MOUNTAIN SUMMIT WHOODLES

Not Much Going On

2012-02-09T15:08:00.003-05:00

Manhattan's pride and joy... Montana! Playing at the dog park with her best friend, Katrina, a 'Doodle pup the same age and size. It's hard to tell where one lets off and the other begins!

Dewey (brown/white dog) in his new home with his new kids.
At Dewey's vet appointment, giardia showed up and he's been put on medication for it. No one else has let me know of any problems, but if there have been some, please email or call me. I know MY vet doesn't think breeders need to be advised of normal, run of the mill puppy issues(and she is definitely in the minority) but, personally, I like to be made aware of them just in case I've overlooked something.

No rain
The last two days have been sort of rain free... dark and gloomy with just a little rain in the mornings. Today, the sun is out, just in time to keep me from going nuts. Don't know how I lived in the Pacific NW for 15 years! But our warm temperatures are supposed to disappear starting tonight and lasting for several days into next week. It's WINTER, for pete's sake, and our weather people feel it is necessary to warn us temperatures are going to drop down to freezing! The fleas and ticks are NOT going to be happy.

Cotton

2012-02-08T15:36:00.003-05:00

Early yesterday morning, a vet about 30 miles from me called to say she had a client who thought she saw Cotton at the "local" animal shelter. I cannot tell you all the feelings that rushed through me at one time. Good and bad. It's been almost 5 months since Cotton and Peri got out of the yard. And there have been numerous sightings of Cotton, all of which proved to be other dogs. This is so hard. Just when I get to a point where I'm not dreaming about her, someone else "sees" her. I went to the shelter and the first thing I was told was to wash up carefully before and after my visit and to not touch anything because they had "a case" of parvo. Just what I need and one of the main reasons shelters are not places I visit often. I found the dog the vet's client had seen and of all the reported sightings, this one was the closest. It was a blond terrier mix, about the right size. But obviously (to me) not Cotton. Of course, I started crying, both for my lost girl and for the almost found one. I hope she gets a home.

And Chomper is still missing in Pennsylvania.

All Maggie's pups have homes
The last two boys are leaving this weekend and I will be puppyless for I don't know how long... over 2 months even if Peri comes into season TODAY! Which she shows no sign of doing. Right now she is acting as babysitter/playmate for the last two pups. They are BIGGER than she is by just a little and she is loving having young dogs around to play with.

Shipping Mysteries

2012-02-06T18:15:00.003-05:00

Rather, ONE mystery... price.
Here's the deal, I shipped two pups, 9 days apart, same size crate, same weight pups, 2 different prices. And I called this afternoon to set up a shipment for a friend, again same size crate, same weight puppy and got a THIRD price. And each time the cost has gone UP. $25 from the first to the second and $30 from the second to the third. But the gentleman helping me this afternoon insisted there have been no price increases in MONTHS. He has no explanation for the differences and apologised several times, as if it was HIS fault.

Yesterday, the puppy almost missed his flight because Delta's cargo computer was... let's say being difficult. The guy checking me in worked on processing it for a half hour before calling the main cargo office and getting them involved. For another half hour. The plane had already boarded and the pup was still sitting at the counter! The agent called out to the gate and told them he had a live animal shipment and not to close up until he got it out there.

The puppy made the flight and the connection and arrived safe and sound on time.

The thing is, I go to the airport with ALL the paperwork ready and the crate all set up. It used to take no more than 10 minutes for me to check in. But it is taking longer and longer. And if there is someone else booked on the same flight, the way things are going, one of the dogs WON'T be going. There really is no excuse for this... lack... of service and consistency. But, then, when was the last time an airline NEEDED an excuse?

It is getting so I cannot accurately quote a shipping price. I may have to start charging for the crate, rabies shot and health certificate and then send the pup off COD.

Super Bowl Pix

2012-02-05T18:47:00.005-05:00

You probably can't read the writing on the kids' foreheads. Suffice it to say they are rooting for the Giants! Brody is from Cotton and Brogue and lives in NJ.

These 4 pups all live in Salt Lake City... Stewart (the black,) Remi, Beckett (all 3 Brogue pups, R and B from different Emy litters) and Millie (Maggie and Cisco's puppy.) I'm sure someone will refresh my memory if I have that wrong!

And Amos in Indiana, from Maggie and Cisco. FINALLY, you can see the coloring on the "black" puppies!

Thank you to everyone who stays in touch!

And Then There were Two

2012-02-04T20:55:00.003-05:00

Two more pups left today and another is going in the morning. Things are looking a little... unoccupied... around here!

The three pups were so cute at the vet's on Thursday... they were, of course, a little amazed at all the people. They'd forgotten Penny and her family and were pretty much convinced I was the only human in the world. Because of their size, I allowed them down on the floor in the exam room while we waited for Jane. (Actually, the three of them together took up all the exam table plus some, so the floor was the only option.) They roamed around and kept looking at the closed door to the waiting room because there was a lot of unusual (for them) sounds out there. So I opened the door. All 3 of them sat, side by side, about a foot inside our room and watched everything going on out there. None made any attempt to go out, even when people came up to the door to talk to them and try to coax them over for a pet. (But, none of them ran in the other direction either!) Then a lady walked passed, leading two little dogs... and all 3 pups went right out after them. They were so determined to meet the newbies, I had to close the exam room door. Jane showed up about two minutes later which got their attention on other things.

As part of the departure exam, Jane weighs the pup and there were some differences in what she got and what I got a few days earlier. Dino went up from 16.6 to 17.8 while Pony went from 17.75 to 18.5. Brown/white dog went from 18 to 18.4. Now here's the thing... Dino and Pony were weighed on the vet's big dog scale but Brown/white dog was weighed on her baby scale which is what I use at home. I don't know which is more accurate, but I do know which is easier!

Learn something new every day Department
When I do a post, there is a block called "labels for this post." I though it was a tag for the "blog search" function. Wrong! I'm not really sure WHAT it is for, but search ain't it! I've been telling people to put ciscoskids in the search bar to pull up all the posts relating to the Maggie and Cisco litter. That gets you nowhere and now I feel like the village idiot. However, if you put Maggie in the search bar, it WILL pull up any post with that word in it. Same for Cisco. So now I know and in the future I will use some kind of id consistently for each litter.

Rain Rain Rain

2012-02-01T19:07:00.004-05:00

Yeah, I know, at least it's not snow! But I am so tired of wet... SOAKING wet dogs... I'm ready to move to the Sahara. Well, if it wasn't so hot there, I'd be ready to move!

I've starting letting the pups out on the deck now that I have just 5 to keep track of. Usually, pups immediately start hanging out there as soon as they discover there is another world just through the mysteriously appearing/disappearing hole in the wall. And within a day or two, a few of them are learning to go up and down the steps. This gang, however, isn't really impressed with outside. In fact, they wander out and then just come right back in. I tried to get photos out there yesterday and it was a bust. After almost an hour of standing on the steps all alone by myself, I went back inside and shut the door. The pups didn't even seem to notice! This is a strange group!

Here are a couple other color change shots
Once again, the pup (Diamond/Brogue's Duncan Mills) was BORN black-and-tan (which is a color pattern) rather than all black like the Maggie/Cisco pups were. You can see the brown (tan) on his legs in the newborn photo. He is 15 months in the next shot. I can hardly wait until Cisco's kids are grown up to see what color(s) they end up!

Weights, Pix in New Homes

2012-01-30T17:29:00.003-05:00

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!

2012-01-28T16:13:00.002-05:00

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

2012-01-24T20:44:00.004-05:00

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

2012-01-20T20:04:00.004-05:00

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

2012-01-17T13:59:00.004-05:00

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

2012-01-14T16:43:00.003-05:00

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

Why Pictures Take So Long

2012-01-13T19:29:00.002-05:00

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

2012-01-12T19:25:00.004-05:00

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

2012-01-11T18:46:00.003-05:00

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

2012-01-10T20:27:00.003-05:00

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

2012-01-07T14:11:00.003-05:00

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

2012-01-06T14:19:00.003-05:00

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"

2012-01-05T19:44:00.003-05:00

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

2012-01-04T18:10:00.002-05:00

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!

2012-01-03T12:25:00.006-05:00

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.

Moving Right Along

2011-12-31T14:19:00.005-05:00

So far, 5 pups have been chosen and the 6th family is working on it.

The pups and I have worked out a plan for mornings... every night, just before I turn out the lights, I FILL up their food and water bowls and every morning they contain themselves until one of the big dogs sounds off. Even if I don't get up right away, the babies play quietly (for them) until I do. No more of that demanding squealing. Lucky for THEM!

They have not yet figured out that putting ALL the poop in one area of their pen means they have the rest of it to romp in without getting, well, poopy. I have to keep reminding myself they're JUST 8 weeks old.

A word of warning...
they LOVE electrical cords and ANYTHING on shelves or under things. I have to monitor them 100% when they are out of their pen. On the plus side, they've found a couple items I thought were lost.... But you might start now, puppy-proofing your homes.

Congratulations!

2011-12-29T20:56:00.004-05:00

For the first time, everyone's final payment was here ON TIME and nary a one required my signature! What a great bunch of people these pups have picked!

The new pictures are on the website... two pages, one for girls and one for boys. The families with first pick of each have been notified to choose. The pictures of the pups will disappear from the website (temporarily) as they are selected. That way, when I let you know it is YOUR turn, only the available pups will show up.

One thing, once everyone has picked, the page will have JUST one shot of each pup so if there are pictures you want, get them NOW.

Weights
The pups were weighed today (AND got their first shots) and the weights are on the website, under each pup's picture. They have gained from just under 3 pounds to just over 4... in 2 weeks! The little blond girl is still the smallest but there is now a 4 way tie for largest. She and "Brown and White Dog" are the only ones not at 8 pounds.

Just as a point of reference, Emy (and Boon's) pups weighed from 5 pounds to 8.75 at 8 weeks BUT most were well under 8. (I need to check that to be sure, but it seems about right!)

Nothing New

2011-12-28T13:58:00.003-05:00

Well, this is new...
most of the black pups have areas that are lightening up. So much for STAYING black! These two pictures show what happens over time. The first is at 2 months and the second is the same dog 2 years later.

New pictures of the pups tomorrow and then we'll pick.

Quick Reminder

2011-12-24T10:54:00.002-05:00

In the midst of all the holiday celebration, I am asking that everyone remember Chompers, the Whoodle guy who is still lost in Pennsylvania. It's been 4 weeks and he has been spotted a number of times, but no one has a fix on his location. His family lives over 3 hours from where he got away and they make the trip every weekend to look for him to no avail. Please keep them and him in your thoughts and prayers.

Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah!

2011-12-23T23:07:00.004-05:00

We are definitely NOT having a white Christmas around here. Which is fine with me. I wouldn't mind if it was a little cooler... our temps are in the high 40s and low 50s during the day. And it could be a little drier... but the rain is supposed to be over by tomorrow.

And just so you know, there are new individual pix on the website. Well, everyone is there except "reindeer." He's been hiding behind the chair where I cannot reach him since about 8:30 tonight. However, I'm about to dump food into the bowl and he just might make the mistake of thinking I've put the camera away for a few days! Too bad for him.

Picks
We're going to start this at the end of next week. I'll get one more set of individual photos before then. Here's how it is going to work...
the families with FIRST pick of males and FIRST pick of females will let me know their choices. Then I'll let the families with SECOND picks know the remaining pups so they can choose. Those with THIRD pick male and last female will be notified next. And so on. Some times this is all over within a couple days... but sometimes it takes longer (usually when there are two adults and two or more kids and everyone likes a different pup....)
After the picks are over, photos will be every 10 days to 2 weeks.

Oh, there are two males still available.

