No Computer This Weenend

In case you did not get the email, my isp is down so I'm off line for the weekend. UNLESS I can find another and get signed up and up and running right away. If you need to get in touch the next couple days, call me. The number is on the website.

Pups are fine except they think they need to be out of the pen most of the time. Even Esther. She spent about 6 hours with the Nine yesterday, most of it unsupervised and much of it standing IN their water bowl. They play with her pretty much the same way they play with each other and I've stopped stopping them from ganging up on her because she doesn't seem to mind. They made her cry a couple times yeaterday, about the same as they do with each other, but she is not afraid to be with them and her teeth are just as sharp as theirs. So, as soon as I get home (I'm at the library) I'll put her in with them. Maybe she'll learn to eat FOOD!

Temp yesterday was 102, tying the all time record for high temp in our area. Today and tomorrow supposed to be about the same. And then a cooling spell with temps falling into the mid 90s.

Email with general health info going out right now!

It's Over

Tuesday, the temperature didn't get up to 80 until late afternoon and humidity was around 22. It was glorious, especially after a week plus of mid 90s with high humidity. Last night, we were one degree shy of setting a new record low for June. Today, the humidity came back and temps got up to the high 80s, but still livable. Tomorrow begins at least a week of high 90s and maybe a couple hundreds. Thank goodness my weatherfolks only do predictions for the next 7 days! We're expecting to break some all time records. Yipee.

I'm into America's Got Talent. Love it! And this week has been a good one for AGT, especially considering the lack of any decent programming this summer. So, in preparation for tonight's 2 hour broadcast, I let the pups out around 8:15, hoping they'd play hard and be tiring out by the time the show started at 9. I brought Esther in to play with us. SHE finally collapsed in a heap at my feet just before 11. I picked her up so she wouldn't get run over every couple minutes and she's been sawing logs on the cushion of my chair ever since. The rest of the gang started giving up the ghost  maybe 15-20 minutes later and now (11:45) all 9 are sound... and I do mean SOUND... asleep. Zonked! They have never played that long or that hard before. Guess they heard the weather report and were taking advantage of their last chance to romp. And Esther... I can't believe how that little baby kept up with them and gave them such a good run for the money! Her mom's been yelling at me, off and on, all evening. She is still nursing around the clock since E's really not interested in eating that dry ol' kibble. I was hoping keeping her away from her mom for several hours would make her hungry enough to eat out of the other pups' bowl. She didn't. And now she's too tired to eat!

Obviously, with the weather what it's supposed to be, the Nine won't be outside and I won't be getting any pictures, even candid shots. But if the ac works reasonably well I'll [i]try [/i] to get some photos in the chair. They really haven't changed noticeably since last week's pictures. This is a slow time for that. Their next big change will be after y'all have them.

Oops! Someone's awake. Guess I'd better get clean newspaper down and round everyone up for the night.

Hot, Humid, Dry

NOT a good combination! Tomorrow, so they say, will be in the low 80s and then Wednesday, right back up to the mid 90s. ONE day is not enough for me! Or for the dogs. They are getting up earlier and earlier in the morning so they can spend some time outdoors and they are staying up later at night for the same reason. The problem is they bark. There are rabbits and deer and other wildlife who are also taking advantage of the cooler temperatures at those times and, according to the dogs, that's not allowed on their watch. The intruders are not stupid... they've rightly reasoned that if the fences keep them OUT, they will keep the dogs IN, so they don't even look up. I hate summer!

Not a good babysitter
The award for "This was not MY idea and I'm not going to do it" goes to Cream & Gold Dog, the first male designated as Esther's babysitter. C & G wasn't mean about it; he just refused to play with that puppy or have anything to do with her while the two were together. After several minutes of trying to entice him into some kind of play, Esther went to the water bowl and splashed around on her own. She REALLY is into the water bowl and LOVES it when I fill it up. Let me tell you, when she's all grown up, you do not want to be on the shallow end of the pool with her... she smacks that water like a champ!

