Yesterday Porter hung out and chewed his bullystick while I watched my daughter and some neighborhood kids swim. He even got a chance to get his feet wet and did great. It must have worn him out since he fell asleep chewing his bullystick. I know he's still really sleepy from being so young, but it was so nice to have a dog in a new and exciting environment with kids screaming and playing and the dog doesn't mind and can relax at my feet. I'm hoping this continues and next week will start working on his mat work to make sure this becomes a habit.
The highlight of the day was seeing Indigo and Porter really play. Indi has been trying to get him to play all along but she's a bit overwhelming for him so it mostly ends up being her bouncing around and pawing at him while he rolls over and wonders what is going on and occasionally squeals and seeks my comfort. But last night he was finally feeling frisky and started mouthing her back and played a good game of tug. Indi really needs to learn to be more gentle with the poor guy. He's going to have shaken puppy syndrome! It was wonderful to watch Indi trying to engage him in play and to see her so happy.
Each time he took a nap yesterday I placed him in his crate and more often then not he just settled down and went to sleep. Any protest on his part was just a half hearted whine before curling up.
Last night I slept downstairs again but a little farther from his play area. He settled down quickly and slept for longer stretches but still stirred several times during the night to which I responded with a quick potty break. Unfortunately once outside he prefers to settled down on the soft grass and go to sleep! At one point he did pee once in his play area so after that I put him in the crateinstead. Surprisingly he was ok with it and spend the rest of the night in just the crate. After his 4:30 am potty break I tried putting him back to bed instead of getting up for the day and he complied! Since I had to go to work this morning I fed him around 6:30, but I was impressed he remained quiet until then.
He hardly made a fuss on the drive over to work and settled down in his crate nicely. I was pleasantly surprised when I returned to the car from unloading my gear that he was still settled and not panicked that I left him. He was such a good boy while I was teaching my puppy classes and mostly chewed his bullystick or her floppy water bowl (must remember to bring a normal one next time). He asked to get out once so I brought him out to demo for the class and put him right back in his ex-pen.
His favorite part was getting cuddles from my friend Sandy and 4 girls who has puppies in class. After classes were over and the girls left he promptly fell fast asleep and did not make a peep on the drive home.
His people socialization totals are looking good. He's only been home just over 3 days and has already met 33 different people. Tomorrow he will meet 6 more plus another puppy! His soon to be BFF Chase the Aussie is coming over. Chase is only 3 or 4 days older than Porter and his mommy is a trainer as well. We are going to keep each other on track with our training and work through Sue Ailsby's Training Levels together.
My goal for tonight is for Porter to sleep completely in the crate downstairs (no access to his play area) with me on the couch. If that is successful I will take the crate upstairs tomorrow to replace the plastic one up there that he does not like.
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Friday, August 19, 2011
Vets & Mail Carriers
Porter met two new kids and 2 new adult women today and did his usually routine of falling into a deep sleep shortly after they arrive. I'd think it was a defense mechanism but he is sleeping a lot all day long. He's not lethargic and he promptly perks up for food and short bouts of fun, so he must either be catching up still from his first day here or his body is hard at work growing and processing all these new things.
One of his favorite activities in the backyard now is to eat wood chips and spiderwebs. He's constantly foraging which means that the majority of his potty trips are now on leash. He's also quite fond of curling up right next to the outside water dish and napping but not before dunking his whole muzzle in the water, blowing bubbles and dribbling his entire mouth contents all over the place.
It might be a fluke, but if I pause he sits before I open the crate. It's also the angle of his head since he looks up at me. I don't think he's 100% connected it yet, but it's a start.
After meeting his new friends we loaded up in the car and drove to the vet for a quick visit. His appointment and shots are not until next week but I wanted him to visit and get loves and cookies before anything unpleasant takes place there. I didn't let him down on the floor since I'm more worried about germs on the vet's office floor than I am about germs at a park. But then that all went out the window when the office manager asked me if I wanted to go into an exam room. I placed him on the table and fed him liver treats as the Office Manager massaged his ears and touched his paws. I didn't stay long since I didn't have many treats but I also wanted to keep it short and sweet. He also saw the office cat.
