in. Thankfully, Cora is still feeding them but this weekend we may start weaning them away from her milk.  Some chew on the toys but most pick at each other. There are still two I call sleepyheads because I see them sleep more than anything. Are they developing slower than the others or just lazy? Puppies should be lazy! It takes a lot of energy to grow, learn, and play.

I wish to be a sleepy puppy!

  

Puppy Pack Leader

They are almost three weeks old! In researching the development of puppies, I remember that life changes for them significantly. They start to walk really well and eat real food, sort of, it is dry food smashed up with a little bit of water to soften it up. That is this weekend but let me tell you what's happening now.

All of them are more mobile and way louder than ever. Cora comes in the pen to just check on them and clean up a bit so when she leaves it sounds like bloody murder! Two puppies get really loud but all of them together is a howling choir of screams. They yell for Cora to hear them hoping she comes back. Although, their eyesight and hearing develops, they still mostly just eat and sleep. They do have a puppy howl which is really cute! Also, I only wake up one time through the night to puppies screaming which is way better than before.

Oh! I finally clip their nails because I know it hurts Cora. She feeds them a little longer which is the reason why I do it. I know if Cora talks that's what she would tell me.

A couple of them chew the soft toys Cora and I put in the pen. They look so cute doing it! Another new thing is snapping at each other's ears. There is still lots of cuddling to stay warm and comfort each other. It really is amazing how animals help themselves to survive even when they are newborns.

One puppy already has behaviors like it is the pack leader. It walks around puppy growling and checking on the other puppies. It looks like they communicate to each other. I wish I could speak puppy!

Who's Who?

Where do I start explaining how busy this is?

First, I'll tell you that today they are two weeks old. They make us so busy that we need every minute of the day to keep these puppies happy and healthy. They scream so loud, last night the loudest, that we loose sleep having to wake up to check on them. Not to mention, that Cora needs to go out in the middle of the night for a potty break too. They do sleep a lot. So they are less work for now.

I have to count twice on two different days to make sure I get the number of boys and girls right. Today I count for the second time and find that it is actually even. There are three boys and three girls. I guess I could be happy saying that it came out fair; although I want more boys than girls because I think they are easier to train and obey. That's coming from my limited experience. Ultimately, all is fair, being already an even sum and now exactly the same amount of males and females.

Who is who? It is hard enough when they are born to keep track but now it seems to be getting easier. Two boys have pink noses with both of their eyes open. The third boy has a black nose and his eyes are still closed. Two girls have pink noses. Only one of them has her eyes open and the other has them closed. The third girl has a black nose and only one eye open. It's weird how not all of them have their eyes open and a single puppy has only one eye open. Hopefully, they develop their eyesight no matter how long it takes. Oh, and all of their eyes are blue. Kittens and puppies are born that way and then the colors change as they grow or stay blue.

I'm sorry for the late blog but the days and nights are not long enough, it seems always. I only took one picture and one video today. The picture is of the puppy who is first to open its eyes and it is the biggest one. She is a girl. Ladies first, seems true even in the dog world. The video is of them walking around and making noise. They are faster and stronger. Enjoy! Stay posted for more!

8 days old

Puppies are eight days old and twice as big! They are so precious!
The puppies are developing day by day. They are now eating only 10% of the time and sleeping 90% for the rest of it, which is normal. Their eyes and ears are not open yet, but should be soon.

Cora is able to leave them more often. She goes outside and plays with Benny and her toys. She is running around, digging, and finding any way to get under the deck and have some quiet time. Benny and May are adjusting to the new members safely and surely.

I think it is worth to say that everyone is on board and doing their part to help this doggy family grow successfully. Everyone is helping keep their home warm, clean, and all animals are getting human quality time as much as possible.

Thanks for reading and continue to stay posted! I will post again when their eyes open!

Is it 6 or is it 7?

They made it! The vet said 7 possibly 8 but Cora seems done at 6. Even numbers are fair and 6 is enough for a volleyball team! Or should I say sled team?! 

Early in the morning she is busy asking for potty trips. I remember four sequences of waking up, opening the side door of the garage, waiting for her safe return, and trying to go back to sleep. I know it's a labor sign like all the events of yesterday. 

As I'm walking to my car from breakfast shopping at Safeway, John calls me. He tells me that her water broke. I safely rush home and agree with him that she is getting ready. It happens quicker than I think and Puppy One comes. I am so nervous because John just left to go grocery shopping because we think there is time. 

By the way, I am so thankful I took the time yesterday to research online what happens during whelping. I feel ready and try to stay calm thinking about what to do if the head or feet come first. Puppy One is head first, big sigh of relief. Only two puppies come feet first. Everyone in the house comes in at some point to see the wonderful work of mother nature. Even Benny watches a few times.

We wait sometimes an hour or fifteen minutes between puppies. Every single one comes out white. All six do great coming into the world! They are hungry, hungry, hungry!

Surprisingly, playing midwife is easy. I think Cora made it easy for me. I only help wiggle one in a breach. As far as cleaning them and helping them get to their food, it is teamwork. Cora works the best. She is so natural at all of it. The fact that 98% of whelps require no help clears my mind the whole time of any complications. I imagine seeing the fact online in the process. She finishes in the early evening.

They are white, so soft, like a feather, small, cute, and squirmy. Even the puppy noises are cute! I will remember I said that when the noises interrupt our sleep. Now the plan is to keep them near Cora to stay warm, feed Mama, water Mama, help her and the play pen stay clean, and watch them as much as possible. Sometimes they wander to the wrong end of her and we have to steer them towards the middle. They are deaf and blind. Look it up for a timeline of their growth or stay posted!