It's a little overcast so we'll see how things go... But here's our little runt pup, Roughy making great strides! He's showing off his big burly foot and I'm happy for him! :-) Not sure if anyone has an interest but as of today he's officially off the bench and entering the game.
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All is well tonight in the land of pups... still missing my little girl but she'll always be somewhere in my mind. As I suspected the others give me a lift anytime I interact with them. They're so sweet and happy it's hard not to smile. These pups like Majestic's last litter are pretty cuddly. I think she does a fair job of instilling or passing on her "Melt Into You" trait which is a quality I've always loved about her. She can be hyper like any other Dobe but she's extremely quick to calm when drawn near.
I'm happy to report, the pups poo is normalizing. Perfectly normal Monday morning but a little loose again Monday afternoon following their outing which was pretty long. Things were basically normal again this afternoon and evening so I think I've narrowed down their bout of diarrhea to them getting accustomed to the outdoors. They naturally want to pick at the grass or should I say weeds and I'm sure took in some dirt as well. I think it was just something their bellies had to get used to. I'm very happy with Rough Enough's (Sky Blue's) progress this week. He's come so far. He's still small but he's filling out in all the right places and basically looks like all the others now; just a little smaller. I was beginning to wonder if his muzzle would ever broaden to fit his skull but it has. He's got a cute little head and face now and the rest of his being is following suit as far as proportions and conformation go. I no longer have any concerns about him and don't think, when it's all said and done, he'll be a small dog. Everyone was finally weighed again today in order to dose their wormers correctly. For the most part the litter is running fairly close in weight for age as litters past. Roughy of course remains by far the light weight and Tan is closing in on Red. Navy's a little smaller both in size and weight but I think that has to do with being hit the hardest with the bout of diarrhea they experienced last week. He's no longer rib-by. A little pudgy in fact so he's doing well. And another lucky pup has been chosen! Orange will be joining Linda and Ed in a couple short weeks. She will have an opportunity to show their Corgi how to play with the big dogs while giving their elderly Min-Pin a break from puppy antics. Again, as it frequently does, the question or comment came up that it must be really hard for me to let the pups go when the time comes. And again, I was able to say, "I know they're going to really fabulous homes". Orange, whom Linda and Ed have named "Penny" will be no exception to the rule. I say that with no doubt. I will also say, and said, I would have absolutely no problem turning someone away if I felt it was in the best interest of a pup. And while I can't say that it's never happened, I can say that scenario is extremely rare. There's something gained by working with the public for 30plus years that promotes the development of an awareness of character of those around you. And while my dogs and I as a breeder am frequently screened by prospective puppy parents, I myself begin my own screening process beginning with the very first contact. I grow very attached to my pups over the course of eight weeks and only the best will due. I hope for and always appreciate updates on my pups as the months and years pass. It helps me to know I've chosen well for them. With that said, we're narrowing things down. Pink will be heading home with Kalie and her husband and another male will be chosen tomorrow by Suzy and Jeff. Brenda will be here Thursday to choose her pup and that will wrap things for for this week. It's likely to be a long weekend of not knowing for the rest of you. Or not... Mary Jane and her husband may potentially choose via photos and descriptions as their schedules and mine as well as a fair distance to travel may prevent a visit anytime soon. Still waiting on confirmation there. As things develop, I'll notify those affected by any decisions made as soon as I know of them. Between visits, outings and pup care I'll work once again on this weeks individual photos. I'm hopeful I'll get them completed. The pups and I had a good morning and an opportunity to meet yet another awesome family who wait patiently for the weeks to pass. Katie, Rich and their darling daughter arrived this morning and after some deliberation came to the conclusion that "Tank" was the boy for them. They chose Red and have named him, not Tank but "Zuma", a name selected by their four year old daughter. Once everything and all things settled, I realized I'm still feeling rather melancholy... This too shall pass but I'm going to give myself the afternoon and a nap I think. Later, some Chinese take-out is a strong possibility.... and maybe a movie with my pack. Next up Linda, who informs me she's excited to arrive tomorrow and claim one of the girls as her own. More of what I need! Visits and puppy playtime never fail to give me a lift! :-) Something Tells Me These Guys Are Going To Have Fun!
