12/11/20 Pupdate

At least we had nice weather (for early/mid December anyway) for our last full day together.  We spent a lot of it practicing being ‘big dogs’.  Since they come and go through the dog door as they please (I do keep track of them but I don’t try to lock them out anymore), I let them hang out loose while I cleaned their pen; vacuumed the rubber floor; blew off the deck; and did various other tasks.  Other than getting under foot while I ran the sweeper, it went well.  I did put them in their pen while I steam mopped the floor because I didn’t want the to get close enough to be burned.  They are investigative little boys.

I gave them baths again today but this time they stood in the laundry sink and licked squirty cheese off of the walls to have them assist in the positioning.  Other than the second one wanting a turn before I finished the first, it went well.  I got some good cuddling with clean puppies wrapped in towels afterward.

They had several visitors today - 3 of whom were new to the pupsters.  Good thing they like masks!  But hand sanitizer makes them sneeze - we only ever found one kind that didn’t make Grandsire Jack sneeze and someone gave it to us so I can’t buy more ;-(

I guess tomorrow I will start putting things away for a while, that thought makes me sad.  Today, while we were outside I worked more on disassembling the puppy cube with all of the dangly items.  It’s been taking a while because the puppies insist on helping me.  Today, they grabbed the pvc bar with the pvc pieces dangling from it and ran out into the yard with it. It is larger than they are and fairly heavy comparatively but they each managed just fine. 

Nighty, nighty, nighty and puppy breath to all

1210/20 Pupdate

We had a good night for a pleasant tomorrow except that one of the pupsters was too busy wanting to go into his crate to go potty again before Nighty nighty nighty.  He fussed a little at 3something but stopped when I told him Nighty, nighty, nighty but he was really adamant at 4 something.  As soon as I let him outside, he immediately peed and pooped.  I couldn’t tell which one was initially fussing so I let both out but I could tell by their behavior then.  Both went back into their crates and right back to sleep so good puppies (and we might try going out the other door tonight.)

They continue to work of not losing their minds during food prep but I think it will be easier at their new houses because they won’t have prior knowledge of the routines.

One puppy who shall not be named (although I alread ratted him out to his new people) decided he was going over the wall (or the crate as the case may be) so I put a large box in his way in the pen and took down the mickey mouse fencing on the deck.  No point in practicing on a low height when he needs to learn to respect a gate (not that his mother does, she just sails right over)

Both continue to be absolutely adorable especially when they get the little puppy zoomies. They can get some speed up though.  Both are interested in Alexa but I think they are just looking for another person to charm.  I used to give Jack verbal cues through the baby monitor to see if he would still do the behaviors (he did) and now I kind of want to train a response to Alexa giving the cues,

Tomorrow is our last full day together before they head home with their new families.  On the up side, I get to cuddle with Trilli because she’s coming with them to pick up her new ‘brother.’  We waited for this visit in hopes that Mama Phoebe will be accepting of visiting dogs with her puppies since they aren’t tiny (and she only nurses them on the grooming table so she can horn in on their turns.)

Saturday will NOT be a happy day in this house but it shoudl be happy for their new people.  Puppy breath to all (while we still have some here) Nighty, nighty, nighty

12/09/20 Pupdate

The little boys have been overly excited about the prospect of food (as in they scream whenever I go out to where I prep the food) so I took them out to watch with the big dogs so they could practice having a little self control (as in rewarding them for trying to be patient).  I didn’t do that this morning and one of the puppies turned up to ‘help’. SInce I did not neglect to secure the pen (I went back to check), they will either be released to come help me or safely contained in a crate when I do something that exciting.

I took them out in the big yard for a little romp early this am and they enjoyed that immensely. They were faster to potty that way - they were getting too distracted by rumpusing with their parents (everyone was wound up today). They especially enjoy going that route because of the ramp.

It was warmer and sunny today so we spent more time outside this afternoon.  I also moved the mickey mouse fencing so they could come and go from the utility room while I did laundry.  They found that interesting as usual.  Previously, I only took one puppy at a time in to do laundry.

They were good boys for being brushed on the table and helped me rinse off things with the hose.  They finally consented that my neoprene gloves are mine and not for little puppy needle teeth although I fully expect to revisit that issue again the next time I wear them ;-). We’re working on eating separately (in the crates), too.  It’s generally been a busy day here again today.  The puppies have taken time out from their busy schedules to be cuddled, give kisses and nap but, come to think of it, that is a big part of their schedule.  We’re going to go cuddle a little more before we go out to potty and then Nighty, nighty, nighty time.  Puppy breath to all

12/08/20 Pupdate

The puppies had an eventful day.  We had a slow start to the morning because I kept going back to sleep but so did they.  (I was up by 9 which is early by my normal standards but not for puppies.). During one of our morning outings, their parents were way too rambunctious outside with them. Phoebe had the squirrel nest toy again so I had to make sure that it didn’t get left outside with some of the other toys she’s allowed to get soaking wet.  She’s more than willing to carry around a sopping wet toy but I’m not as fond of that.  I guess she thinks it’s good enough for water so it’s good enough for her.  The puppies enjoy a sopping wet toy, too but I think we currently have enough of those outside for them to enjoy.

About noon thirty, we loaded them up into the crate in the van so they could go play with Elle at Aunt Grandma Cindi’s while I went to a dr appt.  They fussed at the door openings/closings but then they were good quiet puppies.  Aunt Grandma Cindi was running late so she met us in the parking lot of the Dr’s office and we moved them into her van.  She had to go more places before going home so they rode around for a while.

Then they got to run around in the big back yard with their sister.  By the time I got there, they were in the dog room with Cindi.  I visited with their Grandma Bela a little and then went in with them.  They were having a good time with each other and seeing what they could get into up high.  They are convinced that everything UP is guaranteed to be the most interesting things ever.  Perhaps because they are used to the remote treat dispenser dropping treats from the sky.

We took another trip out into the back yard before we loaded up and headed home.  They were all nice and quiet the whole way.  I got the boys out and let them go potty in the big yard then we headed around to the gate and they came right inside.  They did attempt to greet sleeping Great GrammieSammie but I located the button to make the treats fall into their pen and they ran right into it.  We’ve had a nice evening hanging out, they played the whole time I was on our training club zoom meeting and then cuddled up for a nap.

We’re going to do a little cuddling before it’s time to go out for last potty before nighty nighty nighty.  Puppy breath to all!

12/07/20 Pupdate

Well, this is a roller coaster of a day.  3 puppies when I got up this morning.  Then Cindi brought Elle to hang with us while she went to a dr’s appt.  But then LeAnne and Laurie took little Ruba home.  After we finished dremeling the other puppies’ nails CIndi took Elle home as well.  This day required a lot of fudgesicles!

The puppies seem to have mastered crating even if they are a little impatient for me to open the door for them.  They also know to look UP because I had the cookies in through the top toward the rear (the fun part of crating doesn’t happen at the door for puppies) and proceed to stand up looking while I fumbled with closing and latching the doors then getting the cookies and dispensing them. 

We’ve played outside a few times today and we went into the ‘big yard’ too.  They really enjoy that and it’s not as difficult to keep up with just 2 and it’s slightly more likely that I won’t have a puppy under my foot when I try to put it down but only slightly since they have fewer siblings to distract them from dogging my every step.

It is easier to feed just a few puppies from individual bowls but they can still eat really fast when I don’t feed them from the puzzle toys. The squirrel nest toy is still popular - even without me hiding any food in it now.  I do have to keep gathering up the squirrels before their mama carries them outside though.  She LOVES toys.  Laurie brought a toy from her house to let Ruba get familiar but Phoebe kept taking it to parade.  Somehow, the puppies had it in their pen but when we took them outside, she went in and repossessed it.

I knew I should’ve started writing this as things happened today because I’ve forgotten the things I wanted to include.  

So far, I’ve gotten good reports on everyone at their new homes. It’s good to hear how they are doing because I really miss them!  Nighty, nighty, nighty and puppy breath (albeit much less of it since there are only 2 still here) to all

12/06/20 Pupdate

The pupsters slept all through the night in their crates again just fine.  I didn’t sleep very well and got up at 5 to go the bathtub but they didn’t fuss when they heard me moving around.  Their parents barked at something and Great Grammie Sammie started fussing before I came back downstairs but they didn’t. Good puppies!

