Five is Just Fine with Me and My Stella.

As a Labrador litter, the size of five is certainly on the lower end of the spectrum. From a lover of Labs perspective, we might wish to have more pups so we can provide as many good people with these good dogs. From a breeder perspective, we’d want as much genetic material to choose from in regards to bettering our line. And from the breadwinner’s perspective, more puppies (might) mean better margins. From the only perspective that really matters, Stella’s, five is just fine thank you very much…

There is plenty of milk, lots of spigots to choose from and just enough backsides to sample to keep variety in her diet (breeder can explain this one). As a result, these pups are coming along just fine. They are all gaining weight steadily with the lone female playing leapfrog daily with two males for the top spot in the weight class. The two remaining males are both solid and gaining fine but definitely smaller than the other three. It is difficult to discern any conclusive tendencies or traits at this early stage but the speculation goes on anyways. We would love to have this female become the next Stella so our eyes are showing us what we wish to see (I think she just sat…honey she can’t walk yet, how can she sit…yes, she definitely knows sit, she’s brilliant).

Beyond this wishful, wistful watchfulness, all the pups are getting great attention and care. The box is clean, the room is warm and Stella is proving to be extraordinary in her care for this second litter. She came around pretty quickly on the first litter but I don’t know that she ever really “got” it that first time. This time around she is on the ball from day one, watching, warming, feeding and cleaning her fab five to such a very high level. Our biggest job right now is to make sure that Stella comes away from the box enough and has some downtime in cooler climes. We are feeding her large amounts of good food so it is not too difficult to “coax” her out but she is certainly spending most of her time either in the box or next to it. Apart from feeding Stella and the little woodstove that heats the space to its mildly oppressive 75 degrees, we are weighing daily, clipping nails and also handling the pups in many weird and twisted variations to help stimulate their various mechanisms for coping. Fear not, we are mostly just hugging the heck out of the little buggers and calling it high science. So far, the pups have entertained some local visitors and have done just fine.

At this writing they have almost tripled their birth weights at 11 days of age. They are moving around the box by pulling themselves along still mostly with the front legs but we are seeing the early signs of them attempting to use/stand on the back ones. They are certainly making some noise with coos, trills, chirps and mini barks as the repertoire so far. Eyes and ears remain closed with only the good old sniffer orienting them to the world around them.

All in all they are very cool and we are smitten with them all. Stella seems to like them too (at least until their teeth come in).