Good Bye Reebok

Reebok playing frog

Tomorrow Reebok goes home.  Rosie will meet up with us in Rochester to see the pups again, and take Reebok home with her.  Rosie will decide who she's taking as her share of the litter, and whether or not she will let me place her second pick pup in one of the excellent homes I have waiting.   Assuming she selects Weather, I have offered to keep her for a few more weeks, as Rosie's life is pretty busy right now.  Because Ron is home during the day, the pups get a lot more time and attention here and there's lots more things I want to do with them.

Reebok has been an excellent guest and we will miss her.  She fit it nicely, had excellent manners, was not noisy, and is an excellent house dog.  Ron suggested that we could volunteer to keep her (he loves girl dogs) but I explained that she was not for sale, that Rosie probably wanted to get her ready to compete for her Grand Championship (once Rosie's ankle is mended), and that I want a puppy, not one more adult dog.

Health check up today, a visit to Winsor's clinic and Dr. Valenti who did their dew claws and the x-rays when Letty hurt her leg.  I KNOW the pups will get lots of extra socialization today!

An Early Start

Weather at 6 weeks

Blogging early today as I've already been up for an hour.  Not because I had to get up, but because I couldn't sleep.  Heaven knows I need the rest, but if I wake up at 4:00 or later I just can't get back to sleep and I hate to lay there and let worries crowd my mind.

Nothing that actually NEEDS to be worried about (knock on wood) but all the little concerns that crowd my mind and seem so much more serious while tossing and turning in bed.  It's a stunning morning, so with a lovely cool breeze coming through the patio door and a cup of strong hot coffee to enjoy, things all seem so much better right now.

The pups are quiet in the morning (so far) until I wake them to clean their pen and feed them.  The radio that's tuned to a rock station covers up the small household noises and the basement is quiet and dark.  I'll feed the adults, then do some major cleaning of the pen, and dispense a lot of hugs.  The pups are very happy to see me and everyone begs to be picked up.   Hopefully the pen is not too gross, but the pups are dealing with coccidia right now, a protozoan infection common in pups.  I'm sure it lives in my elderly basement as well as my yard, so I'm used to dealing with it when we have pups.  It causes loose stool which makes pen cleaning a little messier and requires LOTS more newspapers, which reminds me - I MUST find some more newspapers today.  Pups are cheerful and feel fine, other than eating a bit slow occasionally.  Things should be better (as in more solid) today as the medication takes effect.  Weather was the first to show symptoms and Letty the last.  OTHERWISE the pups are going great.

Reebok goes home this weekend (she's a good dog but I will be glad to send her home), but I've offered to keep Rosie's pups for an extra week as her life is pretty busy right now.  Whether I keep 3, 4 or 5 pups doesn't make much difference in the amount of work.  I want to work on noises a bit more as Weather is a bit sound sensitive and I want to get her used to more noises before she leaves.  She seems to have gotten over the a$$hole who gunned his motorcycle next to the puppy pen when I took them down to meet up with Rosie.  The pups all sat and watched the shop vac the other night and offered to attack it if I would let them out of their pen.

The pups are spending increasing amounts of time outdoors now.  Not in the morning before I go to work (don't want puppy yapping to disturb the neighbors) but they go out at noon for an hour or two (Ron brings them in after I go back to work), when I get home from work, and again at dusk.  They are quick to pee when they hit the grass, so are catching on to that.  If I lived in a rural area they would be outdoors full time now, but that's not possible for us.

When the litter is outside for the last time, the pups come in with me one at a time to explore other parts of the house, interact with the adults, and get a little training and some one-on-one.  It's important the pups learn to be comfortable without their littermates, and it's an important part of socialization.  It also gives me a better chance to evaluate their individual personalities.  Letty who is incredibly brave about everything, Lucas who is equally brave but more independent, Weather who is a bit more cautious and will stop and think like Rob used to do, Sloan who is brave enough but would prefer to sit on my lap, and Virgil who explores but drops his tail when he encounters new things. He and Weather will get more indoor time for the next few days. Weather is more cautious about the big dogs and worries about being stepped on, while Virgil LOVES being in the midst of them.  Tonight I'll have all the pups loose with all the adults at the same time, so they get used to ducking out of the way when things get lively!

No new puppy pictures, I've taken none since Sunday.  Better remedy that tonight!  Wish I could get a picture of Reebok playing and trying to get Argus to join in.  The minute she sees the camera she stops and comes over to me, so guess it won't happen.  She's going through the Post Puppy Crazies now, doing laps in the family room and even playing with toys (which she rarely does otherwise).

