Raising Puppies - Round 2 ... and 3

A funny thought went through my head a few weeks ago. Now that I know how to take care of newborn pups, wouldn't it be cool to do it again while Bennie is still young? Sounds weird, I know. Bennie is a loving little dog and, well, it would be kind of like having siblings close together. Maybe this is just one of those maternal/menopausal feelings of ooh, babies again!

Obviously, I couldn't plan on having another orphan puppy, but oddly enough, just days after this thought went through my brain, I received a message from Life is Better Rescue asking if I would be willing to foster two week old chihuahua puppies. Cool! I went to the municipal shelter and picked up one little pup. The other one hadn't survived the night. We brought this one home and tucked her into a warm bed.

Bennie was interested. He was right by us all day, trying to see, sniff, and lick the puppy. LIBR named her Maple, a name I am growing to like more and more. We have called her Mei Mei, which is Mandarin for Little Sister. It fits as a decent nickname for Maple, too.

Mei Mei settled in nicely, ate well, pooped every day (until you have orphaned pups that don't, you cannot truly appreciate this) and slept soundly. When she woke up, she wouldn't make a sound, but find her paw and start sucking on it. I had to wake her every two hours and make sure she ate. She is tiny, really, really tiny. This time, I do believe we have a pure long haired chihuahua. At 3 weeks old, she now weighs just under 8 ounces. To compare with our last litter, the smallest, Franklin, was over 12 ounces at the same age. That's a huge difference when they are so tiny.

And just as we were settling in, another call came. There was another pup needing to be bottle fed.

Since I had planned on two, would I be willing to take this one? That afternoon, I brought home a little pup whom Emma immediately named Florence. Why did I assume it would be another chihuahua? Florence is a pit bull mix and, at 2 weeks, weighs over 2 pounds, four times the weight of her foster sister.

I have to admit, it is nice to have one pup that is more substantial and doesn't look like some tiny wild creature you might find in a fairy forest. It wouldn't have surprised us if Mei Mei suddenly sprouted wings and flown around the room, or disappeared into a mouse hole.

Bennie wasn't sure what to make of everything. He definitely wants to get in on the action. He insists on washing their faces after they eat... or sometimes while they eat. Tonight he gently nudged Mei Mei back onto the pee pad whenever she wandered off. It was a challenging task as Mei Mei was headed toward Emma's lap for her after dinner nap, but Bennie stuck to it, returning her over and over again.

We chose to "sponge" feed the puppies this time because it gives them an experience closer to nursing. It also helps prevent them from aspirating formula into their lungs or sinuses, and prevents overeating and bloating, which was Bennie's big challenge. Mei Mei is a delicate eater and very patient. Florence is hungry and never seems to get enough. Bennie is right there to help out.

The two puppies sleep together and help keep each other warm. It's good.

My family and friends think I'm nuts and roll their eyes at me. Why would anyone in their right mind do something like this? True, I haven't slept well in the last two weeks and my last clean pair of jeans got peed on this morning... and one of the pups pooped in the bed last night and they both had to have baths this morning because they were covered in smelly ick. 

During one early morning feeding, I watched as Mei Mei sleepily sucked on the sponge till her eyes closed and she feel asleep in my hand. I sat and stared at her for the longest time, in awe of something so tiny and so perfect. As we all know, babies grow up quickly and puppies grow up amazingly fast. What a privilege it is to have this short time with them and witness this miracle.

End of a Journey

Our last little puppy was adopted today. Hammie, aka Alvin, was given a spot on the local news channel's "Pet of the Week" segment. We cleaned him up, trimmed his toenails, and dressed him in a bow tie. It was probably the bow tie that did it. When the family came to pick him up, their 11 year old dog was also wearing a bow tie.

It's quiet around here... at least for the moment. Bennie will have to get used to being an only dog. He has never slept alone in his kennel. There was about 5 minutes of whining and howling before he dropped off to sleep tonight.

His new family promised to keep in touch. We've been so lucky! All the adoptive families have kept in touch. The couple who adopted Bertie - now Cooper - have sent photos from their camping trip and filled us in on how he is doing. Franklin - now Leroy - comes to visit now and then.

The woman who adopted Hammie has a 9-year-old daughter who is very excited to meet her new puppy.

And what happens next? I'm helping out now and then, cleaning cat cages at Life is Better Rescue. I suspect we'll foster other dogs, too, though right now we'll let Bennie figure out he's the one who's going to stay put.

Dog Days of Summer - 2016

Two of the three puppies have been adopted. Hammie is still waiting for his forever home. I wanted to make a photo book as a birthday present to Emma to remember our journey. The link below is to the book. You can click to make it full screen.

Dog Days of Summer

It's much quieter around here! We had to pick up a couple of small dog dishes because it really didn't make sense to feed them with the larger communal dish anymore. And what happened? Neither puppy would touch his food last night. I forget, they don't like change.

