Just One Pup Available

I am happy to report everyone in this litter is spoken for except one male. And there is the possibility one of the females may be available (I'll probably know for sure later this week.) I'm getting lots of inquiries via both email and phone, which is nice. Sometimes I wonder "is anyone out there" (like with the rescues!) but not with this litter. Also, my plans for the Fall F1 breeding of Brogue and Diamond AND my backcross breeding of Shadow and Emy has some interested followers. No, I'm not planning on starting a waiting list for either, but, as usual, will open a reservation list once a breeding is done and I'm sure there are pups on the way. That's worked out well for me since I started doing it a couple years ago, so I'm not going to fix what ain't broke!

For those of you waiting for Who-Doo info, I've got nothing. I did look at a Wheaten male who was 46 pounds, thinking he might be bigger (as in TALLER) than Brogue (who with his current full and heavy coat weighs in at 42 pounds.) But the other guy was just heftier, not taller. In fact, he could have been a tad shorter. IF Keogh (my Goldendoodle) comes into season AFTER Di and
Emy and one of them does NOT get bred, I may go with a surgical artificial insemination for her, but I don't want more than two litters at the same time. Gone are the days when lots and lots AND LOTS of puppies are still fun for me.

Nothing new and cute to report from Cotton's gang today. They ARE looking more and more like 6 week old pups... sort of like the difference between a 3 months old baby and a 6 months old baby... there is a certain amount of awareness now present. And they are gaining a sense of "self." All part of growing up!

Water at Last!

Let me tell you, it's true what they say about not missing something until you don't have it. Do you know how many gallons of water it takes to flush a toilet. And how often you have to do that every day? The dogs use a lot of water... especially as hot as it's been... and of course, it isn't raining much this week so I've had to water the tomatoes. Thank goodness I don't cook or even drink much water. But Walmarts revenues will be up this quarter and it will be because of the clear stuff in plastic jugs! It was sure nice to see the plumber's van pull into my driveway this morning. I was ready for him by 6:30 and getting nervous at 8 o'clock when he hadn't shown up yet. Yeah!

Pups eating mostly kibble
And Cotton isn't particularly pleased about it. She rushes back inside after she's been out in the yard a short time and wants in the pen right away. Of course, they all swarm her, but then a minute or so later, they're back to doing whatever they were when she interrupted. She goes and sits in the corner and I swear she pouts! She's still cleaning up after them, which is a big help for me. (I know, yuck. Lot's of nature is yuck!)

As of this minute, two boys are unspoken for BUT I had a ton of email and many phone calls over the weekend, so that probably won't last long.

Once everyone is promised, I'm going to help my friend with her puppies. We haven't figured out if I'm going to use HER email address and just answer inquiries from there, or if we'll change her website and ads to MY address or exactly how we're going to work it. The last time I did this, I think we used my address, but the memory, etc. Her pups just turned 4 weeks, so it will be another 2 weeks before they come to me. They're all blond too... well, several of them are reddish (like Wheaten pups at this age) but will lighten up. Will have to keep the litters separate unless I find it's easy to tell them apart (probably by size.) Oh boy! MORE puppies!

The Pups are Off and RUNNING

And so am I.

Puppies first... they have developed the need for speed. While they're not up for chases and "zoomies" yet, they're sure enough on their feet to try a faster pace. They're even getting good at stopping BEFORE the wall hits them... sometimes, in a heap when they trip over their feet, but stopped. All of them are eating well and all are still totally devoted to mom. They've also figured out that if they swarm around her feet when they hear me open the pen for her to get out, some of them can escape at the same time. So many got out at once yesterday morning, I lost one during the roundup. He came out from under the bed... where he's still small enough to walk upright... a few minutes after everyone else was re-incarcerated. So HE got to spend some time ON the bed with me. What a sweetheart! Cuddling is something they must know genetically!

Now for human problems. Gonna get humid later today and over the weekend. I'm NOT looking forward to that. And last night... middle of the night OF COURSE... I had a water pipe burst. The news has been talking about how hard the hot temps have been on the roadways and I guess it's the same for plumbing. You expect it... dread it but admit the possibility... in the winter. But not the summer. So, the water is shut off until the plumber can get out here. He was supposed to call "first thing in the morning" but when I didn't hear from him by 10, I called him. His wife said he was on a call and would try to work me in. But since it's Friday and I have SOOOO much running around to do (pick up newspapers, buy dogfood, go to the post office and then to the bank, stop at the grocery store, you get the picture,) I really couldn't just sit here and wait. I asked to be first appointment on Monday. So now, I'm adding "stop at son's house for quick shower" to my list of things to do in town along with "pick up 2 dozen gallons of water at Walmart." At least I wasn't planning to fill the pool this weekend... no, I don't have a pool, but it sounds inviting when I think about temps in the low to mid 90s!

Happy Birthday to Us!

Here we are (well as many as can fit at the fountain at one time) at exactly 5 weeks. I always say it looks like Cotton is being devoured by piranha pups!
Look at how their hair is getting longer and starting to fluff.

