Well it's late once again but I finally got every bodies pages updated with a fresh photo. For the most part they are all incredibly adorable to say the least!!! Baby Blue and Ditto seriously deserve re-takes and I'll take care of that tomorrow. Sorry Kristin, I know how much you look forward the the new photos! Trust me though, Ditto is still adorable... and playful. These guys are non-stop now and are getting very good at "follow me"! It's becoming increasingly difficult to get a clear shot! Soon the job will be yours and you'll understand what I'm talking about! ;-) I'm working with a new camera... well not exactly new, but new to me. Still unsure of the settings. I tried to upload a photo into photo shop in order to lighten it and received a message the file was too large. Today's photos also took a long time to upload. Hopefully they aren't so large they bog down the site. I checked the camera settings and adjusted the size for the next go round but don't know much about it so it's trial and error. Had planned to incorporate today's "extras" into a photo stream but they just take too long. By the way, in case I forgot to mention it, your dogs are adorable and incredibly sweet!!!
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The Selection Process!Yep; the time is nearing and we have to start thinking about arranging times for everyone to visit and choose their pup! I'm available Mondays through Thursdays as a rule but Tuesdays are short days as I have class in the evening. In order for everyone to arrange a time that works for them I need people high on the list to think about it and be prepared to set a time soon. I'll be calling each of you early next week and for some of you, sometime next week may be a good time to hang out with and get to know these pups. Hopefully the weather will cooperate and we can give them some room to explore and be the Dobermans they are! The 24th will be the very last day to make a selection in person and I hope everyone has that opportunity. In the event someone is unable to visit, for whatever reason, I can assist you to select over the phone. I know the pups fairly well by now and we can review photos and talk about personality and what you're looking for in your dog. I spoke with everyone a while back and at the time it seemed everyone was planning to choose their pup in person. I'm aware though, schedules and circumstances sometimes change. In today's world we all have tight schedules and in a situation such as this, we all have to work together so it's an enjoyable experience for everyone. I don't want put anyone in a position of feeling like they have to make a rushed decision at the last minute or that the only day available to them is the 24th.
Now that that bit of business is taken care of, it's time to get back to the fun stuff! The weatherman is promising sunny skies and glorious temps in the sticks of NC Florida!!! As a result, I've got another big outdoor day planned for your pups! This is what it will look like.... "We'll finally have our weekly photo shoot. We'll run and play and have lunch and a nap. The afternoon brings freedom where we're allowed and encouraged to refine our exploration skills. Here we work to become confident and brave Doberpups. It's a big world out there, all so new and downright intimidating at times. But, we love our freedom and with each passing day we find more fun than worries. As night falls we'll enjoy another much needed nap while dinner is prepared then we'll wrap up the day with some cuddles before we fall, exhausted, to slumber in the comfort of one another"! And Black is the Star! He gained nearly three pounds in the course of a week! Amazing. I guess Jen was right!!! During our "open house" last weekend Black spent a great deal of time sleeping. So much so that at one point mid day I had to steal him away and give him a once over. He seemed fine, just sleepy and content to get some extra lap time. Jen commented that he was probably just experiencing a growth spurt.... Seems that was a very accurate assessment. Good job Jen! The Boys have been claimed! Congrats Jen, Nick and Gwen! You've each got a really nice pup waiting for you! And the time is drawing near! Three weeks from today, several of you will be introducing your pups to new surroundings and spending your long awaited first night with them! I wish I could be a fly on your walls to enjoy those precious first few hours as everyone gets acquainted. We had a great day today! The whole lot was turned loose for a couple hours to explore the grounds with no restraints. Their stamina is still low and sleep needs high so a couple hours is about all they can take. They are becoming much better about following and seem to really enjoy chasing after me as long as I keep my speed to a minimum and don't run to far away from them. They also love attempting to crawl up my legs and have discovered a use for their teeth! I'm not sure which are sharpest