Tonsure!… and moths.
Just when I thought we were sliding into a comfortable and manageable routine everything changed again. I took several puppies in for ear cropping and over the next two weeks we had to closely monitor activity and keep them separated so none of the other puppies would chew on their little healing ears. The time impact of rotating everyone so they still got plenty of play time while being protected from rough-housing was… wow, crazy. And noisy! Our little healing pups seem to enjoy “running the fence line” outside of the Puppy Palace while those on the inside chased and barked at them. Those with cropped ears had their little heads and ears shaved by the vet and now they look like little Monks. To make matters worse, I started working on their coats and I’m slowly stripping out the puppy coat to reveal all that gorgeous pepper/salt Schnauzer coat coming in. But you know by now that I am all about making sure new experiences are positive. So, I only work on their coats if they’re relatively still and happy with all the praise. Consequently, their coats now look like moths have attacked them. They’re all patchy and spotty! They turned 10 weeks old and three of them have made the journey to their new lives. Of course, I cried to lose them but I’m also extremely happy that they’ve gone to wonderful people that will love them and care for them. They’re lucky dogs. My expectation is that these dogs will go out into the world and remind us humans how to love deeply and almost unconditionally – cause that’s just what dogs do! Plus, there’s the added benefit that as puppies they provide enough chaos and destruction to our lives such that they ensure we exercise our ability to show patience and tolerance. Some people may not appreciate that service, but any doctor will tell you that exercise is important! It’s so hard to believe that they were this puppyish just two weeks ago! Here they were at 8 weeks old:
Zoey gets her groove back!
If you read my Puppy Update blogs you know that Miss Zoey had a period where she just seemed to have the ‘blahs.’ Now she’s feeling spry again. She doesn’t get up the trees nearly as high as she did before, but you wouldn’t either if you’d birthed a whole pack of nine just a couple of months ago! Jackie isn’t related in lineage to Zoey but she’s “Aunt Jackie” to these pups anyhow.
Personal space
This is a long update because I’ve been remiss in writing. If you didn’t discover them already, I sneaked in pictures of the puppies’ first day outside a couple of Saturdays ago. You’ll find them under Picture Gallery / Flag Day Puppies 2018. Be forewarned! The cuteness is almost too much. Here’s a sneak-peek: They’re big shots in the yard now. They’ve explored every nook and cranny; barked at suspicious things like water pipes and vases they broke. They learned about uppity cats that will smack a pushy, solo pup but run for the trees when the whole pack gets after him. Climbing! Mama demonstrates “how to” climb the driftwood log and within a flash pups all over it. Potty-training is almost a done-deal. When they’re indoors they use the litter box. Occasionally someone misses the litter box, but for the most part they’ve got it figured out. When we’re outside, all I can say is it’s a really good thing we have a big yard because 9 puppies and 2 adults make for a lot of landmines. I feel so bad that my husband doesn’t let me do the clean-up. He says I tear-up the lawn too much with the end of the shovel. I just don’t know why I still can’t seem to get the hang of that. <grin> I even let them venture around the house a little when we first come in from outside. They discovered that my cowhide rug was fun to chew, and so was my napping blanket that I keep folded up in a basket. The basket itself was about to be swiss cheese, but I saved it. The Sisal rug in the breakfast area was then targeted as a great tug-of-war toy, and Jackie maligned a pup that tried to steal a toy from her crate. When I caught Benny chewing the cord to the puppy-cam that was the last straw – I herded everyone back to the safe zone. It just goes to show you that no matter how puppy-safe you think an area is they always find SOMETHING THEY’RE NOT SUPPOSED TO HAVE!… But, no one pee’d or poo’d where they weren’t supposed to – so that is awesome. Okay, so here’s what we’ve worked on over the past week: Manners! Mama has been teaching them that “no” means “no” – the milk bar is closed. Zoey is such an incredibly good mama. I’m so pleased with how gentle but firm she is with them. She lets them play pretty darn rough with each other without interfering. Occasionally, someone cries out with the right amount of distress and its big Mama Zoey to the rescue. They’re getting valuable lessons in what constitutes “too rough” from their siblings, their mama, and us. They’re also working on ‘sit quietly.’ I make them practice sitting still and taking food GENTLY from my hand. They must do this even if one of their brothers or sisters gets over-exuberant and tries to steal the tasty morsel. No one gets that treat until they can sit quietly and calmly. It’s precious to see that little circle of nine faces concentrating on being calm. Some of them are very relaxed about it and could easily sit for two or three minutes while others are working so hard at just being in control of themselves for twenty or thirty seconds. I’ll try to get some video of it. I’m dang proud of them for it because it’s hard work being that calm when you’re a puppy! And nails. The dreaded nail-trimming… I use a Dremel. I’m just too much of a nervous-Nelly with regular nail guillotines. So far, I’ve let the cordless Dremel run completely out of battery power twice because I just leave it running with the pups in close proximity so they can get used to the sound of it. When I finally pressed it to a foot – not even the sanding part – you’d have thought a bee stung him. He jumped and screamed and wriggled and just generally made a big fuss. Mama came in to see what was going on, gave him a little lick on the face and then showed no more concern. He calmed down enough that I was able to sand off the ends without ever getting close to the quick. Lots of treats and praise for his bravery at the end. On to the next pup. It’s a slow process building trust in the face of something this scary. I’m going to keep working on it with them so that hopefully nail trimming won’t be a source of fear for them. Finally, ‘Operation Me Time’ has begun. I want them to have a gentle transition into being able to accept and enjoy having their own space in their own crate. Therefore, I’ve set up two crates with a divider in each – creating four personal spaces. The pups are taking turns spending time in those personal spaces so it won’t be such a big shock when they go to their forever homes. I let them go in there when I know they’re about to fall asleep anyhow. They get a chewable treat that is ONLY something they get when they’re in those special personal spaces. That way, it’s always a positive experience for them – except when a sibling in the personal space next door manages to thieve your chewable from under the divider. That’s not so fun.
The sounds of chaos
It was ‘Operation Exposure To Children’ weekend. Barking puppies and squealing children were last weekend’s mode of chaos. At first, the puppies didn’t know what to make of tiny human beings that made strange noises. We had my granddaughters sit on the floor and be as calm and quiet as possible – which isn’t actually very quiet at all. By the end of the weekend we had children bouncing around screaming with delight while puppies chased and barked with enthusiasm. It was a sight to behold …if only it had a mute button. And when all the fun and games ended, we had some exhausted puppies. It was also vaccination weekend. The puppies got their first round of DHPP, and no one even cried. Next week, the puppies will be able to visit the big outdoors for the first time. We will venture into our backyard for exploration, to learn about pottying outdoors, and to discover CATS. I’ve got quite the variety from which these puppies will learn about cats. We’ve got one that will run when chased (fun!), another that will hiss and spit (kind of scary), and a third one – the only one we purposely meant to own – that thinks he’s one of the pack (weirdo brother, Brogan). ‘Bro’ used to spar with his canine brothers, Bosco and Winston, before they crossed over the rainbow bridge. He’s tried sparring with Jackie and Zoey, but they only see him as a confused cat rather than a member of the canine pack. I’m hoping the puppies will form a fondness for Brogan. He’d like that. And what would you think if I attached a picture of two pee spots on the floor? TWO PEE SPOTS are all I came home to today, y’all! I’m so proud that MOST of the time the puppies are using the litter box. We started with pee pads in the whelping box and then once they moved downstairs to the Puppy Palace we introduced the litter box with compressed wood pellets. Okay, I’m trying not to brag but today when I had them running loose in the dining room I saw one puppy turn circles in a little panic and then bolt back into the Puppy Palace to go use the litter box. I was so proud! And while I was clapping and cooing “good puppy” someone pee’d on the floor behind me. Next week, once they’ve discovered the great outdoors, I’ll leave a scented layer of the wood pellets in the litter box but over the pellets will be a nice new square of sod. Operation “Potty on the Grass” will have begun. And as if the weekend weren’t already filled with enough ‘firsts’ the puppies also had their first solid food. Who would have known how they would devour a piece of hardboiled egg white? I now have a wonderful training tool. Eggs are very heavily scented (stinky!) and the puppies love it. We may play some games like “let’s go,” “come” and “sit.” Nothing too challenging, and there are no wrong actions – just lovely, stinky rewards for playing thinking games. Expect more pictures and videos. We’re having a blast and we want you to share in the fun.
