Dam: IntCH GCH CH Hollyhock Racy Lady “Diamond Lil”
[View Pedigree] [View OFA Health Certifications] [View Lil’s Photo Gallery]Sire: IntCH GCH CH Hollyhock’s Mayflower Of Karmel “Basil”
[View Pedigree] [View OFA Health Certifications] [View Basil’s Photo Gallery]
Weeks 12 and 13 — Just two puppies remain
The first three pups to depart are doing great in their new homes. Green boy and Purple girl (Ginger) have been waiting for their new parents to return from a trip. Green boy (still as yet unnamed) went home first and Ginger will join him in a few days. We want Green boy to get the lay of the land and bond with his new parents. Then we’ll surprise him when we reunite him with his sister. In the meantime, Ginger gets to run with the Gibb pack and mommy Lil gets one on one time with her. We also received a few new photos from Bernie and his new family. He is fitting right in. We hear good news from Manny and Lucy but didn’t get any new photos to post…maybe next week so stay tuned.
The eleventh week — The puppies start going to their new homes
It was an exciting week for a few families that picked up their puppies. Manny was the first to go home. We sent him along ahead of his sister Lucy to scope out their new surroundings and get comfortable. A few days later, Lucy joined him and they are adapting quite well…as are their new parents, Ken and Barb. A few days later it was time for the Sanford clan to pick up Bernie. I think he knew he was destined to be with them. He didn’t even turn his head to say goodbye as they left, and he seems to be getting along just great with their bichon Oscor. So now we’re down to just two…Sassy little Ginger and my shadow, Green Bean. They will be going home when their family returns from vacation in a few weeks. Until then, we get to monitor the others as they adjust to their new homes, and we get to spoil these two until it’s time for them to go. Lil is loving cuddling with them too. Stay tuned for updates.
Week 11 video…Going Home (duration 14:15)
The tenth week — Almost time to go home
This week the pups had their first round of vaccinations…and the vet wanted to keep them all! He spent extra time with each puppy…taking in all the snuggles and smooches they were giving him. They were perfect patients. They took a nice nap in the car on the way home and were raring to go as soon as we released them into the yard. The weather here has been amazing. With all the big storms hitting the rest of the country, we feel guilty to report that SoCal is experiencing beautiful sunny and warm days. The temperatures have been in the mid to high 70’s and Christmas day was 81 degrees. The pups just love running and playing outdoors…and we love how it tires them out. They sleep well at night! Soon they will all be in their forever homes. Manny and Lucy will leave first, then Bernie, and then Green Bean and Sassy Ginger. Stay tuned next week and you will meet their lucky human families.
The ninth week — Great little pups
The pups continue to keep us entertained…LOL. They got their microchips this week and not one of them made a peep. They are playful, but sweet and cuddly whenever a human picks them up. If you don’t care for puppy breath or kisses, stay away from this little pack of bichons. Treat puzzles were a hit and they even seemed to enjoy running around with their harnesses. Green Boy was the master of the leash training though. The others need more work on that. We made family assignments this week and a few of them now have “call names”. They will be heading to their new homes after the holidays. Stay tuned.
The eighth week — So much fun at this stage
The pups are really starting to show some personality. They are still somewhat independent and they play pretty rough, but when they get too rambuncious, we give them more freedom and they RUN and explore and that distracts them. They played alot in the ball pit this week in spite of a few rainy days we had. They also loved their cream cheese toothbrush training. Next week we’ll introduce some puzzles and they will get their microchips and potentially their “home assignments” and their call names. Stay tuned.
The seventh week — Getting more rambunctious
The pups were getting more aggressive in their play this week so we gave them more freedom to roam, both inside and outside. They just LOVE that, but they are also happy to be back in their contained exercise pen area after about 15 minutes of wandering. They pretty much “nap on queue” after some busy playtime. They continued their daily grooming and weekly baths and had lots of human visitors…including children. Next week they will get to try the ball pit and their toothbrushes. Stay tuned.
The sixth week — More freedom to roam and their first haircuts.
This week was all about learning some new toys and building confidence as the puppies had more time to roam outside their indoor play area. They LOVE their outdoor time and the weather has been in the high 70’s so they even had lunch outside every day. We continued to get them comfortable with their daily grooming and the noise and feel of the blow dryer. The goal was to make them have fun and not get stressed at the end of the week when they had their first baths and haircuts. They were GREAT for that experience and we now have little doggies instead of little hamsters!
The fifth week — An expanded play area and more…
The puppies got used to a larger play area, new toys, and grooming this week. Each day they had some outdoor time too. They really love the new things like the cot, grass and larger toys. They we very receptive to new “noises” like the vacuum, pots and pans clanging and their crinkle toys. They are doing pretty good with potty training but haven’t all decided if the grass is to play on on to do their business on. So far, that’s about 50/50. They are playing more and sleeping less and I’m thanful that they love their streaming baby lullabies! When I want them to take a nap, it’s like magic. Turn on the lullabies, and they all cuddle up for a nap. I’m posting pictures first this week and will post the video sometime in the next 24 hours so stay tuned.
The fourth week — A new play area and starting to play with each other
What a fun week. The puppies really enjoyed having a new play area…and so did the adult bichons. Jack and Dee Dee were always looking out for them, but mommy Lil was never out of sight. The puppies did amazing when it came to pee pad training and there was only one time that we had to change their sleeping bed. The rest of the time they stepped out of the bed to do their business. Such smart little things. They also took to lapping their goat’s milk quite easily and they are starting to play and walk with much more confidence. Their tails are always up! I hope the LONG VIDEO this week isn’t too boring. I will try to be more selective next week. They are just so dang cute and curious about their new world.
The third week — Eyes open and they are starting to walk
The puppies finished up their daily Early Neurological Stimulation exercises right about the time their eyes started to open up. Within a few days they were taking their first baby steps. They are still pretty wobbly, but they will get more freedom and practice when we move them to their new play area. We introduced the pee pad and they are getting the hang of it…taking a pee upon waking from their nap. Next week we will introduce a few small toys and other obstacles they need to navigate around and over. Socialization with family and the adult bichons continued. Stay tuned!
The second week — Socialization begins, Early Neurological Stimulation Continues
This week was mostly about continuing their Early Neurological Stimulation exercises but we also began to introduce the pups to our human family members and let the adult bichons engage with them more. There was a lot of “mutual sniffing” going on and everyone got along. Lil even lets Holly inside her litter kennel. 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”. The best part of the week for Tom and I was the “human cuddle time” we started every evening when our daily routine was winding down. There’s nothing like that experience and the pups seem to be enjoying it. By the end of the week we invited more family over and they helped with socialization. Soon they will be opening their eyes and ears and starting to walk. Then it will be time to move them to their new enclosure where they will have more room to roam. Stay tuned!
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
Lil and Basil welcomed 3 boys and 2 girls to the Hollyhock Bichon family late Monday evening, a few days early, but not unexpected. Like her last litter, she delivered her babies in about two hours with some heavy panting but no complications. Her labor was a bit “vocal”, especially with the last baby that was the largest of the litter. All the babies took to the nipples without hesitation and by Tuesday morning, both Deb and mommy Lil woke from a fairly restful night. 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 a 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.
Questions? Send email to: info@hollyhockbichons.com or Call Deb Gibb: 858-531-2890