PUPPIES SETTLIN' IN

29 SEPTEMBER 2010

Shannon writes: We're all doing great!

Mama Holly has settled in nicely and is an absolute doll . . . she is a wonderful mom, too. She is very sweet-natured and loves to be talked to & petted. Holly is your typical mill dog: pretty shy, a bit fearful, but she'll come around, I'm sure. Gayle & Bob did a good job in starting to socialize her. She so wants to be loved!

The babies are growing like little weeds! All have doubled their weight since birth. Their eyes & ears opened yesterday, making them even cuter! We are holding them a little each day to get them comfortable with the human touch; we talk to them, too.

Joe & I cannot believe how Holly notices even when ONE pup is gone. We took them all out this morning to weigh and then kept one out . . . Mama noticed and was looking over the edge of the xpen for her.

Whenever one of our dogs walks past her xpen, she growls and brings her babies in under her and sits on them. We think that she is "hiding" them to protect them!

Joe put up some drywall & blankets so she can't see our dogs now. Last night I was making dinner and heard this bam! . . . Holly had knocked down the drywall. I put it back up; down it came again. We figured out she smelled the meat I was cooking and wanted some! Every time we put it up she pushed it down with her nose. . . it was pretty funny!

The pups are now:

Charlie - 15.2 ounces (7 ounces at birth)
Robbie -10.6 ounces (5 ounces at birth;
the runt of the bunch)
Mitzi - 13.8 ounces (6 ounces at birth)
McCoy - 14.8 ounces (7 ounces at birth)
Sash - 13.8 ounces (7 ounces at birth)
Zorro - 14.4 ounces (7 ounces at birth)
Molly - 17 ounces (8 ounces at birth; BIG GIRL!!)

I took pictures of them this morning, with their eyes & ears open,
but for the life of me, can't tell you who is who . . . sorry!!
Next time will write down names after taking the picture.

This is the first pup to have her eyes open yesterday!
[Note on the left of the picture, the outline of a dog looking in . . . cute! --ad]

Mama takes the ribbon/yarn off them every time.
Gayle said one was so tight around the pup's neck
from Mama trying to get it off, it scared her.
We are going to try nail polish on their tails . . .

Getting weighed is HARD work!!

This is the biggest one, Molly . . . she is actually crawling out of the bowl . . .
we had to stop her from going over the edge of it!!
Notice the blankets that BJ sent for these babies!!
They are so lucky! So nice & soft.

SHELLY SIMINSKI:
It figures my Molly would be the fatso of the group!

KATHY GAMACHE:
Shannon - Wow! What a cute group you have! What a big job (& hearts) you & Joe have! Bless you! Chloe sends licks & bones to her foster mom.