The days are stressful at work as the new accounting system is anything but SWIFT, and the conversion from old to new had lots of glitches.  We're slowly mastering the new procedures, but everyone keeps encountering roadblocks, and we're getting so far behind in our work, waiting for problems to be worked out.  I try to concentrate on the things that go right, and how much I have learned already. Sounds as if we are going to be authorized for overtime which will help a lot.  There is so much to do, and the new processes require many more screens and steps.  I could sure use the money and once the pups have gone on to their new homes I'll probably work an extra hour a day.

Poor fish are getting short changed here, and I have had little time to watch them. They're getting fed, but I really need to find the time for some water changes!

Sorry!

Letty at 6 weeks

Oops, I was skimming through my email this morning and discovered that I had 6 unanswered puppy inquiries.  Sorry!   I will try to get to them tonight.  Several of them are probably the result of people coming across my blog, so I just wanted you to know that I will respond.   Don't think I have any puppies available unless someone changes their mind at the last minute, but I will be glad to give you a couple of referrals.   Penny's pups are also spoken for I think.

We will probably have puppies here again early next spring after Lucy is bred.  It will not be my litter, but I will be involved in the puppy placements and will have the litter here for BAER testing since there is no place to have that done where Lucy's owners live.  I've already taken several reservations on that litter.

And NEXT year Pauli will be bred.  She'll be four then, and it will be time for her first litter as we don't want to wait too long.  She's had fun being a show dog and has done really well, and we hope she'll be a good producer.

It's interesting how much Weather looks like Pauli, and how much Letty looks (and ACTS) like Lucy, and I'm delighted that Argus is producing such lovely daughters. 

PUPDATE!  Just heard about an Argus grandson available to a pet home.  He's just a couple of weeks older than the Arboks, is very well socialized, BAER tested and ready to go.

A Rose By Any Other Name . . .

Letty

Up early hoping to get the dogs out before the rain started, but that didn't work.  The boys and Reebok got to spend their normal half hour outdoors, but Josie and Coral got short-changed by the rain.  Last I heard the forecast called for hot and humid today, then cooling down to the 70s by the end of the week - and beyond.  I hope so!

Penny and the Arboks

Now that I have decided to keep Letty, it's time to start thinking about a name for her.  It was going to be Paisley Choco Chip Ready For Broadway, which uses both Rosie's and my "kennel names" (think trademark) and combines Argus's and Reebok's names.  But it does not fit really her, so I'll think on it a bit longer.

Letty is a beauty, with just the spotting style and face I love, and a beautiful outline.  She has a great attitude, is very brave and confident, and moves like a dream - sound from all angles, and with that "special something" in her gait.  We refer to it as "carriage" and it's partially structure, partially balance, and partially attitude, but it's a very special look that takes my breath away when I see it in any breed.  It's that "special something"!   Paisley Choco Chip Special Something?  Naw, back to the drawing board.  

Now we will wait and see what Letty's tail does.  Weather has the better tail carriage at this age and I almost picked her because of it, but decided to pick Letty and torture myself.  So many bad tails in the breed right now and I HATE looking at them, but it's only part of the whole picture.  Puppy tails are notably unpredictable and the ones that are up as youngsters can come down and end up perfect, while tails that looked pretty good on babies can come up later.  I wish I had a crystal ball for predicting how tails will end up.  Penny and Pauli have beautiful straight tails, and Argus has done well on tails, so we'll see . . .

Health check up on Friday, BAER testing on Saturday, and Rosie comes on Sunday to make her picks and to take Reebok home. Reebok has been a good guest and fit in nicely here.  I already told Rosie that I might be interested to leasing her again.  Could be interesting to breed her to Charlie Brown, once he has all his health testing done. 

A Doggy Weekend!



Argus & friend at the dog park

 Whew, busy weekend!   The Arboks had open house on Saturday and we had people in and out all day.  Very good for the pups, and we had a great time catching up with old friends and neighbors.  The adult dogs enjoyed the company too and I made sure that they got their share of the attention.

Sunday morning Argus got his trip to the dog park where he had his usual good time seeing old friends and making new ones.  Mustard was flowering so all the light colored dogs ended up very yellow from running through the weeds.  Breakfast at White Castle was enjoyed by both Argus and me.

At noon I packed up the Arboks and went to visit Jess in Wisconsin.  We set up a pen in the yard and Don sat down in the middle of them to keep them company while I went in to look at Penny's pups.  It was fun to catch up with Lynette (owns Cruise, the sire) who was also there to see the pups. 

The Arboks had a wonderful time being handled, and exploring the yard.  When they were thoroughly tired we took pictures.  I'm having problems with the upload, so will have to add more pictures this evening. 

Letty

Lucas

Sloan

Virgil

Weather

Economic Uncertainty?

Lucas and Sloan sleeping

"Wall Street Wrestles With Economic Uncertainty"  And so it continues.  Am glad I am not young, not beginning my working life and don't have small children.  It's a sad ugly world out there.

