Dachshund diaries day 19 A sleepy kind of day

Today was a simply BRILLIANT day for me but I feel this may not be the same for Pippa .
We were all away all day at work/school and I whilst did pop home at lunchtime to feed her and let her play in the garden, she missed her run on the grass of the cricket field above.

It was SUCH a lovely day too!!! Such blue skies and warm sunshine: utter bliss!
For me the work day went exceptionally well and I ordered some yarns in cheery bright colours which I'm getting very excited about and to top it all my piano lesson was just wonderful too.

So it's lucky lucky me and poor old Pippa who probably spent ALL DAY feeding again.

Not many pictures as we simply weren't here to take them. There was a bit of filming at 4.30 pm of Tom ''walking'' but have yet to figure out how to put that on a site and then link it....

Tom wags his fat little tail as he walks.... sooooooo funny!

So here are the ''last'' of the feeding pictures I'll probably take, we start WEANING tomorrow!

A HUGE tub of Whelpi - substitute puppy milk- has been ordered and has arrived this week and we'll see if they like it after school tomorrow, plan is to mix it with mushy weetabix and feed by finger and then by spoon......

Then we'll all be much busier say the books: as we'll have to keep the puppies clean and keep the pen clean too as mum will most likely give up on those tasks.

I'm planning a great present for the BEST MUM I know right now- she'll have a big spoiling session on Sunday and THAT'S my PIPPA!

Ps JJ is nagging me to get on with advertising the two dog- puppies for sale but I must admit I find that rather hard as yet. Clearly not a breeder nor a suitably commercially minded person....

But if anyone OUT THERE knows of a really really REALLY good home and a person who knows and loves, nay ADORES dachshunds- can you let them know?

Leave me a comment?

Bye for now- more pictures tomorrow!

Dachshund diaries day 18: First STEPS taken.

Hello again, well feeding has taken on a whole new dimension, they do it with their eyes open now and when Pippa rolls onto her back : they stay on! She used to shake them off this way as the teats would move out of reach and she'd relax for a while .
No longer. They sit up on their hind legs and can reach up and over...

Below is Jack in front, Lucy in the middle and Tom at the far right, his head is darker and smaller than the other two. And his feeding technique is also still a bit unique... They have ALL started ''walking'' today, I woke up to see Lucy walk before breakfast and very comical it was too, but already miles better than yesterday.

Below is Jack ''walking'' : I have tried to capture a few steps on camera- see if it conveys the idea? First you tuck all legs UNDER your body and arch your back to accomodate them- now you look like a furry brown lump....
Then you sssstreeeetch out your lovely long back and try to stop your big tummy hitting the floor. Nose down and tail out now. Legs still by your side.
OK! Good! Now watch where you're going, this looking and seeing lark is still a bit new too ....AAH, let's turn right a bit and keep pushing on all four legs, oooh a bit tricky this. My left paw has come down and my hind legs are getting a bit tired now...Wobble wobble wobble.

Tail out to steer.

Oh goodie now a straight stretch, step, step step- hey presto! I've arrived ! I can lick my big sister on the nose. And she licks me right back. Kiss kiss. Bye sis.

Ok I'm going to turn right again now to keep going. Won't disturb Tom who's also been ''wobbling along'' and who has climbed onto Bis sis as usual.

Here below is Tom on Lucy's back and Jack in the top right corner continuing his journey.

If you click on the above you can see Tom has his eyes open.They always congregate together for a sleep and have started licking each other: face,ears,back, anywhere really...

And I caught Tom biting- or gumming as the teeth aren't through yet- Jack's tail today when Jack was obstructing Tom's access to mum and her teats.

''Baby barks ''are also happening : less of a squeak .Loud screechy squeaks are reserved for when someone has been stepped on or sat on or is being gummed on a part of their anatomy...

They also turn their heads to sounds from us now, and know my scent as they settle when I pick them up but squeak with anyone else.

Pippa is a simply marvellous mum, feeding every 3-4 hours or so , and constantly washing and grooming each one in turn. Keeping the box clean too.

She has breaks from the puppy room when she comes to play with her toys, stalks the birds in our garden and comes out for walks. She rests in her own basket keeping watch over the puppy pen.

Dachshund diaries day 17: First COATLESS day of the year!!!

Today was the first day of the year we could go without coats! Sunny and warm as well as glorious blue skies : what more could one want??!

Today was the day both girls got excellent certificates in Kumon maths which makes all those hours marking the papers during the week feel so very worthwhile...!!!! WELL DONE GIRLS!

