Day 49 Chinook Centennial Litter Pup-date

The puppies were only outside long enough to change the whelping box linens and papers early this morning and then rushed back in to a confined but healthier environment. Brief morning dampness suppressed the forest fire smoke but as the temp rose, the air quickly became intolerable. North winds brought the horrific Columbia Gorge and Mt. Jefferson fire smoke to our end of the valley adding to the smoke from the 40 local forest fires fires.
The Lind girls came over to help put away the party chairs, tables and supplies still outside. But, the air was too unhealthy for the exercise of moving everything to the garage attic so puppy entertainment became the task of the day.

Cedar also looking for some lovin'.

I can honestly say that the puppies are 99.9% paper trained in the whelping box area but that involves quickly covering pee and poo and then tamping the papers down. The puppies love the bathroom chore activities and scamper to grasp the hand that is placing the paper. New newspaper is fun to drag about and the tamper is fun to chase and occasionally used for rides. Kerstin mastering potty duty.

 The whelping box is divided into potty, dining and sleep/play areas.

 The sleep/play area can get a bit confined when humans are added.

Byrd and Washington wrestling in the "dining room" where unfortunately all three meals were scarfed down today.

A. found the squeaky-mat, much to the delight of everyone.

The rest of their day was spent with the boring: Eat-Play-Sleep-Repeat routine. I did throw in a pedicure for everyone (except me) and lots of puppy lap-time as I sat in the cool filtered air.