But on the home front things are fine, at least for now. My job is challenging but going well as we master various aspects of the new accounting system, we're all in apparently good health, Letty's leg seems to be healing well, and the pups are so cute.  Sometimes it's important to step back and think of the good stuff.  I try to be informed, but do NOT have news programs on very often any more as they drag me down.  Much better to listen to a good audio book.

Lots of puppy inquiries now and I wish I had more pups coming along, but I am going to need a break when we are done with this litter!  Although it's great fun, pups are SO MUCH WORK, at least if you are doing them right.

Reebok Says ENOUGH!

OK, time for Reebok to go home, but she'll be here until Rosie takes her puppy(s) home.  Reebok says the pups are weaned, although I am sending her down once a day as she still has some milk.  The pups chase her around for 15 minutes before she will let them nurse, but if I don't send her down she wanders around whining softly which drives me nuts. If she hears a puppy fuss she starts whining, but if she goes down to check on them they will start yelling and then she wants to come upstairs immediately! Now she's going through what I call the Post Puppy Crazies, leaping all over Argus and Watson inviting them to play, meanwhile shedding like crazy as bitches normally do after a litter.  Such fun . . .  She's very sweet and did a lovely litter, but I will not be sorry to see her go home.

Someone asked if Reebok had been eating a raw diet and the answer is no, she is kibble fed, eating Pro Plan Lamb & Rice.  Her owner is fine with the raw diet and told me to switch Reebok over if I wanted, but I wasn't comfortable doing a total switch on a pregnant bitch so she stayed on kibble but got lots of extra fresh items - meat, yogurt, cottage cheese and eggs and an occasional chicken back.  Reebok came through this in great shape and had plenty of milk until the last week.  It does seem as if the raw fed girls have milk for a longer period of time, but it might just be the individual dogs.  I am NOT an anti-kibble raw feeder, and I think highly of the company that makes Pro Plan.  Even after being bought out by Nestle, I think they are producing a quality product.

One of the reasons I feed a raw diet (in addition to how well the dogs do on it) is because of the small stool volume and lack of odor.  It makes clean up SO MUCH easier, especially with puppies.  When I see the huge poops from kibble fed Reebok, especially when I am walking her and have to pick them up, I am very glad I feed raw! 

Reebok will go back to her old life with Rosie, who will probably get her in shape and pursue A Grand Championship (a newer AKC title).  Reebok had an excellent career, winning the Futurity and going Winner Bitch at the National. (Her sire Dylan is also a Best in Futurity winner, and Argus is the sire of Penny who won it in 2010). I was very fortunate to have the opportunity lease Reebok, and hope that her pups do as well as their parents!  Argus won Best of Breed at the National, as well as 3 Awards of Merit, and has also won the Stud Dog Class 3 years in a row - perhaps a couple of these kids can help him repeat that win next year!

Puppy Party

Puppy party

The Arboks had company yesterday evening, when friends Skip and Gia, their two sons and a friend came to visit them.  One of the nicest things about having puppies is the opportunity to catch up with old friends when they drop by to help socialize pups!  This year we've also met some new friends, people who are "Facebook Friends", but who we've never met in person.  The pups benefit from all the company, and so  do the rest of us! 

Joie & Argus with Skip

Ron is your typical Finlander and doesn't go out of his way to socialize but enjoys "puppy company", and the adult Dals think the company is just for them.  Josie particularly liked Skip and kept trying to kiss him, while Argus tried to horn in, and Watson was sprawled at Gia's feet.



I like to watch the way the pups interact with people as it gives me clues to their eventual personalities, and they all go through a variety of stages.  At 3 weeks Sloan startled and got very stressed by company.  A few days later he was totally fine. Then Letty went through a period where she did not want to be held by anyone except me.  She knew her mom and was not interested in company.  Last weekend Weather was more sound sensitive and was started by a noise that the other pups ignored.  Sloan has been fine since that first weekend, and Letty has become a social butterfly.  Weather was absolutely fine last night, but Virgil was a bit less sure of himself.  Lucas has always been bold, but last night was not inclined to sit on laps, just too busy to be bothered, although he finally fell asleep on Gia's lap.  By the time the pups are ready to be placed I expect to have a good feeling for their individual personalities.

Although one often hears that an overly shy or aggressive dog "must have been abused", that is rarely the case.  Just like everything else, temperaments are at least partially inherited.  We can modify that temperament with proper socialization and careful rearing, but much of the dog's personality is really "who he is". Sharp or timid dogs may not have been properly raised, but sometimes that is not the problem at all.  They may be that way despite proper management.  Responsible breeders match up parents with solid temperaments, raise the pups with lots of socialization, and learn to read each pup as an individual so it can be placed in an appropriate home.  I'm still reading these pups, and every day is a new chapter!

