Puppy Pictures That are Too Cute to Resist

5 1/2 week old puppies are too cute.
I mean it.
Too cute.
They could chew up my favorite pair of shoes and it would be hard to get mad at that adorable little face.
That's how cute they are.
Because I have to be under the spell of puppy cuteness everyday, I am going to share some pictures to torture you as well. No one should have to suffer alone after all.

You are welcome for sharing this particular form of torture. You know you like it.

Momma Love

The puppies love their Momma, well, they mostly love her milk.

Weaning has been a bit challenging because Jinx is very patient with them and never growls or barks at them when they try to nurse. She might ignore them and walk away, but that doesn't seem to be a big deterrent. She is very sweet to them, allowing them to climb all over her and chew on her lips.

Jude (his new name!) is coming over for some snuggle time. 

Luna (that's her new name!) is getting some quality time with her Momma.

Is this not just too precious? 

Doing a little wrestling.

When the puppies nurse now, which is less and less, they are ridiculously vigorous. Jinx never even bats an eyelash, she just calmly lays there. 

Unless there is a ball around, then watch out puppies! 

Jinx with her "Ain't nobody got time for this" face.

I am sure Jinx isn't going to be too sad when all the puppies go to their forever homes. After all, they are stealing quite a bit of her attention. :)

Puppy Personality

As the puppies have grown, each one has begun to develop his or her own personality. Some of the traits we are seeing now we have noticed since they were teeny-tiny. Some things are developing as they grow. Here is a brief synopsis of each one:

Kisses: Since day 1 she has always been laid back and mellow. A super cuddler who would nap in any available warm lap. She is learning to defend herself with those spunky brothers of hers and gives as good as she gets. She is sweet and likes attention. No longer the runt of the litter in size, she keeps up with the boys in all areas. She tends to be more timid than the rest in new situations, but warms up quickly.

Peanut Brittle: Mellow is a good word for this guy too, he is one of the biggest boys, second only to Raisin. He tends to break away from the wrestling matches for a nap before the others. He is affectionate and playful, but seems pretty laid back. 

Pepper Jack or P.J.: First born in this litter, but not first in size, P.J. and Kisses are in a tie for smallest. P.J. is a spunky character. When the rest of his sibs are napping, he often thinks that makes it the perfect time to play! He is an independent thinker but loves to be held and snuggled.

Raisin: This guy is our independent one. He has always been the biggest and bravest. He is  not phased by new things, taking it all in stride.  He loves to wrestle his brothers and sister and then when he gets tired walks a few paces away to nap nearby. Not exactly the cuddliest, he is affectionate and playful.

Scotcheroo: 

 He looks like Snoopy with that round muzzle, and black nose. He is playful and very affectionate. He often crawls into my lap for some love or to play. He is not timid but not overly bold either. He is right in the middle for size. 

They are all great pups (I know I am biased). They are all learning to come when called and we no longer have a problem with anyone peeing inside the crate. I honestly think they will be great in whatever family they end up with. It has been fun to see their personalities develop as they have grown. This is a great age, they are so playful and fun to watch. Although they have gotten in many of their teeth and aren't afraid to use them! But when it is nap time, watch out, they crash and crash hard. I'm excited for their new families, I think they will be getting a great companion, but I'm going to miss these little guys. 

Labradoodles - On the Deck

One of our responsibilities when breeding puppies is making sure that they are well socialized by the time they go home with their new family. Socializing is all about exposing the puppies to new situations, sights, sounds and sometimes smells in a positive manner. We don't want our pups developing into timid or fearful dogs, exposing them to new things helps them learn to take new experiences in stride. The pups turned 4 weeks old this week so it is time to begin really expanding their horizons. We have of course already begun exposing them to many new things already but this week we are doing even more. 
One of the new things they got to do was walk on the deck. Since our adult dogs don't think anything of it, I didn't really think it would freak out our babies, but it did a little. At least a couple of them.  

Of course 'Raisin' is wondering what everyone thinks is such a big deal. He's telling his brother to 'chill out'.

Having momma Jinx around helped ease a few anxieties.

After all, these pups will endure anything for some milk.

Raisin is telling Kisses that it'll all be okay.

She isn't so certain. Of course she was also the first one to pee on the deck. Fortunately it is easy enough to wash off.

A little wrestling means that everyone is relaxing and getting used to walking on air.

Raisin is our fearless guy. The other puppies will all look for some comfort and come and cuddle. Not this guy, he has some conquering to do. 

P.J. is getting some lovin' from Tate.

Scotcheroo was a little timid at first and then he got the hang of it.

It's fun to introduce these little guys to new things. It doesn't usually take long for everyone to realize that it's all okay. They are getting braver, wandering farther away while exploring when they are outside. I love watching them grow. 

Labradoodle Coats

I know many of you have questions regarding what our Labradoodles might look like as they get older.  I have found a few websites that give a some good examples for you to look at. 
Because you are taking DNA from two different breeds, there are no guarantee's. Each of the puppies can develop a slightly different coat. 
But I think that is part of the fun.
Our pups will most likely have the 'scruffy' or 'fleece' coat. It is unlikely that they will be curly like a poodle. 
Here are a few examples of my best guess at what our pups will turn out like. This is just a guess based on research and looking at their baby coats. This is not a guarantee.

photo courtesy of dreamydoodles.com

photo courtesy of  labradoodlesbyleanne.com

Aren't they adorable?

