Rainy (Snowy?) Days and Tuesdays... Cabin Fever!

Guess what we woke to this morning?


Yup... snow. In mid-October. In Pennsylvania. Just north of Philadelphia.

For World Series Fans (whether rooting for Tampa Bay or the Phillies) that means we won't see the finish of last night's game today, for sure. It's supposed to be miserable all day.

For us and the pupsters and the big-doggie crew, that means another day indoors (oh help!). Now, if it were real snow (like we used to have when we lived in Rochester, NY) at least the big dogs could get out and romp. But this? This is wet yuk that turns to wet mud. And it's damp and bone-chilling and a big sloppy mess. So we'll hang indoors.

The big girls will undoubtedly snuggle by the fire like they did last year (this is last winter's picture of Kenya, Pinot, and Elsie; we do have the fire going now, but I haven't gotten a fireside picture of them yet this year):


And Master Tuc will snuggle with us as he did while we watched Game 5 of the WS last night (Yup, this is the Tucmeister last night with DH! Can you believe how grown up he is at only five months old!):



Old Man Ridge (well, older than the rest at 7.5 years old) will hide under the rocker or chew on his ropes or try to be a lap dog:



Yup, that's our ferocious big-baby sprawled on DH's chest (Ridge is the sire of Elsie's current litter).

And the pups?

Well... to capture what they'll be up to all day indoors again requires a post all its own...

'Til then,
Joan

More Sunday Adventure

Here are some still shots from yesterday's Great Outdoor Puppy Adventure! I've got a gazillion pictures, but thought I'd provide just a sampling here (warning: this entry make take some time to load for you folks who have dial-up Internet access).

Here's Daddy Don trying to capture some fun pictures with Elsie's help (in the first shot) and Kenya's help (in the second). It get's tricky:


In addition to using scent, the pups can now track Elsie visually so they follow her as she walks around the pen:


All of the pups successfully maneuvered the step:


And the hammock (both on top and under):




They seemed aware of and alert to their surroundings (here, Mr. Yellow heard the tractor back-fire):


They had boatloads of fun romping with and pouncing on each other:





Of course, they had to bark at Kenya:


And sniff her:


And follow Momma Elsie:



And "run" around the pen (doesn't Mr. Black look terrific?!):

The rest of these shots capture various outdoor play experiences in collage (you get more pictures for the space!):







Then the pups finally started to tucker out:


They did the puppy-pile thing under the hammock until it got too cold:


Then we brought them inside where they promptly went back to sleep. Here's Mr. Black snoozing away in the puppy cube:


So went their afternoon of outdoor play yesterday!

I'm going to try to get them out again later today when it's warmer and the sun is out (it's just in the 40s now). But that may be it for outdoor play for the rest of the week (it's supposed to get wet and cold again).

Until then, they'll just have to be content with their indoor puppy pen! I'm sure they will be; puppies are easily pleased. :o)

'Til next time,
Joan

The Puppies' Sunday Outdoor Adventure

This year's litter occurred a month later than last year's (whelping in September instead of August). Because we live in Pennsylvania, those few short weeks make a difference in how much we can take the pups outside.

Initially I honestly didn't think it would make that much difference (we've been known to have heat waves in October), so I planned on introducing the pups not just to the outdoors on the deck, but to grass and water and the kiddie pool and brick pavers and... well, you get the idea. Just as we did last year.

But this year it's been cool. We've even had three frosts already. And daylight hours are much shorter.

By the time the pups were big enough to introduce to the great outdoors (we wait until they're between four and five weeks old), it was way too cold and wet to take them.

Except yesterday. Ahhhh... yesterday turned out to be gloriously sunny, and the temps reached the low 60s (F) by late afternoon. That was warm enough to give it a try.

The following videos capture the pups literally seconds after I set the last one into the pen. You'll see that first they're cautious (this is a new experience for them), and then they begin to explore. And then they just have fun.