After breakfast, the 4 of them played together and we had some cuddling time.  The little green boy had a bath after his morning brushing but the others didn’t get a shower today.  They had one yesterday and most of the mud brushes out when they dry off (plus they had a full day of frolicking in more mud planned). I got a few extra minutes of cuddling with him in a towel after his shower.  I don’t have many wet puppies wrapped in a towel cuddles left with these babies.

Phoebe took the opportunity to hop up onto the grooming table with us while he was getting brushed.  That’s not unusual for her but it’s a little odd because she will nurse the puppies while up there.  That’s about the only time she nurses them these days. Always something new.

We had some sunshine during our outside time today and then we all had a nap.  There may only be 3 of them now but they can still make plenty of noise when they are rumpusing (or waiting for me to prep their food).   They did some excited barking when we went outside for  potty time tonight.  They’ve gotten pretty good at zoomies, too.  Against all odds, they found a way to get even more adorable!

They’re going to demonstrate their adorableness going into their crates after we go out for last potties.  They’ve been being quiet as soon as I let them into a crate (they are a little noisy in their excitement while trying to get into the crates) and then go Nighty, nighty, nighty.  Puppy breath to all

12/05/20 9 Weeks Old!

I can’t believe they are 9 weeks old.   And yes, somehow they’ve managed to get even more adorable.  

They had another good night.  They are pretty noisy getting into their crates but are quiet as soon as they get inside.  The noise is them trying to get into the crate as quickly as possible and they can’t  understand while I insist on there only being 1 puppy per crate.  No pottying overnight and held it until we all got outside.  They have to say good morning to me while I open the rest of the crates to take let everyone out the door.  But there are fewer than there were yesterday morning.

It wasn’t as cold this am which just means there was still plenty of mud available but they were content to come inside for a healthy breakfast after everyone pottied and said good morning.  We had some group cuddling and then some extra cuddles from Indigo Blue Boy since he was going with his new family today.  The puppies also did some big time wrestling before their morning naps.  

Indigo Blue (now known as Belvie) went home with his new people after a little extra running amok time right before he left.  I hope he has a good night for a pleasant tomorrw.  The others that have left are living close enough for me to see more frequently.  It’s even harder when they aren’t going to be back in and out frequently.

The sun was actually shining this afternoon so we went out to play and took a little ramble in the big yard.  They are pretty fond of free ranging but good to come when called.  I generally keep moving so they don’t get too far away while looking at things.  They continue to enjoy the running up and down the ramp at high speeds when we are out in ‘the world’

As if it weren’t bad enough that I have to keep changing the number of puppies I count to lower and lower numbers, they little monsters have decided that it’s fun to burrow in UNDER the fluffy crate beds so I am ‘missing’ puupies.  They come out happily when I talk to them but it still scares me for a moment.

We all had a nice nap before their dinner time.  They’ve had a few big play sessions this evening, too.  They feel sorry for me missing their siblings so they try to make as much nouse as when there were still 7 here.  Considerate little puppies ;-)

They are also very helpful in correcting my arrangements of things.  Not only do they ‘fix’ the placement of the beds in the crates and linens, they’ve taken to moving the elevated bed, as well.  That thing is not small and often there is at least one puppy on it when someone else is dragging it.  I do make sure they aren’t moving it over to the fence edge to go over the wall ;-)

As much as they enjoy every new toy that appears, they still play with the vtech piano toy a lot.  And if I leave it on top of a crate when I clean their area, they try really hard to get it back down.  If I notice what they are after and hand it to them, they are pouncing on it before I can get it to the floor.  

I think they are starting to wind down a little.  They’ve been zooming in anticipation of bedtime but they are going into the the lie around and play bitey mouth stage.  It really cute - especially when they get lazy and just lie on their backs beside one another and make the noises but don’t really bother mouthing each other.  Perhaps, they are learning not to bite so hard.  Generally, they are being more gentle with me however all bets are off when I am cleaning up poop in the yard. I can’t tell if they think they are helping; if they want attention; or if they’ve learned I’m not going to reach down and detach them when I have a poop covered glove on my hand.  Probably some combination of the above ;-)

I think we’re going to have a little cuddle before I take them out for last call.  Nighty, nighty, nighty and puppy breath to all

12/04/20 Pupdate

Another good night for the pupsters. This monring the MSU had to get up early and he wasn’t terribly quiet and turned on lights (not everyone can sneak around in the dark until time for puppies to wake) but the little ones stayed quietly asleep.  And they were quiet within seconds of the Nighty, nighty, nighty ritual last night.  Good little puppies.  During their post prandial nap this am, I assembled the puppy books (except Cindi’s which I somehow completely screwed up and she’ll have to look at and fix herself.)

I got a nice report on Carmela’s (fka the Yellow puppy) first night/day in her new home. I think she’s trying to endear herself to everyone, she’s awfully cute so it should work pretty well ;-)

It was cold and rainy again today - I knew there was a reason I don’t  generally choose this time of year to have puppies.  They were pretty happy playing out in it this morning but this afternoon, they wouldn’t cooperate with Aunt Grandma Cindi watching them and go into the playhouse to nap while I cleaned their pen (it’s a LOT easier to clean without them in there ‘helping’). They tend to have more fun than we do out in the cold rain.

Cindi brought Fudgesicles for me today to make up for taking one of my puppies home.  I’m excited for Cindi and sad for me but she’ll be in and out.  She needs to be home for a couple of weeks before Phoebe comes home so she needed to get started with that.  

Puppies are clean (until we go back outside to potty before bedtime, there’s been a lot of rain) as is the room (until the big dogs go out to potty - they can’t levitate any better than I can ;-).  We’ll enjoy it during our pre=bedtime cuddles.  Nighty, nighty, nighty.  Puppy breath to all!

12/03/20 Pupdate

The puppies had another good night.  Nice and quiet after the cermonal singing of the songs and lights out and held it all night long.  It took a couple of extra minutes to get Great Grammie Sammie outside to potty and the parents barked at something so the puppies woke up before I got to their door/crates.  It wasn’t long and they still managed to hold it until they went outside.  It is much more difficult to get the puppies outside when Deja and Phoebe come in with me though so extra points for puppies making it outside.

It was only 23 degrees so we didn’t stay outside very long after potties.  There was some playing with other puppies and some cuddling (with other puppies and me) and some napping (only the dogs). During some of the nap time, I organized more of their going home things.  After lunch, the vet came to do exams for their travel certificates.  Other than everyone wanting all of the turns on the table (they are PWDs after all), they were cooperative.

As they were leaving, Carmela’s new people arrived. We had a nice visit and then they took my puppy home.  I know she will have a great life with them and her (Great) Auntie Em but I still miss her.  I miss all of them.  I have to keep remember to start from 6 instead of 7.  Another is leaving tomorrow (Aunt Grandma Cindi delayed from today until tomorrow.). It sounds like she’s fitting right in at her new home, I hope she has a good night.

The other puppies and I have been playing and cuddling and they’ve been doing some napping.   I didn’t have any Fudgesicles so I ate some ganache I had made and frozen for hot chocolate but it’s not the same.  (Cindi is supposed to bring real Fudgesicles tomorrow to help with the other puppies leaving.)

I’m going to go soak up puppy breath from the remaining little ones before it’s time to go Nighty, nighty, nighty.  Puppy breath to all (but mostly to me)

12/02/20 Pupdate

Another good night for the pupsters in their crates overnight.  I woke them up and took them outside again as well.  I did wait longer to put them into the crates last night since they’d had such a long day of ride, ride, ride.  They had a little zooming and then we went out to potty and crates for Nighty, nighty, nighty time.

No accidents overnight either.   Some of the puppies are sleeping with their new people’s scented items and the Mama and GreatGrammieSammie are scenting the baby blankets.  Phoebe prefers them piled on the grooming table so she can do her imitation of the Princess and the Pea so I keep putting several up there.  And in their crates for cuddling.  All of the snow we got yesterday is metling today so I’m having to choose when I put them in to limit muddiness.

