Weights, Pix in New Homes

First four out the door and the families I've heard from say they are settling in nicely.

This is Millie (pink unicorn) who weighed in at 14 pounds


And this is Lulu (teddy bear) who was 14.2 pounds


Amos (Brown/tan dog) who moved to Indiana was 16
while Gray unicorn was 17.1 when he left for NC.

The last of the girls, Dino, who is leaving on Saturday, weighs 16.6
while the other Saturday departee, Brown/white dog, is a solid 18 pounds.
Pony, moving out on Sunday, is 17.25.
Reindeer is hoping he'll find a home soon, before he gets much bigger than his current 17.75.
The last boy, Black/white dog, is the largest in the litter at 18.5 pounds.

These weights are HUGE increases from the 6 weeks weights of 3.25 to 5 pounds. Because of how quickly the pups are growing, my vet and I have decided they need to be weaned off their super hot puppy food and put on JUST adult food which is much lower in protein and fat. Too rapid early growth leads to hip problems and other structural maladies like elongated tendons.
Also, FREE feeding is what the pups need. This means giving them access to food and water 24/7. They will NOT overeat and as long as they aren't getting a lot of "treats," will maintain their perfect natural weight. Puppies eat a little at a time but often. As they mature, you'll see them eating less often but more. Eventually, each will set his own schedule and eat at the same time(s) every day.

And re: shots. I give them. I use the same types and brands my vet does and my shot protocol is set as she advises. Just in case YOUR vet wants to know.

Whew!

Let's start with Thursday. Lots and lots of running around to do BETWEEN appointments so it was the perfect time for my car to get sick. It started overheating. Luckily, I was just about 1-1/2 miles from home when I noticed it. As soon as I pulled in my driveway, I popped the hood and took a look... as if I knew something besides how to get the hood up. Then I went in the house and called Enterprise, then Hertz and then every other local car rental service in the phone book, including two that were out of business. Those that were still servicing the area had no (as in zero, zilch, nada) cars available. Enterprise ("we pick you up" except for our airport location) said they MIGHT have something after 4 on Saturday. Which would help me not at all. So I bothered my son. He was sitting (I think sleeping) around at home because the new club he is trying to get open in Johnson City is on hold for the fire marshall who, apparently, doesn't work Wednesdays, Thursdays or Fridays before being off weekends, so he called his mechanic... after telling me it was impossible that no one had a rental car available... and they showed up here about a half hour later. Since I had just an hour before I had to pick up a pup at the groomer and take her and another puppy to the vet, my kid said he'd chauffeur me while the car-fix-it guy got started on a cure. He also said he'd be available for the airport run Friday morning as well as the trips to the groomer and vet that afternoon AND could get me around on Saturday if necessary. I took that as an apology for doubting my word about rentals being non existent around here. (Probably because of the national cage brawl competition....)
We were all saved by the mechanic who filled the car with water where it needed it and told me to get it checked out ASAP because there was probably a leak and to check it before, during and after every time I drove it until then. (Today, there was no apparent leak in that system but a lot of other problems that needed fixing.)

So, first puppy got to the airport and the other 3 are on their way home with their new families and I'm seriously thinking about staying in bed until Monday. As if.

Diamond
No puppies. Just not my week! So, as soon as ANYONE comes into season, I have to take Boon in for a sperm count. It is not likely HIS problem, except perhaps temporarily two months ago. Di is almost 8 years old and may just have needed some extra time off. But we'll see.

Down to the Nitty Gritty

I moved the pups into a larger pen this weekend. Once the two Doodle rescues left, there was a really big one available and the pups seem to be enjoying it. They were pretty crabby Sunday afternoon and woke up whiny a couple times that night, but it's home now. They adjust fast. The one problem is the water bowl. They've discovered it. That is, they've discovered the water splashes. So now they always have dirty water... if there is anything left in the bowl... and wet floors. (Which just matches what the big dogs are dealing with outdoors. We've had enough rain to get us into March with some left over. My "road" is patches of dirt and gravel between ruts, speed limit... even for the teens living up the hill... is 3-4 mph.)

I'll post weights Thursday and Friday as the first 4 pups go to the vet. I expect they're going to be pretty big!

Probably no pups from Diamond
I'll know for sure Thursday, but it looks like Diamond is skipping this breeding cycle. Bummer.

Marking Time

A week from right now, the first pup to leave will be in her new home in California. And one day later, 3 more will be on their way with their new families.The house will seem empty after that... well almost empty since there will still be more in residence here than there!

And this weekend, for the first time in over 6 months, I have a couple rescues going to a new home. The REALLY good thing is, these are LARGE dogs which means more space, less food!

A friend sent me this photoand I wanted to share.

Back to Square One

Apparently hearing me say "Good puppy" lost its appeal for the pups. The last day or two has seen them ignoring the newspaper when they are out of the pen. Now don't get excited. Training ONE pup is very different from training nine... or any number more than two. And a couple of them ARE still going back to the pen for potty breaks. They really need to be in a larger pen but the bigger ones are in the dog room and are occupied by dogs. But I'm pretty sure I'm going to have to do some rearranging pretty quick.