He was much better on this ride than the one bringing him home. He fussed very slightly and despite just having had a huge nap he even relaxed in a down and was quiet for a good portion of the trip.
We were in luck when we got home because the mail carrier was making his rounds. He was nice enough to stop for a minute when I asked if he could meet Porter. More liver treats flowed as he was pet.
And once again, he is napping in his crate. He prefers the wood floors right next to the couch and my laptop (or next to the outside water dish) but I convinced him to stay in the crate. He also does the cutest thing on hard floor surfaces; when he lies down he just slowly slides his back end out until he's all the way down.
So far his people socialization count is:
Men: 3
Women: 6
People in uniform: 3 (mail carrier and 2 vet techs)
School aged children: 5
Preschool children: 2
Toddlers: 1
One of his favorite activities in the backyard now is to eat wood chips and spiderwebs. He's constantly foraging which means that the majority of his potty trips are now on leash. He's also quite fond of curling up right next to the outside water dish and napping but not before dunking his whole muzzle in the water, blowing bubbles and dribbling his entire mouth contents all over the place.
It might be a fluke, but if I pause he sits before I open the crate. It's also the angle of his head since he looks up at me. I don't think he's 100% connected it yet, but it's a start.
After meeting his new friends we loaded up in the car and drove to the vet for a quick visit. His appointment and shots are not until next week but I wanted him to visit and get loves and cookies before anything unpleasant takes place there. I didn't let him down on the floor since I'm more worried about germs on the vet's office floor than I am about germs at a park. But then that all went out the window when the office manager asked me if I wanted to go into an exam room. I placed him on the table and fed him liver treats as the Office Manager massaged his ears and touched his paws. I didn't stay long since I didn't have many treats but I also wanted to keep it short and sweet. He also saw the office cat.
He was much better on this ride than the one bringing him home. He fussed very slightly and despite just having had a huge nap he even relaxed in a down and was quiet for a good portion of the trip.
We were in luck when we got home because the mail carrier was making his rounds. He was nice enough to stop for a minute when I asked if he could meet Porter. More liver treats flowed as he was pet.
And once again, he is napping in his crate. He prefers the wood floors right next to the couch and my laptop (or next to the outside water dish) but I convinced him to stay in the crate. He also does the cutest thing on hard floor surfaces; when he lies down he just slowly slides his back end out until he's all the way down.
So far his people socialization count is:
Men: 3
Women: 6
People in uniform: 3 (mail carrier and 2 vet techs)
School aged children: 5
Preschool children: 2
Toddlers: 1
We Don't Need No Stinkin' Crates
This is Porter's mantra at night.
I tried not letting him nap too late. I ran him around outside, which is tough since he prefers to snuggle the soft grass. He was completely exhausted, yet he fought tooth and nail not to sleep in his crate in the bedroom. A little whining I can accept, but he was pissed or stressed or both and I just couldn't make him tough it out. I don't want him to hate the crate and I have not had a chance to acclimate him to it yet, so really, it's not fair to expect him to just go with the flow. I've been working hard on getting him used to his puppy area downstairs but I neglected to do the same with the bedroom and that particular crate. Bad trainer! I need longer days.
Instead of torturing my puppy (and myself and the neighbors) I gathered up my pillow and some linens and took to the couch. Porter settled pretty quickly in his play area. A few times he would sit up and whine and I only had to lift my head so she saw that I was right there and he would curl back up and sleep. He still woke up almost hourly and I took him out to pee each time, just in case. A few of those times he really had to go!
Then at 4:30am I heard him throwing up again! More bile and water. His body is either adjusting to his new diet or he needs more food in his stomach before bedtime. Indigo will sometimes vomit bile (but yellow, not clear like Porter's) when her stomach is empty, so tonight I will give him some treats right before bed and see if that helps or give him something to snack on after one of his ungodly hour potty breaks.
The great thing about him is that after those potty breaks he settled down back to sleep very quickly! Only once did he seem a little more awake but a bullystick satisfied him. I think he's still settling in since even now at 6:30am he's napping again. He had breakfast at 4:30, then we played for a minute or two and he ended up chewing a toy while cuddling in my lap but quickly fell asleep while getting belly rubs. So he's sleeping quite a bit, just in small doses; 10 minutes here and there. I'm sure in no time he'll be up a lot more and demanding more attention.