The babies have been getting really wet when they go outside and although we had some sunshine today, the high was in the 40s (not even the high 40s) so we didn’t stay outside in that for more than half an hour at a time. I don’t care if the puppies are comfortable; they got me wet so I was cold and that was long enough for me.  Maybe it’ll be a little dryer tomorrow.  At least when we go out for last call, it’s frozen so not as muddy and wet.

At one point today (it was daytime), I gave them lamb ear chewies again.  It’s still funny the ones who immediately go chew and the ones who are more social about it.  It doesn’t seem to be consistent though.  They are ALL still jealous when their Mama and Daddy play without them though.

During nap times today, I worked on baby books and other going to new home details.  2 of them are leaving tomorrow (but they are local) afternoon and 2 more over the weekend.  Fudgesicles will be consumed!  Nighty, nighty, nighty.  Puppy breath to all!

12/01/20 Pupdate

The puppies saw some snow falling last night as I took them out to potty and then go into their crates for the night.  3 slept alone, 2 with a buddy.  The ones with buddies fussed a few minutes so maybe they all want their own rooms now ;-). There is enough staggering between when they leave that I’m not moving the larger crates around to let each of them sleep alone though.  Something was either being attacked or killed or trying to find a mate at 2something AM.  It woke me and the parent dogs (but not Great Grammie Sammie who apparently didn’t hear it). I thought it was something wrong with a puppy so I turned on the lights and checked on them but they were asleep and stayed asleep (or at least didn’t make a peep).  I thought as soon as I got out of bed to go check that it wasn’t coming from the right direction but, at that point, it was easier to check than lie awake worrying.  The pupsters stayed quiet.  The big dogs went outside to bark at whatever it was, they slept.  Good puppies!  They were asleep when I woke them and took them outside to potty (no accidents in the night again, YAY!)

There was slushy snow on the ground when they went outside this am.  Their first priority was to potty and then they tasted a little of the snow and ran around as usual.  We didn’t have a lot of time between daylight and leaving for the day of ride, ride, ride.  The puppies fussed a little but were quiet pretty quickly and they were remarkably good for the 4 hours there.  2 puppies did get carsick as we parked - one in each crate but I don’t know who they were.  Since it was all over one puppy’s head, I know it wasn’t that one.  There were no potty accidents but they all seemed happy to potty in the ex pen.

We planned to wait until after the eye drops to put them back in the vehicle but we were COLD and even the puppies were getting cold (it’s not like they could run around to stay warm) so we put them back to wait.  Eventually, eyes were dilated, then examined (all clear - not even puppy spots) and we headed back home.  Puppies were VERY good on the way home - no puking, no accidents and quiet.  When we let them out of the van in the front yard, they demonstrated the synchronized potty they do in the marnings, too.  It was already dark by then (thank goodness I left the outside lights on just in case) but they enjoyed running around the side of the house to come into their pen.

Much as I expected, they’ve played all evening.  I hope they wind down by bedtime.  Nighty, nighty, nighty.  Puppy breath to all!

11/30/20 Pupdate

Another good night in the crates. Even faster settling in after the 3 songs (it is 4 songs now but after 16 years, it’s the 3 songs to me).  When I was awake at almost 4,  before I went back to sleep I heard a puppy squeak once but it went right back to sleep.  I took Great GrammieSammie out BEFORE I barricaded the dog door, then I woke the puppies up and let them outside.  Once again - no accidents in the crates overnight.

It started raining right after I put the puppies to bed last night and was raining again (still?) when I let them out this am. They didn’t mind but it was too cold to let them stay outside very long after they were very wet.  

They ate lunch in individual bowls in separate crates so they could have their first heartworm pill (and only theirs. I didn’t want to risk somone getting mulitples and another not getting any - and that includes the big dogs who were VERY interested in the individual meatballs they got.  Then we went outside for a few minutes to potty and I brought them back inside because it is wet and cold.  So far, it hasn’t turned into snow but it they should get to see some of it tonight or tomorrow am.

Afternoon playtime was in the plan and it’s quite boisterous (not to mention loud!)  Apparently, these puppies also believe that the elevated bed is a great place to play.  Especially fun is playing bitey face with a puppy on top and another underneath.  Kind of like when one of them goes inside the crate and they trash talk each other through the ‘barrier’. This game immediately ceases when either moves to where there is no divider between them.  It’s really amusing and it must be a lot of fun since every litter of puppies does it.

The crinkly cat tunnel continues to be big fun and the big blue toddler wobbley thing is popular as well.  It sounds like an earthquake though, they rock it pretty hard!

It’s gotten colder and the rain turned to slushy stuff but not enough to truly call snow and therefore no reason to run the pupsters out to try to play.  We’ll go out for last call but we’ve spent the evening inside.

Tomorrow we ride ride ride all day to get their eyes checked and then back home.  I’m pretty sure it’ll be another day that is a lot more tiring for the humans than the pupsters but they each ahve 6 littermates to play with when we are too tired. .They are also always up for a cuddle so it’s always a nice day by the puppy pen - although it’s pretty sad when they start leaving so I won’t think about that.  Nighty, nighty, nighty.  Puppy breath to all!

11/29/20 Pupdate

The pupsters slept in crates in the pool room last night!  They each got a buddy (one crate had 3) and were side by side.  They fussed a few minutes after I sang the songs but I turned off the lights and waited and they snuggled in to sleep. I woke up at a little before 4am and before i got back to sleep I heard one of them make a little noise.  I was moving to go soothe them back to sleep but Deja immediately moved up to cuddle more and whoever it was stopped.  I can’t deicde if he knew they’d be ok or if he’s just unsympathetic to their plight ;-) He’s generally pretty concerned with them so I’m going to choose that he knew they were ok.

When I got up a little after 7am, it wasn’t really light outside but it was on the way and they weren’t fussing yet so I went outside (to barricade the dog door) and then into the door that I take them through to the crates.  I let them all out and they immediately ran outside and into the grass and peed.  I checked the crates and no accidents!  Good puppies.  Slightly less good, for the second time (this week) I blockaded the dog door before Great GrammieSammie went out to potty and she had to go before we switched.  Tomorrow, I’ll make sure she goes out with us before I block it off. 

I know I say everything they do is adorable (and I’m not wrong) but there aren’t many things cuter than a whole litter of puppies running out to potty in unison.  Also absolutely adorable -the whole litter running into the pen from outside.  They’ve gotten really good at it and they know the treat dispenser sound so they hurry and look at it waiting for it to spew forth the goods.  I’m always amazed at how fast they learn.  I guess I don’t learn as fast because they are REALLY smart, evne the old dogs.  (SDB is 13.5 and doesn’t have a lot of hearing left.  I’ve been using the treatntrain to remind Deja to stop alert barking after I give the cue.  He barked for something entirely different the other day and SDB immediately ran to get in on the treat dispensing she thought would be coming after he barked.  So much for “can’t teach an old dog new tricks.”  Unless they don’t think she qualifies as old.  I must qualify as old now because I can’t remember if I already posted that story and I’m too lazy to search back through to check)

It was freezing cold last night (literally).  They water in their outside dishes was frozen about an inch down.  I took it out and they thought that was one of the greatest things ever.  They had breakfast and potty time and then we came back inside because I’d had enough (I should’ve put on even more clothes than I did and they shouldn’t have put their excited little wet from playing with the ice feet all over me if they wanted to stay outside longer.)

They played with the ‘new’ toys in the pen and had a nap and we went back outside a little after 11 into what passes for sunshine this time of year in the holler.  It was warm enough that I didn’t need a coat so it was better than it’s going to be later this week.  Around noon thirty, their Aunt Stella’s family came to see them.  It was about lunch time so I gave them their food in dispensing toys.  They were torn between saying hi and getting back to the food melee.  Eventually, the food was gone so they concentrated their attention on the people (and their hair, shoe strings, clothes, fingers, etc.) and running out into the grass to potty.  