Funnies, Firsts and Reminders

And, in reverse order, the reminders:
1) don't forget to make your puppy's vet appoinment. According to the contract, you have 72 hours to go to the vet or the contract is void. ALL pups see MY vet within a couple of days before leaving and she will not let me send off anything that has a problem, even if I was inclined that way, but for your own peace of mind, YOUR vet needs to check the pup out as soon as you get it.
2) the first email of the series I talked about a couple days ago went out today. It is some suggestions for items you may want to have on hand before your puppy arrives. Another email will go out next week.

Firsts:

this evening, I opened the door to the deck and let the pups go out there for the first time. Usually, pups are hesitant and crowd around the door until someone is brave enough to take that first step. Not this gang. The Nine were all out the door in a flash. Perhaps it is because they've already been outside in the yard in the last week, even if it was in twos and threes and just long enough for me to get pictures. However, there IS an award for a first place puppy... this one goes to the First Pup to Fall Off the Deck. Congratulations Black & White Dog! And our second First of the day actually occurred earlier, when Peri was outside this afternoon and Esther was being babysat by one of The Nine. The award for First Pup to Make Esther Mad goes to Brown Pony. In all fairness, she played nicely with Esther for the half hour it took the younger pup to tire out and collapse in a corner for a nap. And sleep and sleep and sleep. Pony had no one to occupy her time, so after a while she woke Esther up. Several times. And when E finally had had enough of what she must have considered Pony's rudeness, she jumped up snarling. Which surprised the dickens out of both of them. Shortly thereafter, Pony curled up next to her and they both took a long nap.

Funnies:

Not Much

Things are status quo. The pups are handling the heat fairly well. Like the rest of us, they are sleeping most of the afternoon. Good thing is they still sleep at night! Of course, I don't usually leave them until midnight... but they are always crashed all over the room by then. I round them up, and they are  beginning to head for the pen when I tell them. There are always a few stragglers that I have to push, but the more they learn to listen and follow orders, the better for me!

The last family is picking now.

There are two girls still unspoken for... pass it on!

Esther is loving the additional space. Haven't heard a peep out of her, mom with her or gone, since I moved them. Like all pups her age, she delights in tearing up newspaper. AND she has discovered the water bowl as a source of... wetness. Not for drinking. Last night she fell asleep with her head IN the bowl. Luckily, it was almost empty!

Maggie and Cisco's kids

These two are Auggie and Rielly. They live together in Georgia. At 7-1/2 months, they are 46 pounds each AND as you can see, still unclipped. Just look at those coats!

Title: Changes, etc
Once again, I'm having trouble posting on the blog. This is the reason I love  google so much!

Emy is over it! She has not been in with the pups since Saturday. She doesn't even go in their room. And The Nine don't seem to miss her... at least they are not yelling for her in the mornings or before bedtime. They don't even yell when they know she is right outside their door. Now, in another week or so, Em's going to go back. Her relationship with the pups is forever changed BUT it is a different one than they will have with the other dogs. She is still their mom... just no longer mommy.

Peri is conflicted. She wants to be with Esther all the time BUT once again, she wants to stay close to me. When I leave the room, she whines for at least a half hour. And if I take Esther away with me, she whines as long as she's gone. It's tough being a first time mother.

Coming soon
In the next few days I'll send out the first of a couple LONG emails with information you'll need for taking care of your puppy after you take it home. The first one is sort of a shopping list. Others have to do with health issues and caring for the pup.

Esther and one of her cousins

Back to Normal?

I'm referring to google... the blog seems to be working ok today. One try and I'm in. Not sure what will happen when I try posting a photo....

Back to colors
I do not know how else to describe/show what coats are doing. If you compare the picture still on the website of the litter at 14 days and the pictures taken over the weekend you can see how much they've changed. For me, the pictures show the differences between the individual pups as well. These differences are RIGHT NOW and really are NOT much in the way of predictors of the mature coats.

ALL the pups are sabled. Sable means each hair is TWO colored, usually lighter near the body and darker away from the body. (There are a few breeds where that is reversed.) German Shepherds are often sabled as are Belgian Tervurens, Schnauzers, Elk - Deer - Wolfhounds, Malmutes and Siberian Huskies, Bearded Collies and Old English Sheepdogs. That list will give you some breeds to look up on the internet to see what their various coats look like in adult dogs.

