Pups 7 weeks old

Wow, where did 6 weeks go?
It seems like the weeks are just flying by.
The puppies are doing just great.
They have had their nails trimmed, they have got new collars and they have had a deworming.
Next week they will be off to the vet for vaccinations and check overs.
They got to hang out with some people who came to the sheep shearing course.
What they did not like was that I locked them up in their original whelping kennel.

Our "system" right now is that the pups have the heated part of the barn, during the day the door to the part where the ewes and lambs are housed remains open, so either the sheep can come into where the pups are, or as the pups go exploring and expanding their world more, they can go out to the sheep.

The heated side is to the left, door allows access to the larger pen to the right. Sheep, lambs and puppies can come and go.

Hanging onto mom.

The pups like to have some peace and quiet and hang out in the lambing jugs, however the ewes will always check it out just in case some grain appears in the pen. A tight fit at times.

The pups are closed into the heated side at night, simply to keep them safe.
In the mornings the door is opened and the pups have free range.
Now, 95% of the ewes are actually sweet to the pups, many are very curious and like to check the pups out.
A few are nasty and the pups soon learn to avoid the mean ones.
The lambs are fearless and are incredibility curious to meet the pups, sometimes there is a lamb mob around a pup.
As long as the pup is not in distress, I just let them figure out what they need to do. I have to because the lambs and pups are with each other all day, I am only there during feeding, chores and puppy snuggle times.

Here are the photo's from today.

This is a ewe that will head butt a puppy. It pays to be careful.

Door closed...

door open..

Who, watches over who?