Then, since there was a good ratio of humans to puppies, we went outside the fence into the big yard.  The puppies REALLY enjoyed that.  They ran amok but stayed with us enough that the sighted people could keep up (I have to keep them closer or recall them a lot more to make sure). They explored the shrubs; the open grass; the tall grasses at the edge of the yard; the rocks out front; the leaves that have blown off of the trees (one puppy found a BIG one but siblings helped turn it into smaller pieces) and the ramp up onto the porch.  They are BIG fans of the ramps especially running up and down them at top speed.  They also found the areas underneath including the pots/planters I have there to shield the plant roots from the winter.  The endurance of the puppies has really increased in the last couple of weeks.

The leaf blower continues to be a BIG hit with the pupsters.  Other than that, we’ve had a rather subdued evening with a few trips out to potty.  We’re about to go out for last potty and then into the crates for nighty, nighty, nighty.  Fingers crossed for another good night.  Puppy breath to all!

11/27-28 Pupdate 8 Weeks Old!

Friday was a busy busy day.  I can’t believe it was only yesterday, we did so much that it seems like several days.  I’m having a lot of trouble managing to blockade the dog door enough to keep the puppies from coming in and out as they please.  That made it tricky to get things ready and packed up to go to Cindi’s for their temperament evaluations but eventually, we managed.

We put the puppies in the crates in the van (Phoebe had to ride loose because they won’t fit into one crate - at least not easily) even though they weren’t sleepy so there was some fussing until partway to MIlton.  When we got to Cindi’s we unloaded all of the stuff and carried the crates with the puppies in them to the backyard so the MSU could come back home.

After we puppy proofed the deck access and part of the yard, we let them run amok a little (and potty). After we got everything set up in the building, we put the puppies back in the crates and got ourselves situated and did the temperament evaluations.

As usual, because we don’t do this as frequently, the first puppy took a lot longer, the second puppy a little longer and then we got into a routine.  It still took hours (there are 7 puppies and it’s not a short ‘test’).  The pupster got to meet 5 new adults and an infant!  Plus their great uncle Armada (he was the tolerant dog - he doesn’t especially enjoy puppies, but he LOVES Phoebe, so we paid him in ice cream - which he reports his mother made him share with his sister - and puppy mousse which he loves). 

Afterward, they got to play in the yard with their Mama and GrandMama and run amok more.  We took them back inside (we get cold) and let them play as a group - plus we gave them food in lots of puzzle toys to make them stop wanting humans to chew on constantly.  They did a little napping and playing and we ate pizza and talked more about the test.  They got to hear Peter mow with their lawn tractor, and see the garage door go up and down and up and down - he even drove it back inside to park.  They watched but didn’t do more.

The MSU came back to bring us home and they were quiet the whole way (they were really tired by then) and when we got home and unloaded, we were able to pronounce it free of carsickness BOTH ways.  

We unloaded the necessities (Phoebe and the puppies) and not much more.  I was exhausted.  The puppies ate dinner and caught their second wind after their nap at Cindi’s and on the way home so they played in the pen for a while.  Then we all went Nighty Nighty Nighty!

This morning, they were happy to get up and go out to potty and have a nice breakfast.  It was cold and I was tired so we came back inside for a nap but I couldn’t get back to sleep.  (Amongst other things, thinking about who should go where and all of the things I needed to do today - including writing this post). 

I can’t believe they are 8 weeks old now! They got to spend a lot of daylight time outside today(there’s not all that much daylight time this time of year).  The sun even shone part of the day.  Part of it their Mama stayed out to protect them from hawks and other BOP; part of the time their daddy and I did it.  (He’s not big on being outside without me.)  Some of the time I was inthe laundry room with the door open.  

Around 4:15, the aunt grandmas came for the conformation evaluations (and finally took pictures!  I think they should be on the facebook page soon if they aren’t already there)  and we did some more discussing about which puppy should go where.  (We’ve sorted out the girls; still fine debating a little on the boys)

Then the puppies had a nice dinner from feeder toys, a little playtime and are having a nice nap before it’s time to go Nighty, nighty, nighty.  I’m going to finish a little laundry and do a little cuddling before it’s time for us to go for the whole night.  Puppy breath to all!

11/26/20 Pupdate

Happy Thanksgiving.  The pupsters have celebrated with lamb ear chewies.  I always find a litter of puppies with chewies amusing and they did not disappoint.  I alway give each puppy their own but, invariably, there are puppies who prefer to chew along with someone else; puppies who have to keep checking to make sure the one they have is as good as the one another puppy has; puppies who immediately take theirs off to chew privately; and puppies who want the others to admire theirs.  Fortunately, nobody fights over them.

We are working on using the remote treat dispenser but it’s a o little difficult for the big dogs to refrain from going in the pen with them when it dings and spews forth cookies.  That’s not a big problem unless SDB goes, too because she can’t hear me call her back out.  She can’t hear it ding but she knows the signs of it having gone off in Deja nd Phoebe.  

It’s finally a half decent day, not too frigid outside and not raining but it’s still plenty wet from the rain in the night.  Since they also like to wallow in the water dished and the bottom of the crate, wet grass and ground doesn’t seem to bother them.  But it gets me wet when I cuddle them (“it was worth it” as my sister would say)

I’ve been gathering the items needed for the temperament evaluations tomorrow.  Or trying to gather them.  The puppies and the big dogs inspect/grab/pounce/lie on pretty much everything I try to pick up.  They are becoming more and more like real PWDs every day ;-)

They demonstrated their climbing skills repeatedly today: they can get into the chairs on the deck now and they continued to demonstrate how they like to look out of the windows of the playhouse (for no reason other than they can - or they like to scare me half to death). Yet, somehow, they manage to be even more adorable than yesterday

Tomorrow is a big day (more so for us than them but they will be meeting more new people) so we’re going to say Nighty, nighty, nighty.  Puppy breath to all!

11/25/20 Pupdate

It’s been a big day here but more for humans that pupsters.  The pupsters had a routine morning outing.  Most of them have decided that they can go in and out the dog door as they please so I’ve been blocking it off when we need to stay outside.  When we are going back inside, I let them choose their route.

Aunt Grandma Cindi came this morning to watch the puppies while I went to a Dr’s appt.  After she greeted the big dogs, the puppies said hello.  They definitely know where the entrances are so I had to call them over to another one to let her get in and be able to put her feet down (she hasn’t mastered levitation either.)

When we left, she was still in the puppy pen and apparently the big dogs were looking for me.  (Obviously, I haven’t been gone much in the last 7.5 weeks and they have expectations.  She noticed them looking up.  They look up at people and for things to get.  I’m well aware that they do that becuase they are very good at getting things from on top of the crates ;-)

They were waking up from a good morning’s nap when I got home so we took them outside and Cindi went back to her regularly scheduled activities (my appt wasn’t scheduled until yesterday.  She saved the puppies from having to ride along.  Since I had to wait longer than I normally do, that was extra helpful.)

They had a ‘free lunch’ (in dishes instead of out of the toys and played some then we came inside and I took a big nap.  They were awake for at least part of it but they had toys to amuse themselves.  The big dogs napped with me ;-)

The weather was decent this am but it has rained a few times today so the pupsters have enjoyed playing in the muddy spots where the grass is always a little thin - especially in the fall/winter.  I’m not as much a fan of them doing that so I try to distract them.  Eventually, we come back inside to play in the pen where it’s not so messy.  

Nighty nighty nighty - Puppy breath to all

11/24/20 Pupdate

It was another cold morning here today. There was ice in the containers outside and the weather on iffen said snow flurries.  We didn’t notice any but it was certainly cold enough.  The puppies were perfectly happy to play in the cold but I evenutally brought them back inside because I was cold.

The dog door performances yesterday were not a fluke.  Several of them definitely know what they are doing (and I come in to check on them and they are just rolling around on the floor with their Mama). I eventually blocked off the dog door and they told me they were NOT happy with that turn of events

AuntGrandma Cindi came today.  She got to feed them lunch (well hand out the food puzzle toys) and watch them work out how to eat.  We were both a little chilly out there but the puppies were not.  They further demonstrated that by getting in and out of the water in the crate and castle sandbox.  

