Cooper (Hammy), Chloe (Tiger) Ecko (Angel), and Mako update

Tsuzi (Cooper's housemate)

Cooper with Tsuzi

Julie with Cooper and Tsuzi

Cooper (Hammy) update:

Julie says: We were on another field trip yesterday (such gorgeous weather) to a friend in West Linn. Cooper kept stealing the big dog's Kong. He had a great time.
Tsuzi wasn't so sure but she warmed up eventually.

Chloe (Tiger) update:

Joan says: We have resolved the name issue of “Tiger”. The ship we picked is ALASKAN BEAUTY---the beauty part seemed very appropriate! And then her call name is CHLOE!

Suzanne's note: Joan and her family have been working to figure out the best schedule for Chloe and to manage the times when she is feeling particularly "sharky" around the boys. Joan's youngest son Conor is the most frequent target of Chloe's need to chomp things and since there are certain times of day that Chloe is more "mouthy" Joan is learning to keep her separate from Conor or have Conor give her a frozen stuffed Kong during times when she needs to be "tamed".

Ecko (Angel) update:

One Tuesday Ecko went home with some friends for the day. She made herself right at home and dragged their cat's play tunnel out into the middle of the room to play with. Kathy got an awesome video clip of furry little Ecko cramming herself into the little cat tunnel. Considering the ratio of puppy (big) to tunnel (small) Ecko could get through it at amazing speed! Ecko also visited with Kathy and Kendall's cat and walked across the field to the pasture to visit with a horse (from a safe vantage in Kathy's arms of course). I think that both humans and puppy had a pretty entertaining day.

On Wednesday my friend CJ picked Ecko and Decker up from my house and took them to an agility demo at an Elementary school. Apparently this demo is a pretty big event for the school each year with fully gated rings and matted flooring and several "waves" of kids that come to watch and meet the dogs. Decker had a wonderful time and got to meet and greet all the kids. Ecko watched the proceedings from her kennel, which CJ placed on top of Decker's kennel so she could see all the goings-on without being overwhelmed.

Mako

Mako is doing great. Sunday we had our 2nd puppy class and he was very comfortable with the other puppies. He ran around a lot and did great with all the other dogs. There were a couple of bigger/older puppies in the class as well as the teacher’s full grown Malamute and Mako was very interested in the bigger dogs.

Mako can sit very nicely on command and is doing pretty good on the “come” command.

We have had some rough nights though, he will go to sleep ok when we go to bed but around midnight or so he starts whining and barking, which we ignore. When he stops one of us will take him out, sometimes he has to go potty and sometimes he doesn’t, so we are not sure what the midnight whining is all about. We decided to see how he would do sleeping outside of his crate so we moved his doggie bed to the side of our bed and he seems to like that arrangement. He sleeps through the night and if he has to go out he whines to get our attention. Our bedroom is pretty well doggie proof so if he wanders during the night there isn’t much he can get into. I think he doesn’t like the little crate anymore, he struggles and goes into it very reluctantly. He doesn’t mind the larger crate, when we are all hanging out we keep the door open and he will go inside to play.

Mako and the cat are doing very well together. Alex, the cat, will play a little bit with him. They take turns chasing each other. It is fun to watch them play the chasing game when they are in our backyard. Alex can run a lot faster than Mako and it is funny to see Mako chasing Alex and then all of a sudden Alex will turn around and chase Mako.

Being a water dog, Mako decided to take a shower with me the other day. I had the shower door cracked a bit so he would know where I was and he decided to join me. He walked around the shower stall then left and a few minutes later he came back. He got totally wet and didn’t mind a bit. Helped wash out the dirt and peat moss dust as he has been helping me spread peat moss in my raspberry patch.

We weighed Mako on Saturday and he weighed 14 pounds. I still am trying to figure out just how much to feed him. The raw diet is not as easy as kibble to know how much to give him. We stopped doing the noon feeding as we give him a lot of treats when we are training/playing with him. When we were feeding him 3x a day he was not real interested in the treats we use for training. Wasn’t hungry enough I guess.

Tomorrow we are going to our beach cabin to introduce him to the ocean. Should be fun. I wish I had a digital camera so I could send you pictures.

Subi and Tiger Updates and more photos

Subi update:

On Saturday (23rd) Subi-Blue met 8 new people (6 members of Joe's side of the family and 2 college friends)—all enjoyed her company. On Sunday Subi got to go to George Rodgers park again--this time getting wet up to the belly on several occasions. On Sunday we also made more progress on Subi’s future dog run in the back yard. We almost have the entire back wall framed. We also went to the pet store and loaded up on Kong toys to try and help Subi get past her separation anxiety.

Joe and Nichole also reported that they ran into another PWD at George Rodgers park and it turned out to be someone I know. Small world...

