ShirleyGoldenDoodles: May 2013

In the week I introduced the pups to Welpi milk, to supplement poor Bella. I also had to cut their sharp little claws, as they are being more than a little rough on my poor girl. She looks at me with such an expression with them clambering all over each other to reach her teats and then they work at the sucking with such force, I feel quite sorry for her. She has done so well until now to feed 10 chunky pups on her own.

I started to offer them welpi before letting Bella in to the pen, and that only satisfied them for a day or two, so then I introduced puppy soup, made by blending the milk with puppy kibble. (We use James Wellbeloved puppy.)

Using the long tray from the garden centre has proved ideal - thanks Kate for the idea, as all 10 can get round it easily, it's shallow and not easily tipped up, but fits in the dishwasher! Bella loves to clean up after the pups but they really don't leave very much.

I have started to keep a little "puppy soup" back and put it into a small heavy bowl and I lift any pup being pushed aside from the big tray to sample it, to ensure every pup gets a fair share.

Then it's so funny watching the pups licking each others faces for the next ten minutes.

Again to ensure they all get a fair share I try to separate some of the very demanding pups when Bella feeds them, and containing them has proved a challenge. These intelligent pups are able to climb out of any container I have tried. If it's deep they climb on top of each other!

I love it when grown up son comes home from work and he loves to cuddle up with several pups, and between him, my husband and I, we hold on to 5 or 6 pups for 5 minutes or so letting the smaller ones have mum's undivided attention.

Then of course we swap over!

All in all it's been a smooth process, weaning the pups, and last night Bella fed them at 11.30pm just before I went to bed and when I woke at 5.15am they were all still sparko so I went back to bed. I couldn't believe it when I next woke at 8 and they were still asleep. Three meals yesterday and we got a good nights sleep! Let's hope that continues!

I will leave you with a portrait of our Mrs White who is just so aware of us she watches every move we make! Irresistable!