We took them for a little walk out in the ‘big yard’.  They were really cute exploring.  They got a little further afield than I’d have preferred on my own but they were very good to come back when summoned.  They say I just can’t be pleased because when they were staying right under my feet, I wanted them to move a little further ahead or behind or beside.  In my defense, I haven’t managed levitation just yet.  We thought that might help tire them out so we could come inside but they seemed to find it exhilarating.  One of them kept going back to the gate requesting (demanding) that we go again.  

Eventually, we gave up on them getting tired and just brought them inside anyway.  A couple of them went to sleep after a few minutes but some continued to play for a while. We dremeled their nails while they were relaxed although nobody slept through it.  They were good for it but awake.  They grow nails like it’s their job.  I need to start using the cat clippers on them when we don’t dremel them.  Nighty, nighty, nighty.  Puppy breath to all

11/23/20 Pupdate

I snuck inside to go to the bathroom and take my meds this am then brought the babies outside.   I FINALLY had the good sense to fix their breakfast last night so they had a picnic before they had to explain to me how they’ve been starving.  While we were outside playing and running amok, I noticed someone missing during yet another round of duck,duck, goose.  So I went searching for a puppy.  I was pretty sure nobody could get out of the fence after all of the reinforcing yesterday and Phoebe gave one woof from inside so I checked.  She was playing with one of the pupsters,

I brought said puppy back outside.  Moments later, I heard the dog door and Deja was the only big dog outside and he hadn’t left me.  Neither Phoebe nor SDB appeared so I checked and little miss had gone inside again.  I brought her outside.  She played a moment or two and went back inside with the big girls.  This time, I tried calling and she came back.  So the morning outing consisted of her going in and out as she pleased.  When we went back outside after their morning nap, she still remembered so that has been our day.

They are also suddenly better at climbing.  3 of them are ‘this close’ to getting onto the chairs on the deck. One was on top of the play picnic table (it is now upside down in the rocks so they can play safely with it).  I had to move the milk crate away from the edge of the pen because a puppy was on it and eyeballing the fence.  Another was on the yellow stool I keep in the pen in case I don’t want to sit on the floor.  So it gets turned upside down when I’m not right there.

For lunch, I put puppy kibble in 6 different food dispensing toys (simple ones that just drop kibble out as it is moved) and let them share it on the deck.  They were adorable knocking them around and eating the spoils.  They played with the empty toys, too. I had to go searching through the yard to wash and refill them for dinner (but dinner was inside).

I discovered today that if I take away the elevated bed outside of the play house, the puppies will sleep on the one I’ve made cozy with a fleece pad and a bed in the play house.  I can’t close them in but since they will attempt to go out the windows anyway, that’s neither here nor there.  (Wonder how many people have renovated plastic children’s playhouses with bars on the windows) 

They met another new person today.  This time a teenage boy.  They seemed to like each other pretty well.  When it was time for them to leave, he had 3 puppies curled up sleeping in his lap.  Very similar to how I spend a lot of my time these days.  New total: 34!  Nighty nighty nighty, puppy breath to all!

11/22/20 Pupdate

Another rainy day here.  Good thing we have 7 little rays of sunshine to liven things up.  I was up several times in the night/early hours and the puppies didn’t fuss in the contained area (2 crates and the potty area).  I gave them access to the whole puppy pen before one of my trips up to the bathtub though.

I came back down not too long after daylight and took them outside.  I decided to finally bite the bullet and clip off the wire ties and make the gate open out.  It’s a whole lot less risk of pinching anybody’s toes this way.  I accidentally wire tied the first piece in ‘backwards” when I installed it and I tried to get away without redoing it.  It was just not going well so while AuntGrandma LeAnne was here, I fixed it.

The puppies played (and ate and napped and wrestled) outside a lot today.  I was sunny this am and reasonably temperate (I wore shorts) but then it got windier, colder and commenced to rain.  They remained unfaze by any of the changes.

We could hear people sighting in their deer rifles.  It wasn’t close but those things are loud.  The big dogs alerted at the first couple but did continue after I gave them the cue; the puppies went on about their puppy business without acknowledging that anything was happening.

Today, their puppy business consisted of (the same thing we do every night Pinky try to take over the world) taking the empty bottles out of the castle sandbox; find toys that have are soaking wet with rain and play with them; get me wet so that I change clothes repeatedly (until I finally got smart enough to put on neoprene pants and old scrubs over them to protect the neoprene from the puppies playing tug with my clothes); help me find poop; attacking unsuspecting (or fully aware, it doesn’t matter to them) siblings; being adorable; dismantling the activity box; playing with the big dogs; pulling up “loose” clumps of grass because the ground is very wet/muddy; generally just being as adorabale as the can be.  They stop to greet people whenever anyone comes within their notice and they usually remember good manners.  Good manners are a little harder to obtain if the human has one of their food dishes.  Individually, they are much better.  As a group, it’s harder for them to control their impulse - peer pressure I guess ;-)

Multiple times today, there was a puppy outside the fence; by the gate; asking to come back inside.  The first time, everyone else had noticed so I couldn’t opent he gate to let it inside without having a whole stampede.  Fortunately, the MSU was up at the buidling so he came down and handed it over.  LeAnne and I searched and searched and put more wire ties on the ex pen at various areas of the fence only to have the puppy outside again.  Finally, we noticed not long after the puppy had escaped and realized that it was squeezing through the space between the gate and the wall (where I’ve put a pool noodle in prior litters to stops such shenangians) but the puppy would immediately run all of the way around the outside of the fence to be let inside at the gate by the deck.  Smart bad puppy!  I put a couple of pieces of PVC there and that seems to have stopped that.

Aunt Grandma LeAnne took the old puppies (the parents, the GrandMater Gator and Great GrammieSammie) for a jaunt/romp since rifle season opens tomorrow and we will not be in the woods just in case.  We gave up on trying to do anything but keep that puppy from escaping before the romp because the big dogs KNEW and they were excited.  The puppies don’t seem concerned about the big dogs running in and out excitedly, one of the puppies was even trying to play with Caly in her almost frenzy.  I finally took the new puppies out into the yard and held a section of ex pen so they weren’t on the deck underfoot.  I also didn’t want any of them to go out the gate with the big ones.  All of them come when we call now but ALL of them come when we call so that’s a little bit of pandemonium at gates and doorways.

While I was bathing the big dogs, the puppies were sleeping so AUnt Grandma LeAnne was reviewing a video of her calling the big dogs.  The puppies do not care if it’s live or Memorex, they woke up and ran to her.  That’ll teach her to play such things with sound (Deja still comes whenever we call the puppies or if I play a video of us calling puppies, Phoebe has wised up; SDB can’t hear it anymore)

It was raining pretty steadily after it started this afternoon so the puppies have had plenty of opportunity to get wet (or hang out in a dry area which was not the choice they made).  Around 4:15, they were piled up on the elevated bed out in the rain - as opposed to the one that is mostly in the playhouse, (I’ve bought 3 smaller and smaller sizes with these puppies and can’t manage to get it to fit even though it technically should. This one might with more work but it’s a little harder with the assistance of 7 little PWDs)- so I brought them into the house.  It went much better with the gate opening out but we still have a puppy or two distracted by the big dogs milling around.  I need to get the big dogs stationed before I bring the pupsters inside but, as mentioned before, Deja still likes to come whenever we call ‘pup, pup, pup” (it’s convenient for calling the group) so I may just bring him in and open the taller gate for him to exit.  

So far today, I’ve managed to keep good enough track/suck up being in the cold and wet so that all of the puppy poos have been outside.  The puppies are happier that way, too.  They’ve had a few hours of opera thanks to echo thing this evening so I think I’m going to nap until time for the midnight snack/lockdown.  They are and, although I have plenty of things I could do, I’m tired from not resting much the last couple of nights (stupid weather).  Nighty, nighty, nighty.  Puppy breath to all!

11/21/20 7 Weeks OLD!

 11/21/20 7 Weeks OLD!

How in this world are these puppies already 7 weeks old?!