Tiger update:

We love her. She only had one bad night of whining in her crate. She has already turned it around to sleep through the night and wants out about 6:45AM, which is perfect. She goes out and uses the potty and then returns to the kitchen to find her pig or her soccer ball and wants to go out to the back yard and do some laps around the yard! After trying to tear her pig apart she comes in for some breakfast and we begin our day. She likes our yard a bunch since there is kind of track for her to do laps on, so we let her go out there and just watch and laugh as she tears around. She has been going for a walk in the evenings on her leash and does not seem to mind it. We make sure she is good and tired before she is retired for the evening and then we start all over the next morning.

Her name is still being debated, however, the one that has more votes than any others is Chloe. We keep trying to come up with something that might fit better, however, it still has not come to us. My husband will be getting home this evening and the name will be finalized then. But I think Chloe seems to suit her well, but I have a minority vote in this!

All in all, she is a welcomed addition to the family and the boys really are doting on her all the time.Subi wading

Subi and Nichole. The pups all seem like they are growing quickly!

Subi making friends.

Puppy meets parrot - Ecko and Tabasco

Plastic Easter eggs are fun puppy toys. Warning - they will destroy them quickly!

pushing paper

Since my last update, I've been doing lots of paperwork. I had all the information I needed to complete the AKC registration, microchip and CERF paperwork for five of the six pups, so I got all that in the mail on Friday and Saturday. I'll send in the information for the remaining pup separately when I get it.

With that taken care of, the next order of business was more paperwork! I completed the various entry forms necessary to enter the "big dogs" in some upcoming shows and trials. I filled out the entry forms today for a CPE agility trial in Ridgefield, WA in April for Chili and Stoker. In mid-March Chili, Decker and Stoker will all be entered at an AKC show in Albany, OR. Decker will be doing agility and obedience, Chili will do agility and Stoker will do conformation.

Ecko, Reef, Cooper and Subi-Blue updates

Ecko went on an overnight trip on Friday night with my friend Jessi (not to be confused with my other friend Jessie) to a high school theatre group's overnight Shakespeare rehearsal. In addition to meeting several zillion high school kids (some of whom had the nerve to ask if she was a poodle or a "doodle"!), Ecko also got to meet Jessi's two Bassett Hounds and her cat and my friend Sarah's Mini Schnauzer Bizzie.

I feel like I did not take enough time in socializing Stoker when she was a pup, relying on the fact that she was surrounded by strangers and lots of dogs when she went to work with me each day as a puppy. As a trainer, I should have remembered that not only do dogs learn in context (so Stoker was really only learning to be social at Pup-A-Razzi) but they need lots of exposure to new situations as well as new people (habituation as well as socialization). I am determined to remedy having failed Stoker in this area and have ongoing plans for outings for Ecko. Next Wednesday my friend CJ is borrowing Decker for an agility demo at an elementary school and Ecko will be going along for more exposure to kids, a new environment and a ride in a strange car.

Reef came up from Florence for a visit this weekend and to take part in a Puppy class. He was one of the smallest pups in the class and, as were the other small pups, was a bit "thoughtful" in his approach to meeting the new pups. He thought "pass the puppy" was more his cup of tea and had a glorious time kissing up to all the strange people who handled him. He and Ecko had agreat time playing with each other and Granny Chili and Mama Stoker spent a bit of time deflating his ego and reminding him on his place in the pecking order. Reef ate a raw chicken wing for the first time Saturday night and did a good job removing all the meat from the bones, but thought crunching the bones up was a bit too much work. The little dude has a little scaly itchy spot on his belly which looks like it might be a staph infection or some other minor skin irritation. We clipped the hair from around it (very traumatic!) and Dick and Ginny will put a topical anti-microbial on it to see if it clears up in the next few days without antibiotics.

Being a true water dog, Reef enjoys playing in and spilling his water bowl.

Cooper is at the house playing with Ecko as I type. He was a bit overwhelmed by all the big dogs when he first came in the door. After some bossing about by Chili and Stoker, he soon settled in to play with Reef and Ecko. Julie reports that he is settling in nicely. Tsuzi has gradually warmed up to the idea of having another dog in the household and is enjoying some time away from the puppy with the rest of the family at the coast today. Cooper starts puppy class this coming week.

Joe and Nichole report that Subi broke out of her Fort Knox puppy pen in the house and say "we have since upgraded to Alcatraz and she has not gotten out since. Surprisingly, we found her sitting on her doggy bed and she had not harmed anything. Then as we let her nap too much she refused to go to sleep and cried for 3 hrs while we were patient and did not rescue her--this was quite hard. She slept or was quiet for about 4 hours before waking up and crying again.

On Sunday Subi went with Nichole and Joe to George Rodgers park in Lake Oswego to go watch the Big dogs swim in the water. Subi got up to her ankles and that was about it. Monday through Thursday saw Subi spending more time on her own, as Joe and Nichole were back to work. They are managing her alone time by making sure she is tired and ready to sleep before they leave, and leaving her with treats in a paper bag to entertain herself with while they are gone.

In Joe's words:
Tuesday: This is the first day of the Shark -- Subi started snapping. It began in the morning (Nichole suspects that she was snapping at her hair, since it was the first day she had worn it completely down). We also started playing fetch and she seems to really like that. Seems like a good tool to teach come.