With the exception of two or three of the LIGHTEST pups, I think most of this litter is going to stay sable to some extent.

Right now, The Nine seem to be divided into 3 color phases... a third are mostly "red" with a dusting of dark tipping and a third are still mostly dark with light undercoating. Which means the other three are somewhere in between.

No one is black or "almost black" (as I labelled two of them when they were first born.)

Older Emy pup

This is Zoe, a parti-colored (spotted) pup from Emy and Sparky's Nov. 2008 litter. The photo is hard to understand BUT it is Zoe's head on her mom's knee. The white area is her lower muzzle, if that helps any!

Title: Well Darn!
Things are NOT going well. My server was down fromSaturday night until about 2 PM today. And now google seems to be having a problem since I've tried a number of times this afternoon and evening and tonight to get this posted.
New pictures of the FEMALE pups on the website (click the links) and I'll try getting the boys tomorrow. Temps are supposed to be in the mid 90s, so don't bet on it!

I've Created Monsters!

First, Esther. Now she thinks she is to be allowed out whenever her mom is or someone has to come babysit her... me or one of the older pups. The problem with just letting her out in the bedroom is she is fearless and an explorer by nature. She disappears in a flash under the bed, behind the dresser, inside the closet. Which is strange since she's only about 4-5 inches tall and with legs that short, how can she do anything in a flash? If I bring a pup in to visit, I have to supervise. It's all gone well... puppies are amazing critters!... but there is always the chance something 3 times her size could seriously injure her by accident. Think about your 50 pound kid wrestling with the neighbor's 150 pound kid.... This afternoon, I did put Esther down in the computer room with The Nine. It was after they'd already been unpenned for almost an hour, which is a little longer than their energy usually lasts. Of course, their fatigue immediately vanished and E was mobbed as soon as they saw her. Did she run and hide? Did she cry? No, she simply wiggled out from underneath and walked away from the pile-up leaving them sniffing at each other trying to figure out where she was. She makes Seigfreid and Roy look like amateurs! The whole thing wasn't much fun for me because I had to keep saying "ut ut" to get a pup's attention and "no" after I had it and then move on to the next pup and repeat. They are just learning "no" and aren't particularly clued in to "ut ut" translating to "look at me" since they're just babies themselves. And truthfully, Esther didn't seem the least bit intimidated by them, singularly or in mob mode. Maybe it's like a 3 year old riding his trike on the freeway...? It IS important for Esther to learn how to get along with other pups. Ignoring them won't work ALL her life. Will it? One thing that was really cute: at one time, most of The Nine had given up on her and were sprawled out sleeping, but one pup was outside the wire of the pen and E was on the other side. As soon as she saw it, she went into guard dog mode and charged up to the wire, barking and growling. The pup on the other side did the same thing and they entertained themselves for a few minutes "fence fighting." Yeah, it's cute NOW!
The Nine and The Water Bowl... I'e been outsmarted. Yes, I fixed the problem of them tipping it over and dumping water everywhere. However, they've gone back to digging in it and splashing it bone dry, getting water everywhere. All these years and I still don't know how to stop this behavior. At least I don't have to soak a towel for them anymore!

Experiment

This morning, when Peri went outside, I randomly picked up one of Emy's pups and put it in with Esther. The pup I got hold of is the dark female, Teddy Bear. I wanted to see how 4-1/2 week old Esther responded to another puppy since she is rather sedate and well mannered with the adult dogs, even her mom. She knew immediately that Teddy was another PUPPY. Instinctual play is so... instinctual! She pawed, she pounced, she sneaked up on her, she chewed on her face, legs, tail. She tried to mount her... pretty funny with Esther small enough to almost stand upright underneath Teddy. And the older pup? She played nicely. She let Esther lead the way and any time she knocked her over, she stood back and let her regain her feet rather than following through and holding her down the way she does with her brothers and sisters. When she pawed at Esther, it was more like she was just touching her rather than pushing. I was so impressed with both of them! So, from now on, every time I send Peri outside, I'll put another of Em's kids in with their cousin. By the beginning of next week, they should all have met her and I'll put HER in with ALL of them at once and let her stay for an hour or so at a time. Peri is still so protective, I doubt she'll put up with her baby being gone longer than that!