You may also notice various sounds (some planned). The pups alerted to birds really well (I was surprised at how well, actually). They seemed completely unperturbed by the tractor (DH was cutting the grass -- that's the constant hum you hear in the background). The tractor did backfire once, and that startled them for a moment, but they recovered quickly and without incident (bodes well for the pups who will be introduced to hunting). The rest of the sounds (airplanes overhead, traffic out on the highway, trucks downshifting, the neighbor's dog barking, children calling, crows cawing) didn't phase them one bit.

The idea here, other than exposing the puppies to sun and wind and shadows and various textures under their feet, is to also expose them to sounds they'll hear in their new homes. We humans are oblivious to the noise surrounding us everyday, but these babies are brand new to the world. Acclimating them to sounds helps them prepare for their futures. It builds their confidence, security, and ability to interact in healthy ways in their worlds.

In addition to sounds, the idea is also to expose them to various problem-solving situations. The canine hammock (the green-fabric-covered frame) and the aerobic-step-exercise riser (purple base, light-blue top) present new challenges: how to get up on them, how to climb over the riser, how to crawl under the hammock, how to get a toy that's place underneath or on the other side).

Many of these skills will come naturally to the pups, but if we can expose them to these challenges now, their transitions later on will be that much less stressful for them.

So yes, the great outdoors is a fun adventure for them, but it's also a planned learning experience (we really do have method to our madness!). ;o) Remember, the pups have never faced these things before in the tiny world of their indoor pen. We're trying to build their knowledge base to equip them for their new lives.

So enjoy the videos... you can see how the pups are growing fast. And I'll post a bunch of still shots separately.

Here are the pups exploring and playing moments after entering the pen:




And here's a clip Kenya in the pen playing with the puppies (again, this is purposeful...we're taking advantage of a safe, controlled, known situation to introduce the puppies to bigger dogs -- something they'll face later on). Kenya, though happy and energetic, is still careful of the pups; that's why we use her to start.



Oh, one more thing: my apologies for the lighting issues in these clips and the photos that will follow in the next post. It was late afternoon, the sun was low in the sky casting deep shadows, and I'm using a compact digital camera for my video recordings.

Hey... I'm not a photographer or videographer; I just do what I can. ;o) These will have to do. ;o)

'Til next time,
Joan

Puppy Therapy

Lately I've been posting much about what we do for the pups to help them grow and develop and become all they can be. Today I thought I'd post about what they do for us.

Regular Reader knows how difficult the last year has been for us on the human front. In nearly all our circumstances, it's just been a really bad year. The three shining exceptions--the three things that have counterbalanced the yuk -- have been 1) DD's wedding and marriage to a wonderful young man in June; 2) Puppy Tuc coming from AZ to become part of our family in July, and 3) our youngest son's acceptance at Temple and transfer there. :o)

Despite those good things (and others for which I'm always thankful: a terrific husband, a happy marriage, great human kids, our health, a roof over our heads, DH's steady job, etc.), the bad has been so huge and so relentless this year that I found myself wearing out.

Truth be told, I probably needed this litter.

After so much disillusionment and heartache, especially over my BIL dumping my DTS (Dear Twin Sister) out of the blue after 24 years of marriage and 28 years together, we've all been walking around dazed, hurting, confused, and just plain sad. Former BIL had us all snowed. We were all completely blindsided. We're all still reeling (he's clueless about what his actions have done). No one, however, has been more devastated than DTS (and understandably so). It's killed me to see what this has been doing to her.

In fact, it's still hard. Last week would've been their 25th wedding anniversary, and this week marks a year to the day when he announced he no longer loved her and didn't think their marriage was worth working on.

Enter puppies. :o)






Yup, that's DTS giggling in the pictures. :o) And that's Mr. Green nuzzling and tasting her ear. :o)

The puppies make her smile. Every time. She regularly helps us "socialize" the little ones to human touch and interaction.

And the pups make her smile.

Oh... and did I tell you the pups make her smile?!!!

Lest I forget to mention it, the pups make her SMILE!!!!

DTS used to be quick to grin and giggle with me, but this divorce has robbed her of her joy, optimism, and her usual zest for life (as it does most people when the desire for divorce is not mutual). She used to be a woman whose heart was filled with child-like wonder and adventure. But in recent months she's felt broken, used up, scared, tired, unloved, anxious, and as she put it, like yesterday's trash tossed curbside.

