Last updated : April 30, 2008
JRRanch Judi X Shelmar Tobias
pups born December 8, 2007
December 8, 2007
Judi had her pups this morning between 4 and 9:30am. She actually started to nest and pant and show all the signs of impending birth yesterday morning. So Mrs JRRanch had a long all night vigil to keep an eye on her. Maybe today we can catch up on some of the lost sleep.
Judi had 5 healthy puppies, 3 girls on 2 boys. One boy was 7 oz , the littlest girl was 4.5oz and the rest were about 6 oz.
Here is the proud mom and her brood on the right and a couple of shots of her kids below. The big boy and the little girl are the ones with the most body colour. More pictures in a couple of days and identity of boys and girls.
Judi, her brood and Mrs JRRanch all need a little quiet time to recover from the all night ordeal.
Dec 11, 2007
On the right is a picture of the proud momma a day after giving birth to her 5 pups. She is back to her old laid back self and enjoying her new job.
The pups are eating well and gaining steady. They were not gaining as much as many other litters the first couple of days but most took the usual 1oz gain today. Judi is eating well so it just takes time for her, as a first time mom, to get her milk production up as the pups needs increase. Today the smallest girl weighed 6oz and the largest boy 9.5oz.
The pups had their tails and dew claws done today and they came through it like little troopers.
The pictures below are of the 3 girls on the left and 2 boys on the right. Had to take lots of pictures to get a couple where their faces are visible. As soon as we put them down to have their picture taken they crawl over or under their buddies and hide their faces.
The neurological stimulation (also called Super Dog training) begins tonight and will last for 2 weeks. More about this in the next update.
Dec 15, 2007
The pups are doing very well. Judi's doing great and the pups are gaining 1+oz a day now. Tomorrow they will be a week old and will be double their birth weight which is right on schedule. All they do at this age is eat and sleep. They only wake up, find mom and the milk supply, eat until they are full then immediately fall asleep again. The whole process takes about 5 minutes and they do this almost every hour. They move by crawling on their stomachs until about 2 weeks when their eyes open and they begin to stand up to walk. Shortly after that they will gain their hearing.
The neurological stimulation will continue for another 10 days. Some of them are really fighting it but will be calm and relaxed by the end of the sessions. It consists of 5 steps each taking 3-5 seconds. First their foot is tickled with a cue tip. Then they are held in the palm of our hands in three positions. On their back, head up then head down. The last one is the one they really don't like where they are put on a cool wet cloth for 3-5 seconds. This stimulation is supposed to help them cope with change and stress later in life. By the end of this process they really get used to being taken out of their comfort zone. We feel it helps them cope with the stress of being weaned from mom and then leaving their siblings when they go to their new homes.
The three girls are in the first pictures and the boys are below.
December 15, 2007
The pups are a week old today. They are getting very strong and feeding time is quite a scramble as they struggle for their favourite spot. We make sure the little ones are getting their fair share because their is quite a size difference from the biggest boy to smallest girl. We check their weight every day and observe feeding times to make sure the small ones aren't falling behind. The temperature of the whelping room is just about 85 and it is borderline uncomfortable for Judi with her thick coat. The pups can't regulate their own body temperature for the first couple of weeks so the room has to be kept very warm so they don't get a chill and get sick. We will drop it a couple of degrees next week and by their third week we will keep it at normal room temperature. By that time the pups will be able to regulate their own body temp. Judi will be relieved with the reduction in temperature because she is panting from the heat a lot. The pups are really getting around well now and by next week they will start to stand up and move.
For the first couple of weeks the pups twitch a lot as they sleep. Their is constant motion in the whelping pen as they twitch every few seconds. Involuntary kicking and twitching as their bodies and nervous system grow rapidly. This is a good sign that all is well and the pups are growing normally.
Here are a couple of pictures of the pups in their version of a rugby scrum.
December 19, 2007
The pups are progressing very fast now. Their eyelids are getting very defined and it will only be a couple of days before they begin to open. A couple of days after that and they will be able to see pretty well. Today a few of them are standing up and trying to wobble across the pen to mom. As soon as their eyes open they will be standing and wobbly walking all over the pen. A few days after that they will get their hearing. We know when this has happened because we will be greeted with a chorus of yips as soon as they hear us open their door.
Judi is doing very well for a first time mom. She is very calm with her pups and just sits and watches as we handle them for their neurological stimulation. The father, Tobias, also has a nice temperament so the pups should inherit this from their parents. We have always attempted to breed for good temperament as well as all the other important traits of the Jack Russell.
The next couple of weeks will be very exciting for us as we watch the progress the pups make. They are totally dependent and vulnerable today but will quickly become mobile and full of life. By Christmas they will be far more aware of their surroundings and we will begin to see individual personalities develop as they react with their environment and siblings.
