Dam: IntCH GCH CH Hollyhock SHE Returns “Holly”
[View Pedigree] [View OFA Health Certifications] [View Holly’s Photo Gallery]Sire: CH Belamour’s Sugardaddy “Romeo”
[View Pedigree] [View OFA Health Certifications]
All grown up! — Abby, Leo, Lil, Romeo & Sookie
What a difference a year makes! — Abby, Leo, Lil, Romeo & Sookie
The puppies are now all in their new homes — Abby, Leo, Lil, Romeo & Sookie
As their new owners share photos with us we will post them here periodically so you can continue to watch them grow up.
14 weeks old – Lil makes her way home
Lil and Artie (from Dee Dee’s litter) traveled together from San Diego to Chicago this week. They were great travelers. Deb took them on the redeye flight and they slept well, and peed at all the appropriate pee spots along the way. It was below 30 degrees when we landed, but thankfully the pee spots were indoors at the airport. Artie’s final trip was under an hour so he got home pretty quickly. Lil had an extended journey to her final destination in northern Michigan. She headed to Detroit for a connecting flight, but the final flight was delayed due to snow and ice. It all worked out and the extra time gave her some bonding time overnight in a swanky hotel room with her new mommy Susan. The next morning they finally arrived home and Lil met her new bichon buddy, Pearl, and Susan’s two cats. So now all of Holly’s puppies are home. We will post some photos and videos of her pups in their new homes every couple of weeks or whenever we get updates.
The Final Puppy Days (12:02)
13 weeks old – Lil, the last remaining in her litter
Lil is overseeing the remaining pups…the 3 boys, Artie, Louis and Green Bean. She loves to pose and observe what the boys are up to. She is also the best “zoomer” of the bunch and loves to zoom around with the big dogs, usually with Emma in the lead. She will fly home later next week.
12 weeks old ~ It’s all about Diamond Lil this week
The puppy pack is down to 4…with Diamond Lil (Yellow girl) the last one in Holly’s litter. She supervises the younger pups and will be the last one to leave the pack. The Puppy Palooza video is the remaining 4 to 5 pups.
11 weeks old ~ Abby flies home and Lil remains
Abby (Pink), Sookie (Rainbow), Romeo (Blue) and Leo (Black) are now all settled in their new homes. Diamond Lil (Yellow) remains here in California for another few weeks. Lil is the only girl in the pack and is taking charge of the 2 boys from DD’s litter and the 2 boys from Emma’s litter. She is the queen of the pack! Stay tuned and we will post a video soon.
10 weeks old ~ First puppy shots, new names and a few new homes
The puppies all have new names so they are now Chloe (Pink), Diamond Lil (Yellow), Sookie (Rainbow), Romeo (Blue) and Leo (Black). Everyone had another wellness exam and their first round of puppy shots. They all passed with flying colors and without any complaining. Such good puppies. It was “going home week” for Chloe, Sookie and Leo. Chloe and Sookie have made their way home to other parts of California and Leo made it back to Washington, DC with a nice non-stop flight overnight with his new mommy. Abby and Lil have travel plans for Georgia and Michigan in the next few weeks. This is the last video that will have all 12 puppies playing together.
9 weeks old – Microchips, puzzles and just plain FUN in the sun!
A few puzzles were introduced this week and we continue to be impressed with how smart these puppies are. They had an opportunity to roam in and out of the pool but most didn’t actually go swimming…except for Orange girl, Purple girl and White boy, all from Dee Dee’s litter. On Thursday we went for a ride to get everyone’s microchips. They were great in the car and none of them made a peep during the implant procedure. Soon we will know all their names and we will start teaching them to come when called.
8 weeks old – Learning the doggie door and more outdoor time
The pups continue to learn new things…they are super smart! They use the grass to pee and poop about 85% of the time so their play areas stay cleaner (hooray). They learned to use the doggie door and figured out how the treat ball works. We tried introducing them to the pool, but they were not very interested and we didn’t push them. They are liking the ball pit more and more and particularly like just exploring the yard. Our rescue boy Chipper is becoming a big playpal for them. He just loves the puppies.