I sit with deep sorrow as I write this post and deliver some heart wrenching news. Last night our litter suffered a huge loss. And with it, my personal favorite of the female pups. Yellow was discovered lifeless when I entered our room to call it a night. My discovery left me shocked and broken hearted! The evening began as all evenings I work do. A quick check on the pups when I get home followed by dinner for the rest of the pack. Once the adults are set up and settled I return to tend to the pups. I've been leaving them with a full bowl of kibble and a good sized pot of water when I leave for work in the morning and I generally come home to much of both food an water consumed. Inevitably though there's always some kibble strewn around the area thats been set up for sleeping and eating. With so many pups eager to get their share, there's always one or two that dive in the food bowl with all fours. Last night was no exception. And while there's always some food in there it seems they are always excited about getting a fresh supply. I generally feed them first thing, let them eat and then clean the corral and add fresh shavings an hour or two later. Again last night was no exception. Once the pups were settled for the night I returned to my desk to complete the slide show I'd promised and to finish up my online CPR course. I've never really thought it dangerous leaving the pups unattended with kibble strewn around, or a full bowl for that matter, but I fear now the kibble was likely the cause of the loss of the pup. Since she was perfectly healthy and playful two hours prior, aspirating some kibble and thereby blocking her airway is the only thing I can think of that could have happened. The position in which I found her leads me to believe it was the cause as well. I've seen my adults choke on kibble numerous times and a good cough or several clears it. I can imagine however, it not clearing especially with such a young pup. The thought haunts me but again it's the only explanation I can think of. I envision a pup with a mouth full of food being knocked over by another in play and ending in disaster. I wish I would have known... wish I could have been there and I wish I could have done something. And I'm sorry I've had to deliver this news. I felt an explanation was in order. :-( I'm happy to report the puppy belly's are stabilizing. They don't self regulate very well yet when it comes to eating though. They eat till they look like they might pop. Green looks more like a Hippo in one of the solo photos in the slide show I posted tonight. And Yellow has somewhat of a similar look. Fat puppies are good though. They'll start to lean up soon enough. It seems they're getting used to the kibble and processing things better which is a huge relief.
Regarding the selection process, I've got a slight change in the schedule from that which I posted yesterday. Things will be moving along a bit quicker with Katie arriving Monday to claim her boy and Suzy on Wednesday. Linda remains unchanged from Tuesday to get things rolling with the girls. That leaves a bit more wiggle room to get the rest of you out for your visits. That's about it for now... I'm still keeping the girls under wraps. Not intentionally of course. Just limited time. I was informed today my CPR certification had expired so that unfortunately had to take priority... right after puppy care. lol Well, looks like they aren't going to get their pages updated tonight after all. I received a phone call I couldn't refuse just as I completed the previous post and it was one that turned lengthy. I'll start work on Yellow, Pink and Orange's pages and hopefully complete them tomorrow night. My apologies but it's nearly straight up twelve and I've got to get to bed! :-(
Sometimes I think I need two of me. We've had a good but busy week. I updated most of the individual pages in the evenings when all creatures besides myself had settled. I attempted to take photos of The Girls a couple days ago but the only one I was successful with was Yellow. She was inquisitive and happy to roam about and would stop from time to time in order for me to catch her. The other two wouldn't leave my heels. There was a brief moment where I was successful in getting out of Pink's line of vision. I could see her but she couldn't see me. Often when that happens with a pup they'll sit and howl but not Pink. I truly believe she was looking for me and was covering some ground in the process going in various different directions with some degree of speed. I though she looked a little worried so I didn't allow her to struggle more than a minute or two before coming to her rescue simply by appearing. She was obviously glad to have me in sight again and eagerly came running toward me. I had a bit more luck capturing Pink and Orange on camera this evening and will update their pages before I call it a night.