Doing Great

2011-12-20T12:13:00.003-05:00

The gang is doing so well it is almost scary! Mornings are still a little trying for them... and me... but judging by their insistence this AM, it is more their wanting to bend me to their will than anything else. They were really obnoxiously loud and DEMANDING around 7. And I was equally obnoxiously ABSENT from their room! When I stuck my head in at 9, they were all smiles.

They are eating me out of house and home. All of them LOVE the Royal Canin. It is a very good (ie: high priced) puppy food. I started using it a number of years ago because it is so digestible it makes for good stools and FEWER of them than cheaper puppy chows do. It is not such a big deal with just one or two pups, but NINE make a lot of mess several times a day! And I'll never be able to figure out what it is about puppies and clean newspaper. First off, when I change the paper in the pen, it is like challenging them to see how quickly they can dirty it up. Then, if I'm "flying" a section in to cover a pile or two in an otherwise spotless pen, they all watch and attack the paper while it is still in the air! Just judging by that, this entire bunch is going to excel at frisbee!

Final payments due
I've just emailed a reminder that the pups are going to be 8 weeks on the 29th... which is when the final payment is due. Let me know if you don't remember how much that is.

Diamond
I could be wrong, but Di seems to be getting a little belly on her. She is just 3 weeks "along" and maybe I just noticed after she'd eaten, but it is a good sign!

Individual Puppy Pix

2011-12-18T19:45:00.003-05:00

As promised, there are individual pictures on the website (click the link there.) The pups are identified by the stuffed animal in the photo. These 3 are "Reindeer," "Pony" and "Brown and tan dog." Each pup's weight is by its pix. They range from 3-1/2 to just over 5 pounds.

And they have lived here all their lives. They are perfectly comfortable... although some still jump a bit when a herd of adults rush into the puppy room unexpectedly. I'd jump too!

They got up WAY too early for ME this morning. Kenny leaves for work around 6:30 each morning so that's what they're used to. My nose is out of joint if one of MY dogs wakes up before 9! They'll get it pretty soon 'cause they're smarties.

They're Here!

2011-12-17T19:06:00.004-05:00

Long trip, but they've handled it well. It took 8 of them between 5 and 20 minutes to start exploring. The ninth pup immediately found the food and water bowls and has camped out there ever since. I've gotten a few tentative kisses and lots of wagging tails when I talk to a specific pup. An hour and a half after arrival, they're all asleep... some in a pile, the rest scattered around (good sign.) I'm thinking they are a little bigger than Emy's pups at the same age, but will weigh them tomorrow... along with microchipping, nail clipping, another worming and (I hope ) some individual photos. Have to admit I'm pleased with them!

2011-12-17T18:57:00.004-05:00

Three More Days

2011-12-14T12:28:00.005-05:00

D-Day is Saturday. Kenny is planning to be here in the late afternoon/early evening with Maggie and Cisco's 9 kids. Right now, things are very peaceful and quiet around here... well, comparatively speaking. I'm ready, I think.

Animal Rescue
Lately, I've had time to watch some animal tv. I've really enjoyed "Pitbulls and Parolees" and the program has given me an entirely different take on the dogs. (The parolee part... not so much.) Some of the Pits captured/taken in by Villalobos are so extremely neglected and abused, I'm amazed at how readily... eagerly... they accept help from their rescuers. The woman who runs the program is VERY upfront about the aggression inherent in Pits toward other animals and I really appreciate that.

BUT I'm a little unhappy with the show about the humane society that investigates and rescues abused animals in the Houston area. In the last week or two, their investigators... and even their veterinarians... have made some statements and diagnoses that are WAY off.

One investigator came down hard on a family because one of their dogs had cherry eye. She threatened to confiscate the dog if it was not attended to (ie: surgically "fixed") immediately. Cherry eye is the inversion of the tear gland in one or both eyes. Ugly as it is... bright red and swollen... it is not painful for the dog and basically does no damage. A dog can live its entire life with and unaffected by cherry eye.

Another investigator, responding to a neighbor's complaint, found the 5 dogs in the home in good shape as far as weight, parasites, etc but two of them had coughs. She insisted they be cared for by a vet, again, immediately. The next week when she followed up, the dogs were still coughing. She threatened to seize them... as well as the other 3... if they were not treated in 5 days time. When she returned, the dogs were no longer coughing and she backed off the family. Here's the thing... the dogs had kennel cough. It sounds absolutely awful and is contagious to other dogs. However, it is caused by MANY different viruses and the available vaccine protects against maybe a third of those. (Think about why the human flu vaccine is changed every year.) SINCE kennel cough is viral, antibiotics can't cure it. It's like a cold in humans... you basically live through it and "treat" symptoms to make them less annoying. (If a vet gives an otherwise healthy dog antibiotics when it has kennel cough it is more to pacify its humans than to do anything for the animal.) KC disappears on its own in 10-21 days. Any humane society or rescue organization employee should know that. (Many toy breed dogs have "collapsed trachea" which causes them to cough, especially when stressed and perhaps, this particular investigator was thinking of that... even those these dogs were medium size, not toys.)

And then there's the weight issue. Now don't get me wrong, a lot of the dogs (and other animals) on the program are almost starved to death. BUT there is a huge area between that and a healthy dog that is thin or even underweight for its breed. Some dogs... again, like some people... just naturally carry less body fat than others, regardless of how much and what they are fed. And some breeds are ribby by design. Some of you have found that your thin puppies put on weight... sometimes too much weight... when they reach maturity. This is mainly because thin puppies are often overfed in an effort to fatten them up and when certain hormones kick in at physical maturity, they usually become less active but are now getting too much food even if the amount has not increased. The investigators on this particular program seem to think ANYTHING that isn't FAT is too thin. But they don't like FAT animals either. (In my opinion, free feeding is the best way to deal with... avoid... weight issues.)

Which brings us to mange. There are basically two kinds: sarcoptic (scabies or red mange) and demodectic. Sarcoptic mange is picked up from the environment and, of course, is contagious to other animals AND people. Demodex is an immune problem, sometimes thought to be hereditary. Scabies is easily cured with ivomectin, supported by medicated baths to help kill the mites and/or ease the itching. (It is often harder to get rid of it with humans and usually involves washing everything in the house and spraying what can't be washed.) The heartworm medication that is ivomectin based usually keeps sacoptic infection at bay. Demodex is NOT contagious to other animals or to humans. Mild demodex will often disappear on its own but just as often (and usually unnecessarily) is "treated" with baths (mostly to ease the itching although some vets will still use the chemical baths to kill surface mites) and support for the immune system and time. Generally, demodex occurs in pups and younger dogs and will not reoccur once the immune system has matured. HOWEVER, severe demodex often means the dog has to be put down. The mites look different for the two manges so the skin has to be scraped and looked at under a microscope to tell which is causing the problem. What bothers me is that the shelter personnel on this program, including the vets, are always so negative about a mange prognosis and so surprised when an affected dog shows improvement in a couple weeks. Why don't they KNOW these things?

Finally, for today anyway, nobody on this show wants to give anything time. Perhaps it is because it is on tv and the producers need an immediate diagnosis and prognosis. And they seldom do things the easy way... chemical shampoos are used on very young animals to kill fleas when a Capstar will do the same thing immediately. It is cheap and can be given several days in a row, giving time for a topical like Advantage to work. Malnourished pups are intubated or started on ivs instead of being given Nutrical (to elevate blood sugar and aid against hypoglycemia) and then given something like Hill's A/D (canned.) Yes, sometimes time is of the essence, but that is not always the case. Recently, there was a program where the vet was concerned that a mare who had foaled just an hour or so before didn't have enough milk for the baby. Duh! It's the same thing with dogs. Offspring sucking on Mom leads to milk coming in. The more it suckles, the more milk there is. Time.

To be fair, I think this team does a good job overall and I am appalled at the number of animals NEEDING help in that area. If people do not want to take care of their pets and livestock, they should stick to repairing cars or collecting stamps as a hobbies.

Good News

2011-12-13T12:49:00.002-05:00

Penny is home from the hospital. I called about 7 last night to get an update and she answered the phone. Which both surprised and pleased me. I asked what they had decided was wrong with her and she said "Gall bladder." So, dumb me, I said "When are they going to take it out?" She told me they had removed it that morning. And sent her home 8 hours later! She was still fighting off the immediate effects of the anesthesia, for pete's sake. What is WITH health care in the US?! But I'm glad she's through the worse of it and on the road to recovery... even if she has to spend the next week living upstairs in bed!

Missing Dogs Updates

2011-12-12T12:18:00.004-05:00

Elizabeth in PA reports that there has been only one sighting of Chompers in over a week. Again, it was at the tree farm so it seems that he is still hanging out in that area... or maybe, like Peri, he returned there because it seemed safe. Elizabeth is going back toward the end of this week and is planning to find her pup and bring him home. Good thoughts and prayers are requested and appreciated.

I spent much of the weekend going through newspaper and on line ads for pups for sale and found dogs, even those way out of the area where Cotton could possibly have wandered. I'm running a "puppy wanted" ad in the hopes someone just might have her babies for sale. A vet about 45 miles from me called Friday "about the lost dog flyer" and I was SURE they had found Cotton. But she just wanted to know if she should leave the flyer up on their bulletin board. Needless to say, it was a very depressing weekend.

No Pix This Week

2011-12-11T15:42:00.004-05:00

Sorry, folks, but Penny is in the hospital. She's been feeling sick... in bed type sick... for weeks. And Friday it got bad enough she was persuaded to go to the ER. She was admitted right away. So far, tests have not been conclusive for or against anything. I'm convinced it's her gall bladder. Since having mine removed and feeling 100% better fifteen minutes later, I'm sure the ills of the world would be eliminated if everyone had their gall bladder removed. Think about it... world peace!

Her husband is still planning to bring the pups to me next weekend, with or without Penny riding shotgun.

Cold Enough for You?

2011-12-08T16:07:00.004-05:00

I took this picture outside my front door. Gorgeous, eh? It's a wonder no power or phone lines went down! Luckily, the temperature has climbed above freezing. Now everything is soggy! Hope to get off the hill tomorrow or at least by Saturday. Not that I need anything, I'm just going stir crazy!

More puppies check in
Murphy and Zoe Teague are ready for Christmas. Both are Emy kids, different dads.

Look, mom, it's raining outside! Tucker and Seamus Perry, a Cotton son and an Emy son.

Rain, More Rain, Snow

2011-12-07T14:40:00.004-05:00

So a couple days ago we were about 6 inches over in the rain department for the year. Didn't see last night's total, but if I judge by my road, aka the Rapids, we're close to doubling that today. It just has NOT stopped. I live on a hill which gets VERY steep right above me and the road is a combination of dirt and gravel. When the weather is like this, the gravel gets washed away and the dirt turns into mud, DEEPLY rutted mud. In an emergency, I can get DOWN, but coming back up is impossible. Thanks goodness, our local weather predicters are very good at their jobs and give enough advanced notice that I can get out and stock up on dogfood, newspaper, etc. To make things interesting, the temperature is dropping from the 40s to below freezing and the rain is turning into snow. Depending on which tv station I get my weather report from (none are actually local,) I'm going to get anywhere from a trace to 6 inches. The 3-6 inch forecast most likely is for elevations higher than where I am. And often, because of the configuration of the hills in the area, much of the really bad weather goes by on either side of me. I hate to tell you how many times I've gone out and been surprised at how bad things are just a couple miles away when I have nothing alarming going on at home. Like me, the dogs will be glad when the rain stops later today. They've had to run out, do their business and run back inside. The dogs miss the exercise they normally get but THEY don't seem to mind getting soaked. For me, there's nothing like the smell of wet dog(s) in the morning to get my juices flowing! And I don't mean that in a good way.

Christmas is coming...
Tucker is ready to take part in the festivities. Bring on the eggnog!

