Saturday, October 2, 2010
September 30
Sorry I haven't written recently but the month of September was eaten up by my 2 week hospital stay. During this month Annabelle was able to stay with my husband and begin her doxycycline for her heart worms. She has an appointment to go in for heartworm injections in early October. Annabelle and her pups are hopefully going in on Saturday (October 2) so that they can all get spayed or neutered.
September 7
Unfortunately, my back surgery in June has landed me in the hospital. Because of this, the puppies have had to be transferred to another foster so that I can recooperate. I will be fine in a few weeks, but this will end the puppy's saga for now....
August 31
contact the foster family of the pup they are interested. The adopters
will meet the pup at the fosters or adopters home or a location like a
pet store/dog park where the family can interact with pup. If they
want to check out 2-3 different pups, this may mean arranging 2-3
separate play dates.
We also participate in adoption fairs at major pet stores, but I don't
feel this in the ideal way to meet pups. Usually they last 3-4 hours
and with all of the excitement, the puppies are wired for the first
hour or so and tend to get tired out pretty quickly there after. You
may be looking at a crazy hyper dog, but because they are tired they
may seem more mellowed out at the meeting. You may be looking for the
perfect family dog and walk past an ideal candidate because she is
scared of all of the barking the other dogs are doing.
From an adopters stand point, adoption fairs are great because a
family could potentially meet hundreds of dogs, from different litters
and all sorts of breeds, in one place. That makes for easier comparing
and contrasting to find out which dogs will do best for their family.
Often at the adoption fairs, the foster parent in there to help share
the dogs story and situation. While Fluffy may be incredibly cute, she
may not be the best if you are looking for a dog that doesn't bark - a
foster parent will share that with you. Then they can guide you to a
dog that doesn't bark.
The Humane Society I volunteer for doesn't have a shelter. Shelters
have the benefit that allows an adopter to see tons of dogs at one
time. The problem is that when you are going to look at a dog, often
that is when everyone else is looking at their future pets - on the
weekends. Getting the chance to speak with someone who can truly tell
you what the dog is about - more than what is on the kennel card - can
be tough. Some shelters have areas set up so that you can take the dog
for a walk or let them play with your kids, but many shelters have
very minimal space for these activities. I would not suggest adopting
a dog until you have had the chance to interact with them face to
face. No fence or cage door in between.
If you are considering going to an adoption fair or shelter, I suggest
that you bring a slip leash (or take a normal leash and put the clip
end through the loop) so that it can fit any dog you may be looking
at. Regardless of where you are considering adopting from, I suggest
bringing a toy. If you have your heart set on playing fetch with a
dog, it is probably best to figure out if they have any interest in a
ball or frisbee.
Lastly, this is not as important with a puppy, but it doesn't hurt. If
you have other animals at home, take a towel and let your current pets
get their scent on them. Let the cat sleep on it or rub your dogs bum
with it. Then when you meet who you think is the right puppy, let the
pup check out the smell of your current pups. Some pups will ignore
the smell and just want to keep playing with you. Some pups will sniff
and sniff and sniff, showing interest. These are both good signs. On
the other hand, some pups will growl at the towel, start barking
incessantly looking for "the other dog" or trying to cover the other
scent with their own (peeing). These signs are not good. If you have a
less than ideal outcome, this doesn't mean that this dog won't work in
your home. It is just a sign that you need to let your current pets
and your new ones meet (on neutral terratory). Once they have met, the
pets can decide if they will be fast friends or if you should keep
looking.
will meet the pup at the fosters or adopters home or a location like a
pet store/dog park where the family can interact with pup. If they
want to check out 2-3 different pups, this may mean arranging 2-3
separate play dates.
We also participate in adoption fairs at major pet stores, but I don't
feel this in the ideal way to meet pups. Usually they last 3-4 hours
and with all of the excitement, the puppies are wired for the first
hour or so and tend to get tired out pretty quickly there after. You
may be looking at a crazy hyper dog, but because they are tired they
may seem more mellowed out at the meeting. You may be looking for the
perfect family dog and walk past an ideal candidate because she is
scared of all of the barking the other dogs are doing.
From an adopters stand point, adoption fairs are great because a
family could potentially meet hundreds of dogs, from different litters
and all sorts of breeds, in one place. That makes for easier comparing
and contrasting to find out which dogs will do best for their family.
Often at the adoption fairs, the foster parent in there to help share
the dogs story and situation. While Fluffy may be incredibly cute, she
may not be the best if you are looking for a dog that doesn't bark - a
foster parent will share that with you. Then they can guide you to a
dog that doesn't bark.
The Humane Society I volunteer for doesn't have a shelter. Shelters
have the benefit that allows an adopter to see tons of dogs at one
time. The problem is that when you are going to look at a dog, often
that is when everyone else is looking at their future pets - on the
weekends. Getting the chance to speak with someone who can truly tell
you what the dog is about - more than what is on the kennel card - can
be tough. Some shelters have areas set up so that you can take the dog
for a walk or let them play with your kids, but many shelters have
very minimal space for these activities. I would not suggest adopting
a dog until you have had the chance to interact with them face to
face. No fence or cage door in between.