The puppy selection process is underway! Courtney and Lorenzo have chosen Grey Male and got the ball rolling. Alejandro and his mom came for a visit yesterday, prior to Courtney's conformation on Grey, so were left to choose 2 pups. 1st choice and a back up. In the end, Alejandro was able to stake claim on his first choice, Purple Male. Then today we had a visit from Jana and Stephan and after another an enjoyable visit it was Black Male who stole their hearts. The pups obviously had a blast romping around with each other and interacting with the humans.... :-) And that's it for this week. Next week our first girl will be chosen as Linda plans to visit on Tuesday. I'll try and schedule visits for the other two girls this weekend or early next week. As far as the boys go, the next to be selected won't happen until Thursday when Katie and her husband arrive. I'll be in touch with everyone else early next week to see if we can wrap things up early the following week. In other news, as some are already aware, I've been battling a bout of diarrhea with the pups. I took a sample from a few different pups to the Vet on Monday and fortunately it came back clear. Unfortunately a clear reading left us with no apparent reason for the affliction. It's assumed it's due to the change of food as the pups are all but fully weaned, first to pate' and now to kibble. It seems Navy Blue was hit the hardest and became a little rib-by. He's also a little smaller than the others. The Vet ordered a product for me by the name of pro-pectalin which is and anti-diarrhea med for dogs similar to Pepto Bismol for people. It has the added advantage of probiotics specific to canines and fortunately I saw a pretty quick improvement. They were started on it yesterday but it's a work in progress. Things are looking better but still remain somewhat loose. As far as photos are concerned I've taken quite a few since the last round on Monday but probably won't have a chance to load them tonight. I'll try and put a slideshow together over the course of the weekend adding some each night after work. Then Monday will roll around and it will be time to start the process all anew. lol For now, the pups are fast asleep after a full and fun day and I'm heading over to the Girls' pages. Just a quick update before I head out for my meeting. I got photos of all the boys today... girls turn tomorrow! I'll work on uploading and updating the individual puppy pages this evening when I get home and post the observations I took note of during our outdoor adventure today. Today, again I concentrated on individual pups. Tomorrow I'll get them out as a group!
I'll also have a run down on what we have lined up for visits and likely make a couple additional calls this evening and hopefully add some more. We're getting close! Well we've had a full and busy week in the land of pups! But a good one. Monday was a day to take care of some business. I was overjoyed with the status of Ritz's ear when I removed her tape and post. She still had a wound but it was progressing well as far as the healing process goes. And they were standing. The ear with the wound did tend to veer east when she relaxed but it looked essentially like the other when she was at attention. Still a little sore I'm sure and for that I'll always be sorry. Dr McBride was happy with the way things looked and I'm hopeful now, her gorgeous ears have not suffered irreparable damage. I wasn't feeling nearly as confident about things last week. Next stop, Sharon and Jared's to collect Roughy aka Sky Blue who I now lovingly refer to as "Rough Enough". He's grown over the past of 10 days of course but still looks too thin and still noticeably smaller than his litter mates. He's developed quite the little personality though with all the interaction and undivided attention he received. And he's essentially crate trained and well on his way to being potty trained. Between feedings and playtime he slept in his little soft side carry crate and Sharon reports he'd bark to get out when he was hungry or needed to do his business. Sounds as though they had things down to a science and he only had one accident in his sleep crate. As far as his social skills go, he's a bit advance I think. He likes to play and cuddle and has learned to bark back a greeting when he's greeted and called with exuberance by name as if to say, "I'm here, right over here and I'm ready"! His first day here I allowed him to run the floor of the room hoping Majestic would be more inclined to feed him... she's serious about weaning the others. I also wanted to supervise the feedings I provided so I knew how much he was eating. Sharon told me he was doing well with the bottle but not so much the pate'. So, it would be my job to graduate him fully to solids, supplemented only by what Mom was willing to provide. Unfortunately I discovered the same