Peri's in the Dog House

2011-12-06T12:56:00.004-05:00

Perhaps I have been a little too lenient with Ms Peri since she's gotten home, but those days are over. She has forgotten any boundaries she once had. I cannot put ANYTHING on top of the dresser next to my bed... it's all fair game for her. Long ago, I learned to pick up and stash anything I didn't want a pup putting teeth to. My house shoes ALWAYS go on top of the dresser when they're not on my feet. Peri has eaten them. My old dollar-store alarm clock gave up the ghost (after about 6-7 years... not bad for two bucks!) and I bought a new one... which set me back FIVE. It lasted one, count them, ONE day on the dresser. I have a small open bookcase on the other side of the room where I store myriad paperback books after I finish reading them. Now these are not books that I am adding to my permanent collection (like anything by Dick Francis,) but ones I'll eventually box up and truck over to the library. Peri started removing... and chewing on... all those she could easily get to on the bottom shelves. SO I threw out the ones that were too bad and removed to safety the ones she had just tossed around. As I always say, the trick to living with a dog is to be smarter than IT is. In this case, Peri has it all over me... I left the books on the higher shelves, perhaps forgetting that standing on her back legs was something she learned in the nest, and as soon as she was alone in the room, the rest of the books met the same fate as the previous ones. And last night, Peri was lying next to me on the bed while I was watching tv and reading the newspaper. She calmly reached over and started chewing on the paper IN MY HANDS! Well, the final straw happened this morning. It's raining, hard enough for all the dogs to sleep in. Which meant I slept in. At 11:45, the phone rang, waking me from a really pleasant dream which I can't remember clearly now... I think George Clooney was asking me a personal question (but he might have just needed to know the time)... anyway, I woke up, answered the phone and then rushed to start letting (forcing) dogs outside for a potty break. A few minutes later, I went back to the bedroom... and Peri had chewed up the phone! So she has now moved in with her mom, Di, and sister, Emy. Case closed!

TV story
On one of those faux news programs, I just saw a story that isn't so faux. It was about people stealing litters of puppies from breeders' homes. I personally know people that has happened to. It's on the list of why I allow no visitation. Case closed on that, too.

Sad News

2011-12-05T17:09:00.006-05:00

Maggie's smallest little girl died during the night. She was not doing well yesterday... sitting off by herself, not playing or eating, most of the day. She did not have an elevated temperature and she refused rice cereal and just plain milk when offered. Maggie ignored her which is a bad sign. Canine moms always seem to know when a puppy has a problem that cannot be fixed. If the pups are very young... under 2-1/2 weeks... moms will often shove the pup aside, away from the rest of the litter. Over the years, I have learned when that happens, there is NOTHING I, or a vet, can do to change the outcome. With pups a little bit older, moms will let them go off by themselves but they will force healthy or minorly ill pups to stay close. The cause of deaths like this is usually something like a liver shunt or heart problem and with a large litter, it is not unusual to lose a pup or two as they start getting more active and the malfunctioning organs cannot handle the increased exertion.

Just so everyone knows, the photos of the pups on the website are mislabeled. The FEMALE puppy who died is the little sleepy "guy." The blond pup with the white spot on the forehead that I claim is a girl, is not... which means the other pup in that photo is a boy as well. And the other blond pup with the.... Well, we'll get it straightened out once they get here and are microchipped.

Diamond

2011-12-04T18:10:00.005-05:00

Boon has "covered" Diamond five times as of this evening and today both of them seemed to be just going through the motions. Di's headache will probably be back tomorrow IF Boon shows any interest in her at all which is doubtful. Her ultrasound will be scheduled for the very end of December/first of January (4-5 weeks into gestation) and if positive, the reservation list will open immediately.

In The Netherlands

Two White Shepherds romping in the surf. The puppy (on the left) is just 5 months old. These two dogs belong to a forum friend of mine who also has Schapendoes (or Dutch Shepherd) which are shaggy and look amazingly like Whoodles. In Europe, the White Shepherd is a separate breed from the German Shepherd (just as the Biewer Terrier [pronounced Beaver] and the Yorkie are separate breeds.) Conny has raised and shown both breeds for a number of years. Her dogs are delicious!

Cisco's Kids Update

2011-12-02T20:13:00.003-05:00

The pups are chowing down on puppy kibble. Penny was going to go through what many breeders consider "the normal weaning process" and had started feeding them rice pablum. Which they, of course, LOVED. They waded into the bowls, coating themselves... and the entire kitchen... in it. Baths for 10 puppies 4-5 times a day gets time consuming. I told her the easiest, cleanest and REALLY natural way to wean pups is to put a bowl of dry kibble in the puppy pen as soon as they start trying to stand and let the pups find it on their own. (I start feeding my moms puppy chow... for the additional protein and fat content... a number of weeks before they give birth. And there is always a bowl for them in the puppy pen so they don't have to go very far to eat when the pups are brand new.) I've had pups between 2 and 3 weeks sucking on the kibble and they are always chomping on it before they get teeth. They will eat more kibble and drink less mom's milk as they grow. And no baths are necessary.

This morning, Penny got up and came downstairs to find... all the pups having a field day in the living room. Maggie was sitting in the doorway between the two rooms, looking a little guilty (since she was the one who had opened the pen gate.)

And this afternoon, Penny realized she might have a racist dog. Maggie was lying in the nest with some of the pups, her back turned to and blocking the others from coming in. All the light colored ones were in the nest with her while all the black ones were on the outside looking in. (To be fair, I often see moms separate pups into groups and sometimes it is seemingly by color. Which some dog experts have claimed dogs can't see.)

A Couple Things

2011-12-01T22:05:00.003-05:00

Ms Sheana left this morning for her new home in California. Over the last two weeks, this little girl and I got close, something I try not to do when I'm not keeping a pup. But when I get down to just one... well, it's not easy to stay aloof! She was really brave at the airport. I did something with her I've never done before... I put her down on the ground and let her walk around. She never got more than 3 feet from me, but she explored in all directions. She was interested in the people standing in line and walking passed us, although the ones dragging suitcases on wheels were a little scary for her. I was really proud of her. Before I had to put her in the crate, she actually walked up to a lady who came up to the counter next to us. And she did the 12 hours in the crate with just a little protest. I don't think I mentioned before that the pups all learned to howl so they could take part in the daily sings around here. The only problem was... are you ready for this... she was put on an earlier than scheduled connecting flight out of Atlanta and the dummies in San Francisco didn't bother to read the airbill. So they didn't call her people to tell them she was there 3 hours before expected. Luckily, Francene called the airport to check on the scheduled flight and found out she was already there. So now Emy's pups are all gone.

Which brings me to Diamond
who is in standing heat and as of right now this minute has been bred twice by Boon. For a young, inexperienced stud, he does very well at maintaining his cool. Two days ago, Diamond had a headache and attacked him every time he even looked in her direction. However, the hormones have a way of changing a young lady's attitude toward a little lovin'. Since she is now receptive, I'll keep putting them together every evening until she tells me (and Boon) she's over it. So, if she "settles," the pups will be due at the very end of January... the same week Maggie's pups will be ready to go. Gonna be busy. Again.

Cisco's Kids New Pix

2011-11-30T11:15:00.003-05:00

The smallest pup in the litter... consistently so far... is the darker blond guy. (He's the sleepiest one too judging by this photo!) Granted, he's being held a little further away from the camera which diminishes his size even more, but he is a little boy. He is NOT a runt as he is well formed and proportionate. And interestingly enough, the darker blond girl is the second smallest pup.

New pix of all 10 are on the website. They'll be 4 weeks tomorrow and are showing some interest in dog food. They also are getting more freedom in the house than my very young babies usually do. Someone ALWAYS has the pen open and the pups are wandering... staggering... around the kitchen. At round up time, several are always curled up close to the wood burning stove. Nothing dumb about these pups!

There will be no 4 weeks weights because the only scale is a human one and it just isn't accurate with small poundage.

Oh, one more thing... the black pups are staying VERY VERY SHINY BLACK. In the new photos, there is no other color showing up on legs or ears. Perhaps, against ALL odds, this breeding will produce black Whoodles that STAY black. Way to go Cisco and Maggie!

New Stuff

2011-11-29T19:05:00.004-05:00

Scout Johann and family enjoying his first snow!

Chompers in PA
was spotted three times in the same area yesterday. Please keep those thoughts and prayers coming!

Diamond
The boys are telling me Diamond is in season. I don't see it, but what do I know? Will keep you posted!

Not Much New

2011-11-28T21:36:00.003-05:00

Penny has a stomach virus (she thinks) and didn't get new photos this weekend. If she feels better tomorrow, we'll get some then. Or the next day.

The weather here is on the verge of a dramatic change... guess what. It's about to become Winter. We're expecting heavy rain tonight with dropping temperatures and snow starting to accumulate tomorrow afternoon. Ordinarily, no problem. However, Sheana is supposed to move to California Wednesday morning. So that's up in the air, no pun intended. She has LOVED being the only pup in residence. Over the weekend she discovered tv... but doesn't seem to be overly impressed as she only watches for a moment or two at a time. She likes bright colors on the screen... and some idiot started a rumor years ago that dogs don't see color.

Chompers is still missing in PA. His home is 3 hours away from where he is lost. I feel so bad for him... and his family. I've been sad ever since they called. I'm praying this is a happier ending than Cotton has had... so far.

Lost Dog

2011-11-26T11:11:00.004-05:00

One of Jennifer's pups is lost near Hughesville PA (close to Williamsport PA.) He is a year old, 35 pounds, black and tan neutered male who slipped his collar yesterday. His name is Chompers and he is leery of strangers. This poor guy does not live in that area, so he is TOTALLY lost. I'd appreciate it if everyone will post on their Facebook page and keep Chompers and his family in your thoughts and prayers. If you need to get in touch with the family, email me for the address.

And, folks, PLEASE keep those collars snug. When in strange areas or situations, you may want to consider a choke.

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T12:26:00.003-05:00

From my house to yours! Turkey day is being celebrated by everyone here, including Sheana Colvin, the only pup still here. Hope you all have a wonderful day with lots of good food and friends and family to share it with.

Older pups check in
Tucker Sybrant, Emy's 1-1/2 year old son, making himself comfortable
Koda Eppley, Di's 2 year old son, getting an early start on the holidays

All Gone But Sheana

2011-11-22T11:36:00.004-05:00

The sixth of the pups left this morning, leaving Ms Sheana as the only baby still in the nest. And it doesn't seem to be bothering her a bit. She's been running around the house, teasing the adult dogs, none of whom has tried to eat her YET. I considered letting her stay loose in the house, coming into the bedroom with me at night, but decided that might be a bad idea for when she goes to her new home, so her mom and Grandma Di have moved into the puppy pen to be her roomie for the next week. Just weighed Sheana this morning and she's right at 9 pounds.

And in their new homes
Scout Johann with his new buds in Indiana

Finn Nelson on the long drive to Ohio
and bonding once the trip is over

So far, the vet visits have gone well. Just in case your vet asks and you don't remember me saying before, I give the puppy shots and do the microchipping myself. And the dosage for Albon is 1.25 cc per 5 pounds (3 cc, or a full syringe for 12 pounds.) Oh, and if you are walking the pup with a COLLAR and lead, be sure the collar fits VERY snugly at first... pups tend to slide right out of their collars VERY quickly. It needs to be tight enough that it CANNOT come over the ears. I suggest not leaving a collar on inside the house, especially if there are tags hanging off it, because they can get caught in the weirdest places and pups WILL choke themselves to death.

And on that note, ta ta.

Cisco's Kids Pix

2011-11-21T15:56:00.002-05:00

We can SEE!

At 17 days, the pups' eyes are open and they are able to focus. They are not sure what they are looking at just yet. We can tell the ears are open on a couple pups because they are responding to sudden sounds like dogs barking or the door closing. But mostly they all are sleeping and eating!

