Growing Fast - contented

We've had lots of lovely visitors over the last few days. Cuddling rules include: 

1. Rotating the little ones in order to share cuddles equally.

2. Continuous cooing.

One week old

Sleepy and contented puppy.  We have just given them the late night check up before lights out and all are doing very well.  Strangely, the little dog puppy is the smallest of the litter so far (he's one of the darker coloured ones) so it will be interesting to see how long he takes to catch up with his sisters.

Manicure appointment - Sunday

All the puppies are putting weight on and being a lot more active and Fern is coping well - she's  particularly enjoying the extra food she needs.  The puppies little front nails are getting a bit sharp and making Fern a bit sore, so we have had to get the nail clippers out and carefully clip them.

Zac the father

Zac is a very well-natured dog with a lovely temperament and lives with a family about 5 miles away - he is an extremely good working dog from a shooting background.
Fern has felt  able to leave her litter briefly during the last couple of days and has decided she doesn't want to miss out on any short walks - nothing too energetic for her at the moment though.

A handful

Early morning cuddle.  I think this is my favourite all time photograph of the puppies - its just so cute.

A close up of our gorgeous little pups

Guest blog by Sarah - Mother's Love

Last night I had the pleasure (and responsibility!) of being on puppy watch. My main job being to make sure they didn't get squashed. What a privilege it was to be able to spend a whole evening just watching these tiny little babies do their thing with mum. This was so much better than anything TV could offer. I was fascinated that however Fern moved around, these little puppies with their eyes closed, could still find their way to the milk, scrambling over each other, having a drink then having a little snooze.

Although I did spend a lot of time watching the puppies (and counting them!) I also made sure I was giving Fern a lot of eye contact and comfort so she knew I was her friend. By the end of the night (I like to think) we had really bonded. She even started snoring when I was stroking her ear at one point!

I've included one of my favourite photos from the night - when sometimes all you want, when you've got a full belly, is to snuggle up with your mum.

Thank you to Fern for letting me join her during this sweet and precious time x

By our family friend Sarah x 

Early morning pile-up

I took the opportunity to take this photo whilst Fern popped out for breakfast - I have about 2 minutes to check the puppies and change their bedding!  They all appear to be doing really well and all seem to be a similar size.

Fern has spent a busy day feeding her puppies almost non-stop and also eating and drinking lots herself to keep her strength up.  She has  ventured out briefly a few times but is anxious to return to her little ones as the noise of their mewing pulls at her heart strings as she can hear them through the door.  Once back inside she gives them all a quick check and lick all over and settles down very carefully so as not to squash any of them. The puppies are all varying shades of cream with four of them being paler whilst the other four are slightly darker so it will be interesting to see if they retain this colouring as the weeks progress.

Announcement of Fern's new family and 2nd litter

We are very pleased to say that in the early hours of this morning Fern gave birth to 8 healthy puppies - seven bitches and one dog - all varying shades of yellow.  Their father Zak from Long Marston (who is also K.C. reg) has been informed and is delighted to hear the news although he was surprised that they arrived a couple of days earlier than planned.