We got up early today.  My sinuses were bothering me, so much for the pretty weather - grey and rainy today.  But the pupsters didn’t mind.  I was up before daylight today and finally just took the puppies outside too.  They don’t seem to care at all if it is dark when we are out.  

The pupsters continue to not care if it’s cool or rainy, I continue to be less enamored of it but they generally win out.  They had visitors this afternoon - bringing their unduplicated census of new people after week 4 to 33.  After they got over their disappointment over being brought inside, they were happy to interact with their company (mostly with their teeth) but they also did a fair amount of cuddling.

The big dogs are happy when we have company because after they are greeted, I usually keep some distance from the puppies (so they don’t just focus on me) and they get extra cuddles from the Mama.  If I do much, the puppies will get distracted.

I’m a bad blogger today.  I can’t think of much else to write - maybe I’ll do better after a nap.  Or tomorrow. Puppy breath to all

11/20/20 Pupdate

Hmmm, what did we do today:  We went outside and had anice breakfast after pottying then that mean Humama made us come back inside for a while.  We don’t know why she doesn’t have a nice hairy coat like we do, we’re comfortable outside.  But she did open the door beside our inside elevated bed so we could nap in the fresh air. We played and napped and cuddled and were generally adorable.

Eventually, she took us outside again and we got to run amok.  We found leaves to atttack and siblings and toys to bite.  We have one of our Daddy’s Daddy’s tennis ball on a rope toys and we like to play tug with that in groups of 2-3-4. The Mama and the Daddy BOTH played with us some (and each other, it was a big family game but it made the Humama a little nervous.  They were very careful though and we really enjoyed that.)

Around noon-thirty, our AuntieGrandmas showed up with the GrandMater Gator.  She played with us a little and with our daddy.  She’s as loud as we are when she’s playing but her Humama says she doesn’t bark at home.  She says the rules are different here.  If it weren’t all about the dogs, why would we have a rubber floor?). The Aunt Grandmas tried to give us our lunch but they were a little worried that we didn’t get enough because we can eat our raw food REALLY fast.  AuntMama knows better than to feed us until we’d stop because we’d get sick.  We’re healthy and growing so it was all good.

Then they did some more “grooming” on us.  They made the hair on our back ends shorter again - something they kept talking about lions.  They call us puppies, lions, baby dogs, sharks and all kinds of things - as long as they don’t call us late for dinner, we don’t care.  They also did our Mama’s muzzle and the toenails on all of the big dogs.

We ran amok and had a nice nap again and then we had to go inside for the evening.  But at bedtime, the Humama took us outside for potty time again.  We like pottying outside even if it’s dark.  Nighty, nighty, nighty.  Puppy breath to all!

11/19/20 Pupdate

Pupsters were good babies again last night.  We went outside to potty first thing this am and then had breakfast in the castle sandbox.  Poor little FauxReal was pooping way far away in the rock at the back gate.  She made it back well before everything was gone (I’d have given her some more if it was all gone)

I brought them back inside while I ran the vacuum and steamed the floor.  No point in letting them miss a day of vacuuming. The steam mop isn’t loud but it does make some noise as does the sprayer with the cleaner.

We went back outside when they woke and they played and played and ran amok.  Then they finally started settling in for naps.  I was going to put them in the playhouse but I couldn’t find the doorstop (clear is not the best choice for someone with no real usable vision).  While I was searching for it, a couple of the puppies were unwilling to settle down.  Then I noticed feet in the window of the playhouse.  Upon further checking, there was a puppy standing on the table with his front feet on the window hole.  I reached in and put him down on the floor (it’s finally a good thing I have monkey arms) then I opened the door and gave up on getting things from inside the house ready before the vet came.

The pupsters met 2 new people today and were introduced to squirty cheese.  They’ve had string cheese but I just took it for granted that they’d like squirty cheese (I was right).  They showed off their ability to sit so that people can pet them, too.  I don’t do the whole “manding by sitting” because I don’t want sit as a defualt behavior but I do reward them more when they aren’t leaping onto me

They were also introduced to getting stuck with needles but nobody seemed to notice that.  One puppy fussed a little at the microchip but didn’t stop eating .  For the first time in all of our microchip insertions, we had one misfire and the poor baby had to get another sitck.  It didn’t bother her and she just got a little more squirty cheese. (It’s slightly annoying becuase I buy the prepaid microchips but it’s not like I do any of this in a frugal manner)

They ran around a little in the pretty weather (not summer pretty but there was some sunshine and it wasn’t freezing cold wind) and when they started to go to sleep, I brought them inside.  I find it amusing that they all choose to sleep on/under the elevated bed if the screen door is open.  If it is closed, they sleep across the pen in the crate.  Funny puppies.  I also find it REALLY adorable that they wake up and hurry across the pen to pee in the potty area and then go back pile back up with the other pupsters.  They are SO cute.

At 10 pm, they woke up and were insistent on going outside.  So we had our first trip out in the dark.  I suspect it will continue now as several of them are developing a definite preference for going outside to poop.  Good puppies.  We’re going to cuddle up and call it a night.  Nighty, nighty, nighty Puppy breath to all!

11/18/20 Pupdate

The pupsters let me sleep until almost 8 am!  (And they didn’t get me up then but they certainly wanted attention when they knew I was awake). I think they woke up and said hi to the MSU when he came home from workn but it was pretty late so I’m not sure.  They went right back to sleep, too.  Such good puppies!  

It was 23 degrees outside this am but they insisted it was just fine.  I did NOT concur so I didn’t let them nap outside.  They were mostly cooperative about coming back inside but they made it clear they wanted to go back outside later.  

It was nicer this afternoon so we stayed outside longer.  I introduced them to my leaf blower and they thought it was great (and they were really excited that it made the leaves move, too) I wasn’t quite brave enough to open the gate to blow the leaves out with all of the puppies and dogs with me.  I can go in and out with the big dogs staying but the puppies do not make any such promises.  They like to be right where I need to put my feet (I really need to master hovering in mid air)

I held a weight watcher’s meeting in preparation for the vet’s visit tomorrow so she can bring their first heartworm pill,too.  (They won’t get it yet but they will have it before she comes again.) It is NOT my imagination, they have definitely grown!  We have more pounds of puppies than their mama weighs.  (I should weigh Deja to see when they pass him - it’s close if they haven’t already)

We also learned to eat bites of string cheese from my hand so we can be rewarded with more than just kisses and cuddles (which are high value right now but take longer to administer than a treat).  Have I mentioned how adorable they are?  I don’t know how they get cuter and cuter but they do!  Nighty, nighty, nighty Puppy breath to all y’all

11/17/20 Pupdate

Yay!  The mama didn’t wake us up at 5am.  Actually, I didn’t get up until after 7 and one puppy had come out of the crate, pottied and was quietly playing with a toy.  When Deja slid out of bed (that seems to be his preferred method, he didn’t fall out), they noticed and  started watching me.  They were NOT quiet when they could tell I was getting up.  I greeted everyone which helped for a moment but not long enough.  

I sprinkled in some kibble bites (right now, I’m the treat dispenser) but that didn’t distract them long (they only ate part of it) so I grabbed my coat (I need to keep long pants in/by the ottobenbed until I start sleeping upstairs), their food and we headed outside.  6 out of 7 were at the crate door, 1 was at the potty fence gate that opened once before.  A few of them squirreled (I don’t know what caught their attention but they came running when I called again) and we made it outside without any pottying on the floor.  I hope I’m not jinxing that because we’ve gone so far without any pit stops on the way through the room.  We did have some potties in the alfalfa pellet area last night - good puppies.

It was in the low 40s and windy outside and they were perfectly happy to eat, run amok, and play.  I left the door open (a little wasteful but the radiant heat in the floor means it didn’t make the room freezing) so I could monitor them while I grabbed the poop from the pans then I was using that already dirty glove to  clean up the yard.  We had 7 puppy poops in the grass or river rock area, again Good puppies!  Some of them, being good little Portuguese Water Dogs ‘helped’; generally by sinking their needle teeth into my nice thick buffalo wool socks and being dragged around until I could get the gloves off to extricate them.  (Another reminder about the long pants). The mama opened the bar while I was doing that and 4 of them chose to follow me rather than have a little more breakfast.  I was rather surprised by that turn of events.