Too Little Time

Lucas Arbok

This blog may need to be written before I go to bed, at least for awhile, since the mornings are getting a bit hectic!  Puppy chores are taking up more time, especially since I end up playing with them whenever I go down to check on them.  Just too cute now!

Reebok has decided that she is does not want to spend the night with her pups.   The front of the puppy pen has been low enough to allow her to jump in and out, but tall enough to keep the pups in.  She would feed them at night, then jump out and sleep in a crate or a chair.  Now that Weather and Virgil have learned to climb over the low panels, the pen had to be changed, meaning that Reebok had to be shut in or out, but could no longer come and go as she wished.  When I shut her in last night she made it very clear that the new arrangement was NOT satisfactory, so I let her sleep in the kitchen and sent her down again this morning to feed the pups.  Because they had a meal of goats milk, eggs and turkey before bedtime, they slept through the night just fine.  I was planning to have the pups weaned off Reebok by six weeks, but is obviously ready to end things now.

Letty went in for x-rays on her leg yesterday, and to our relief nothing was broken.  We were concerned that growth plates might have been damaged which could result in a deformed leg, but it turned out to be a soft tissue injury.  Whew.  Letty handled everything perfectly, letting out a little squeak when she was placed on her back for x-rays, but was very brave and quite solemn about the whole process.  She rode to the vet's on a towel on my lap.  She's walking better all the time, but may end up with a limp.  Only time will tell.

Plans for the weekend include taking the pups out to my daughter's so we can get their 6 week pictures. Ron and I are not a good picture taking team, so fortunately Jess will be available, and I will have a chance to see Penny's pups.

New Champion Wills

We're celebrating Argus's newest champion son, Ch. Liberty's Phantom Menace, bred and shown by Vickie Mooney and owned by Laurie Shadle.  I saw the Argus/Ella litter at 6 weeks and Wills was my favorite pup, so it was gratifying to see him grow into such a handsome adult.  He finished quickly, with a really nice record. 

Promise You'll Call

Promise you'll call .  .

Yesterday morning after our visit to the dog park, I took my brother to the airport and he flew off to Costa Rica.  We had such a good time while here was here, staying at mom's, connecting with old friends, getting together with family members.  It was a perfect time for him to be here, with decent weather and we all had a chance to visit with him, individually and as a family.   Al comes back once a year, something I know my mother looks forward to all year long.  There has always been a special bond between my mother and Al, and each year they both wonder if it will be the last time they will be able to get together. 

My plan is to visit Costa Rica in March.  Al says that's the month with the best weather, and everything flowering.  Now that I am no longer campaigning Argus, and will have vacation time if not money, I must get down there for a visit.  Gram has visited him several times in CR, and my sister Kris went down with her once, but I've never gone.  My sister-in-law Alison is perfectly happy to stay there rather than visiting the US, so I've not seen her since they moved.  Just hope that both Ron and Gram can both stay healthy - that's the only thing that will keep me from going this time.

Puppy Eddie is looking good

The Arboks had a busy weekend, with lots of company.  They are changing so fast now, no longer chubby little todder-Dals.  The adults really enjoyed all the company too, assuming that everyone had come to see them.

On Sunday I packed up the Arboks and they rode along to Albert Lea to meet up with Rosie and Mark who came up from Iowa.  Rosie just broke her ankle (same leg, same kind of break I had last year) but won't let that slow her down and she really wanted to see the pups.  Unfortunately, little dare devil Letty could not wait to be lifted out, took a dive from the car to the asphalt, and came up on three legs.  She was very brave about everything, didn't cry, and enjoying being cuddled by everyone.  By the time we got home she was getting around much better and showing no pain response, so we decided against a trip to the emergency room and will take her to our regular clinic this morning.  Poor Letty, so pretty, such a character, and now this.  Never a dull moment in Paisleyland.

Lisen and Jerry also drove up from Iowa so that I could see Puppy Eddie and decide whether or not we were going to show him.   Eddie looked really good, especially for his age, and because he remembered some of his training by Grace Pella, when he was visiting in Canada, we got some decent pictures.  We'll probably pick him up on our way to the Kansas shows in October and start his serious show training.

No time for editing, gotta go play with pups!

Weaning Progresses

The Arboks are enjoying the outdoors!  Letty

The Arboks are having a great time in the yard.  They'll get more outdoor time on Saturday as we will do our puppy socialization outside too, weather permitting. 

Yesterday the Arboks got to try their first solid food and did a great job on chicken necks.  Letty and Sloan did not get theirs finished, but the others ate the whole thing.  Not that chicken necks are very large, but they DO require a lot of chewing with tiny teeth.  Next they will try wings - they won't be able to chew up the wing bones yet, but will get most the skin and meat and have a great time doing it.   It's so much fun watching instincts kick in, as the pups use the same tearing motions that wolves use when consuming their prey.  There's always at least one pup in a litter that hums while eating, this time it's vocal Letty, which is no surprise.

