Where did my brothers go?

Ouch.. that's my ear.

Dude, why is she always taking pictures of us?

Let's go!

Kicking up their heels in the wide open grass.

The crate had been opened and the fawns were out like a shot. This little guy had received most of the attention at the previous stop and wanted more nap time in, but couldn't resist playing in the grass and sunshine.

Unbelievable! I was getting ready to leave, and all three boys marched right into the crate without me even saying anything. Pure luck, but it worked for me!

Isabelle leading the pack with Ellie and Jolene close on her heels.

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Where did my brothers go?

The crate had been opened and the fawns were out like a shot. This little guy had received most of the attention at the previous stop and wanted more nap time in, but couldn't resist playing in the grass and sunshine.

Blog Excerpt:

The boys romped, played, bit my toes, ate some grass, sniffed some smells, ran in and out of the crate, and had a blast. These boys might be total angels, but even I was pleasantly surprised when they voluntarily all climbed back into the crate at the same time I was ready to pack up and go home. Talk about SMART DOGS!!

Then we went to Mom's house and took a nap. Both me and the dogs! After our nap, we visited the neighbors where the dogs met a pug outside their pack, got lots and lots of hugs and kisses, and were introduced to another toddler. They had an absolute blast, tails wagging full on the whole time. They even managed to steal a bone or two away from the adults. Yes, they were quite proud of themselves and strutted to show it.

It was a great first outing for the boys and I'm so proud of them. They were a little timid at times, but by and large they handled the big old world like pros. It helped having the moms there. Their next outing will have a little time with mom and a little time with just me. We try to give them new exposures and experiences a little at a time so that they know they are safe even if the whole pack isn't there. We eventually wean them down to some one-on-one time and some alone time to help them adjust in a familiar setting before going to a new home.

04-05-08

Alvin

 

Simon

Theodore

 

Blog Excerpt: 

If it's possible, they're even more cute today than they were yesterday. Every day is an adventure for these little guys, bringing something new to explore, something new to learn. They're curious, loving, and ever so sweet. Mom came over this past weekend and it was their first day outside. A great, warm spring day. They discovered the shoelaces and the little tab on the back of mom's shoes and they are the new favorite toys. Made for puppies, don't you know?

Ellie and Isabelle have been keeping them fat and happy, so they have been turning up their noses at every weaning food I've offered them. And I offer a 5-star restaurant quality, I'll have you know. But Ellie is thinking about having them try some adult food. She saved part of her chicken quarter the other day and let the boys gnaw on the leg for a while. Same with another piece of meat. I can't say that I've seen them get any meat off the offerings so far, but it gives them a good mental challenge as well as works out some of their nibbling urges. Gives mom's tail a break - lol. Toys only keep their interest half the time!

The boys also found a bowl of kibble while on one of their evening excursions around the house. They jumped in and ate a few bites. So they have a little bowl of Blue Buffalo kibble in their pen if they get hungry between feedings, as well as fresh water. And this morning they had some ground pork with a bit of water, some pro-biotics and some zeo-clear with diatomaceous earth. They gobbled it right up! Now they're working on attacking a stuffed duckie that's the size of two of them put together :)

Ellie has also taught me a few new tricks about mothering. She took the opportunity with the bone to teach them manners. Now I bring the bone to you, now I growl and you back off. Now I bring it to you again, now I growl and you move away. Basically, they are given food at her will and command and they are to respect her space and her wishes, but she will ensure that they are fed and cared for. Both she and Isabelle take their development very seriously. I'm so proud of the little mommas!
 

3-16-08

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Blog Excerpt 3/17 & 3/19:

Ellie's boys are 3 weeks old now and they are so incredibly cute!!! But man are they fat. And I do mean FAT!! I knew that they'd be getting extra milk since there were only 3, but we've had to take the boys out and literally exercise them and make them work for their food to keep them moving around.

Well, the mystery of why they are so big has been solved. Isabelle was going through a false pregnancy and she would watch over the boys when Ellie went out to go potty or went to get a bite to eat. She faithfully sat by the whelping pen, staring adoringly at her charges and chasing away any other dogs who tried to sneak a sniff of the little fuzzies. But then watching turned to active participation. Before we knew it, Isabelle was jumping into the pen with the pups and feeding them EVEN MORE!! Holy cow, it's no wonder we can barely see their legs.