Joe and Nichole had some concerns and questions which I think you would all enjoy hearing about, so I'll post them later today in a separate blog entry.

For now, I'll end this entry with some photos and the hope that I have updates for everyone from Mako and Tiger in the next day or two.

No, it's not PWD related. This is a photo of Wednesday night's lunar eclipse.

Ecko has her shark by the tail. Grrr!

No, Cooper isn't dead just VERRRRYYYY relaxed following a long play session with sister Ecko. Perhaps Ecko is a bit of a bed-hog and pushed him out?

If you say you don't care for PWDs with lots of white markings, but you end up with one yourself, you might as well go all out and embrace the prospect. What better way to do that than to buy your white and back puppy a white and black zebra toy?

Photos from Reef and Update on Ecko

Reef took a trip to the ocean and sent photos to prove it.

Ecko went to work with me while I was teaching classes last night and met a bunch of folks from my Puppy Agility class, as well as several of the smaller, calmer pups in the class. Today, she had a chance to visit with a super friendly cute Mini Schnauzer (Tilly) and Sheltie (Quincy), as well as several new people. Remember, extensive and on-going socialization is imperative for your puppy in the next few weeks.

Two of the things we have started working on with Ecko:

name recognition

It's important to teach your puppy that they should look at you when you say their name. I've started this by saying Ecko's name when she is already looking at me and rewarding her with verbal praise ("good puppy!) a treat, some pets or a toy. When it seems like she is catching on, I'll start to say her name when she isn't looking at me, but also isn't terribly distracted. If she looks at me when I say her name, she'll get a reward. Be careful not to use your pup's name as "white noise" or in a nagging way or it will lose it's effectiveness as an "attention-getting" cue.

come

Have two or more people sit on the floor with small, soft yummy treats for the puppy. One person captures the puppy and holds her, so she doesn't get distracted. Another person gets the puppy's attention (you can say puppy's name, clap your hands, whistle, or whatever else it takes) and then give "come" cue. The person who has called the puppy should praise the puppy as soon as the puppy starts towards them. The pup gets a treat upon arrival and is then "captured" until the next person calls her. Remember not to use your "come" command unless you are sure your puppy will do it, otherwise you will be practicing your mistakes! Many hundreds of successful and rewarding "recalls" are needed before your pup will have a reliable response to "come".

Resources and Treats

I've updated the "Resources" section on the right sidebar and I'll try to continue adding links to good on-line information or suppliers as I find them.

We've had some excellent questions asked:

How long should I feed my pup three meals a day?: Most sources say the rule of thumb for feeding three meals a day is until the pup is done teething (around 6 months). I have found with my last few pups that I went back and forth between two and three meals a day depending upon the pups appetite, which seemed to correspond to when they were going through growth spurts. Puppy going through growth spurt equals extra hungry puppy! I’d do three meals a day ‘til at least 4 months and then play it by ear from there on.

One consideration to always keep in mind: it is NOT healthy or desireable for your dog to be overweight. Purina has an excellent "body condition chart" on their website.

How long will it be before my pup can sleep through the night?: This depends upon the pup and can depend on such factors as how soon before bedtime you feed him or whether he takes a last drink before you put him up for the night. Remember if you do take your pup out for a potty break during the night, be sure that you are boring (no entertaining or playing with the puppy) and keep him on leash so he learns to get down to business and doesn't get distracted by all the good smells and sounds in your yard. Pop him right back in his kennel for the remainder of the night. It sounds like many of the little sharks are making it through the majority of the night without a break already.

Salmon Treats

Janet Boyd and Diana Schaub shared this treat recipe with the PNWPWDC membership several years ago. The treats are easy to make and make terrific training treats. They break easily into pieces and are guaranteed to make you every dog's "new-best-friend"!

One 15 oz can salmon
1 cup corn meal
1 cup wheat germ
3 eggs
garlic (anywhere from 1 tsp to 3 Tbs)

Mix all the ingredients together. Spread on a cookie sheet to a depth of 1/2 to 3/4 inch (you will use about half the surface of a standard cookie sheet)

Bake at 30 degrees for 25 minutes. Cut into bars.

updates

I am SO impressed with how good everyone has been about checking in with reports on how the pups are doing. Thanks so much for sharing your adventures with your pups. I'm sure everyone who has been following the blog is enjoying hearing how the pups are faring in their new homes.

Here are some more reports:

Mako - new registered name Lookout's F/V Maverick

2/18/08 report from Alice: Puppy class yesterday was fun. We had two 15 week old Westies, a 12 week old Dachshund, a 5 month old Schnauzer, a Pom-Poo(?) and a Doberman. Mako was shy at first then warmed up to playing with the other puppies and the toys. He was the only puppy there for the first time. The class is structured where puppies can start whenever and after 5 weeks they graduate. We probably will continue with the class that comes after puppy preschool, called Good Dog One, and then there is another class called Good Dog Two.