More pictures are on the website.

And tomorrow, I'll post some shots of Emy's pups in their new homes.

Two Days, Four Gone

2011-11-20T18:53:00.002-05:00

Only three puppies left at home. One left Saturday, three today... and one is going tomorrow, another on Tuesday and the last a week from Wednesday. All are being (or already have been) picked up except Wednesday's child. Which is very unusual. Normally only one or two pups get picked up and the rest are shipped. This morning, when I came back after sending puppy number two on its way, puppy number three wouldn't come to me. Same thing a couple hours later when I went to get puppy number four... had to chase her down! These kids are SHARP! Just about everyone said "Oh, he/she's so calm and quiet!" To which I replied "He/she's on good behavior." Actually, he/she was in a state of shock because some strange two-legged beast was holding it! And half the picker-uppers brought children with them... the first time those pups had seen kids. Poor babies... the pups, not the kids... it's going to be a trying time for the next few days. All these new things to adjust to.

More Good and Not So Good

2011-11-18T18:30:00.002-05:00

ALL the boys... yes, all four of them... had their time with the vet yesterday. The good news is there are no signs in ANY of them of shedding coccidia... they are still getting the Albon and I'll still be sending some home with each of them. (More good news: pups like the taste.) The bad news is two of them got carsick... both going and coming. Bummer.

Now, weights:
Blond - 10.4 pounds (6.0)
Black-and-tan - 10.0 (5.7)
Black, most white - 11.6 (6.2)
Black, least white - 11.6 (6.85)

Once again, none of them was particularly impressed with there being more people than me in the world. This is going to be a hard adjustment for all the pups! The vet commented on how "dusty" the "blacks" are... except for Scout (the black-and-tan.) He is still really shiny black.

First grooming
The 50/50 girl spent half the day... all alone by herself with no back-up from me or her siblings... at the groomer. And she looks gorgeous! At least she did when I picked her up. And she smelled good too. She did fine and even relaxed enough to be sound asleep when I showed up to get her. I got the evil eye from her for a moment or two, but once in the car, she forgave me and snuggled up against my leg. She was doing so good, instead of taking her straight home, I did the rest of my running around which involved about 30 miles of travel. We stopped at the bank, the pharmacy and Pizza Hut and at all three places, the people at the drive-thru said "What a beautiful dog!"

When we got home, I almost let her and the rest outside for a while. They've been confined indoors for several days because of the weather. BUT I let Peri and a couple other adult dogs out first and they came in with wet, muddy feet, so the pups have had to make due with running around inside the house.

The blond girl and three of the boys are going to the groomer tomorrow. It would be nice if they all looked as good the next day!

Not Cotton

2011-11-17T13:40:00.002-05:00

The dog is a West Highland and the pups are a mix, various colors from tan to black. They look to be about the right age. The dog's owners were there, holding some of the pups. But, strangely, it looked like they were just visiting... no lead or box to take puppies home in. I was too disappointed to ask questions.

Now my last hope is to advertise wanting a puppy before Christmas in the hopes that someone has Cotton and will be looking for homes for her puppies.

Off to the vet
I'm about to head out with the next batch for their departure exams.
Looks to be a long day!

First Two to the Vet

2011-11-16T18:40:00.003-05:00

Some good, some not so good results
The girls, 50/50 and blond, were the first two to visit with my vet. Neither got sick in the car, going OR coming. Both pooped. (Note to those picking up: bring newspapers, towels and bottled water for clean up as well as drinking.)

50/50 has exactly doubled her 8 weeks weight, from 5.6 to 10.12. Blondie has gone from 5.0 to 8.4 (which is more what I expected.) (Note to everyone: weight gains as a REAL predictor of adult size is still just guessing.)

BOTH have nicely colored, formed stool with no blood. Both have some coccidia in their stool. ALL of the pups leaving this weekend will be going home with Albon. (Note: the pups were already started on a prophylactic daily dose of Albon, it will just be continued for an extra week or until YOUR vet decides differently.)

The two girls had eyes the size of saucers as they looked around at all the people. My vet's practice is very large and very busy. And to make things worse, from the pups' point of view, the office is about three-fourths through a major remodelling. There is a LOT of noise, including loud banging. It's a far cry from living in the woods on a private road! Both girls wanted to stay in my lap rather than sit on the exam table, even when I put them up there at the same time. Jane left the back door open whenever she went out of the room and the pups were VERY interested in the doctors and staff walking up and down passed the room. They liked it better when the people were either leading or carrying an animal; they were not so thrilled when someone stopped to talk with me. They lived through the experience and weren't particularly excited OR subdued when they got back with their siblings. (Note: be prepared to let the pups adjust on their own terms... lots of holding and belly rubbing are in order.)

Tomorrow, black with most white, black-and-tan and blond males go in for their exams.

Cotton
Last night, a lady left a message on my phone that she thought Cotton might be at one of the area shelters. She had been up there and there was a dog who had "recently had puppies." Since it was late when I got the message, I went into town at 1 this afternoon, when the shelter opens, to check it out. AFTER spending the entire night thinking I might walk in there and finally find my dog. And the place is closed on Wednesdays. I have been unable to reach the lady this afternoon to get a description... even if she says it is a short haired black Mastiff type, I'll still go tomorrow to see for myself, but all day my mood has gone from high to very low... again.

The Countdown Begins

2011-11-14T13:43:00.003-05:00

Emy's pups had a big day yesterday. They received their microchips. They were treated with Advantage (although I haven't seen any fleas for a month or so.) They got drops in their ears. (Dogs with ears that hang down have on going issues with yeast build up and other things inside the ear.) AND they had their nails clipped again. Amazingly, all of them are still speaking to me this morning.

They have become VERY independent. It doesn't matter what I want... they'll let me hunt them down and pick them up and they'll sit quietly while I do whatever I have to do, even if it's something besides rubbing their bellies, massaging their backs, etc. But if I call "Puppy, puppy!" they head for the hills. When it is time to corral them, I fill up the water bowl and s l o w l y pour the kibble into the food bowl... they all come running and bob's your uncle, I close the gate on them. They still haven't figured THAT one out yet.

With the exception of Scout and now Sheana, they handle going DOWN stairs like regular dogs. ALL of them come up in a flash. HOWEVER, when they get to YOUR homes, the stair situation may be a little different for them... most staircases will be darker and longer than here so the pups will have to get some help for a while.

Tomorrow, the first two pups to leave go to the vet for their departure exams. Thursday, the next three do the same. Friday, the first two go to the groomer and I also have my own doctor's appointment. Saturday, I have to figure out how to get the next three to the groomer between sending the first two home!

Folks, pay attention to your email. Last week I sent some info on health issues. Today, it was info on care. And tomorrow, for those of you picking up, I'll be sending directions.

Again, as always, ask ANY questions you have.

Cisco's Kids Pix

2011-11-13T16:39:00.002-05:00

Ten days old and growing!
The pups, their parents and Penny are all doing well.
A couple more pix will be on the website in a few minutes.

A Few Pix of Emy's Pups

2011-11-12T17:39:00.005-05:00

More pix on the puppy site main page.

Crockett being welcomed by some of the gang.

Two of the girls.

Crockett and the blond female.

Sheana (mostly white parti) and Scout (black-and-tan) are going through a "I can't get down the steps" stage. And as soon as put them on the ground, they run back up to the deck. I managed to get a couple shots of Scout because he was intrigued with Crockett.

One Week Old Today

2011-11-10T13:00:00.003-05:00

Cisco's Kids are doing great! And Mama Maggie is turning out to be quite the wise dog. She is already feeding and cleaning babies, then stepping out of the nest to nap in front of it where she can protect her youngsters AND still be a part of family activities. They are in Penny's kitchen which is the warmest room in the house with the wood burning stove going most of the time.

A couple people have asked how I am going to get the pups here. Penny lives about 3 hours away and will drive them down once they are well weaned. With 10 pups, I expect Mag is going to wean them fairly early and I'll probably get them around 6 weeks of age. I have several adult females who love pups but are no longer having their own and I plan to let at least one of them become Second Mom.

It will be a rude awakening for the puppies... moving from a house with constant activity on many levels and a boatload of people in and out all the time, to the quiet seclusion here. Going to be interesting to see how quickly they adjust to the changes. The fact that the entire litter is still together will be reassuring for them and it is good preparation for the next change when they all move to separate homes.

Most likely, the first thing I do will be to microchip. Since they don't have any distinguishing markings... at least not yet... it will be difficult to tell one from another. I'm used to keeping the chip scanner in my back pocket, so no big deal! As usual, they'll get their first shot... a "5 way" parvo/distemper combo... at 8 weeks. The second, a "7 way" which is the same shot but with lepto vaccine (don't ask ME why that is SEVEN and not SIX,) will be given at 12 weeks. Depending on the weather, they may or may not be allowed outside. Cold is one thing, wet is another!

At least the holidays will be almost over by the time I get them, so tv shows will be back to regular programming and I'll be spending a lot of time in the pups' room which is where both the tv AND the computer are.

We're About to Get Winter

2011-11-09T13:55:00.005-05:00

This is Duncan who lives in NJ and just turned a year old.
Duncan is a black-and-tan Di/Brogue puppy who used to be very VERY dark. He is on the small side, like his sister, Peri. He is 17 pounds; she is 16. (I know of only one other of my pups who matured under 20 pounds.) Duncan's people, Kate and Tim, report he had a great time playing in the Halloween snow dumped all over their area last week while THEY were on their honeymoon.

The weather here
Dark and gloomy, rain on the way and a big drop in temperature expected. This is NOT going to make Emy's puppies happy. They LOVE their outdoor time every afternoon and I am not sending 7 furballs out to get soaked. Not to mention muddy! Poor babies will have to make due with teasing the big dogs and listening to me tell them to knock it off.

Maggie/Cisco pups
All the female pups are spoken for but there ARE a couple males available. Pass it on!

This and That

2011-11-08T16:32:00.003-05:00

Maggie and the 5 day old pups
This smart gal has already figured out it is easier to feed PART of the litter than all 10 at once. She has them in groups which will work for a week or so, until the pups start moving around the nest on their own. Everyone has settled in nicely.

Emy's pups
Are just hanging out with me. I've started giving them one bowl of adult food every day which they attack like they're starving, even when there is still some puppy food in the bowl. Of course, when I fill the bowl with puppy food, they act the same way. I think they like the adult food because of the much larger size kibble. It gives their jaws some exercise. Since the other day when I let Em outside with them, she doesn't seem to want to join them any more. Still too many climbing on her at once, I guess. Two will be staying until after Thanksgiving. I'm betting her attitude will change then.

Daylight Savings
I am so glad THAT's over! My body was ready for the change a couple weeks ago. Even the dogs were ready... they were sleeping later and later every day. Which is great for me in the morning but really tied me down until early afternoon because the work takes the same amount of time regardless of when I start. I wish we'd cut this changing business out. During daylight savings, I would rather be on regular time... sundown at 10 PM doesn't do a thing for me... and when on regular time, I'd like to stay on it, so leaving things alone would be my first choice.

Winter's coming
And I've done exactly nothing to get ready. The dogs are in the same fix. Usually they start eating a lot more and growing a heavier coat. Not this year. I'm actually using a little LESS dogfood every week and the dogs are about a month behind needing to be clipped again. I judge how severe the winter is going to be by what my critters do and they're telling me it's going to be fairly mild. Problem is, the wooly worms don't agree. They are predicting a colder than normal winter. Not a lot of snow. Guess we'll see exactly WHO is the better forecaster! (I'm rooting for the dogs.)

Cisco's Kids Pix

2011-11-06T13:07:00.004-05:00

Here is the entire litter. Aren't these GORGEOUS babies! Some of the blacks have a reddish cast to them. NONE have any white that we've seen.
And 4 pups have back dewclaws (which will be removed tomorrow. FRONT dews will NOT be removed.) Southern legend has it that dogs born with back dewclaws are wonderful "snake dogs."

