Just when I got my blog pretty well caught up, it seems it's time to switch over and devote my energy to the blog associated with Getka's upcoming litter. I finished setting up her whelping box about a week ago so once again my bedroom becomes multipurpose- prepared for whelping in addition to sleeping. I like having my mom and pups close at night and don't think that will ever change. It just works for me. It also provides a quiet and safe place for them, separate from the shenanigans of the rest of the pack. The only glitch, the rest of the pack have to be accommodating. Kind of like a dog version of musical chairs.
Galtero, who's been my main sleeping partner since my irma litter vacated the premises has officially been banished from the room with the exception of nap time if we can sneak one of those in. I try and rotate the dogs through the space so as not to give preferential treatment to any of them. Even so, some behave better than others so depending on what's going on, some end up king or queen of the bed more often than others. Galtero, is very quick to settle. He actually spends much of his day, if in the house, on the bed accompanied or not. I got lucky with him. Rarely does he, or has he, really gotten into anything or gone into destroy mode. I enjoy my nights with Majestic, Skye and Remedy too. They're all quick to settle and for the most part, after a quick cuddle respect my personal space. Serious doesn't seem to care much for the waterbed so rarely does he overnight with me. He's one of my only dogs that really loves his crate. Enough so that he'll go in to rest if the door's left open. I actually think he's happiest to sleep there and to know he's not going to be bothered or disturbed. That leaves Ritz and Getka... Ritz tends to chew holes in my sheets and blankets so unless I've got really old linens on the bed she remains in a crate at night. And Getka, although she doesn't tend to get into anything, she's somewhat slow to settle and when she does finally settle it's nearly on top of me. A pushy sleeper. As a result she hasn't had as much time with me which is kind of a double edged sword. The past week though, I've seen much improvement from her in all regards. She's getting used to the routine. A litter of pups will most likely solidify night time etiquette for her.
So now I'm in wait mode. Getting things around the old homestead caught up and the house stocked with anything I might need for a few days. Tomorrow I'll make sure I've got myself covered with some tasty snack foods to hold me over during the generally long whelping process.
I've also got somebody coming to give me an estimate on installing some half doors to replace a couple kid gates I use to separate the dogs within the house when necessary which is "usually" and "always" when dogs are coming in and out of heat. Once in full heat of course crates or outdoor time become the norm for the boys. Recently, I've seen some challenging behavior between Serious and Galtero, which I knew would come. It was just a matter of time. Unfortunate but goes hand in hand with two male Dobermans of breeding age and abilities. With that comes a need for something a little stronger... a little more secure than a flimsy kid gate. I'm looking forward to the install and hoping for a reasonable estimate. At least they'll look like they belong and give the house a more "finished" look. A perk on top of being functional. Hopefully some pics of the finished product soon. Then on to paint...
Galtero, who's been my main sleeping partner since my irma litter vacated the premises has officially been banished from the room with the exception of nap time if we can sneak one of those in. I try and rotate the dogs through the space so as not to give preferential treatment to any of them. Even so, some behave better than others so depending on what's going on, some end up king or queen of the bed more often than others. Galtero, is very quick to settle. He actually spends much of his day, if in the house, on the bed accompanied or not. I got lucky with him. Rarely does he, or has he, really gotten into anything or gone into destroy mode. I enjoy my nights with Majestic, Skye and Remedy too. They're all quick to settle and for the most part, after a quick cuddle respect my personal space. Serious doesn't seem to care much for the waterbed so rarely does he overnight with me. He's one of my only dogs that really loves his crate. Enough so that he'll go in to rest if the door's left open. I actually think he's happiest to sleep there and to know he's not going to be bothered or disturbed. That leaves Ritz and Getka... Ritz tends to chew holes in my sheets and blankets so unless I've got really old linens on the bed she remains in a crate at night. And Getka, although she doesn't tend to get into anything, she's somewhat slow to settle and when she does finally settle it's nearly on top of me. A pushy sleeper. As a result she hasn't had as much time with me which is kind of a double edged sword. The past week though, I've seen much improvement from her in all regards. She's getting used to the routine. A litter of pups will most likely solidify night time etiquette for her.
So now I'm in wait mode. Getting things around the old homestead caught up and the house stocked with anything I might need for a few days. Tomorrow I'll make sure I've got myself covered with some tasty snack foods to hold me over during the generally long whelping process.
I've also got somebody coming to give me an estimate on installing some half doors to replace a couple kid gates I use to separate the dogs within the house when necessary which is "usually" and "always" when dogs are coming in and out of heat. Once in full heat of course crates or outdoor time become the norm for the boys. Recently, I've seen some challenging behavior between Serious and Galtero, which I knew would come. It was just a matter of time. Unfortunate but goes hand in hand with two male Dobermans of breeding age and abilities. With that comes a need for something a little stronger... a little more secure than a flimsy kid gate. I'm looking forward to the install and hoping for a reasonable estimate. At least they'll look like they belong and give the house a more "finished" look. A perk on top of being functional. Hopefully some pics of the finished product soon. Then on to paint...
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