Despite what I do for a living, Porter did have two accidents in the house yesterday. The first was when I took him to the bathroom with me (he had gone out himself maybe 10 minutes prior) and while there decided he needed to go, too, and the rug was a great spot. The second was after we can downstairs from putting QM in the bath. He was up there for 10-15 minutes chewing on a bullystick. I carried him downstairs and set him down and was about to take him out but he walked over to the dining room window (which pretty much touches the ground) stood in front of it and peed. I think he thought it was the sliding glass door but didn't have time to wait for me to open it. I was trying for zero mistakes, but that is out the window.
Tonight I will do the same sleeping set up. And this weekend we will start crate games (Susan Garrett's system). I have had time yet to do any training but I also wanted him system to get use to his new diet before I started giving him a lot of treats. I think the downstairs crate will be easier to get him used to. He had to go through it to get to the play area, which is also where he eats. A few times I have waited to open the crate door until he sits. Last night and this morning he let me put him in that crate while he napped and he was perfectly comfortable. Maybe what I'll do is bring the upstairs crate down here and load it with soft blankets and see if he climbs in tonight to sleep. Then once he likes it I can bring it back upstairs and hopefully train him to sleep up there.
I tried not letting him nap too late. I ran him around outside, which is tough since he prefers to snuggle the soft grass. He was completely exhausted, yet he fought tooth and nail not to sleep in his crate in the bedroom. A little whining I can accept, but he was pissed or stressed or both and I just couldn't make him tough it out. I don't want him to hate the crate and I have not had a chance to acclimate him to it yet, so really, it's not fair to expect him to just go with the flow. I've been working hard on getting him used to his puppy area downstairs but I neglected to do the same with the bedroom and that particular crate. Bad trainer! I need longer days.
Instead of torturing my puppy (and myself and the neighbors) I gathered up my pillow and some linens and took to the couch. Porter settled pretty quickly in his play area. A few times he would sit up and whine and I only had to lift my head so she saw that I was right there and he would curl back up and sleep. He still woke up almost hourly and I took him out to pee each time, just in case. A few of those times he really had to go!
Then at 4:30am I heard him throwing up again! More bile and water. His body is either adjusting to his new diet or he needs more food in his stomach before bedtime. Indigo will sometimes vomit bile (but yellow, not clear like Porter's) when her stomach is empty, so tonight I will give him some treats right before bed and see if that helps or give him something to snack on after one of his ungodly hour potty breaks.
The great thing about him is that after those potty breaks he settled down back to sleep very quickly! Only once did he seem a little more awake but a bullystick satisfied him. I think he's still settling in since even now at 6:30am he's napping again. He had breakfast at 4:30, then we played for a minute or two and he ended up chewing a toy while cuddling in my lap but quickly fell asleep while getting belly rubs. So he's sleeping quite a bit, just in small doses; 10 minutes here and there. I'm sure in no time he'll be up a lot more and demanding more attention.
Despite what I do for a living, Porter did have two accidents in the house yesterday. The first was when I took him to the bathroom with me (he had gone out himself maybe 10 minutes prior) and while there decided he needed to go, too, and the rug was a great spot. The second was after we can downstairs from putting QM in the bath. He was up there for 10-15 minutes chewing on a bullystick. I carried him downstairs and set him down and was about to take him out but he walked over to the dining room window (which pretty much touches the ground) stood in front of it and peed. I think he thought it was the sliding glass door but didn't have time to wait for me to open it. I was trying for zero mistakes, but that is out the window.
Tonight I will do the same sleeping set up. And this weekend we will start crate games (Susan Garrett's system). I have had time yet to do any training but I also wanted him system to get use to his new diet before I started giving him a lot of treats. I think the downstairs crate will be easier to get him used to. He had to go through it to get to the play area, which is also where he eats. A few times I have waited to open the crate door until he sits. Last night and this morning he let me put him in that crate while he napped and he was perfectly comfortable. Maybe what I'll do is bring the upstairs crate down here and load it with soft blankets and see if he climbs in tonight to sleep. Then once he likes it I can bring it back upstairs and hopefully train him to sleep up there.
