Dam: IntCH CH Hollyhock Racy Lady “Diamond Lil”
[View Pedigree] [View OFA Health Certifications] [View Lil’s Photo Gallery]Sire: GCH CH Hollyhock Go Figure, CGC “Jack”
[View Pedigree] [View OFA Health Certifications] [View Jack’s Photo Gallery]
The Eleventh Week — Pups in their new homes
Lou Lou, Luna and Lily are now all in their new homes. Luna was the last to leave and she enjoyed several days with the Gibb pack being “the only puppy”. She had the run of the house and got extra playtime and cuddle time with the adult bichons and humans. Her flight home to Vancouver was a nice nap for both her and her new mommy (also a Linda). She is settling in with her new big sister, Snowy, from one of our prior litters. Meanwhile we received some pictures from Lou Lou and Lily in their new homes. We are blessed to have wonderful families as the newest additions to our Hollyhock family.
The 11th Week (duration 4:38)
The Tenth Week — Puppies start heading home
Lou Lou, Luna and Lily enjoyed some final days together. Lou Lou was the first to go home and her family drove from Los Angeles to pick her up. She is settling in nicely and has probably forgotten all about us. Lily was the next to depart and Deb flew her to Sacramento where she is being spoiled/loved by Eugen and Camelia and their family. Luna now has full run of the house and is loving all the attention and freedom. She’ll be going home to Vancouver Washington later this week. Since Lou Lou left early in the week, she’s not in this video but she’s sent us lots of photos of her first week at home so we’ll be posting those next week. The 10th Week (duration 14:43)
The Ninth Week — Routine, Routine, Routine
Lou Lou, Luna and Lily got their microchips early in the week and at the end of the week they had their first round of vaccinations. The rest of the week we spent reinforcing their “routine” in the hopes that their new families would implement our system and make the transition to their new homes an easy one. The girls are doing great with their potty training and just SUPER with their daily grooming and weekly bath and haircuts. Feeding time and sleeping time is very consistent (which also makes potty training easy). We continued to take them on car rides every couple of days and they have no issues with that. Their baby teeth are razor sharp and they enjoy eating “crunchy things”…and are barely nursing on Lil. All in all, they should be ready to start heading to their new homes very soon. The 9th Week (duration 20:22)
The Eighth Week — Meet Lou Lou, Luna and Lily
The puppy and family matchups were finalized this week. Meet Lou Lou (Pink), Luna (Yellow) and Lily (Red)! Their personalities are still developing but we could clearly see which girl fit each of the families that have been waiting. We introduced the ball pit…but only Yellow was interested in that…as was her buddy, Jack of course. And because their daily routine has become very predictable they are a very well behaved threesome. We continued their daily grooming and tried to make sure they went potty outside after every nap and meal. Their teeth are erupting nicely so we are introducing lots of chewy things…safe, soft toys of all textures, and some edible chews like the puff braid, hard kibble from the treat ball, rice cakes and rice rolls and their favorite…the cream cheese toothbrushes before bedtime. They had their second bath and haircut and they were SUPER both in the tub and on the table…including with the blow dryer, clipper and scissors. They learned to go in and out of the doggie door on their own…which presents another set of “containment challenges”, but they are a hoot to watch as they try to mimic the things the adult bichons do. They are very smart little girls. The videos are not quite ready to post, but they should be online by Monday. For now, enjoy the photos.
The Seventh Week — First haircuts and new toys
It was a very FULL week…we introduced the pups to the pool, some new visitors and a bunch of new toys. Their play area was enlarged for the final time and they learned to play on the balance ball and the balance board. They also liked the toys hanging from the baby gym, and especially liked the PUFF BRAID. Their tiny teeth are erupting and Lil will only nurse them in short stints…can’t blame her for that! We divided up the videos this week so you will have “inside play time” and “outside play time”. Oh, and watch the videos all the way through and you’ll see the pups sporting their new haircuts. They are so dang cute. Now they look like little dogs and not fluffy hamsters!
