It has been a tough week at Songdog for those of us left behind.  Three little girls have left us recently to join their new families. 

While we are thrilled they have such wonderful homes to go to, it isn’t easy to give them up when they have been such a poignant part of our lives.

We felt it only appropriate that their final pictures should be taken with their mom, Annie.

 Godspeed, sweet puppies, and we wish you long, healthy, and happy lice.  We will never forget you.

It’s the last week all the kids will be together for official portraits and weights, so the whole procedure was a bit melancholy.  In honor of their mother we dispensed with the formal table setting for the photo shoot and instead had them sit in the flowerbed amidst a patch of verbena, a cultivar named “Annie”.  

We were just pleased they actually behaved and sat long enough for a photo, which shows our mini-sessions of sit training are starting to make an impression.  We can also now take them for a romp around the property and MOST of the time they will come when we call them.  (Of course finding dead crayfish is simply too great a treasure to ignore.  Freshly dead “seafood” is far tastier than any treats we can offer!)

Final weigh in:

Well, the crack photographer has gone home so the photo shoots are a lot more limited.   But a weekend of record high temps did mean the puppies got a chance to deploy their waterwings for the first time.

At first they were a bit cautious as they wallowed in the mud at the edge and chased a few unlucky frogs.  But once Annie and Blizzie jumped in, the retriever genes took over.  It was far from synchronized swimming as they all headed in different directions, but a GRAND time was had by all.   After a swim in the shallow wetlands, we hiked back up to the pond near the house.  Another session of puppy water polo ensued until puppies and humans were all suitably soaked and muddy.

A brisk rubdown with a towel turned them all into wild heathens and they raced through the grass and around the play area for another half hour.  After a hearty supper, they piled into their box inside and slept like furry little logs.  More than one puppy had paddling paws as it dreamed, I’m sure, of partaking in some glorious maritime adventures.

Another sunny day means another chance to play.  The puppies love their playground and the rock garden continues to be a favorite destination.  Blizzie has decided they really ARE dogs (although a bit on the shrimpy side) and romps with them as well.   They amaze us as day by day they continue to gain mobility and dexterity overnight.  They climb, run, wrassle, bark, and continuously practice their skills as botanical terrorists.  (Poor, poor daffodils.) 

We are equally thrilled, as busy daytime puppies mean sleepy night time puppies!

The big numbers are in.  We are now one big pile of pups!

This week’s weights are:

Green- #9.2
Pink- #8.6
Max- #10.8
Aqua- #10.0
Red- #8.4

We are now almost 50 pounds worth of puppies, which becomes quite clear to us when they have to be lugged around from one location to another.  This is especially true when it means you also have to run in 5 different directions and catch them before the hauling begins.  This week they have learned about 80 degrees, high winds, rain, and even snow.  They appear to ignore the weather completely and just love being outside.

Sunny and warm?  Good.  Wet and muddy?  GREAT!!!  Life is good!!!

The Great Outdoors!

This week we are into fresh water ecology, more geology, and "wrassling".

It was another lovely Saturday after a week once again filled with rain.  The kids loved the sunshine and a chance to explore.  They are very mobile and growing faster by the day - trust us, those little legs can MOVE.  They are increasing their knowledge of the world and are currently heavily into botany (as in tearing up spring flowers) and geology (as in digging holes and eating dirt). 

On the plus side, with their new mobility we have started the earliest housebreaking attempts.  The whelping box is now moved near the front door and they are frequently herded outdoors.  They have responded well to “hitting the grass” and their box is considerably cleaner.  Longer legs also means Annie doesn’t have to lie down to feed them.  She sometimes can stroll along on her own investigations with puppies still attached.  Hmmmmm…maybe that’s where the term “fast food” comes from???

WOW!  What a difference one week makes.  Maybe it was the return of spring.  We enjoyed a lovely, almost 70 degree day of sunshine.  We took advantage of it and the puppies got introduced to the great outdoors.  At first they weren’t quite sure what to think….grass???  Then Red boldly went where no pup had gone before and took off on a jaunt.  Soon they were all into explorer mode.  They played and investigated until their stumpy, still-a-bit-wobbly legs were worn out, and collapsed in the grass for a snooze.  As we sat with them, taking in the sunshine, Max decided my lap looked an excellent spot to get his tan.   After dining al fresco with Mom on the porch, they posed for a classic “country” photo of pups in a basket. 

In the meantime, the older girls thought it was great we spent the day outdoors as well.  After weeks of rain they were happy to have the official First Day of Airdog, leaping into the pond and retrieving with great joy.  Annie was especially happy to take a break and show us all that being a Mom does NOT ruin your airdog style!  Ah, spring!  A great day was had by all.

As with past litters, Mr. Moose has become the puppysitter of choice when Mom is not around.  While all the puppies like to cuddle next to his wooly “fur” and snooze, Red is especially taken with him.  She is often away from the standard pile of pups, over in the corner with Mr. Moose.  Evidently she finds his company less pushy than her siblings. 

We just hope she doesn’t decide to bugle instead of bark when she grows up. On the other hand, having seen the normal sleeping arrangements of her siblings, maybe Red is on to something!
 

Now that they are over 2 weeks old, the puppies are looking like, well, real dogs.  Even Blizzie has decided they are at least some kind of weird canine things.  She will get close to them, sniff them, and watch their antics.  With both their eyes and ears open, we are seeing major changes in them.  They are VERY vocal when they get hungry.  Their howls and barks bring Annie into the box in a hurry.  They are actually walking a bit, and for the first time today we saw Aqua try to initiate some play with Red.  The puppies now are very excited when Annie is anywhere near the box, more from their sense of smell than sight but we know their tiny brains are at work.  And they now make little whines and barks while they are sleeping.  Which makes us wonder--- what can a 2 week old puppy possibly be dreaming about???

Just a few midweek pictures to show how they’ve grown.  The puppies aren’t quite ready for an action flick yet.  Sleep, eat, sleep, eat, sleep eat, and just keep on growing.

They seem to be able to sleep in any position.  The box was cleaned and waiting to dry, so Annie decided to feed them on an old dog bed.  Obviously it was a hit.

Red tanked up on milk, crawled off, and napped, with her head hanging off the edge.  Green, who always seems to be climbing, finished her meal and slept on top of the pile. 

In a few minutes she slid down, still asleep, her head hanging over Aqua’s rump.  Another few minutes passed and Aqua must have felt crowded (Green’s touching me!!!) and crawled off.

Then Red must have decided she was too far away, and snuggled up against Annie’s paw.  Pink and Max, in a milk induced coma, dozed at the bottom of the pile, not interested in the photo shoot.

Wow- the life of a puppy.  Exciting stuff.
 

Week one in going well.  The household is starting to settle into a routine.  Annie is now fine with Blizzie and Gusty sticking their heads into the box for a quick inspection.  Blizzie is convinced these are some kind of weird little prairie gophers, as they CERTAINLY aren’t dogs!  Gusty is fascinated and has wanted to join the action.  Several times she has tried to climb in with the puppies, but we think it’s a bit soon for visitors.  The puppies have all gained at least 3 ounces in the first 48 hours.  They are wagging their tails when they feed, so Annie’s milk evidently gets 4 paws up.  The big boy is acting, well, like a boy, pushing and shoving the girls out of the way when he gets hungry.  Overall, a happy and healthy addition to the Songdog Clan!