Pine Tree Hill Farms

Pine Tree Hill Farms Pine Tree Hill Farms ™
Pine Tree Hill Farms Border Collies
Taupo, New Zealand
Farm Raised & Family Loved

**THREE WEEKS OLD 🦁🤍**The Lionheart litter are 3 weeks old today, and all 11 puppies are continuing to track beautifully...
24/08/2026

**THREE WEEKS OLD 🦁🤍**

The Lionheart litter are 3 weeks old today, and all 11 puppies are continuing to track beautifully on their growth curves.

There is officially **a whole lot more puppy than Pippa now** 😂 and she has done an incredible job. As weaning begins, she is naturally spending more time away from the litter while the puppies start learning that food can come from somewhere other than Mum.

They’ve now had their first slurry meals, their ears are open, and today marked their **third day of controlled loud-noise exposure**.

ENS & ESI finished on the 19th, with scents including rosemary, leather, pine bark… and we finished strong with **sheep wool**. 🐑😂 Safe to say, that one got some serious nose action.

Tomorrow their world gets even bigger again as they move into the **big puppy nursery** and meet their first **real-grass potty box**. Perfect timing too — they’re already instinctively moving away from their sleeping area to toilet. 🌱

Three weeks is such a fun stage. They’re starting to explore, interact, hear, play and show us tiny glimpses of who they’re becoming.

And for those on our vetted list — there is still room to express interest in a Lionheart puppy. We are matching puppies to homes based on temperament and lifestyle, not first come, first served.

www.pinetreehillfarms.co.nz🤍

21/08/2026

Their world got a little bigger today. 🥹🤍

I had actually planned to introduce the Lionheart puppies to their first taste of food on Monday, when they turn three weeks old.

But sometimes, the puppies — and their mum — tell you when it’s time.

Pippa has done an absolutely phenomenal job raising 11 puppies.

For nearly three weeks, she has been their entire source of nourishment.

Eleven little bodies growing every single day.

Eleven hungry mouths.

And an enormous physical demand on one very devoted mum.

Over the last few days, Pippa has naturally started choosing to spend longer periods away from the litter and becoming less enthusiastic about nursing for long periods.

And I’m listening to her.

So today, just a few days earlier than planned, the Lionhearts had their very first introduction to food.

Their puppy kibble was soaked with warm water and puppy milk, then blended into a very smooth, soft slurry.

And I genuinely wasn't sure what they would think.

Turns out…

they thought it was AMAZING. 😂

Spirit and Ember were straight in.

A few others needed a tiny taste from my finger before the penny dropped…

…and then there was absolutely no stopping them.

Eleven tiny puppies.

Food everywhere.

On their noses.

On their paws.

On each other. 😂

And afterwards they all proceeded to lick one another clean.

Then Mum came back in, inspected the situation and finished the clean-up herself. 🤍

This isn't the end of nursing.

Not even close.

It is simply the very beginning of their transition toward eating independently — while allowing Pippa to gradually step back at a pace that feels comfortable for her too.

She has given these puppies everything for the past 18 days.

And she deserves for us to start helping carry some of that load.

Today was only one small meal.

But it was another very big first for our Lionhearts. 🦁

And judging by their reaction…

I think they're going to enjoy this next stage. 🤍

www.pinetreehillfarms.co.nz

20/08/2026

And just like that… they’re starting to look like puppies. 🥹🦁

The Lionheart Litter are 17 days old today, and the difference just three days can make at this age is incredible.

Their eyes are all open now.

Their little legs are getting stronger.

They’re beginning to toddle rather than crawl.

They’re noticing their littermates.

And we’re starting to see those tiny moments of interaction that tell us the neonatal chapter is well and truly coming to an end.

This next stage is such a special one.

Over the coming days, their hearing will continue developing, their movement will become more coordinated, and their world will suddenly become much bigger.

For now, though, there’s still plenty of sleeping, feeding, wobbling…

…and falling over. 😂

I never rush this stage.

