Week 3 - 8/23/2026

It is a whole new world for the Mighty 5 & Beyond litter this week!

Their eyes are fully open and everyone is using sight to see each other, Maybird, and the toys we've introduced to their living area.

Their ears are open and working. They've all been listening to lots of desensitization playlists to make them more comfortable with these sounds later in life. They've heard the vacuum cleaner, a blender, fans, cooking sounds, city sounds, sirens, fireworks, and thunder, both through a speaker and for real as monsoon storms have rolled through the past few days. They've listened to music, even some Grateful Dead, much to their human siblings' chagrin, though the dogs seem to enjoy it.

They have begun to get goat milk in a large saucer, and after the first attempt where they needed some help to know what to do, they are now all lapping away. Maybird loves the goat milk, not just for the way it gives her a bit of a break, but she is also always willing to clean the last bits up from the saucer and the puppies faces, paws, etc.

Their living space has doubled in size as we took down most of the boards from one side of the whelping box and enclosed it with some pet fencing. This was not just because they needed more space, but also because at least one, Zion (white), had managed to climb over the full height walls. Hopefully in time they'll begin to differentiate their sleeping area from their feeding and eliminating areas, as we've been doing a lot laundry with all the puppy pee.

They've also been given some comfy beds, though it is still a work in progress to figure out how a bed works. They are more fond of burrowing underneath the bed and sleeping half off of it than getting the full comfort experience. Not Reef (purple) though, she loves to snuggle and cuddle on the bed.

We've seen lots of playing the last few days. Cedar (orange) is the instigator of a lot of this. He pounces on the others, likes to wrestle and growl with Goblin (red) and Dino (green). Spike (yellow), Zion (white), and Canyon (brown) will play, but often sit back a bit and nod off to sleep a bit sooner as the others still go at each others faces mouths wide open. 

We'll continue the sound exposure in the coming weeks, though being aware of the fact that they can now startle, whereas previously they never showed a strong reaction to any loud sound. A clap or dropped pan will clearly startle them now, so for desensitization it is important to manage the abruptness and volume of sounds to ensure a good recovery response.

In the week ahead we expect their teething to kick up a notch. Some teeth are pushing through, but the chewing is, as of yet, not relentless. We've got toys at the ready for when they need something appropriate to chew on going forward. They'll also have their first mushy puppy kibble this week to further supplement mom's milk and give her more freedom from their non-stop desire to nurse.

The Utah Mighty 5 & Beyond litter (as always in order of appearance):