Monday, October 08, 2007

Miss Scarlet Likes the Water

Since I had trouble uploading our first adventures in the pool from last week, I thought I'd at least get this one up from yesterday's second adventure in water.

We moved the kiddie pool from the deck (the location of the first pool adventure) to the yard adjacent to the new, enlarged play pen under our oak tree in the back yard. It was VERY humid yesterday, with temps in the eighties, but it was windy, too. Still, it seemed like a good time to try water exposure again (I don't know how many more 80-degree weather days we're going to have this fall, although it's supposed to be 88 degrees F today - yuk, for mid-October).

Here's a clip of DD Sarah enticing the pups to enter the pool with her. We set the hammock up in front of the pool for the pups to have better footing and access. And this time we also put a plastic "dock" (a step block from step aerobics equipment) in the middle of the water near the edge to make it easier to climb in and out, and to give them a place to step out of the water if they wanted to, but still be in the pool. The big black square in the bottom of the pool is a rubber traction mat to keep the pups from slipping.

The water is about 1.5 inches deep. :o)

As you'll see, we think Miss Scarlet is our water bug.



Mr. Blue was actually our first pup to go into the water last time, and he trotted in and out then. I think he was having to much fun romping in the yard outside of the pen to be to interested in the pool this time. At one point, he just nestles in under Sarah's stool for a quick nap.

In this next clip, though I was trying to capture pups in the pool (they didn't cooperate!), you'll see how much fun they were having galloping about the yard.




They all seem healthy, happy, curious, energetic, and willing to try new things, which makes me feel good. They seem secure and confident.

And I think that's what we hoped to foster in them in their short stay with us. Wow... only two weeks left to go! Where have the last six weeks gone?

'Til next time,
Joan

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

tjyI enjoyed watching your grandpups testing out the "waters". They are so cute... Six weeks sure went by fast. Thanks so much for sharing so much of their puppyhood with us. I love seeing them grow and florish.

JuliaR said...

Fun stuff! Whatever will you do when it is time for them to leave?! :( Okay, I know - sleep!

I guess they are very pack oriented and won't want to run away. But it looks like they could fit under the white board fence. That would make me nervous!

Joan said...

Hi, Julia,

Not to worry. The white fence (it's actually a vinyl fence) has a green wire lining (like chicken wire, but a little thicker and made up of little rectangles) that you probably can't see in the pics that runs along the entire fence line spanning from the dirt beneath the grass to the top of the fencing's top rail. The pups won't be able to escape.

If we didn't have the fence lined this way even the big kids could escape! :o) So no worries there.

The wire lining also keeps other critters, especially other dogs, out (which is why we opted for this style fence instead of the invisible fences so many people use).

Regarding when the pups leave? Well, we may still have one with us to raise (still deciding), but even if we don't, I'm SO far behind on everything around here (home and work included), I'll have plenty to keep me busy!

I'm ALMOST ready for the pups to go, but not quite (SO much work!). I suspect I'll be ready be in two weeks when they should be gone. But who knows? We'll see!

Joan said...

Hey there, Teresa,

Yup, the six weeks has flown by! And I can't believe how fast these little guys develop! It's incredible.

I'm tickled to log all this and delighted to post it on-line. It's a good thing for me, too, actually! This way I'll have a detailed record for the new owners, AND I'll have a log to look at for next year when we breed Kenya. :O) I'm sure it will help (how quickly we forget things!). And it will help us feel a bit more confident (but never too confident; every litter is different).

I hope you're all doing well and that your girl is doing fine. :O)

Two weeks to go!

J.