6 Weeks Old

At about 6 weeks old me and my sibs were getting too big to be kept in the inside pen where we were born...it was time to move outside to a much bigger pen built by my human, Kevin. Sure it was winter time (November) but we're St. Bernards after all, a hearty breed of dog bred in the Austrian alps. And even so Kevin'd also built a large doghouse big enough for all eight of us and heated. It was so much fun living outside, sleeping in a dog-pile with my brothers and sisters inside a cozy heated house, that I would often play until I dropped from exhaustion.

Here's a picture of me so sleepy I'm almost about to fall over.

5 Weeks Old

Here's a video and a pic of me after I've been alive for 5 weeks, eyes and ears wide open now, actively playing with my littermates, and now exploring the world around me. At this age we're all still pretty fearless, without a care in the world and, having experienced no pain or misfortune yet, willing to dive headfirst into anything that catches our eye.

Also at this point it is pretty clear I'm going to have what they call a "rough" coat. In this context "rough" doesn't mean coarse, it means my fur will be long and uneven. "Smooth" coats, which most of my brothers and sisters are, have relatively short, even fur. Smooth coat St. Bernards are often eroneously referred to as "dry-mouth" dogs, but there is really no such thing. All St. Bernards drool, but nowhere near as much as you've been told by TV or movies. We mostly only drool right after drinking. There are breeds who drool much more than we do.

3 Weeks Old

At three weeks old my eyes are only just opened, and my ears too. I still can't see or hear very well but I am starting to lift up onto my feet and walk around for a few steps at a time, instead of pushing myself along on my belly. I still don't do a lot more than drink milk, sleep, and go poop. But I am starting to play a little with my brothers and sisters, now, too.

My First Week

My eyes stayed closed for the first ten days or so of my life, my ears as well. But as you can see I was healthy and strong from birth. I wasn't the biggest in the litter, but I was by no means the smallest, either. It is hard to tell at this point what sort of coat I'm going to have, rough or smooth.

"Rough" coat does not mean coarse, it only means long, shaggy and uneven. It is actually the softer of the coat types. "Smooth" coat means short and even. There are also medium length coats covering a full spectrums of coat lengths. I should also mention that, while you've heard many people refer to a "dry mouth" breed of St. Bernard, there really is no such thing. On the other hand St. Bernards don't typically drool as much as you see in movies or on TV. If your Saint drools that much take him to the veterinarian - he isn't well. St. Bernards will drool most after they've drunk water, and they can drool while waiting for a treat, but other than that their drool typical stays in their mouths.

At any rate, at 1 week old I'm not drooling much. I mostly just drink mother's milk, sleep, and poo! :-)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!

I was born on October 4, 2011, the third of 6 boys and 8 overall puppies. That's me at the bottom of the picture. When I first popped out I took a few seconds to catch my breath and then started wiggling around trying to find my mom, sensing warmth and milk to drink. I couldn't see - eyes closed - or hear very well - ears closed - and of course I couldn't walk, so I pushed myself around by kicking my hind legs. I was wet and cold so when I found my mother's stomach it was a relief. Somehow I knew to look for somthing to suck on and when I found it started filling my belly with mother's milk.

It was an odd sensation, being born. It was colder and less comforting, but breathing air for the first time was a fun and unique experience. I could tell there were others around me - my brothers and sisters - and that was comforting too.

Of my litter, the biggest girl went to my sire's owner as pick of the litter, my other sister was given to a college coed as a Christmas gift, and the rest were sold. All but one, my younger brother Travler. He's a wonderfull puppy and he's still available to add to your family. If interested go to my mother's blog (http://Cocoa-Belle.BlogSpot.com) or email (Cocoa-Belle at Daydreamindustries.com) for details.

Come visit this blog often for more pictures and musings as I grow up, or better yet subscribe to my blog, above.