Keena's pups are almost four weeks old

On Monday Keena's pups will be four weeks old; they are six days older than Gilda's pups. Several days ago we rearranged whelping boxes. Keena's pups got move to the family room, next to my den. Now they are in a smaller whelping box, which is attached to the pen with wood chips. Gilda's pups are in a larger whelping box in my den.

P-puppies are not ready to use the chips yet but they will start doing it this coming week. Giving the pups a separate bathroom area will help them follow their instincts not to soil their bed. This is a good start to housebreaking training.

This coming week we will also introduce the pups to raw diet and will start a gradual weaning process. Also this is a good time to start handling pups separately from their littermates.

Keena is an excellent mother but she is a bit tired of the pups. She cleans them very well and nurses them (their bellies are round), but other than that she prefers not to have contact with them. No wonder as the pups are large and strong, there are many of them, and their teeth are coming out now.