Filling out

Ella continues to do well. She's plumper every day.

Two more pups were born during the night, bringing the total to seven. One mother was determined to have two pups to herself. She threatened, and even fought, with the other mother.

My observation is that confusion like this eventually sorts itself out. However, maternal-pup separation is the most frequent cause of pup death. Disputes like this can have serious outcomes for pups.