Today was also puppy cuddle day, well actually ehm uhuh, for us it's cuddle day every day and believe you me we ARE counting our blessings BUT today I will try to share some of those cuddles with you....

First there's Lucy exploring my daughters mane of hair....Snuffle snuffle snuffle: that does NOT smell like mummy...?

There's Jack sniffing a Brownie badge and finding it not to his taste....Eyes closed because he's concentrating! What can this be?
Then Lucy came to me and I'm trying to convey here how she looks and feels and the sheer pleasure of holding her..........She's HUGE now of course, well compared to 2 weeks ago, BUT actually she's still so very small , a wee baby and oh so vulnerable, dependent and soooo sweeeet. And soooooo SOFT, did I mention soft? Silky smooth , warm and soft: I'm in Heaven!

There are the little snuffles she makes, the little sounds, the licking and the sniffing, totally adorable so here I am looking kookey and not a little squiffy- no but I'm not Honestly NOT, I'm simply besotted with these little doggy babies.

And then after all the cute noises and the snuffling,sniffing,smooching suddenly she simply:

falls asleep.

Right there in your arms: aaaaah soooo trusting, sooo safe.

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ, zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz,zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz she snores contentedly.

And here's the length of her. They have ALL now quadrupled their weight .They seem so huge compared to just 16 days ago..........And yet they are so tiny compared to their adult mum.

And Oh yes I have to say they are all learning to stand up and walk, well I say walk: it's more of a toddle at the moment, a swagger, a tittery totter,wobbly wanderings.

Hence the white rug in the box, helping them get a grip as they slid so helplessly on all that slippery newspaper... We have tried to capture it as a photo but it hasn't really worked.

Our paltry efferts are below but it's more of a comedy act that last only a few seconds before they flop down again. Infact Jack was doing quite well when Tom swaggered into him and not stopping he then climbed onto Jack's back thus scuppering any further efforts to stand or walk.

Mum looks on bemused.

And then they were off: two of them ''walking'' on wobbly legs and flopping down this way and that on the way to the other side of the box....

Dachshund diaries day 16

Such a lovely SUNNY morning that my heart sang and my feet danced and I thought: TIME TO GO GREEN: let's cycle to school and to work....!!!!
Alas the kids did not share this enthusiasm, mainly due to a sleepover party for 8 girls approximating 11 years of age who happened to stay up giggling and chatting till 5 am on Sunday morning.... Hence the balloons which still adorn both sides of the door.

Might as well leave them there, my youngest will be 9 next Sunday- YES Mothering Sunday will be postponed yet again- this has happened before- but hopefully not indefinately this time...

We reached a compromise with me cycling to work and them having a lift in the car but agreeing to walk home with me and my bike ( loaded like a pack horse) at the end of the school day.


Isn't that soooooo sweeeeet?! And so astute!!!Let's fall asleep on mum but keep the teat within easy reach so it's there when we wake up.

This is in advance of the BIG DAY: she's helping me weigh the pups and of course on the way from the whelping box to the scales is a lovely BIG CUDDLE!!!

It's one of the boys but I can't tell which one. Lucky he didn't relive himself in any way in her hand as they do have a tendency to do now.

Busily climbing up and over her shoulder and LOOK!!!

HERE he is from the other side keeping an eye out for where he is exactly ( and more importantly: where's mum?). They keep watch for mum and cry loudly if she isn't in sight.

No worries there, as soon as we lift one out of the box she comes and sits on the feet of the person holding a pup- she glares at you as if to say: TAKE CARE I'M WATCHING!


And in true presentational style I'll finish how I started: we all came home with the metal steed well loaded up with coats,fleeces,lunchboxes,backpacks and my bags from work and books from the library to name but a few items. GLORIOUSLY SUNNY AND REALLY QUITE WARM!!!

LUVVVERLY............

Dachshund diaries day 15

Sunday 15th March 2009 and most of the time these puppies still sleep as above, cute and adorable sleeping puppies.
Both Jack and Tom opened their eyes yesterday but it's hard to capture on camera as they sleep so much!!!
I tried to meassure Lucy Friday and she was over 34 cm and if you click on the picture below you can just see it, but the flash reflected off the ruler...And Pippa when she saw the ruler was quite cross with me and pushed it to the edge of the box away from her babes.

I love the way they always sleep close together, preferably as here with some on top of the others, most usually it's Tom lying on top of Jack and Lucy, but I think this is Lucy and Tom on top of Jack.

