Cougarlitter5

Rio's puppies to Cougar

Page 5: 4 weeks old

Previously: Birth 1 week old 2 weeks old 3 weeks old

4 weeks old and the pups are getting very interested in the world outside their box.

Sadly the weather has been so bad they've not been able to be outside yet, by this age normally our pups get to spend a few hours on the lawn each day.

A couple of pups have learnt to climb out, and now and then you find a pup on the floor. This one fast asleep after his adventure!

Very soon time to use more trays for feeding as ten pups won't fit around this one for much longer

The ears are just starting to consider standing up

Starting to look more like Malinois, but still very dark colours yet to change.

4 weeks 1 day old. Poor Rio is still so thin despite lots of high quality food. She doesn't feed the pups all that often now, and when she does, she stands up.

We have ears that are up!

This is the pup nicknamed Ferdinand. Uh oh, each time I nickname one, I am already too attached to it. And it's always a male pup, even when I'm not planning to keep one! John thinks it's all very bad news. I tell him that in the A litter, my favourite pup was Terminator (now called Max), and I sold him. In the B litter, it was Splodge (now named Z) and I sold him. John then points out that well Z came back home, didn't he! (Yes but that wasn't ever the plan! Not my doing! And he is PLEASED we have Z!!)

Ferdinand is so called (not pedigree name) as he reminds me of Ferdinand the bull in the very old Disney cartoon. They show it on TV every Christmas Eve in Sweden. All the young bulls try to look tough, energetic and want to fight, but Ferdinand just sits quietly under an oak tree sniffing the flowers. This pup is like that. Just sits there quietly, not interested in doing a lot. He won't be a good pick for a working home.

Oh look, you can watch Ferdinand the bull on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGTVRbpAuRo

Very politcally INcorrect these days, and rightly so -who these days would see bull fighting as something GOOD?

But I still like the cartoon.

It also has to be said, I think Ferdinand is very nice looking and could make a good show dog..........

4 weeks 2 days old here.

Let us out !! The pups jump out all the time now. Then can't get back in, which is fine during the day. Not as fine at 4 am.

They're also very noisy, and come running if you call "Puppies!"

Some pups still have the ears down. Some up. (Yes this is Ferdinand again to the right.)

4 weeks 3 days old and outside for the very first time.

It's a bit scary. Best stick together.

After a while they got a bit braver and started exploring.

Abby and Ginny with the pups

Play with me! says Abby

and gets jumped on

The bitch pup I'm going to keep to the left, and Ferdinand to the right

Uncle Rufus is here

Exploring

4 weeks 4 days old. One puppy has discovered that Rufus' house makes for a nice bed.

even if it gets a bit crowded with Rufus AND a cat wanting to sleep there too

One pup discovering the joys of shoe laces

If mummy won't come to me to feed me, I'll have to go to her!

Rio has more or less totally weaned the pups now.

4 weeks 5 days old. Let's get out of this boring box.

3 pups squatting in Rufus' house

Very crowded now!

Rebecca and Zig Zag aka Ziggy or Curly or Max -depending on who you ask......... I'm sure his final name wtih his new owners will be something different altogether.