Not Much

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

The last family is picking now.

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

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

Maggie and Cisco's kids

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

Moving Along

The first award for being the first in this litter to do something goes to one of the darkest girls who was the first to get out of the nest. She gets the prize even though I think it was less of a desire on her part to go exploring than "I just got hold of this nipple and I'm not letting go" tenacity. She didn't make a sound when she found herself out on her own... I was sitting right there and noticed nothing. But every one of the dogs in the room was instantly on alert and crowding around the puppy pen. THEY made Emy nervous and she started trying to pick the pup up and put her back. I have yet to see one of MY dogs pick a pup up by the scruff of the neck and Emy is no exception. She tried to scoop the little girl into her mouth as she did when they were newborns but two weeks means the pups are way too big for that. By the time I got everyone out of the way and the pen open, Emy was frustrated and the pup was soaking wet. And still totally unperplexed! As soon as I put her up against my cheek, she started trying to find something to suck on. Emy did lie down with the gang for a few minutes before again leaving the nest to get something to eat.

Cisco's Kids
Millie enjoying her toy.

Millie weighs 32# at 6 months. Her people report she is a happy girl but is troubled by separation anxiety. I have no experience with that since I never have one dog by itself... can't remember a time when mine was not a multiple dog household... so if someone has some ideas, please let me know and I'll pass them on. Today, in Petsmart, I saw a "blanket/coat" that is designed to prevent fear of thunder. The box lists separation anxiety as one of the issues that can be helped by using the blanket which fits very snuggly over the dog's body and chest. Not sure how it works.

Emy and a Puppy Pix

No, not Emy's puppies. But she is so big and "pointed" I've already got her set up in the whelping pen in my bedroom. According to the calendar, she has about a week to go. Something I've noticed over the years... dogs don't ever look at calendars!

Ciscos Kids
Chase ("pony") and pal
Chase weighs 31 pounds at 5 months. As usual, the pups have done something I wasn't expecting... after their tremendous growth between 8 and 12 weeks, they slowed way down. It is going to be interesting to see how big they end up at maturity.

To those of you with Maggie/Cisco pups, I would appreciate hearing from you once they turn 6 months. I am really interested in how big they are. And if you've had any problems, especially if they are unresolved, or interesting behaviors, I'd like to know about those as well.

Kentucky Derby
The prep races leading up to the Derby on May 5th are over and once again the field is wide open. A has beaten B who ran all over C who then beat A by a head. The horse who won at 109-1 odds a couple weeks ago ran yesterday and came in last. At this point, I don't have a pick. I've checked out everyone's pedigree back 5 generations and they are all kissing cousins if not more closely related. And none of them stands out as a superstar. I would love to see a Triple Crown winner again, but doubt it will be this year.

More Pictures

Cisco and Maggie's pups

Millie and friends.


Macy and her friends, Lauren and Curious George.

And this is a Canadian bred Whoodle
Notice that the black is still black. How do they do that?
And it looks like the tail is docked. I know how that is done and don't see the necessity.

All Alone (sort of)

The last two pups from Maggie and Cisco left on Sunday. Things are really quiet around here! Black/white dog weighed almost 22 pounds at the vet on Friday (14 weeks) while Reindeer was about a pound less. Both pups were completely UNimpressed with their visit although the black guy really liked the attention Jane FORCED on him. She said she preferred dogs who were more selective about friending every human that came along. The pups went from there straight to the groomer where Reindeer met something that scared the poop out of him... literally... several times. I had to take him home wet because just the sound of the blow dryer was overwhelming for him. This happens from time to time... sometimes with the vacuum too. Often the pup can be acclimated to the sound, sometimes not. The two pups are total opposites to each other and not just color-wise. Reindeer was always demanding my attention and ignoring MY demands that he play with someone else. I had to go after Black/white and pick him up to get him in my lap. He loves being rubbed all over but just was too insecure to ask for the attention.

Speaking of which, the adults here all slept until after 10 this morning. Well, maybe they weren't asleep, but they weren't noisy enough to get ME up. And they've been pretty quiet all day, even though the sun is shinning and the unseasonable cold is gone. (We've had exactly two temps all winter... unseasonably warm and unseasonably cold. Luckily, the cold has been far outnumbered by the warm!) The dogs have all plowed though the puppy pen, sniffing even inch of it and, I think, counting toys to make sure they're all still here.

A couple days of this and I'll be ready to go again.

Cotton

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.

And Then There were Two

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

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

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.

Down to the Nitty Gritty

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

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

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

Marking Time

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

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

A friend sent me this photoand I wanted to share.

Back to Square One

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

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

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

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

More about Poop

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

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

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

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

Some Improvement

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

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

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

The Case of

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

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

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

A New "Treat"

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

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

Lots of Emails

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

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

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

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

Moving Right Along

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.

Nothing New

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.

Doing Great

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!