Oh, Teddy weighed in at just shy of 6.5 pounds. And Esther? Right on 2.75.

Emy and Boon's first litter

This is Finn Nelson, clipped for the first time and in full coat just before.

Colors

But first, more about what the pups are doing.
Esther has also started playing with her toy. It is a stuffed animal that is bigger than she is. Originally, I thought she might cuddle up to it when her mommy was gone. She never did. But yesterday, for the first time, I saw her chewing on it and moving it from one spot to another. Also, it is her MOM who is scattering the food around the bowl, perhaps encouraging her to partake?
The 9 have been stymied. I always say the trick is to be smarter than the dog. Ha! They have met their match! The last few days the water bowl has been empty ALL the time. Not because they are drinking the water, but because they are playing in it and tipping it over. So I switched the fairly light weight METAL bowl for a much heavier ceramic one. Mission accomplished.

Coat colors
Several people have asked what color these pups are going to be all grown up and I can't give a definite answer. That is not my department. How much the pups lighten and how long it takes is up to genetics which is Mama Nature's department. Below are pictures taken this afternoon that show coats of the darker pups TODAY.
Starting with one of the "reds"

Now some of the darker ones
Note: these are not ALL the darker pups. Several of the pictures are of the same pup. I just wanted to give you an idea of what the undercoats are looking like.

Correction

In my note to Bob Baffert on Sunday...
please ignore my kicking him in the head. It was not Baffert who got the love tap from one of his horses. It was Wayne Lukas. They don't even look alike!

Cooper is 8 years old
Cooper is a Shadow son, one of my Doodles. And he looks a lot more like his dad than his Mom! In either pose!

Esther
Guess who discovered her mom's food bowl today. She's had her nose in it off and on all day but I don't think she's eating much. She's licking the bowl. And there are lots of kibble bits scattered around. She probably won't really get into solid food for another week or so. Her mom's milk is a lot easier for her and there is plenty of it. Both she and Peri are getting bored. I've heard whimpers from each of them all day. That's one of the drawbacks of single puppy litters... mom is tied up with puppy entertainment which she wouldn't have to do if there was another pup or two to play with. But Peri refuses to stay away from Esther for any length of time IF she is in the house. I can send her outside and she runs all over the yard for an hour. I let her out in the bedroom this afternoon... Esther was sleeping... and Peri drove me nuts running back and forth to the pen from under the bed. I couldn't concentrate on Judge Judy!

This weekend I think I'm going to grab one of Emy's pups and put her in with Esther. (I say her because there are more of them than hims.) I'm hoping putting the older pup in a strange location will disconcert it enough to give Esther time to get comfortable with the invasion of HER space. Maybe by the time they both adjust, things will go smoothly and quietly. Peri will definitely be outside.

Shots this weekend
Emy's pups will be getting the first of 3 shots they'll need before they are 16 weeks old. This one is a "5-way" which is for (actually AGAINST!) parvo, distemper, hepititis and a couple "flus." Sometimes a pup or two will feel a little under the weather for 24 hours or so. That's why I don't let pups go home the day after they get a shot.

Speaking of going home... just in case you missed it the first time around, I will not be shipping or allowing any pick ups on Mondays or Tuesdays. My groomer is closed Sundays and Mondays and since every one has to go to the groomer the day before they leave....
Also, I'll do just one shipping and up to 2 pick ups on the same day.
Wednesday the 18th is booked up.

I'm looking forward to meeting all of you who can make it here. I love the looks on people's faces when they see their pup the first time!

Pix NOT on the Website

Two girls proving THEY know how to stand up!

These were the first two pups I took pictures of yesterday. It was straight downhill after that!

Picking
The families with first pick male and female have made their choices. I've marked the pups on the website and notified the families with second picks. There is NO rush. Since picking wasn't scheduled for another week, take your time.

