Welcome to ITALIAN STALLION and HERRA’s litter page!

Parent Photos

Growth Updates 0-8 Weeks

Delivery Day

Congratulations everyone! Herra delivered 7 handsome males and 2 beautiful females. These puppies are absolutely phenomenal, exactly how we expected once AGAIN. Delivery started early Thursday afternoon and Herra finished late in the evening. It was definitely a long litter, but that was to be expected with a litter this size. Herra did great with each puppy birth. She cleaned each pup, stimulated them, and started pushing them towards her belly to feed. She is the BEST and absolutely loves being a mama. These puppies are perfect in every way!

Week 1 Update

Hello DKV family! Congratulations to you all. This is a very special litter…. All of our litters are special, but this one is proven and Italian Stallion and Herra just seem to be the perfect match. They definitely complement each other and truly produce some of the most beautiful offspring! What can I say, Herra is the best mother we could ever hope for. She keeps her puppies clean, she keeps them fed, and she keeps them warm. She definitely has her paws full and she truly enjoys it. There are a few females that you can truly tell love being a mama and I can tell you with 100% certainty, Herra loves to be a mama. 

During week 1, nothing much happens. It’s all about keeping the puppies fed every two hours and warm, warm, warm, since newborns cannot regulate or hold their body temperatures this young. Newborns sleep for about 22-23 hours a day. Yep! They wake up for a minute to nurse, and instantly fall back to sleep. Eyes and ears are sealed closed, so there is not much to witness yet. Angel sets him alarm every 2 hours and confirms each puppy is nursing during the first five days. I always write in week 1 updates that I do not Angel speak on the phone after a new birth because of his lack of sleep that first week. I never know what he will say. LOL.

Here are some photos from this week. They are chunky and healthy, just like we want them! Enjoy!

Week 2 Update

Hello DKV family! Sorry for being a day late with our update. Angel and I have been trying to get our yard work done before this storm comes by. I will try to get a picture of the babies this week, but for now, here is your update…

Welcome to week two. Mama is doing great and her babies are all perfect. I think I said it before, Herra is the absolute best mother. She is not only great at it, she loves being a mom. When she goes out to potty, she does it quickly and runs back in to her babies. She is always corralling her babies close to her to nurse. She even keeps them super clean at all times.

Puppies have finally opened their eyes. I say it with every litter… This is my absolute favorite week since there is nothing sweeter than seeing these babies look back at you for the very first time. The babies ears have also opened, so they now can hear all of the sounds around them. It’s sweet to see their heads pop up when they hear us walk by.

The first few weeks are very slow. Besides what I mentioned above, not much new has happened. Newborns this young sleep 95% of the day and we let them do what they need to grow and get strong. Since they cannot regulate their body temperatures yet, we don’t like to pick them up or bother them more than is necessary. They do best cuddled up to mama.

That’s all for now. Have a blessed week!

Week 3 Update

Hello DKV family! We have made it to week three. These babies are all doing great. Their appetites continue to grow and grow. Herra is a big eater normally, so you can only imagine how much her appetite has increased this last week just to keep up with these hungry monsters. I believe Angel is going to introduce some puppy shakes later this week. We usually do it after week four, but he feels it will be great for the babies now. This way, they can stay satisfied a little longer in between nursing, providing them with a fuller belly. 

Besides that, the babies are really growing and learning new skills. Mama tries to sneak to one side of the whelping box to get a break, but these puppies just know when she moves. As soon as she tries to sneak away, the puppies all waddle right over to her. Herra is impressively careful around her babies. When Herra comes in from a potty break outside, she walks into the whelping box and her babies attack her before she even lays down. Herra just freezes in whatever position she is in, and waits for the puppies to finish before she lays down. She is so careful to never accidentally step on one, which is quite impressive.

The puppies still sleep most of the day, as expected. However, when they are awake, we now hear them making sounds and some even do baby barks. They don’t have any interest in toys yet, but they will soon enough. Right now, they just eat, poop, and fall asleep in puppy piles. 

