- 22 Dec
- The puppies are eight weeks old today. Guido weighs
1.730 kilograms, and Argus weighs 1.985 kilograms.
Knowing that today was a big day, the puppies got up early
... earlier than I wanted to get up. I knew that if I
tried to go back to sleep that the dogs would not let me
have any; that they would insist that it was breakfast
time. So I fed everyone. Once everyone settled down
for a post-meal nap, I went back to bed ... and brought
Guido with me. (Argus had spent time in my bed last
night while I watched a movie.) Guido slept right up
against my back. But I did not wake up in time when I
felt Guido move around. Guido baptized my bed. My fault!
So now the puppies are banned from my bed for a few days.
I think every puppy I have ever had at one time or another
baptizes my bed.
Today the puppies went
to the vet for their first puppy shots. After some exploring
they greeted the
technicians, who weighed them and took their
temperature. Guido objected to the indignity; Argus
was like "whatever". Then the vet gave each puppy
a DHPPC shot and
then microchiped.
Again Guido objected, and again Argus just accepted it.
Since today was a special day, when we got home I took
the puppies out into the field beyond my fence. I think
they were a little overwhelmed by the vastness of it all!
Since the puppies are now eight weeks old, it is time
to start crate training them. So I packed up
the whelping box, and set up their crates. I predict
that they will not be happy with the new sleeping
arrangements!
- 23 Dec
- Dear Daddy. Mommy says we should write. Today
the puppy evaluator came to evaluate brother and me.
She did things like flip
us on our back, drop keys, and open umbrellas
to scare us ... but we were not scared! She hid things to see if we
would try to find them. She put down food, and then took
it away before we were finished to see how we would react.
Evidently we passed all the tests. But it was hard work,
so brother and I took a
nap afterwards. In the afternoon, we took a long walk
outside. Aunt Portia, Aunt Tami, and Mommy all started
digging in one spot.
We helped, but we never did found out why we we digging.
And the building we live in ... we walked entirely around
it! Aunt Portia had told us that the building went on
forever, but I think she was just trying to scare us.
Your son, Argus
- 24 Dec
- Argus is going through his "Norfolk phase." It is not
uncommon for a Norwich puppy's ears to go up, then fold
down to look like our sister breed, the Norfolk terrier,
then eventually go back up. It is just one more thing
that a Norwich breeder gets to worry about! Mandy likes to get
into the puppys' crate.
- 25 Dec
- Guido climbed the ramp
to my bed ... and then fell asleep. I guess
after you climb the puppy equivalent of Everest,
you are entitled to a nap. Today when we were out,
the puppies met
their first Border Collie. Argus tried to use hypnosis on the Border
Collie, but it did not work.
- 26 Dec
- Puppies eating. Just
when I think Mandy has cut the puppies off, I look over and she
is letting them nurse. But it is no more than once a day now.
Recall the brother
of the puppies that was dead at birth, whose body was
shipped to Michigan State for a research study. I heard
back from the study pathologist that the puppy had what
is being called developmental lung disease, the object of
the study. So he is the first of this litter to make a
contribution to science.
- 27 Dec
- After breakfast, Argus climbed up on my bed
(for the first time) for a post-meal nap. A few minutes
later, Guido did the same thing. Since I had been up
three times during the night to take everyone outside to
potty, I joined them. Guido is a cuddler, and likes to
spoon with you. Argus is a leg-man, preferring to sleep
at your feet against your leg. I did not get much rest,
as I wanted to make sure I got everyone off my bed before
we had any accidents.
- 28 Dec
- The puppies sleep at night in separate crates.
The crates are on a table that faces my bed, so I can
quickly check on the puppies. But if the weather is nice
(like today), a nap in
the sun is also good.