Cottage Doodles

New Toys and an Old Fave

The Butterballs and Sugarbabies are so curious that any new item in their area sends them all onto it in a rush.

(That goes for fresh potty pads too, they LOVE to help me spread those)

So, I go to Goodwill a few times a week to see what new items I can find for them.  Today, I scored big with this footstool and manic monkey. 

(You can see a video of their first reaction to it on Instagram at Cottage Doodles.)

The pups played so hard that they simply fell over and went right to sleep where they were, didn’t even try to go to their beds.

They have a variety of toys, most can go in the washing machine.  I rotate them a couple times a day, because novelty is so important to them.  They are always ready to pounce on the latest addition to the pen.

But this toy?  The cement block never gets old for them.

Especially for this guy. He adores this brick and is always crawling through it.

 He also fell fast asleep during play time.

Sharing

The mama dogs have decided to pitch in and help each other.

With that many babies running around, it seems like a good idea.

The only issue is that the Sugar Babies are a week younger and seem to be smaller pups over all.

Honey is starting to wean her Butterballs, so feeds them less often.  I need to be sure that the itty bitty ones get plenty of milk before Sugar is drained by the big guys.  

Also the older ones play a little rougher and since they weigh more, the teensie ones get overwhelmed.  Although, they are becoming wrestlers too and pretty much hold their own.

So far, it has been a lovely fall, and the pups have been outside a bit. Not as much as I’d like. Summer puppies sure are easier to care for.  
But we have a system for cleaning them up, and they are getting used to being in crates and watching me as I spray out their areas.  I have even had a chance, although not much of a one, to do some crafting.  I gathered the vines and dried flowers to make this wreath.

But 16 babies in chilly weather takes up most of my time.  I won’t know what to do with myself when they are gone!

(Videos of the litters can be found on Instagram at Cottage Doodles)

A Jump Start on Housebreaking

So far, there isn’t much toy time going on.  But, I toss a few in with the babies every time I change their bedding. Which seems like all of the time!   (The toys need to be washable also, because we can’t have any lingering urine smells on the beds, blankets or toys.  That all needs to be clean so they learn to waddle over to the newspaper and potty there.)

The toys for now are just extra pillows to the babies.  The real toys are their siblings ears.

And the newspapers can still be confused with bedding.  So those need changed often and the puppies need to be cleaned off.  I have some all natural, lavender wipes that make them smell very sweet.

With 16 peeing puppies in pools, the smell is a constant battle.

Now that the older ones can climb out of the pools, they have moved to the garage and breezeway, but the battle continues.  
Keeping their nests clean is the first start of housebreaking.

Oh my, you can tell from this photo that I haven’t been to get my hair colored in ages!!  I’d been cutting it myself due to  Covid avoidance.  Then, my friends Mary and Grace came over to visit their brown and white spotted baby and dear, sweet, talented Grace brought her salon scissors with her and gave me a much needed trim.

A new haircut sure gave me a lift.  But I am not ready for color yet.  Because of all the pups, I am being severely careful on social distancing.  These next few weeks with the little guys will be so busy, I can’t even afford time for a headache, let alone a virus.  And with sleepless nights for weeks on end, I am probably a bit run down, so my hair color will just have to wait until all of these darlings are safe and sound in their new homes.

Baby Books for the Butterballs

The paintings I made to learn to tell the difference in the butterball’s markings are all done.

I have made them into baby books.

Each has information about the puppies.

In the Middle of the Puppy Cuddle Puddle

Honey’s butterballs are starting to peek out of the corners of their eyes, and the Sugar Babies turn a week old tomorrow.

The time is going by much too fast!

And I am trying to capture the moments.

Doesn't Sugar look like she is saying, “Really, Mom? Another photo?”

 

Becoming well rounded individuals

Cuddle Puddle!

Honey’s babies took a little break from the box and seem to be getting around pretty good.  They could crawl on and off of the pillow with no help.

And they are learning so much.  Of course, going to 8th grade remote learning classes every day helps that.  

The pups are also becoming fans of Catniss Everdeen, as the family watched the Hunger Games together.  Or maybe they just were waiting for the Cat they kept hearing about.

Celebrations and Dopplegangers

 

We had lots of celebrating this week.  Sugar had her babies, and Honey’s little, round bellied, butterballs of cuddliness just turned one week old.

I made the doggie moms a special treat, of milk, cottage cheese, pumpkin, and canned puppy food topped with chopped Tums sprinkles.

They need lots of calcium and calories, plus pumpkin for tummy issues after giving birth.

And they love it when I sing to them, so they got an off tune “Happy Birthday” from me.

At one week, Honey’s pumpkins have about doubled their weight.  Time to change out the bowl.

Although, it is just right for the newborns.

Speaking of newborns, I am glad I started this sketches of the red pups when they were tiny.  Studying their spots to paint them helped me to learn which was which.  

And the new families they will go to, don’t see them at this age.  So maybe they would like to have watercolor sketches of the first few days.

There are no amount of paintings that will help me with Sugar’s black babes, though! Oh my.  They are very similar.

As everyone grows, it gets easier.  Sugar’s pups seem to have different coat textures, even if they are the same jet black, I’ll know how to tell them apart from that, and a couple white spots.  The problem with the red pups, was that the spots were too similar.

Then I learned that some have freckled bellies, one has angel wings, another a T, one a butterfly.  A couple are blobbity splotches that still throw me off a little.  I have to get my diagrams out when I weigh them.  But once they start showing some personality, that will change.

Weighing in and a loss

The pups have been progressing well and growing.  They are filling out and have adorable, little, round tummies.

Which is why I was shocked to find one dear baby dead today.  It was a horrid shock, and I have been teary all day. But, it is also very common.  I think her mama laid on her, and she was suffocated.  Honey has been plopping down right on them a lot, their cries for help bring me running to do a head count and find the missing pup under her mother.

I’d had three of those wake up calls during the night.  But did not hear this one cry out, and I was near the box when it must have happened. I am trying not to feel guilty, because I know how easily that can happen, and how often.

But I do.

It has been such a hard day. It helps to think that now, Ryan has a puppy to take care of.  He was always right there with me, helping with the pups and keeping me company as we laughed about how cute and silly they were.

 

Family movie night

Last night, I fried up green tomatoes and cooked up a pot of green beans from the garden. Along with homemade honey flaxseed bread and sliced heirloom tomatoes, it was an ideal, end of summer meal.  There won’t be a lot more of those tomatoes from the garden, so I invited the family over to share.

And they were happy to visit, because it was their first time to meet the teeny pups.

 Honey’s babies got lots of attention from my babies.  We watched Mulan on Disney Plus and every puppy got snuggles in shifts throughout the whole movie.  

With nine little ones, I am going to need my helpers to get these puppies their fill of cuddle time.  Because lots of cuddles makes for secure, confident dogs who know people love them.  

Doodling- ha! Get the pun?

Yesterday, I realized just how hard it was to tell these guys apart.  They are all shades of peanut butter (although, technically they are “red”). All have white marks.

Until they are bigger and I know them better, I needed a way to differentiate them, so I decide to “doodle” the doodles.

I need to keep track of weights, and thought a little log book for each guy would be a good idea.  They can be gift books for the new owners, with newborn portraits, weight charts, and other tidbits I add.

Now, that all sounds good, let’s hope it isn’t a typical, new mother’s plan to fill baby books up that starts great and ends up empty...