Puppy Evaluation

The puppy evaluation is done ! How did they do? Overall, our trainer was very impressed with these little guys. Although the specifics of the test will be given to each owner (you wouldn’t want your tests scores all over the world…), the results validated what I have been seeing here. The purpose of the assessment is to let owners know natural tendencies of the pup. Can outside factors influence the pup’s reactions to the stimuli? Yes. The pups were away from home (20 minute car ride), there was a small group of observers, the test was done by a stranger (to them), and Martha was not present.

All the pups had no reaction to touch sensitivity (indicates type of training equipment required). Does this mean a cattle prod should be included in our training bags? I think it means that these are poodles have been groomed since they were but a week old and don’t mind getting shaved. The other scores were all within normal ranges. The pup that did not perform “the best” was my little Piper. Am I concerned? Quite the contrary. Piper made it quite clear that she is dominant…this was no surprise to me. In fact, I am happy to know up front so I can tailor my training to meet her needs. Watching Piper reminded me of my Hope…a princess with an attitude! My job as a trainer/owner was to get her to accept that I can be trusted to be in charge. I had to be consistent. Working with Piper will be a reminiscent joy.

I thank all our friends (family is a better assessment) who helped us with our puppies.

Margie

The Poo-Poo Stage

The pups are in what Bill Cosby calls the, "God put odor in the poo-poo" stage. (Bill Cosby, Himself) Needless to say, this is not my favorite stage. This stage is compounded by the heightened "hunt and pounce" stage. Let me tell you a little about this delightful stage…anything that moves in a unique fashion could possibly be an enemy and needs to be pounced on…consider again the poo-poo. Somehow they don't understand why they are so dirty, or why humans choose to hold them at arms length on the way to the bathtub.

The pups love the outdoors. Avery and Kayla love the smell of the air and the feel of the grass under their feet. The played with and tasted the wind; they waltzed to the melody of the songbirds. Will they be lethargic as adults? I don’t think so…I see them as passionate and self-assured. Piper, Izabella, and Tate, the most impish of the group, embraced freedom. Their competitive games added a new meaning to “seize the day.” Great fun! Will they be difficult to train? I don’t think so…they are enthusiastic and animated.

The puppy testing tomorrow will add another dimension to understanding the quintuplets. They are perfect right now. The testing will help us find the best way to focus the pup to live in our world. There is no cookie cutter approach to training pups anymore than teaching children; the more we learn, the more we will appreciate our puppy.

As for my little one…yes, Piper! Piper can best be described as recalcitrant and impulsive with an earsplitting and endless bark. Piper will run in the opposite direction when called, shred papers, and hang over the sides of the whelping box. Piper runs up for a cuddle when she wants out and then hides under the bed when it is time for bed. She reminds me of someone…and I would give anything for even a few more hours with my Hope.


Margie

The First OFFICIAL Puppy Mug Shots - 6 weeks

In alphabetic order, if you please !

Avery

Izabella

Kayla

Piper

Tate

Getting Clean

Margie gave the pups a real good bathing today.
Simon supervised the process, and wanted to let you know of his view.




It is easy for people to brag about their siblings during special occasions. On this "not so special occasion" I want to brag about my little sister, Martha.

This afternoon Margie gave my nieces and nephews an official "personal shower" bath in the guest bathroom. Poor little kids, they were scared and shivering. They were dried with the Edemco dryer before Margie wrapped them in freshly warmed towels. She put them on the puppy heater next to their Snuggle Puppy. It didn't matter…even though they were dry, the air gave them little goosebumps. Martha went in their bed and snuggled close to them. She even let them nurse a bit…this was for comfort rather than nourishment because she doesn't have much there anymore. I know her eyes were crossing with every bite of those razor sharp puppy teeth, but she licked them on the muzzle and kept them from being afraid. Once they were asleep, she covered them with one of the blankets.


They are all awake now and looking like they are draped in feathers. Martha went back in there to make sure they were happy. She makes this big brother very proud.

PS…I don't know if anyone told you all, but Martha will also feed the kids solids. When the kids nibble at her muzzle, she will give up her own dinner to them (even after they have eaten). The humans think it is not pleasant, but it is what canines do for their young. Margie and Jerry are trying to keep Martha from doing this because she is looking awfully thin…but, you know these young girls and their waistlines! Martha said all that matters to her is that her children are healthy and happy like she is. Boy, am I proud of her!


Simon
Ch. Canterbury Tails Notsosimple CD RN

Weaned, For Real Sure Now

Today, the puppies had regular kibble. After a course of their pre-swelled kibble, they seamed to still be hungry. Margie slipped them them dry kibble and they gobbled it up.




And, today we have flooding in central Iowa. As in the Great Flood of 1993, rain has continued to train just NW of Des Moines, filling the Raccoon and Des Moines River basins. Saylorville Dam is projected to be overtopped sometime later this evening, and that's with an additional 6 ft tall flood fence installed after the '93 event. When that happens, flow down to Des Moines will double. Businesses and expensive apartments in the downtown area, near Court Street, are already flooding. We are high on a hill overlooking the Raccoon River valley, so we are safe.

Weaned, For Sure

Recall we've been feeding gruel to the puppies. This weekend we started feeding pre-swelled kibble (Innova) that was mashed up with a fork. Today they were fed pre-swelled gruel without the mashing. It was gone in a flash. And to make the delineation of this event even more profound, late this afternoon, in a response to the puppies nipping at her mouth, she regurgitated a meal to them. Her teat are clearly shrinking. A couple of days ago, a puppy suckled a bit too hard, and she growled and nipped at it.

Puppies Are Vaccinated

The puppies visited the vet today to get vaccinated. It was their first time out in the real world. They had a blast running about and terrorizing the staff ! All were pronounced healthy.