It's so much neater weaning pups on a raw diet.  Much less odor and far less clean up because there is so little waste.  The pups digest almost all of their raw meal, rather than passing all the undigested grain like they do when eating kibble.  They'll get a few kibble meals later, since a few may go to homes that will not feed raw, but mostly they'll eat a diet similar to what the adults eat.

Grass!

Virgil enjoyed his first trip outside

Pups enjoyed their first trip outdoors yesterday.  They were all very brave about exploring, but didn't go too far away.  That won't last long though, so tonight I will set up some portable fencing to restrict their activities and to keep them out of the flower beds - or maybe not as I am tired of gardening by this time of the summer! 

Am chatting with a gentleman who has owned a number of part Paisley dogs in the past and is looking for a new puppy.  The timing may not be right for him as he wanted a pup later in the fall.  I suppose it's time to start thinking about puppy placements.  Already!  I had a number of reservations for pets, but most were for females or for livers, and I need a good pet home for a darling black-spotted boy.

Sloan continues to be the cuddliest pups

As is so often the case, the person at the top of my list for a pet male couldn't wait, found a puppy elsewhere, and never bothered to let me know.  I hope she bought responsibly, but I am afraid she may not have.  This was a first time dog owner who will need a lot of help, and I hope she bought from a person who will be able to provide it.  People never seem to understand that puppies are not something you buy on a whim, and that you get exactly what you pay for. 

I'm forever amazed at all the people who only want a female pup.  Having owned many Dals of both sexes over the years I have found males to be wonderful companions, and most of my favorite Dals have been boys.  Marla and Josie are very special, but in general I find the boys to be more devoted, more giving, more playful, and far more tuned in to me. 

If the pups were more completely weaned I would send Reebok home with Rosie this weekend, as she is very tired of pups and very bored here.  She feeds the pups grudgingly, but would rather be upstairs with the rest of us.  Rosie says her dam was the same way.  Some bitches would tend and nurse their pups for 3 months, while others think 1 month is more than enough!  Tonight I'll start walking Reebok again as she really needs something to do.  

Exploring With The Arboks

Weather learning to be a Bad Dog

Big day for the Arboks, as they got to come upstairs last night.  It's interesting to watch the various reactions to totally new situations, and this group was amazingly brave and adventurous.  All pups immediately started wagging and exploring, though Letty did a bit of stress whining - but was actually the most adventurous and kept slipping through the dog gate and in to the dining room.

Ron has not had much to do with the pups until now, but he really enjoys them once they come upstairs, and is a good puppy socializer.

That's Weather, Lucas and Sloan in back

After work today the pups will go outside for the first time.   I'll have to set up the temporary fencing to keep them out of the flower beds and away from the gates they can slip under.  Perhaps I'll just set up the large pen at first, but it's a lot more fun to watch the pups explore the yard.

Virgil killing the Dino

Jess came over to visit the pups yesterday and agreed that they were extremely pretty pups, really good cosmetics.  Weather has always been her favorite pup, but she particularly liked Lucas who is such a handsome guy.  

I'm torn as to my favorite.  Letty for spotting, Weather for structure, or Lucas for being so attractive.  Virgil is a little lightly spotted for my taste, but such a pretty pup, and Sloan is very cute and the most cuddly.  Wish Letty had his personality, but she's a bit more independent.  Four of the pups have Velcro personalities like Argus and Reebok, but Letty is a bit different and more inclined to do her own thing.

The Arboks are eating two meals a day now, one with milk & yogurt, one with ground turkey added.  Need to pick up something different for them tonight.  Tomorrow they can have a few chicken necks to practice using their teeth on something other than each other and their poor mother.  Reebok still feeds them, but spends little time with them otherwise.  Time for Dad Argus and Uncle Watson to take over the babysitting duties.

On Sunday I will pack the pups into a dog crate and meet Rosie in Albert Lea so she can see the pups.  She owns two of them and wants to have a look at the litter now and get an idea.  I suspect her favorite will be Weather, but we'll see.  She had actually wanted a liver boy from the litter.   Reebok co-operated by being liver-factored much to our surprise, but she got the color and sex mixed up on the puppies.

Dog Parks And Puppies

Making new friends

Although I have always been leery of dog parks, I know there are good ones that are visited by well socialized dogs with sensible owners, and I've been trying to find one for Argus.  Because he is so eager to meet other dogs I figured he'd really enjoy it, and that turned out to be the case when we visited Rice Creek Dog Park.  Argus was delighted to meet all the dogs, although I was more than a little nervous when the three Pitbulls came over the hill toward us.  Forced myself to keep my mouth shut and let Argus sort things out which he did.  Whew!  No problems at all.  We did the half-mile loop three times, me on the path and Argus racing around with a weird variety of dogs.  Pitbulls and crosses, Husky-types, a Boxer, lots of Terrier mixes, Lab-wannabes and a couple of well-bred Labs.