They paid no attention to me putting my hood up and when a gust of wind blew the cleaning bucket that I put on the railing to dry over, they ran to see what new toy has fallen from the sky. I was getting chilly and hadn’t taken my medication so I brought them back inside after about half an hour.  They are pretty good at following me but only 5 could get into the crate (because I sprinkled some bites through it and they stoppped to eat those bites instead of going on through to the pen, I can’t blame them) so I had to lift the other 2 over the gate.  

Apparently, I need to rearrange ONE more time.  I’m going to shrink the pen potty area a little and switch the crate with the low gate ex pen so we have 2 ways in - one of which they can follow me.  I generally have a good memory but I change things so many times with puppies (and we have more new ex pen again this time, thanks Aunt/Grandma CIndi!) I didn’t get that part right.  I think I’m going to add the other 3 door crate, too so we are ready to contain with access to the potty pen at night.  I may just use Deja’s huge one because the doors are removable (so I don’t have to secure them during the day while the puppies are free to move through it) but the big door is hard to put on so I may use the 36 inch with the end doors that swing in or out.  I wish they still made those crates but I’m glad I bought several while they did.

They are playing fairly nicely while we listen to train sounds on the Echo dot.  It might even be worth buying one that has a battery (this one was free with something we bought a couple of years ago and I just now took it out of the box) so it’s easier to move around (the noises need to come from different places for them to learn to tune them out). I’ll still use the CDs with the noises but this has a LOT of choices I can choose when I want.  Apparently, I’ve been living under a rock. And to think I only got it out because it makes a dancing bear go (I haven’t set that up yet.  We’ve had a lot of other choices of moving/soind making toys). 

Aunt Grandma Cindi came while we were outside so I left her in charge of keeping BOP from getting the pupsters while I changed out their linens and then carried stuff to her vehicle.  The puppies were still playing when we loaded them in to the crates in the van (their mama had to ride loose because we couldn’t fit all 7 into the same crate now)and headed on their first tour.  We went to Cindi’s mom’s house where the babies met 6 new people and had a little lunch and then on to Cindi’s house where they met 8 more.  They were happy see everyone adn were pretty good riders although it took a few minutes for all of them to settle down on the first leg of the sojourn.  They were very good for the other legs although there is evidence that one of them probably hurled once but we didn’t hear it.  If they did, someone ate the evidence except for a wet spot on the pad in the crate.

Once home, Cindi guarded them while I brought in the paraphernalia and then we brought them into the house because we were tired of being cold.  The puppies fussed a moment or two about being made to come inside but they adjusted pretty well.  We took a few minutes to dremel their nails and they were all very good for it.  Cindi even got sucked in to sitting around holding sleeping puppy

We’ve had a quiet evening thus far, I planned to nap right after feeding them dinner but I’ve been recording the day’s events instead.  (And cuddling puppies and big dogs).  We’re going to settle in and say nighty, nightym nighty.  Puppy breath to all

11/16/20 Pupdate

We had a pretty good night in the puppy pen but not as great a morning.  For some reason, Phoebe was lying right outside the pen at 5 am so they were screaming up a storm.  I’m pretty sure she had fed them (she didn’t want to nurse them more) and I have no idea why she stayed right there but after I had her move and sang the 3 songs again, they quieted back down and we all went back to sleep until after daylight.  I hope she doesn’t do that again tonight.

The puppies slept in the open crate again last night - even went back in after the debacle with their mother.  Good puppies, we’re close to ready to sleeping in the crate with the door closed.

I don’t know how they’ve done it but they are even more adorable than yesterday.  The whole group of them piled together in the crate or on the new elevated bed (that just barely doesn’t fit in the playhouse, grrr) or in the playhouse is incredibly endearing.  It’s hard not to cuddle in with them (well, not the crate because it isn’t large enough for all 7 of them and me).  Deja usually joins us but that’s more about cuddling with me than them.

Deja and Phoebe are playing with them more and more.  Today, he managed to play with all of them for quiet a while outside but he knows when to jump up onto a perch (or my lap).  They are figuring out how to climb up onto things, too though so he has to get onto something they can’t climb.  Phoebe just hops over a gate to be out of their reach.  Great Grammie Sammie gives them ‘the look’  and they generally leave her alone but I call them away when they are too interested in her and the poor old girly can’t potty in peace.  Fortunately, she can also still escape through the dog door.

Interestingly (at least to me), while they sound horribly vicious at times when they are playing with one another, they never make those sounds playing with their parents.  They’ll bark and I’ve heard more than one do the hound dog woo woo woo that their Grand Mater Gator does sometimes.  As you might’ve guessed, it’s really cute

When we went outside today, there were hawks flying around screaming. All 3 big dogs were out, too but I still went all around waving my arms and screaming back at the them to go away.  Eventually, I didn’t hear them any more but I don’t trust that they aren’t either being quiet or just perching to watch.  So unless the babies are sleeping in the playhouse with the door blocked closed, I go out with them.

I left the rainwater in the bottom of the varikennel crate and they’ve played in and out of it over and over.  If it doesn’t get too much colder, I’ll put some water in one of the pools they were in as tiny babies (just a few weeks ago but it seems like a long time).  They run around carrying things that seem surprisingly large to me (they are large compared to the puppies) but they have no problems with it - unless they are tackled by another puppy.

I re-rearranged their pen a little while they were safely enscconced in the playhouse for naptime.  Since they are starting to eat dry kibble peices a little better, I should be able to use the Treat N Train to encourage them to move more quickly into the pen from outisde.  That’s always an exciting time.  

Since they’re eating some dry food now too, after their milky dessert I’ve been leaving water out for them.  I can hear them every now and then getting a drink.  It’s a lot different than when they all push in together at mealtimes as if I’ve been starving them since birth (obviously not by the size of the piles of poop - all in the right area since one pottied on the deck Saturday)

They’ve been sleeping pretty hard all evening, they played a little after dinner and I’m sure they’ll have another rousing session after midnight snack but it’s usually pretty short.  If anyone is still at it when I sing the 3 songs and turn off the lights, that stops it.  Such good puppies to go Nighty, nighty, nighty.  Puppy breath to all y’all

11/15/20 Pupdate

Things I forgot yesterday:  One of the puppies took Aunt/Grandma Cindi’s keys out of her pocket and carried them out into the yard from the deck. Her keyring is quite large with a big heavy whistle on it.  They also managed to get some of the plastic chains from the activity cube

We don’t put puppies down when they are struggling/flailing.  We aren’t at all mean about it, we just help them soothe and then put them down to go chase whatever leaf/sibling/person/thought caught their fancy - it’s not a contest of wills; it’s just not safe for a puppy to go flying out of someones arms so we help them learn to ask calmly.  Someone was holding one of the puppies on the other side of the deck and it started to fly out so she had to calm it before putting it down.  It took a second to settle (they are used to how I do it but not everyone feels the same) and as soon as she put the puppy down, it ran over to me as if to tattle - “Do you know what she did to me?”  Great GrammieSammie used to tattle on Cindi when she wouldn’t let her have her way so it’s funny for us to see the puppies doing that already.

I’m trying to be a better chronicler today so I’m typing this as I sit in the open door to the deck (behind the Mickey Mouse fence).  It’s raining and the puppies are in the playhouse napping.  They were all in there napping when the rain began but 5 of them are apparently like their sire and had to go outside to investigate the rain.  It’s been a fair amount of rain so I keep putting on my jacket and hood and creeping out the pool room door to check on them.  The big dogs are annoyed because usually going out that door means something exciting (food or going to romp) and all I do is go into the dog yard and sneak over to check on the playhouse.

They were good puppies in the night again.  Apparently, Phoebe went in to check on them at some time because there was a toy she had last night in with them this morning.  At this point, I am very much just sleeping down her for me, not them.  If I try to sleep upstairs in my bed, I am awake to much wondering.  I could either wake up the MSU to make him look at them on the camera or I could come downstairs, check and then go back up to bed.  This way, I get more sleep.  They were all in the crate when I got up.

