For the first several days we will periodically use the incubator to keep the pups warm and receiving oxygen and the proper amount of humidity. This is a time for mom to get a little rest.

Pegasus taking a little after dinner snooze with mom.

The pups are weighed every day, sometimes twice a day, to make sure that they are gaining as expected. This picture shows Sky being weighed and, if you look closely, you can see that her eyes have opened, which normally occurs around 12 - 14 days.

The pups got their first taste of puppy food on their third-week birthday. From all accounts they loved the new food.

Even when mom will not lay down to feed the pups find a way to get what they want. Standing up is always an option.

At five weeks the pups are now in their largest pen, measuring 6’ x 6’. They have a crate to sleep in if they want and more room to play.

Sage out with the pups and the pups have but one thing on their mind…

This is Phoenix - while not the mythical bird she does have ears that flap like wings at times.

This branch came off of one of our trees when a tornado recently went across our property. The pups use it as a playground.

The pups were trying to figure out how to get to the other side. They finally realized that climbing over would be a little hard so they went around.

On the left is one of the x-rays taken to count pups about a week before they were born. As you can see, it was pretty obvious that there were at least eight pups but we thought there may be another pup or two hiding in the mix. Below you see the eight pups just hours after they were born. Mom is catching up on some needed rest and and the pups are busily getting their bellies full.

This litter’s naming scheme is a compilation of the names of various

horses from the CBC TV show, Heartland.

By birth order they are:

Bailey - Blue collar Phoenix - Pink collar Copper - Orange collar

Apollo - Red collar Ghost - Green collar Cisco - Yellow collar

Sky - Light blue collar Pegasus - Purple collar

If you can’t find Bailey in the picture, look closely at the pup under

Phoenix and you will see a hint of his blue collar.

They are two days old here and doing great. Weights are increasing and they are beginning to fill out some.

The pups quickly graduated from sharing a platter of food to having their own individual bowls. It can be an effort to keep each of them in his or her own bowl but it is worth the effort.

Snack time is over so it is on to playtime

Ghost is practicing his “hold” for down the road when he has to fetch birds

Bailey and Phoenix are on the left (above) and Apollo and Pegasus are on the right. We presume they are comfortable.

The pups are two weeks old now and have certainly grown as expected. On this day they had their first worming and their second toenail trim. What a way to spend your birthday.

A short video showing the progress the pups have made during their first three weeks of life.

The pups moved out of the whelping box and into a pen at the age of four weeks. This is their first pen measuring 4’ x 4’. They now have litter pans to use and a water bowl, since mom is not always with them.

Here you can see just how well and quickly the pups are developing. Just a few weeks earlier they fit in the palm of our hands, they could not see, hear, or walk and now look at them.

It is not easy to herd a litter of pups and walk them around the property but we manage.

Check the video below for proof.

A little side eye there from Copper. It seems as though she was not too fond of bath time

The pups like the dried maple leaves because they crinkle and are fun to carry around when they get one loose.

Pegasus was not giving up but finally looked around for help and realized that help was not coming.

The pups now walk on the farm about twice a day. This shows some excerpts from that walk.