July 1, 2010 - 7 Weeks Old
" Bye Bye American Pie"
This will be a BIG week for our proud Americans!! They enjoyed the BIG puppy playpen for the first time where they have big trees, big rocks and LOTS of room to PLAY!!! They love running, jumping, climbing and getting into every thing they are NOT supposed to be into!!! It is nearly impossible to keep track of them at the same time OR keep them from getting each other in trouble!!! J Fortunately, they get better every day at following me on our walk abouts so I can wear them out and slow them down just a little!!! They are soooooo much fun at this age!!!
Mini Me still enjoys playing with them very much, but she is REALLY pretty much over the whole nursing thing!!! The pups still WANT to nurse even though I don’t think there is any thing in the faucets!! Mini just stands there with a long suffering look on her face as the puppies pretty much hang off her! It looks extremely uncomfortable to me! All are still gaining weight and size expotentially!!! Teeth are very definitely in and being used!!!
We were off to my Vet (whom I work with) on Thursday for their final check up before going home. A rather intensive poking and prodding goes on with eyes, ears, lungs, hearts, teeth and, for the boys, testicles getting checked!!! A LONG checklist for each pup, is filled out so that every possible health check has been done and documented for your vet to be aware of. A copy is included with all other health documents for each puppy. They got their first puppy shot (OUCH!), wormed AGAIN (yuck!), and microchipped for permanent identification (BIG OUCH!!) Considering the size of the microchip needle, it is pretty impressive how well our little Americans take it!!! No crying!!! It helps that we save the microchipping for last and quickly give them lots of hugs and kisses. They like going to the vet because everyone takes their turn holding and playing with them so they get lots of attention and treats.
Each pup is turning into their own little unique self. Let me introduce you to my little American Patriots:
PERFECT FEMALES
Mamie – golden red, clear face, gorgeous ridge, small spot on chest, almost no white on feet, medium size. Quiet, gentle, eager to please – a SWEETIE!
Dolly – golden red, minimal mask, gorgeous ridge, large spot on chest, almost no white on feet,
Medium size. Vet removed small skin tag on left side of neck. Funny, goofey, likes to play and give kisses!
Hillary – golden red, medium mask, gorgeous ridge, small spot on chest, almost no white on feet,
Medium size. Curious, playful, attentive, likes hugs.
Jackie O – darkest, deep red, dark mask, tiny spot on chest, almost no white on feet, smallest in litter. Full of spit and vinegar, sassy, silly and FUN!!
PET FEMALES
Bess – golden red, minimal mask, gorgeous ridge, kink tail, big spot on chest, white on feet, medium size. Goofey, fun, willing to please, likes to snuggle
Lady Bird – golden red, clear face, gorgeous ridge, kink tail, big ‘shield’ spot on chest, minimal white on feet, medium size. Fiesty, spunky, full of herself.
PERFECT MALE
Slick Willey – dark red, dark mask, gorgeous ridge, minimal white anywhere, biggest pup. Easy going galoot, gentle and easy to be around.
PET MALE
Trickey Dickey – golden red, clear face, 5 crown/colic ridge, minimal white anywhere, medium size. Full of himself, funny, goofey, independent
BYE BYE AMERICAN PUPPIES! I will always remember how you made me smile and dance, and now it is your chance to make someone else happy for a long long while!
Mini Me still enjoys playing with them very much, but she is REALLY pretty much over the whole nursing thing!!! The pups still WANT to nurse even though I don’t think there is any thing in the faucets!! Mini just stands there with a long suffering look on her face as the puppies pretty much hang off her! It looks extremely uncomfortable to me! All are still gaining weight and size expotentially!!! Teeth are very definitely in and being used!!!
We were off to my Vet (whom I work with) on Thursday for their final check up before going home. A rather intensive poking and prodding goes on with eyes, ears, lungs, hearts, teeth and, for the boys, testicles getting checked!!! A LONG checklist for each pup, is filled out so that every possible health check has been done and documented for your vet to be aware of. A copy is included with all other health documents for each puppy. They got their first puppy shot (OUCH!), wormed AGAIN (yuck!), and microchipped for permanent identification (BIG OUCH!!) Considering the size of the microchip needle, it is pretty impressive how well our little Americans take it!!! No crying!!! It helps that we save the microchipping for last and quickly give them lots of hugs and kisses. They like going to the vet because everyone takes their turn holding and playing with them so they get lots of attention and treats.
Each pup is turning into their own little unique self. Let me introduce you to my little American Patriots:
PERFECT FEMALES
Mamie – golden red, clear face, gorgeous ridge, small spot on chest, almost no white on feet, medium size. Quiet, gentle, eager to please – a SWEETIE!
Dolly – golden red, minimal mask, gorgeous ridge, large spot on chest, almost no white on feet,
Medium size. Vet removed small skin tag on left side of neck. Funny, goofey, likes to play and give kisses!
Hillary – golden red, medium mask, gorgeous ridge, small spot on chest, almost no white on feet,
Medium size. Curious, playful, attentive, likes hugs.