7 weeks old – More freedom inside and outside and their first haircuts
It was a busy week for the puppies. Now that Emma is here with her two puppies, we have put Holly and Dee Dee’s pups together in an expanded play area. They are loving it. Some new experiences this week included their first haircuts, new toys like the tunnel and ball pit, and learning about solid food and toothbrushing. These pups are open to anything and everything we throw at them. The videos here are the same ones posted on Dee Dee’s litter diary since now those two litters are combined. Sorry they are so long…I just couldn’t decide what to leave out!
6 weeks old – Their first bath
It was another challenging week dealing with the yellow jackets, but the puppies did enjoy spending more time roaming freely in the house and playing with their “neighbors”, Dee Dee’s puppies. They learned to eat out of a larger food dish, learned to use the water bottle and they are using their designated pee spot about 50% of the time. The big event this week was getting their first bath and blow dry. They were all GREAT in the tub and with the blow dryer. We will do weekly baths and increase their daily grooming to include brushing and combing. Next week we may give them their first haircuts.
5 weeks old – Outdoor play and socialization with other puppies
This week the puppies gained more confidence as we let them wander out of their enclosure and into the main living area. We started teaching them how to go to the door that lets them get outside. They can’t quite go in and out on their own yet, but it won’t be long and they will even be learning to use the doggie door. We also let them play a little each day with Dee Dee’s litter who are a week younger than them. It was fun to watch them interact. When they were all tired out, they ended up in puppy piles according to their litter mates. Somehow each group knew which ones were supposed to be together…fascinating!
4 weeks old – Playing with each other and learning to eat
The puppies had lots of new experiences this week. They started playing with small toys and with each other. They were much more aware of their surroundings and were curious whenever people or dogs approached their kennel. Dee Dee and her puppies moved into Holly’s old spot and we moved Holly’s pups to the more open area where they would experience more noise and traffic. Holly and Dee Dee continue to be good mothers and are aware of each other’s babies…both going to check on things whenever anyone is whining. Holly’s puppies were exposed to various “deliberate noises” this week and we also started them on goat’s milk and small bits of food. They are learning to pee and poop on the puppy pad just outside their kennel. They typically have to pee after a nap, so we start them out this way. Soon we will move the pee pad to a corner and they will have to follow the scent to their pee spot. On their 4 week birth day we took them all for a ride in the car. No special occasion…just because Deb needed a Starbucks Iced Chai Tea Latte and Holly needed a change of scenery!
3 weeks old – Eyes and ears open up and walking begins
It was a BIG AWAKENING for the puppies this week. On day 14 they all opened up their eyes. Throughout the week their ears started to open and they became more reactive to the general noises of the house. We moved them to their new play area where the floor is more rigid and they immediately began to get up on all four legs and explore their surroundings. They seemed to instinctively know that their crate is a safe spot and they go in and out of it at their leisure. Holly joins them inside the crate to snuggle and sometimes to nurse them. They have completed their daily puppy exercises and we have begun daily grooming (toenails and eye massages). They are also getting lots of human hand holding during TV time, and occasional trips outside with their humans…and mommy Holly not far behind.
2 weeks old – Fattening up and doing more exercises
This week the puppies continued their Early Stimulation Exercises and we started handling them more each day. They still spend most of their time nursing, but they have started being more vocal and crawling around when Holly isn’t nearby. Once we see them up on all four legs, we’ll move them to a bigger play area. On day 14 all of them opened their eyes for the first time. Next week their ears should be fully open and we will start exposing them to a variety of noises.
1 week old – Early Stimulation Exercises
The puppies continue to nurse and sleep most of the time. Their eyes and ears won’t open for another week, but this week we began their “puppy exercises”. They are entering the “baked potato phase” where they are starting to plump up quite nicely. We are starting to see pigment fill in and we’re seeing nice coats developing. View the slideshow and read the captions to learn more. Watch the video to learn how we introduce Early Neurological Stimulation (aka puppy exercises) to give our pups an advantage that should benefit them for life.
The birth day and first vet visit
Holly and Romeo’s puppies came just one day early and without much fan fare. She always seems to make things appear to be “routine”, and her recovery after giving birth is just amazing. She is a very attentive mommy. The pups will have their dew claws removed this week and then Linda will begin working with each one as they experience their daily puppy exercises. Other than that, they will just eat, sleep and gain weight.
Questions? Send email to: info@hollyhockbichons.com or Call Deb Gibb: 858-531-2890