Archive for July, 2009
Puppies plump and getting named
The puppies are HUGE. Really, I can’t remember a group being so heavy and big at such a young age. They aren’t yet 5 weeks old and already they are topping 6 pounds. I tried to weigh them on the little food scale I have and failed – they kept error-ing it out because they were too heavy. So, I stood on my scale and then stood on it while holding them and subtracted my weight and basically ended up with just a general weight for all of them of about 6 pounds. It was stressful for someone like me who likes precision, especially when it comes to measurement and administering of medication (I had to weigh them in order to dose them correctly with their roundworm medication). Add to that the fact that the majority of them look so similar I can’t tell them apart!! I wasn’t exactly sure if I gave everyone the medication…did someone get two doses? Yikes. It was a stressful event.
I think I have 4 of them identified as individuals…there’s a red one with a red nose (got pics of her under the chair, a series of them) who I LOVE and I’m calling her Red Bud. There’s a male who is white with BLUE beautiful eyes, what a pretty boy he is! I’m calling him Oak. The only other male is also white but smaller and I’m calling him Ash. Then there is a small, white, (whiney) female with a red nose I’m calling Birch (notice the name theme?). The remainder are all female, all roughly a whitish/reddish color and all with a black nose…I think. It is so confusing! I am going to have to get a hold of some fingernail polish and paint their toe nails so I can tell them apart! Crazy.
Does anyone have any fingernail polish I can borrow?? Sadly I am not a girly girl.
The pups are eating about 3 times a day – moistened food with formula, and free eating dry food all day/night. Willow, the mama is learning how to jump up onto the platform to get outside and how to jump back in. That’s a relief. And she is finally got a cleanish bill of health…has roundworms (yuck) but that’s it. So, she can finally spend time outside with the pups in the play area. Life is getting a little easier…a calm before the storm of puppy applications/interviews. I have to get these girls and boys posted on Petfinder!
Puppy chow pictures
These pups are just a riot when they eat! A messy riot, that is. Here are a few “puppy chow” photos for your amusement…
Franklin impresses again
I have been going to the vet a lot lately, dealing with the Kennel Cough coursing its way through my pack. On this particular day I was feeling bad about leaving Franklin home alone again so I decided to bring him along. He loves car rides, getting all fluffy as the wind blows him from the open windows (I transport him in his bedtime cage).
Franklin
Anyway, he was very sweetly sitting on his opened cage as the vet was listening to Bella‘s heart. He was taking extra long because he thought he heard a murmur but then decided he hadn’t. As he was bending over her, listening through his stethoscope Franklin was watching intently, head cocked. Then I hear the unmistakable sound of him mimicking a heartbeat! The first time I heard that sound was after I was cuddling him close to my chest a month or so ago. He was lying his head on me as I scratched his neck. As I pulled him away and brought him up to my face to talk to him he looked me right in the eye and made an unmistakable heartbeat sound! I figured he had heard my heart as I scratched him. So, at the vet when he made the sound I was shocked…could he really have understood what was going on?? He has never made that sound randomly, only when mimicking me or when he hears my heart. Very very weird. He may be WAY smarter than I realize. Good ‘ole Frank Frank.
Kennel Cough
I was at the vet (again) with another one of my dogs who has caught Williow‘s kennel cough. Now, I am embarrassed to admit this but I have not had my dogs vaccinated for kennel cough. I feel stupid now but had my dogs not gotten it (like they haven’t for the last few times mamas with kennel cough have lived with us) I would be feeling validated. I guess I always knew I was taking a risk but it seemed worth it to avoid over vaccinating them. Anyway, I have changed my mind. I will now vaccinate Hermes and Bella routinely, every 6 months like recommended. They are the two who go everywhere with me and it seems only fair. As for the other two, I may vaccinate them again when we are preparing for another mama. But since I am greatly anticipating a break from puppy rearing that can wait a bit.
Poor dogs, everyone is hacking up a lung over here. All except for Lollie…hmm. She has such a strong immune system I wonder if she’ll succumb? As a puppy, she lived with a littler mate who had Parvo (a very serious case of it, requiring 16 days in intensive care in the hospital to overcome it) and she was fine. Never caught it. We will see.
Puppy update on little Angel
An update on Angel (formerly Violet) of Chloe’s litter:
Wanted to attach some pictures of Angel, she is doing really well and for just being with us for three weeks its like she was always here. She has moments of biting but we always direct her to her toys which she happily goes to.
She is growing quick, and its always fun watching her explore the yard. We have discovered she loves the water as she jumped into the play pool with the girls. She really is precious and loves sitting next to me while I work on the computer.
Thanks for all that you did with her, you have a fantastic gift with animals and I hope everyone appreciates that.
Update on puppy William
An update on William, from Chloe’s litter…
William at 6 weeks old
We had him at the vet Monday (diarrhea for a week after a trip to Pennsylvania; no worms, probably stress.) He’s up to 17.5 pounds and is well on his way to being huge. Now that he’s not pooping all the time, the sleeping has improved. He was in his crate from 9 pm until 6 am last night. He does love his sleep.
Biting continues to be a huge problem. The 8-year olds cannot enjoy him at all because he’s always biting and mounting them. We are in puppy class, but we will need additional training. I have been redirecting, but I must be doing something wrong, because usually he just gets too wound up. I hope we get it figured out soon.
Like Poppy, William went to several baseball games and was such a charmer. We had several comments that he looks like he should be on tv.
I thought we had a handle on potty training, but yesterday he went in the house within a half hour of being out. He does go to the front door when he needs to go, but not every time.
I hope everyone is enjoying their new family members. Most of the time we are, so I’m praying that we resolve the biting issue and get on with enjoying William.