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Flipper
Porter (yes, I finally decided) had a big day yesterday. Homecoming is always stressful and exhausting for a pup and then add a crazy terrier and hyper 4.5 year old into the mix and it makes for a rough day.
Indi tried a few more times to play with Porter and he started warming up a bit, until he flopped over and knocked his head on the wood floors.
Last night was rough. He was hesitant to go up the stairs, even the set of two leading from the living room to entryway, so I carried him up to bed. This was his first venture upstairs which was no smart on my part. He had also been sleeping on and off for an hour or so already, but did I take him outside to tire him out? Nope. I was hoping he was still tired and would just go right back to bed. But with the new location and new crate, Porter wasn't having any of it.
I have the crate elevated next to the bed so his face is right next to mine and I can easily stick my fingers through the bars. None of this helped. He made such a racket that Indi started whining and howling out of sympathy. He carried on for 30-45 minutes and then settled down. Maybe an hour later or so woke up again, so we went out to potty and came back. He fussed for 30 minutes. This repeats itself every 30-60 minutes. Each time he settled down sooner, but he didn't sleep long in between. At one point his paws were wet so he either peed or vomited water. Around 4:30 I heard him vomit (all water), so we got up for good and had breakfast. His stomach might not be used to how fast raw meat digest compared to kibble and I bet his fussing upset his stomach even more.
After breakfast and a few minutes of play he settled down and took a nap. I tried napping on the couch but slept too lightly since I was afraid he'd getup and get into trouble.
When princess Indi got out of bed closer to 6:30 she wanted nothing to do with him. I guess she wasn't awake yet.
At 9am we set ourselves up out front. I put an ex-pen in the grass and used my puppy cool shade over half of it. QM's friend arrived with her sister and toddler brother. They all were great and gentle with Porter who was mostly interested in eating their chalk. Surprisingly he settled down in the ex-pen really well even when I walked away. After maybe 20 minutes he passed out just before another friend and little brother arrived and Porter was gone to the world the rest of the morning. Nothing was waking him up.
Black dogs are so hard to photograph so I brought in a pro.
When everyone packed it up around 11:30 we brought Porter inside for lunch. He has a hard time chewing through the skin and grunts and whines. If I hold the chicken down with a fork he can yank and rip it off and is a very happy pup.
I thought he'd be up and ready to go but he's passed out yet again. This time I was smart and moved him into the crate so he gets used to being closed inside. He's barely conscious of it, but it's a start.
So it seems he's like a newborn and has his days and nights flipped. Tonight I work on keeping him from napping too late. With Indi we had to tickle her toes to keep her up. I'll also try to run him around right before bedtime and see if that helps tire him out.
Hopefully he'll be awake when the next friend comes over after lunch.
All the kids were great today. They were so gentle with him and (when he was awake) he didn't seem nervous or hesitant at all. Given his breed it's more likely he's going to love people, but I just want to be sure. As he grows I'll have to channel that love into a calm behavior so he's not leaping and knocking kids down.
Indi tried a few more times to play with Porter and he started warming up a bit, until he flopped over and knocked his head on the wood floors.
Last night was rough. He was hesitant to go up the stairs, even the set of two leading from the living room to entryway, so I carried him up to bed. This was his first venture upstairs which was no smart on my part. He had also been sleeping on and off for an hour or so already, but did I take him outside to tire him out? Nope. I was hoping he was still tired and would just go right back to bed. But with the new location and new crate, Porter wasn't having any of it.
I have the crate elevated next to the bed so his face is right next to mine and I can easily stick my fingers through the bars. None of this helped. He made such a racket that Indi started whining and howling out of sympathy. He carried on for 30-45 minutes and then settled down. Maybe an hour later or so woke up again, so we went out to potty and came back. He fussed for 30 minutes. This repeats itself every 30-60 minutes. Each time he settled down sooner, but he didn't sleep long in between. At one point his paws were wet so he either peed or vomited water. Around 4:30 I heard him vomit (all water), so we got up for good and had breakfast. His stomach might not be used to how fast raw meat digest compared to kibble and I bet his fussing upset his stomach even more.
