'A' Litter at Four Weeks: Independence and Discovery

Week four was all about independence for the pups, both by choice and by circumstance. They are gaining confidence in themselves during play time, whether it’s with each other or during their one-on-one times outside of the whelping box.

We take each pup out of the box every evening for some focused, individual interaction. They’ve gone from being a little unsure about the bigger world to boldly exploring every corner of the living room. It’s fun to see them learn to use all of their senses, especially when they stick their nose to the ground to track some new smell. Fun discoveries include finding mom’s water bowl and a stack of clean towels to knock over. Their early self-confidence in these new experiences will go a long way towards developing each pup into a confident, curious dog with strong coping and adaptation skills.

Circumstances also demanded a new level of independence because Piper was rushed to the emergency vet during the night with a sudden onset of a mastitis infection. We are so thankful that we caught the fever early and got her immediate medical attention. She’s recovering at home, but it’s clear she’s in a lot of pain. It’s especially heart-breaking because she wants to care for the puppies so badly, but they can’t be allowed to nurse or otherwise harass her. We’ve compromised by bringing one or two pups at a time to visit with her, which seems to be thoroughly enjoyed by mom and pups alike.

Thankfully the puppies were already eating on their own from a bowl and were only nursing as a supplement at this point, so the transition away from mom’s milk has been easy and quick. They are growing in leaps and bounds, sometimes gaining a half pound in a single day. Their physical growth and development is accelerating just as quickly as their cognitive development, which is truly amazing to witness.

The next big milestone for the pups will be moving out of the whelping box and into their playpen. They’ll learn to use a designated litter area and will have much more space to engage in play. Hopefully Piper will be on her feet soon and able to join them for periods in their new play space.