Adoption Process Underway
Annie and her no-nursing shirt
Yesterday was a busy busy day for everyone. We had numerous viewings of the puppies as well as a few families who came by to play with and cuddle their new family members. The puppies are now 7 weeks old and aren’t ready to leave just yet. I like to wait until closer to 8 weeks to give them as long as possible with their littermates and mama. Annie continues to be a stellar mother, nursing them whenever they ask for it. I have to keep chasing her out of the puppy room to stop that as she will be leaving soon. I was up until 11:30 last night sewing her a little shirt to keep her teats in and away from the puppies. I was using an old t-shirt but the pups were climbing into the shirt through the arm Read the rest of this post »
8 Pups Romp in the Yard
Yesterday was chilly but a good enough day for the puppies to romp in the yard. I took Annie and her eight pups out in the yard for about 20 minutes of high energy play time. We have been trying to help Annie ween her pups but they are determined to nurse. Much of the time I was throwing a stick for Annie just to keep her moving – a moving mama is hard to nurse!
Precious Moments
Today my son was playing with the puppies after coming in from being outside again. They were roughhousing, and I heard barking, growling, and yelling, all communicating great happiness and satisfaction. Then I became aware that things were quiet. I had been going about my business and was up and down so didn’t really know when the quiet settled and the noise stopped. But I assumed I’d see the pups asleep and my son on to other things. I poked my head into the puppy play room and no one was there. I looked into the puppy room and saw all 8 pups asleep in their bed and my son, far too big for this, sitting in the tub where I hold their clean bedding, legs sticking up, head nodding, asleep also! It was a precious sight. I stood there for a long moment soaking it up – complete comfort brought on by exhaustion due to play.
Hitting My Stride
It is a busy time, as I predicted. But not in the ways I thought it would be. Unless I am getting really good at this, I think I over-estimated the amount of effort caring for these little guys takes. Now, don’t get me wrong – I am correct regarding the amount of time it takes: two to three loads of laundry and cleaning up one extra big garbage bag full of poppy and pee-filled papers, moping two rooms totally 3 times a day, and laying clean papers at least 4 times a day takes a set amount of time. But like most things in life, it isn’t the time something takes that makes it seem so overwhelming, but the energy we put on it..the story about how difficult it is, the effort we put toward forcing ourselves to do it, or the misery we hold as we do it. But if we just do what Read the rest of this post »
Puppies in the Snow
We all went outside again and enjoyed the warmish (35 F) temperatures. The puppies LOVE it outside and chewed up the sticks poking out of the snow. They still can’t stay out for more than 10 or 15 minutes but they really enjoyed themselves while they could. I brought them in when more than three puppies were shivering. Vixen even figured out that the door we came out of was the door worth trying to get back into and scratched at it! I was impressed.
I counted and at least 5 of the 8 took advantage of the great outdoors and pooped. I tell you, house training these dogs is going to be a breeze if the new families stick to my two principles of house training: read my House Training Your Puppy post.
Crating Your Dog
Crates are not bad as some people say – they replicate the idea of a den which dogs naturally dig in the wild. However, no den that they dig includes a door they can’t open. Don’t believe people who say that dogs “love” their crates. No animal likes to be confined against its will. But many dogs learn to tolerate their crates and will go in willingly when asked. Some even go to them when they are tired on their own. But when we shut that door we take away their freedom and they know it. They comply because that is what makes them the amazing creatures they are – they trust us implicitly.