Argus had a busy morning since we went over to my mother's for coffee after the dog park, and later went to Paws On Grand where we met even more dogs, and an even weirder variety.  After years of seeing an increase in purebreds, I am now seeing more mixed breeds.  If they were "accidents" that someone adopted, that's fine, but if they were intentionally bred to be mutts,that makes me crazy.  Designer Dogs are nothing more than mixed breeds, no healthier, certainly no smarter than purebreds.  Can't for the live of me understand why anyone would spend so much money to buy what used to be considered an Oops.

Virgil looks like a stuffed toy.

The pups had a busy weekend with lots of company, including kids.  The boys especially, are very cuddly.  Lucas finally woke up and went from being the quietest to being one of the liveliest.  Sloan is particularly cuddly, and Letty is the least cuddly though was quite sociable this weekend.  She's still inclined to go off and sleep by herself rather than piling on her littermates.

Weaning is going well and the pups are now eating two meals a day, one with goats milk and yogurt, and the other with ground turkey added.  Tonight they will come up into the family room for the first time, and tomorrow if the weather is good they will go out on the grass for the first time.  Such fun that will be, with lots of photo opportunities.

Lucas is sitting on a sandal, chewing the other.

Sloan is checking out a bone.

Chow Time!

First meat at 25 days

Weaning Dal pups is so simple!  Put down bowl, show bowl to puppies, clean up afterwards!  The Arboks had their first non-mom meal last night.  Warmed goat milk with some added goat milk yogurt.   They cleaned the bowl of course!  Tonight they will get the same meal with an added egg yolk, and tomorrow the meal will include some freshly ground turkey thigh meat from Whole Foods. Although the adults get a less expensive brand of frozen turkey (but always get human-grade foods), I prefer to feed the pups with top quality fresh foods whenever possible.



Yum, what a tasty foot - Lucas



Clockwise in the picture from 1:00 are Lucas, Letty, Weather, Sloan and Virgil.  Many photo ops with the puppies now.  I just need more time!

Letty & Virgil

This weekend I need to check in with the people who have expressed an interest in the pups.  Have not heard recently from the person who had first choice on pets, so am assuming she is off the list.  I don't take reservations because I want people to have the option of changing their minds, and I want the option to place my pups in the homes that sound the best to me!

Also two inquiries from foreign countries for show pups.  I have sold pups overseas in the past, but because we have pups so rarely, I'd really rather have show potential pups stay in the US (or Canada) to be shown.  The last pet pup who went overseas went to Okinawa, and that was a total disaster, one I have always regretted.  The pup finally arrived safely, but the buyer defaulted on his shipping costs, and did not stay in touch.  He talked a great story, but turned out to be an irresponsible deadbeat.  I'm responsible for my pups for their lifetimes, and there is no way I can help that dog if he ever needs it.  We've been really fortunate on homes over the years, but that was NOT a success story . . .

New Puppies In Paisleyland - PaisleyWI

Penny with day old babies

Chapter Two.  Penny's Pups were born last night, on the 61st day, same as Reebok's.  Not sure what this litter will be referred to, as Penny + Cruise does not go together quite as well as Argus + Reebok = Arboks.

This was Jess's first litter done on her own.  She helped with many litters while living at home, but this was her litter to raise from start to finish.  I suggested the sire (after we had considered dozens of dogs, we finally came up with Mr. Right - we hope), and am a co-breeder, but it's really Jess and Laurie's litter (Laurie is Penny's other owner as well as her co-breeder - she owns Penny's mom).  So glad that everything went smoothly!  Nikon was not bred until she was 5 years old, and the whelping was anything but smooth, but Penny performed like her Grandma Coral and did a great job!

Final count, 2 boys and 4 girls, 1 girl a patch.  Jess is currently thinking that the un-patched pups are all livers, but will check them out in better lighting today.  Lots of trim, and the skin spotting on the newly born pups looked nice.

Argus meets Letty

 Argus got to meet his kids last night.  All the dogs have sneaked down to take a peak, but this was his first actual visit and as expected, he was very good - but extremely jealous.  When I held pups on my lap he tried to sit there too.  Big baby!

Pups get to try their first real food tonight, which will be a mixture of goats milk and goat milk yogurt.  We do not start pups on carbohydrate-based soaked kibble, or worse yet, on cereal.  Dogs have no established need for carbs, so why would I feed them to puppies.

Pictures tomorrow!