Emy is in season and I've had to move Boon into my bedroom. Which doesn't sit well with Shadow who considers it HIS territory. Or with Popcorn, the NEUTERED 6 pound PomPoo rescue who is Shad's second in command. I did manage to get some sleep last night but have them separated right now so I can get some work done on the computer.

STILL not positive Diamond is pregnant. If she is, it is going to be a small litter. She has a slight pot belly but that's about it. Of course, she wouldn't be the first of my dogs to just "bloom" over night. Fingers crossed!

This splendid dog is Aylan and lives in The Netherlands. She is still a fairly young puppy... 9-10 months old... and is a wonderful example of the White Shepherd which is a totally separate breed from the GSD. I made the comment to her owner that I loved the way she self-stacks (stands four square) in a regular stance instead of the awful falling-down-in-the-rear stance of the GSD. I was told that the Whites are not allowed to be lower in the rear, standing or moving. Good for White breeders!

And There are These Shots

Just so you know it's not just the blond pups who are camera shy, there's this one.

Why Pictures Take So Long

Eventually I am going to find an affordable digital camera with very little lag between me pressing the button and it actually taking the picture.

Color Change Pictures

The color is good on the top pix, tolerable on the middle, and just not clear on the botton. In some of the individual shots (which will be on the site later tonight,) I think you can see the reddish brown behind the ears a bit better.
Toward the puppy's rear, brushing the hair backwards.

Different puppy, hair brushed backwards on the ribs.

Different puppy again, behind the ears.

More about Poop

Big, BIG step forward! Every time the pups have been loose today, they have gone back into their pen... and the newspaper... to go potty. This is HUGE.
Tomorrow they may not, but today they are looking up at me while doing their business, waiting for me to tell them what G O O D puppies they are. Moving right along!

Do you want fries with that?
Koda Eppley is hard at work at his family's business. This Di/Brogue puppy is a little over 2 years and obviously making himself indispensable.

Back to her breeder
I've decided to send Ama(zombie) back home to her breeder. She is a darling little girl BUT totally unnecessary around here and I just do not have a way to turn her into a "pet." It's one thing with young puppies and quite another with one 10 months old when it comes to socialization and people skills, especially when I live alone.

Which basically means I am not going to replace Cotton. It's been almost 4 months and not a day goes by that I don't think of her.

Some Improvement

I'm seeing good changes in the house training process. The first part consists of waiting for puppies to become aware of their own poop. Left to their own devices, time after time, I see litters go from making deposits anywhere they have to go to everyone in the litter using one area as the "bank." At 9-1/2 weeks, this bunch is leaving clean 2 foot borders at the back and the front of their pen and about half the part in the middle. This gives them a really nice amount of space for rock and rolling. However, they are not as into keeping the newspaper DRY as they are in keeping it clean. Wet spots appear, as if by magic, everywhere.

This litter has an interesting variety in coats... most are getting long and fluffy But a couple are still flat. They are probably going to be straighter. Maggie's coat is fairly straight. AND light spots are showing up across shoulders, ribs, hips, etc. When I brush the hair backwards, it is much lighter underneath than on top. I'm going to TRY getting a photo that shows this, but you all know my photography skills are minimal!

Everyone has scheduled a day for either pick up or shipping, so that is under control. I made the vet appointments LAST week... and wasn't the first one booking for the end of the month. By the way, the appointments YOU are making with your vet is for well puppy exams. The pups will get their second shot on 1/26 and their last shot is due 4 weeks later, 2/23. Some vets will give a rabies then as well but some will want to wait until the pup is close to 6 months.

When You're Right

I weighed three pups last night... two randomly and one I picked. All 3 had gained between 2-1/2 and 2-3/4 pounds. In a week! If this continues, they'll be around 20 pounds when they go to their new homes! I do not expect them to keep growing at this rate (but... ) and it just goes to show that the accuracy of the weight estimate formula depends on WHEN rather than anything else.

By the way, the pup I CHOSE to weight was Millie or Pink Unicorn female and I picked her because she is smaller than the rest. She's still smaller but has gained 2.75 pounds, proving she is keeping up with everyone else in the litter. And she may be a little ahead in the sass department!

The Case of

the missing microchip...
one of the pups has misplaced his microchip! I've scanned all over his body and it is nowhere. This is no big deal as I'll just give him another one, but it is perplexing. Where did the thing go? And how did it go there? It's been several weeks since the pups were microchipped. MOST likely, it wasn't under the skin where I was supposed to have placed it... maybe it was stuck in his coat and has just been brushed off during play. BUT chips are about the size of a grain of rice. I should have been able to see it in his hair. Guess it's time to look into those bifocal thingies!

