Miniature Puppies 2.5 weeks

The miniature poodle puppies are now 2.5 weeks of age and are entering a period where they absorb new things rapidly. Their eyes are open and their hearing is developing. They are no longer content with the confines of the whelping box and one by one they have climbed out to investigate the rest of their enclosure. Mum is now spending less and less time with them. Initially she was with them most of the day and all of the night however now her days are spend mostly outside the pen (but still near enough to keep an eye on things) and jumping back in to clean up bottoms, wipe eyes and open the milk bar. When she finishes feeding she might spend a little while in there with them if she has fallen asleep while they feed and at night she comes into bed with me for a few hours then returns to spend the rest of the night with the puppies.  The pups are drinking more at each feed but feeding less often and they are quiet and content with fat milk bellies. In fact, I rarely hear a sound from them.

At  this stage I start to introduce different surfaces for the pups to feel. The newspaper is still down to cope with poos and wees, but I have also introduced an old outdoor seat cover which is slightly higher and rougher. Mum really likes sitting on this so she often goes in and lies down there to feed. This means the pups have to work out how to get to her and how to navigate the slight height involved. This is building problem solving skills in the  pups.