Here's some more pictures of them in their favourite pose. Thats the little girl immediately below. She is holding her own at feeding time and gets her share as you can see from her round belly.
December 24, 2007
The pups are over 2 weeks old now but they aren't too excited about their first Christmas. Maybe when the grand kids visit and start cuddling them they will get into the spirit of the season. Their eyes are all open now and their ears have flopped down which is the sign their hearing will follow. They are all trying to walk and it is a hoot watching them stagger across their whelping pen. By New Years they should be getting around very well. They are starting to play with each other a bit. They will gum each others leg or ear or snout. Pretty soon the growlies will start as they get into playing in earnest.
Thats the littlest girl resting on her big brothers shoulder on the right. She will remain the smallest of the litter but she is growing well and quite within the range of a healthy JR at this age. In fact sometimes the smallest is the most prized of the litter and all things being equal could very well be the keeper to run on. The reason to keep a smallish pup is for their ability to hunt and get down the fox/gopher hole with ease.
They will be developing fast now and each day will bring a new accomplishment in their young lives. This is the fun time for us to observe this process. The neurological stimulation is finished now so the rest of their training will come from mom and interaction with their siblings.
Stay tuned for more updates and pictures of them walking about.
Merry Christmas to all.
December 30, 2007
Its been awhile since the last update but the pups have been busy with grand kids at Christmas and learning to explore their newly gained eyesight and hearing. They are starting to get around pretty well but still wobbly walking at this stage. They are also getting vocal and greet us with a chorus of puppy yips when we open their door and talk to them. Most of their noses have also grown to be solid black.
These pictures are of their first trip from the whelping room into the kitchen. We put a blanket down because they slip on the floor at this age and it makes it difficult for them to get around without it. They handled this new experience very well and a couple walked about a bit. We will take them out every day now for as long as they can take it. The first few times they want back after about 5 minutes. This will quickly increase until they are out in an x-pen most of the day at 5 weeks.
They were 3 weeks old today which means they get their first worming medication. They are also able to regulate their own body temperature now so we let their room stay at normal house temp.
January 4, 2008
The pups have made the big trip to the kitchen 7 times now. Each time they show more confidence and stamina. They stay about 10 minutes and move around much more. Soon they will start to explore the kitchen and will get to be difficult to keep out of trouble. Then we will put them in an X-pen with toys and a bed. Their teeth have begun to break through so they will get their first mushy puppy food soon. Thats usually pretty messy and worth a few pictures. Mom is also wanting to go for more walks outside as the pups progress towards weaning.
January 5, 2008
As promised, here are pictures of the pups getting their first solid food. They will be fed this once a day until they all catch on and eat enough to sustain themselves. Then we will give them 2 feedings a day and will be separated from Mom for longer periods. This will happen late next week. Mom won't mind because she is asking to go out more frequently now and it's probably because she feels they are almost ready to be weaned. Probably by the end of next week Mom will only be with them for a morning and evening feeding and shortly following they will be completely weaned,
The picture on the right is the before picture with 5 neat piles of mushy food. Below that is the after picture when they are about done eating. The pup in the picture below gets the prize for the best eater so far. With a little coaxing she jumped right into the task and ate the most. She was ready for this transition because we noticed for a couple of days she was continually trying to get into Mom's dry food.
The first couple of times they won't finish their food because they are not all ready for it. In a few days they will all get into it and the food will disappear quickly.
They are making trips to the kitchen two or three times a day now and gaining confidence each time. Still not staying there more than 10 minutes but very soon they will graduate to the X-pen in the kitchen.
At 6 weeks we will take them outside for brief periods in warm weather. We have a spot on our deck that is very warm when the sun shines and reflects off the patio door. This will allow us to get them used to doing their p&p outside.
January 8, 2008
The pups are getting very playful now. They run around the kitchen and explore everywhere. Will need to set up the X-pen to keep them from getting into too much trouble and possibly injuring themselves by falling down stairs. Its getting too hard to keep them coralled in without a barrier now. They are eating two mushy puppy food meals a day but still being fed by Mom so not eating a lot yet. They will be away from Mom for longer periods each day now. By the end of the week they will probably be weaned entirely. Mom still does an excellent job keeping them clean and fed but welcomes the chance to go outside by herself.
When they play now they are starting to get into growling and faux fights each taking turns being the dominant one. This is a very important part of their socialization where they learn to respect others or suffer the consequences. There is a lot of nipping and a yip if they bite their sibling too hard and then they go at it for a couple of seconds until the lesson sinks in. Its a lot of fun watching them develop.
