More on Microchipping

Since no one seems to have any objections, I'm moving ahead with the microchipping process. For anyone who isn't familiar with it, microchipping is basically injecting into the scruff of the neck an object about the size of a small grain of rice. I've chipped my own dogs for about 20 years and haven't had any problems. I am using Avid and am NOT going to register the pups' chips but I believe Home Again and/or the AKC chip program will allow you to register with them. Don't quote me on that.

I'm a great believer in "cut and paste," especially as I'm usually asked the same questions by just about everybody... it just says me time. So here's what I'm doing...
I plan on taking individual pictures and identifying the dogs in the pictures... probably as A, B, C but I may just put one of the stuffed animals in the shot... a different one for each pup. And I'll keep a list that says chip # 108A67DE2 is the male with the brown dog, chip # G7703C459F is the male with the blue dog. And I will ALWAYS use the same stuffed animal with the same pup. So people can see the different dogs and say "I want the one with the green stuffed animal."

NORMALLY, there are plenty of differences in a litter... color, markings, size... and
even people who are picking up a pup (rather than having it shipped) are able to choose from photographs. Cotton's litter, on the other hand, is just like SHE was as
a baby. (If you haven't already heard the story... she was one of three little girls I called my triplets because even at 12 weeks I couldn't tell them apart. It just happened that both families who had bought the other 2 triplets were picking up, so I let the first family choose from all 3 and the second from the remaining 2 and I kept the leftover. And all of us are perfectly happy.) Anyway, the identical looks of these pups has made it impossible for anyone to choose because 5 minutes after I've taken pictures I can't remember who I've done and who I haven't. When giving shots or worming, I put all the pups in one place and then put each in another area as I finish whatever procedure I'm doing. That won't work for picture taking.

Anyway, that's my plan. Revival Animal Health, where I get my vaccines, wormers, most
of my equipment, etc, is giving me a great price on the chips and is helping me out with a scanner as well, so I hope to get this under way in another week or at least by the time the pups are 9 weeks old. THEN we... YOU... will start picking! Yeah! And yes, I've been stressing over this issue.

Changes in the puppy pen
News flash! For the first time, this morning I heard Cotton growling at the pups. It is a BIG step in the educational process. She'd been outside for about an hour and snoozing on my bed for at least another hour and when I put her back in the pen the
puppies mobbed her. "MOM!" And she gave them a couple "Not now, I need to unwind before I deal with YOUR problems" growls. Which didn't bother them in the least... they pursued her from one end of the room to the other and eventually she stood still for a minute or two to let them suckle. But it's time to move her out permanently. That doesn't mean she won't be with them any more... she just won't be LIVING with them. SHE's leaving the nest, not them! For the next couple nights she'll still sleep in with them, but otherwise she's going to move back in with relatives... Brogue, Diamond and Emy. In a few days she'll only be around them for play time AND will be able to hop up on my bed to avoid them as she chooses. They're practically all grown up!

JB's pups coming this weekend
And I'm kinda looking forward to it. Even though they WILL BE BLOND eventually, right now all but one is reddish brown just like 6 weeks old Wheaten Terrier pups. I LOVE the color and wish there was some way it stayed. Going to do photos as soon as they get here.