There is so much development happening behind the scenes, and our job is simply to support it with gentle, age-appropriate experiences while allowing each puppy to develop at their own pace.

17 days earthside. 🤍

And the Lionhearts are waking up.

Which puppy do you find yourself watching for every time I post? 👇

www.pinetreehillfarms.co.nz

17/08/2026

Two weeks old today. 🦁🤍

Somehow, our 11 tiny Lionhearts have already been earthside for a whole fortnight.

And what a difference two weeks makes.

Two weeks ago, their world was almost entirely made up of warmth, touch, scent, milk and Mum.

Now, little eyes are opening.

Their movements are getting stronger.

They are becoming more aware of one another.

And very slowly, their world is beginning to get bigger.

Over the next week we will start seeing some of the most exciting changes yet as they transition out of the neonatal stage and begin interacting much more with their environment.

This is also a very important milestone in their journey here at Pine Tree Hill Farms.

Today, the Lionheart Client List officially opens to our Pine Tree Hill Farm Puppy Families ❤️

There are 11 puppies and 11 client places within this litter.

Joining the Client List does not mean choosing a puppy now.

There is still so much we need to learn about each of these little personalities first.

Over the coming weeks I’ll continue observing their development, confidence, engagement, energy, resilience and individual temperament through our Pine Tree Hill Puppy Curriculum™.

Client families will meet the litter at approximately six weeks.

Formal temperament testing takes place around seven weeks.

And final matching happens between seven and eight weeks, based on temperament, lifestyle and family suitability.

Because the goal has never been simply to find a home for each puppy.

It is to find the right home for each puppy.

But today?

Today we’re simply celebrating 14 days of these beautiful little Lionhearts. 🥹

Happy two weeks, babies. 🦁🤍

www.pinetreehillfarms.co.nz

16/08/2026

Named after Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky, often known simply as the Dog Star. ✨

It felt like the perfect name for one of our Lionheart boys — and in this moment, he was completely oblivious to his celestial namesake, fast asleep and dreaming while the rest of the litter snoozed peacefully behind him.

Tiny paws twitching, little breaths, and who knows what a 13-day-old puppy dreams about. 🥹

For now, our Sirius doesn’t need to shine very brightly at all. He just needs to sleep, grow, and be little. 💙🐾

www.pinetreehillfarms.co.nz

16/08/2026

Ranger is officially the first Lionheart puppy to open his eyes. 🦁🤍
At 12 days old, the litter is beginning one of those tiny developmental transitions that feels enormous when you’re watching it happen day by day.
Ranger’s eyes began opening yesterday, three more puppies are now starting to follow him, while the remaining seven are still completely closed — and that is perfectly okay. They’ll each get there in their own time.
For almost two weeks, their world has been largely one of warmth, touch, scent, milk and Mum. Opening their eyes doesn’t suddenly mean they can see the world clearly; their vision is still very immature and will continue developing over the coming weeks.
But it marks the beginning of a whole new stage.
Soon, they won’t just feel their little world around them… they’ll start discovering it. 🥹🐾

www.pinetreehillfarms.co.nz

13/08/2026

There’s something about walking the dogs in the rain. 🌧️🐾

The air is still, the world feels quieter, and every scent seems richer somehow. Wet grass, damp earth, pheasants, hares… the dogs’ noses were working overtime while I just soaked up the calm of it all.

No sunshine needed. Just a fine drizzle, good dogs, and one of those walks that leaves you feeling better than when you started. 🤍

www.pinetreehillfarms.co.nz

25/04/2026

This week's Head Start focus has been all about building confidence through small, positive steps.
The puppies have worked on their leash introduction, continued building their understanding of the wait command, they love explored the swing which is fantastic for body awarenessand balance, enjoyed the crisp sunny mornings, and then settled into those important recovery naps beautifully.
At this age, progress is not about perfection. It is about creating calm, confident little learners who are learning how to think, pause, follow guidance, and recover well between each new experience.

Tiny steps, big foundations. 🐾

www.pinetreehillfarms.co.nz





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