After class we took Mako over to visit Jim’s mom. His mom had called Jim’s sister Susan so Susan and her two young adult children were also there. They had bought toys for Mako and Susan’s daughter Jenny made a really nice book for pictures of Mako. Mako showed us how determined he can be when he wants something. He wanted badly to go down the hall and I wouldn’t let him. He kept trying and trying. I had his leash on him and I wouldn’t let him go but he would pull and pull, did not want to take “no” as the answer. Then he fell asleep under my chair but his head was pointing down the hall.

Today I am back at work and Jim is home. He took Mako grocery shopping and to a customer’s house to deliver a bid. He had Mako ride on the front seat of the truck and said Mako just sat real nice and then went to sleep. When he went into the grocery store he put Mako in his travel crate and Mako didn’t complain. So Jim is already getting Mako used to riding around town with him. Jim plans on starting the training today, learn sit and how to walk on the leash without biting it. The puppy preschool uses the clicker method to train, that is new to me since we last went to puppy class. Seems to work well.

Mako has settled in real well to our routine. We go to bed early, usually 9:00 or so and he is getting into his crate for the night without complaining. I usually hear him fussing a little around midnight or so and I get up to take him out, he pees and back to sleep we go. I am trying to get back into my running routine – didn’t run at all last week as I wanted to be with Mako all the time. This morning I got up at 5:00 and took him out to potty then back to his crate to sleep while I ran. Jim said Mako just went right back to sleep. He is a very sweet little guy. I just want to hold him all the time!

Tiger

2/17/08 report from Joan: After leaving your home, I ran past my girlfriend’s house where her 10 year old boy helped me put the crate together and ditch the recycling! I then made it home and unloaded the crate and the goodies on the front porch. Lastly, I loaded Tiger in the crate and the parked the car in the garage and ran inside. I found all of my boys (Joan has four boys) inside watching golf with their dad. As if on cue, Tiger started to whimper at the front door as I put my coat and keys away. Brian was the first to hear the cries and ran to the door saying, “I think I hear a puppy!” The older boys told him, “You are nuts! The puppy isn’t coming until summer!” Lo and behold when Brian opened the door and yelled, “The puppy is here!” Everyone went running to the door!

We brought her into the kitchen and the boys calmly sat down and she walked up to each of us and said her hellos! After playing in the kitchen for awhile the boys decided to take her out to the backyard to explore and play. They ran her all around and she looked so happy! As did the boys! They are thrilled she is here and did not seem to mind that she was a girl. She then came in and took a nap and Danny, my dog lover, nestled right down next to her and had his hand resting on her side as she slept and he watched some more golf.

We have only had her a few hours and everyone seems happy! Not a whimper from her and pure joy is what I see in the boys’ faces!

I’ll keep you posted on what name floats to the surface! It threw the boys for a loop that we ended up with a girl! But they aren’t minding one bit!

Cooper (was Hammerhead)

2/19/08 report from Julie: Well he’s doing really great. The girls took turns sleeping with him in the guest room this weekend so I could sleep through the night. I only got up around 3 to let him out. Last night I slept down there and he fussed for 10 minutes then fell asleep. I got him up around 3:30 to let him out, then he fussed for 20 seconds then fell asleep until 6:30. I feel somewhat normal today. We keep good tabs on him, but whenever I’m not sure where he is, I look under my chair and there he is. We are starting to work on the separation issue following the article you gave us. He does fuss now and then, when I leave the room, but the family has their instructions to ignore when he’s whining. We have instructed the kid’s friends too.

The gorgeous weather was great to acclimate a puppy. We live right next to a small tributary of the Rock Creek. It runs 3-4’ wide and up to 10”deep in the winter. So Saturday we all went down to the creek and walked around. Well Tsuzi ran like a goon and Cooper followed and whined. But then he got quiet and wet. Did it again yesterday. We hosed him off with warm water and he wasn’t too fussy. Today it’s a bath, and he’s had some "table" time for treats, brushing and cleaning his eye goobers.

Reef

2/19/08 report from Dick: Reef is settling in nicely. He fussed for about 30 minutes before settling down to sleep in his crate last night. He enjoys his stuffed Kong. Reef is coming back to visit again next weekend already. (Suzanne's note: I think it's mostly because Dick and Jan want another shot at each other playing raquetball!).

Ecko

2/19/08 report: Ecko was napping when brother Reef left yesterday and she looked for him and whined a bit when she woke up. She got over it pretty quickly and decided to make the best of things with me and the big dogs. I loaded the whole crew in the van to run errands and went to Costco and the grocery store. Ecko was quite vocal in her kennel and let me know that she did NOT appreciate being locked in there. The big dogs and I ignored her as best we could. This too shall pass!