As I was saying good morning to them by the potty area, the gate to the short ex pen opened.  I guess I didn’t get it fastened well enough (at all?) yesterday when I cleaned their area/plucked out the poop.  At any rate, 2 puppies came out to greet me and 2 more were heading through so I couldn’t staunch the flow.  It was easier just to take them outside so I did.  And I’m glad I did because it was remarkably nice outside.  Windy but that just makes more leaves blow in for them.  Leaves are BIG fun to the pupsters so they don’t consider that a bad thing at all.  It did make it harder for me to get dressed, etc. because I won’t leave them outside unattended.  (We have some large birds of prey and I don’t want them trying to get one of my puppies). I’m wearing ‘emergency drawer’ clothes. (I keep some clothes in the utility room in case I get too wet giving showers, etc.  I can’t stand wearing wet clothes; makes one wonder how I ended up with Water Dogs, doesn’t it). I’ve combed (not styled but combed) my hair and brushed my teeth so I may not look good/oresentable but I am decent.  My priorities have changed significantly since I got dogs ;-)

The pupsters were still outside when the visitors came today (same people so no new additions to the count) but they woke up by the time they got inside; washed up; shoes changed; etc, they were awake and starting to wander out of the playhouse.  So I walked out into the yard to give them a chance to pee (the puppies not the visitors) before we went back inside the house.  Since everybody had really wet feet by then, we carried them inside instead of calling them across the floor.  It’s harder to work out calling them inside with multilple people because the ones that are already to the pen will turn around and run back to the other person calling them like in the come game.  They’ll learn but better not to learn on mostly clean floors with wet little feet ;-)

The babies had a good visit with the people.  They played and napped cuddled and ate and played and and cuddled and napped some more.  Too bad they don’t like people ;-). Eventually, the puppies were drifting off to sleep and the visitors had to start their drive home.

Since I stay out of the puppy pen (mostly) when they have visitors so I make sure the puppies don’t focus on me instead of the other people, I needed to make up for lost time.  I cuddled some while they slept and played some and I was mobbed by all 7 puppies at once, too ;-).   It hasn’t been very nice weather this afternoon - REALLY big wind blowing the mickey mouse fence around - so we’ve stayed inside. The puppies have been sleeping most of the time and playing lower key with each other and the new toys in the pen.

I’m about to have to start closing the gate to the tall section of ex pen as at least one puppy is extremely close to climbing out.  Hopefully, Phoebe will wait for me to open it when she wants to go in but she may just go over the lower part.  Phoebe likes to sail over things (she repeatedly leaps over the puppy gate from the dog door to the deck instead of just going around through the yard so we’ll see.

I’m getting very sleepy so I’m going to get the dogs ready for nighty, nighty, nighty.  Puppy breath to all!

11/14/2020 6 weeks old!

How is that even possible that the babies are 6 weeks old?!  This morning, I got up at 6 (it is NOT daylight at 6am here now) to turn off the alarm (for the MSU coming home from work) but I did not engage the puppies.  I think one might’ve eyeballed me but didn’t make any noise as I went in the other room.  I vacuumed the blue carpet and did some laundry before they woke up and were fed.  Good puppies!

They met the hose this am.  While we were outside, I sprayed some of the alfalfa pellets off of their linens that were headed to the washer and the puppies were quite interested in what I was doing.  It was sunny so I let them get in the spray while I did that and river rock areas although I made sure nobody got saoked.  They seemed to enjoy it but I’m not sure I can think of anything they don’t enjoy.

They met 4 new people this afternoon and i think everyone enjoyed it.  They’d been awake for quite a while before the visitors (Deja’s cousin Trilli’s people) arrived but made do with some power naps.  Eventually, all were awake so I had the men feed deliver the food.  Men are less frequent visitors so we like to take advantage when we can.  The puppies certainly did, too.

I know a lot more happened but at the moment I can’t recall much of it.  The MSU has another kidney stone so we’ve been a little disconcerted trying to get him to the tolerable stage of that.  It doesn’t appear he’ll go to the ER tonight with it but I don’t recall one this bad since the first one (and I don’t think it was this bad, we just didn’t know what it was).

The puppies had starter mousse for midnight snack dinner and I let them play with one of the empty containers for a while.  It’s as big a hit as the spoons I leave in after they eat but with a few piercings.  We’re all going to say Nighty, nighty, nighty for now.  Puppy breath to all

11/13/20 Pupdate

This morning the pupsters did not wake me up.  I woke up a few minutes after 7 and they were still asleep.  They actually didn’t get up until almost 7:30.  Yesterday, while the Aunt Grandmas had the puppies on the deck, I cleaned their pen and added on to it.  One of the additions is an elevated bed and another is a crate (with the door removed so nobody can get pinched with it).  Both were big hits with the pupsters.  I was trying to figure out who was in the crate without waking them and I thought there were 2 in the milk crate, 1 by the stool and 4 in the crate.  When they woke up and headed over to the potty area, I realized there were 5 in the crate and the ‘one’ by the stool was the spider toy from Halloween.  Good puppies!

I promptly fed them breakfast which they seemed to enjoy followed by a little goat milk and rice cereal then a little water to rinse the dish.  They were quite active with a lot of VERY loud interaction including some requests for human attention.  They were playing and going over to potty and playing but little FOMO was not happy. He was on the elevated bed and pulling on the ex pen at that door and howling.  I was starting to think he didn’t feel well when he apparently gave up on the stupid humama to understand and went over to the potty area to poop.  I think he wanted to go outside.  The other poops today have happened outside - and the ones outside were either in the grass or the rock areas - not even on the deck!  They aren’t as good with pee (puppies never are) but they do try.  Inside they’ve made it at least to the edge of the potty area all day but it’s a long way off of the deck.

I think I may as well give up on keeping them off the ramp.  I’m just hoping they don’t go through the dog door for a while yet,  I’ve caught more than one with their feet up on the threshhold of it trying to figure out where their Elders have gone (and how to get there.)

Midmorning, after their mama gave them a little snack and a little big of playtime; she hopped out to let them play amongst themselves and had some playtime with Deja.  While they were doing some light wrestling and on their backs gatoring bitey mouth, the puppies stopped what they were doing and watched.  They proceeeded to pitch a fit at being excluded.  I guess they already want to do what the big dogs do.

Eventually, most of them just watched quietly and then went back to playing together but it was quite a disappointment to them.  Phoebe and Deja paid no attention to them whatsoever though.

That was interesting because that puppy did not settle down and sleep when the others did.  I tried taking him outside, I carried him around, he just wasn’t ready to go to sleep.  I was hoping for a nap so I tried snuggling him on the ottobenbed and I was trying to loosen his collar.  He was mostly staying with me but gently moving around and walked onto a section of the blanket that was bridging the gap between the ottobenbed and the couch so he gently slid down between the 2 (I could tell it was getting close so I made sure I had the blanket enough that he wouldn’t actually fall). He wasn’t scared or distressed or vocal but apparently, Phoebe was paying attention, too because she immediately came up on the ottobenbed to check where he went and supervise his ‘rescue’. She gave his face a little licking and went back to her napping on the couch across the room.  They never cease to amaze me.

We had a couple of trips outside in the warmth but I didn’t want to stay out all afternoon so I brought them in after lunch and recess when they were starting to go back to sleep.  Most of them went into the crate to sleep, either in spite or because of the door behind it being open.   I don’t think it made that much difference because they are sleeping in it again this evening with the closed door.

They had visitors this evening but it’s people they’ve already met so we don’t get to up their numbers until tomorrow.  The puppies have grown a lot in the not quite 2 weeks since they last saw them (other than pictures/video) and they’ve all gotten a lot of teeth they are trying to use on everything.  I think the pupsters still met with their approval though.

I’m afraid the play gym is not going to be useful much longer.  I had to put it back together on 3 separate occasions today.  They are very good at playing tug with the items on it - sometimes with each other on them as well.  They are getting to be quite strong little pupsters.  Fortunately, we have other items for environmental enrichment when the gym is dismantled. We’ll see what tomorrow brings.  For now we’re going to say nighty, nighty, nighty.  Puppy breath to all!