7 weeks old

Once again, things have gotten busy as the pups have gotten older.  The pups gained over 2 lbs each the last week, and weigh in at 9 to 11 lbs.  They are eating 1 1/3 cup of puppy kibble, dry with a bit of water added.  They LOVE their feeding crates.  Riley left last Sunday, so the milk bar has closed.  All the pups look to be healthy on their initial veterinary exams.  As expected at this age, the pups are getting more and more adventurous.  Lots of time outside, exploring the entire yard.  They love entertaining visitors.  On Wed evening, I took the pups to the Love On the Leash therapy dog visit at the boys' juvenile correctional facility in Pendleton.  I have been doing a "puppy night" with most litters - the adult therapy dogs stay home, but lots of LOAL volunteers show up to help out.  Each boy was assigned a pup for the evening, and the adults closely supervising the activities.  We do puppy recalls and puppy pushups (sit, down, etc), play fetch, and end with puppy massages.  At the same time, I educate the boys about responsible breeding and what it takes to raise a puppy.  The pups did great, relatively quiet in the car, confident in the new environment, and responsive to the boys.  The pups start leaving this weekend, with most the Puppies in Flight puppies tentatively flying out the last weekend of April.  Once again, a huge thank you to the US Airways employees who have volunteered to fly with the pups going to the more distant programs.  These pups are going to 5 different assistance dog programs, and one is going to a pet/therapy dog home.