It's been a long, long time since she's grinned or giggled. It's been a long, long time since she's relaxed and smiled. I mean really smiled.

Enter puppies again.


And there she goes: grinning and giggling again.

And there I go, grinning and giggling with her.

You see, puppies restore our optimism somehow. They make us feel loved and wanted and accepted and liked. They remind us that no matter how we feel, some things still are right and good and just in this world.

Their puppy-breath warms our hearts.
Their puppy-kisses remind us we are loved.
Their grunts of contentment assure us that we can be still in heart, even when life rages around us.
They teach us there is much left to treasure and so much left to enjoy even when things we hold dear are ripped from our hands.

I think more than anything, though (for me anyway), their exuberance, curiosity, and carefree abandon invite our souls to play.

And how we (no matter our age or season of life) need to play!

So, yes, we do do much for the pups during the short season they're with us. And yes, it's a ton of work (to do right).

Ahhh... but they give us so much more, and what they give we can carry with us for life.

'Til next time,
Joan

Rainy Saturday Afternoon - Pinot, Elsie, and this Litter's Future

In addition to puppy play, Saturdays are often extended work-with-the-big-dogs days. Today, however, it's just too miserable outside (heavy rain and really windy -- blech -- like a noreaster). We haven't had a day quite this miserable in a long time, so we're stuck indoors, all of us: puppies, big dogs, and humans alike.

Since we're stuck inside, I couldn't resist taking this shot earlier this afternoon. Here's Miss Pinot, the puppy we kept from last year's Elsie-Ridge litter who is now a year old (14 months old actually), resting with Momma Elsie:


That's mom and daughter together! They're pals.

Pinot genetically is a full sibling of the current litter (same parents, just born a year earlier), and we couldn't be more pleased with how she's turning out: gorgeous (we think so anyway), smart, eager-to-please with a strong retrieve, snuggly like her mom, and super athletic like her dad -- exactly what we were looking for. Admittedly, Pinot is definitely not a show Lab (too leggy, too long-bodied, and her tail is too long), but breeding for show-conformity is not our top priority. Our priorities in breeding for certain traits fall in this order: 1. health, 2. temperament/people orientation, 3. intelligence, 4. retrieving instinct, 5. athleticism, and then show conformation (conformation to the appearance part of the Labrador breed standard).

Just for comparison, here's Pinot at 5.5 weeks old (last year's Miss Black -- the litter was a month earlier in the year so it was warm enough for us to take them outside at 5 weeks of age):


Quite a change, eh? The Pinot girl still has some growing to do (in the widening, bulking up way), so we won't really know for several more months exactly what this little girl is going to look like. But so far, so good. She's a little longer (from shoulders to hips) than her mom, but she's about the same height. And she weighs about 65 pounds (compared to Elsie's 80-ish).

Our Pinot was last years "Miss Black," and we have the same special tenderness toward her that we have toward this year's Mr. Black. Both had rough starts (Pinot's was a heart murmer that self-corrected by 12 weeks of age; Mr Black's was his weak suckling reflex, which seems to be a non-issue now). If Pinot is any indication, Mr. Black will be just fine in the long run.

Like I've mentioned before, we're going to be extra careful about Mr. Black's placement (we're careful with all the pups). We won't let him go until we find the perfect match for him.

Having said that, eight of the nine pups are now sold (though we're still weighing placements, and will throughout this week). What's really funny is that it seems we already have an ideal pup for each situation; individual pups seem to be matching up well with all the individual buyers' wants, requests, and needs. The puzzle pieces are fitting well together.

It worked out that way last year, too. And I couldn't be more pleased (and relieved).

So, all seems well. The puppies are thriving, their new families seem terrific, pups and families seem well-suited to each other, and the matches are working out well. We fully expect this litter to bring as much joy to their new owners as Sweet Pinot Girl adds to our lives every day.