If you are considering going to an adoption fair or shelter, I suggest
that you bring a slip leash (or take a normal leash and put the clip
end through the loop) so that it can fit any dog you may be looking
at. Regardless of where you are considering adopting from, I suggest
bringing a toy. If you have your heart set on playing fetch with a
dog, it is probably best to figure out if they have any interest in a
ball or frisbee.
Lastly, this is not as important with a puppy, but it doesn't hurt. If
you have other animals at home, take a towel and let your current pets
get their scent on them. Let the cat sleep on it or rub your dogs bum
with it. Then when you meet who you think is the right puppy, let the
pup check out the smell of your current pups. Some pups will ignore
the smell and just want to keep playing with you. Some pups will sniff
and sniff and sniff, showing interest. These are both good signs. On
the other hand, some pups will growl at the towel, start barking
incessantly looking for "the other dog" or trying to cover the other
scent with their own (peeing). These signs are not good. If you have a
less than ideal outcome, this doesn't mean that this dog won't work in
your home. It is just a sign that you need to let your current pets
and your new ones meet (on neutral terratory). Once they have met, the
pets can decide if they will be fast friends or if you should keep
looking.
August 27
As the puppies are getting larger, I am having to make the tough
decision about how long I can keep the entire family together. Usually
I wouldn't think about separating a litter, but with nine puppies it
will become inevitable that they will have to split up before the
puppies are ready to be adopted out at the end of September. I figure
by then they will be about 25-35 pounds! I can do a lot, but having
about 250 pounds of energetic puppies in my house while their Mama is
trying to fight heart worms is not ideal.
I will keep the puppies with Annabelle until they are at least 7 weeks
old, so she can teach them as much as possible about being a dog. One
of the problems with pet store dogs and many animal adoption groups
that adopt out 6 week old pups is that they separate the pups from mom
as soon as possible so that the "cute, six week old puppy" can find a
home. The humane society I foster for understands that 5-8 weeks is an
essential time for the dogs socialization to have Mom correcting them.
Mom will teach them about bite inhibition. Mom will teach them how
dogs interact with each other - what the different types of growls,
barks, and postures mean. And Mom will tell them, with no uncertain
tones, if the puppies cross the line.
As much as Annabelle can teach them, it is important that they have
plenty of people time too. The more one on one interaction the puppies
have with a person, the better pets they will make. I try to get the
dogs familiar with my cat, but I can only do this one dog at a time so
that Selina doesn't get overwhelmed. The puppies also need to
understand not to bite on hands when someone is trying to pet them.
Learning that sitting will garner more attention than jumping all over
people is important. They will need to begin learning to walk on a
leash. Because of the size of these puppies, it will be vital that
they begin to learn basic puppy etiquette as soon as possible. While I
am good at dog training, there is no way I have the time to spend
30-45 minutes each day per dog teaching them the basics from 8-12
weeks old.
Now I am trying to figure out how best to split this litter. The other
foster home that the pups will be going to has a couple other Mama
dogs. Those Mama dogs would be happy to correct a puppy that gets too
mouthy or crosses the line so the pups will continue to get their dog
educations. Due to the large size difference between the Texan pups
and Victoria & Phoenix, by separating the big pups from the small
pups, it will allow the smaller pups to come out of their shells. By
allowing all of the dogs to come out of their shells, become more
outgoing, and better socialized the puppies will find their forever
homes quicker. The other thought is that because Austin has an
umbilical hernia and two others have small holes, that I should keep
them as my house is quieter. I am sure it will all work out, but just
another thing to think about with all of these puppies!
decision about how long I can keep the entire family together. Usually
I wouldn't think about separating a litter, but with nine puppies it
will become inevitable that they will have to split up before the
puppies are ready to be adopted out at the end of September. I figure
by then they will be about 25-35 pounds! I can do a lot, but having
about 250 pounds of energetic puppies in my house while their Mama is
trying to fight heart worms is not ideal.
I will keep the puppies with Annabelle until they are at least 7 weeks
old, so she can teach them as much as possible about being a dog. One
of the problems with pet store dogs and many animal adoption groups
that adopt out 6 week old pups is that they separate the pups from mom
as soon as possible so that the "cute, six week old puppy" can find a
home. The humane society I foster for understands that 5-8 weeks is an
essential time for the dogs socialization to have Mom correcting them.
Mom will teach them about bite inhibition. Mom will teach them how
dogs interact with each other - what the different types of growls,
barks, and postures mean. And Mom will tell them, with no uncertain
tones, if the puppies cross the line.
As much as Annabelle can teach them, it is important that they have
plenty of people time too. The more one on one interaction the puppies
have with a person, the better pets they will make. I try to get the
dogs familiar with my cat, but I can only do this one dog at a time so
that Selina doesn't get overwhelmed. The puppies also need to
understand not to bite on hands when someone is trying to pet them.