After I finished grcery shopping, I took a few minutes to get Ecko out of her kennel and walk her around the grocery store for a bit. We went down along the side of the building where it was quiet and discovered a short flight of metal stairs with open treads in the back. I walked up to see what Ecko would think of that and she trucked right up the stairs after me without batting an eyelash. We walked up to the front of the building where it was busier and Ecko was momentarily frightened by the rattling of the shopping carts rolling by. We sat by the cart return for a few minutes and she quickly decided that the carts were okay, as they all had friendly humans attached to them.

Upon returning home, we encountered some of the neighbors while we were unloading the van and Ecko won them over immediately. The neighbor next door left to go ride his motorcycle and she took the loud revving of the Harley engine right in stride with barely a startle.

Today Ecko went to work with me and spent lots of time in her kennel. She did get to meet some new people when I went to buy my morning coffee and when some of my customers were dropping off their dogs and she went on a potty walk with a couple of new big dogs (a Standard Poodle and Brittany from our daycare program). She ate lunch in her kennel, which was also a first for her. She polished off a raw chicken wing for dinner and is enjoying time out of "jail" for the evening.

empty nest

Well, the last of the pups (Reef) left for his new home this morning. We didn't get "going home" photos of all the pups, but here are the three we got:

Subi-Blue going home with Nichole and Joe

Tiger going home with Joan

Reef going home with Dick and Ginny

Ginny and I went on a shopping spree for Reef on Sunday and this is Reef trying out his new bed. Looks like he inherited the "snuggle"gene from his daddy Kilo. :-)

Here is a photo of Stoker keeping watch over Ecko, Reef and Tiger. Do you think she wonders where all her puppies are disappearing too? She seems to be adjusting very well and is shedding the role of motherhood to return to her usual wild, bouncy, irresponsible self.

more reports from abroad

We spoke with Alice this morning and got a report on Mako. Alice reports that he is settling in well. He has gutted his shark toy in order to get to the squeaker. He attempts to get Alice and Jim's 20 lb cat to play with him but the cat is not impressed. :-) He follows his people around the house like a shadow (PWDs will definately do that). He didn't eat quite as much as expected the first few days, but has found his appetite, is eating well and has gained a pound. He has quiet snuggly moments, but also likes time to run like the wind in the yard. He brings his toys back if you throw them for him, so he's a good little retriever already.

On Saturday evening, we also got another report on Subi-Blue from Joe and Nichole:

We made it through the first full day. Subi-Blue either slept through the night or was quiet through the night last night. It was us that had trouble sleeping. We expected her to make noises and when she didn't we got worried. However, when we went to check on her she was sitting quietly just looking at us.

We put her collar on this morning and she is fine with it now, after scratching on it a bit here and there. The leash is another adventure.

Today she seemed to get more comfortable and began to speak. She really likes the squeaky toys and especially the shark. She was very cute earlier today carrying it across the room in her mouth.

We learned that she loves vegetables and the raw food much more than the kibble. This morning we fed her some kibble and she did not finish it until we added some vegetables at lunch. For dinner, we gave her a bit of the buffalo and she ate it in about 2 seconds (if that).

Today we spent a fair amount of time outside and she really enjoyed that. We also took a short walk around the block and met some neighbors.

You were completely correct; she is very sweet (as long as you are not the shark).

We have already learned lots from Subi-Blue about what she needs. We had a few potty accidents earlier today--but since we have taken her out more frequently she has not had any issues. She seems to be getting more comfortable hr by hr--her tail wagging was full force this evening.

Joan picked Tiger up to go home to her family this afternoon, so we'll see how she does on her first night away from home. Joan's four young boys have been looking forward to a puppy from Santa for several months now, so they will be so excited that she has finally gotten to come home. Joan, her husband and several of the boys had the flu in the last few days, so getting a new puppy will be a nice pick-me-up for the O'Reillys.

One final bit of good news. I just happened to check the results for a recent dog show in Albany, Oregon and one of Kilo's sons from a litter my friends Lance and Stacey bred won the points for Winners Dog both days! Luke is a handsome boy with a super personality and I am so glad he is doing well in the show ring. I hope Luke's half-brothers and sisters from the Deadliest Catch litter have equally nice temperaments.

Angel/Ecko

After much debate, we've finally settled on a permanent name for Angel. From now on her call name will be "Ecko" and her registered name is "Lookout's F/V Ocean Fury".

The name Ecko was originally derived from an idea Jan had of using an anagram of the names Kilo and Stoker to come up with a name for the pup. With the help of some friends we came up with lots of suggestions: "Loki", "Tico", "KoKo", "Klio", "Kloe", "Slik", "Lotis"... We arrived at "Eko" and then changed the spelling a bit to Ecko. For us, the name evokes memories of Papa Kilo and Great-Great-Grandma Tango (Kilo stands for K and Tango stands for T in the phonetic alphabet, while Echo stands for E). We also feel like Ecko is an "echo of the past" for us with several of our bygone dogs in her pedigree.

Picking puppy names is always so difficult!

reports from abroad

Jessie reports that Reef had a wonderful time on his overnight. He tortured Jessie's Golden by hanging off her ears and wasn't horribly deterred when she attempted to put him in his place. He was very confident and had a marvelous time meeting and greeting all Jessie's morning customers at the store before Jan went to pick him up. He went to the bank with Jessie on Thursday afternoon and made friends with all the employees there too.

