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But first a little play... settling in a gradual process. Some feel a need to first harass those who attempt to rest "prematurely". The Mama  The Papa!  And Back to Reality... Wonder if the mama's ever feel the papa's are slacking. Playboys that they are... So, as everyone is now aware Dr McBride remains available as a choice for crops through November. There has been quite a bit of talk surrounding her retirement on FB, including on her own page where she announced her retirement. Apparently letters from her office to her clients were mailed out some time back but I was either skipped or possibly, likely, tossed the notice thinking it was "junk mail". To make a long story short, again through FB, I learned she was still operating at least on a limited basis into November.
As a result I took the opportunity to speak with each of you to provide options and allow each of you to decide how you'd like to proceed. Figured I could take half the litter to Georgia and half the litter south, since regardless of cropper, the litter will require two separate appointments. Turns out all but one of you have decide on Dr McBride. She's a bit more expensive than the cropper in Georgia but her reputation for ears speaks for itself. Our updated cropping schedule will put the pups at roughly 9 weeks of age for pickup. The first appointment is scheduled Thursday September 5th and will include four pups. The second appointment, Monday September 9th will wrap things up with the four remaining. Robert and Yvette have opted to take their pup early and have him cropped themselves based mainly on timing of scheduling. The Vet they'll use is one I've recently become aware of and one most likely to become an option for future litters. I'm overjoyed to have become aware of him actually as he's also obviously also a master of the game. I hope to see many photos of your pups and their crops, and most specifically Yvette and Roberts going forward. For the rest of you, take a look at your schedules. If one date definitely works better for you than the other, please let me know. I can't make any promises but try my best to help with schedules when possible.  Mash! Day one of semi-solid grub went well! The pups though, are generally a little slow to go with their first taste of pate'. Seems they lose interest as the mash starts to thicken up as they eat. Never the less, everyone went away with a full belly. Their appetite for solids increases with every meal but I start them slow to let their gut get accustomed to things. They'll get another taste tonight and tomorrow will mark the beginning of a three times a day schedule.   The time has come where cuteness overload begins to kick in! As you can see the pups are beginning to get a bit big for the milk bar. I'll begin feeding them some sloppy mash at the 3 week mark. A gradual wean. Couple of the smaller pups are routinely getting pushed aside by the larger. Typical and unavoidable. Taking control of feeding remedies the problem. Yesterday I was awakened by the pups barking in unison. Something riled 3 or 4 of them and they seemed to be having a grand ole time when I looked over at them. Once in a while Ritz, as have other moms, jumps in the whelping box just long enough to wake everyone, get them salivating and then jump out. Originally I thought, how rude... get them excited about eating and then leave them. Maybe though, just maybe it's mom's way of making sure they get some exercise. Seems to be working. Her kids are getting stronger by the day. Still very clumsy but their ability to walk is fairly solid now. At least for several steps. And they're playing together. And at times I hear and see a bit of feistiness. All of it a joy to watch.   It's been a busy few days. Between the meet up to check compatibility between the 6 year olds, a couple trips to town for supplies and a cardiac clinic for Getka and Galtero there's been lots of driving. In the end all worth it though. Happy to report both Getka and Galtero both received normal echo reports, my shopping, with the exception of dog food is out of the way for a few days and I picked up a new kiddie pool to be used as feeding station when the time comes. Pups are doing well. Weighed everybody last night, They're all gaining pretty consistently while at the same time showing some fluctuations. All normal. They're running a bit behind weights of some litters but fairly comparable to others. Much depends on litter size as well as moms time spent with pups. Ritz has already begun spending quite a bit of time outside the box during the day but I think spends the majority of nights with them. Hasn't begun venturing to my bed at night yet anyway. As you can see from the photo above we've got some eager eaters and obviously an ample supply of milk. All are progressing physically as I'd expect. Still sleeping most of the time but their ability to walk is improving steadily. And I'm starting to see the first hint of play among them. Gnawing a bit on each other mainly. Today the pups will receive their first nail trim and first in a series of dewormers. And I'll try and grab some more pics. Took some last night but once on the computer, I found there weren't all that many I liked. Since it's been a few days though, and I know everyone loves puppy pics, I'll post what I've got. Now, off I go for the dog food run. Think I'll pick up some supplies to prepare a nutritional boost for the pups as well. Don't think it's necessary and they may not take to a bottle but if they do, I'm pretty sure Ritz will appreciate a helping hand. The meet and greet between the two littermates I mentioned a few days ago went well. Tongue out Thursday... They had 'em waggin'! It was a hot one! Griffin and Raven From My First Litter  Let there be light... and improved mobility. A rather slow process.  |
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