NO blue eyes
The photos of a couple pups make it look like they have blue eyes. They don't. It's just the flash. Everyone has dark brown eyes. This is the first litter I can remember where no one seems to mind the camera. They all look up, although some need a little more coaxing than others. I discovered yesterday that they find singing fascinating. Well, they find it fascinating when I sing. I don't think they approve!

7 Weeks Old

New pictures of the Emy/Boon April 2012 litter are on the website. And I have a couple I am going to post here tomorrow that are NOT. I tried to get a shot of each pup standing up... but forget about it. Apparently they can't do that on a soft surface. AND also apparently, Esther can't even SIT up on a soft surface.

These two pictures, both with the reindeer as a prop, I hope show you the size difference 3 weeks can make...



An update on the older pups' progress...
they've been wormed a couple times and are currently parasite free. (Remember, worming is something you do throughout a dog's life... most heartworm preventatives stop other worms as well.)
I'm putting newspaper on just one side of their pen and just in the back of that side. They have all made the leap to banking their poop in that area. This is a big deal for pups and these guys have done it a little early.
They have discovered the water bowl. And I don't mean for drinking. This is also a big deal for pups... one I wish they'd make after they leave here!
This morning, for the first time, they didn't yell for their mom. Of course, once we left the bedroom and she wandered into the pups' room, they started calling for her, but before that, she was out of sight, out of mind.

More anon...

Not Bad

It was a good race, especially the last 10 seconds or so. I was really pulling for Paynter, since I rated him above Union Rags at the distance AND because he led all the way. My complete order of finish was posted on Thursday. Suffice it to say, scratching IHA, I managed to get my next 5 in 1-4 at the finish line. The one I missed on was Dullahan who ended up 7th.


I am happy enough for Union Rags. He finally got a clean trip and looked like the horse he was thought to be at the beginning of the year.


Note to Bob Baffert: the next time you have a heart attack and then get kicked in the head by one of your horses within a couple months time, forget about any big races. Take your horses and go home for a breather. In case you forgot, Baffert trains Bodemeister who finished second in both the Derby and the Preakness AND he trains Paynter who finished second in the Belmont... there is no Triple Crown of seconds, but Bob gave it a good try! And second pays more than chump change!

Oh Well

Yesterday, after the announcement, I pouted the rest of the day. Pouting for me involves sleeping... the older I get, the more often I find myself in the fetal position on my bed in mid-afternoon. It is less stressful than ranting and raving and doesn't upset the dogs nearly as much. I got up just in time to make a run into town before the bank closed. The teller looked at me and said "You don't look happy. What's wrong?" I told her "They scratched my horse for the Belmont tomorrow." Her mouth formed an "O" and in a shocked voice she said "Oh no. That's terrible! Do they know who done it?"

It was a MUCH needed laugh!

I've made my peace with Fate. Sort of. And I changed my mind about pouting this afternoon instead of watching the race. It's on tv. But it just doesn't have the oomph it should have.

Esther

26 days old and a tech prodigy!
She has started missing her mom (and looking for me to occupy her time) whenever she is awake when I let Peri out. She is also starting to pull mom's ears and tail and generally demand attention. Peri is being good with her although I sometimes catch a bored expression on her face when she has to play puppy games.

I'll Have Another OUT of the Belmont

Official announcement scheduled for 1PM today. Doug O'Neill has withdrawn "Curly" from tomorrow's race because of an injury and says the colt may never race again.
Devastation!

More Horse

2012 - I'll Have Another getting a little exercise

Doug O'Neill had to threaten to pull I'll Have Another from the Belmont yesterday in order to get permission to cook his oats. (This is done to help prevent colic when a horse is going to so some serious exercising.) Michael Matz, trainer of Union Rags, wanted to cook HIS horse's oats as well and was denied permission... until it looked like Another was going home. Both horses got a hot meal. If it's not one thing, it's another with this year's Belmont! It just goes to show politicians can take the fun out of anything.

1973 - Secretariat

Two Days to Go

The Belmont is on Saturday. The final leg of the Triple Crown. Thirty-four years since Affirmed won it in 1978. Four years since the last time a horse went into the Belmont after winning both the Derby and the Preakness (Big Brown... who is the first and only horse to win those first two and leave the gate of the third and not even finish the race.)