Later today, lots more pix on the website.

We're Big Kids Now

Yep, they've discovered "real" food. It was like one minute Mom was the only game in town and the next, McDonalds had opened up. Late yesterday, first one pup was in the food bowl and an hour later a couple others were. Today, it's crowded around the bowl.
In a couple days, I'm going to have to get the puppy pan down and start using it. Of course, Cotton is still the main source of nourishment, but that's changing rapidly. Soon she'll still be suckled but it will be for comfort rather than sustenance. I doubt she'll mind.

It's interesting that the switch happened in one step... usually pups start playing with the kibble, scattering it all over the pen, sometimes sucking on it. These kids just started eating it. I have noticed an inclination on their part to chomp down on my fingers when I'm holding them. Guess they're all teething a little early and chewing feels good. So far, haven't felt any little pricklies in their mouths.

And they're all wrestling with each other, growling ferociously. But they sound like mini buzzsaws rather than wolves!

Several boys and one girl are unspoken for. I'd like to get everyone promised soon as a breeder friend is having some medical problems and has asked if I can possibly help her with her pups who are about the same age as Cotton's. I hate turning her down but can't think of any way to screen and sell for myself and someone else at the same time. (About half her litter is sold, so it would only be a couple.) If she can manage until the pups are weaned (so I don't have to bring their mama here,) it might be doable.

My back is trying to go out... I've been in bed most of the day hoping the muscles will loosen up. Soon as it feels better I'll get some more pictures.

Things are Getting Back to Normal

I know some of you were worried, but everything... and you know what I mean... is getting back to normal. Color is less yellow and consistency is much improved. I checked the fat content on the puppy food... 18%... while on the Pedigree Adult it was just 10.8%. I'm going to keep Cotton on the Pedigree for a couple days and then start mixing in the puppy again. And the next time I'm at Petsmart I'll check out the fat content of a couple other puppy foods. This food has always been absolutely wonderful for the pups and I really don't want to switch to something else if it's not necessary. They're just about to the age when they're going to start eating it... 4 weeks today! And growing at an unbelievable rate. I'd like to get a shot of Cotton nursing them but every time I pick up the camera, she gets up and moves away.

Puppy Update and Other Stuff

First off, is there some internet thing going on that hasn't made the news yet? My host is down (for the website and for all those I'm maintaining... about 2 dozen.) The Brokeback forum is down. And another dog-related site I visit fairly often is down. I hate it when that happens!

The Puppies
Lots going on with these guys, both good and troublesome. Over the weekend they all got really yucky stool...
I guess I should post a warning: if you have a queasy stomach, move on to the next paragraph...
yellowish, brown liquid. This is highly unusual at this age since the pups are on just mama's milk. I decided to worm with Panacur, rather than Pyrantel, because Panacur "gets" a variety of internal bugs while Pyrantel pamoate only gets round worms (and yes, it's true, all... as in 99% of... pups have worms.) Panacur is a white chalky suspension and tastes terrible AND you give it several days in a row. Pups HATE it. But, I'm bigger than they are, so they're getting it. Yesterday, after I didn't see much improvement in their stool and the color was still very yellowish (indicating too much fat in their diet,) I changed Cotton back from the super high grade puppy kibble she was on to my normal adult dog food, Pedigree. We'll see how that works in the next couple days. AND because I still didn't see a lot of change this morning, I called the vet and asked about putting the pups on Albon, a sulfa based antibiotic that is used for a multitude of intestinal upsets. She said to give them the normal dose for several days. At least it tastes good, so they don't object!
Don't get me wrong, they are not sick. They're acting and apparently FEELING normal, which is great... can't think of anything worse than ELEVEN unhappy pups!

Okay, for the squeamish, you can come back now.
Here's what the gang is up to... one found mom's water bowl this afternoon and actually drank quite a bit of water. Well, quite a bit for a 3-1/2 weeks old puppy. Then he/she let another pup lick his wet face and pretty soon THAT pup also had his nose in the bowl!
Another puppy tried his/her hand at running... took off at a fast clip and made it most of the way across the 8 foot pen before falling on his chin. The last couple strides were something to behold as the brakes didn't seem to be working.
All of them have discovered... each other. They began wrestling with each other a couple days ago but it was more one tripping over a sleeping littermate and then the two of them mouthing each other. Today, several have actually gotten up from where they were sitting or sleeping and gone in search of a playmate.
They can growl and I've even heard a few baby barks.
And they've noticed ME. A couple have started responding to the sound of my voice or sitting with their noses pressed through the wire staring at me. Trust me, it gets tougher from here out!

Another Doodle heard from
These are pictures sent me of Cooper at 5 years of age.


