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!