I'll Have Another is now considered the leading 3 year old of the season. Of course, if he hadn't won BOTH of the first two TC legs he'd just be thought of as ONE of the promising 3 year olds. He is facing a number of opponents whom he has already beaten... Dullahan, Union Rags, Optomizer... and a few he hasn't run against, for a total of 11 other 3 year old boys. Once again, IHA has gotten an outside post position... 11... which is just fine. And his jockey, the young and inexperienced Mario Gutierrez, is riding 5 horses on Belmont's Friday card. He is hoping to get a feel for the Belmont track which is different than other tracks he's raced on because it is bigger, making it harder to judge where he is relative to the finish line. If he screws it up, he'll won't be the first jock to stop a Triple Crown from happening, but it is hardly something he'll want to remember late nights 20 years from now.


The rules at Belmont Park and the powers that control racing in NYC right now... NOT the racing commission, but the mayor and his crew who took over a few months back... have SEEMED to conspire against IHA, Doug O'Neill (his trainer) AND racing fans who hunger for another Triple Crown winner. (A number of people have whispered/shouted that it is conspiracy against California horses, but I do not share that opinion... sometimes a coincidence, or a series of them, is just a coincidence or a series of them.) Another is not going to race with his customary flair strip. O'Neill says it's no problem; he uses them on ALL the horses he trains and IHA is not a bleeder. Every one of the Belmont colts has been isolated to a specific barn on the Belmont grounds and had to be in residence there by noon yesterday. Usually that is not a requirement... some horses, like Another, arrive early and usually stay in whatever barn they're housed in from the start and some horses arrive on the day the race is run... but supposedly this new rule is for security purposes as well as allowing race officials to keep a close eye on medications, etc that each colt gets (and an even closer eye on Doug O'Neill who is facing a 45 day suspension in CA.) And finally... I hope... one of the unions at Belmont Park has worked the last 2 years without a contract and is threatening to go on strike tomorrow. Regardless, the race is on Saturday and it will all be over but the shouting 2-1/2 minutes later.


My prediction for the order of finish, based as much on wishful thinking as anything else, is:
I'll Have Another
Paynter
Dullahan
Union Rags
Street Life
Atigun
and the rest of the field.

I'll most like watch the race in the bedroom instead of the tv room. The dogs in the bedroom have heard me jumping up and down and yelling at the tv... don't want to frighten Emy's kids in the tv room!

It's Wednesday

No big deal, right? Right.
Here are the 6 weeks photos of the last 3 pups, same order... male, darker female, lighter female (again, off the website.)




And if you have any doubts about how much these pups have grown, check out them with mom.



I'm planning on new pictures again this weekend and then toward the end of next week so picking can start right on time at 8 weeks.

How Soon We (I) Forget

But first, a photo of Diamond and Brogue's Broadway diva daughter, Montana (and friends.)

In case you're not sure, Montana is on the left end. Notice all the dogs are off lead and outside... and WAITING to have their photo taken!

Now to the title subject...
A week or so ago, I turned on the lamp on the dresser by the bed. Let me rephrase. I tried to turn on the lamp on the dresser by the bed. Nothing happened. So I clicked it again, with the same result. Naturally, since the lamp was from the dollar store (but cost SIX dollars) and at least 10 years old AND the bulb in it was one of those corkscrew looking things, I immediately went back to the dollar store and bought a new lamp (costing ten dollars.) I plugged it in and we had light. The old lamp, sans bulb, went in the trash. Don't know what made me rethink that decision, but I pulled it out, put in a new bulb and guess what... it worked. The other one was burned out. I have gotten so used to those squiggly things lasting forever, I never thought the problem could be the bulb! Actually, I think this may be the first time I've had one grow old and die. (Which means I need to stock up on them because all the bulbs in the house are from the same era. Except the one in the new lamp on the dresser.)
Now, you'd think that this experience would teach me something. However, last weekend I came out of Walmart (yes, I said Walmart, my second trip already this year... which means I'm good until 2013...) I came out of Walmart and my remote key thingy wouldn't unlock my door. It worked on the trunk just fine. In fact, it worked on the trunk TOO fine. No matter which open button I pushed or how many times I pushed it, the trunk unlocked. This caused me an episode of mild panic. It is difficult to drive a car home from Walmart without being inside the car. However, after trying it several times (all the while trying to remember exactly where the other remote clickerbob was "stored,") the driver's lock opened. You know, it wasn't until I got home and was unloading the car that it occurred to me that the key just might open the door.
Apparently, you CAN teach an old dog a new trick. You just have to be prepared for the old dog to forget the old trick when you do!

