I rejigged the kitchen again, leaving the play pen as is but relocating the crate set up to the other side so Digger and Pickles crates have more natural light and the all important coffee making area was less cluttered. The puppy room has been turned into night time only accommodation and they are both sleeping in individual crates for about five hours at night. Daytime naps are also happening in individual crates.
Weight gain has slowed on both. Big Gherkin is still quite chunky, Little Gherkin much leaner.
The big garden has been a big hit on warmer days and a wonderful opportunity for development on many levels. Digger is not yet interested in playing with thrm but they are learning respect. Big Gherkin has great recall at this time and is VERY food motivated, Little Gherkin also comes when called but then takes off somewhere else as the treats are of less interest to her.
The seven week P.A.T. testing went as anticipated and results will be posted here after their intro to Mr. (or Mrs.) Ratty

Seven week stats

Little Gherkin - girl - 3 lb 15 oz
Big Gherkin - boy - 5 lb 1 oz

The princess on her throne, she loves being up on things

The fish cat tunnel is their favourite jump on it and smash it obstacle

There won't be too many more shots like this!!

Simplified sleeping arrangements.

They can still turn on the charm.

The temporary play area in the living room has given way to a decent sized area in the kitchen. It did mean rejigging my crate set up and it is not ideal as Digger and Pickles crates don't get as much light as I would like but they are not in them for long. Big Gherkin is doing really well with his food, eating a variety of puppy appropriate offerings. Little Gherkin seems to have inherited the "finicky Felek" gene which apparently skipped a generation. Introduced them to napping in a varikennel in the kitchen pen with the door pushed closed but not latched. They continue to be great about nail clipping and being handled in general including mouths and bite. Big Gherkin is still unsure of people aside from Chris and myself.

Six week stats

Little Gherkin - girl - 3 lb 9 oz
Big Gherkin - boy - 4 lb 11 oz

How sweet, Little Gherkin with her knotted sock

Not so sweet! Little Gherkin socking it to her bro

First iteration of the kitchen day time play pen,

Sometimes they sleep in the strangest places

Strange footing, no problem for Little Gherkin

At five weeks they have sort of transitioned from raw meat (the Puppy Mousse was ditched) to a complete food made with a veggie base and raw meat. I say sort of because Big Gherkin loves it, but Little Gherkin not so much, she much prefers plain raw meat.
Big Gherkin is lapping really well, again Little Gherkin would sooner have mom (the feeling is not reciprocated). The whelping box has gone and a third play area set up in the living room. This is a temporary configuration that we put up each afternoon to allow them more space to run and room to interact with different equipment, footing etc.
While Little Gherkin is still the bolder of the two, Big Gherkin is not too far behind. They are both very attentive to Chris and myself. Anna and Shawna did a brief visist with them last weekend and they were a little unsure to start off.
They have discovered the tunnel, the wobble board and playing tug with hanging items.

Five week stats

Little Gherkin - girl - 3 lb 0.2 oz
Big Gherkin - boy - 3 lb 13.5 oz

At this stage it still seems Big Gherkin is into fitness and Little Gherkin favours the arts!!

The hanging toys were a big hit with both pups and it gets quite wild at times

Tug toys are also getting more attention.

But nap time still tops the cuteness factor

If you see what I mean!!!

Exploring the cardboad tunnel...

...and the bottlle and ball pool

Dinner is served, Little Gherkin needed help

The puppy room pen in its final configuration. The crate comes out at night so that I can see them without having to sit up (and disturb them). Depending on weather when the time arrives, this is where they may start sleeping in crates.

The puppy pen in the living room where they spend much of their day and soon their evenings as well. The toys and bed get switched around. There are little toys they can carry, the hanging toys when they are supervised and the tunnel which will be moved to the big pen.

The temporary pen we set up in the living room to give them a large area to play in and explore different surfaces and obstacles. So far they have tackled the bottle and ball pool, the wobble board and a more complex tunnel. Eventually the fencing will be used to puppy proof the deck and staircase banister.

Pups are becoming more active between eating and sleeping, still leaving Pickles a tad bemused at what to make of them. They started scraped meat at three weeks and loved it. On their four week birthday they had their first taste of puppy mousse, while it was deemed accepatble it did not get the same rave reviews as scraped meat. They continue to enjoy their yoghurt. They have also been introduced to the puppy pen in the living room and have had the opportunity to suckle from mom on the living room rug. While Big Gherkin is full of himself in the box, Little Gherkin seems to be the bolder of the two in new situations but that could change. The puppy room pen has been reconfigured again and the side of the whelping box dropped. I might miss being able to go straight from the bed into their pen so it may get changed again.

