Big Milestones at Three Weeks
The puppies turned three weeks old on Sunday. Everyone now has their eyes fully open and has started walking right on schedule. This stage is a bit of a mixed blessing. It’s exciting to watch them develop and explore their world, but they’ve also discovered mischief and are definitely keeping us on our toes.
Another big milestone this week is learning to eat from a bowl. As you can see in the photos, we’ve started the weaning process from Ginger, and the puppies quickly figured out that food from a bowl is both delicious and fun. While they are walking and even trying to run, coordination is still a work in progress. When they approach the food bowl, most of them simply walk right into it and eat with their front paws planted in the dish. It’s adorable to watch, but definitely messy to clean up.
Growth and Development
With the change in diet, the puppies are now getting more fat and protein, and it shows. Each puppy experienced a growth spurt of roughly 300 to 400 grams this week, and nearly everyone in the litter now weighs over two kilograms, or about 4.4 pounds. To put that into perspective, they are now six to seven times their birth weight at just 21 days old.
Early Personality Notes
Their personalities are still developing, but here’s what we’ve noticed so far.
Red (male) was the first to figure out how to eat from the bowl. He is very mellow and never gives us a hard time when it comes to nail trims or cleanup time.
Orange (female) loves to snuggle. She’s happiest wrapped in a blanket or tucked underneath the puppy pile. Since the puppies sleep in one big group, she always finds her way to the bottom.
Green (male) enjoys being held and prefers to be close to your body when picked up. He’s also a true mama’s boy and gets extremely excited whenever Ginger enters the room.
Brown (male) and Purple (male) are big and goofy and are the two largest puppies in the litter. They are always the first to arrive at the dinner bowl and the last to leave. They aren’t shy about nudging their siblings out of the way to make sure they get their fair share.
Pink (female) shows strong maternal instincts already. When another puppy cries, she’s often the first one there to check on them. After meals, she helps Ginger clean up the group, licking and grooming her littermates who are usually covered in food.
Aqua (female) was the first puppy up and walking around the whelping box. She became mobile very quickly and continues to be curious and active.
Yellow (female) loves to sleep on her back with all four paws in the air, which is a great sign of a relaxed and content puppy.
Lime (female) is very social and enjoys playing with her littermates. She’s comfortable interacting with everyone and should do very well in a home with other dogs or cats.
More pupdates coming soon as these Red Fox Labrador puppies continue to grow and discover the world around them.
