The pups did fine with the dew claw removal yesterday, but the experience was hard on Maggie. She stayed in the car with the air conditioning running and barked and whined the whole time...my daughter and I stayed in the car with her, but Maggie's eyes were fixed on the door where I took the pups in. It still amazes me how strong the maternal instinct is...in humans and in animals. Maggie knows that the pups need her completely right now and they are the only thing she thinks about. When the pups start opening their eyes and moving around more, she will spend less time with them. I start feeding mushed up puppy kibble at about 2.5 weeks of age and that is another indicator for Maggie that the pups don't need to nurse quite as much. She usually sleeps outside the puppy pen to keep an eye on them, but she is also comfortable hanging out with family for awhile. The pups don't need to nurse after 6 weeks of age and they are eating softened puppy kibble well at that point. Maggie won't be sleeping with them anymore, but she still will let them nurse briefly when they chase her down...!
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