I'm putting a couple more pix on the website... one of the girls and one of the boys.

Play Day

2011-11-05T15:56:00.004-04:00

I let the pups out HOURS ago and they are still going strong. Emy went out with them and played for maybe a half hour. Then she came inside and sat by my feet until I put her back with her buds. By that time, the pups had gotten over having access to her again and were playing all over the yard.

Most of the pups have figured out the stairs. I have to keep my eye on the blond girl because twice she's gone between the spindles and dropped about 3 feet to the ground. Why that is less scary than going down 4 inches from step to step, I don't know. And Finn managed to get between some fence panels that are stacked against the side of the house, into a mud hole left over from summer... only a puppy can get back there and with the rain, well he's given new meaning to "mudbath." Then there is Black Least White who found a Kong bone somewhere in the grass and managed to bring it all the way through the yard and up the stairs to show the other pups... who immediately took it away from him. The bone is probably about a pound in weight so that is some feat for a little guy! 50/50 likes to go up and down the stairs. She entices the others into chasing her and then zips up or down like she had legs longer than 6 inches. Those in pursuit ALWAYS stop before the first step and consider their next move before following her. Scout will often wait at the top because he's figured out she'll be back up in a few minutes and he can get her then. She still hasn't figured out that he's waiting.

Just took a brief break to corral everyone... they were starting to sprawl out all over the room and if they're ready to crash, I want them rounded up first. Now Black Most White is the only pup still awake. He's tearing around the pen, trying to get someone, anyone, to get up and play. They're having none of it!Once he settles down, peace should reign for at least a couple hours.

Most White has a name. She is Sheana. And she is still in charge.

Maggie/Cisco update
All is still going well. The smallest is an "already wheaten" girl while the rest are pretty uniform in size. However, Penny reports the little one is the one who always has a nipple in her mouth. A good sucking reflex is a smaller pup's best weapon!

One thing for everyone interested in getting a pup from this litter, picks will be made at 8 weeks in the order deposits are received. I will not promise anyone a specific pup at this time.

Oh, something else. Someone asked if Maggie's pups will get as much attention at Penny's as they would here. The truth is they'll get MORE. There are a number of people, puppy-loving people, at Penny's house and the boys are always having friends over. The pups get handled a lot... well, they will when Maggie says it's ok. There won't be as many photos, especially individual photos. For one thing, it is harder for me to tell who is who just from a picture so I won't be able to identify the pups individually. However, once they get here, I'll make up for lost time in that department.

SCWT puppy pix

2011-11-04T18:35:00.006-04:00

Don't anybody get excited. I "ask"ed for pictures of newborn Wheaten Terrier pups and chose a few to post here. These are NOT my pups. I don't know whose they are. The photos are not identified.
Several hours old, already lightening up.

Notice the difference in shades of these two.

The script on the pix says "2 weeks"

A couple months.
I LOVE this stage... wish they stayed like this!

Whoodle pups generally do not lighten up all over at once like Wheatens do and they take much longer. They also do not go through a "red" stage."
This is a black-and-tan, Emma (from Di and Brogue,) as a pup and at 3 years.

Big Litter!

2011-11-04T17:30:00.003-04:00

The total is TEN! Four females, six males. Two of each gender are wheaten and the rest are "black" or "gonna be wheaten!" Maggie is doing a great job with them BUT as a lot of first time mamas are, she is somewhat over protective. She doesn't want you to even LOOK at the pups. It will take her a couple days to settle down and realize everything is okay. Until then, everyone in the house is "ignoring" them. Pictures coming ASAP.

Signature waivers
A word to the wise: a number of people will be sending in their initial deposits and the thing is - time is of the essence - because there are just so many puppies available and it's first come/first served (for families already approved.) IF signature is not waived, the envelope will not be in my post office box. I will have to pick it up at the counter and since I can't stand in line, who knows when things will be calm enough there for me to just walk in and get it. Starting with the NEXT litter, I'll be doing business with a "mailboxes r us" location and signatures will not be an issue.

Shots and microchipping
Several people have asked why those two things are not mentioned in the contract. As I told one person, shots (and wormings) are as basic to raising puppies as feeding them dog food once they are weaned. I cannot imagine a breeder not giving at least one shot (if the pup is leaving at 8 weeks) and two (if the pup leaves at 12.) AND if the puppy stays with the breeder to 16 weeks, the third and last, should be given. (Pups who are at least 12 weeks when they are shipped MUST have a rabies shot but that is part of the shipping fee.) And microchipping is more a benefit to ME... although it is a nice savings for the new families considering what vets charge... as I use it as a means of telling one pup from another when there are a bunch that look alike... such as 6 "blacks" at a time!

The pups go home with a "shot record" detailing what and when it was given, including wormings. Additionally, NOTHING leaves me until it has had a departure exam by my vet. She has a form she fills out and a copy will be with the shot record. (If a pup is flying, there is also a state health certificate. And again, the additional cost is part of the shipping fee.) The microchip number is on ALL paperwork and a pamphlet/registration form for the chip is provided.

Emy and pups
Miss Em took most of the week off from the pups. She's been in their room once or twice to bump noses with them, but has stayed less than a minute or two. They don't seem to mind and don't get excited when she just turns away and leaves. IF the weather clears up for the weekend... it's rained for about 24 hours again... I'm going to let her out in the yard with them. It's always fun to watch her... or any mom... playing with the kids. Moms ALWAYS have favorites and don't make any bones about showing which they are. And Peri has been wanting to play with them as well. Her best bud is Crockett (who weighs about the same as the pups) so the babies should be good and tired every evening.

Finally - Pix (Emy's)

2011-11-03T17:37:00.001-04:00

The pictures from last week are on the puppy site AT LAST!

Maggie and Cisco

2011-11-03T14:41:00.004-04:00

We have lift off! Maggie is having the pups today. Right now. And she's wasting no time about it. Seven in 2 hours! Several of the pups are blond already and the others are very dark. Penny says they're black BUT this is the first time she's had a first generation litter and she's never seen the "born black but will turn blond just like purebred Wheatens" type pups before. Maggie is being really good with them... they are nursing and she's cleaning bottoms just like a pro. Not sure she's done and the pups haven't been handled yet so idea about the sexes. I'm willing to bet they are male and female!

Big Day for Emy's Pups

2011-11-03T12:01:00.001-04:00

Yesterday's weather was pretty good... bright sunshine, in the 60s... if it's the same today, by this afternoon, the ground should be dry enough to get Scout (black/tan) and Finn (blond) out for their photo session. AND they should do more than just hover in the grass.

I opened the door to the deck yesterday and then open the door to the puppy pen. First time that hasn't been a solid wall when they're running around. As usual, Least White was through it in a flash and then right back inside, looking REALLY surprised. Back out she went, jumping up and over the door jam like it was an Olympics event. The other pups gathered around the opening and watched her scurry through the leaves. Then Black with Most White stepped out... and almost fell on his nose because he failed to see the jam was about two inches higher than the floor of the deck. This IS the first time they've had a "step" to deal with. The third pup into the great unknown was 50/50. Eventually, they were all running back and forth. EXCEPT for Finn. No way this guy would ever be mistaken for Marco Polo! He's about as cautious a pup as I've ever seen! It took him almost a half hour to take the plunge. And by that time, two of the pups had managed to make it all the way down the steps and were chasing each other up and down the walkway. Guess which two. Ok, time's up. Those who said the parti girls get an "A." Thinking they might be a little frightened (fat chance,) I went down the steps after them and was surprised when Black with Least White followed me... well, he went down 3 steps and then JUMPED the rest of the way. Before I could grab him to make sure he wasn't hurt, he whirled around and climbed back up to the deck, followed by 50/50. Neither of them had much trouble in either direction. Granted the pups are almost 10 weeks old, but they're still little. And this was their first time around stairs. Most White wasn't ready to go in... she kept running up and down the gravel, not getting close enough for me to get my hands on her. And my two star steps-pupils were busy going down a few steps, waiting for the other pups to follow, and then leading them back up. Even Finn managed to go one step and then get back on the deck all by himself a couple times. Puppies learn so much from each other! They are SO amazing.

And then, an hour after letting them out, I put them back in the pen. They all got a drink, grabbed a couple mouthfuls of food, and went sound to sleep. Except for Finn and Scout... THEY were at the other end of the pen playing The Rock vs Hulk Hogan.

Then, this evening, I opened the puppy pen to let the gang out for their evening play. They made a beeline straight to the door! Which, of course, was closed. So they chewed on the hinge they could reach, the door jam, the bottom of the door. They pawed and dug at the bottom and the floor in front of it. They jumped up and pushed against it. And when none of that worked, they wandered off and did their normal out of the pen for an hour routines, including SOME of them coming to be picked up and the others heading for the hills when I went to get them to be picked up. And every last one of them leaned back in my arm and exposed the belly to be rubbed, I guess under the "if you can't lick 'em, join 'em" premise.

The Trip Home

2011-11-02T13:37:00.003-04:00

Betsey in Ohio (new mom of Finn, the blond boy) got the jump on all of you by asking about the trip home in the car. The first question was about sending a blanket, etc to put in with the pups to get the litter smell on it and the second had to do with how the pup should ride in the car. To save time, since you're ALL going to ask the same question, I'm cutting and pasting my answer:

I've heard the story about blankets, towels, tshirts, etc too... in MY opinion, it doesn't work. MAYBE with a 6-8 weeks old pup, but an older one isn't going to be fooled. EXERCISE to the point of exhaustion works. (Whether it's you or the pup, doesn't matter!)

As for the trip home, personally, I wouldn't bother with a crate, plastic or otherwise. I'd cover the seat(s) with a blanket and bring towels and let Finn ride on a lap or the seat. It's a good bonding time, reassuring for the pup. He will NOT know how to walk on a lead. You might want to pick up a harness for him, rather than try to take him out with a collar, but I don't know what size to tell you... small PROBABLY but they're all different, so maybe get a small and the next size. You can take one back if it doesn't fit... or if the small fits, you may want to keep the other for him to grow into.

SOME of the pups will probably get carsick, some will not. There's no way to tell ahead of time.

Birthday Pix

2011-10-28T19:57:00.001-04:00

Emy's daughter, Cameer, celebrating her 1st birthday (the 24th)
and Cotton's daughter, Coco, whose 1st birthday was the 27th.

The other Emy pups
I got a few pix of some of the Emy/Boon babies who are 9 weeks today. And then the rains came. And stayed! Let me tell you, as difficult as it is getting decent pictures (in focus, pup looking in the general direction of the camera, etc) INSIDE, doing it OUTSIDE was even worse! First off, I had to take them out in groups, rather than all at once, so I would know who was who during the editing process. Since there are 3 blacks, that meant 3 groups. Second, it was the first time the pups have been outside the house which meant they weren't the most active items on the lawn. And whether the group was two or three, they stuck together like glue. In fact, the last group (of two) stayed where I put them WITHOUT MOVING for 10 minutes... while I walked all over the yard to relieve my PAD.

2011-10-28T19:56:00.000-04:00

It started off well enough, or so I thought

when these two (most white male and female) stayed where I put them.
And then didn't move again for some time.
My little Raibs Suns girl wandered out into the yard, sniffed them and then went back up on the deck. I got a few more pictures as they tried to figure out where she disappeared to.

And then, there was the group of three...
least white boy, 50/50 and blond girls
who sort of looked at me right at first

but then quickly changed their minds about THAT.

2011-10-28T19:38:00.003-04:00

And THEN there were the final two
Scout and Finn
They weren't going to look at me PERIOD.

See what I mean?

