Pix - 2 Days Shy of 5 Weeks

Lolly & Dora /\

Brother & Spider /\

Molasses & Jack /\

Marco & Eastwood /\


Individual pix on the website.

And Then There was One

The last available male pup has been spoken for.

Which leaves just one female.

And here's the deal, folks... there is one I've fallen in love with and if someone doesn't come to her rescue SOON, I'll make up my mind to keep her! With Emy and her daughter, Cotton, there was one female available in each litter and I didn't care which of the girls I "got stuck" with because they were all terrific. And THESE 3 girls are all terrific as well. It's just that one of them speaks to me.

The Final Frontier
The pups have made what is probably the last major discovery of their lives... newspaper! No, I don't mean for potty breaks. They've discovered that newspaper is light, easy to move and makes wonderful noises as it is crumbled up and shredded. Yep, ONE picked up a sheet by the edge yesterday and shook his head. He was absolutely delighted that the paper shook as well... and the sound attracted a couple other pups. And that was all she wrote! Newspaper is now fair game!

What to Talk about Today?

Now that the pups have learned everything there is to know, they aren't doing anything new. They are ALL staying out of the nest most of the time although some of them go back in to sleep and at night 5-6 of them climb back in and stay there. (The 2-3 who don't are usually Molasses and Hungry Jack and one of the blond pups, but never the same one!) I'm going to take the pool out of there and replace it with the bottom of a large airline crate. That way, they'll have some place "safe" they can go for emergencies and they will get used to the feel/smell of the crate plastic. They are wrestling much more often and more actively... Marco got pinned by his sister, Lolly, yesterday and wasn't happy about it, so when she let him up, he tried the same maneuver on little Spider. It didn't work because she planted her feet and refused to go down. None of them have learned, yet, how to use their chests to bowl the other pups over.

Everyone has a name now... the black-n-tan fellow is Brother and the smaller blond guy, who has been the pup with no name for so long, is Eastman after the man with no name. You all realize, I hope, that these are just "call names" or what I am calling them. They can be changed as soon as you get your puppy. My nicknames for them could be anything... I once had a litter of parti-colored Poodles that I called One through Six. Each of them is now Max or Sam or Daisy, whatever, with no ill effects.

Second worming is today. Didn't see any worms the first time... I know, YUCK!... but it is a fact of life with dogs. Just like puppy breath and, dare I say it, humping!

My new puppy

If you haven't been on the Double Doodle page on the website, you haven't met Wombat. Her name is Mountain Summit What's One More and, as with Ost, I'm using her initials for her call name... WOM. She's 7 weeks old in the photo and is a backcross Goldendoodle. Her mom is a Goldendoodle puppy... a sister of my Keogh... I placed with a breeder friend in Georgia. And her dad is the littermate to my standard Poodle girl, Darlin, who now lives in Canada. So, Wombat is going to be moving in with family when she comes here! But that won't be for about 6 weeks. I hope she stays that red (but it's doubtful.)

4 Weeks Yesterday

Happy birthday to us! Things have gone so smoothly with this group, I'm on pins and needles waiting for something to happen! Just to be sure, I took some of the pups to see the vet on Tuesday... which is something I never do unless there is a problem. Just so you know, everyone got a clean bill of health and a big thumbs up. Jane was impressed with their ability to get around at such a young age. The two smallest pups, CURRENTLY, are Spider at 1 pound 7 ounces and the black-n-tan boy at 1 pound 11 ounces. That is actually rather small, but not necessarily a bad thing! Everyone is eating and drinking out of the bowls as well as nursing. If it were a little cooler, they'd be the happiest pups in the world. Because of the high temps, every afternoon I put a wet towel in the nest and all of them plunk their bellies down and sleep for hours. Each of them has figured out how to get out and back in (much harder for some reason) the pool. Interestingly, the new seems to have worn off that activity and 6 of them seldom do it... the two reddish boys, Hungry Jack and Molasses, however, spend as much time OUT as they do in. They are also the pups who are a little more confident on their feet... trying to run, rearing back on their haunches and launching themselves at other pups, climbing up on the sides of the pen, etc. AND they are aware of the dogs on the other side of the pen who are totally intrigued by the pups. Only one has started wagging his tail and he does it every time I touch him... Hungry Jack LOVES to be massaged along his back and down his sides.