thing... he wasn't keen on my concoction of pate' either. He spent the first night in his crate because I arrived home late with him. The second night I left him to run the room and left his crate open. Much to my surprise that's here I found him when I woke up this morning. Majestic on the bed and Rough Enough sound asleep in his crate. I also noticed him play with the other pups through the bars of their cell this morning and knew it was time to place him in with the rest of the pack. This morning I set up the outdoor corral and provided the pups their first outdoor dining experience. I was pleasantly surprised to see that in good company R.E. took the act of eating seriously! He got right in there, stayed in there and came away with a nice fat belly! I think he's about to start thriving and I'm anxious to see his transformation. Thanks to all of you who've been rooting for him. He's doing great and I predict he'll definitely prove to be rough enough! Today brought forth another change. While the pups enjoyed the afternoon weather with Majestic and Lexi their guardians, I did a deep clean on the pup habitat and added shavings when I put things back together. I've got their newly revamped space divided in two by a 1x6 so they have a section for eating and sleeping and a separate area for play and potty. I went ahead and tossed the Ugo dog in the corner of the play area in hopes they'll use it. They've been using it but have also gone indiscriminately on the paper as well. Maybe they just hit it accidentally... not sure. As long as they do their business somewhere in the appropriate section I'll be happy! Hopefully everyone noticed, I opened the individual pup pages last night and finished them up this morning. Regarding the slide show I posted yesterday, for those of you studying trying to decide which pup has your name on it, the following legend will tell you who's who so you'll know who you're looking at since their collars are again hard to differentiate. Maybe I can find time to build their big pup collars before I head back to work but no promises there. I'll have to see how tomorrow shapes up. Anyway, the pups in order are Red, who's collar is still pretty obvious followed by Yellow, Grey, Navy, Tan, Purple, Brown, Green, Black, Pink and finally Orange. I'll place a comment on the first of each series of photos so you can tell where one pup ends and the next begins. At this stage in the game there are only subtle differences between them with a few exceptions. One less subtle difference is Red. He's huge! I weighed and wormed them as planned Monday but ran out of time and didn't get the weights posted. Unfortunately, I think I inadvertently tossed the paper with a bunch of others when I was cleaning so I guess as far as weights go, I'll leave you in suspense until early next week. Below are a few shots I snapped today simply because the camera was there.... And with that, it's goodnight! It took the bulk of the day but in the end I'm happy to report I've successfully photographed all the pups and I'm currently working on getting their photos uploaded to their individual pages. Weebly has made some changes and with them it seems there are some glitches to work out. Or maybe it's user error. In any event it's taking longer than than I anticipated to create each page. The photos are pretty quick so hopefully I'll have them all up before I have to call it a night. I'll put some of the extras in a slide show below. Sky rejoined me yesterday and although he remains quite thin, he's got a belly and no backbone protruding so that's an improvement. I've elaborated on his nickname and have been calling him "Rough Enough". He's a feisty little thing and is playful and super responsive to voice. He's eating fair; small frequent meals. The other pups have really taken off with their meal regimen. Seems I can't get the food bowl placed quick enough. They climb in the little kiddie pool as soon as it hits the ground. For the most part, the pups enjoyed their first outdoor adventure. Some were a little skittish, some howled and some are already pretty Velcro staying right at my heels when I attempt to walk far enough away to get a shot. The weather was gorgeous for the task at hand and I'm hoping for more of the same tomorrow. My plan is to take them out as a group and allow them a free for all. Well, these guys have quickly become fond of and look forward to the new way of filling their bellies. I suppose to them it seems like easy pickins'. They no longer have to worry about moms come and go method of feeding or fighting for a spot when there are a few too few. Majestic's done a good job with them but it's pretty obvious she's ready for me to step in. She differs from Lex in that way... I think Lexi would continue nursing her pups till they were 6 months old if she were allowed. Majestic is out pretty early in the game.
