Babies are vet checked now!

Well our schnauzer puppies have visited the vet again, and got his OK, healthwise. Well, almost, there's only one small issue with one pup, but it's not a major health issue at all, and easily fixed.
Our the vet told me which puppies were the best, in his opinion, and I was slightly saddened that my Sunshine didn't get his vote - I was going by her temperament, he was going by heads. But our vet breeds dogs which have very strong heads, so that's his 'thing' I suspect. I do agree with what he said though, so I'll have to consider his words to some extent - he is a dog judge afterall! Temperament in the show ring is important, but correct breed type is just as important.
It's no good having the happiest, most confident dog in the ring, if the judge can't tell what it is! I can remember in the early years for my husband and I - some of those dogs left a lot to be desired on breed type issues - I'm not talking schnauzers here, but other breeds in the show ring. I'm not naming names at all here, and it's just my opinion anyway. I can remember one dog show whan a quite well known dog exhibitor told me our dog Ming was probably the soundest dog in the entire show - and she was a mutt! Gorgeous though.
The schnauzer babies are going well, getting wormed again later today or tomorrow morning. They still getting visits from their mother Nena, but I feel they're all kidding themselves to some extent. I doubt that she's got a lot of milk at this stage. The pups can go to their new homes within a fortnight, so we're looking for Nena's milk supply to dry up soon anyway. Purina ProPlan Puppy is all they need, milk from mum is just a bonus, and it's more about playtime anyway.

re the basket of goodies

These darling little babes all have their eyes open now, and they have been eating solids for two days now. Just a little bit, and Nena their mum is their main source of food, but my harder work is starting soon.
Looking at these little cuties, it's all worth it!
They will all have a name that starts with 'J' - I've been calling the big black pup Juggernaut, and the black girl Jezabel. We have a list, subject to change - there's plenty of time yet. And of course whoever ends up having a puppy in their life will name it whatever they choose. We just decide the pup's 'official' name.
Life is good!

Eyes wide open

Well, wide open is pushing it, but puppies have their eyes open a little bit as of yesterday. Some of them have eyes open a lot - the two black babes do, the little pepper & salt boy hardly open at all. This means it's weaning time!

This is always fun - how much mess will they make? Will they walk all through the food? Will I end up wearing the vast majority of the food? Will they take to the food as well as the Pharaoh Hound babies did earlier this year?

I'll report of the process in a later blog. We feed Purina Pro Plan, and that is what the Pharaoh babes took to so quickly - was it the food? Was it because they were Pharaoh babes, not Schnauzer babes? We'll see.