Learning that sitting will garner more attention than jumping all over
people is important. They will need to begin learning to walk on a
leash. Because of the size of these puppies, it will be vital that
they begin to learn basic puppy etiquette as soon as possible. While I
am good at dog training, there is no way I have the time to spend
30-45 minutes each day per dog teaching them the basics from 8-12
weeks old.
Now I am trying to figure out how best to split this litter. The other
foster home that the pups will be going to has a couple other Mama
dogs. Those Mama dogs would be happy to correct a puppy that gets too
mouthy or crosses the line so the pups will continue to get their dog
educations. Due to the large size difference between the Texan pups
and Victoria & Phoenix, by separating the big pups from the small
pups, it will allow the smaller pups to come out of their shells. By
allowing all of the dogs to come out of their shells, become more
outgoing, and better socialized the puppies will find their forever
homes quicker. The other thought is that because Austin has an
umbilical hernia and two others have small holes, that I should keep
them as my house is quieter. I am sure it will all work out, but just
another thing to think about with all of these puppies!
August 25
It is completely insane the amount of dog food this family is eating.
Since Annabelle came here I have gone through more than 100 pounds of
puppy food! Fortunately, the humane society provides the dog food for
the puppies. This family would eat me out of house and home, if the
humane society didn't cover the food bill.
The pet food bank gets food in several ways: donations from "normal
people", donations of broken/damaged bags from pet stores and grocery
stores, and money will be donated specifically to buy food. This means
there is often small quantities of many different types of puppy and
dog foods. While I would love to only feed the dogs one high quality
dog the entire time, but the food bank rarely will have 100+ pounds of
really good stuff. Starting with Annabelle's food and carrying it on
when the puppies started eating mush, I chose a handful of high
quality puppy foods and have blended them together to avoid any
stomach upset when changing from bag to bag.
Right now, I am using about 3-4 pounds of puppy food a day. Then
Annabelle is still eating nearly 10 cups of dog food a day so she can
keep providing the pups with milk. Based on the fact that the puppies
are gaining weight well and that Annabelle's weight has stabilized,
whatever they are eating and how ever much they are eating seems to be
doing them well!
Since Annabelle came here I have gone through more than 100 pounds of
puppy food! Fortunately, the humane society provides the dog food for
the puppies. This family would eat me out of house and home, if the
humane society didn't cover the food bill.
The pet food bank gets food in several ways: donations from "normal
people", donations of broken/damaged bags from pet stores and grocery
stores, and money will be donated specifically to buy food. This means
there is often small quantities of many different types of puppy and
dog foods. While I would love to only feed the dogs one high quality
dog the entire time, but the food bank rarely will have 100+ pounds of
really good stuff. Starting with Annabelle's food and carrying it on
when the puppies started eating mush, I chose a handful of high
quality puppy foods and have blended them together to avoid any
stomach upset when changing from bag to bag.
Right now, I am using about 3-4 pounds of puppy food a day. Then
Annabelle is still eating nearly 10 cups of dog food a day so she can
keep providing the pups with milk. Based on the fact that the puppies
are gaining weight well and that Annabelle's weight has stabilized,
whatever they are eating and how ever much they are eating seems to be
doing them well!
August 23
As the puppies are getting bigger and more active, it is really easy
for me to start feeling overwhelmed. The last litter of puppies that I
fostered had 5 puppies that were this litters size at about 8 weeks
old. This litter, is, well, wow!
Everytime I start to get frustrated I think about why I get
frustrated. Most of the time, the sense of being overwhelmed is caused
by something very positive. It is tough to get down on the floor to
scrub it because the puppies are too friendly! They all want to be
played with by their humans. They don't care that they are running
through a puddle of piddle, they want loving. Over night I try to keep
the puppies corralled in their play pen so if there are accidents, it
is contained. Waking up and immediately needing to mop the floor is no
fun! But any of the breakouts are because Annabelle is such an
attentive mother that when the puppies whine for milk, she does
whatever she needs to to get to her puppies (often making a hole in
the play pen when she goes in, inadvertantly, letting them out).
Even though the puppies can cause stress in my life, there is nothing
more relaxing than curling up on the couch with a puppy or two on my
chest! So even when it is stressful it is still a good experience.
for me to start feeling overwhelmed. The last litter of puppies that I
fostered had 5 puppies that were this litters size at about 8 weeks
old. This litter, is, well, wow!
Everytime I start to get frustrated I think about why I get
frustrated. Most of the time, the sense of being overwhelmed is caused
by something very positive. It is tough to get down on the floor to
scrub it because the puppies are too friendly! They all want to be
played with by their humans. They don't care that they are running
through a puddle of piddle, they want loving. Over night I try to keep
the puppies corralled in their play pen so if there are accidents, it
is contained. Waking up and immediately needing to mop the floor is no
fun! But any of the breakouts are because Annabelle is such an
attentive mother that when the puppies whine for milk, she does
whatever she needs to to get to her puppies (often making a hole in
the play pen when she goes in, inadvertantly, letting them out).
Even though the puppies can cause stress in my life, there is nothing
more relaxing than curling up on the couch with a puppy or two on my
chest! So even when it is stressful it is still a good experience.
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