January 9, 2007
Her are the pups in their x-pen in the kitchen for the first time. They had four 1 hour sessions here today. They played with their toys until they flopped in their bed for a nap. They can play for about 1/2 hour before they need a nap. In a couple of days they will be spending most of their day in the x-pen in the kitchen. They will learn to cope with the normal activities going on around them and take naps without letting us bother them.
Mom is increasingly torn between her instinct to tend to her kids and her desire to have time on her own to go for a walk outside. Her food intake while she was heavily feeding her pups was 3-4 times her normal daily ration. We have begun cutting that back and in a few days she will be back to her normal ration. This will keep her in good shape and avoid putting on too much weight. It will also allow her to dry up and stop her milk production.
A week or so after the weaning we will take Mom with us for walks with the pups or just a romp inside if the weather is bad. She will not allow them to nurse but will provide a final bit of training for her pups. Some Moms will actually show the pups how to hunt. They usually take to this naturally whether Mom shows them or not.
January 12, 2008
The pups have been completely weaned now. Last night they slept in their whelping pen without Mom. Judi slept with the other dogs in the kennel room and she was very happy. This morning the pups woke us up with their loud howling. Mrs JRRanch immediateley took them to the x-pen in the kitchen and spent several frantic minutes cleaning up after their morning p&p.
They then got breakfast and for the first time cleaned up the lot. Then we spent another frantic time keeping up with p&p again. If we don't get it right away it gets tracked all over everything and we immediately have to change their bed and wash all their toys. I don't know where all this stuff comes from but they seem to be full of it and they never run out.
At noon they will get a bit of yogurt to help their tummies transition from Mom's milk to solid food. Then tonight they will get their evening meal. We put them to bed about 10pm and last night we didn't hear a peep from them until morning. We have a webcam on the x-pen to keep an eye on them because as soon as they wake up we have to get there fast to keep up with their p&p that they do as soon as they get up. As their bodies mature they will be able to hold their p&p for increasingly longer allowing us to train them to go outside. They should be mostly house trained when they go to their new homes.
Here is a picture of their x-pen in the kitchen. We keep a piece of flooring under the x-pen to protect our kitchen floors and make cleanup easier. If we get warm sunny weather we may be able to put them on the deck briefly for their p&p in the morning and several times throughout the day.
January 16, 2008
The pups are settling into a daily routine now. They wake up at about 6am, do their p&p and then demand breakfast. They wolf that down and begin another round of p&p. Then they play hard for 1/2 hour and then crash. They wake up every hour for another round of play an p&p. At noon we give them a light lunch of yogurt. They continue playing, sleeping and p&p all day long. At 5:30 we give them their evening meal. At 7pm we remove the water from their x-pen. This cuts down the amount of mess in their whelping pen at night. At about 10pm we put them to bed in their whelping pen and don't hear a peep from them until morning.
We will start their crate training soon. It will start by feeding individually in crates and sleeping with a buddy or 2 at night in the crate. After they get used to this they will all get their own crates to sleep in at night. This is usually accompanied by a bit of crying at night until they get used to it. This prepares them for being separated from their siblings at 8 weeks when they go to their new homes.
The pictures are a cute group shot followed by individual shots of each pup and the last one is of the pile of puppies during one of their frequent naps.
From the left their names are Tex(aka Leo), Doris, Debbie, Oggie and Michael.
January 20, 2008
The pups have been going outside for a few days now. Yesterday they made their big leap and went out 8-10 time for p&p. They didn't last more than a couple of minutes each time but quickly caught on that this was the time to do their job. These pictures were taken early this morning and it was -10c but they still played a bit before huddling by the door shivering. We go out with them each time to encourage them to explore and walk about to take their mind off the cold. We are very proud of them and you can see from the picture on the right many of them are doing their business. They go out after each meal and after each nap. We have to be quick to catch them when they begin to stir after their nap or they will pee in their x-pen. After about 7 weeks they should begin to whine and ask to be let out. They don't mind the cold because they know they get a small cookie as a reward when they come in. We built a little snow mound for them to climb on and if we get warmer weather we will stick cookies in it for them to find as they play on it.
The next litter will be in their x-pen soon so it will be fun trying to keep up with both litters demands. We won't let them play together because of the size difference and we don't want the small ones to be intimidated. Perhaps during the end of the 7th week we will try it if the little ones show they are able to cope with it.
February 7, 2008
Only one pup left from Judi's litter. The girl at right is going to be smooth coated and she will also be fairly small. She is a very outgoing girl and has no problem keeping her other siblings in line.
She is sleeping in a crate alone at night and we have very few accidents in the house since they get outside very often. She wakes up once at night to go out for p&p. As her system grows she will soon be able to sleep through the night before needing relief.
In the group shot below the pups on her left and right are spoken for and will be going to their new homes very soon.