The pups are already quite responsive at feeding time and are up as a group within seconds when they see me come in with the small blue pool. As soon as the pool's in and the dish placed, it turns to somewhat of a frenzy as they clamber about wasting no time to get to the grub. This weeks weights will probably see similar gains to those of last but these little guys and gals should really take off starting with the next. They're looking great... like little dogs now! I look forward to the weeks ahead with them. They're entering the phase I most enjoy! Gotta hate a power outage even if it is only for a fraction of a minute. I was nearly done with my post for the evening and off go the lights! This will likely be sort and sweet because once again I need to gear up for another work weekend! But I have so much to say so we'll see how it goes. I really wanted to take the pups photos this week and get their individual pages open but unfortunately that didn't happen. I seriously needed to take a break from everything and get my house cleaned up. Also unfortunate after working on it for a day and a half I only got about 1/2 done... if that. It's somewhat dismantled but in much better shape as far as cleanliness is concerned. I'll wrap it up Monday. I'll also begin at least, individual photos Monday. It's going to be a busy day though so I don't know how much I'll get done. The pups are again due for weights and wormers and another collar adjustment. I also need to take Ritz to Wildwood in the afternoon to have her ear checked and reposted and then stop by Sharon's to collect Ruff aka Sky Blue. The pups have made some good progress this week. They seem pretty advanced for their age. Not only were they all crawling out of the recently remodeled whelping/pup box, they were also climbing back in. I allowed them to run the floor of the bedroom for a couple days and today finally set up the habitat they will stay in until they're ready to venture off with their new families. I decided against the addition of shavings for now but will likely add them next week. For now they're on paper, have a Ugo Dog, a bedding area and a shallow bowl of water. I noticed a few of them in Majestic's bowl so feedings started today. They went for their pate' with gusto and promptly passed out. They were pretty cute... and messy! It seems each litter I think up something new to try in an effort to make things easier or add a degree of safety.. This litter saw two such things. As it turns out I'm very happy with the wooden frame I put together. As I hoped, it effectively held down the bedding. Interestingly enough though, as soon as I put it together and set it up, Majestic stopped digging. Maybe she realized her efforts were fruitless. I tried out the second new addition tonight. I kind of fell into the idea and I owe some thanks to my Affie, Khya for it. She's been known in the past to climb in the kiddie/whelping pools when I'd set them up for the Dobes to get used to... sometimes on her own and sometimes with the expectant moms. It made me feel kind of bad for her... placing human emotion into things for sure! But since she's never had and obviously never will have pups of her own but liked the idea of the pool I decided I'd make her a bed in a smaller one. As it turned out the one I bought was a bit too small for her so I never completed the project. But! It makes a perfect feeding station for the pups! As you can see in the slide show below, they're pretty messy when first introduced to their pate' and the stuff when dry on the floor or wherever it ends up isn't very easy to clean... and it's time consuming moving them off shavings to eat and then back in their habitat when they're done. As it turns out, the kiddie pool is perfect! It keeps them circled around the bowl of food and is a breeze to clean. And it's small enough that I'll just put it in their corral and remove it and pop it in the shower when they're done! Big time saver!!! More time for photos!!! Yay! One last thing... I know some of you have liked or become members of my FB Pages "Got My Back Dobermans" and "Let's Take The Dogs" If you haven't already found them, please do. I don't post a whole lot on either but I generally use the GMBD's page to post updates of pups from past litters and occasionally my own. People seem to enjoy seeing what their pups siblings and full but older as well as half siblings are up to. I posted a two pretty cute videos to the GMBD's page I've received over the past couple days. A pup from my 1st litter, Persephone, has her own intsagram page that I follow... I came across her entry demonstrating her intelligence. It seems she has figured out the water dispenser on the refrigerator! Another pup, Remi has learned to entertain herself poolside. The "Let's Take The Dogs" page is pretty self explanatory and is geared toward get togethers and outings. It's a young page with few members but in time I'd like to see it grow. It's an avenue to arrange puppy play dates if you so desire too. No expectations... just fun. Hope to see you there. I've got some photos of your pups' first big meal but no time. I set them to load but they stopped mid-stream. I'll take a look tomorrow night and possibly add a couple more... Goodnight Sleep, eat gnaw and repeat! These pups are growing and stating to resemble dogs... in the way they lay and the way they play. Again I was greeted by pups running the room when I got home from my feast! Tomorrow the puppy corral goes up and shavings go in...