Look at how big these babies are getting. Next week, we will take individual photos for their 4 week update.

Week 4 Update

Hello, DKV family! Your babies are now four weeks old. Wow. Herra is still an amazing mama, and she is so protective over her babies. If she hears one of them fuss, she runs over quickly to make sure she has a close eye on them. She is the best mama ever.

The babies are still nursing on Herra, of course. But Angel has also introduced puppy food to the babies to help them stay satisfied a little longer. The first day it was introduced, they walked over to the food bowls and just began eating it like as if they were saying… finally! LOL. They definitely enjoy the extra meal.

We see the puppies becoming more confident each day and they are even beginning to be playful with each other. This first stage of puppy play is always so funny because it looks like they are in slow motion compared to a seven week old pup. At this age, they just paw each other or gum their siblings ear. It’s so gentle and slow and funny to watch.

That’s about it for this weeks update. Most importantly, I did take individual puppy photos! I know everyone cannot wait to see these babies up close. I am starting to get the photos online now. I will be sure to have them all posted by Sunday evening. Enjoy!

Week 5 Update

Hello, DKV family! Welcome to week five. These babies are definitely striving and I think you can clearly see the growth from week four to week five. This is what we meant when we said this is a proven combination. We know what to expect from Italian Stallion and Herra, and it is going to continue to get even better over the next three weeks.

These babies are still nursing on mama, but also eat softened puppy kibble twice a day in-between nursing. They are playing with toys and beginning to show their personalities. They are playful with each other and really look forward to when we come and take them out of their whelping box. They are beginning to explore and we can see how curious these babies are.

Overall, a productive week. We will begin to monitor their personalities more closely from this point on to learn more about each puppy individually, and to ultimately help our DKV families select the perfect DKV puppy for their home! Enjoy the photos.

Week 6 Update

Hello, DKV family! The puppies are doing great. Their appetites continue to be strong. They really enjoy nursing on mama and getting their extra kibble. Angel will be taking mama away this week, and this usually stalls appetites for a few days. Usually, puppies will refuse to eat in a protest for their mama back. After a day or so, they give into the kibble full-time. We will see how that goes this week.

Personalities are beginning to shine. All of the puppies are very playful. A few are obsessed with water. That will be fun when it comes to water bowls in the house. LOL. For the most part, all seem to show good confidence and curiosity, some slightly more than others. They are way more playful with each other this week. They are more in the pouncing mode, and enjoy wrestling with each other. All very typical for this age. 

This will be our final week of observing everything. Next weekend, I will post new individual photos, and we will begin the selection process. Once the selections are all completed, I will jump into paperwork and we will get the ball rolling on all the official stuff. It seems like a lot, but we will have it all done in a day or two!

I hope everyone enjoys their Labor Day weekend!

Week 7 Update

Hello DKV family! We made it to week seven. The babies are all doing terrific and they are just about ready for their new homes. They are eating kibble and drinking water exclusively now. They are all very playful with each other and their toys. All of the puppies are curious and love to explore the house. They are all social and enjoy being picked up. This litter has been extremely consistent when it comes to temperament and energy. There are no puppies that are overly aggressive of their food or show any signs of being overly protective of their toys. All puppies have play energy, so that is typical, but none are over-the-top. I would say all are pretty mid-range with energy. Again, this is what we expected, which is why we repeated this combination. All of the puppies are quite large and solid. Again, exactly what we expected. We will have exact weights after they go to the vet tomorrow. There are a few that enjoy the water a lot, and their are a few that are more quick to seek attention. Those small differences will be explained when we start the selection process tomorrow!!!

As stated above, the puppies go to the vet tomorrow. Once we have a clear bill of health for each puppy, we will officially begin the puppy selection process. Once our puppy selection is completed, I will confirm everyone’s pick-up method, send invoices for any needed transport options, and begin the paperwork. I will also send out lots of information so you will be ready to receive your puppy with all the information you need on general care, feeding, helpful tips, supply list, etc. I did take a photo and a video of each puppy. Enjoy!!!