Let the hard work begin

The puppies are nearly four weeks old and up until now I have had very little work to do; it’s just been a case of cleaning the whelping box every morning and feeding Riska four times a day, with some puppy milk in between her meals to make sure she is able to produce plenty of milk without losing body condition, which is where my years of experience with dairy cows come in useful.
I started the pups on solid food when they were three weeks old; as you will see from the photo, I use a deep muffin pan to prevent them getting plastered in their dinner, as they are somewhat messy eaters until they get the hang of things. Their grandmother Shona has appointed herself as chief nanny and likes to give them a good wash after mealtimes.
This morning the puppies had a run round the kitchen for the first time and they were all very confident in their new environment. Their teeth are coming through, so they tested their effectiveness on my ankles while I stood at the sink washing up.
This week I have met several of the new owners and I have been very proud of Riska, who has been totally relaxed and pleased to meet them and let them have a look at her offspring.