Kitchen chaos

The puppies are eating really well now, and Riska’s visits to suckle them are becoming less frequent by the day, so they are virtually weaned.
Their toilet training started nearly a week ago, and they are already pretty good at using the strip of newspaper at the back of the whelping box, as well as being clean overnight if I get downstairs before they wake up in the morning.
They spend their waking hours scurrying up and down the kitchen, which means that I have to move with a funny shuffling gait to avoid tripping over them or treading on their paws. The adult dogs take refuge in their beds and observe the antics with a mixture of horror and fascination, but it won’t be long before the pups are able to climb up and join them, which will call for a rearrangement of facilities. Their Grandmother Shona enjoys keeping an eye on them and giving them a wash, and in fact she now spends more time with them than their mother does.
My young friend Leah always comes and helps when we have puppies, and she is usually the first person to visit because my dogs know her well; she is worth her weight in gold because she is happy to sit quietly with them and let them come to her, rather than trying to pick them up.
The warm weather this week has meant that the puppies have been able to follow me outside, but they chill quickly, so it’s a matter of a quick run round picking up leaves and other treasures, then back indoors.
I have now registered this litter with the Kennel Club and their pedigree names are all Scottish freshwater lochs.