at this point; the teeth or the nails :-(. It's hard to correct 11 of them at once but I would imagine the biting, climbing and clawing may be some of the first things you'll want to work on..... Best to correct them right off the bat! I took some photos but wanted to enjoy the pups without worrying about keeping track of who was who while I snapped the shots. Some are obvious, some not quite as obvious as a result of position hiding their collars. Individual pages are due for their weekly photo updates again but I probably won't have a chance to take and upload them before Wednesday. That was part of the reason I attempted to get a shot of each of them yesterday. Tax day and a meeting tomorrow.... I must say, I'd much rather hang with the pups. Sometimes life just gets in the way! Hello! I feel like I should apologize for the lack of pictures this week. I assure you, the pups aren't suffering but I am... It's been a busy few days and I'm back to work starting tomorrow after an extended time off. Lots of computer work in preparation! :-( As far as your pups go, they are eating like champs and getting more adorable by the day!!! I've removed the kiddie pool from the room, papered the floor, placed a bed in the corner and set out the ugodogs which are now seeing lots of use. These guys and gals have really been enjoying their time outdoors and as you can see from the picture, they prefer their freedom over the confines of the corral. They're quick to settle however, into their pile, if I remove myself from sight. Everyone eventually gets their chance to get out, to romp and explore; in manageable groups of two or three. They're getting quicker and inquisitive and as a result they're a little harder to keep track of. I found the time today to snap a bunch of photos and I think I got one or two or maybe a few decent ones of each. Unfortunately, I've got an early day tomorrow and I've run out of time to upload. I'll try and get them up tomorrow after work once I get everyone cleaned up and resettled. If not, I'll get them done Sunday night.... That's a promise! Hope everyone is well. Lex and the pups spent a few hours out in the big dog run while I did a deep clean on the pup room aka my bedroom. Everyone was quiet and seemed to enjoy today's outdoor adventure. And Lexi seemed to really enjoy her pups in that environment. While she could have jumped onto the porch and out of their reach, she didn't. She often seems to avoid them in the house by jumping on the bed... I suppose it's highly likely she's just spoiled and prefers the bed over the floor. Regardless, it was a beautiful site to watch her lay contently with all her babes sleeping just as contently next to her. :-) I wrapped up their day by spending an hour or so sitting in the run cuddling each of the pups and allowing them to climb and clamber all over me. I also introduced a couple Nylabone rubber toys to the freshened pup room. They played with them a bit but are still too young to stay on any task for long. I found that out while I was trying to get them to follow me to and from the dog run as well. They follow 10 feet or so, then get distracted and venture off in different directions or back where they came from. We will continue to work on follow me. lol Follow or not though, they are the sweetest things! I love each and every one of them.
The big news for the day; our first short tailed pup has been selected. After spending part of the afternoon with the pups on Sunday, Jen went home and thought things over. She e-mailed me yesterday and informed me Silver had stolen her heart. Silver now sports a brand new name and from here on out will be referred to and called Xen! I love the name and believe it fits him well! Congrats Jen..... and Xen on a great match! Round two of wormers... weekly weights... and individual photos done! I also added several group photos. The link for those follows the individual pup pages right below the boys. I got some great ones, some pretty good ones and some that were decent. Silver seemed a little sleepy and I think it was dinner time for Red because she wasn't very cooperative. If I can find the time I may have a retake with her tomorrow. By the time dinner was over I was running out of time for Black and some of the pups got short changed in the group photos. The pups enjoyed their outdoor adventure today and they're getting more sociable by the day. They are basically underfoot any chance they get and have discovered it's fun to play with the mop too! I've decided to forgo the pup corrals indoors for now. The pups will have the run of the bedroom that isn't occupied by furniture and I'll keep the ugodogs down. They continue to use them but have a ways to go to master things. They are eating up a storm and staying quite consistent with their weight gains. All but 2 pups are over 5 pounds. Soon they will be in the double digits. They really start to gain rapidly once they're on solid food.