This is Cooper with a couple pals, obviously other Doods

Out of the Nest

Ready or not, I've removed the nest from the puppy pen. Now everyone can walk around unobstructed. Cotton is not particularly happy since, before, she could get out of the nest and take a snooze away from MOST of the kids... there have been a couple who have been climbing/falling over the edge for the last few days and she's had to put up with them. But the funny thing is, MOST of the pups are staying in a group in the back of the pen, where the nest used to be, and only a couple are wandering around... just like before. That will change in the next day or so when the babies come to understand the dogs on the other side of "the fence" looking in at them can't get TO them... although the few times Mama has been outside and someone else has wandered into the pen for a sniff, the pups haven't been frightened. And one of the babies had his (her) nose in mom's food bowl this afternoon... just inhaled a little and then staggered away. That will be changing soon also. They'll stop staggering and will start eating kibble. They grow up so fast!

Puppy Pix!

Here's a sneak peek at tomorrow's 3 weeks birthday photos. I grabbed these this evening... don't know if they're male or female or what. The pups DO have their eyes open AND they can see, sort of. AND I have a sneaking suspicion their ears are also open (because of the way they reacted when I opened the gate to get pictures.) They're all up on their feet and staggering around... and getting lost. At any given time, some of them are out of the nest and unable to find their way back which is driving Cotton crazy because she doesn't like it when they cry. There is one independant little pup... again, don't know if it's a boy or girl... who will give a shout out and if Cotton doesn't come to the rescue, it just curls up and goes to sleep. My kind of puppy!




I'm not putting these 2 pictures on the website, so if you want them, take them from here.

The Bird Brothers Do It!

Only in the wrong order! Summer Bird finished first and Mine That Bird was third in today's Belmont. And Mr Hot Stuff was 8th (out of 10. No problem... he comes from a slow maturing line, so next year he'll beat ALL these guys!) Of the first 4 finishers... Dunkirk was 2nd and Charitable Man was 4th... ONLY Mine That Bird had run in all 3 of the Triple Crown races. His brother and Dunkirk ran in the Derby and today, but Charitable Man didn't try any of the others. If I had put $10 on each of my 3 picks "across the board," I'd be sitting pretty right now. Oh well.

I Feel Guilty

I've got nothing new to report. I feel bad because I know a lot of people are tuning in here every day for updates on the pups. BUT they're just babies and not doing much of anything. They ARE all on their feet... sort of. They stand rather spraddle legged, bellies close to the ground. Until they try to move and then the bellies are back ON the ground. But they're getting the idea. Cotton is still taking complete care of them by herself. Her poor nipples are so red! Sometimes it seems to me that she's not spending enough time nursing them, but they're not yelling which they'd do if they were hungry. And if she's been napping outside the nest and goes back in, only the crew that hasn't eaten for a while wake up. The ones that nursed just before she left keep on sleeping. I do expect these guys will be in her food as soon as they discover the bowl... which should be in less than a week.

Belmont is tomorrow
It may not be a Triple Crown year, but I'm looking forward to the race. I'd love to see Mine That Bird make another of his now patented (!) take-no-prisoners run from the back of the herd to cross under the wire first. It is just amazing the way he just sweeps passed everyone. I'll bet the people who gelded him are kicking themselves now! For second place, I'd like to see Mr Cool Stuff... just because he is soooo different. And for third, why not Bird's brother Summer Bird? He didn't do so well in the Derby, but maybe the longer distance will suit him better. One thing that bothers me is the "tradition" of people not running their colts in the first 2 races and then entering them in the Belmont as spoilers. Some how it just doesn't seem fair.

Two Weeks Old

And growing like weeds. Literally! If you compare what's going on in my yard with the way these pups are thriving, well, there's a lot to compare! Several of the pups have their eyes open... of course, they can't see yet, but they're growing up fast. I've been in awe of this litters' sense of smell. Their mom can go outside while they're sleeping and they're completely undisturbed by her absence. But let her just walk back into the room and every one of them is awake and moving around, trying to locate her. Since they can't hear, it HAS to be her smell they pick up on.

12 Days and Movin' On

And I do mean moving'. Cotton's babies are all over the place... when they're awake (which isn't much!) Most of them are already trying to get up on their feet. Usually one end is in the air and the other still on the ground, but they get "A" for effort! Cotton has an interesting way of dealing with their hunger. She still doesn't like it when they cry, so she'll get in with them and let them nurse for 5-10 minutes, then she's back out of the nest and lying elsewhere in the pen. A half hour later, she goes back in the nest. Normally, that is with a normal size litter, 5-10 minutes would be enough for everyone to get some chow, but with this many pups... well, it looks like a run on the bank! And yet, for the most part, they're quiet and they're growing like weeds AND they always seem to have full tummies when I pick them up. AND their bottoms are clean (thank you, Cotton!) At night, Cotton usually stays with them most of the time. I'm torn about starting to supplement them as I don't want them getting loose stools, but I also don't want Cotton getting run down for having so many mouths to feed. (Even though it IS her fault in the first place!)

And by the way
Someone didn't have their fingers crossed when it came to placing this rescue puppy... she's still with me. The family drove several hours to meet her and she, all 6-1/2 pounds of her, was too BIG. Since she's now living with a group of adults, she's doing great... hasn't used the newspaper at night for several weeks and has toned down some of her excessive energy. Guess she feels like a big girl now! She still needs to go....