Boot camp!
The other day my Miss Zoey just seemed awfully down. She didn’t want cookies, she wouldn’t wag her tail, her head hung low – I’ve never seen her like that! Postpartum? Exhaustion? Sick? I took her temp – normal. I gave her extra yummy toppings on her supper, but no, she wouldn’t eat. Then it occurred to me that the girls and I have not been taking our morning walks since the pups were born, and Zoey is an athletic likes-to-be-outdoors kinda girl. So we leashed up and headed out for a walk that was about 1/4 the speed we normally go and a distance of about 1/10th our typical 2 mile route. Hey, a girl can’t go too far or too fast with distended mammaries! We did it again the next day, and the next, and I’m happy to say that everyone is happy again. Physical activity is so important to Zoey that sometimes when I’m on the treadmill she volunteers to hop on with me. She’s even done that since she had the pups so I had to slow the treadmill down to a snail’s pace to accommodate her current condition. Well, that got me thinking. Why should those pups get to be lazy while the rest of us are trying to get fit? So today we started their exercise routine. I open the door to the Puppy Palace and let them spill out over the gate. Then I “run” into the dining room and do laps around the table calling for the pups to follow me. They toddle along behind – some following, some cutting through the middle, some going the opposite way. Zoey got in on the activity and after a few laps around the table Drill Sergeant Zoey leads them off to the stairs and tries to get them to climb! …game over. A little too much too soon. But, we had a blast and I snapped some pics of the pups that I added to the website.
Let’s ruuuumble!
I know! I know! Everyone thinks I fell of the planet, but I’m here! These puppies are growing and developing at lightning speed – and they’re workin’ me! Four weeks old already, y’all! They’ve got growls, they’ve got barks, and they’re getting some mighty big attitudes. They’re in a development phase where they’re challenging each other and trying to establish their positions in the pecking order. Of course, Mama trumps all. This week we moved out of the whelping box and downstairs to the puppy palace. It was bliss for the pups because they now not only have their 4’x4’ sleeping den but also a 10’ x 6’ play zone. Zoey wasn’t as comfortable with the move since she felt like she had to guard multiple doors from potential dangerous intruders – the cats, her BFF Jackie – these were trusted friends just a few short weeks ago! I have baby gates up keeping her and the pups safely separate from our other pets, but she didn’t even want them looking at her pups from the other side of the gates. Such a protective mama! Then, within just a couple of days of being in the new palace, both Zoey and my husband, Craig, conspired to make life more difficult for me by encouraging the pups to escape the palace. They were so proud of those pups for their achievement in vaulting the gate! Now that they’re downstairs they’re learning to what it’s like to be in a regular home environment. People come to the door and knock/ring; we come and go; the TV is on sometimes, other times I play music, and then there are times of silence. I want them to be exposed to all kinds of noise and quiet so that when they go to their new homes they’ll be better prepared for a different environment. We don’t have small children in our home, but I think my grandbabies might come next weekend and they’ll help us expose the puppies to a whole new level of chaos. LOL! Weaning is going well. Zoey still feeds them but they’re getting 3 squares from the den-mother (me) too. Can I just tell you that real food in makes for …uhm… real stink out? Whew! They’re so cute it’s hard to fathom that something so stinky can come out of them. And their teeth! Tiny needles that they just love to sink into my toes. We’re also working on a graduation from puppy pee pads to wood pellet litter box. My plan is to get them used to using the pellets and then after they’ve had their vaccination at 6 weeks I’ll spread some pellets outdoors to kick-off house training. They’ll still need gentle guidance and a good potty routine when they get to their forever-homes but they should have the ‘go outside’ concept by then. This week I also added to my website the Puppy