Off Off and Away

Once again, the last week with the pups was crazy, and I missed out getting a last set of puppy pics for the blog.  This litter was shared between multiple programs.

London aka Teddy and Olympia joined ICAN
Champ aka Stark joined Paws'itive Teams in San Diego www.pawsteams.org
Flame aka Victory "Tory" and Summer joined Pawsitive Perspectives Assistance Dogs in MN www.pawpads.org
Butterfly aka Bella joined Paws With Purpose in KY www.pawswithpurpose.org
Wishing all the pupsters much success in whatever role best suits their talents. 

Many thanks once again to Nancy for her many hours of puppy care.  Appreciative thanks to the US Airways Puppies in Flight volunteers who lovingly escorted Champ, Flame and Summer to their respective programs.  And to Bridget for all the wonderful puppies she has produced for programs across the country - she has been an exceptional mama dog and has earned her retirement from raising puppies.  Bridget's breeder caretaker/soon to be new owner reports that Bridget was eager to get a late start on the school year, resuming her role as the beloved Bedford, IN reading therapy dog. 

Puppies in Flight

Puppies In Flight is a partnership between US Airways and Assistance Dogs International (ADI), which trains and places assistance dogs around the world. US Airways employees volunteer their time and utilize travel benefits to transport and familiarize assistance dogs in training with aircraft and air travel in preparation for future flights with their disabled partners. Over the past 10 years, US Airways employees have participated in transports everywhere from California to Croatia.

7 weeks old

A belated post, it has been a bit busy around here these days.  The pups have turned into a rowdy, active, demanding bunch - normal 7 week old puppies.  Gone are the days of playing for 30 min and sleeping for 2-3 hours.  When people are home, these pups want to rumble.  The pups are already losing their cute puppy cobby bodies, getting leaner and leggier.  The pups are doggie door pros, have had their first car ride, and met the resident house cats.  Last weekend, I clipped the cats' claws to minimize the chance of injury, even though my cats are very dog savvy.  The first greeting was cute, a pack of puppies surrounding Marti who just held her ground and swatted one or two brash pupster.  The pups were curious, but mostly stayed a safe 1-2 feet away without getting overly aroused.  This morning, I watched another kitty encounter.  Flame very politely approached Marti who was sitting on the ground.  Marti held her ground, was fairly relaxed and just voiced a slightly anxious meow.  Flame walked up, gave a quick sniff, and left.  Good puppy!!  On Wed, the pups visited Pendleton Juvenile Correctional Facility as part of the Love on a Leash therapy dog program.  Each pup was assigned a boy and we had something like 10 adults providing lots of assistance (and getting a puppy fix).  We played round robin recall games, had a recall race (Flame won), fplayed fetch with paper balls, practiced puppy pushups, and did a desensitization exercises (adults clapping, hollering, waving arms etc. while the boys fed and played with the pups).  We finished up with a puppy quiz while the boys did handling and puppy massages.  We had no "accidents" outside of the puppy pen and I left with six very tired puppies.  The pups continue to be a ravenous bunch, now eating 2 cups of soaked kibble each per day.  This weekend I will be introducing them to dry kibble.  The pups gained 2 lbs each last week and weighed 10 lbs 10 oz (Butterfly) to 11 lbs 2 oz (London) at 7 weeks.  The pups are convinced they are starving.  They have discovered that the pantry in the kitchen contains bags of dog food, and I need to be careful when I open the door - it can be challenging extracting 6 puppies after they start dog food bag diving.  The pups busted through my wimpy garden fence and completely razed and consumed a patch of Asian greens.  We had some loose puppy poop after that experience.  Bridget is in the process of weaning the pups, and her food has been cut way back.  She is the first dam who has been successful at totally controlling when the pups nurse.  The pups can be out with Bridget, yet will not continually pester her for a meal.  I will plan to get some more puppy pics this weekend. 

Busy weekend

The pups have been busy hosting visitors and exploring their world.  Mealtime has become very important part of their day (true Jammer pups) and they are acting like a ravenous hoard.  By the way they were acting, I was wondering if they needed more chow.  I checked weights Friday evening, and they had gained 1 lb since Tuesday, so no, they are doing fine!  This morning, I took the pups on their first leash walk.  Going solo didn't seem to bother them, but lots of fussying with the leash and harness, as is to be expected.  We just did a square "loop" around the immediate neighbors houses.

 Flame going for her first leash walk

London

 Flame, first "Hurry" on leash

 Champ on his first leash walk

 Champ checking out the mailbox, a bit too young to be checking pee mail

 My refrigerator has become popular, the source of all that marvelous soaked puppy kibble

Butterfly tugging on my pant leg, hopefully she will be doing this as a service dog task
next year

Pool party

We introduced the pups to the wading pool as soon as it got warm enough this week.  Nancy had the honors midday and said that all 4 yellow pups jumped right in.  Just today, Olympia has become an enthusiastic splasher.  Champ is still less sure.  Enjoys himself if you place him in the water, but doesn't just jump in with the others.

