The TOY STORY Litter

INT'L & AKC CH KKR TOPPER
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KKR RUMBA'S PHOENIX RISING

April 21, 2011 - 7 Weeks Old

" I Have Been Chosen!  I Go to a Better Place!"
What fun it is to play with the “TOYS” every day!! They have really changed again this week and gained lots of confidence in themselves and their world. They have grown soooo much again and really turned into PLAYFUL, full of mischief puppies. The cold and wet weather has prohibited them from spending as much time outside as they, and I, would have liked them to! I still managed to take them on a few of our “walkabouts” where they follow me around the yard and gardens where they are learning to come and follow. I’m sure I look like the Pied Piper of Puppies! These are training sessions for them whether they know it or not and also a very useful means of wearing the little monsters, (I mean DARLINGS!) out. Remember, a tired puppy is a good puppy!

This was a BIG week for them! They had their final vet check on Thursday. Everyone weighed in between 9.5 pounds (Jessie) and 15 pounds (Woody). They got their first puppy shot (OUCH!), wormed AGAIN (yuck!), another toe nail trim (very annoying), and microchipped for permanent identification (BIG OUCH!!) Considering the size of the microchip needle, it is pretty impressive how well our little “Toys” handle it!!! It helps that we rather quickly give them the good tasting wormer!!! Don’t ask me how I KNOW that it is good tasting!!! Lets just assume that I don’t have worms nor will I ever have Rabies or Distemper for that matter! Stuff occurs! I have a check list my vet fills out that lists every possible body part so that she can make notations if she thinks there is anything you or your vet should be aware of. I will send a copy in each puppies going home packet along with all their other health records. All pups have great hearts, all lungs are good, teeth are beautiful, no hernias, Rex has one testicle that has not dropped yet, but there is still plenty of time for it to come down - a very nice healthy litter!!! Slinky had her dermoid sinus removed on Tuesday which went very well – she never missed a beat! She has a few stitches in the back of her neck but she has no swelling and my vet said she looked just fine on Thursday! We have LOADS of fun visiting with all the Ridgeback Lovers at the vet clinic!!!

The Toy Story litter has been GREAT fun to watch grow up, but it is time to let them go. They have been CHOSEN! Keep in mind that they ALWAYS have a friend in ME!

Farewell, my TOY STORY friends!

You go to a Better Place!

April 3, 2011 - 5.5 Weeks Old

"You've Got a Friend in Me"
Lookout! The pups have TEETH and they don’t know how to use them!!! They still need to learn that friends don’t bite each other!! Yikes!!! They have been sharpening their new little teeth on each other, me and worst of all their Momma, which is just another reason why she is pretty much DONE with feeding them. Can’t say I can blame her there! I make her feed them 3-4 times a day, but she rarely lies down with them and has a decided long suffering look on her face. She does like to play with them though as long as she can keep moving so they can’t hang off of her. Can’t say I blame her on that one either as it looks really uncomfortable!!! So far all those little teeth look very good, incisors are scissoring correctly, no over or under bites. YEAH!

Another worming with that good tasting banana stuff, and of course another toenail trim were the health maintenance activities of the week. The first puppy shots and the microchips have been ordered and should be here soon. Their AKC registration papers have been sent in and should be here soon as well. The countdown to Home Coming is on!!!

To that end, I have continued the litterbox training which they do really well at. They have a few more peeing accidents than I think is necessary but rarely miss the box for their pooing, so I can’t complain.
The goal is that this will help you house train them when they come home to you. All you need to do is select WHERE the bathroom is going to be in YOUR yard, be sure to CARRY them to that spot the very first time you get home with them and that will help you get started on the right foot at your home. If you go out the same door, say the same thing and carry the puppy to the designated spot and then reward them with your voice, hands and eyes when they accomplish their goal, they will house break very quickly. Puppies tend to be about as house broke as their families are!!!

I have moved them into the BIG whelping box and added an exercise pen so that their world has doubled in size! THEY have doubled in size too so they need all that extra room for their romping and rolling and chasing each other around!!! They are still figuring out how to play with each other nicely and now they have TOYS too!

They have gotten very good at eating their puppy mush and do MUCH less snorkeling in it. I use a stainless steel puppy donut ring that is elevated to help them swallow easier and NOT walk in their food. Puppy mush is delivered to them 3 times a day, so Momma gives them a bath 3 times a day too.

I continue to look for and take note of little differences in color, size and personalities as they each become their own unique little selves. Keep in mind that these differences are generally VERY slight, but do make it possible for someone who pretty much lives with them to tell them apart!!! Personalities will continue to develop, coloring for the most part tends to blend together with age (if you like the white – enjoy it now as it will freckle and fade), size will constantly change as they go thru their own growth spurts. The males are already bigger than the females which is typical.

As they grow and mature and the weather warms up, I daily expose them to new things, sights, sounds and smells so that they can widen their world and experience CHANGE!!! This week they each had their pictures taken individually which is always GREAT fun for us, the pups not so much necessarily. It is their first time being alone in a strange place so it is always interesting to see how they react. Enjoy their first portraits and brief descriptions!!


YOU'VE GOT A FRIEND IN ME!


Faultless Males:

Woody - very dark red, heavy black mask, very limited white anywhere, great ridge, BIG, happy, adventurous, attentive

Buzz – very dark red, black mask, big spot on chest, great ridge, BIG, happy go lucky, curious, eager to please


Faultless Females:

Bullseye – very dark red, black mask, big white spot on chest, great ridge, medium size female, confident, outgoing, full of herself, up for adventure

Hamm – dark red, black mask, medium size white spot on chest, great ridge, medium size female, funny, spunky, sassy and very curious and attentive

Spud – very dark red, black mask, medium size white spot on chest, white left front foot, great ridge, biggest female, easy going, likes the attention and adventurous

Ali – very dark red, heavy black mask, medium spot on chest, great ridge, medium sized, kind and gentle, likes to be hugged and snuggled


Pet Male:

Rex – very dark red, heavy black mask, BIG white spot and front feet, great ridge, BIG, easy going, playful, likes attention, eager to please


Pet Females:

Slinky – very dark red, black mask, big white spot and white left foot, great ridge, medium sized, dermoid sinus (will be removed April 12), playful and fun, willing to do whatever I asked her to, loved attention

Jessie – golden red, black mask, big white spot on chest, one crown ridge, smallest female, sweet and gentle, snuggle bug, loves hugs