Happy Halloween! Update from Bear...

Bear loves being outside, especially laying in the sun.  In this picture, Bear is stalking the birds.  He is quite the hunter and digger.

The new puppies are precious!  I follow the blog as if I was getting one.

Nutmeg girl - 4 weeks

Kathy has chosen Nutmeg-  female dark red

Cinnamon girl -- 4 weeks

Michael has chosen Cinnamon -  female dark red

Pretzel boy - 4 weeks

Jessica has chosen Pretzel  -- dark red male

Strudel boy - 4 weeks.

Laura has chosen Strudel - Light Apricot Male

Puppy Progress this past week

This week the puppies have been more and more mobile.  They are now in the larger pen so they have the ability to use the litter box.  Potty training is a gradual process.  Sometimes they don't make it out of their bed in time.  But more and more the puppies are going potty further and further from their bed.

The puppies are always eager to nurse whenever Mom steps into the puppy pen.

The Puppies started eating solid food this week.  This consists of their regular puppy food that is softened and blended into a gruel consistency.   The process of weaning is a gradual one.  They are still mostly nursing. As they eat more regular food, Misty's milk supply will decrease.  By week 7 they will be almost weaned completely.

The puppies are noticeably more engaged with the other puppies this week.  They play, growl and are acting much more like you'd expect from a puppy.

The puppies are much more interactive with us as well.  We enjoy spending individual time with each puppy.  Their time with their littermates is still of primary importance.  But socialization with people is a very important part of each stage of development.

Update on Oscar (3 1/2 yrs old!)

Hi Mary!  Congratulations on your new little babies!!!  I do so enjoy following along on the blog and watching the puppies grow and reminiscing of how my baby boy Oscar  who is now close to a 30 lb giant was once a little 3.5 lb ball of fur who fit in the palm of my hand and could sleep on my shoulder: )  I have attached a recent picture of him, I can't believe he is already 3 1/2, time really flies!

---Oscar's Mom

Note on Size:  Oscar was a puppy from Dixie (Schnauzer) and Bart (poodle).  Dixie who is now retired is a little bigger than Misty, and Bart is a little bigger than Ricky.  So I don't think our present Miniature litter will get quite as big as Oscar.

Girl # 1 Cinnamon

Introducing Cinnamon.   She is a little red girl Schnoodle.  She is 3 weeks old.  Notice her little white toes.  This is how we will distinguish her from her sister.   Otherwise, the coloring of the two girls is very similar.

Girl # 2 ---Nutmeg

Nutmeg is our second red Schnoodle girl.  She is 3 weeks old.

Boy #1 Pretzel

Introducing Pretzel!  He was the first born of the litter.  A red Schnoodle boy.  He is 3 weeks old.

Boy #2 -- Strudel

Here is Strudel!  He was the second puppy to be born.   He is an apricot Schnoodle boy.  He is 3 weeks old.

Puppies are 3 weeks old!

The puppies turned 3 weeks old on Thursday.   They now have eyes and ears that are open.  They are seeing and hearing better each day.  They are also getting stronger on their feet.   I am trying to get some good photos of each puppy to post.   I prefer natural light for my photographs.  But the October light is very low in the sky and casts deep shadows.   I am having a little trouble getting decent pictures.   I will be taking more photos over the next few days and will post them as soon as they are available.   Sorry I am a bit behind with the pictures!

Puppies are already 10 days old!

A cozy Saturday afternoon snooze

          It has already been 10 days since the puppies were born.  How time is flying!.  On their 3rd day of life, I took the puppies to the veterinary where our doctor checked them over and removed their dew claws.  Then on their 4th day  I moved the puppies from my bedroom down to the Office. 

Saturday afternoon brunch

 Although Misty seemed to prefer the privacy of my room for those first days, after a while she was really missing being a part of the family.  It was good to move the puppies closer to the commotion so Misty can easily check on them, but still hang out with us.

The girls. 

           The puppies are doing great!  It never ceases to amaze me how fast puppies grow in their first week of life!  They are getting chubby and sleeping longer between feedings.  Ths is a great relief for Misty, who can run around outside for a little longer now.   Here are several photos of the puppies, doing what they do....  Eating and sleeping! 

You can see how well this little girl is eating!

Jasper at 3 months

Here are some more photos of Jasper from Coco's litter....   So cute!

Update on Jasper (aka Frosty)

Childhood JOY!  It just doesn't get any cuter than this!

I just got and update on Frosty, who was named Jasper.  He is a puppy from Coco's early summer litter.  I am so thrilled at all the beautiful photos that his family shared!   I have included a few in this post, and will share the others in later posts.   This way we can space out the fun!   

Here is the email I got from Jasper's Mom....

  

Hi Mary!

Its hard to believe how fast time has flown by.   Life with a puppy has kept us busy, this is for sure.  I have been meaning to send you periodic updates, but you know how things get...

Attached are two of the most recent photos of Jasper - before and after his haircut.  His fur had become so long and 'bed-head' like that it was covering up his darling eyes.  So it was time.  And he did GREAT!  The groomer was very happy with how well he behaved.

Before the Haircut.....

 
Now...if only he would behave so well during puppy classes!  In that setting, he is very distracted by all the other dogs and all the interesting smells and treats on the floor.  But when he can focus, he shows that he is a very smart boy.

After the haircut......

I sent a link to a few more photos of Jasper.  It is striking how quickly he has grown and changed.

----Jasper's Mom

Our Litter of Miniature Schnoodle Puppies Has Arrived!

2 boys and 2 girls...the lightest puppy is a boy.

 

Misty's litter is born!   2 boys and 2 girls!   The babies were born between 11:15 pm and 1:30 am. last night ...Oct 1, 2015.   The delivery was very smooth.  Yah!   The puppies are little skinny things...but they are very vigorous and strong.  They know how to find their mamma, their food, and keep warm.  And thankfully, they are nursing very well.   I am so grateful for a smooth delivery!

 

This puppy wants to find his mamma.  He will climb over any puppy that gets in his way!

 

 

Misty took her time getting up this morning.  I hand fed her and watered her, since she didn't seem to want to leave the puppies to eat.  After breakfast, when she had revived her energy, she jumped up and ran to the door.  I let her run outside to relieve herself.  As soon as she came in, I hurried to bath and dry her.  I knew she would not want to be away from her puppies too long.  But bathing her is also important, as it keeps the puppies environment clean....and as you can imagine....a white dog after delivery, is not a pretty sight!

 

 

 While Misty was taking a potty break this morning I put the puppies in a box with a heating pad.  Then I quickly cleaned out the whelping pool, and replaced the damp newspaper with a fresh Sherpa liner.   Ahh!  It makes me feel so much better knowing everything is fresh and clean again.  

The first 24 hours of life is the most crucial time for a puppy, as that is when the mortality rate is at its highest.  Nature equips the mother with the natural instinct to fuss over her puppies most especially at this time.  She is super protective, and rarely leaves their side.

 

For my part, I will keep the puppy room warm and free from drafts.  I also watch to see that the puppies are eating, and sleeping quietly.  Making sure the mamma is eating and drinking normally is also very important.   I do everything I can to pamper are mamma and babies.  Thankfully we have never lost a  puppy yet!