I have some other shots of the first 5 but I don't want to put them on the website until I get more of Finn and Scout... which will probably have to wait until Sunday since the rain is supposed to be off and on throughout the day Saturday.

And in case you're wondering, Emy went right in with the pups last night, stood quietly and let them suckle, cleaned up their mess, and went to a corner. She was still in the same corner this morning, lying on her belly. But the pups let her get up and leave when I opened the gate without attacking her. She must have gotten her message across!

Bad Me

2011-10-27T16:58:00.003-04:00

Happy birthday to ALL those pups who turned a year on the 24th and the 27th! Don't know where my head was on Monday. I remembered it was Peri's birthday... and forgot about her brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews and the grands (or once removeds!) Maybe my subconscious remembered this time last year because I've been exhausted all week! So a belated Happy One Year Birthday all around!

Emy
is DONE nursing. And in no uncertain terms! She is cuddling, playing, cleaning and being mom but she has decided she is no longer McDonalds! This morning when the kids were rooting around, trying to get her to expose her belly and the milk taps, she growled at them. It must have been the first time because they were SURPRISED. A few of them decided she was kidding or maybe they had misunderstood her. She disabused them of those ideas a few seconds later when they tried again. This afternoon, when I let her out, she didn't come in the puppy room at all, didn't even look in here when she went passed the door. And the funny thing is, they all saw her but didn't say a word... they stopped and looked, then went back to playing. I can hardly wait to see if she wants in with them tonight!

Nov 7

2011-10-26T16:43:00.002-04:00

Public service announcements have been running all day about a NATIONAL test of the broadcast system scheduled for 2 PM Eastern on Monday, Nov 7th. It is supposedly going to last about 3 minutes and then regular programming will resume. The announcements end with the spokesperson asking that everyone tell their family, friends, co-works, etc about this test so nobody panics, thinking we are under attack by little green men or whatever. Consider this me doing my part to let everyone know it is just a test.
Thanks for your attention to this matter.
Orson Welles, et al

More Progress

2011-10-25T11:54:00.002-04:00

THIS gorgeous guy is Tucker, an older brother to Emy's pups. Isn't this a great shot!

Today
As I'm sitting here, answering email (LOTS of email!) the pups are ALL out of the pen and roaming around. Several, including Mostly White, are completely out of my sight, in another room. Actually, I know exactly where they are because several dogs are barking at them! The first time they stuck their noses in that room and Lucky (remember Lucky?) alerted to them, they all bolted back to me. They are over that and are ignoring him... or barking back. In THIS room, several of them are trying to destroy my straw broom, always a favorite with pups, and my shoelaces have been untied (and almost chewed through) practically since I opened the gate. A word of warning: shoelaces, no matter in whose shoes, are fair game to any puppy, and they don't care if the shoes are being worn or tucked away under the bed. Another word of warning, even at this time of year, puppy nails scratch right through bare skin. Be sure to wear long legged pants and shirts with long sleeves!

Since the weather is supposed to be nice and warm for the next couple days, I'm going to try getting the kids outside. They adjusted quickly... within 24 hours... to being allowed to roam on their own away from their "safe place," so I think another adventure will be good for their mental development. The biggest problem is once pups learn about "outside," they tend to WANT "outside." And this weekend is supposed to be rain with HIGHS in the 30s. Believe me, I'd rather listen to their disappointed noise than take them out in THAT!

The Little Ladies are Leading

2011-10-23T18:04:00.003-04:00

Yep, the girls may be smaller but they are bolder and more demanding of attention. AND they see more of what is going on around them than the boys in Emy's litter. Usually, there is little difference between the genders, whether it is size or "personality." Apparently, this litter did not consult with anyone before they arrived. So far, the pup who is the first to do EVERYTHING is the mostly white parti. She is also the one who pounces on me as soon as I enter her area or, as of today, the one who tried to climb into my lap as soon as I opened the gate and let the pups choose to leave the pen or not. (The boys all stayed IN the pen, suspiciously close to out, but still inside, while led by Mostly White, the girls wandered out and even into the next room.) A little while ago, I came in from Petsmart with a couple new toys and tossed them in the pen with 7 sleeping puppies. In a flash, Mostly White was up and checking them out. Fifty/fifty was right behind her. And by the time any of the boys woke up, all three toys had been claimed by the three girls.

To be fair, one of the boys IS the first at something... the black with least white guy discovered "swimming in the waterbowl" a couple days ago. Now, I no longer fill it up because it gets splashed out right away. The black-and-tan guy and the other black "dig" in the water, splashing it on their chests and bellies. Thankfully the girls and their blond brother have no use for that kind of shenanigan. At least not yet.

Maggie and Cisco pix
Here are pictures of Maggie and Cisco as 9 weeks old puppies. They were beautiful from the git-go. I'm betting THEIR pups will be too!

8 Weeks Weights

2011-10-21T20:34:00.003-04:00

Yep, 8 weeks. Pups had a busy day... getting weighed, getting their first shots, getting wormed, etc.
So here are the new results, again ladies first:
blond - - 5 pounds (previously 2.2)
mostly white parti - - 5 (previously 2.05)
50/50 parti - - 5.6 (previously 2.6)
And the boys:
black-and-tan - - 5.7 pounds (previously 2.4)
black w/most white - - 6.2 (previously 2.4)
black w/least white - - 6.85 (previously 2.7)
blond - - 6.0 (previously 2.75)

Interestingly, the 4 boys are the biggest pups while the 3 girls are the smallest although the biggest female (the 50/50) is just a tenth of a pound less than the smallest of the males (theblk/tan.) Usually there isn't such a distinct difference between the sexes. Makes 12 weeks weights something to look forward to!

Shipping
Unfortunately, because of heavy air travel over Thanksgiving, the pups who are flying to their new homes will be stuck here with me until the Wednesday after the holiday. Flying in to pick one up won't work either because they will be too big to fit under the seat and will have to travel as cargo.

And they can't leave before 12 weeks because of the shot schedule.

Where's my mommy?
Emy leaves the puppy pen around 10 AM when she goes outside and I don't let her back in with the pups until nighttime. Monday and Tuesday, I put her back around 7:30-8 PM. But Wednesday and Thursday, I didn't. Wednesday I fell asleep while watching tv and didn't wake up until about 10... and I woke up to pups crying their little hearts out. Seriously. They had food and water, they just wanted their mama. As soon as I let her in with them, they shut up. Last night, I put her in about 9, before they got hysterical about her absence. And I have to get off here, let her go outside for a few minutes and put her in the puppy pen before it starts up tonight!

Toys

2011-10-19T17:13:00.005-04:00

I gave the pups two big balls... big for their size. And they have had a party with them ever since. Even though the balls feel very solid (except for the carpet-like fabric they are covered in,) the puppies have managed to play tug of war with them and even throw them short distances. They share nicely and there has been no fighting or even growling over who gets possession.

But there are only TWO balls...

So they now also have a knotted rope for tug of war AND, today, a new "sock" monkey with a tail and 4 legs to pull on. They have all just come to the front of the pen, closest to me, to take a nap and ALL 4 toys are in the same back corner. What good little kids!

Still no news of Cotton
I am making a concerted effort to NOT think about her. Every time I start going in that direction, I deliberately change the subject in my mind. Can't say that it has helped my mood or my depression, but at least I can have a normal conversation with people. As long as they don't bring it up.

Not My Day

2011-10-18T16:42:00.003-04:00

Went up to rent a mailbox. No can do because they are probably closing their store at the end of the year. They've been in business for over 30 years. The second generation just took over a couple years ago. The next closest place is a UPS store. I don't like the people who work there and parking is an issue. The next closest place is several miles, on the wrong side of the mall (with the holidays coming and all.)

Speaking of bad parking, as much as I hate Walmart, with the weather changing tomorrow or Thursday, I thought I'd better go load up on blankets, etc. Could NOT found a parking spot anywhere within what I consider a reasonable distance. Is there some magical sale going on that I'm not aware of?

Then I drove out to pick up a supply of newspapers... and got some... and decided to call a restaurant near home to order one of their large chef's salads for supper. Guess who didn't remember to bring her cell phone.

I'm back home now and going to take a nap.

Oddball Stuff

2011-10-17T17:17:00.005-04:00

Peri is back on 4 legs, sort of. The sling is off and a new x-ray shows the femur head is deep in the socket just as it should be. (If she were a year and a week older, this would be an OFA x-ray.) She's still tentative about using it and probably will be for a couple days but, since she's still on restricted exercise, that's fine. Bill (my other vet... Jane's hubby) said she gets the award for best dog EVER to handle a sling. She weighs just 16-1/2 pounds so she'll probably do just fine for my goal of getting some 20 pounders (with Sparky who is also under 20 pounds.)

Emy weighs 30 pounds and actually looks chunky. She went in for a rabies shot which was overdue because of the pups.

Ost and Wombat
My young 'doodles who went to live in Florida are looking for another home, together or separately. Their new mom's family is expanding but their living quarters are not. Ost has sired two beautiful litters and Wombat has had one good sized litter which she did fine with. These dogs are used to people of all ages, dogs of all sizes and have been around horses. If you are interested in either, email me and I'll put you in touch.

Crockett
My Chinese Crested puppy has just turned a year.

Here he is with a Boxerdoodle rescue sneaking into the shot.

And one more, this time with Popcorn, a PomPoo rescue who is his best MALE bud.

Two Things

2011-10-16T14:57:00.002-04:00

PIX!
A new page of photos at the regular puppy page address.
There is also a link to the old individual pages which we'll keep for a little bit.

Move
So far, the pups have handled the move and new, more spacious quarters well. They're more active... doing a lot of running, even the tail-tucked head to the hills type running... but for shorter periods of time. Then they sleep VERY soundly! Their neighbors, my mini Poodle guy (Sparky) and two Malti-Poo (?) rescues, are fascinated by them. So everyone seems happy enough for the time being.

MY new address
I have reached the breaking point with the US post office and am getting a "mailboxes r us" address, probably on Tuesday. I'll still have the old po box address for at least 6 months, so not to worry. I WILL send you the new address... not posting it on the web!

Moving Day

2011-10-15T14:31:00.004-04:00

The pups are going to be leaving the bedroom and moving into the tv room. Sounds simple enough. But in order to do that, I have to move the dogs in the tv room some place else. And that means moving the dogs already some place else to another location and... you get the picture. Plus, just like when you move the couch, even if it's only to another wall, you have to get everything out of the way on the other wall... which means dusting everything and running the vacuum over that entire side of the room, including the wall and the blinds. And when you get the couch pulled out, there is all that stuff that has fallen behind or been kicked under it, like the tv remote you ended up replacing because you'd looked everywhere and couldn't find it and several copies of warranties that didn't end up in the file like you thought they had, and so on. The good news is everything seems to be going smoothly. New roommates are getting along AND several rooms are ready for an early Christmas! Since there is absolutely NOTHING worth watching on regular tv tonight, I may put the pups in their new spot and watch something on cable with them while they get used to the idea. Then again, I may move them and close a few doors and go to bed early!

No News about Cotton

2011-10-14T13:35:00.003-04:00

Sunday will mark 4 weeks since Cotton (and Peri) got lost. By now, Cotton would have had the pups... they were due around the 12th. The weather was nice up until Tuesday and then it got rainy with downpours yesterday. I have had visions of Cotton in a mudhole, trying to keep those little blond babies warm and dry. Sometimes I imagine her inside a barn or shed, at least out of the weather. Of course, my HOPE is someone has managed to entice her into a house where she is warm and getting food on a regular basis. I try not to think that she is lying dead alongside a road or in the woods somewhere... but that, of course, is a real (maybe the only real) possibility. I don't know how else to explain her and Peri being separated and Cotton not being seen by anyone again. I want the pups, of course, but my tears are for Cotton. Every day it is harder to believe... even think I'll ever see her again.

