All Gone

Spider left Friday evening and is on her way to Connecticut. She weighed just over 13 pounds at the vet's on Wednesday and is no longer the smallest in the litter. I'm looking forward to seeing photos of her... and everybody else!... and getting updates in the future. This was an incredibly nice litter!

Diamond
Apparently Diamond's headache was nothing serious... she and Brogue have been getting along marvellously! Now the countdown has begun.

Growing TOO Fast, Teething

Rob in CA and Caren in TN (Charlie and Elliott) both report that their pups have GREATLY increased their weights in the short time they've lived with them. That is NOT good news. Too rapid early growth leads to a number of structural problems, not the least of which is hip dysplasia. ALL the pups should be on a good adult food with a protein level of no more than 22% and a fat level of no more than 12%. Right now is the time to take care of this problem.

Teething
Caren says this is what she is doing for Jack Elliott:

Teething is in full force. He ate a pair of my sandals (stupid me for leaving them under my desk while he was under there!), so I went to wally world and bought him a dozen of those rope bones, made some chicken stock (don't worry...skimmed the fat twice so it wouldn't be too fatty for him) soaked them along with his nyla bone and kong toy, then put them in a freezer bag. Voila! When he starts gnawing on my foot, he gets a bone and it seems to really help numb his mouth and help with the pain.

And... Spider
This little girl is on hold for payment and is moving to CT to live with Connie.
Guess it's time for Di and Cotton to get busy!

Another One

Marco's new mom flew in from Chicago to pick him up this afternoon. He went to the groomer this morning and looked SOOO beautiful... but he came home for a couple hours and played with everyone else. What can I say... he's a puppy! Marco weighed in at 12 pounds 1 ounce yesterday. I'm fairly certain he's going to get all the care and attention he needs... his new mom and dad just got back, yesterday, from a vacation trip to Washington DC. And while they were there, Dad had a heart attack requiring some surgery. BUT Linda still came after the puppy today. Marco's got it made in the shade!

Spider
Just wanted to know what her weight was up to on the official veterinary scales, so she went with me and Marco yesterday. She is 9 pounds 6 ounces! Made them weigh her twice just to be sure.

Wet Puppy Pix

There are several new ones on the puppy page on the website, mostly of Brother since he wasn't in the pictures (by his own choosing) a couple days ago.

By way of preamble, we had two days of pretty good rain and delightfully cooler weather, even though I couldn't do anything outside because it was raining... but I'm not looking a gift horse in the mouth! The ground is soaked, there are big mud puddles everywhere and the grass is getting cut tomorrow, all of which means the pups had a blast!

Here are a couple kids... I think the pups are Brother (in the middle... easy to tell!) Charlie (on the right... he always looks a little "yellower" than the others,) Marco (on the left... he always looks a little whiter) and EITHER Elliott or Beckett (in the front... from a distance, it's hard to tell exactly how much black is still in the coat.)



This is Brother, full throttle



And I'm pretty sure this is Spider but it could be Lola


And because Caren accused me of selling her a Bloodhounddoodle since Elliott ALWAYS has his nose to the ground, here's his pretty face. Please note he is also at full throttle!

First Trip Outdoors Postponed

Because we finally got some rain, the pups didn't get to make their inaugural excursion to the great outdoors yesterday on their 6 weeks birthday. And today is more of the same while the next 3-4 days are supposed to be in the 90s. Looks like they'll be closer to 7 weeks... or more... before they get to feel the breeze in their faces!

No Pups Available
I have decided to take Spider off the market for right now because of her very small size compared to the rest of the litter. I always tend to err on the side of caution although, in all probability, there is absolutely nothing wrong with her... and thevet has already seen her... but often the little tiny ones have a hear or liver problem that doesn't show up until they're older and much more active. I'd just rather not promise her to anyone and then have something show up... better safe than sorry!

Atten: Folks with Earliest Picks
One way or another, I'll get some more pictures this weekend. Picks MUST be made by the time the litter is 8 weeks old. A number of families with later picks already know which puppies THEY'd prefer and the suspense is killing them! The first pick, the black and tan male, Brother, is moving to PA to live with his older half-sister, but no one else has definitely been claimed. Personality-wise, everyone is pretty much the same. Not one bully or recluse in the litter... which is par for the course.

Another Dood Checks In


Skip in Atlanta sent me birthday pictures of 6 years old Cooper, enjoying himself at the lake. Happy birthday, big boy!