These pups are REALLY having a growth spurt. To me, they look like they've increased about 50% in size in the last week! I'm going to weigh a couple this afternoon to see if that is true. Based on how much food they are now consuming, I'm going to be really surprised if they haven't gained a lot.

But, if you remember, I posted a while back that the adults haven't been eating a lot in preparation for winter. THAT has changed! Guess they knew when they were going to need extra body fat for warmth, which is later in the season. The last couple weeks, they've almost doubled the amount they eating. Guess the weather is about to get really cold, and soon. By the way, the wooly worm's prediction was totally off for the first week, partially right for the second and third (still no snow.) So, I think the dogs have been a little more right about the weather this year SO FAR.

A New "Treat"

The pups have discovered adult kibble. The way I have things set up... mainly because of the weather... all the adult dog are in the house and penned when the pups are loose in the tv room and the "dog room" (which originally was the living room.) So, the puppies have not been able to get into any food bowls but their own. The other day, I gave them a half scoop of adult food (Pedigree) and they acted like it was manna from heaven! The kibble is A LOT bigger so it took them a while to eat it all and when it was gone, they inspected the entire pen making sure they hadn't missed any. So every day now, the pups get to eat at the big dog table. In the afternoon, they get a bowl full. Which really isn't much when you consider how many bowls of the puppy kibble they get all day long. It's gotten so the pups all hang out at the edge of their pen every afternoon, eyeballing me hungrily, until I go get the "good stuff" for them!

And I've got a "treat" myself
Someone who owes me a couple pups has been trying to get me to take a parti-colored puppy from her last litter. If she had offered me the pup when it was young, I probably would have taken it for resale. But, she is almost 10 months old and has not been kept as a pet which makes it difficult to place her as one. She's small... not quite 25 pounds... but very leggy... a good 18 inches... and she is pretty. She's also sweet, if a little backwards about people. She is having a ball playing with the boys and is non-stop when out in the yard. Her main drawback, other than I don't need another dog around here, is that she is very vocal, inside and out. (Unfortunately, dogs that are kenneled separately from each other tend to use barking as a form of play.) Still haven't decided what to do with her, but remembering the give-away thoroughbred who won a million dollars in one of the Breeders Cup races this Fall, I've named her Amazombie and am calling her Zombie. Naming a dog is always a bad sign.

Lots of Emails

For the Maggie/Cisco families: I will be sending out a number of lengthy informational emails in the next couple weeks. The first one is full of suggestions on what you'll need/want to pick up before your pup arrives. The others are on matters of general health and care. You may want to print these and keep them for easy reference. Please feel free to ask questions that you can't find the answers for in the emails.

Be sure to make a vet appointment for no more than 72 hours after you get your puppy.

Picking up
This gang will be ready to leave starting ON Jan 27th. So far, just one is going to be staying until the next weekend. Whether the puppy is being picked up or shipped, it requires a trip to the vet for a departure exam and a trip to the groomer. The vet can be several days before the pup leaves, but I like the groomer to be the day before. Both require advance appointments, so if you have an idea of which day you want to come, let me know and I'll get started on putting a schedule together. One thing, NO pick ups or shipping on Mondays or Tuesdays. And, of course, it will all depend on the weather.

Photo reminder
If there are puppy pix on the website that you want, get them now 'cause they ARE going to disappear! New pix will not be until NEXT weekend (not this one coming up.)

BRRRRRR!

Tucker wishes everyone a happy new year...
or he would if he had ANY clue what it meant!

Back to BRRRR!
It is finally winter. Our high yesterday was 34 and that was shortly after midnight. We had snow "showers" off and on all day. The dogs LOVED it! Last night's low was 14. But at 1 PM it's already warmed up to... 23! Even the puppies are sleeping in a clump on top of their blanket. Usually, they sprawl all over the pen and the blanket is more often used for tug-of-war than a cushion. I'm glad I didn't get everyone clipped short last month, although the ones who are clipped seem to be just fine. Toward the end of the week, the daytime temperature is supposed to get back up to the low 50s. We'll see about that!

Picks
Things are going smoothly... waiting for the last family to choose. Several other people are interested in seeing who's "left" so they can decide between one of the Maggie/Cisco pups or getting on the reservation list for Di/Boon (which is not open yet.)

Chomper update
The news is not good. Chomper is the dog lost in PA since Thanksgiving. His family hired a pet detective from Hephzibah GA (where I lived for 10+ years.) The man spent two days in the area right after Christmas with his dogs who are trained to find any indication of a dog hiding in barns, sheds, outdoors, etc (even if they are dead.) There was NO sign of Chomper even though over the last month he had been seen a number of times in the same area. The guy spent a lot of time visiting businesses and homes in the area making sure everyone knew what Chomper looks like and that he is not a throw away. The detective's conclusion is someone has him and isn't willing to give him up. Chomper's "mom" said she got a really strange phone all from a local man which she reported to the local shelters "just in case." As with me, she says it's the not knowing that is the hardest to take.