Jackie O – darkest, deep red, dark mask, tiny spot on chest, almost no white on feet, smallest in litter. Full of spit and vinegar, sassy, silly and FUN!!
PET FEMALES
Bess – golden red, minimal mask, gorgeous ridge, kink tail, big spot on chest, white on feet, medium size. Goofey, fun, willing to please, likes to snuggle
Lady Bird – golden red, clear face, gorgeous ridge, kink tail, big ‘shield’ spot on chest, minimal white on feet, medium size. Fiesty, spunky, full of herself.
PERFECT MALE
Slick Willey – dark red, dark mask, gorgeous ridge, minimal white anywhere, biggest pup. Easy going galoot, gentle and easy to be around.
PET MALE
Trickey Dickey – golden red, clear face, 5 crown/colic ridge, minimal white anywhere, medium size. Full of himself, funny, goofey, independent
BYE BYE AMERICAN PUPPIES! I will always remember how you made me smile and dance, and now it is your chance to make someone else happy for a long long while!
June 14, 2010 - 4.5 Weeks Old
"Growing Like Weeds!"
This week we CELEBRATED my mothers 89th Birth Day!!! Many, many people were here to play with the pups and give them lots of attention and affection! All are just little sweeties who like to crawl into any available lap for belly rubs and pets. I think the pups were actually very sad when everyone went home as they really enjoyed all the activity!
They are soooo much fun at this age!!!! It finally stopped raining which meant that the pups got to experience GRASS for the first time. It didn’t take them long to get used to the texture and the feel of having their tummy tickled! They love to jump, hop, pounce and wrestle with each other in the grass too!! They can run pretty well now and like to follow me around mostly getting in the way and trying to trip me!!! I enjoy teaching them to follow me around the yard on our ‘walk abouts’! They have a lot of fun going on our “adventures” examining every bug, twig, leaf, and flower! The poor flowers - they suffer badly at the teeth and paws of the pups!! I have fun watching them become themselves and teaching them to come and follow. I’m sure I look like the pied piper of puppies!!!
I started them on milk replacer early this week to help both Samba and Mini Me try to keep up with their milk requirements, but they just can’t keep up anymore!!! After a few days of puppy “snorkeling” in just milk replacer, they got the hang of eating out of a dish so I added puppy chow that has soaked overnight. What a MESS! but the puppy mush really fills them up. Thankfully, Samba and Mini Me are more than happy to clean them up! Their teeth are coming in and they are learning how to use them, so I think Mini Me and Samba will say ENOUGH for sure very shortly!!
This week they were introduced to the litter box and are starting to get the hang of it using it pretty well. I use the lid of an under the bed storage unit filled with the pressed saw dust pellets you can buy for your wood burning stoves. Not dusty, absorbs VERY well, and is biodegradable! It REALLY helps keep their whelping box and play area much cleaner and teaches them that they need to go potty in the same place all the time. I’m doing everything I can to help you with that housebreaking project coming up!!!
Heathwise, they got wormed for the second time (yum!), another toenail trim, still no dermoid sinus so I think we have jumped that hurtle for sure, no hernias, dew claws look good, teeth are coming.
Grow little Americans, GROW!!
They are soooo much fun at this age!!!! It finally stopped raining which meant that the pups got to experience GRASS for the first time. It didn’t take them long to get used to the texture and the feel of having their tummy tickled! They love to jump, hop, pounce and wrestle with each other in the grass too!! They can run pretty well now and like to follow me around mostly getting in the way and trying to trip me!!! I enjoy teaching them to follow me around the yard on our ‘walk abouts’! They have a lot of fun going on our “adventures” examining every bug, twig, leaf, and flower! The poor flowers - they suffer badly at the teeth and paws of the pups!! I have fun watching them become themselves and teaching them to come and follow. I’m sure I look like the pied piper of puppies!!!
I started them on milk replacer early this week to help both Samba and Mini Me try to keep up with their milk requirements, but they just can’t keep up anymore!!! After a few days of puppy “snorkeling” in just milk replacer, they got the hang of eating out of a dish so I added puppy chow that has soaked overnight. What a MESS! but the puppy mush really fills them up. Thankfully, Samba and Mini Me are more than happy to clean them up! Their teeth are coming in and they are learning how to use them, so I think Mini Me and Samba will say ENOUGH for sure very shortly!!
This week they were introduced to the litter box and are starting to get the hang of it using it pretty well. I use the lid of an under the bed storage unit filled with the pressed saw dust pellets you can buy for your wood burning stoves. Not dusty, absorbs VERY well, and is biodegradable! It REALLY helps keep their whelping box and play area much cleaner and teaches them that they need to go potty in the same place all the time. I’m doing everything I can to help you with that housebreaking project coming up!!!
Heathwise, they got wormed for the second time (yum!), another toenail trim, still no dermoid sinus so I think we have jumped that hurtle for sure, no hernias, dew claws look good, teeth are coming.
Grow little Americans, GROW!!