Still, it seems Bertie and Franklin are adapting well to their new homes. Franklin (now called Leroy) is the one with the cleft paw, a major birth defect that doesn't seem to hamper his movements at all. In fact, when they visited yesterday, Leroy was running around the house so fast, Emma said she was waiting for him to stop suddenly and go "BEEP BEEP" before zooming off again. And while all the puppies sound rather ferocious when they play, add Leroy to the mix and all we can think of is the Tasmanian devil from the old cartoons - a force to be reckoned with.

Bertie (now called Cooper) is still new in his home, but from the photos, we know he's quite taken with the other two dogs in the household. His people are wonderful and we know he's got the best home we could possibly have wanted for him.

During the month the grandkids were away, Bennie suddenly turned into a dachshund, at least mostly. He's a chihuahua mix and now it's obvious what the mix is.

Hammie (aka Alvin) will be adopted before too long, I'm sure. Just in case you're looking for a great small dog, here he is on his adoption page:

Alvin is a 2.5 month old chihuahua mix puppy that was saved as a day old newborn after he had been found under a dumpster. He and his siblings were bottle fed and have been hand raised by a wonderful foster family. As such, they have experience with kids, rabbits, chickens, and are all the way around very outgoing and don't act or think like chihuahuas. Alvin is neutered, vaccinated, microchipped and has been dewormed. He is working on crate and house training, but has had pretty amazing start and has been loved so completely that he is ready to start a great forever with a family! Alvin is $300 to adopt.

Hammie (Alvin) looks more chihuahua than dachshund. He's curious and loves to explore. He's been working on making friends with our rabbits and the chickens. The latter don't quite know what to do about it, but he keeps on trying.

Then we'll be a one dog household and my job as the chihuahua mama will be officially over. Yeah, we'll still have Bennie. He'll just be our dog. This has been quite an adventure. Amazing, really. It wasn't easy, but compared to raising human children, it was a breeze. Three months and 5 days after they came into our care they're old enough to leave home.

I'm glad humans can take their time to grow up. Of course, the puppies aren't really grown up, they're more like 4-year-olds. This means it's time to teach some manners.

The best things in life are rescued. If you're looking for a wonderful addition to your family, pet-wise, check out your local rescue organizations. They do amazing work. You're also getting a bargain. I did a price comparison on the services which are provided for these puppies by the rescue group and found if you take your dog to a low-cost veterinary clinic, these services would have cost a minimum of $170. A more upscale clinic would run well over $300 for the spay/neuter surgery, vaccinations, deworming, and microchip.

Definitely a win for everyone!

Raising Lexus

Our daughter, Emma, received her best gift a few days after Christmas when we drove out to the airport and picked up Lexus, an 8 week old yellow lab puppy.  Lexus is on loan, really.  She is a Canine Companions for Independence puppy. Emma has volunteered to raise her and begin the basic training over the next 16 months or so.  After that, Lexus will go back to the training program in California to continue learning how to be a service dog.

                                                                                        

This is going to be exciting!  Of course, it's been a long time since we've had a puppy in the house.  

We've forgotten a lot.  Fortunately, Emma has a mentor who has raised 5 puppies for the program. Mitzi comes over regularly to check in and make sure Lexus is doing well and we are still sane.  

What we've learned so far....

Puppies are a lot like babies.  They wake up at night, cry, want to be held, get hungry, and have tantrums.  

It's a good idea to sleep when the puppy is sleeping.

One can accomplish anything: toenail trimming, ear cleaning, baths, etc, as long as there's a spoon with peanut butter to lick off.  (the puppy, not you)

Don't give the puppy attention while they are whining or barking.  If you do, the puppy learns to whine or bark when they want attention.  This is easier said than done, especially when the bark is ear piercing.  It is also difficult until you learn which whine means, "Let me out now or you'll spend the next hour cleaning my crate."

It's cold outside at 3 am when puppy has to go out and pee.  Especially in January.

Puppy needs exercise.  Play with the puppy and take them for walks, but at this young age, it doesn't take much to tire them.  Like all babies and toddlers, they need their naps or they get cranky.  A cranky puppy is not fun.  

A regular rhythm works wonders.  This takes awhile to establish, so be prepared to put up with puppy tantrums at first.  It's worth the work. 

Toys purchased at pet shops aren't nearly as exciting as shoes, slippers, the fringe on the carpet, and my sweater.

Klezmer music will calm Lexus down quicker than anything at nap time.  Maybe she's Jewish?

Cradling Lexus in my arms will calm me down quicker than anything... any time of the day.

The best news a puppy raiser can get, after they've turned in their dog and finished their hard work, is that their dog has made it through the advanced training and has been assigned to be a service dog for someone who has a disability and uses a wheelchair.  It's going to be hard to give up Lexus when the time comes, but knowing the goal makes it wonderfully worthwhile.  If she does graduate, hopefully Emma will be able to go to California for the graduation ceremony and to be the one to hand her over to her new owner.  

What a journey this will be!

Canine Companions for Independence