A Puppy Morning

Weather & Lucas getting out of bed

The pups are changing so quickly now!  Every day brings something new!

Everyone is keeping the rug clean now, leaving the box to pee on papers in the pen.  Lucas was the last to catch on, but he's the laziest puppy and the slowest to wake up.  Sure makes it easier to keep the box clean, but now we're doing lots of paper changes instead.

Pups are really starting to play with toys

Letty checks out a toy

now.  I add new toys every day, and they all have to be checked out.  Today I will add a cardboard box which they will enjoy, and perhaps put a piece of lumber in there too, so they will have to climb over it.  We try to expose the pups to as many different things as possible.  Meeting people, exploring, being exposed to a variety of novel objects, and later visiting numerous locations will help to insure that the pups are confident and well adjusted.  It's also great fun to watch their reactions!

It's certainly a promising litter so far.  Although Lucas, Letty and Weather have the best markings, the other two boys are acceptably marked (for showing) as well.  Everyone hears, there are no blue eyes, and the personalities seem very good so far.  Structure is starting to become evident too, and I love the way Weather is built.  Tails are up on a couple of the pups already which does not make me happy, but tails are SO hard to predict - you never know which ones will go up and when/if they will come down.  Trim is done on the blacks and still moving well on the livers.  Letty is about 99% complete and Weather just a little bit behind her.  Eye color is going to be very good, as expected.  Blacks are already very dark, livers with a lot of dark pigment already.  I don't care for light eyes on pups of either color, and especially value dark gold eyes on livers.

The basics are good, but so much else to monitor.  Will the pups be bilateral hearing (hear in both ears) or unis (hearing in one ear)?  Will they have correct scissors bites?  Will they be sound and move well?  Will the boys have two testicles?  Will they stay confident and outgoing? Will their health checks be good?  A pup with no disqualifications (according to the breed standard) may be showable, but that does not mean that it is show quality and that it should be placed in a show home.  We always hope that all the pups in a litter can go to show homes, but that is never the case.  If we get one or two such pups we will be happy, three or more we will be thrilled.   So if you are waiting for a pet here, can't tell you that yet.  But they are suuuuurrrreee all cute!

And over at my daughter Jess's house in Wisconsin, Penny is going through the motions and thinking about having puppies today.  Or maybe not 'til Friday.  She could nest for days, or pop them out shortly.  Glad Jess is the one doing the waiting and watching!

Politics And Puppies

And the nasty weather continues.  It should NOT be 83 degrees when I wake up in Minnesota, nor should the dew point ever be this high.  Ugly weather.   Last day of getting paid to work an extra hour a day.  The extra seven hours help, although it will be a long time before I get caught up from the lay off.  Two bills left to pay before my next paycheck which is due a week from Friday.  Two bills and a tank of gas is just about all I can afford without dipping into "other" money.   My checking account looks pretty bare, but as long as I don't have any unexpected expenses I should make it.   But how about all the people with kids?  What a shame that WE have to pay for the lack of compromise in our political process.   I'm very very tired of political rhetoric and a whole generation of incredibly selfish people.  I rememember when they started talking about the "me generation" some years ago.  Sadly true.

BUT, my puppies are so cute!  Here's some 3-week shots of the babies.



Letty & Virgil





Weather




Virgil




Weather




Virgil & Letty



Lucas



Fun With Dogs

Argus is watching for fish

Such a fun weekend, much of it dog-related.  Even though we're not doing dog shows this summer, it seems as if doggy things still take up much of my time - which is just fine!  While walking Argus around Como on Sunday morning, he jumped up on the stone wall that runs along the path and was walking along the top of it as he always does.  I encourage it, and he looks forward to doing it and having a treat afterwards.  As we were walking along "discussing" what a fine job he was doing, a grumpy looking middle-aged couple came walking from the opposite direction, saw Argus walking along the wall, and the guy grumbled, "Weird"  as they walked on by.  Now I ask you, was that necessary?  And what is weird about a dog and its person having fun?

What a sorry life that guy must lead if he can't recognize the simple pleasure that such an activity brings to a person and a much-loved dog?  The rest of my walk was spent watching Argus do all his silly Argus-things (note the picture above) and thinking of all the pleasure these crazy spotted dogs have added to my life.  They say that laughing is important to one's mental and physical health and I'm sure that's true, and I thank my spotted friends for all the exercise and all the laughter that goes with owning a Dalmatian.



Lucas and Letty



Pups are doing wonderfully well!  They got the front of their box cut down so they have access to their pen, and the heat lamp is off which pleases all of us.  Lots of company for puppy socialization this weekend, which was also fun.   Old friends who I had not seen for awhile, my daughter and her partner, and Dal owning Facebook friends I was meeting for the first time.  We'll have lots of company the next few weeks and the big dogs will really enjoy it too.