Emy's New Schedule

It may be hard to believe, but Emy is definitely the one in charge of raising her pups. She just keeps me around to open and close the gate to the puppy pen! Over the weekend, she stopped spending the night in the pen with them. She's back to sleeping in the bedroom, under the bed. First thing in the morning, usually around 7 which is several hours before the rest of us need to get up, she wants back in the pen with the kids where she'll stay an hour or so. Then, she's out of there until late afternoon/early evening. She'll go back in for about another hour. When she comes out, she wants to visit with her mom, Sparky, Keogh and a rescue who is rooming with them. Finally, at bedtime (MY bedtime of 2-3 AM,) she wants a quick visit in the pen, to tuck the kids away for the night. You may be wondering just HOW she conveys all this to me... well, as soon as you get your pup, you'll understand. Dogs are very clear about their time schedules. While Em is with the pups, she lets them suckle for a few minutes... she still has plenty of milk... and she'll clean bottoms (although she's not so hot on cleaning the pen any more.) She'll play a little with them... wrestling, rolling them over, holding them down with a paw or two... and has started their life lessons. Last night she told two in no uncertain terms that chewing on her was not allowed. AND she broke up a couple bully episodes where one pup had another down making it cry. (When she's not in with them, I am the one that stops the bullying... they're learning the word "No!") Interestingly, she is not paying any attention to their toys. I thought she would take the squeaker (and stuffing) out of their stuffed animal, but she just sniffs it and leaves it alone. They are now bigger than it is. They also have a huge Kong bone which they chew the edges of since it is way too big and heavy for them to get it in their mouths AND a braided rope ring. This is also too thick for them to get a good grip on but they have the idea and just need to grow into it. Their favorite "toy" is a small cardboard box which they chew on, stand on, drag around, push open and closed with their noses. Emy has no use for any of that stuff. Apparently, she's getting close to middle age and has outgrown her need for toys.

As promised
the next 3 pictures... male, darker female, lighter female




I get letters
and some of it is delightful! Yesterday, Miss GiGi, who is getting one of Emy's pups, emailed me this terrific picture.

New Pix of Emy's Pups

Just finished posting new pictures on the website of the Emy/Boon puppies. They are 6 weeks this evening. The microchips are in and they've been assigned stuffed animals for identification purposes. It is amazing... and clearly visible... the differences this last week has made, especially in coloration, although you can also see they are less baby-ish today. Below are pix (from the website) of a male, a dark female and a lighter female. (I'll post 3 more on Monday and the final 3 on Wednesday... or there'bouts!)

The Eyes have It!

This is Esther at 19 days. Her eyes finally opened yesterday and she is almost up on her feet... she gets up and walks, but can go only a few steps before sprawling out. Then she gets up and goes again. I put a kitchen mat in the crate, to get her off the slick surface, but her momma keeps moving it into a pile. Esther has mastered the sit and looks like a little stuffed animal when she does it. Today, while her mom was outside, I held her where the little dogs could sniff and lick her. She didn't like it at first and kept burying her head, but after a few minutes, she was looking for them, pushing her nose against theirs, mouthing their muzzles. Single pups often do not want to be bothered with other dogs touching them because it hasn't happened to them all their lives. She found them interesting, rather than threatening, which is a good sign. This is the best I can do to prepare her before I put her in with Emy's pups (who are 3 weeks older) for play time. That won't happen for another week or two, but I don't want her afraid of them the first time it happens.