Archive for June, 2009
Quiet time with Chloe and pups
Catching up on video we haven’t published yet, here is a beautiful clip of mama dog Chloe quietly lounging and nursing her seven puppies. This video was shot on the evening of May 30, 2009 when the pups are about 5 weeks old.
Watch this video on YouTube.
How to make a bird play stand
Here is a little break from puppy news…
I recently built a fabulous play tree for my Quaker parrot Franklin and thought some of you might like to know how I did it. So here goes a brief description with pictures of course!
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Puppy Play Time video
Here is some video shot last weekend of Chloe and her 7 pups at play in the yard. Warning: some mighty cute stuff here, so prepare yourself!
Watch this video on YouTube..
Choosing the right dog
Choosing a puppy is such a difficult decision. And then add to that the difficulty of finding one you fall in love with and having the puppy not be available to you…that is a heart breaker. It is rough work, what I do, but to everyone out there searching for puppies and coming close but not getting one, it is even rougher. I am sorry. There are so many unwanted dogs out there it seems like this shouldn’t be an issue, yet it is. That is because people want the PUPPIES, the cute cuddly balls of fur that they can shape into the perfect pet for their family. That I understand completely. And it is wonderful how many people out there want to be part of the solution instead of the problem – by your decision to forgo a pet store puppy you are helping dogs everywhere. The more people who decide against using a pet store the fewer there will be in the business of selling dogs and the fewer puppy mills there will be. But it is a difficult process and my heart goes out to all the families I meet, even the ones I have to say “no” to for whatever reason.
Chloe wonders who her new family will be
If you are reading this and are thinking about rescuing a dog, think about a dog older than a baby. Especially if you have experience with dogs or are an active person looking for a playmate or are someone with some time to devote to a dog – think about an 8 month old puppy, or a dog a year or two old…or a 5 year old dog…or a senior. These are the dogs that really need rescuing, that are living their lives in shelters behind bars, that are waiting for a second chance. These are the ones that have been treated roughly or neglected, who only want to cuddle up and love someone. These are the ones that are “rough around the edges” – who haven’t been taught (yet) how to be good family members but who have it in them to learn. These are the ones who deserve the time and attention. They will repay you. Dogs rescued after having known how hard life can be never forget your kindness and you will see it in the way they look at you – the trust and gratitude and devotion are there in their eyes. These dogs never forget that you are the one who saved them.
Think about it.
Muddy puppies will grow into dogs
Yesterday was a rainy, humid, day. But puppies don’t care about muddy feet, floors or food bowls – they just want to play! And so, against my wishes but in line with my instincts I let them out when the rain had let up a bit. They had a blast! They were rolling around with Chloe and chasing each other and basically getting into the best kind of puppy trouble – the dirty kind. And I noticed something, how much Chloe seems to really enjoy being a mama.
Now we’ve had a series of mamas and each has been different; Bella, our first, was a strict mama, her tag line would be “now cut it out all of you and behave!”. Sweetie, our mama from last year would have the tag line, “Here’s how to be in submission, and here, and here and here…now get me out of here!”. And Annie‘s would be, “Where’s my KONG? Where is it? Oh, you want to nurse – FINE, hurry up I have to find my KONG!!” But Chloe’s would be “Hi you guys! How are you? Wanna wrestle? OK! I love you all.” It is heartwarming and so sweet to watch. I can’t wait for a warm sunny day to get some video on it to share with all of you.
Puppy adoption interviews are going well. I’ve met some wonderful families full of love and eager to share it with a puppy. Watching them choose a puppy makes me wonder what is it exactly that we respond to in a puppy? Mostly I think it is looks and what those looks tell us about the kind of dog we hope it will be. But what most people don’t realize is that the description of the kind of dog the puppy will be is really just a story – an invention made up of what that puppy represents, how it reminds them of a past pet, or is the opposite of a past pet, that sort of thing. Most people don’t really chose based on temperament (though, with this group you can’t go wrong – with a mama like Chloe) or energy level match – though some do go into the process with those ideas in mind. But I tell you, I can tell a family that given their set of criteria one puppy would be better than another but most don’t listen once they have gotten their eyes on a pup – they just fall in love and the story line begins.