After breakfast and a few minutes of play he settled down and took a nap. I tried napping on the couch but slept too lightly since I was afraid he'd getup and get into trouble.
When princess Indi got out of bed closer to 6:30 she wanted nothing to do with him. I guess she wasn't awake yet.
At 9am we set ourselves up out front. I put an ex-pen in the grass and used my puppy cool shade over half of it. QM's friend arrived with her sister and toddler brother. They all were great and gentle with Porter who was mostly interested in eating their chalk. Surprisingly he settled down in the ex-pen really well even when I walked away. After maybe 20 minutes he passed out just before another friend and little brother arrived and Porter was gone to the world the rest of the morning. Nothing was waking him up.
Black dogs are so hard to photograph so I brought in a pro.
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| Take by Jen Bentley |
When everyone packed it up around 11:30 we brought Porter inside for lunch. He has a hard time chewing through the skin and grunts and whines. If I hold the chicken down with a fork he can yank and rip it off and is a very happy pup.
I thought he'd be up and ready to go but he's passed out yet again. This time I was smart and moved him into the crate so he gets used to being closed inside. He's barely conscious of it, but it's a start.
So it seems he's like a newborn and has his days and nights flipped. Tonight I work on keeping him from napping too late. With Indi we had to tickle her toes to keep her up. I'll also try to run him around right before bedtime and see if that helps tire him out.
Hopefully he'll be awake when the next friend comes over after lunch.
All the kids were great today. They were so gentle with him and (when he was awake) he didn't seem nervous or hesitant at all. Given his breed it's more likely he's going to love people, but I just want to be sure. As he grows I'll have to channel that love into a calm behavior so he's not leaping and knocking kids down.
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Party of Five
Our family is now complete. Puppy is home, still nameless.
The short list was Dugan, Sullivan, and Porter. This afternoon I was all for Sullivan but this evening I'm feeling Porter. Candy said there is a FCR named Dugan who is well known, so that is giving me second thoughts on that name. Right now he's "Puppy".
The ride home was noisy. He's crated for safety and he let us know he was lonely. When we got home I put Indi in the kitchen and then brought the pup in and put him in his puppy area. I turned on the video camera (yes, I'm a huge training nerd), leashed Indi, and did CC and LAT as we walked closer to the puppy area.
Overall, Indi did amazing. She was focused and intense on him at first, but the power of cheese overcame her.
He was very comfortable in his area is I was in there, too, but understandably was not as happy if I left, and even more so if I left the room. Puppy was also nervous out back at first, but that could have been due to the loudmouth terrier barking at us from inside the house.
I let Indi sniff his rear a few times as I was holding him and after a few hours put him down on the grass while Indi was outside. He was leashed so he couldn't bug her. Indi was very intense, ears forward, very tall and upright. She started poking at him with her nose and bouncing around him. It was hard to tell if it was play or prey behavior. But in the end it turned out she was trying to play with him. Poor guy didn't know what to make of it though and was nervous. Indi got the zoomies and knocked him down a few times. Every time she touched him he rolled over.
Later he started getting more comfortable and even dared to throw a paw over her back like he was thinking of mounting her. The nerve! Indi doesn't even let her BFF Theo do that! But she only gave him a gentle warning, which he listened to promptly.
They are now able to be loose in the room together under close supervision.
This day couldn't have gone any better. I really thought it would take a week or so for Indi to warm up.
Puppy also had his first raw meal today. I gave him a chicken neck but tried holding on to it with a fork at first and then my fingers, yuck. I didn't want him to swallow a big piece but towards the end he swallowed a large chunk then I wanted. He snorted around for more so I brought out the 1/4th of a whole chicken I was saving for tomorrow. He was in love! We'll see how his belly does tonight though.
He's the king of cat naps. I think all the new noises is making it hard for him to settle down for long.
All pees and a couple of poops have been outside. Woohoo!
The short list was Dugan, Sullivan, and Porter. This afternoon I was all for Sullivan but this evening I'm feeling Porter. Candy said there is a FCR named Dugan who is well known, so that is giving me second thoughts on that name. Right now he's "Puppy".
The ride home was noisy. He's crated for safety and he let us know he was lonely. When we got home I put Indi in the kitchen and then brought the pup in and put him in his puppy area. I turned on the video camera (yes, I'm a huge training nerd), leashed Indi, and did CC and LAT as we walked closer to the puppy area.
