So much new.

While the baseline temperament of this litter has very little variance, so stable and balanced, the puppies individual little personalities are starting to shine. This is where it gets super awesome.

Each one seeing the world through their own eyes now. They are all still same same, balanced, curious, playful, teething, affectionate, appropriately naughty, and puppies in general.

We have a scampy mischievous one.

A puppy that has a very clear best friend in the litter, and they go every place together. A loyal, honest personality.

One puppy that does not want to be wrong, and is watchful so always the right choice is made. P.S. this can be a tricky puppy for the inexperienced dog owner, to an experienced owner this is not uncommon.

We have a watchful puppy. Watchful of ponytails, feet in socks, new people coming into the kennel room, anything that falls onto the floor, when mama comes in or leaves. Curious central.

A puppy that is very patterned, same potty spot, same sleep spot, same food bowl position, same same. A routine puppy.

One that is independent, actually two, but one seeks way more distance and looks for breaches in my management and fencing, and one that likes to find things in the yard, and bring them inside and hide them, a game independent of littermates.

And then add the extra layer of almost seven weeks old, border collie genetics, parents temperaments and personalities, litter dynamics, mama’s careful nurturing, and it is the whole enchilada of life.

NEW

CAR TRAVEL – We have started daily car rides to get puppies use to traveling. I make sure it is right at one of their big nap times. The first car trip was a bit rough, but Mama Beetz laid on the outside of their kennels, I had music playing, and I hit the 30-40 mile an hour back roads around our town, and they settled within 15 minutes. The second car ride, they settle within 5 minutes. I drive for about 1-2 hours which would be a naptime amount of time, and will extend that by 15-20 minutes each time.

GREEN TRIPE – yes the goodness has started, they L.O.V.E. raw green tripe.

VITAMIN C – This is a supplement I use during the growing months, or basically until 16-18 months. I start with a few grains in each meal and work up to 1/4 tsp, and then when they are 16 weeks of age, up it accordingly until they have 1 tsp per day during adolescents when they are most active.

NIGHT TIME ELIMINATION – when puppies start to mature, just like all mammals, they stop eliminating at night. Between 5-7am they start eliminating now, and then of course throughout the day. By about 13 weeks of age there will be no more eliminating at night, in general. When a puppy is teething, has an upset tummy, ate or drank too much before bed, of course they will need to get up at night.

OUTSIDE – We now have water puddles, mud puddles, pine cones, ice, snow, some dry grass – and they are having fun in it all. They loved drinking out of a snow melt puddle, they thought dirt water tasted pretty darn fine!

VISITORS – more visitors, men, women, and multiple people at one time.

MEAL PREP

I buy about 4-9 chickens at a time, and cut them apart and rinse. I take the cut up chicken, plus the organs, and grind them in my LEM grinder #12 big bite. Then I portion the grind into 2-3 days worth of food.

I am using a blend of commercial raw, my own DIY raw, and raw green tripe at each meal.

The pups have been sharing one large plate but are now getting 4 -5 bowls so they can move around more easily, and also because I have two foodies that snarf food up quickly, and one that loves food but is a slow eater and likes to savor. This gives everyone more options and space to enjoy their food.