Born February 7, 2010

J Litter 2010 Bokya x Jukati

These are the picture galleries that visually document the development of the puppies. The photos are not always the best quality but they give a nice overview of what goes on in their daily lives and how fast they grow. They will all develop distinct personalities and during their growth and socialization we bond with them in turn. It is a very intimate relationship. It begins with the profound trust that the mother has for her human family. We actively participate in the stimulation, socialization and nurturing of the puppies. If we are lucky we get some pictures along the way that are right off the "cuteness" scale!

Gallery Week 1 to 3

The first weeks with the puppies went by very quickly. Bokya did a great job feeding, cleaning and caring for her babies. She fed the pups in shifts of six at a time and managed to keep everyone happy for most of the second week.

During week three the puppies acquired their teeth! Nursing with Bokya was not enough to keep the pups satisfied for long and it soon became apparent that demand was greater than supply. It was time for solid food. This is always a messy affair. My camera was not working properly and I wasn't able to get pictures of the feeding frenzy.

The end of week three saw the puppies really begin to play with each other. It was a very loud week! All the pups were practicing their barking skills and tough guy attitudes. It is always funny to watch puppies so small act so big!

Personalities have started to become recognizable and in the next week or the action will really begin.

J Litter 2010 Parents

Puppy Inventory 2010

J Litter Evaluations

Gallery Week 4

At the end of week four it was time for a big change. The puppies needed more space than the whelping box could provide and it was time to move into the sun room. The pups were introduced to the sun room the week before with a few supervised play sessions but they found the room a bit cold.

They have now been officially installed in the sun room and are free to leave the whelping box and explore and play in a larger space. When the sun comes out the room becomes very warm and inviting and they seem to really enjoy the new freedom and sunlight.

Ijara, who is 8 months old was able to really interact with the pups for the first time and she has fallen in love. Being a puppy herself she just adores them all, never getting overwhelmed or stressed when they crawl all over her and look for milk! Of course she needs to be supervised closely but it is a heart warming interaction and the pups are happy to have her around.

Bokya can now start to rebuild her strength now that the pups are independent.

Gallery Week 5

Week five has begun well. The puppies have really taken to the larger space. They love to come when called and make a big game of it. Most of the girls are very independent and can sometimes be found wondering around exploring by themselves while the rest of the litter sleeps the day away. The boys are more demanding of attention and want to be picked up and cuddled. The girls are far more interested in playing catch-me-if-you-can! This week promises to be a very big step in their development and I hope to catch some spontaneous moments with the camera.
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Today it was sunny outside and that meant that it was very warm in the sun room. Like all Ridgebacks, sun worship is a high priority. All the puppies had a really great play with the kids in their new space. Hopefully it will warm up outside soon too!

Series 1

Gallery Week 7 & 8

Week seven has just flown by and week 8 is upon us! The pups spent a great deal of time indoors during week 7 due to the clement weather but they were making up for it today. It was playtime all day and not a minute was wasted. Of course there was also time for some "chill'n out" in the basket soaking up the rays! Most of the day was spent trying to take the stack photos which we accomplished by late afternoon. They will appear on the evaluation page that is yet to come. As you can see in the photographs, the puppies are growing up. They love to have company in the play garden and somtimes they are almost a mob.

Gallery Week 6

The six week mark has come and gone and the pups are doing well. It has been colder that we had hoped and much of their time has been spent indoors where the heat is. Fortunately the short burst of sun now and then have made the outdoor play area tolerable for the puppies. Of course puppies can adapt quite quickly and they are making good use of their new found freedom.

Playtime is always a big hit with the puppies and Ijara and Bokya have been helping out in that department. Ijara steals all the toys and Bokya brings them back for the pups. When the pig dogs get involved with the toys it is only a matter of minutes before things start to break! The ball on a rope only lasted a few seconds before Bokya and Ijara had made two toys out of one! The puppies didn't seem to notice.

The puppies are just getting to the stage in their development where playing with each other is more fun than begging to be picked up. As they adjust to being outside for longer they forget about being cold and start to really run and play. Getting candid photographs has been impossible so far as they have very watchful eyes and I can never sneak up on them. I still have a few weeks to get more photographs.