Overall, Indi did amazing. She was focused and intense on him at first, but the power of cheese overcame her.
He was very comfortable in his area is I was in there, too, but understandably was not as happy if I left, and even more so if I left the room. Puppy was also nervous out back at first, but that could have been due to the loudmouth terrier barking at us from inside the house.
I let Indi sniff his rear a few times as I was holding him and after a few hours put him down on the grass while Indi was outside. He was leashed so he couldn't bug her. Indi was very intense, ears forward, very tall and upright. She started poking at him with her nose and bouncing around him. It was hard to tell if it was play or prey behavior. But in the end it turned out she was trying to play with him. Poor guy didn't know what to make of it though and was nervous. Indi got the zoomies and knocked him down a few times. Every time she touched him he rolled over.
Later he started getting more comfortable and even dared to throw a paw over her back like he was thinking of mounting her. The nerve! Indi doesn't even let her BFF Theo do that! But she only gave him a gentle warning, which he listened to promptly.
They are now able to be loose in the room together under close supervision.
This day couldn't have gone any better. I really thought it would take a week or so for Indi to warm up.
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| Black dogs are horrible to photograph! Especially in dim lighting on a black surface. What was I thinking? |
He's the king of cat naps. I think all the new noises is making it hard for him to settle down for long.
All pees and a couple of poops have been outside. Woohoo!
Saturday, August 13, 2011
And the Winner is...
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| Mr. Yellow! |
Really, was there ever any question?
To welcome him home my friend Sandy gave me this adorable gift basket today. It has an amazingly soft blanket to snuggle him with, a cute stuffed giraffe (that I think is going to see better days soon), a shamu water kong!, an air dog ring, and two "dog" towels so those muddy paws won't dirty up our good towels :) He is so spoiled already!
I also made a trip out to Dexter's Deli and picked up more dog treats, Earthbath puppy shampoo, salmon oil, and a cool leash.
Friday, August 12, 2011
7 Weeks
As usual, some of these pictures are between 6 & 7 weeks of age.
I had a great visit last Saturday with the puppies and was able to meet Mark and Dena who live about 30 minutes away and will also be taking a boy home. This was the best visit yet since the puppies finally came alive. We arrived right when they were waking up so they were fully charged and ready to go! Candy brought out the cat tunnel and the litter pounced on it like a group of velociraptors! But the great thing was seeing most of them dart in and out of the tunnel, even when their litter mates were yanking it this way and that or bounding on top of it. These dogs have no fear. I also brought my PVC ladder and was amazed at their courage. They tromped right over that thing, even when it was 3-4 inches off the ground. Now we just need to work on their finesse since they aren't shy!
The pups are doing really well with their retrieving practice
On Wednesday they turned 49 days old and were temperament tested by Teresa Rodney. I was fortunately enough to be able to observe and was able to get videos of a few of the pups, including Mr. Yellow. Aside from having a high pain tolerance and taking a long time to find his way out of the ex-pen he did well. One thing he excelled at was tugging, which is awesome for agility. So far, he seems like he would be a great fit for our family.
On the ride over most of the pups were *very* vocal in the car, but Mr. Yellow didn't seem to make a peep. On the way back most were calmer. Only Mr. Lime made a huge ruckus. Mr. Yellow just laid down and chewed on a bone. Mr. Aqua tried taking a nap.
Today Peachie Orton evaluated each puppy's structure. Mr. Yellow seems to have a good front, which is important for agility. His head isn't the perfect proportions but this will only affect his show career not his dog sports.
Tomorrow is the last evaluation. Tracy Kerns will also look at their structure and be able to give her insight on which pups have good form for agility. After hearing her thoughts on Mr. Yellow we will make our final decision. But right now everything is pointing to Mr. Yellow. Mr. Navy is a dark horse in the running since in the last couple of weeks he's really been shining. But it's been Mr. Yellow who I've had my eye on since the day he was born. So unless Tracy thinks his body won't be able to handle the stress of agility, I think I have found my puppy. So cross your fingers that tomorrow goes well.