7 weeks old today
Emy's pups are starting to grow up. They are beginning to whine to get out of their pen. The other dogs are of great interest to them and they will try to paw them, touch noses, etc through the wire. Tomorrow I am definitely moving them to the tv room. They'll have more space... and new dogs to meet. And pretty soon, they'll be allowed out to roam first THAT room and then the bigger "living room" it opens off of. Have to get in there and hide cords first! Emy is willing to spend a couple hours away from them at a time... outside or loose in the bedroom... but she still spends most of her time WITH them. Every litter, when I get to this stage... the age so many breeders are permanently removing moms from their babies... I wonder how often that would happen if they just once left them there longer and watched the interaction between them. It can't be just MY dogs who love their youngens after they get teeth!

Good Maggie News

2011-10-13T19:06:00.003-04:00

Penny says Maggie is getting big. She used to fit nicely on Penny's footstool but the last few days, just keeps sliding off in one direction or another. Yea! About 4 weeks until the puppies get here.

Nothing new about Cotton
I really appreciate all the prayers and words of encouragement.

My son went to the library today... where I ran off the flyer yesterday... and was telling the ladies there that he REALLY needs to find a job. One of them told him she knew how he could get $500. And when he perked up and asked how, she said there was a lady in there yesterday who was offering a $500 reward for the return of her dog. Andy said they have a flyer right out on the counter and are showing it to everyone who comes in. (Don't know if he told them he was my kid.) And a couple people who saw the flyers from Monday's search called to see if I had found her yet. It is nice to know all these people care about one little dog. If I could just find that ONE person who has given her shelter....

Peri
Had to have her sling reinforced yesterday and has an appointment on Monday for reevaluation. I've run out of fingers to cross!

Different Things

2011-10-12T16:20:00.002-04:00

First, Cotton. No news. I spent the day sending out over 4 dozen copies of the flyer to vets and groomers, shelters, rescues, etc. And about that...
do not believe it if you hear you can call Office Depot, give them a file (via email or off a website), tell them what you want and a couple hours later go in and pick it up. I started with them early yesterday. First, you're on hold for 5-10 minutes and that's IF someone answers the phone before you run out of the number of unanswered rings allotted by your carrier. Then they take down your info and tell you they'll get right to it and call you back IF there are any problems. When they call you back several hours later, it's to tell you the flyers will be 3 pages. And when you say, "do you not have 'shrink to fit?'" they say "Oh, never thought of that. I'll get back to you in a few minutes." Several hours later, when you call them, they say if they shrink to fit the pictures will be the size of postage stamps... which seems strange since it really looks like it will fit nicely on one regular sheet of paper. So you rework the flyer, remove about half the photos, call them back again and go back to wait mode. Hours later, you remember you haven't heard back, so you phone in once more only to be told they can't remember the website address.... SOOO, just before closing, Icalled and asked for the copy/print center manager (Josh) and discussed the situation with him. He's been just so awfully busy all day he doesn't have a clue what I'm talking about but will get to it "some time tomorrow."
I did not cuss him out. I simply told him no thanks. And in the morning I went to the library, ran off a one page color flyer (shrink to fit=80%) and a cover letter and took them to Office Depot. Where they charged me 59 cents a copy for the flyer and 10 cents each for the cover letter.

Now, here's how out of it I am lately... it never occurred to me that I paid the library 25 cents for an original of the flyer.

If I don't get Cotton back soon, I'm going to be completely bonkers!

Emy's pups
Will be 7 weeks old this weekend and I'm planning to move them out of the bedroom, into the tv/computer room. Em will stay with them most of the time for another week and then I'll put her with her mom and sister (Di and Peri) for most of the day.

The pups will be 8 weeks old NEXT weekend. That means the final payment is due for those who still have a balance. I'll email reminders the first part of the week.
If I don't forget.

A Brief Period of Hope

2011-10-10T14:20:00.003-04:00

A lady called this morning to say her husband was working in a neighborhood about 10 miles from here and saw a dog that could possible be Cotton. So, everything else got put on hold while Di, Keogh and I went looking. I found the area... I'm not joking when I tell you a lot of places out here are hidden, even when a good number of people live there... and drove around. There were a lot of people working in their yards, sitting in the shade and even walking around. I passed out flyers and talked to most of them. Several folks told me they knew about the white dog in the area BUT it was large (described as a wolf-dog or husky-type) and had been there for several months. They though it probably lived in the neighborhood and simply got out of its yard from time to time. When I took the call, the distance was pretty far BUT she could have gotten there by crossing the major streets later at night. So I hoped. If only for a short time. Truthfully, though, I don't know if the high from adrenaline and hope is worth the fall back into despair afterwards.

At least I know people ARE aware that she is out there and they're looking out for her.

For anyone that is interested, this is this week's flyer, going out to all the vets, shelters, rescuers and groomers in the area:
lost

Puppy Pix - 6 Weeks

2011-10-08T11:23:00.003-04:00

Pups are still nursing AND getting nourishment from mom... even though they are so big they now have to do it in shifts.

They also are eating quite a lot of dry kibble. Sometimes the choice is difficult....

AND when they're not eating (or sleeping) they spend a lot of time tussling with each other.

Don't know if you can tell from these photos but they are starting to get a lot of hair. AND their most favorite activity of all is tearing up newspaper! I don't know what it is about dogs and newspaper... from puppyhood to old age, they love to shred the stuff!

Info WILL Be Coming

2011-10-06T15:51:00.003-04:00

I will send out emails several weeks before puppy travel time detailing things like dog food, toys, shot records, crates, etc. as well as GENERAL health info so all of you will have most of your questions answered. It may be a good idea to print these emails as there is a lot of information, much of which you may not need right away. Any questions that you have that are not answered or are not answered clearly, please ask again.

Also, anyone who needs their puppy to stay until after Thanksgiving, please let me know. Remember, the week before Thanksgiving is the busiest travel time of the year and flying could be problematic, especially the weekend before and after.

No Cotton news.
This photo is of her a week before delivering in 2009.

I want my dog back.

Puppy News Plus

2011-10-05T10:24:00.005-04:00

First, nothing on Cotton.

Second, Peri did fine with her "reduction" on Monday and I brought her home... again... yesterday afternoon. Poor girl is going to have to live with the burrs for 2 weeks while her leg is bound up. And I MEAN "bound." It is all scrunched up into one big ball (sort of) so there is no way she can put any weight on it. She's hopping around just fine on 3 legs but has to live in a crate so none of the other dogs knocks her over and injures the other leg. Right now, she's out, lying by my feet while everyone else is either outside or locked up elsewhere.

Third, the puppy news
No, NOT about the current pups but about another litter. I am leasing a Wheaten girl from a friend of mine. She was bred on Sept. 6th to her gorgeous apricot standard Poodle. Pups due mid- November. A family situation came up after the breeding which makes having pups right now a bad idea, so this works out for both of us. I would welcome either of these dogs in my own breeding program and have NO qualms about the pups. Will post parental photos and other info on the website in a day or two.

And, current puppies
If you use the url I sent... http://whoodledogs.com... you'll get ALL the puppy pictures that were used in picking. Each pup has it's only page. Just click the link.

Lastly, the dog in the barn
This is the very beautiful stray dog who is not Cotton. He/She is a youngster, smaller than Cotton and to me, looking nothing like her. But apparently it looks like her to everyone else. The lady who called me about it was SURE it was my dog even though the timing was all wrong and the distance too far. I went to look simply because I just CAN'T take any chances and took several pictures. Just like Cotton, it is scared to death and runs when it sees a person. It ran when I opened the car door and let Diamond out. The lady who called me is taking it food and water every day and is planning to get a humane trap from the shelter... I pray someone is doing the same for Cotton. I put the photos on craigslist and got a phone call and several emails telling me there was an ad on craigslist that showed MY dog was found in a barn.... Cotton's pups are due the 12th to the 15th. It is getting harder and harder to see a happy ending.

Peri Update

2011-10-03T13:35:00.004-04:00

First, there is no word on Cotton.

Then, Peri is at the vet. She was limping, carrying her right rear leg off the ground. My hopes that it was something minor were for naught. She has a dislocated hip.

Hip dislocation is a blunt force trauma. She could have been hit by a car or kicked by a horse, cow... or human, or fallen from some place. Since I have a problem visualizing her letting anything get close enough to kick her, I'm thinking probably a fall... she's too small for a car to have hit her and not done more damage.

They are doing a closed reduction this afternoon. That means no cutting. And she'll be in a sling for several weeks. IF that works, fine. However, since it's been several days, the probability is that it won't and she'll require surgery of some sort, from just a cleaning up of the socket to removal of the femur head.

She was NOT happy to be taken aswy from me.

She should have thought of that two weeks ago!

Picks going well
Already on the last choices!

Peri Pix

2011-10-03T01:51:00.004-04:00

Diamond keeping a close eye on her wayward child.

Peri keeping an eye on ME.

Up close and personal again!

Emy's pups
Ok, I promised pix to pick by and I did it. Well over 100 shots to get 4 half way decent pictures of each of the 7.
Now, I've sent the page link to the families with 2nd pick male and first pick female.
As soon as they've picked, the next two in line will get the links to the available pups.
And then those with the last picks will get pictures of their puppies.

I HAVE PERI!

2011-10-01T19:38:00.000-04:00

Larry's daughter called about a half hour ago and said Peri kept coming into the house but would bolt back outside before she could close the door. So I grabbed Diamond (Peri's mom) and went over there. And Peri was IN the house, the door shut so she couldn't get out. I walked in and she was peering around the corner at me... or rather, at Diamond. She stood there just a second and when I said "Come on, Peri, let's go home" she ran to us. To BOTH of us. She couldn't decide which one of us she wanted the most. She whined all the way home in the car. And now she is in the room with her mom and Keogh and her 2 pups, playing with the pups. Thank you all for being there with me. If she could only tell me where Cotton is!

Peri

2011-10-01T10:50:00.004-04:00

A call first thing this morning from a lady who had just seen Peri in the same area as she was seen yesterday. No sign of Cotton. I took food up there last night and today I'm going to take a blanket the other dogs... Diamond (Peri's mom,) Keogh and her pups... have been sleeping on for the last two weeks. I'm hoping their smells will calm Peri and we'll eventually be able to catch her. Also going to call the animal shelter and see if they have any of the large traps available.

As for Cotton, I'm afraid. I guess that says it all. Several people have warned me there is a man right there who shoots every dog he sees because he has horses and people "should keep their dogs locked up." One lady, who was in an altercation with him last year, told him the next time his horses were on her property, she was going to shoot THEM. The lady who called this morning said they heard shooting over his way yesterday.

The weather has gotten dramatically colder... highs in the 50s (versus the 70s) and lows the last couple nights in the 40s, supposed to go down into the 30s tomorrow night. 30-50% chance of rain over the next couple days as well.

We need prayers and incantations and anything else that might help.

Later update
It's possible that they got separated because Cotton did not look out for Peri. When I saw them, a week ago Friday night, Cotton was running a good 50 feet ahead of Peri. Peri saw me and something was going on in her head... I could tell by the way her gait changed... but then she looked ahead and saw Cotton still running, and ran after her. Or maybe someone was able to trap Cotton and Peri wouldn't let them get her. Or something terrible could have happened. It's interesting that Peri found her way back to Larry's place because they were a good distance... miles... away. AND yet, she hasn't been able to find her way home. Larry saw her last night, inside the crate on one of his decks, eating, but she ran away... a short distance... when he opened the door. She went back to the crate and food when he went back in the house. And this morning she was sitting on the same deck, and left again when he went outside. As he and his wife were going to the car, he saw her go under another deck so he thinks she's making a little home there. Maybe, if nothing startles her... if nobody chases her, she'll settle down and let herself be caught. I took a blanket... a VERY smelly, dirty blanket... over and a dirty bowl her mom and pals have been eating out of, hoping the smell of the dogs she knows will calm her. And I got a trap from the shelter. Didn't leave it because Larry wasn't home and I don't know if he knows how to set it... will take it over tomorrow. I'm not very good at not being in control. It's frustrating. And very tiring. Never having been much of a sharer of MY feelings, I'm surprised at how much it helps to be able to post about the pain and sorrow to sympathetic people. I hope this experience hasn't created a monster!