Sky Blue is doing fabulous. Sharon has given him a little Mickey Mouse stuffy toy and a routine which includes play after each meal. He's still small in comparison weighing in at only 2 pounds but his gain of 12 ounces is pretty significant when compared to his gain of just barely 6 the week before. Sharon will keep him until Monday to avoid a break in his routine. He'll join the rest of the pack next week and I expect remain with me then for the duration. Fortunately he'll be returning with an edge in experience and ahead of the game as he's already eating a diet which includes pate'. The others will be introduced to solids next week and from there on out I'll become their main caregiver only supplemented by Majestic.... on her terms and only when she feels like it. If history repeats itself her interaction with them will diminish rapidly; especially where supplying the groceries is concerned. There are no free rides with her. She's a gentle and loving mom when the pups are young but she's kind of a tough love momma and expects progress pretty quick. She's a bit like my dad who used to say, if you're hungry enough you'll eat and if your tired enough, you'll sleep. Turns out both are true and I survived and essentially turned out alright. Speaking of tired... I am so I guess, according to my dads theory I'm guaranteed a good night and a much needed sleep. Time to rest up and gear up for yet more work ahead! :-) The pups are getting rambunctious and trying to get to mom on their terms rather than hers. I found the first one out of the pup box yesterday and a few more today when I returned from the Vet. I've got the area around the box padded to cushion their tumble when they start to venture out but the point of having a box is to keep them corralled and safe. This litter is right on time if not a little ahead of schedule. I'd like to get them settled this evening but have a little too much on my plate to fit it in. First up a meeting and then a meet up with Sharon and Jared and a visit with Skye Blue. Sharon has decided to keep Blue, aka Ruffi till Monday since I'd likely be returning him to her Thursday night anyway. She gives him straight A's on his report card though. It sounds that developmentally he's progressing as the others and is picking up some noticeable weight. I'll take the scale with me tonight and find out just how much.... Right after I fill by belly with Sam St Johns all you can eat Crab Legs and fixin's. A well deserved treat for Sharon and Jared for their troubles and a treat for myself too because I don't allow them often enough! As far as the pack goes, I'll get them set up in their new habitat tomorrow. In the meantime, it's the Puppy Shuffle which is a take off from something I mastered living in the bay area, the very similar and familiar Stingray Shuffle.
I've got a few photos of the pups gnawing on each other and doing other puppy stuff but I'm out of time for now. I'll get them loaded this evening... cheers! And I don't recommend vet wrap or co-flex for ears although I know many people use it. I am officially a non-believer!!! When I sat down to do her 2nd tape and post last week I noticed Ritz had a few spots on her ear margins that weren't fully healed. Not unusual really and typically not a problem. Ritz's breeder routinely uses vet wrap and at least two of her siblings ears are being taped and posted with it. Knowing this, I figured I'd give it a try. I wanted a loose and light wrap and appreciated it's non-stick feature. Unfortunately when I removed her posts last night I found she had a rather nasty wound at the base of her ear where it joins her head. When I got the wrap fully removed, her ear immediately swelled. I'm not sure if she had a reaction to the tape, or if despite the fact that I was aiming for a loose wrap, it somehow tightened over time. What ever the cause a wound, likely a pressure ulcer was created. In the future I won't deviate from Elastocon and urge anyone who may consider the use of vet wrap for any reason, to do so with extreme caution. In general I recommend everyone invest the time, and yes money to have their pups ears wrapped by a pro. Despite the fact that I've taped and posted with confidence a few pups of my own, my experience last night taught me a valuable lesson. Don't mess around with ears and don't deviate from what you've been taught. Todays visit cost me the equivalent of 7 visits but more importantly Ritz's ears were put at risk by my own hands. Not good! Fortunately I left the office feeling fairly good about things. I certainly didn't have a good feeling last night!
With that said, the highlight of our visit came when we ran into the beauty below. She was there for her final tape and post. Agata emailed me this photo a few weeks back and when I received it I thought "that was a lucky shot". When I ran into her today though, I saw her before I saw Brad, her dad, and my first thought was,"pretty dog"! Then I saw Brad and realized she was one of my own. I also realized, it wasn't just a lucky shot... she's just that beautiful. Running into them and chatting with Brad helped lift my spirits. Here she is.... "Skye's The Limit" aka "Skye" formerly "Pink" showing off her pretty ears compliments, beginning to end, of Dr McBride. I take credit for the breeding... She's Lexi's pup but Majestic and Serious have produced some just as gorgeous! :-) |
Author GMBD's Archives
November 2015
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