All in all we had a good day and look forward to more tomorrow! And a great day it was! I'm sure everyone is counting the weeks, soon to be counted as just days. You've reached the half way mark. The pups turned 4 weeks old today and we celebrated! It started as a normal morning; coffee, everyone fed and some tidying up. Then came the visits. Michaela and Chase came to meet their pup "Blue" and we had visits from Sharon and Jared, as well as Nicole and Bryan and their two boys to take a look at the girls. Jen and Nick came to check out the boys. The day started out a little on the chilly side but by late afternoon it warmed up enough to get some of the pups outside for their first outdoor adventure. Fortunately we had our rain yesterday and blue skies today! It seemed everyone including the pups enjoyed the visits. Lots of cuddling and uhh... sleeping content pups! Well I'm happy to report the pups are doing a much better job of eating semi solid food. Appetite is picking up! While I can't say they're licking their bowls clean they are eating 4 meals a day and the bulk of what's offered them. Next step kibble.
I'm sorry to say my dryer has had enough. Next stop laundry mat. Boo! So, let me guess, yesterdays update was probably a bit of a let down after three days of no photos. One little ole picture! But, it is a cute one you'll have to give her that.
I've gotta tell ya, your pups are amazing... I'm becoming jealous! Wish I were keeping one for myself. I get through by telling myself, "I'll keep one someday; when the time is right". Anyway, these little rascals are getting spunky and quite playful. Not only are they playing together, much to my delight they're starting to play with me as well. And I'm seeing a bit of attitude which is hilarious. They're starting to teach each other proper puppy etiquette and at times can sound down right vicious. They're settling in well to their corral and now come to the gate when I go in the room and call them. Still sleeping in the kiddie pool at night. In case you didn't notice, I've added a new page, hence the title of today's post. I've been meaning to create a testimonial page for awhile, just never got around to it. I've received many updates about pups from the last litter; some over the phone, some by e-mail and some as posts to my Doberman Facebook page. But the e-mail I received a couple days ago demanded a testimonial page. So there you have it. Please take a moment to read what Jan had to say. I think it will make your day! It certainly made mine! I'll most likely try and copy and paste the ones on Facebook here too but right now.... I'm going to bed. See some of you Sunday. And if anyone else wants to take a Sunday drive and get a sneak peek at what's headed your way, give me a buzz. Forgot to mention, I replied to the comments you guys have made over the past few days. Although I may be slow to respond to them, I always read them and appreciate them. Thanks.
Just a quick check in; the pups are taking priority right now and until they get to eating kibble on their own, the updates may become a bit less detailed and frequent. I promise though I'll throw something on here tomorrow including some photos if they'll cooperate. We're going to have a visit from Michaela and her boyfriend and possibly Nick and his girlfriend Sunday. I'm open to a general open house if others are interested. From here on out I'll probably be on a weekend schedule @ work so weekend visits are going to be tough. Think about it and let me know.
It's been a busy few days here @ GMBD's. Lots of changes. Lexi is leaning toward weaning the pups and is spending considerably less time with them. It seems a bit early but they're in good hands and all is well. For about a week now, I've been rotating them in groups of 5 and 6 a few times a day to avoid the scrap. It seemed logical to me that they were burning as many calories just trying to "get in" as they were consuming and it didn't seem their determination, as a whole, would be very pleasant for Lex. As you can see in the slideshow below, they were started on their Puppy Pate this morning. They did a pretty good job of chowing down for the first go round. They also got pretty messy and did a fair job of trashing their new collars and the room but they seemed to enjoy themselves. I mixed up another batch this afternoon expecting them to be even more eager but they actually showed less interest. Like I said though, I think it's still a bit early. I'll keep offering it 2-3 times a day and within a few days they should be going for it like there's no tomorrow. I've changed the puppy training pads within the ugodog a few times since adding it yesterday and it's definitely seeing lots of use. The bedding continues to get wet but mainly around the vicinity of the ugo. The pups have a particular area where they bed down and that area and the area around it remains essentially dry. I'm hopeful the pups will eventually use the ugo and only the ugo as the spot to relieve themselves. If they catch on to the idea it should make potty training them a breeze! I found some of the pups out of the pool a couple days ago and on a few occasions since but it was always when Lexi was in the room. I figured they where first climbing on her back and then up and over the side. I wasn't able to witness them getting out until yesterday. Their motivation was food... climbed over to get some while Lex was wondering about the room. Throughout the day I walked in a few times to find all the pups out. Tomorrow I will be setting up at least one of the corrals and start to transition them out of the kiddie pool. Hope all is well with each of you! And I say, "Good Morning Sunshine! You little Devil." In The light of a new day, Red is exactly where a good dog should be, curled up right along side the bed. She's just getting an earlier start than I expected. Please excuse the jeans on the floor. It was a late night and they didn't quite find their way to the hamper. I keep promising updates, and in fact I have some but need to get to Home Depot to gather some supplies for the next phase of puppy rearing....