The Sixth Week — Outdoor time…and real food
This week was HOT here in the San Diego area, with temperatures over 100 degrees most days. Our outdoor time with the pups was limited to early morning hours. The rest of the week we continued with their daily grooming, introduced some new toys, expanded their play area, and gave them more time to “roam free” in the house. We also had some visitors so they had more opportunities to socialize with new humans. Next week we hope to introduce them to some playtime in the water. They will also get their first baths and haircuts. As their personalities continue to develop we are starting to figure out which girl will be the best fit for the families that are anxiously waiting for them. We should know that soon so stay tuned. The 6th Week. Personalities emerge. (duration 32:53)
The Fifth Week — Outdoor time…and weaning begins
We introduced all kinds of new things this week, including outdoor time, food, and new toys. Daily grooming also began and they have to stand on the grooming table when we clean their eyes and brush their hair every day. Tom clips their toenails every other day, and he usually volunteers to give them a “butt bath” after most meals. Weaning them means more “poop patrol duties” and a watchful eye to keep their kennel clean. Next week we will introduce them to children if we can find some volunteers, and some more startling noises. We will also permit them more time to roam free in the house. For now, that privilege has been granted to Yellow girl as you will see in the videos. She just insists on being out “free to explore” with the big dogs and the humans. The 5th Week. Weaning begins. (duration 37:43)
The Fourth Week — Starting to walk and play
During the day, the puppies are now in a larger “learn and play” area. They are learning to walk around and navigate over and around the obstacles we introduce. They had more family visitors and had more time with the adult bichons this week as Lil invited them into the larger play area (under her and our supervision of course). Jack and Dee Dee seem to be anxious for them to grow up so they can play with them. A few times in the video you may hear the “distress call”. Lil is always on alert for that and will come to the rescue of any pup that cries out. It was difficult making the video because she thought she heard a puppy in distress and couldn’t find one that needed attention. Next week we will introduce them to the outdoors and to real food…and the daily pee and poop duties will become more challenging…LOL. Oh, and a WARNING for you movie nuts. This week’s video is long, so go get a drink and a snack and sit back and enjoy watching the pups as they made progress this week. The 4th Week. Learning to play (duration 29:57)
The Third Week — Starting to walk
The girls finished up their daily Early Neurological Stimulation exercises right about the time their eyes opened up. Within a few days they were taking their first baby steps. They are still pretty wobbly, but they are starting to roam around the kennel. We introduced the pee pad and they got the hang of it right away…taking a pee upon waking from their nap. We also introduced a “crackle toy” that they can walk over and feel and hear the noise. Socialization with family and the adult bichons continued. Next week we will move them to a larger area where they will have more space to stretch their legs and experience some more toys. Stay tuned for that. The 3rd Week. Learning to walk (duration 18:18)
The second week — Socialization begins, Eyes start to open
This week was mostly about continuing their Early Neurological Stimulation exercises but we also began to introduce the pups to other family members and to our adult bichons. There was a lot of “mutual sniffing” going on and everyone got along. Lil even lets Holly and Jack inside her litter kennel and sometimes Holly naps with the babies. Holly thinks all babies are HER babies and wants to play a role. Well, they ARE her grandbabies, but she respects Lil’s role as “mother”. By the end of the week the girls began squinting and by day 14 their eyes would open each time we picked them up. It is a wonderful milestone and now they should also be able to hear. Soon they will be trying to get up on their legs and crawl around more. Next week should be even more entertaining.
The first week — Early Neurological Stimulation Exercises begin
This week the pups had their dew claws removed and then they began their Early Neurological Stimulation exercises. They have doubled their birth weights and they don’t do much other than nurse and sleep…and plump up. We like to say they are entering the “baked potato phase” this week as they are a robust handful. They are becoming more active and once their eyes and ears open up toward the end of this week, the videos will be more interesting. Sorry to bore you with this week’s rendition…not much to show for now.
The birth day and first vet visit
Lil and Jack welcomed 3 girls to the Hollyhock Bichon family early on Saturday morning. She delivered her babies in about one and a half hours with absolutely no stress or complications. Her labor was a bit “vocal”, not unlike her mother, Holly. After a short nap and snack we took her and her babies for a quick trip to the vet for their birth day wellness exam. For the first few days we will focus on making sure mommy and babies are gaining weight and peeing and pooping regularly. Then we’ll take another trip to the vet to have their dew claws removed. After a day to recover from that we will begin their daily Early Neurological Stimulation exercises. Stay tuned to this page (bookmark it now) for weekly updates and to follow the development of this litter.
Anticipating Lil and Jack’s 2nd litter
We are happy with the way Lil and Jack’s first litter are developing, so we decided to repeat the breeding. Lil and Jack are anticipating 3 pups this time.
Questions? Send email to: info@hollyhockbichons.com or Call Deb Gibb: 858-531-2890