Cutting this short, but lots of puppy pictures tomorrow.

Too Cute For Words

Lucas & Weather

And suddenly, they are dogs!  The pups have gone from little spotted blobs who do nothing but nurse and sleep, to little Dalmatians.  When I took everyone out of the box to change papers and give them a clean rug, they immediately started exploring the pen and surrounding area, and for the first time exhibited the play behavior that is so much fun to watch.  Like slow motion wrestling, with mouthing, tiny growls and attempts to grab a littermate's muzzle or legs.  So cute.  They were out of the box for about 15 minutes, finally settling down on Reebok's rug.  When they were placed back in the box, the activity started all over again.  My ten minute "chore" took an hour!

Letty

Pups are SO CUTE at this age, and they develop quickly now, with very noticeable changes in appearance and actions every day.  Soon they will wag their tails when they hear my voice, and will start making an attempt to keep their blanket dry.  They will be taken out of the box for awhile every day to explore, and this weekend they will have company.  Being handled by strangers is very good for pups at this age.  Next week they will start to come upstairs for a few minutes at a time, and I'll cut down the front of the box and give them full access to the pen.

Just a few more days for the heatlamp, which Reebok will appreciate!  She's been an excellent mother and is finally willing to stay upstairs or outside long enough for me to have some time with the pups.  She obviously has plenty of milk, as the pups are all chubby and plump and content. 

Too Cute!

Hey, let me in!

The two pushy ones on top are "Weather" Karkinnan and "Letty" West, both named for characters in John Sandford's mysteries featuring Lucas Davenport.  Weather & Letty are the two liver girls, and they are the pushiest pups in the litter, as well as the largest and heaviest - I think there is a direct relationship here!  Their brothers are "Lucas" Davenport who is a handsomely marked, moderately active boy, "Virgil" Flowers, a laid back, mellow, lightly spotted boy with a Teddy Bear face, and "Sloan", a more colorful, very vocal boy who is the smallest, but makes up for it in attitude.    All three boys are black-spotted.  Because the pups all heard by Sunday, they got names.

And now they are getting cute!   When I change the papers and give them a clean rug, the pups walk clumsily around the pen, exploring their space, tasting Reebok's blanket, trying to climb up my leg, sniffing everything.  Reebok is outdoors with the boys while I do this or she would be in my face or on my lap!  Pups are SO CUTE now that it's hard to leave them to get other things accomplished. 

By next week it will be impossible to get anything else done.  3-4 weeks is my favorite age, when the pups become little dogs.  We're starting to schedule puppy socializers now, friends to handle the pups.  The more people that little pups meet, the more confident, friendly and outgoing they will be as adults.  Time to set up BAER testing at 6 weeks too.  Rosie will see the pups at 5 weeks and 7 weeks and start deciding which two she will take.  1st and 3rd and 5th are mine, 2nd and 4th are hers (in exchange for letting me lease Reebok).

Short blogs this week as I am working overtime, trying to make up at least a little of the money I lost during lay offs.  Gonna be a long week!

Good News In Paisleyland

The daylilies are at their peak

The little Arboks all hear!  So nice to get that out of the way.  I was getting a little nervous when the boys were not responding.  Both liver girls heard on Friday and barked at me when I tested.   One boy gave me a single response on Saturday so I was not sure on him, but on Sunday morning two of the boys were responding.  Only the smallest boy slept through everything.  Finally yesterday evening he popped his little head up when I pinged my finger on a food pan.  This morning all pups popped right up when I tested them.  Whew!  We'll do BAER testing later to confirm hearing, and within a couple of weeks will also identifyy any unis (pups that hear in one ear rather than both ears).

Now we have to get through one more week.  Because I lost a litter to canine herpes several years ago, I'm still paranoid.  It's very rare, and there is no reliable way to prevent it.  Because it can be a respiratory infection in dogs, most adult show dogs (and probably most city-dwelling pets) have been exposed to it, but will show no symptoms. Because they will not necessarily develop an immunity, the dams may not be able to pass immunity on to their pups.  It's normally only fatal to pups under the age of 3 weeks because they can't develop the fever necessary to fight it.  Once pups are 3 weeks old they will be able to fight the virus, so we will keep all fingers tightly crossed for one more week.  If you've ever heard of Fading Puppy Syndrome, this is one of the causes.

Oops!

Argus and I hiked the Reservoir Park Trail yesterday.  The park includes a Dog Park, so I hoped that there would be some friendly Labradors for Argus to swim with.  We had the park to ourselves, but I quickly discovered why there were no dogs swimming!  The shoreline was a foot of black gunky mud.  Argus didn't mind bit, but he sure got dirty.  He splashed in a real lake further along, but still required a bath to remove the remaining muck!