Just shwoing you the daily weighing routine - sorry it's not quite in focus, they scrabble to get out of the box!!!

Can't get enough of these contented wrinkly puppy sleeping faces, such peace, such trust, such serenity.........Carefree and happy to sleep and await whatever comes next , preferably the next feed from mummy, yummy!

They'll start being weaned later this week and they are definately more curious when awake, they lick each other ( and the newspapers) now . Mum too has started licking and grooming their coats and faces and licks their snouts and ears too now.

Tom climbed up at the entrance opening to the box today: a little head appeared and he tried to climb up to see more but gave up and went back to sleep.

Lucy can be seen to start ''standing'' below, she staggered drunkenly across the box today: very funny! Trying to push herself up to stand on her feet and then wobbled on her tiny legs, trying to walk.

You can see her feet and legs are not splayed out either side of her but tucked under her body as they try to take her weight. You'd think it was easier on 4 legs than 2 but to see Lucy this morning it clearly was NOT so easy.....

They are all well over one kg now and started their first bit of worming treatment: they did try to spit it all out: yukky thick white liquid that was NOT as nice as mummy's milk....But once it dribbled out of their mouths a tiny pink tongue would dart out and lick it all up again.Aaaaaaaah.

Lots more grwoing and development to be done tonight, see you tomorrow?

Friday 13 th Dachshund puppy diary

Friday the 13th and we are all a bit tired due to a busy week and disturbed nights with either Pippa whining or the puppies squeaking very loudly and we get up and run to check or make milk or a meal for Pippa...

Jack and Tom have decided to keep their eyes closed for another day while sleeping a lot and when not asleep : they .....yep you guessed: they feed.
So in honour of the mum who is putting up with all this feeding and sore teats and confinement indoors : a little trip down memory lane to share a few moments from when she HERSELF was a puppy of only about 8- 10 weeks old.

I'm like this to have my tummy rubbed....oooooh luvverly.......

WHAT???? I'm not supposed to be right up here? Why not? It's a good view..... Clever wasn't I ? To climb up quick when you weren't looking!

Yummy: I think I like this chewy bone type thingy....

More tomorrow or Sunday as we have a big day tomorrow with a birthday party in the home and little or no access to a computer or time to load new pictures.....

All 3 silky chocolate sausages with a black stripe down their backs are lined up feeding as I type this. Very similar to previous photos: ONLY much much MUCH bigger.... But not as big as the photos above yet.

Dachshund diaries day 12: wash day

The puppy above is JACK who has not yet opened his eyes but still loves a cuddle, which is part of our weighing in routine.
They have ALL now TRIPLED their weight as compared to the day they were born.

Today I want to talk about this most amazing of doggy routine: that of washing the puppies bottoms prior to feeding. I knew nothing of this until I read about it in my whelping book and then whenI observed it actually being done several times a day, well it's just so clever!

There's no mess at all in the whelping box as Pippa washes the puppies bottoms and in doing so stimulates them into their wees and poos or number 1's and 2's if you prefer. She actually drinks it all up as it happens so they stay amazingly clean at all times. No nappies for these pups!

It starts with a nudge at their hind legs with her nose, then nudge nudge NUDGE she tries to roll each on it's back which works for Jack and Lucy but Tom doesn't roll so Pippa just licks under his tail and pushes him around a lot.

Here she is nudging Tom

Harder nudge , nudge, NUDGE!!!

You can hardly see him, Jack is on his back being bathed by mum, her nose is in between his rear legs.....

She's still at it, very thorough she is and here's the view from the side...

And this is Jack still half on his back recovering his composure. Usually this wakes them up and they then want to feed again straight away.

This leads to feeding and then towards the end of a feed Pippa will wash each again and then leave them to sleep.

She has an inbuilt instinct as to who needs to feed next and who to leave to sleep. They have all gained about the same % of body weight day by day on average and when one of them has a low gain day one day , that puppy then doubles the gain the next day to catch up. Amazing!!!!

As stated above they have all now gained 200% of their birthweight and the difference between the 3 puppies has stayed the same over these 12 days.

It is expected however that the boys may catch up a bit more to Lucy when they start being weaned onto solids. Topm especially may gain from this as he is still not especially adept at feeding, he was found to be lustily sucking on a flap of skin yesterday , making poor Pippa very sore!!! ( nowhere near a teat)

Ps : First night since Saturday in a bed last night- LOVELY! No more sofa , they can cope with less vigilance now. Pippa still wanted feeding at 5.30 am though.....