Wednesday is the big day I bring our puppy home! I did more organizing (and shopping this week). Th puppy area is completely ready now. I cleared out Indi's soft sided crate and placed the larger wire crate inside. I also closed the ex-pen so Indi gets used to not being able to go in there.
I pulled most of his toys out and placed them in a box so I could see what I have. I plan on rotating the toys so he doesn't get bored. I also purchased his puppy collar and leash. There are a lot more cute patterns for girl dogs! Not fair.
I still need to set up the other crate in the bedroom. I'm planning on copying what Susan Garrett does with her puppies. She elevates the crates and places them right next to her bed so when she's sleeping her breath goes right into the crate. She can also easily stick her fingers through the bars if the pup needs comfort. With this method she says the pup settles through the night within a day or two. We'll see. But it sounds like a good idea to try at least. And last but not least I need to place the other wire crate in the car and tie it down. It's still missing the crate pan but I can just put blankets down for now.
I had a great visit last Saturday with the puppies and was able to meet Mark and Dena who live about 30 minutes away and will also be taking a boy home. This was the best visit yet since the puppies finally came alive. We arrived right when they were waking up so they were fully charged and ready to go! Candy brought out the cat tunnel and the litter pounced on it like a group of velociraptors! But the great thing was seeing most of them dart in and out of the tunnel, even when their litter mates were yanking it this way and that or bounding on top of it. These dogs have no fear. I also brought my PVC ladder and was amazed at their courage. They tromped right over that thing, even when it was 3-4 inches off the ground. Now we just need to work on their finesse since they aren't shy!
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| Mr. Yellow Posing for Me |
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| Miss Pink *wink wink* |
The pups are doing really well with their retrieving practice
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| Mr. Yellow Retrieving |
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| Miss Aqua the Flying Nun |
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| Mr. Navy Ready to Paint the Town Red |
On Wednesday they turned 49 days old and were temperament tested by Teresa Rodney. I was fortunately enough to be able to observe and was able to get videos of a few of the pups, including Mr. Yellow. Aside from having a high pain tolerance and taking a long time to find his way out of the ex-pen he did well. One thing he excelled at was tugging, which is awesome for agility. So far, he seems like he would be a great fit for our family.
On the ride over most of the pups were *very* vocal in the car, but Mr. Yellow didn't seem to make a peep. On the way back most were calmer. Only Mr. Lime made a huge ruckus. Mr. Yellow just laid down and chewed on a bone. Mr. Aqua tried taking a nap.
Today Peachie Orton evaluated each puppy's structure. Mr. Yellow seems to have a good front, which is important for agility. His head isn't the perfect proportions but this will only affect his show career not his dog sports.
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| Mr.Yellow on the Table |
Tomorrow is the last evaluation. Tracy Kerns will also look at their structure and be able to give her insight on which pups have good form for agility. After hearing her thoughts on Mr. Yellow we will make our final decision. But right now everything is pointing to Mr. Yellow. Mr. Navy is a dark horse in the running since in the last couple of weeks he's really been shining. But it's been Mr. Yellow who I've had my eye on since the day he was born. So unless Tracy thinks his body won't be able to handle the stress of agility, I think I have found my puppy. So cross your fingers that tomorrow goes well.
Wednesday is the big day I bring our puppy home! I did more organizing (and shopping this week). Th puppy area is completely ready now. I cleared out Indi's soft sided crate and placed the larger wire crate inside. I also closed the ex-pen so Indi gets used to not being able to go in there.
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| Puppy Area |
I pulled most of his toys out and placed them in a box so I could see what I have. I plan on rotating the toys so he doesn't get bored. I also purchased his puppy collar and leash. There are a lot more cute patterns for girl dogs! Not fair.
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| Puppy Toy Stash |
I still need to set up the other crate in the bedroom. I'm planning on copying what Susan Garrett does with her puppies. She elevates the crates and places them right next to her bed so when she's sleeping her breath goes right into the crate. She can also easily stick her fingers through the bars if the pup needs comfort. With this method she says the pup settles through the night within a day or two. We'll see. But it sounds like a good idea to try at least. And last but not least I need to place the other wire crate in the car and tie it down. It's still missing the crate pan but I can just put blankets down for now.
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