Dam: IntCH CH Hollyhock Dazzle And Delight “Dee Dee”
[View Pedigree] [View OFA Health Certifications] [View Dee Dee’s Photo Gallery]Sire: IntCH GCH CH Hollyhock Alfa Romeo “Romeo”
[View Pedigree] [View OFA Health Certifications] [View Romeo’s Photo Gallery]
More photos from home — Jack, Cooper, Casey, Reno, Molly
Photos sent from their new homes — Jack, Cooper, Casey, Reno, Molly
Molly, Pink girl, is adjusting to the cold and snow of Utah and her parents report she is totally housebroken and does her business outside even with the snow on the ground! Reno and Cooper are the dynamic duo that live fairly close by and we hope to engage with them for playdates as often as possible. Jack has figured out he’s not going anywhere and is fitting right in with the daily routine of the Gibb pack. Next year we hope to see Cooper and Jack in the show ring. As their new owners share photos with us we will post them here every couple of months so you can continue to watch this litter grow up.
The eleventh week — The Departures
Time has flown by and now it’s time for the babies to make their way to their new homes. Molly (Pink) will be the first to go…heading to Utah. Deb will fly her there. Next Cooper (Blue) and Reno (Purple) will depart, but not too far away from us here in San Diego county. Jack (Green) is still undecided and is likely to remain on the staff at Hollyhock pending his future show potential. This litter diary will only be updated periodically as we receive photos from the pups in their new homes.
The tenth week — The 4 Musketeers
It was a busy week with Tessa and Sparkles delivering their first litters only 5 days apart. Weekly baths for Dee Dee’s pups happened a day late and we did not have time to take many photos and videos of these 4 musketeers. They continue to enjoy their outdoor time and having more “run of the house” time when they are inside. They are taking shorter naps and they are now experts at the doggie door so we have to keep a close eye on them when they are wandering about. This week’s video is short, but you can see how much they are growing. They are now into the stage where they like to dig and tear things up…oh joy!
Week 10 Playtime (duration 4:53)
The ninth week — More car rides and first puppy shots
This week we said goodbye to “Red”, who is now part of a litter of girls with one of our breeder associates. Lucky boy. Watch for Red in the show ring next year. The remaining four will soon be on their way to their forever homes. We still have a few more grooming lessons and some leash training to start them on. Blue (Cooper) and Purple (Reno) will be going home together. Green may be staying with the Hollyhock crew and Pink’s forever family is yet to be determined. We introduced the pups to the pool this week, but they were not very interested. They would rather explore the yard. They did get their first baths in the big dog tub and they did really well. Stay tuned for the videos. Enjoy the videos…they have the run of the house and yard about half the day.
The eighth week — Car rides, Microchips and show prospect evaluations
The pups are really showing some independence this week. They have become accustomed to going outside after every meal and after every nap. Some meals and naps are outside depending upon the weather. We did more car rides including a longer ride to get their microchips. They did great on the ride AND getting their chips. No one complained at all. They are loving the time we let them out of the kennel when they have freedom to explore the yard or the inside of the house. We made pretty good progress teaching them the doggie door and they are excellent at going potty on the grass pads if they are indoors. That makes cleaning up after them so much easier. They are smart puppies. Toward the end of the week we introduced the ball pit, which was a bit hit. We will add more balls next week. We ended week 8 with our “show prospect” evaluations and have assigned families to a few of them. Next week we hope to introduce them to the pool if the weather cooperates. Stay tuned!
The seventh week — Finally, more time outdoors
The playtime got more aggressive this week and with their baby teeth coming in, we heard more squeals from the pups. More teething tools were introduced, including hard kibble and cream cheese lathered toothbrushes. Teething bones were also a hit. Their play area was expanded and they got a larger crate so they could all sleep together, and they also got a large snuggle bed. They had lots of outdoor time this week and we had visitors just about every other day. Winston and Bailey from our May litters came back for a visit and the families were a big help with socialization time. They are getting more confident following us around the yard, but they also like the confinement of their outdoor pen where they have their familiar cot to hide under if they are uncomfortable or are ready for a nap. Next week we hope it’s nice and we can introduce them to the pool. Pink has been curious about that. This week’s videos are quite long and may bore you. I just did not have time to edit them down…so, think of them as a webcam spying on the little tykes. You will see how they progress throughout the week and have figured out that after every meal and every nap that get to go outside. They love their “walkabouts” in the yard. It is also helping with potty training. Next week they should be able to master the doggie door and have even more freedom.
