Today in My History

2000:   Reno at Dusk
2001:  Ribbons and Flags
2002:  A Little Blue
2003:  What It was was Aussie Rules Football
2004:  Dog Day Afternoon
2005:  I'd Like to Thank all the Little People
2006: The Soul
2007:  Irritainment
2008: Eww...Gross!

BITTER HACK
Seussical

Books Read in 2009
 
Updated: 9/17
"The Lost Symbol"

Sand Animation
Why We Need Universal Health Care
How to Decorate a cake
5 Year Old sings "Folsom Prison"
Shatner reads Palin's farewell speech

Grandma's 90th Birthday

SADIE, SADIE, PRETTY LADY

27 September 2009

Stacey, the volunteer coordinator for the SPCA, contacted me yesterday to ask if I could come to Petco and take pictures of the dogs who didn't have pictures for the PetFinder web site.  There is a guy who does it every week, and his photos are professional quality.  I take snapshots, but I said that I would come.

I didn't get there until about 2 because Eliza had been whining and when I picked her up to cuddle her, she fell asleep in my arms.  I was enjoying the puppy time and didn't want to wake her up.

When I got to Petco it turned out that there were only two dogs who needed photos.  Peanut is a chihuahua who makes Dexter look like he went through an "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids" machine!

The other dog who needed photos taken was Sadie, Stacey said.   The name didn't immediately ring a bell, but one look at those teats and I knew instantly that this was the mother of our puppies.

Looking at Sadie makes me realize why the puppies, especially Higgins, are such behemoths.

She seemed like a really sweet dog (and look at the size of that tongue!).  But....BIG.  I think I'm just as glad that she and the other 9 puppies are in a different foster home!

The puppies are a little over 5 weeks old today and growing like weeds.  I sometimes think if I watch closely I can actually see them growing.

They are completely off of the bottle and next week I will start cutting back the amount of formula that I mix with their solid food and within the next couple of weeks, they should be taking only puppy kibble.

And they are starting to play -- with each other and with toys.   I don't remember other puppies who really took to toys like these guys.  They are particularly fond of finding cloth on the floor and dragging it across the room, which is easy to do since the floor is covered with towels and rugs. 

Dexter has moved right in as one of the guys.

Of course the difference is that Dexter is at least two months more mature than the puppies so he expects them to play the way he does and they are still just learning.  Today he raced at top speed from one end of the house to the other and back again over and over again, crouching down each time and inviting the puppies to join him.  "C'mon...this is FUN!"  The puppies, who had just discovered the living room (thanks to Dexter), were too busy investigating the new smells--and they can't run like that anyway.  The best they can manage is a fast waddle.  It will be a week before they are up to "running."

But when it comes to wrestling, they are all in it together.

Dexter's favorite is Eliza, but if she's sleeping, he'll wrestle with the other two.  He's smarter and more experienced than they are, but they are learning to hold their old against him.  It won't be long before Higgins can take him as an hors d'oeuvre!

Despite the fact that the house is going to be in turmoil for at least another month and that picking up poop is once again my biggest activity, I really love this stage of puppy rearing, and watch them grow from those little lumps who came here in August into little personalities.  I will leave watching them become as big as Sadie to someone else!

PHOTO OF THE DAY

...and besides...how can you resist a face like this?

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