Reef ate an entire chicken wing by himself too. An added benefit to feeding raw is that it takes a small puppy a fair amount of time to eat a whole wing and it is good exercise and entertainment for them while they are doing it.

Jessie is a particular fan of bold, outgoing boy puppies and had to be persuaded into returning him. Perhaps she should be glad to not be keeping him for her own, as he has figured out how to leap up and hook his elbows over the top of the 2 foot baby-gate that is across the doorway to the puppy room, pull himself up on it and hurl himself off the top. Naughty little escape artist!

Julie e-mailed the following report on Hammy (now Cooper): "Well we are doing pretty well. He does not like the crate, and fusses quite a bit as you know. He was loud in the evening just hanging in the kitchen with us. But we all worked on ignoring that behavior and petting when he was quiet. Last night Dana and I slept in the guest room with Cooper. He slept from 10:40-12:40, fussed a little and then slept all the way until 4am. Then he was fussy on and off from 4-6:15. I figured he was hungry so we got up and he just screamed while we walked around the kitchen. I thought, oh boy this sucks! He spent some time in Tsuzi’s crate (Tsuzi is the Hicks' families older female PWD) with his lunch and was pretty quiet that time. So by this afternoon he was much better. He really likes hanging with (on) Tsuzi, she doesn’t much care for that. When I went out to wash my car around 2 he fussed again outside but then decided chasing Tsuzi was more fun and settled down again. Right now he’s crashed under the girls’ feet while they do homework.

I imagine tonight will be a little long again and we’ll see how tomorrow goes, but we are having fun. He’s met 6 new people, and one new dog. The girls are in heaven.

Thanks for all you have done to help us bring such a great friend home."

Blue went home with Joe and Nichole tonight and I already got a report from them! Yay!

Blue's new call name is "Subi-Blue" and her registered name is Lookout's F/V Big Blue. Here is Joe and Nichole's report: "Subi-Blue made it home without a peep. She got walked around the entire house and was shown her pen and her new kennel--where she will sleep in our bedroom. We got a few toys out and played ball for a bit. Coaxed her into her kennel with the treats you provided. She is now sound asleep in our living room on her bed--way too early. We will send some pictures tomorrow. Her biggest fear seems to be going down stairs--we have a split level (3 stairs). However, she has no problem going up the stairs."

Puppy Juggling

The pups have been coming and going over the last few days cramming in a little extra socialization before they head off for their new homes.

Yesterday afternoon Tiger went home for an overnight with Jessie and returned to my work in the morning. A friend picked her up after a few hours and shuttled her home to her sisters. Jessie reports that Tiger was happy and confident with all the people she met and liked Jessie's Golden Retriever Tory. Oddly enough, Tiger was afraid of Jessie's sweet young male PWD Rebel. Hmm, Chili and Stoker have really been laying down the law with Tiger recently on bite inhibition and perhaps Tiger thought Rebel would do the same.

I sent Jessie with a huge raw chicken wing to act as a pacifier for Tiger and Jess put it in her kennel with her when she went to bed. I really didn't expect Tiger to be able to eat the entire thing, but when Jess got up in the morning the wing was gone. Tiger even managed to crunch up the larger joint bones.

This afternoon at lunch I picked up Hammy and Reef and brought them back to work with me. Reef headed off for an overnight with Jessie and made quite a hit with the bank employees when she took him to run errands with her. We'll get a full report on his overnight trip when he returns to the fold tomorrow.

Hammerhead went home with the Hicks family this afternoon. They have decided that his registered name will be "Lookout F/V Fierce Allegiance" and tentatively, his call name will be "Cooper". The little guy got a toenail trim and a quick trim around his eyes before he headed off for his first night with his new family.

Catching Up

Saturday was uneventful and the pups had a peaceful day at home capped off with a visit from Joe and Nichole. We've determined which pups will fit best with which home, so everyone now knows which pup they will be getting. Joe and Nichole will be taking Blue home with them next week.

On Sunday my friend Jessie and I worked on finishing up the pup's goody bags to send home with them next week. In the afternoon, we left all the big dogs home and loaded the pups up for a trip to the river. We all had a blast! You can see photos of the fun on their photoshow.

Jessie helped haul the pups and keep them from straying and Jan hauled, herded AND acted as photographer. What a guy!

Monday was a busy day with all nine dogs (pups and big dogs) going to the doggy opthalmologist for an eye check in the morning. All of the dogs passed their CERF exams, although several of the pups were quite wiggly and unimpressed with the ordeal!

On Monday afternoon, Mako left for his new home in Eugene with Alice and Jim. He'll be keeping his litter name of Mako as his call name and his registered name is still under consideration. He is signed up for a puppy class already and Alice has a wonderful holistic vet that she will take him to. We know the little guy is in good hands, but it was still a bittersweet moment to have him go. Hope he's settling in well....

