Cacophony!

Chow time...Looks innocent enough....

They are eagerly leaping into the crates to eat, but are JUST as eager to get out when they are finished!


It is ten times louder in person. Believe me!

Some pics..

I will take some better portraits this week as well. Need to do it outdoors for lighting and today it is -20 so a bit cold for a lengthy outdoor play session!

#6 Enjoying some old shoe (previously destroyed by Fen)

#3 Getting an ear wash from big Sister Fen

#3 as he sleeps with his tongue hanging out.

#3 Portrait. What a handsome dude!

#2, #6 and #5 sleeping "on" the big dog bed.

Christmas Update - Day 39 to 43

Sorry for the lack of updates! Lots of new experiences for the puppies this week...

• They are playing outdoors for longer periods of time (we're taking advantage of the break in cold temperatures!)
• They are spending part of their days in the big pen in the barn, equipped with heat lamp, and lots of toys!
• They spent their first night away from mom yesterday and are working up to spending the night in individual crates - I am not quite ready for that - need to get some earplugs first!
• They are learning to go outdoors first thing in the morning to do their business. Sorry, won't have them completely housebroken by 8 weeks, but on the way. Makes for MUCH less clean up for me - as they don't like going during the night in their playpen and prefer to wait until I open the gate and then I spend the next 20 minutes running after them with paper towel and my spray bottle!
• They met their first toddler yesterday, and have had lots of visitors over the past week. They are NOT shy :)
• Their personalities are getting pretty set - although I noticed a HUGE change between 6 and 7.5 weeks with the last litter. More on this further down.
• Coat types are getting pretty set too - I was wrong again. Smoothies: #1, #5, #6, possibly #4 (his coat is slightly fluffier); rough coats are #2 and #3.
• They are eating 3 big meals a day now - almost 5 lbs between them per day, and still have access to mom when they are with her. She is producing less now though. Next week she'll get to wear the T-shirt suit again! Poor Tap. They are getting through the duck necks if I mash them up with a mallet first.

Now for the photo updates:

#2

#2 and #1

#2 and #3

What Kap thinks of puppies.

Down the hill...That's Jess in the coat. She is feeling better and is able to go for a 30 minute walk now - still falls over sometimes and has a wicked head tilt, but we hope that will continue to get better.

First Kid day.

Mauling.

#6

Personalities so far:

• #1 is sweet but holds her own in the gang.
• #2 is just like mom - bossy :)
• #3 is the sweetest, smoothest dude, Fen is working hard on making him a tough guy :)
• #4 is the tough guy. He tried to steel Fen's breakfast this morning and succeeded! He'll need lots of rules!
• #5 is a nice even guy, easy going but playful.
• #6 is a feisty busy little bee - never stops!....And fearless.

A video of today's snow games:

Day 38 Action

Winter litters are hard...It's been below -20 degrees (Celsius) every day (this morning is is -30), and yesterday we got about 2 feet of snow - making it very difficult for puppies to get outdoors even for short periods of time. I have been feeding them in crates for a few days now - the first couple of days all they did was scream and knock over their bowls. Now they are all jumping in the crates waiting for their food! But of course the screaming begins once they are finished. They are eating (between them) about 3 lbs of food a day now - plus mom's milk, but she is beginning to not have a s much as she is no longer eating 6 lbs a day! I am gradually getting her back down to normal rations.


This video is from last night - 38 days old. #6 was sleeping in the shoes, so he does not even have a supporting role in this movie! But I have a cute pic of him so he doesn't feel left out...

5 weeks old - First Outing...

...To the nursing home in town. All six! It was quite the party. Once again, the puppies were a big hit with all the Elders, including several ladies on the dementia unit whose faces lit right up once they were holding a furry "baby". Animals are wondrous miracle workers.

#6 squirming a bit - always feisty.

#5 promptly fell asleep in this lady's lap!

A piddle break on the relatively indestructible linoleum floor - of course I was duly armed with paper towel and my Benefect spray bottle!

#6 not quite so feisty anymore!

Can't tell which pup this is, but this lady was murmuring endearments to him/her in Polish.

This lady is generally unresponsive, but smiled as she stroked the puppy's fur (again - no idea which one this is!)

Thanks to Tabby, a caregiver at the home and volunteers Joy and Greg for making this happen again! Great for both puppies and Elders!

Today I also set up their new living quarters - they will start to spend some time in crates now, as well as eating in them - competition over food has begun! Little #6 thinks that because he is the smallest, he deserves the most and lets everyone else know :) Evil little thing.

Day 33 - Everyone Likes a Good Tire Biter

Especially #2...Sorry for lack of focus (again)

#3 and #1 playing - my floor needs a wash! The trouble with winter litters - can't take out the puzzle mats and hose them down - so my mats are rotating through the puppy pen, and I'll need more for the floor.

Carrying on the tradition of mom, sister Fen and Uncle Max - sleeping upside down against the wall. Anyone else's Creekside dog sleep like this?

#1 dreaming of running a marathon?

So good thing nobody took bets as to who would be smooth and who would be rough coated. There seem to be 3 distinct coat types in this litter, and I'm guessing that I may be wrong again in a few weeks!

1. A very fluffy, silky coat that will probably be like Fen's (But not placing any bets!): #2 and #3)
2. A smooth coat: #5
3. A harsher coat - semi rough to smooth coat - like grandma Pat's perhaps (again, no bets here): #1, #6 and #4

It has been 8 years since we had a litter with any smoothies here - (2000 Jess x Imp. Ken) and I just cannot remember what Kap's puppy coat was like!

