We can see - 2 weeks old!

The puppies started opening their eyes on Sunday, May 13th. Skor, our little black and tan, was the first. They just popped open. Gumdrop, our runt, was the last to open his eyes. As you can tell from the pictures, they aren't completely wide open yet. It's amazing how different their temperament is as soon as they can see. They are much calmer when you pick them up.

This picture really shows how much the puppies have grown when you compare them up against their mommy. Gumdrop is really catching up to his brothers and sister.

Skittles seems to change by the day. His snout is turning less black as his nose turns darker. It's like the black is being drawn out to the tip of his nose. He is so sweet and calm and likes to be held.

Skor is definitely the most mellow. He will lay on his back and just sleep in your hands or stare up at you. He is precious!



I am amazed that I could get a picture of Snickers. She doesn't like to be held at this point -- I'm sure that will change. She squeals and wiggles all over when you pick her up. She is still the biggest, but not by much. Her brothers are catching up with her.

This picture is a little blurry of Gumdrop because I couldn't get him to hold still long enough! He's growing like a weed. He has the most beautiful chocolate brown coat with rich tan markings. My favorite feature though is the long white mark down his chest.

I like this picture because it shows how different the coats are of the three dark puppies: red, brown and black. Skittles was eating during this picture.

Puppy pile - 1 week old!

Well, in about eight hours they will officially be one week old. Mandy is becoming less anxious about her new puppies and is leaving "the nest" more frequently for food and attention. It must be a drag to lay there all day nursing! We have been weighing the puppies every day to monitor their weight gain. They have all gained about four to five ounces. They have grown and wriggle so much that they don't fit in my Weight Watchers scale very well, so I think it's safe to say the official weighing is over unless I can acquire a more secure and reliable scale. We are all just happy that they are healthy and growing like weeds.


Much to the chagrin of a particular daughter (which shall remain nameless), I have named the puppies after candy, as suggested by my daughter Hailey. Here is our "little" girl "Snickers." She is the biggest puppy and a voracious eater!


"Skor" looks just like his half brother, Sam, our other dachshund from Mandy's first litter, right down to the little white star on his chest. He won't be even close to Sam's size when he's full grown. Sam ended up weighing 17 pounds - not even in the miniature category. Skor is precious - very calm and mellow.


"Skittles" is our little oddity. It's interesting to watch him change every day. His nose is turning black and he's getting more of a golden hue to his coat. We've had a number of people ask if he's an albino. He is not! His daddy is a piebald. He has a white coat with red spots. So that explains our creamy white puppy. They are very rare, and I am excited that we got one!



"Gumdrop" is the perfect name for our little runt. He is just so little and cute, but he's becoming quite feisty and knows how to fight for his food. He's doubled his birth weight, so I'm not worried.

The puppies are here!

After a long, grueling night, the blessed event concluded at 7 a.m. with Mandy delivering four healthy puppies: three boys and one girl. Each puppy is unique and different from its siblings. We always name our puppies while we have them so we won't be saying, "Hey, you!" Of course, the new owners can rename them. We like to follow a theme, such as a movie cast, German names, etc. At this point the puppies are unnamed because we can't agree on our theme. So I propose that everyone cast your vote for your favorite. Here are the choices:

1.Surfing brands: Roxy, Hurley, Burton and Reef
2.Hairspray (the musical): Penny, Link, Sketch and Fender
3.Bugsy Malone (the movie): Tallulah, Fat Sam, Dandy Dan, Bugsy
4.Famous Outlaws: Belle Starr, Black Bart, Jesse James and Billy the Kid

So everyone feel free to let us know what you think, as well as propose more themes. In the meantime, enjoy the new members of the fam!


The puppies are here. This is the first one that was born. It is a boy and he is a black and tan just like his mom. He weighed in at 6.5 oz. This little guy also has a white star on his chest.




The second one was also a boy and he is a solid cream color. He weighed in at 6 oz. He is a feisty little one!









The third one born was our only girl. She was the biggest, weighing in at 7 oz. She is a very pretty brown color.








Our fourth and last puppy is the runt, also a boy, weighing in at 4.5 oz. He is definately a cute little guy. He has a pretty brown coat with a white tummy.







Here is a picture of Mandy with all her little puppies chowin' down. They are actually in their birth order, from left to right. You can definately tell that the girl is the big one, especially next to the tiny runt. But they are all so precious!