A few things you should know about Labradoodles:
*Just like a poodle they can lose their 'puppy' coat at about 6 -14 months of age. A new, different type of coat can grow in at this time. 
*Their color can change as they age. It will be based off of their puppy color. For instance a chocolate puppy can grow up to become Cafe Lait, or brown with cream tips. Very cute! 
*F1 Labradoodles tend to have more of the scruffy, long haired lab look. Not necessarily the curly coat of a poodle. Although that could happen.
*No one can guarantee that your F1 Labradoodle will not shed. That would be a lie. The objective is to breed a large breed dog with the intelligence and train-ability of the poodle but the temperament, friendliness and overall great family companion that the Lab provides. Often, because of the poodle gene, this great family dog will shed less than a Lab. 
*No one can guarantee that they will be hypoallergenic. Shedding isn't the only thing that contributes to an allergic reaction to dogs. It has much to do with the dogs dander, or dead skin cells.
*Labradoodles tend to be fun, energetic, and intelligent dogs. They make wonderful family pets and companions. They do not make good apartment dogs. They thrive on activity and interaction with their family. 
Here are some websites with good F1 information and coat examples:
Tinkerdoodle - great pictures from Pup to adult
Dreamydoodles - a good review of Labradoodle history
Southern Charm Labradoodles - a good break down of the different coat types.
There is lots of great information here. Look around and learn all you can about this fun family dog. It might be that this is just the right breed for your family. 

First Taste of Gruel for The Labradoodle Pups

Recently it has seemed like the pups are hungrier than usual. Plus, Jinx is less interested than feeding them than usual.She takes great care of them throughout the night but daytime is another story. She just wants to have fun with us and be with us. Often I have to call her over to the puppies and lay her down to feed them. Once she gets there, she doesn't seem to mind nursing them, especially if I stay near and pet her. She does seem to be emptying out more quickly and I know the pups are consuming more. 
All of these factors made me decide it was time to begin the weaning process and introduce puppy food. It will take a few days for them to catch on and truly dig in and eat so I wanted to get started and help eliminate some of the feeding burden from Jinx's shoulders. Puppy gruel is just puppy food mixed with water, blended up so there are no large chunks and made watery enough to lap up.
I was amazed at how well they liked it! They all really surprised me with how well they licked it up and how much they took in. 

Here Tate is putting the gruel in the pen. 

A few of the boys immediately approached the foreign substance.

There was some sniffing and tasting.

Then came some good old fashioned chowing down.

You know what surprises me? That puppies naturally learn to lap up liquids. Cool huh? Because really, how would I teach them that?

Here's Scotcheroo. Not a huge fan of the new puppy pen.

"Let me ou-oooot!"

He also was leaning against the pen with long suffering. Look at his cute little messy snout after eating his puppy gruel like a boss!

Although the puppies are used to being contained, the outdoors are very different then the basement and these walls are see through, unlike the puppy pool. So their little worlds are expanding. 

Here's Mama Jinx. Feeding the pups is definitely more intense than it used to be. 

The pups will continue with their mushy puppy food for a while. I will slowly decrease the amount of water and they will slowly learn to chew as their teeth come in. 

Feeding time is a huge mess. Puppies have no idea that they are supposed to keep their paws out of the food. In fact I think they like eating it better when they are nearly submerged in it.

Fortunately, Jinx is happy to help with the clean up.

3 Weeks and The Puppies First Outdoor Adventure

As part of the puppies social development, exposure to the outdoors is important. Previously we have had them in a quiet room in our basement with a few forays upstairs. Sunday, I decided it was time to expose them to the great outdoors. As they get bigger, and messier, they will be spending more and more time outside. 
Their reaction to the outside was mixed. Mostly, it stressed them all out a little bit, but that is okay. We stayed near them the whole time to offer security. Although, when Jinx is near, all they want is milk! 

We introduced them to the grass first, but I was too busy to get any pictures. Sorry about that. A few of the boys tried tasting the grass to see if it tasted any good. I don't think they liked it. It was really sunny and warm in the grass and everyone was complaining. I moved them onto a blanket in the shade and that seemed much better to them. It could be that the bright light was also a bit harsh on their eyes. 

Here is Scotcheroo making sure we know that he isn't a fan of this adventure. 

Raisin however, took it all in stride. He was also the most adventurous, wandering the furthest away from the crowd. Fearless little beastie! Did you notice how he can sit up now?

Is it not the cutest thing you have ever seen?

They can all sit up and they all walk around like little drunken sailors. It's adorable. They are getting sturdier all the time. 

Scotcheroo decided to hunker down next to the basket and his brother. The outdoors weren't very interesting to him. He later walked over to me and snuggled up. 

Kisses did what Kisses does, she didn't stress out about it. 

P.B. explored a bit and didn't seem too bothered by the outside. 

P.J. however was very vocal in his dislike of being outside of his comfort zone. It won't be too long before he loves being outside.

We will keep taking them outside every day and lengthening the time they spend out there in their little puppy pen. It'll soon be a place they love to be.