In the evening, my friend CJ and I loaded Chili and Decker in the van for agility class and threw the pups in as well. They hung out in their ex-pen on the sidelines while the big dogs ran during class and made lots of new friends with both canine and human classmates.

Friday Fun

Lots has happened since last Friday and I have been bad about updates.

On Friday morning, the pups went to noted author, seminar presenter and judge Pat Hastings for a structural evaluation. The litter was very consistent and scored well for this evaluation. We were very excited when Pat rated all the pups equal to or better than the current PWDs showing in the ring today. Only a few of the pups will actually make their way into the show ring some day, but the good structure they all exhibit will stand them in good stead as healthy companions too.

Following the evaluation, the pups slept quietly in their kennels in the van while Jan and I went to lunch with friend Mandy Ford who joined us for the evaluation. Mandy owns Chili's sister Bella and was in town for a dog show with Stoker's cousin India.

After lunch, we quickly headed for home and unloaded the pups for a potty break and lunch. They had about an hour to stretch their legs and digest their lunch and then we loaded everybody back in the van for a trip to the vet for a check-up and vaccinations. All the pups checked out fine at the vet and rode nicely in the van there and back. After all the time in kennels and napping, they were quite the little terrorists for the rest of the afternoon and evening.

Puppy Reports

Three of my dog loving friends have been kind enough to take the pups for varying periods of time to give them a taste of what it will be like to be away from their "pack" when they go to their new homes.

Mako went home for an overnight visit with Jessie. He had just had a rowdy play session with his brothers and sisters, so he settled in quietly in his kennel for the ride to Jessie's house. When he got there, he didn't see any sense of urgency in leaving the kennel, so he continued to nap with the door open for a while. When Jess put her dog's dinner down a sense of urgency was born and Mako came truckin' out of the kennel and dove into Rebel's bowl to help himself. Rebel was quite the amiable host and let the little upstart eat his dinner! Rebel is Stoker's cousin and is an intact 2-1/2 year old boy - very sweet.

Mako made friends with both Rebel and Jessie's Golden Tory and followed them up and down the steps into Jessie's back yard for potty breaks.

When Jess put baby Mako into his kennel for the night, he cried for about 5 minutes and then slept through the night with no more complaints. I picked him up at Jessie's work on Tuesday morning around 6:30 and he was behind the counter exploring.

Mako went for another trip with my friend Sarah today. Sarah is a teacher and Mako got to keep her company at work today. He met LOTS of kids and, in Sarah's estimation, probably met his "100 people by 3 months" goal already. Sarah's kids were practicing for a theatre production and some of them were dressed in scary costumes. Sarah reports that Mako took it all in stride and was a big hit with the kids.

My friend CJ took Hammy for an afternoon. Ham got to ride in his crate in the car for a couple of hours while CJ went to an appointment. CJ's Malinois young Seeker stayed in the car with baby Hammy and showed him how big boys are quiet and calm in their kennels. Hammy took a while to adsorb the lesson, but was quiet by the time CJ headed home. Upon arriving home, Hammy exercised his vocal cords and his "jumping up" skills in a futile attempt to get CJ to pick him up and lavish attention on him. The lesson learned (or started in the teaching) was that pushy, stressy puppies don't get picked up and cuddled with. After trying this behavior for an hour or so, Hammy got tired and decided to take a nap. As soon as he lay quietly at her feet for a minute, Hammy was rewarded with some lap time and a nice puppy/human nap.

Hammy did not have any potty accidents in CJs house and won over both Seeker and CJ's German Shepherd Journey with his puppy antics. CJ reports that Seeker was very cute with Hammy and laid on the floor to gently entice him to play. Seeker also escorted Hammy out on the deck to enjoy the great outdoors.

Tonight, Blue has gone for a visit with Jessie. I'll give you Blue's report (s0 far) in Jessie's own words. Jess even sent a photo of Blue.

"She came stomping out of her kennel with her tail over her back (after I waited for her to stop caterwauling) and promptly told the big dogs off. She then took a nice long nap, went outside and went potty with the big dogs than everybody had dinner of beef hearts with mixed vegtables and pumpkin.

She is very curious of the big dogs and follows them everywhere. They however don't know quite what to do with her. She is very outgoing and she has a mind and will of her own. She is not content to sit and watch the world pass her by. She is very much in the mode of 'making things happen'."

Busy Little Puppies

Boy, the pups are keeping things hopping around here! Not only do they play like little banshees now, but their appointment calendar is crammed like the VIPs (very important puppies) that they are, VBG.

Yesterday, the whole gang got loaded into the van to go to work with me. We have a canine chiropractor that comes every two weeks to adjust the various performance and conformation dogs that train at Pup-A-Razzi. All three of the "big dogs" (Chili, Decker, Stoker) got adjustments, and then all six of the "little dogs" did too! The chiropractor made some minor adjustments on all the pups (they do play hard after all) and pronounced them all to be in good shape. I feel like proactive chiropractic care can be a help in preventing orthopedic issues from developing in dogs with an active lifestyle and PWDs have a definate tendency to be active!