And in just one short week, the new owners can meet their pups and the pups can me their new owners. And in just three short weeks, they'll be at their forever homes!

'Til next time,
Joan

Saturday Mornings with Puppies

Ahhh... at 6:00 a.m. when it's still dark outside and I haven't yet had time to wash the sleepies out of my eyes and I'm shuffling into the kitchen in my droopy-socked feet, there's nothing quite like the sweet aroma of fresh-brewed, strong-enough-to-wake-you-up...

puppy poo piles!

LOL... I'll bet you thought I was going to say coffee. ;o)

Yup... that's the reality of life with a litter of puppies. You get up and clean the pen before anything else happens, and when the pen is located in your kitchen, well, coffee must wait.

Priorities, you know. ;o)

I'll spare you photos of puppy-pen-clean up (the hurry to clean up is that we don't want waking pups to start rambling in and romping through their nightly deposits). And by the time we're done cleaning up, they are more than ready for breakfast, so there really isn't time for photos then either. So I'll spare you the first round of puppy feeding, too (via flying saucer disc and ever-thickening puppy food) and the accompanying mad rush to poo and pee again post-eating (think warm beverages on human intestines, then multiply by nine).

So... after cleaning up the pen and the pups enjoying their first yum-yums and potty, the following captures our early morning puppy routine (some video, some still shots).

Of course the pups have to release all that energy they've stored overnight, so we have early morning playing and rough housing (notice some pups are still cleaning up the pan in the background -- Don removes the pan about half-way through the clip):



All things considered, this morning's first romp was quite tame and brief, probably because we interrupted it with Elsie nursing. First she enters the pen and the pups scramble to get in on the action, then, as the following video captures, they play musical teats:



The pups are down to nursing twice a day after they eat puppy food. And their sessions are quite short. Between puppy teeth and puppy nails (though I try to keep them trimmed), nursing is uncomfortable for the Sweet Elsie Girl. And the pups are suckling with great intensity:


When she's done or thinks they've had enough, Elsie walks away:



And the pups follow:



So then we just remove her from the pen (or she'll push them gently away).

Poor Elsie is still being a sport about nursing, but we'll make sure the pups are completely weaned by Tuesday or Wednesday.

For the first time, the pups are actually showing interest in just playing with Elsie (before, she was just the All-Wonderful, Great and Powerful, Milk Machine in the Sky). You can really see how small they still are compared to her (this is Mr. Black with Elsie):


On the other hand, they're so big, some of them can lie down to nurse while Elsie stands (guess who?):



After nursing it's back to play-time with the added joy of humans in the puppy pen! Now the puppies clamor to climb all over us - Labs really are people dogs.

One easy way to begin teaching pups not to jump up is to only pick up the ones in the litter who are sitting and waiting nicely. We do this consistently when we handle them. They catch on quick: sitting down means Momma Joan will hold me! We encourage the new owners to do the same when they start coming to visit. It's much like the human-child-rearing principle of "catch them when they're doing something good."

In any case, the pups love to play with toys, each other, and their people, too!

Here's Mr. White (look at those eyelashes!) climbing up my leg...


and then yomping on my camera strap:


The rest are just various shots from the next ten minutes of the morning (in no particular order - and this is Mr. Black in the first pic... the rest you can identify):








Next we have the all-important (and bring sanity back to Momma-Joan) post-play nap time. In this case, we have seven pups in the whelping box spread out under its rails, and two outside on the kitchen floor, as follows:

Clockwise from left below: Mr. Black, Mr. Green, Miss Pink (in corner), and Miss Sky:




Then, continuing below around the box clockwise from top left corner: Mr. Red, Mr. White, and Mr. Yellow:


And out on the kitchen floor, we have Mr. Blue up by the water jug, and Mr. Lime in the foreground (check out Mr. Blue's feet -- he likes to cross his back legs underneath him):


Here's a shot of Mr. Lime from the other side:


So now they're sleeping, and I'm blogging, and in about 30 minutes, we'll do it all again. :o)

Have a great Saturday (DH is hunting, so I'm on puppy duty again)!

'Til next time,
Joan