Puppy Update, Week 5

The pups are five weeks old and over the last two weeks we’ve had some really major changes!

The puppies do not have all of their teeth yet, so they’re not ready to eat dry food, but as you can see in the photo above we no longer have to mash the soaked kibble with a blender. Although the puppies will try to nurse whenever Gertie gets close enough, at this stage they no longer depend on her for nutrition. This is a major benchmark. Gertie can begin the slow process of stopping her milk production and drying up so she can be spayed before adoption.

The other area in which we have had interesting changed is play style. The pups are now fully engaged in wrestling and playing “mouth games” in which they grab each other with their mouths. This is an important developmental step because this is how the puppies learn bite inhibition. If you watch the PuppyCam or check the ustream recordings, you will see that they engage in that type of play whenever they are awake. Watch closely and you will notice that they pups continuously switch roles as being “top” or “bottom” during these wrestling matches.

If you watch the pups in action you’ll see some quick play bows. That’s a recent development along with the interest in playing with toys.

We’ll have these puppies for about three more weeks, then they will go back to the Champaign County Humane Society and be available for adoption. If you’re interested in adopting one of these puppies please go to the Shelter and fill out a Match-A-Pet form to declare your interest.

Teslin (m)
Martha (f)
Gus (m)
Barbara (f)
Michelle (f)

The Champaign County Humane Society is always in need of foster homes. Without foster homes, litters like this one would have very little chance of survival. Foster homes take care of dogs, puppies, cats, and kittens for a variety of reasons. It’s a very rewarding activity. You can find more information about fostering on CCHS’s website or you can contact Laura Davis, the CCHS Volunteer Coordinator, for more information.