Milestones

The seven days between week 3 and week 4 are chock full of new experiences! I noticed yesterday when I had all the pups out of the nest so I could clean up that two of them stuck their noses in the water bowl. They immediately backed away and then did it again. It's been hot here so I'm sure they've been a little thirsty from time to time when mom has left them for a couple hours. So, I put the water bowl and the food bowl in the nest. They all take a lap or two every now and then. And one of them... the heretofore unnamed lightest red guy... has discovered the food bowl. He's now Hungry Jack. And Jack has been quick to spread the word to the rest of the litter. This morning, 3 blond heads were in the bowl at one time and during the day I've seen every pup get some kibble. So far, this has been a really good bunch!

Genetics
On tv this weekend, I heard a great explanation of how you can make genetic theory work for you. A woman was worried that her unborn child was going to inherit some bad genes and a man told her that according to genetic theory only one in 4 offspring inherits whatever so the trick was to have only 3.
Unfortunately, way too many breeders think that IS the way it works.

More Progress

So we have ears that work! This morning there were a couple barks AND two pups practicing their growls. They sound more like kittens purring, but they'll get better over time!

AND yesterday I lied to Rob... I told him so far none of the pups had gotten out of the nest and that is was very unusual. Of course, just a few minutes after I sent the email, I heard an "I'm lost!" cry which I didn't think much of... and didn't go investigate... because how lost can you be in a plastic pool with a 4' diameter? But the cry continued and started to sound like more than one puppy. Sure enough, there were TWO out of the pool and trapped in the small area between its round side and the corner. AND the bottom of the pool was moving! Dora was underneath the floor. Thank goodness I didn't wait too long to check because she was still on her feet and apparently not having any trouble breathing, but NOW I worry that she could have been smothered. The two in the corner were... wait for it... Lolly and Spider! Yep, all 3 girls! Some hours later, they had escaped again and this time they took their black and tan brother with them! The two smallest pups in the litter have managed to figure out a way over the side but the bigger pups are still happily playing in the nest.

Montana
Speaking of black and tan puppies, this is Montana who lives in Manhattan. She was black and tan when she left here a few months ago. And I mean COAL black. Look what big city pollution has done to her!


Doodle Pups
Cathy, from 4everdoodles.com, sent me this picture of my new grandbabies:

TWELVE, all black, 2nd generation LABRAdoodles. Mom is Lilly who is from Shadow and Ravin's last litter. Just look at how shiny and BLACK those coats are. Know someone interested in a Labradoodle? Have them get in touch with Cathy!

A Day in the Life of a Pup

The day starts out, as all days should, with a hearty breakfast.
Of course, there is always someone who has to sleep in late. (That's the largest red guy.)


After about 10 minutes, the pups are full and fall asleep. Emy sometimes stays in with them, but usually during the day she leaves the pool and sleeps right outside.


An hour or so later, it's time for a snack.


And this is repeated over and over all day... and night.
Sometimes, the pups wake up and mom doesn't bother joining them in the pool so they occupy the time until the dinner bell rings by practicing things like walking and tussling.

This morning, for the first time, one of them barked. That usually means their ears are opening. To test how far along that was, I rattled the pen a little and several of them looked around. Tomorrow, when everyone's ears are open, they'll all be barking at every sound they hear. That usually lasts 24-36 hours and then they just accept noises unless they are extremely loud. Next week, when the grass is being cut right outside the window, they'll all be upset.

And to refresh your memory, this is the way they looked 22-1/2 days ago when they were 12 hours old.