Contract. It’s in draft stage and may change slightly, but the main terms are spelled out for pet homes. I’m working on getting the contract for show homes uploaded as well. Basically, I want to make sure there are no surprises and that potential puppy parents know in advance what terms they’ll be agreeing to if they get a puppy from me. Over the next couple of weeks most of my free time when I’m not feeding, cleaning, walking, playing, training dogs, I’ll be talking about dogs with the folks that have sent to me their applications. Does it seem like my life revolves around dogs? I like to complain in a “woe is me” way, but actually, I love it. Now, I was going to give my applicants an assignment to go watch “Blackfish” documentary and be prepared to tell me why I would have asked them to watch it, but my husband advocated on their side and asked me to stop giving out homework. So I’ll just say that I have long held the belief that most dogs – and especially Standard Schnauzers – are too intelligent to be expected to thrive in an environment where they’re kept penned/confined for long periods of time. These are smart dogs that need mental stimulation as much as physical exercise – especially when they’re puppies full of wonder and energy. When I watched ‘Blackfish’ a few years ago, it really exemplified how sad it is that we can do so much damage to an intelligent, sentient creature by not allowing them to have the stimulation, socialization and environmental enrichment they need. Yes, we need to crate our pups at times so they rest and so they’re not left unsupervised with the many dangers in our homes (like plugged-in cords, non-edibles, etc.) but hours of solitary confinement is just absolutely unacceptable. Our fur-babies will go to homes that have a plan, toys/tools, and a routine that will help the puppy grow into the great dog they want. …I didn’t mean to get preachy, but it’s one of those topics I feel strongly about. Don’t even get me started on meat by-product!
5 minutes of sweetness
Hey future puppy parents! Just want you to know that I’m taking good care of these little guys and gals, and spoiling the heck out of ’em while I have the chance! I finally captured some video to share with you. Truthfully, I will probably end up watching this thing over and over. They are so stinkin’ cute! Their personalities are just starting to come out. I’ve got a couple of little guys that have learned to growl already, and it is hilarious to see such a tiny little spud of a dog put on his ferociousness! Hope you enjoy.
Puppy play zone
Almost time to graduate from the whelping room to the puppy playpen! We’ve been camped out in “the whelping room” for 3 weeks. It’s actually a spare bedroom that I use as my exercise room which is then converted to an under-water themed play and sleep room when my granddaughters visit. Now it’s a whelping room. I started sleeping up there the week before Zoey’s due date and have been tucked away up there with her since. This being Miss Zoey’s first litter she’s been extremely protective. Our poor cat can’t even get near the stairs, and poor Miss Jackie – Zoey’s BFF- made the mistake of putting her paws on the baby gate just to have a peak into the whelping room. Zoey charged and slammed into the gate scaring poor Miss Jackie (and us) half to death. But that was more than a week ago and she’s starting to calm down a bit now. She made a big stride today when she let our friend Jared come into the bedroom and sit by the whelping box. She loves Jared, but even for him it was a slow progression from the bottom of the stairs to the top and then eventually into the whelping room – lots of reassurance along the way. We sat and talked for almost an hour before Zoey finally decided he was trustworthy enough that she could nap or leave the room with him there. We’ll see how it goes over the next few days, but I’ve got the new play area set up downstairs in our entryway just waiting for some puppy chaos. Oh! And, as promised, I took videos! And guess what? My camcorder is so old (12 years) that there seems to be no possible way to transfer the video to the PC. No support beyond Windows 8. Used up most of my Saturday morning figuring that out and trying every work-around I could think of. By Saturday afternoon, in a huff, I went and bought a new camcorder. I WILL have videos of the pups this week.