Butterfly and Olympia

 London biting at Olympia

 Auntie Tacara having a drink

 Cousin Rocket (aka Mork) joining in

 The boys with Champ making a funny face

 Champ practicing "Up"

Handsome London

6 week puppy pics

 A visiting friend brought over a large stuffed rabbit for the pups, and it is a hit.

 Summer and London cuddling on the stuffed rabbit

Champion - the pups have had their collars upgraded to big puppy collars

Butterfly and Flame.  Flame has a piece of shredded paper on her nose.  I use shredded paper as litter box bedding.

6 weeks old

The pups' activity level is increasing by the day.   Lots of exploring, playing and cuddling going on.   The weather has been marvelous for outdoor puppy playtime.   Nancy has started doing a little bit of baby puppy training at midday.  The pups gained a little over 1 1/2 lbs this week, and they were thrilled to have their rations increased this morning.  London passed Olympia as the new big pup at 9 lbs 3 oz.  Summer is the little girl at 8 lbs 12 oz.  I am now feeding in the small crates, making lots of positive associations with crates at this impressionable age.  A couple of days ago, I took pairs of pups out to a new part of the yard for a semi-solo field trip and everyone did great.  This morning, was our first solo adventure.  I took each pup to this same area and observed how they did by themselves in this barely familiar environment.  The pups did amazingly well.  Typically at this age, we have 1 or 2 pups who are hesitant.  Not this gang. 

Weekend puppy pics

 Lunch on the lawn

 I have four small bowls, so two frustrated pups (Summer and Flame).

 Summer finally getting her turn.

 Flame

 Olympia

The desert bar

 Harness training - Olympia in red, Summer in black.

 Summer fussing with her harness.

Summer just about ready to make a jump towards me. 

More puppy pics

 Butterly checking out the silky dogwood

 Little Champion

 The boys, London looks much bigger since he is closer.

 Summer in the violets

 London has been chewing grass

In the outdoor puppy pen after a romp.  For whatever reason, pups often segregate by color. 

Bridget and her pups

 Butterfly sleeping on Bridget

Bridget soundly correctly London immediately after this pic

5 weeks old

The pups turned 5 weeks old yesterday and are very much little dogs now.  This has been an exceptionally easy litter.  Pups keep a very clean pen and are relatively quiet.  Pups gained a bit over 1 1/2 lbs last week.  Olympia was still the big pup, but not by much.  She weighed 7 lbs 9 oz.  The smallest pups were Champ and Summer at 7 lbs 3 oz.  The pups are currently eating 1 c of soaked kibble/day each plus goat milk, and they are being fed individually.  Just today, I cut back Bridget to 5 cups high calorie kibble plus egg and chicken.  This week, the pups have moved from the front yard into the back yard.  They were getting a bit too adventurous out front.  I also set up an ex-pen in the backyard so the pups can stay out unattended.  Nancy has been working on sitting for attention, and the pups are doing lovely sits with eye contact.  I have started working on bite inhibition, and we continue to do handling exercises.  When the pups are in the house, I often have the TV, radio or sound effect CD's on, and just found my box of bubble wrap to pop to desensitize the pups to sudden loud sounds. 

More puppy pics

 Butterfly sleeping on the toy piano

Cousin Rocket (aka Mork) with Champ.  Although Rocket looks unsure, he is very smitten with the puppies.

 Champ between Rocket's legs

 Olympia and Flame under the couch

 Summer under the couch

Champ and Summer on front step

 Olympia

 Summer decimating the groundcover next to the front walk

Butterfly tugging Flame's tail

The great escape

Nancy kindly came over midday while I was at the State Fair.  She received quite the surprise when she walked in - 5 baby puppies on the loose.  The pups had managed to climb over the half gate; only Olympia was left in the pen.  So the puppy pen is officially closed, and the only access that the big dogs will have is when the pen is opened by a human.  Bridget is starting to let the pups know that weaning has begun.  The pups' appetites are picking up, so also time to increase the amount of kibble fed.  Currently, the pups are eating 3/4 of soaked kibble with goat milk added each per day.  Bridget is currently eating 6 cups per day of high calorie kibble, plus hard boiled egg and chicken.  I plan to start gradually reducing her food so that her milk production decreases.  Bridget's body condition is still excellent. 

Puppy pics

Some puppy pics to start out the weekend.

 Black pups and Grandma Yuma

 Flame and Butterfly looking to get back inside.  The pups are now coming in from the front yard when called. 

 Butterfly snoozing.  This litter loves tucking under the couch or end table when tired. 

 Summer

 London leaning

 Summer tackling Olympia

 Flame

 Coming down the front walk

 London, the front steps are still padded

Butterfly and Flame, wanting back out!