Four week stats

Little Gherkin - girl - 2 lb 8.2 oz
Big Gherkin - boy - 3 lb 2.5 oz

Little Gherkin checks out the cadillac while Big Gherkin tries a different sort of "getaway"

Really Pickles, I hope this was more comfortable than it looked

Milk coma, Big Gherkin style and Little Gherkin style, so typical

Al fresco dining in the living room. Pickles did have a bed option but preferred the carpet

Big Gherkin works out on the Fit paws, goodness knows he needs it

Celebrating the four week mark with breakfast in the sun. I think this is Pickles' favourite spot for nursing and when she can combine it with sunpuddling, that is the best

Pickles checks out the new puppy room configuration. The Pink Cadillac has been "towed" as Little Gherkin was intent on making modifications to the steering wheel and seats

More time out in the living room puppy pen. Little Gherkin practicing her "teeter" skills in the rocking cradle and challenging Big Gherkin to do something about it...he didn't

Pups are up an moving around. Big Gherkin has tried to interact with mom a few times after feeding but she seems flumoxed at how to cope. Thankfully she gets up and leaves rather than doing something rash. This does tend to leave Little Gherkin short changed on her meals but her weight gain is good. Both pups are doing well at leaving their bed to go pee.

Three week stats

Little Gherkin - girl - 1 lb 11.9 oz
Big Gherkin - boy - 2 lb 7.4 oz

Classic bed fail

Tickle that tummy

Another round tummy for tickling

Make that two tummies

Big Gherkin has ideas (he didn't make it)

Let's play "bitey face", Little Gherkin on the left

A picture of peace and tranquility, love these moments

"Remind me, exactly when do they leave home?" Big Gherkin on the left

Pups are developing nicely and Pickles is doing well despite throwing us a few curve balls. It seems that the fleecy bedding in the whelping box which has delighted all our previous bitches is not up to Pickles' standards. The first hint was when I tried letting her feed them on my bed, an arrangement that resulted in a much calmer but attentove mealtime.
Then I thought it would be nice to put a soft snuggly in the box for the pups, they absolutely loved it. So did Pickles! she went in to check it out, liked it and lay down. For the first time, Pickles did not immediately abandon her Gherkins after they had finished feeding, instead she stayed in the bed with them for several minutes. A definite small step in the right direction. Pups eyes opened at 13 days and the cuteness stage is coming on strong.

Two week stats

Little Gherkin - girl - 19.2 oz
Big Gherkin - boy - 28.8 oz

Big Gherkin imitating grandpa Felek's preferred sleeping position

The benefit of allowing Pickles to feed the pups on my bed is quite obvious.

Nothing quite like climbing on top of your brother, this girl is "going places"

The snuggly bed turned out to be a most welcome two-week birthday present

Pickles definitely approves of the bed upgrade, she is even more relaxed than on my bed

We have made it through the first week despite the hiccups along the way. The sadness at the loss of Angel Gherkin has not abated and probably never will.
The size difference between the two pups remains distinct. Big Gherkin is bigger than his father at the same age (four in that litter vs. two in this) but was smaller at birth. Little Gherkin is a fraction bigger than her mom and was a fraction bigger at birth. But she is smaller than her Aunt Loki who matured as quite a petite girl. Confirming that nursing puppy weights have little bearing on size at maturity.

One week stats

Little Gherkin - girl - 10 oz
Big Gherkin - boy - 15.7 oz

Our neonatal puppy room set up, it has been through a variety of iterations over the 43 years I have been breeding but the box (made by Chris) has been a constant

I'm not sure just how seriously Pickles is taking this motherhood business. "Milking" it for all it's worth comes to mind. Either that or dreams of a Downton Abbey nanny.

She can be quite attentive when the need arises. The girl is in front

Quite the size difference, even allowing for the fact that the boy is a tad chunky!!

I guess that's on way of allowing extra access. Pickles has an odd ball nipple arrangement.

Poor wee Gherkins have been plagued with diarrhea. According to the repro specialist, most likely due to the high fat content of Pickles milk and overreating. But at least they are vigorous and nursing well. Pickles is also not overflowing with milk so minimaizing the risk of mastitis.

3 day Stats

Red Girl - 6.1 oz
Red Boy - boy - 9.1 oz

Basking in the warmth of the heat lamp at the tropical end of the oversize whelping box with a warming pad underneath for an added touch. It doesn't get much better!!!

Moments with momma, wild child Pickles is trying to be a good mom but I think she is a career girl at heart, just like first cousin once removed, Maisie.

Despite being in great shape and everything seeming good, Pickles ran into difficulty. Heartbreakingly, the first pup, born at the vets, could not be revived. Five minutes or a more forceful approach on my part would have made all the difference. A devastating loss made even worse by its avoidability and the fact we had the three most amazing homes anyone could wish for anxiously awaiting news. I am so very sorry Angel Gherkin, I let you and your would be owner down.
I delivered pup two in a quiet room at the vets and, with help from oxygen out back, she picked up nicely. Dr. Ball did everything he could, without jeopardizing mom or pup, to deliver pup three but ultimatley a c-section was the best option and paid off with a vigorous boy pup.

Day one stats (unable to weigh at birth owing to circumstances.

Pup-two - red girl - 4.6 oz
Pup-three - red boy - 6.9 oz

Red boy on beige towel, red girl on white towel.

This photo really shows the size difference.

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