Mielikki's puppies are thriving while Keena's puppies are no-shows

A couple of days ago we took Keena to a vet to verify whether she carried any pups. Unfortunately, she did not. We have had our doubts for quite a while now. She looked pregnant at 5-6 weeks but then stopped expanding. I thought that she might carry two puppies, but it was not the case. It was disappointing, that's for sure, especially for people on our waiting list.

On the other hand, good news about Mielikki and her puppies. The pups are doing  really well, and Mielikki is a Super Mom, who keeps pups' bottoms absolutely clean. Puppies are a week old now and they doubled their weight. We gave them names, which will be their registered names:
Boys:
Urho - blue
Uncas - red
Girls:
Ursula - green
Utah - yellow
Uma - white
Uschi - pink
Uta - no ribbon

The whelping box is in my den so I have a chance to watch, hear and hold puppies as much as I want to. Mielikki does not mind sharing them with us. Over the years I have seen various types of canine mothers. Some are very protective of their pups and watch you like a hawk when you touch them. They bark at any dog on the other side of the door. Mielikki is not like that at all. She certainly pays a great deal of attention to what happens to puppies, but she does not mind at all when we play with them or she hears other dogs running through the house. She is a real "people's dog" and craves our attention. When she sees us in the morning, she is incredibly happy! Often I just get into the whelping box - she really enjoys being in my lap while the pups nurse.

Mielikki is not a voracious eater, and for the first few days it was a challenge to find nutritious food that was to her liking. Right now her favorite is Omas Pride's raw mix of chicken and veggies, and today she inhaled several bowls of it. Of course, her appetite has been increasing while pups have been growing and drinking more milk.