Eight-week-old puppies get examined by a vet

The last week was very busy as our friends from Wisconsin, Larry Gohlke and Cheri Faust, visited us here. They stayed with us from Thursday to Monday, and puppies benefited from the visit enormously. Larry and Cheri believe, just like we do, in early conditioning and training, so every day puppies tracked, swam, played and socialized. It was a lot of fun!

All the pups got accustomed to the water but some like to swim more than the others. This is Uncas.

Puppies played a lot on our dock.

Cheri is very good with puppies and it was great to have her here.

It is so easy to fall in love with a puppy.

"Hot" dogs were dipped by Larry

On Monday Dr. Rebecca Kryzak from Cottonwood Creek Veterinary Services came to examine puppies. It is great to have access to a vet who makes house calls. The picture shows puppies waiting for their turn.

Another rainy day. Asko visits puppies for the first time.

 Another rainy day so puppies are upstairs in our kitchen listening to the radio :-)

Fourteen-year-old Asko came to visit his great-great-great-great grandchildren. The lineage goes like this: Asko-->Elli-->Billy-->Keena-->Paika-->Sky-->U-puppies. Mielikki could care less. The only thing she was concerned was her ball as this was what Asko was looking for! Puppies tried to get some milk out of Asko but failed miserably.

Mielikki has started to play with her puppies, and they are ready for it. Here Uncas gets pinned to the ground.

Enriched environment is very important for the development of young puppies

When weather allows it puppies spend part of their days in a pen on our front lawn. We try to provide enriched environment for them so they are exposed to new smells, sounds and objects. When you look what is inside the pen, you'll see in addition to regular toys and beds a cardboard box, aluminium tray with water, rubber mat, apple, cast iron and rubber boot scrapers, crate etc. But the puppies are still very young babies so they spend most of their time just sleeping. On Sunday our friends dropped by to play with the pups but pups were asleep for almost the whole duration of the visit!

Mielikki is a supermom to her seven puppies

Even though officially it is not summer yet dog days of summer arrived early this year. We have had three consecutive days of temperatures above 90F (30C plus). Now puppies spend part of their day outside in a pen located in the shaded part of lawn. Everybody feels a bit lazy, everybody except for Mielikki.

Mielikki still supplies 100% of puppies food so she is the hardest working dog around here these days. In the picture she is longingly looking at our fenced-in field, where she used to run rabbits. Few more weeks Mielikki, few more weeks and you will be able to do it again! It is impossible to do it now as her boobies are very low to the ground. 

It is good to be a puppy!

Uma 

Uncas

A good morning follows the restless night

It is 7 AM on Saturday, and Mielikki is getting her breakfast. Last night she did not get much sleep and had to go out multiple times (in pouring rain). I gave her extra calcium, and she has a good appetite so all seems to be fine now.