Speaking of Jess - she seemed to be getting over her vestibular - but has taken a downturn in the last couple of days and cannot walk upright without falling on her side. Her head tilt is contorted and she is miserable and frightened. I am taking her for acupuncture session starting today as I have heard this sometimes helps. I hope so. We are not ready to loose her yet! :(

We also found a stray kitten in the woods the night it was -30. People suck. The poor thing was almost frozen to death - it is now in my barn in a dog kennel and I guess it will go to the vet today too for shots, deworming etc. Anyone want a really friendly long haired dark tabby cat?

Adventures in the slush - Day 31

Portraits - Kinda

I tried posing the puppies today, but their constant movement, combined with the 3 second delay on my camera was not conducive to taking portraits! So I got some "candid" ones instead.

Pups are all eating solid food - had salmon tonight - weren't too keen on fish - just like mom. They are lapping water from a bowl and of course with all that intake I am running around constantly with my roll of paper towel and disinfectant spray (I use Benefect, all natural and safer even than baking soda). I also weighed them today although they were oozing out of the scale basket!

Puppy #1: Weight today (day 29) 4 lbs, 14 oz.

#2 (left) and #4. Weights (day 29): #2 is 4 lbs, 9 oz and #4 is 5 lbs, 3 oz.

#3: Weight (day 29) is 5 lbs, 4 oz.

Puppy #5: Weight day 29: 5 lbs, 11 oz. Still the piggy.

#6 (sorry for the lack of focus): weight day 29: 4 lbs, 10 oz.

Chow time!

As always, dessert at the Milk bar...

Blaze gets clean up duty!

A parting "Tire Biter" shot - this is #4 (left) and #5.

NEW Video Interview with Kevin and David Evans - Talking about daddy Mirk!

An interview with David and Kevin after Mirk won the International.

Day 26 & 27

Yesterday they tried chicken and today they had their first deer tripe and organ - just a tiny bit so as not to upset their tummies! I tried to take portraits tonight but none turned out. I'll try again tomorrow!

Day 26 with Big Sis Fen

These are actually photos from yesterday. Big sister Fen thinks the puppies are the bomb.

She spends every moment with them.

Sometimes she oversteps her boundaries, like this.....

And Tap does her little growly, corn nibbling bites to tell her so. Fen will simply come back a few minutes later.

"Can I play with them now?"

Fen has terrific bite inhibition, probably from her puppy days playing with Woody, so don't panic at the sight of a puppy's head in her mouth!

Dinner time - Gourmet Brome Lake duck neck "a la cru"

Dessert at the milk bar, with hostess Fen.

So I just learned that Emily and Case (Tap x Imp. Chip) are going to the Kevin Evans clinic next month in Virginia. I am so jealous!

Day 24 Cruisin'

Today it is -27 degrees celcius. That's friggin' cold for so early in December. Spur and Kap were holding up their feet this morning, so we will have to wait for our hike until it warms up. I HATE winter!

Puppies met Spur and Blaze over the weekend (Pat and Fen already had gained admission to the puppy pen last week). Jess stayed safely in her corner in the bathroom and Kap stayed the heck away from the little monsters.

Here is the promised video from early this a.m. Sorry for the lighting. We get about 2 hours of daylight here. Naw, just kidding, but it sure feels like it!



Spur was trying desperately to get a game going! Sorry buddy - these guys have the attention span of a gnat, and the coordination of a toddler. You'll have to wait a bit.

Also they had their first duck neck this morning. Of course #5 was the first one to dive in. This litter are much faster to actually eat it. With the exception of #2 and #3, who slept through the meal service.

New Digs!

The puppies have moved to the main dog area and are settling in well. We kind of hang out down there mostly - the TV is there and I often drag my laptop down during the day to work with the company of my dogs. It is the busiest, noisiest place in the house! They are all playing and wagging their little tails now and have met big sister Fen (who thought they were really cool). Video this weekend, promise!!!

First day in their new area.

Woody really wanted to visit too...

...But Tap would have intervened, I think!

Fen camped out right outside the pen the first night - she was so intrigued!

And finally, she gains admission!

Fen and #6

Little Monsters

At the Milk Bar...#6 is going in topside...

So, I'm pretty sure who will be smooth and who will be rough (coated, that is!)

Here is my guess:

#1 Girl - rough
#2 Girl - smooth
#3 Boy - smooth
#4 Boy - rough
#5 Boy - smooth
#6 Boy - rough

The Terrible Twos

So, yes, I think that Creekside puppies are renowned for their "Terrible Twos" Seems all the 2nd born seem just a little bit BAAAAAAD! Except Tap (#2 of 2004 Pat x Glen litter), she was never bad :) And it seems like this #2 is destined to join the ranks...She is doing little barking, bossy growly noises already. And she always seems to want OUT of the puppy room at ever opportunity. Yikes.

Today's (not very flattering) pics and weights at 18 days old:

Puppy #1 (Girl): 2 lbs, 14 oz.

Puppy #2 (Girl): 2 lbs, 11 oz.

Puppy #3 (Boy): 2 lbs, 13.5 oz.

Puppy #4 (Boy): 2 lbs, 15 oz.

Puppy #5 (Boy): 3 lbs, 1 oz.

Puppy #6 (Boy): 2 lbs, 8 oz.

On a sad note, today my 13.5 year old Jess began to have symptoms of vestibular syndrome ("old dog disease"), and by this evening she is vomiting and cannot stand up at all, has very fast REMs and is completely out of sorts, so is safely tucked away in a nice dark crate by my side. It is a very scary thing to watch, but Boomer went through it at about the same age and after a few days it began to clear up and after 3 weeks he was pretty much back to his old normal self.

It's so hard to watch them grow old!