The best laid plans of mice and women
Like any good project manager, I made meticulous plans around the decision and timing to breed Zoey. The project I’m running at work was scheduled to be complete on June 15th – the same date Zoey was due to have pups. Perfect timing. Nothing would be left to do at work but take bows and accept praise for a job well done while I devoted my considerable amount of newly acquired free time to new puppies. Buuuut… (you know where this is going) The project ran over – and not by a little. So much for best-laid plans. I’m back in the office this week trying to transform chaos into order. And while everyone is running with their hair on fire, I have a secret weapon that keeps a smile on my face. I have a webcam – and it has a live feed of 9 beautiful little squeakers and their mama. I can almost smell the puppies. Yesterday, several of them got up on their wobbly hind legs and took a few all-four-feet-on-the-ground steps. When I got home I discovered that a couple of them had opened their eyes too. I was star-struck as I gazed at them. I doubt they felt the same way staring back at my giant face as I gushed over their accomplishments. I plan to capture some video this weekend and post it to the website.
What’s in a name?
First off, know this: the names I call the puppies today need not follow them to their forever-homes. In fact, when they leave my home they’re likely to think their name is “Don’t Chew That,” “No Bark!,” or “Who Pooped Over Here?” That said, I will tell you that I’m calling each of the puppies by a name associated with Flag Day since that’s when they were born. So, we have: Banner, Bennington, Wilson, Renner, Quincy, Fremont, Glory, Gilly, and Bear. Okay, so Bear is a little different. …The Bear Flag Revolt occurred the same date as National Flag Day (June 14th), and calling him “Bear” is an affirmation of my hometown history. Also, this little guy is a bear when it comes to muscling his way in to get a teet. He wasn’t the first born, but he is the biggest. Maybe I’m letting my imagination run wild and reading too much into his demeanor, but I’m telling you this little guy has a calm, top-of-the-food-chain confidence about him. He pushes his brothers and sisters off the teet with no real malice intended – just a slow, methodical “sorry, but you’ll have to get out of my way” approach. And he sleeps like he’s in hibernation! The other pups squirm and whine when I pick them up to weigh them, but Bear just yawns and indulges me with his patience while I go through my ritual. Gilly? Namesake for Mary Pickersgill, maker of the Star Spangled Banner flag, and Elizabeth Duane Gillespie, a direct descendant of Benjamin Franklin and the president of the Colonial Dames of Pennsylvania, that tried to get the city to call June 14th ‘Flag Day.’ Resolutions by women were not granted much notice, however, and it wasn’t until 1937, that Pennsylvania became the first state to establish Flag Day and is today the only state that recognizes it as a legal holiday. “Glory” is kind of obvious. Renner is short for Rennerdale. You’ll have to look it up if you’re curious how it fits with Flag Day. Same for Quincy. Bennington (Benny) is easy if you’re up on your flag history. And Wilson was our President that proclaimed Flag Day. …though I’m still having trouble NOT hearing Tom Hanks cry for Wilson in my mind. Fremont is interesting because his namesake was prominent both in national flags and the Bear Flag Revolt. I specifically attached the name Fremont to the pup that seems to do the most exploring of the whelping box. Granted, he’s only 3 days old and not a lot of exploring can be done, but let’s see if over time his early appetite for adventure holds true. All are doing well. They are well cared for by super-mama Zoey – who would have killed a possum last night had I not made her drop him, and tonight considered taking the head off our beloved cat when he made the mistake of jumping the baby gate to join us in the whelping room. As with all jobs, she takes this mama job seriously!