One more for the year

I promise more puppy pictures tomorrow, but today was all about Leo, our final rescue for 2022. Back in November, my doggie dealer from southwest Virginia contacted me. Her daughter had rescued this dog from a bad situation, living on a chain because he had "grown too big." She held onto him until today when we met down at Natural Bridge and Leo came home with me. 

Leo is not even a year old yet. His date of birth was March 2, 2022. He's an intact male, but not for long. The original owner had gotten him vaccinated, however, and we have all his records. They had also sprung for a DNA analysis so we know what Leo is: 62.5% Great Pyrenees; 25% Anatolian Shepherd Dog; and 12.5% Maremma Sheepdog. This guy is livestock guardian dog going back several generations on both his mother and father's sides. He had lived with or around a toddler, was fine with outdoor cats, and seems fine with other dogs as well.

I put him out in Daneland when we got home and then brought out Cooper and Kash to be with him. They all seemed fine together and on a nicer day I really hope and expect that they will engage in some play. Today, however, Leo mostly just watched through the open window while standing inside the shed out of the rain. I'm not sure he ever left the shed, he seems uncertain about making the jump even though Cooper and Kash demonstrated it several times. I'm sure he will learn it tomorrow.

Meanwhile, in puppy news: 

• Boomer went over 5 pounds
• Everyone is over 4 pounds now except petite Camilla at 3.5
• Charlie has passed all the girls and now trails only Boomer and Yukon
• They are all becoming more active and playful, learning to run
• I'm moving them back out to the puppy shed tomorrow to an expanded space
• Pictures tomorrow, I promise

Dogs in the sun

What a difference a week makes. It was a gorgeous day, the exact opposite of the weather we had a week ago as the polar vortex blew in and hell froze over for a couple of days. I got the dogs out for some pasture time today to celebrate.

Max with one of the smaller sticks you'll ever see him carry.

Paisley seems to be normalizing a bit, finding her place in the pack around here.

Cooper

Here's all four shepherds, Maya, Max, Kash, and Cooper.

Kash is full of puppy enthusiasm.

Cooper is a happy boy now.

Maya had a good time out there with us today too.

I didn't get a lot of pictures of Elvis today, he was doing some serious hunting.

Cooper and Kash would make a good buddy movie.

Beating the cold

This cold I've got is beginning to annoy me. I've had the week off from work, for the most part, but being sick takes a good bit of the enjoyment out of it. I don't feel so bad, but I don't feel entirely good either. I think it's turned the corner now anyway. I haven't needed nearly as much Sudafed today. I would have hiked today but they were having some sort of hunting event for the disabled at Pleasant Grove today and that's reason enough to keep me away. I doubt that the deer population was in much danger, but hikers and dogs would have been easy targets. 

I did some work on the puppy pen in the spare bedroom and erected a wall in the puppy shed in preparation for their return now that nighttime temperatures have returned to normal. They are just getting used to the new setup indoors, however, so I don't want to move them again immediately. The pups are three weeks old today and they all seem to be growing well. I think Holly is beginning to want some more normal, non-maternal, adult time in her life, but she's still taking very good care of them.

I didn't hike with anyone today but I had Max, Della, Maya, Elvis, Paisley, Cooper, and Kash outside with me for several hours this afternoon. Everyone enjoyed the sunshine and mild temperatures.

Paisley

Della enjoying the sunshine from her bed in the back of the open van.

Cooper, above and below. His ears seems to be getting better and they are standing up

more now too. He is a very good dog and very tolerant of the puppy, Kash.

Kash should be going to his new home in about a week.

Paisley and Cooper

Max

I've had Paisley on Max's medication and it seems to be helping.

It has taken a bit of the crazy edge off of her as it does with Max.

I even saw her trying to play with Elvis today instead of chasing him around and nipping on him.

Elvis, enjoying the warmth of the afternoon sun.

Kash and Cooper

Paisley, Kash, and Cooper in the front yard this afternoon.

