Day 2

I'm still just trying to get a handle on this new situation, figuring out how to handle, feed, and entertain two new litters of no-so-small puppies, one with a mom who is terrified (the Shar-pei) and one that has gone into heat (the Doberman), while still trying to do right by our own dogs, guests, and pre-existing fosters. I can't say that everything is running smoothly just yet, but we have made some progress today.

I managed to get all of the household dogs outside, fed breakfast, and back inside or otherwise contained before 7:00 a.m. Sunday morning when the woman who was adopting the Saint Bernard arrived. They were on their way to Michigan by 7:15 a.m. I was very happy for the dog that they were headed to a home far north of here, especially with the intense heat and heavy humidity we're experiencing right now.

I got the puppies out and fed them. The Doberman mom has been quite food aggressive with her pups and I also figured out that she's in heat. I moved her indoors to the crate in the kitchen next to Mercy. She has been inside all day and has shared some outdoor time with Mercy and Bailey throughout the day. Her patience with the puppies seemed to be wearing thin as well, so it was time to separate her from them.

While the puppies were outside I cleaned their indoor space and made some changes. I set up the whelping box for the dobie pups, hoping they would see it as their bed space and do their pooping and peeing elsewhere. The Shar-pei pups seemed pretty good about waiting to get outside before they did anything.

Everyone went back inside for nap time and then came out for a second feeding around noon, followed by more outdoor time to pee, poop, and play. 

The afternoon wasn't fit for anything outside so I waited until late afternoon when the temperature finally began to drop before bringing them out for their third meal and evening outdoor time. The dobies particularly need three meals a day I think. They are growing fast now, mostly their legs. It's getting dark now so I'll go out again soon and put them to bed. I will then be going to bed myself. Puppies are exhausting and tomorrow is another day.

What a lucky Saint to escape Oklahoma and Virginia summers by going to live in Michigan.

That's Padme, Doberman mother, in the crate to the left, next to Mercy.

She's been fine in the crate, probably enjoying the a/c, and being away from the pups.

This is the whelping box that I set up as a bedroom for the eight Doberman puppies.

This is a door opening video I made when letting the dobies out for their second feeding today.

After they devoured all the food, I took some more and just scattered it so they could hunt for it.

Another door opening. 

I'm kind of obsessed with these Shar-pei puppy faces.

This one is Maz.

This is the Lux, the mother. I did finally get a collar on her.

From 9 to 24

We've known this day was coming for the past two or three months. A puppy mill operation in Oklahoma was shut down and over 250 dogs were seized and held by the Humane Society of the United States. Today, finally, 68 of those dogs were transferred to Green Dogs, and fifteen of those came here. But it's not 15 adult dogs, most are puppies.

We took in a female Doberman and eight of her pups (the ninth pup is deaf and went to another foster home who could begin working with that one). The female dobie was actually featured in an HSUS video that can be seen here. The momma and all the pups seem very sociable and sweet, probably due to all the contact they've had with HSUS volunteers over the past three months. 

We also took in a female Shar-Pei and four of her pups. The four pups are sweet although one didn't want to leave her crate, and didn't, when she first arrived. I finally had to dump her out of it and then she was as sweet and happy as the others. Momma Pei, on the other hand, is completely freaked out and shut down. She didn't even get micro-chipped upon arrival like all the rest. We carried her crate into the enclosure I had set up for them and when I opened the door she came right out, but then scurried to a corner of the pen like she was trying to escape and disappear. She didn't eat when I fed her pups, but she did eat food I left alone with her inside while the pups were out. 

Both litters are sharing the air conditioned puppy palace with separate outdoor enclosures as well. I'd actually like to combine the litters and remove both mothers because the pups are old enough, are no longer nursing, and I think it would be good for everyone. I'm not sure how to make that happen, however.

The fifteenth foster we took in is a female Saint Bernard. She had two or three puppies as well, but they are all going to separate homes, probably to be adopted. Momma Saint is going to be adopted as well. At 7:00 a.m. Sunday morning a vet who was volunteering with the rescue operation in Oklahoma is due to come by here and pick up the big girl and drive her back to her home in Michigan. 

Even one new dog always as an impact on the systems and routines around here, so you can imagine what 15 has done. Everyone spent most of the day indoors, but it wasn't a fit day for outdoor activity anyway. Tomorrow we'll begin to figure things out. 

The puppy play began immediately.

Not a great picture, but this is Momma Doberman greeting the Saint Bernard through the fence.

This is Momma Pei

Settling in

Maze has been here a couple days now and she's finally beginning to eat, although not all her food and not consistently. The first night she was here she had a lot of trouble settling down and none of us got a lot of sleep. I ended up taking her outside for a midnight run and after that she came in, found a bed, and went to sleep. 

Bette is settling in pretty well now too, especially since I mostly stopped trying to crate her and have extended bedroom access to her. I also put a dog bed back in Maya's spot under my desk and that is Bette's spot most of the time. When I'm outside without her or away she will hang out with Clay downstairs. She's learned to get along with all the other dogs now, which mostly was just a matter of realizing that they weren't going to hurt her. 

Mercy met some potential adopters the other day and I heard this evening that they submitted the contract and paid the adoption fee for her. I gave her a good brushing before they met her but they've had a shepherd before so they know what they are in for in terms of shedding. They are on vacation until next Friday but she should have a new home by next weekend. 

A few days with on a pain reliever seem to have done Della a lot of good. She seems pretty much back to normal, no more problems on the stairs and she is wanting some pasture time occasionally at least. The heat is still working to minimize the play between her and Maze and that's a good thing for now.

That tear of Paisley's skin is finally looking better, beginning to close up I guess, but I'm keeping her on the antibiotics for a while yet. 

I finally got someone out to bush hog the pasture at the beginning of this week. It really should have been done much earlier in the year but it was too wet in the early spring. I plan to let it grow again but I am going to go over it all with my mower at least once while it's still nice and dry. 

Paisley

Bette coming through the garden.

I still don't remember what this is called but it has another bloom open and it sure is pretty.

Maze

My water lily is in bloom!

Elvis and Bette

Maze

Norman

Bailey

Mercy

Bailey and Mercy