So Far Today

2011-09-30T13:05:00.004-04:00

This morning (Friday) a farmer I talked with LAST Friday called and said he thought he had just seen Peri run up the road toward his daughter's house. It's the area closest to me where they hung out for several days last week. So I went down there, but there was no sign of either dog and the dogs that live there were sound asleep on the porch... I woke them up when I started calling Cotton and Peri's names.

Just ran off 300 more flyers and we're going to put them out this afternoon. The problem is they could be anywhere now and I may be targetting the wrong area with the flyers.

It might help if I could keep from crying every time someone calls or asks about the dogs. I'm not a lot of fun to be around right now. And when I'm not crying, I'm in a terrible mood. Wish I had someone to take it out on!

The current flyer is at http://breeders411.com/lost.html

Back to Puppies

2011-09-29T14:59:00.004-04:00

This has been a big week for awareness. The pups have gone from living in their own little world, a little startled by my presence whenever they discover me in the pen, to looking for me and the other dogs. Every one of them LOVES being massaged along their spines and will gather around waiting for their turn. They've learned when I open the gate, Mom is going to disappear for a while. Today, when I let Emy out for the first time, MOST of the pups tried to go with her. Then they all sat right at the gate and watched as the rest of us left the room. They now stand up on their back feet, front ones on the cardboard "bumper" for support and touch noses with other dogs or sniff my fingers when I put them close enough. They also look up at me when I call "puppy, puppy" and they know the sound of water or puppy kibble being poured into their bowls. They are fairly steady on their feet and running short distances. Their blanket is a great source of fun... they grab an edge and shake and sometimes pull it over themselves or another pup. They also play tug of war with it. All this is spread out over the 24 hours as they probably sleep 22 hours a day and only play for a few minutes at a time.

Next photos
I will be doing individual pictures of the pups this weekend to help you make up your minds about picks. So far, the only one definitely picked is the black with the most white. Both blacks have red highlights which means they will lighten up and my black-and-tan pups always lighten up as they mature.

Cotton and Peri
Nothing to report. Your continued prayers are requested. Thanks.

Again, No News

2011-09-28T15:23:00.002-04:00

Had two phone calls first thing this morning. Both from ladies who thought they had seen Cotton at animal shelters... different shelters, one 30+ miles from here. I went to look but she wasn't there. (In fact, there weren't ANY dogs there that looked even a little bit like her.) But for a couple hours, I imagined....

A number of you have asked how Tommy (the guy who left the gate open) is doing. He's among the living. And no, I didn't fire him. He IS getting a little concerned about the gallows I had him build in the front yard....

No News

2011-09-27T10:24:00.003-04:00

No phone calls last night so nothing to report. I went by the church and checked the food bowls. Only one had been touch and it was probably by a raccoon... lots of half eaten kibble on the top layer. So I picked up the bowls. I'm almost resigned to not getting them back. These swings from the highs when someone calls to tell me they've been spotted to the depths this morning are wearing me out.

Puppy picks
Definite picks have to be made in the next week or so (by the time the litter is 6 weeks old.) Those of you with the earlier picks, especially first pick/each sex, if you've already made up you mind, please let me know. The suspense is killing everyone!

Quick Update on the Dogs

2011-09-26T16:30:00.003-04:00

I learned today that the girls are "all over the internet." All the vets and the two animal control shelters I visited told me they had already seen the flyer info on the internet. One vet added the girls to his Facebook "lost dogs" section last week some time. I appreciate this BUT if any of you Have or put the girls on your social networking site, please do not mention they are Whoodles. I'm afraid someone will get their hands on them and NOT give them back or keep them and try to sell the puppies.
Thanks.

Puppy weights

2011-09-26T12:53:00.006-04:00

There is a considerable spread here in weights. The smallest by far is the mostly white parti girl while the largest by just a tad is the blond boy. Here they are, ladies first
mostly white parti -- 2.05 pounds
fifty/fifty parti -- 2.60
blond -- 2.20

blond boy

and the boys
black, most white -- 2.40
black-and-tan -- 2.40
black, least white -- 2.70
blond -- 2.75
So, from largest to smallest, it is boy, boy, girl, boy boy, girl, girl.

Mom makes the best cushion!

Cotton and Peri
I spent the entire day, Saturday, running around. I went to the church very early and waited around, with Diamond, for about an hour. Then went home to take care of the others and to update my listings on the internet. Wasn't there a half hour and a lady called... twice in 10 minutes... because the dogs were at the church, trying to get in the doors. Of course, I'm on dial up, so I didn't get the calls until an hour later. By the time I got back there, all the people were gone... on a day trip of some sort... and there was no sign of the dogs. Sat around, again with Di, for almost 3 hours... put out 4 big bowls of dog food and 4 of water... in various places around the grounds and left more flyers. Went back home and an hour later a guy called to say he'd seen them... a half hour before... by the church but on either side of the bridge over the interstate. I was hoping they'd be spooked enough to stay off the road, but no such luck. Back I went, no sign of the dogs at the church or on the roads. Pulled into a guy's driveway and he said he'd seen them a couple times the day before and twice today... going back and forth across the bridge. So I went into town, ran off another batch of flyers with updated info and spent two hours driving the roads, taping flyers to mailboxes. Had any number of calls saying they'd seen the girls... 2, 3, 5 hours ago... and one saying a dog had been hit by a car a couple hours before right at her driveway. The dog lay in the driveway for over two hours and the next time the woman looked, the dog was gone. She had called animal control... I didn't think they worked on weekends and they have a bad rep for taking days to respond... but maybe they came and got the dog. When we went to her house, the dog she described sounded like a large purebred Poodle I'd seen at a home earlier AND there was a Jack Russell with it just like at that house. So we went down there but the people weren't home. I told a neighbor about the dog that had been hit and he said he'd tell the people. About 6, a car flagged me down and the couple told me they were headed off to cruise the roads, looking for the dogs... not for the reward, but just to help. And there were a couple of teenage boys, with their Lab, walking down the road, going into the woods, looking for them too. They grinned when I said "I guess you guys could use the money when you find them." There are a lot of people paying attention, so maybe, just maybe they'll be found. The dogs are getting about as desperate as I am.

Sunday
Quiet. No new sightings of the dogs. A couple people called to say they had seen them the day before and a couple others called to ask if they'd been found. But no one saw them on Sunday. I'm assuming this means they've moved on. One person had seen them near the church but in an entirely different direction than everybody else, so I don't know which way they are going. ANY way is bad, except back up over the ridge, through the woods. They are getting to more and more crowded, heavily trafficked areas and close to two intersections. I'm going to the two shelters this afternoon, although I know they haven't been picked up and mailing flyers to all the vets. Other than that, I don't know what to do. Cotton's pups are due around the 15th.

Pix

2011-09-25T10:58:00.005-04:00

Yes, they're growing!

The 2 "black" boys. Now both are getting red highlights.

The "black and tan" and the blond guys.

The 3 girls

Emy and pup

More pix on the puppy page, probably much later today. I'm on dial up and don't want to tie up the land line very long in case someone has news of Cotton and Peri.
Weights also later today.

So

2011-09-24T10:32:00.003-04:00

Thinking they may not have run far last night and might still be hanging around the church grounds, I went back very early this morning and took Diamond with me. She's their mom/grandma and was the one who ran off with them but came back hours later. There was no sign of them, but Di and I walked as much of the grounds as I could. I called for them even though I know that isn't going to mean anything to them. Guess I was thinking if they looked toward the sound of my voice, they might see and recognize Di. She stays right with me, but I was afraid to let her off lead just in case she spotted them and ran to them... and all 3 disappeared.

I know a number of you don't understand WHY they don't come to me. Once dogs are loose and away from their home area, they go into a different thought process. Everything reverts to instinct and they just don't see things the way they did before. (People are the same way under extreme stress.) I know a number of people who have gone through the same thing as I am and the only thing that works is to either catch them or to trap them some place quiet where they can't escape easily and you can sit, talking to them until they calm enough to recognise you. Unfortunately, I don't think either of those is going to happen with my girls. I'm afraid they are going to get down to the interstate or over to the next road which is just as busy.

I've pretty much decided this is over and I'm going to have to move on. I just can't do it yet. I'm putting out flyers this afternoon when I have someone to help me. My head is constantly working out senarios where the girls stay off the roads and make a big circle back to this area. Not much chance of that, but it's all I have right now.

Re: EMY's pups, my apologies
I know I've been neglecting my promise to all of you for pictures at least every 10-14 days. AND the puppies were 4 weeks yesterday but I didn't get them weighed. I will do both today and tomorrow and get everything posted.

I have Bad News

2011-09-23T20:27:00.002-04:00

I'm now certain I'll never have Cotton and Peri again. This evening, I called Larry (the man where they had been hanging around all week) and he hadn't seen them all day. Apparently we just spooked the dogs yesterday. Larry suggested they might have gone on over the ridge and thought I should check the church grounds on the other side. I thought about doing it tomorrow but went right away instead. There were some people in different areas of the grounds... it's huge... and I asked one if he had seen any dogs. He said "Look like Poodles?" And I told him yes and gave him a flyer. He said yes, he had seen them run across the parking lot about a half hour before, avoiding all the people. So I drove around the parking lots and in the back of the church, there was Cotton running up a hill, no more than 30 feet from me. When I called her name, she slowed and looked at me, but kept running, still looking at me. Then the puppy came running passed. She was kind of bouncing as she ran and looked at me, like she was hesitating. But then she looked at Cotton who was way ahead of her and still running, and she kept going too. The church is right ON the interstate and they were headed north into the woods that border it. Tommorow I'll go over to the neighborhood that is on the other side of the woods and put up flyers. I gave some to a man who works at the church just in case the dogs hang out in the woods over night and he sees them tomorrow. But I'm really out of hope. I'm pretty sure I was just given one last view of them and it's breaking my heart.

We SAW Them!

2011-09-22T18:21:00.003-04:00

The posse didn't happen today. And I was really down. I probably should not put this on the internet, but I already posted about trying to figure out where I had gone wrong (so to speak.) My oldest son's name is Jude for St. Jude. I named him that to keep my side of a bargain I made with St. Jude. So this afternoon I made another bargain. (No, I don't have to get pregnant or adopt to keep this one.) BUT 15 minutes or less later, my phone rang and a man told me he had seen my dogs. And 20 minutes later I was trying to get up his driveway. (We really do not encourage visitors in this part of the country... as our driveways will attest to.)

Don't have my hands on Cotton and Peri yet... they took off like scalded chickens as soon as they realized we were looking at them. But we know where they are... they've been hanging around in the same area since Monday night (the first time they were spotted) and even went up to the man who called me's door. I took him a bag of dog food so he could start feeding them, hoping they will quickly settle enough for me to get there and coax them to me.

Sunday, they apparently made it to the top of the ridge and then took a left. When they got to more civilized environment... pastureland and homes... they stuck around. It is comparatively safe although I've been warned there is a guy with horses who has shot a number of his neighbors' dogs. It is about 2 miles as the crow flies, but a lot farther the way the dogs had to go since they're not crows.

And I had a call on my land line when I got home, from a man who lives in the same area who has seen them as well.

I'm trying not to feel too elated or over confident. There is still so much that can go wrong. Dogs that have been running loose even a short period of time can be really difficult to corral.

So PLEASE keep up the prayers and psychic vibes. It is working!