Cooper reminds me a lot of Trooper in terms of looks but more of Theo in his personality.

He seems to like everyone.

Cooper with Kash close behind.

Elvis

I don't have any new puppy pictures today, but I did check their weights again. 

Charlie has forged on ahead of Adina now. 

Yukon has the straightest growth line.

Camilla and Dizzy's growth has flattened off a bit, and even Boomer's too, probably due to getting more exercise in the expanded indoor space, and less nursing time.

I'll probably start them on gruel made from replacement milk and finely ground puppy food sometime in the next week, as a supplement to, not replacement for mother's milk. That will ease the pressure on Holly and begin their transition to solid food.

Walking for a cause

My friend/neighbor/serial adopter, Jan, asked me to accompany her on her final three miles of a 40 mile challenge/fund raiser for The Trevor Project. I did the same walk for them back in the spring. For anyone who doesn't know, The Trevor Project is an organization that aims to reduce suicide among teenage members of the LGBTQ+ community. Gay teens who have at least one supporting adult in their lives are 40% less likely to attempt suicide. Although I wasn't out as a teenager, I knew I was queer but I also had parents that I knew would be supportive. It matters.

Della and I were happy to be included in Jan's walk. Although she has completed the 40 miles and has exceeded her goal, it's never too late and never inappropriate to donate to the cause: https://www.facebook.com/donate/1130739014258726/

Congratulations, Jan, and thank you.

Jan and Della

Jan and her husband Paul adopted one of Della's puppies, Duvel. 

Della says thank you.

With another human along on the walk, I was able to get a picture of myself with Della.

Elvis is nice to walk with, but he's not good with the camera.

3.6 miles

Faces and features

A few of the pups have outgrown their initial puppy collars so it's time to learn to distinguish them by their features. Everyone has their eyes opened now, so today we did close up photos of each puppy individually and have noted distinguishing features.

Adina was the first to lose her collar, so that served as her distinguishing feature for a couple of days until another blond pup lost hers as well. Adina has a solid black nose, black toes, and no obvious white stripe on her head.

Camilla is the only pup that got Holly's coloring, which makes her very easy to spot. She has been the smallest since birth and I expect always will be. Camilla has a small white strip just above her nose and she's got adorable white feet.

Peggy was the second to lose her collar, which necessitated this alternate form of identification. Peggy is fairly distinctive though. She has longer, wavy fur, and a pronounced white stripe that runs from the top of her head down the center of her face to her nose. She also has a white spot on her back, just below the neck. Peggy is the largest of the girls right now, having recently overtaken Adina. Oh, and Peggy's nose is mostly dark, but not solid black, that's an important distinguishing feature from the next pup, Dizzy.

Dizzy and Peggy look pretty similar. They both have that stripe down the center of their heads, but Dizzy's nose is entirely pink

Yukon is always easy to pick out of the pack. He's the only black pup, but he's not solid black. In addition to some white markings, he's got brindle legs as well as some brown spots on his face. Yukon lived up to the reputation of his adventurer namesake today by being the first to scale the heights of the whelping pool wall and make it over to the other side. Clay found him wandering in the 8'x8' wilderness when we got up this morning. Holly was with him but didn't seem concerned, or at least made no effort to put him back with the others.

Boomerang (I've taken to just calling him Boomer) can always be picked out of a lineup because he's significantly bigger than the rest. He has a mostly black nose and the widest white stripe of anyone in the litter. The white extends over much of his muzzle too.

Last but not least is Charlie. Charlie's white markings are not as extensive or well defined as those on Boomer. But the easiest way to distinguish Charlie from Boomer is his little pink nose.

Since Yukon escaped the whelping pool, we knew that the others would soon follow, it was time for a new arrangement. I dispensed with the pool and just made a defined 4' x 4' sleeping area with 2x4s. It's time they started to learn to move off their bed to the pads to poop and pee because it's becoming too much for Holly to keep clean by herself.