As I said, I'd get some photos up on each pups page before the end of the day. Well I'm going to be down to the wire for sure. Capturing these little monsters was a challenge to say the least. I rigged up a box to keep them from immediately wondering outside of my viewing area. And it worked; sort of! Sorry it's so late for those of you that have been checking. Unfortunately I'm going to be at it for awhile. I have some general updates too but will hold off on those until tomorrow. Your pups are doing great! Welcome to the group Gwen! Seems it was just meant to be!
The pups were all snuggled and re-weighed today. Yellow has taken the lead and we no longer have a lightweight! Everyone also received a new collar and you may notice some of the collar colors have changed. Specifically, White is now Silver. Maroon is now Baby Blue. Brown is now Hot Pink and Tan is Pink. The webbing that I was able to get didn't quite match up with the original Velcro colors. These will actually be easier for you to identify specific pups within the group photos and they are also much easier to adjust. They look a little big on them right now but I assure you they will quickly grow into them! Still working on grounds maintenance, burning leaves etc. but as promised, I'll have photos of each pup posted on their individual pages by tomorrow night.
Hey Nick, I was reviewing comments on the administrator and noticed the comment you made regarding Elk Antlers was placed in the Spam folder. I'm not sure why.... I approved it and it's now visible but it's buried back there a ways so I'd like to bring it to the forefront. You made a good purchase! Antlers are the main item my dogs have to gnaw on around here. They're fairly expensive but worth it because they last a long time! I highly recommend them! The dogs love them and they're natural and safe. Just make sure, like any other chewy, that they get tossed before they become so small they could accidentally get lodged in the throat. You can send the pieces to me for future litters. ;-) Actually you can give them to friends that have small dogs. The pups will be enjoying the ones my dogs chewed down too small to be safe for them. They may not show much interest in them till they're about ready to venture off ; we'll see!
Welcome to the group Virgilio and congrats on your decision to add a Dober-Girl to your family! You will love having one to call your own! Please feel free to reply to posts and comments or ask questions should they arise. As always I'm also pretty much always available by phone as well. :-)
Good Morning! Figured it was time to check in before any of you begin to wonder! I assure you everything is going swimmingly in the kiddie pool! The pups awareness and activity increase daily. They are beginning to play a bit with each other and mouth each other a lot. And they're getting more vocal. They're still pretty quiet in general, but occasionally I'll hear what sounds like a "real" dog bark! They are adorable! At times I jump in the kiddie pool with them and they climb all over and around me with interest! They are enjoying being held and love gentle body massages! Brown, the smallest pup at the last weigh in, may end up being the firecracker of the bunch! She's probably the most playful at this point. I'm hoping to get their individual photos posted by Monday and will post here when I'm done to let everyone know they're available. It's somewhat of a challenge to get decent photos of them at this age. In case anyone noticed, we lost one of our fellow Doberman lovers. Robin and Kevin called to report they are having some problems with their current dog in the mobility department. Their vet advised against a pup at this time stating it wouldn't really be fair to or good for Daisy. Robin and Kevin have been on the wait list since last December and had already named and bought things for the little guy they've been waiting for. They were obviously saddened to withdraw but when it comes right down to it, they made the right decision. I have to agree with their Vets assessment as I know how rambunctious Doberman pups can be in their play. Well, that's news for the day. I'm off to go brush an Affie and then deal with some more leaves! Yeeha! Hope you enjoy todays photo and slideshow! |
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