However, feeding the pups has kicked in Izzy's maternal drive. So after working with the three milk-bearing females yesterday to get one of them to permanently adopt Tiki's (with no success), I finally gave in and we're back to the bottle. I was tired and needed a good night's sleep. But at midnight, Izzy decided to stage a coup to take charge of Ellie's pups. I was wakened by growls and posturing. Amazingly, Izzy won and she stayed in the crate with the pups as Ellie slept by my head and stared longingly at the whelping pen with a big sigh. I told her to enjoy the break and I'd take care of it in the morning. After a few more skirmishes that night, Ellie managed to gain control of the whelping pen, but Izzy jumped in after her. There they were, two mommas and 3 babies, all squished into the pen. So I brought Izzy to work with me to give poor Ellie a break. Those crazy girls!

Between their skirmishes and the little one's feedings, I don't think I got much sleep last night. So this morning as I walked through the house with closed eyes, I walked by a chair with a big black feather duster in it and I patted its head, thinking it was a pug. The next step is the loony bin!

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Ellie and Isabelle have found their happy medium. Ellie has regained control of her babies and Isabelle is the faithful and much needed assistant. The girls are working together and even giving each other kisses while the puppies are feeding. It's nice to all be on the same page again!

Tiki's puppy is thriving, but she's so much more tiny than the boys! You can see her as the speck in the picture. But the boys are so fat and happy that the little girl can crawl circles around them right now! I had to get the boys out on the bed and make them do laps for their milk - lol. They'd head for the teat and I'd put them back on the other side of the bed. It was most unfair, to be sure, but they are walking much better and are more lively and rambunctious. In fact, I heard the first bark yesterday. Two of the boys were playing and one of them told the other what was what! Very bossy!

Daisy made me feel better tonight. She was sitting on the floor barking at an unknown threat. Then I figured it out - she barked at the featherduster!!! Hahahaha... she was just trying to make me not feel so stupid ;)

Babies just got fed and are sleeping hard!  3-6-08

The adults were playing and snorting in the background. Those noises aren't coming from the babies!! :)

Blog Excerpt:  Two have opened their eyes and the third one is halfway there. They seem very aware of their surroundings, where they want to be and what they want to do. But their little bodies aren't quite there yet. They're getting their legs up underneath them better. In another week they'll be walking, then look out world!

03-01-08

Blog Excerpt:

On Saturday, February 23, Ellie Mae surprised us with an early delivery of 3 beautiful baby boys. She was so large and producing so much milk, we were guessing that she had 6 in there, but we were wrong. They were a very nice size coming out and full of life and vigor. Getting the first one out was hard for her and we nearly called the vet, but then it came at 7:30, then another at 8:30, then the final one at 9:30 and then I stayed awake till 12:30 watching her... just in case.

The boys went to the vet at 3 days old and got their dew claws removed. That was almost a huge mistake because when I made the appointment for dew claw removal, they wrote down to also dock the tails!! ACK!! I double-checked when we got there and made them change it to dew claws only. It was a new girl at the counter, but it was too close a call to be comfortable! Momma and the boys received checkups from head to toe with positive feedback. They are snorty, snarfly and already think they're more mobile than they are, trying to crawl around and investigate before their eyes are even open!

Ellie's first litter didn't think much of being on their backs, no matter how much we worked with them. But this litter is different. From day 1, they have settled into my hands quite comfortably and don't mind being on their backs. Same father, same mother, makes you wonder why so different. The only thing I can figure is that Ellie is a more relaxed mother this time and knows that no harm will come to her babies in my care. I don't handle them much, just enough to check them from head to toe once a day to make sure all is well.

The little black boy is already showing some spunk and attitude. When I have him on his back, he will lift first one lip, then the other. In other words, he does a great Elvis impersonation. Cracks me up. Then he'll yawn and snuggle down and relax.

We do puppy development exercises with all of our litters and today I put them through the paces. Days 3-15 involve very light stimulation, not much time spent away from Mom, but enough to react to the stimuli to help stimulate brain and reflex action. Studies of these exercises have shown to increase critical thinking, increase ease of adjusting to situations, and other side benefits and was first put into play on an organized basis by the military when raising and training their dogs. Part of the process is to put the pup down on a wet washcloth for 3-5 seconds. Just enough time for the body to register an unpleasant sensation and move away from it. They are never left there long! I usually sit them at the edge of the washcloth so that when the cold registers, with one swoop they can be off of it themselves. So today, all 3 recognized the cold sensation very quickly and were off of that washcloth in a heartbeat. But the black pup, he scooted off and then wondered what that was and came back and put his head on the washcloth. I've never seen a pup do that before!! To be this curious this quickly?? Very interesting.

I also caught the darker fawn boy dreaming on day 2. He was trying to suckle, making sucking noises with his mouth and moving his paws back and forth. Too cute.

We're having a poll to give the boys temporary names that you can see on the right. please vote!

We're very busy these days and are spending all our spare time with the dogs and the puppies, but we'll try to keep you posted with news as it arrives!