Jairkingsly Labradors

Poppy slipped into her new role as a mum with the grace of a swan, feeding her puppies and tidying up after them like a pro. We made sure to spoil her in return, feeding her ensuring she had everything she needed, even though her coat took a bit of a hit. But I suppose that what happens when you’re sharing your nutrients with your little ones! For the first two weeks, it was a non-stop cycle of munching and snoozing. But at around the 10-day mark, we noticed some sneaky movement behind their close eyelids, it felt like an eternity, but it was probably just a few days before their eyes finally popped open, revealing those adorable blue peepers taking in the world, along with their button noses that began to grow too, it was definitely a magical time watching them start to grow and take in their new world.

Next up the puppies were on a mission to find their feet. They’d ‘scoot’ around trying to stand, and over time, they got steadier, it quickly became clear to whelping box was no longer their palace! Now the fun was beginning.

By the time they hit the 4-week mark, each puppy’s personality was beginning to shine through. They started munching on puppy food, softened with water and blended for easy eating, alongside Poppy’s milk. Every morning we would dash down stairs to see how many escape artists had made it into the kitchen, often leaving us with little ‘presents’. Trust me, stepping into wet patches on the kitchen floor isn’t the ideal way to start the day, but the joy and laughter they brought us far outweighed any inconvenience! Each day brought a new adventure, we cherished every moment of their development.

Around this time, Poppy began to venture out a bit. At first, it was just to join me in the living room or outside, but the tiniest peep from the puppies would have her back in a flash. Then she started going to ‘work’ for a few hours, always letting us know when it was time to return to her little brood.

With the spring days getting longer and warmer, we spent plenty of time in the garden, watching them explore. It was a delightful experience and their first lesson in outdoor toileting.

Tilly was mostly coping, as long as the puppies were busy entertaining each other. One memorable moment was then she was in the kitchen minding her own business, only to find herself surrounded by a puppy mob eager to play. Puppies have the sharpest of teeth, sometimes known as “shark teeth”, so instead of making a break for it, she stood like a statue, much to our amusement. We came in to rescue her and whisked her away to ‘safety’.

As I mentioned before, finding out the sex of puppies at birth is tricky, so it’s best to wait a few weeks. We discovered we had three boys and two girls. Let me introduce you to them:

Jairkingsly Briar Rose, Jairkingsly Betty Boo, Jairkingsly Bo Janlges, Jairkingsly Black Magic and last but not least Jairkingsly Blazing Star.