The sixth week — Wrestlemania and first haircuts
With the Christmas holiday guests gone, it was a fairly quiet week. The weather did not cooperate and it was too cold to spend much time outside, however, the pups enjoyed some new experiences every day and their personalities continue to give us clues that will help us match them to the right families on our waiting list. Their coats are really growing nicely and it was time to give them their first haircuts…so, no more hamster videos! This week’s video is LONG, but watch it to the end and you will see their new haircuts and pretty little bodies at around the 25 minute mark. As usual, I took too many photos and too much video, so I apologize. They are just getting too cute and I couldn’t help myself. Some of their new experiences this week included chewing on new things (their baby teeth are starting to come in) and they LOVE their daily toothbrush and cream cheese exercises. They are also eating three times a day and mostly real food (My Perfect Pet) and bone broth. They are drinking from the water bowl and so far no one is following Dee Dee’s lead of putting their entire face or body in the bowl. Potty training continues, and we introduced the grass on top of the pee pad. That is harder for them to understand because they see grass as a place to play…but we’ll get there. The good news is that they know that the pee pads are at the far end of their sleeping and playing area and they are getting better at going there to do their business. They are playing more aggressively and no one appears to be emerging as a bully. Green is a little spitfire and Pink holds her own with all of the boys. So, sit down with your favorite beverage and enjoy the long video when you have half an hour to watch puppies play.
Wrestlemania (duration 35:35)
The fifth week — Socialization and real food
With the Christmas holiday in full swing, the puppies had lots of socialization opportunities. We had visitors nearly every day, including some toddlers. The pups seemed to enjoy the cuddling…and they napped well after people were gone. We enlarged their play area again and introduced their cot and a designated pee spot. We are trying to teach them to go only along the back side of their enclosure. They are now eating real food with their goat’s milk three times a day and DD is still nursing them in between meals and during the night. This week’s training exercises involved introducing them to some deliberate “startle” type noises and some larger toys. Friday was bath day, and this week they got their first bath and a bit of light exposure to the blow dryer. They are starting to look like little hamsters or guinea pigs. Next week they may get their first haircuts…we’ll see.
A larger play area and bigger toys (duration 19:36)
The fourth week — Introducing their crate and learning drink from a bowl
This week the puppies became pretty steady on their feet. We enlarged their play area and by the end of the week they were running around…not just walking and stumbling. We introduced them to their crate and they loved that. They got their first car ride and will get more of those to make sure they are good travelers. Dee Dee and Deb need a Starbucks at least 2 or 3 times a week so that’s a great excuse for a ride into town. Toward the middle of the week we introduced them to a bowl of milk and next week we will introduce food. Dee Dee will continue to nurse them for several more weeks. Nursing and napping are still the primary pastime. We stream baby lullabies during nap time. They continue to have human visitors and lots of cuddle time.
Playing with each other and with toys (duration 27:33)
The third week — Learning to walk
The puppies are all approaching the 2 pound weight mark and are all about the same size. It’s so cute to see their personalities beginning to emerge as they can see and hear the world around them. Linda moved them to a larger play area and by the end of the week she transitioned them to Deb’s house. They can now crawl in and out of their bolster bed and they typically pee as soon as they wake up from a nap. Potty training has begun! Soon the weaning process will begin and Dee Dee will stop cleaning up after them. Deb and Tom will be on “poop patrol” for the little tykes. Oh joy! The video this week is pretty boring as they are not fully mobile yet. Next week’s rendition should be more interesting.
Learning to walk and discover the sites a sounds of their new world (duration 4:57)
The second week — Baked Potatoes !
Linda continues with the Early Neurological Stimulation exercises for the pups and they continue to nurse and gain weight. The transformation this week has been remarkable and they all weighed in at over a pound. No more “tater tots” in this little batch of babies. By Friday, their eyes and ears were starting to open. They are becoming more vocal as they start to hear the noises of their surroundings. Next week they should be starting to travel around and get up on all four legs.
Eyes and ears are starting to open (duration 3:36)
The first week — Early Neurological Stimulation Exercises begin
Linda took Dee Dee and her pups to have their dew claws removed this week and then they began their Early Neurological Stimulation exercises. They have nearly doubled their birth weights and don’t do much other than nurse and sleep…and plump up. We refer to them as little tater tots this week. Next week they will become little baked potatoes! As they become more active and once their eyes and ears open up, 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
Dee Dee and Romeo welcomed 4 boys and 1 girl to the Hollyhock Bichon family the morning after Thanksgiving. She delivered her babies in about 3 hours with absolutely no stress or complications. Dee Dee just loves having babies and is a great mommy. She gobbled down a little snack and then we took her and her babies for a quick trip to the vet for our birthday wellness exam. The vet just loves our puppy visits and Dee Dee seems proud to show off her litter. Dee Dee and her babies are nursing at momma Linda’s house and will begin their puppy exercises after they get their dew claws removed this week. Stay tuned to this page (bookmark it now) for weekly updates and follow the development of this litter.
Watch the video of the very active puppies just minutes after they were born (duration 0:53)
Questions? Send email to: info@hollyhockbichons.com or Call Deb Gibb: 858-531-2890