Wednesday, May 27, 2009

pupdates

Everyone asks for updates on puppies, so we started calling them pupdates awhile ago. It's actually a blast to get public involvement in the raising of the puppies. The first litter Marg had was 6 puppies and we were using an alcohol theme(dad was Royal Crown, Marg is Margaritaville-go figure) anyway, someone termed them the Six Pack and it stuck. Last year we got help naming the 8 pups out of the Marg x Boo litter-so many great ways to take a Jimmy Buffet theme. So this year as noted in the previous post, it's a Patriotic theme. Here's the short list, with one extra. Partly because I also like to make the name fit the puppy and right now they all just look like little squishy rats.

Rosie the Riveter
Rocket's Red Glare
Lest We Forget
I Want You(think of Uncle Sam pointing at you from the poster)
Liberty Belle
Reflect & Remember
United We Stand

How's that to you? Looks good to me!

As far as the pupdate, we head to Doc's today for dewclaws. As always, should be interesting. One litter, we ended up gluing a puppy's foot to a siblings head, so now I get kidded about that at every dewclaw session. Then I usually have to go find a puppy, who has been slipped into a tech's pocket and is now wandering the office. I know lots of people like to do their own dewclaws or in pemmies-tails, but this gives me a chance to have Doc give them a once over and look at mom to make sure she's doing well.

For those of you who have been there, done that, isn't it interesting how each mom is different in her care of her puppies? Phoebe laid on top of them, always battling to keep her off them. Tuli-never an issue at any point, Marg was pretty cool with them but always has that look of "is it over yet?" Now Shoobug, she's a corker. I use a heating pad vs a heat lamp. Too many scary stories of lamps breaking. With the pad, they can squirm off to one side where it's cooler, or on to it to warm up. I have it inside a double pocketed Yoda Pad cover--it's super perfect. But here's the issue, Shoobug is paranoid when they start moving off it! She corrals them on it and then pulls the whelping pad up around it, like a barrier. I think I might have to put the heating pad in one of my PetSakes dog beds, just so they stay in one spot. Oh and heavens, take one out to weight it and you get the super evil eye. Won't go out of the whelping box except to pee, won't get out to eat or drink-so the bowls are on one side of the box. And talk about clean-I've never ever had a mom so picky about clean. Herself, the box, the puppies. I swear she's going to lick the hair right off them if she doesn't stop fussing. But that's good and means I don't have too much to clean when I do get her out of the box.

Here's photo from this morning. Yes it's a pink wading pool. Boxes are great but the pools work so well for me, I just can't see changing. I can sterilize the heck out of them, it fits in my whelping room, aka the master bath and once they scale the sides, then it's time to send them to the xpen and general population. I usually move them to a double xpen, with litter box and sides at about 3-4 weeks. They can regulate their temp by then, they are all over and need more room. The nosies of the house-vacuum, dishwasher, slamming doors, thundering paws and the like are all around them. Only issue I have is that most of them get too used to the carpet cleaner or vacuum and there are reports of attacks on those items in their new homes ;0) The rest of gang gets to meet the newbies, Clairee and Eddie can go over the small gate and play at will and Mom can escape the hunger hoard as needed. AND, with summer here, the rugrats have quick access to the outside yards.

Anyway, here's today's photo, notice how she's got them all tucked in and on the heating pad-go figure! Oh looking at them again, we might have one more red rather then a red brindle, but if she does show her stripes, she will be even brighter then anything else in this house!


Later gators.....

C

5 comments:

penni said...

Good names though I thought you might have a "Flanders Field" -- somehow that's always what I think of on Memorial Day.

Holly said...

Great names! I did a patriotic theme with my last GSD litter. Pups & mom look great! I love the wading pools too. I tried it once (in desperation when someone would not return my wooden box) and will always use a pool from now on.

Cindy said...

I had thought about using a box at one time, but seemed more of a pain then anything. The fun part is, once they outgrow it, I throw it outside, fill with water and they take right to it. Always have a couple in storage in the basement, just in case.

Cindy said...

Flander's Field--that's a great one too or something with a take on the Poppies. Hummm, gonna think on this one now ;0) Thanks Penni!

Kathy Gibson said...

Amber Waves of Grain

America the Beautiful

Martha Washington

Betsy Ross

Clara Barton