Good Dogs: born that way or not?

Those puppies sure can produce a lot of waste! I'm wearing rubber gloves these days to clean up the enclosure. They're all pretty good at doing their business on the pee-pads or newspaper. The problem is that there are so many puppies, that someone inevitably steps in something nasty, then scampers on his merry way. Perhaps it's time for more space.

The puppies graduated to adult sized food bowls. They'd been using small cat bowls, but I had to refill them just to satisfy those little round bellies.

My neighbors helped with the feeding tonight. I got to hear the story of Oscar, their dog. They adopted him when he was 4 months old. He'd been in the shelter for 6 weeks. He's a black lab. How could a cute little black lab puppy not get snatched up quicker than that? Well, he was a very demanding dog. On their first meeting, he bit his future owner. She wrote him off, but couldn't quite get him out of her mind. After talking to a trainer, she gave it a shot.

They walked him morning, noon and night to help get some of his energy out. They took him to training classes twice a week for a year and a half. That's incredible commitment! And it shows. Oscar is a wonderful dog. He's full of personality and has his own agenda, but he's a good dog. And he wasn't just born that way.

How much time can you devote to a dog? How much effort can you put into making his life great, or forging the relationship? Everyone has their limits. Finding the dog that's right for you takes time. Shelters and rescue organizations can help match your requirements with dogs' personalities and known behaviors.

How big will these puppies get?

I did a little research to figure out how big these puppies will be. The mom is a German Short Haired Pointer. The dad is some kind of hound. One of the calculators reported that a puppy that will grow to be 100 pounds, will gain 2.5 pounds a week after 4 weeks. Another said that as a general rule, the weight of a puppy at 2 months is 1/4 of its adult weight.

So extrapolating: If our pups weighed 4 or 5 pounds at 4 weeks, and if they gain 2 pounds per week from this weight until they're 8 weeks (2 months), then their adult weight will be 48 - 52 pounds!

Safety First

This afternoon, my 5 year old buddy helped me with a feeding. He was great, petting the puppies while they waited, handing me bedding or newspapers. After they filled up on gruel, and returned to their clean enclosure, he really wanted to get in with them. We'd talked about sharp puppy teeth, nonexistent manners, claws, slurping tongues. He couldn't resist. As soon as he'd gotten comfy on their bed, they advanced. All I saw was his head. His torso was covered in puppy bodies. He was laughing so hard, he couldn't speak. I asked him if he was ok. He shook his head. I grabbed his arms and told him to stand up. The puppies were dripping off of him like an ice cream cone on a hot summer day. After he caught his breath, he settled on the steps, outside of the pen with one calm puppy on his lap. He was fine with the whole situation, the puppies were fine too. But it reminded me that young children and puppies need lots of supervision.

When I started fostering these puppies, I knew we'd have lots of visitors of all ages. I promised myself that I'd never leave children (no matter what age) alone with the puppies. There are just too many unknowns. The mom could suddenly decide to get territorial, a child could drop a puppy, a puppy could need more than a child could give. I see this as a learning experience for anyone who comes to visit, with safety at the forefront of every encounter.

Especially as the pups get bigger. They just hit a milestone. I can't scoop them up in one hand anymore. I did it last night - scooped up two whiners and held them close. But today, I need two hands to safely grasp those round bellies.

When I was 6 years old, we lived on 20 acres in the woods in Wisconsin. Our dog was a silver German Shepherd. He was the sweetest thing that ever lived and protective of his pack. One day the neighbor kids were over and we were coloring on the picnic table outside. Hans was lounging underneath, keeping watch over the brood. Those were the days in which older siblings were in charge and moms took care of other business. Well, our little neighbor slipped under the table and started to climb on Hans. He growled a warning, but this 4 year old didn't understand. Then his jaws opened and closed on her face. Afterward, I remember my parents talking in hushed voices about losing everything if there was a lawsuit. But those were different times and neighbors didn't sue each other, even if their kids' faces were altered forever. We were very lucky. After that, Hans didn't get to hang out with us so much. It was nobody's fault and everyone's fault. It's so important for kids to learn that dogs are not playthings and for adults to remember to be ever vigilant.

My dad still owns that land. He lives nearby, but I don't think he'll ever sell it. Not with Hans' grave under one of those trees.

Another great day

I had 2 groups of awesome helpers today. We figured out some new logistics for feeding time that really shorten the time between waking the pups and getting the bowls of food in place.

Mom also got 2 walks this weekend. We took her to the local school where she was unlikely to encounter other dogs. Since we don't know anything about her, we need to be careful in terms of leash behavior, aggression toward dogs, kid friendliness. She was fine. More than fine. She walk well on the leash until she spots a bird or squirrel in the tree. Then she pulls a bit. But she didn't respond in any way to other dogs or skateboarders or ball throwing. She really just wanted to circle the perimeter of the school with her nose to the ground or in the air. She had a blast. Then she crashed when she got home. I think she slept better than she had in a long time.

