Black's Turn, and Still Growing

Black: Doubling his birth weight at 3 lb 2 oz

It's finally Black's turn to double his birth weight.  Having been one of the biggest puppies at birth, it took him a bit longer, but his gains have still been steady.  He, like the others, is getting so strong!  He didn't want to cooperate with his portraits, doing his best to walk away.

Everyone is beginning to use their hind legs, even managing to be up on all fours for a moment or two at a time. They have been growing very well, and nearly everyone should double the weights they had at their due date at the next weight in.  In fact, Orange already has!  This has been a very fast gain, and is a super sign that the whole litter is doing fantastic.

I have done a lot of research into premature litters of puppies.  Keep in mind that a premature litter is VERY different from a so-called premature puppy in a litter born at their due date.  No-one knows why a single puppy in a litter might be born small or even apparently premature.  These single, under-developed puppies often do not grow well and never reach their potential.  However this is NOT the case of entire premature litters.  In fact I've spoken to numerous breeders from various breeds of dogs, and every single one has told me that the litter(s) that they've had that were premature turned out just fine.  They grew to the full size expected of their breed (including more than one Wolfhound breeder), and many went on to win Championships and performance titles.  Some of these litters were even more premature than Renee's litter.

So, with this in mind, there is no reason to not expect these puppies to grow into large, healthy Irish Wolfhounds.  Their growth rate is very good, and already they are catching up to what you might expect from puppies of their age in a full-term litter.  By the time they are 6 months + there will likely be no sign of their more difficult start in life.

I of course still stand by my health guarantee with these puppies, just as I would any other litter, and will be available as a resource to their owners throughout their lives.  These are super strong puppies to have made it this far despite all the odds against them.  Proof of just how strong the Wolfhound breed really is.

Finally, here are a few more photos of Black for your enjoyment.

If only I could get a hang of how to use these hind legs...

Foiled again.

Maybe I'll have better luck in this direction.