I took the pups home in the afternoon, then returned to work to teach my evening classes. After classes were over, my friend Lisa met me back at the house to inject the puppy's microchips. Microchips are a super way to make sure your pet has a permanent form of ID. Should your pup (heaven forbid!) escape the fold and go missing, most vet clinics and other organizations that deal with stray dogs should be able to scan your dog for a chip and make sure you are reunited with your pet. We'll make sure that everyone fills out their paperwork and pays the small fee to register the chips before the pups leave for their homes and we will take care of submitting the paperwork for you. It's little details like registering microchips that sometimes get left undone in the excitement of bringing your new pup home.

Tommorrow the pups have their structural evaluation in the AM and their first vet visit in the PM. By the weekend, I should know which pup will go to which home and can tell everyone what pup will be coming home with them next week. Please be patient - I'll tell everyone the news as soon as I have things figured out.

Sleepy Puppy Photos

Jan holding a sleeping Tiger.

Angel takes a nap with a toy.

Blue (left) and Hammy (right)

Blue

Training

The puppies haven't even left for their new homes yet, but it's time to start thinking about looking for a training class. Classes at good training facilities fill up quickly and it is important to enroll pups in a class by the time they are around 12 weeks old. A Puppy class should have a strong focus on socializing pups with other puppies and people, but will also cover basic obedience skills (sit, down, stay, leash walking) and provide pointers to help deal with behavioral issues (jumping, barking, digging).

A good place to search for a good trainer in your area is to visit the Association of Pet Dog Trainers website and use their "trainer search" feature. I couldn't get the search function to work this morning, but my business partner Jen Keene is an APDT member and should be among the trainers listed for the Beaverton area.

To get you enthused about training your pup, here is an excellent website on clicker training with some puppy-related articles. Clicker training is a super fun way to train your pup. You can teach and reinforce cued behaviors (like sit or down) and reinforce behavioral responses (like confidence or self control) with the clicker. The pups will be getting "clicked" when they get their meals for the remaining time before they come home, so they should be "conditioned" to the sound of the clicker when they go to their new homes.

The Cube and Mail Shredding

I saw this "cube" in the grocery store (of all places) today and thought that for $11 I just had to get it and see if the puppies liked it. As you can see, it was a big hit. Mako REALLY liked it, although I did not get a photo of him napping in it. Hammerhead took occupancy for a while. The two cuties in the first photo are Tiger (l) and Blue (r).

As soon as I got down lower with the camera, Blue had to come investigate, so I caught this cute photo of Tiger by herself.


Finally, we got mostly junk mail in the post today and Blue and Angel had great fun shredding an envelope I dropped. Hey! Wait a minute! Aren't PWDs supposed to be Courier dogs? What do you suppose the mail looked like back in those days?

Look on the pup's individual pages for stacked photos today. We trimmed some hair from the bottoms of their feet while we were at it too so they will track less pine needles in.

Catching Up

Lots going on with the pups in the last few days. I should have photos from Friday's outing as soon as I remember to bring the CD my friend gave me with the photos that she took...

On Friday, the babies went on their first "road trip" to visit some of the customers at the business where I am part-owner. They had a short car ride (no big deal), bath (NOT impressed!), got dried under a cage dryer for the first time (NOT impressed!) and got to visit with LOTS of new people (impressed!). They ate dinner off a paper plate with lots of onlookers and sucked everything down with gusto. They weathered the stressful parts of their afternoon quite well and impressed everyone with how extremely cute and confident they were. They got more kudos from everyone for how well they did in seeking out and using the paper area of their temporary pen as their potty area.

On Saturday, Ginny and Dick Lane came to visit and braved a snowy drive from the coast to visit the wee beasts. They had tried to visit last weekend, but the weather was even less cooperative then. The Lanes stayed overnight in Beaverton and then brought breakfast by on Sunday morning (for us humans) and had another quick visit before the long drive home.

Ginny and Dick had no sooner cleared the door then we whisked the pups into the van for their second car ride of the week and took them off to a friend's house for temperament testing. We were quite pleased with the results of the temperament testing, with "medium" ratings for almost all the pups. This indicates that they should have good personalities for companion dogs, as we had anticipated. Remember that these are PWD puppies and they will not be push-button dogs - appropriate temperament for a PWD does not equate with "easy". Those of you that are getting pups can still expect plenty of challenges along the way as you raise your pup to adult-hood! The pups may each get a couple outings with friends in the next two weeks to start with the process of getting them away from their "pack" a little and exposed to different people/places.

Puppy Packets

After being out of commission for the past day with the flu (Ugh!) I am feeling much better and am working on the puppy packets today. In putting together materials for the packets, I remembered this link to a free "Before You Get Your Puppy" book by noted author Ian Dunbar.

"What the puppy learns now will shape it into the kind of dog it will be forevermore"