The pups have grown in just one week. They're bigger and sturdier and more vocal and hungrier. For the last few days, we've had to bribe the mom to get into the enclosure with them and nurse. Even when we split the litter in half, she was reluctant to be with them. Tonight, after a non-nursing feeding, I was sitting on the floor covered in pups. They were playing or sleeping or trying to nestle into my elbow. Mom pranced by the door. When Kevin opened it for her, she gladly jumped in. She stood in the middle of the pups while they nursed for about 10 minutes. They were in milky bliss. Mom leaned into my leg for support, half closing her eyes. I think it was some relief to her too. Maybe she just needed to feel more comfortable in our house. All 11 puppies fell asleep in my lap.

First Light

6:58 - I wake up an hour later than the puppies usually eat! But it's quiet, so I sneak into the kitchen, warm mom's food then warm the puppies' food. Mom's awake. I tiptoe downstairs to let her outside, grab the huge garbage bag to start the cleanup. I'm able to cover a few piles of poop before the puppies stir. This minimizes the mess.
7:05 - The process begins: set up the holding enclosure, let the puppies into that, replace soiled newspapers, wee-wee pads and bedding, put down clean bowls, fill with gruel, let the puppies back into the main enclosure. They all eat, dance around my feet, tug on my shoes. But I'm too tired to sit down. This feeding doesn't include nursing, so I escape.
7:13 - I let mom inside. Lots of crying and whining from the pups. She gobbles her delicious mixture and settles in for a good chew on a rawhide baseball. I escape upstairs.
7:20 - The cacophony subsides, most of the pups get comfy for another nap. But a few hang around the door, hoping to wheedle their way to mom. Sounds like children begging for candy.
7:21 - I start the water boiling, one cup of tea, lots of dog food. The dog food is barley, oats, carrots, peppers, dehydrated chicken, so I just add boiling water and wait for it to reconstitute. It smells like chicken pot pie.
7:22 - The whining gets louder. Mom decided to move from her bed to the top step so that she could keep an eye on me. This movement gets the attention of the pups. Are my kids actually sleeping through this? I ignore all whimpers.
7:27 - All quiet again. Time to drink some tea and boil more water for more dog food.

January 9, 2010 - later

We had two groups of helpers today for 2 of the feedings. It was great. I was more relaxed about the whole process and the joy on the helpers’ faces was incredible. There really nothing like puppy kisses.

We made a logistical change that’s helped so much. We set up a temporary enclosure outside of the main pen so that the puppies can spill out into it when the door opens. Then I can sneak in and clean up the soiled newspapers, wee-wee pads, bedding and food bowls. Once the place is cleared, we put down fresh everything, including food and let the feeding frenzy begin! It’s fun to witness the change from whining, crying puppies to the slurp of food and relative silence.

Then we all sat down somewhere in the pen and when the puppies were finished eating or nursing, they’d find a lap. There was lots of talk about the puppies and what they should be named. Everyone tried to pick their favorite. In the end, we’d all have a lap full of sleeping puppies.

A great hour – puppies fed and sleeping happily, connecting with people over this most basic need.

I’m reminded of the first months of my children’s lives. I was in a fog, learning to take care of an infant, meeting their every need. People would come to visit and try to be helpful. Everyone had something to contribute. Some people just held the baby while I scurried around trying to accomplish something, anything other than baby-care. Then there were a few people who really understood. They never overstayed their welcome, they didn’t wake the sleeping baby, they did some of the undesirable tasks like cleaning the bathroom or washing the dishes. Same thing with these puppies. Some people have extra time for the mom, others rush to the puppies, others pick up some poop. Like my grandma used to say, “It takes all kinds to make the world go round.”

January 9, 2010

A very busy last few days. The puppies and mom spent Thursday afternoon at the Animal Shelter. They all got checked out by the vet, then passed to a willing volunteer for playtime. They’ve all gained weight and have the appropriate puppy belly. I stayed home and cleaned! I emptied their enclosure and did a thorough scrub. I did enjoy the solitude.

That evening and the next day, mom was less willing to nurse the pups. But we used our tricks (tasty treats) to make that happen. After consulting with the shelter staff, we decided to continue to feed the gruel to the pups every 3 or 4 hours, but cut down their on nursings. Maybe that way, mom will be more willing. That worked nicely – the pups are able to settle themselves without nursing and get some sleep. Mom gets more time to relax.

Last night we finished a feeding at 10:30. That seemed too early for the last on of the day, but I didn’t really think I’d wake up at 1:20 or 2 for another round. We left them with lots of food to see what would happen. I didn’t wake up until 6am. Everything was quiet. And mom had spent the night outside of the enclosure. Wow. But inside was a mess. Not only did those little guys eat and slobber, but they pooped too. Up to this point, we’d done minimal poop cleanup. I guess we’re in a new phase. Then when mom heard that I was awake, she stirred, which caused the pups to wake up and walk right through the mess. Needless to say, I’ve already done one major cleaning job.

Today’s task: reconfigure the enclosure so that they can clamber at the door without tracking through the mess.