A new routine

The arrival of any new dog always requires at least some minor adjustments to the routine around here, often affecting some or all of the other dogs. Puppies are more disruptive to the routine than most fosters because they have puppy needs. 

I have been keeping Tippy and Sly in the dog yard during the day with Tilly. Max stayed inside most of the first day but I knew he was going to need more outdoor time. I closed the divider in Daneland, which reduced Vger's space but still left him a good sized area plus the nicest of the three outdoor structures, the one we brought in for Della's puppies two years ago and call the puppy palace. I'm not running the air conditioning in it now but it has two big elevated dog beds inside and is nestled under the shade of the birch trees. 

Max has the "other" part of Daneland to himself now during the day. That's a change in Max's routine and he requires some adjustment time so I have to walk him to and from it on a leash, and then leash walk Vger once everyone is in place for the day or indoors and crated at night. The pups and Tilly come from the house to the dog yard without leashes, which makes it easier on me, and they do the reverse in the evenings.

The biggest change I guess has been to Max's routine because he previously shared the dog yard with Tilly during the day. It adds some time to my part of the routine too, because I have to leash walk Max and carry his food out to him in the new location. 

Fosters come and go so I'm not sure there's really a "normal" around here. Fortunately everyone is fairly flexible and after a few days they will be accustomed to a new routine.

There are two food bowls there, but they like to share one then move on to the other.

Maya, Della, and the chestnut tree in bloom.

That thing hanging out of Tilly mouth is some sort of horn. 

It's a highly prized chew toy, but Tilly is really the only one who cares about it.

The pups following Maya around the front yard.

Tippy (above and below)

Sly

Tilly has been a very good puppy sitter, but I think she does get tired of it.

I brought her inside for a while this afternoon, giving her a few hours away from the job.

The pups are eating two cups of food each, three times a day,

and devouring it all.

Tired puppies are good puppies

The first night with Sly and Tippy went pretty well. They were crated in the kitchen and they barked a bit when we first went to bed but quickly settled down and we quiet all night. Tippy had peed in her crate by morning, but hey, it was a long night. I put them out in the dog yard this morning with Tilly. I fed the two pups in the shed and Tilly on the porch of the shed with the door closed between them. The pups didn't clean up their food and when I opened the door and let Tilly in, they learned what happens when you don't finish your food. They did not make that same mistake with the evening feeding.

I left the pups in the dog yard in Tilly's care and went back inside because I had an 8:00 a.m. meeting. When the meeting was over I went out to check but found only the female pup, Tippy, in the dog yard. I looked around and quickly realized that I had left the back gate of the dog yard open last night, giving them free access to the pasture. Now it's fully fenced so I wasn't overly concerned, but I had not intended to give them that much freedom on the first day. I spotted Tilly and Sly at the bottom of the pasture along the fence line. I called and Tilly came running, with Sly following behind, trying his best to keep up with Tilly. 

They spent the rest of the day in the dog yard with Tilly, hanging out in the shade mostly because it got really warm today. I'm afraid that spring is over already, today was uncomfortably warm in the sun and it was the first day this year I've really felt the typical southern humidity beginning to kick in.

Later in the afternoon I went out to putter around and do more planting. I took Maya and Della with me and also let Tilly and the pups out of the dog yard to hang out with us. Bored with my gardening, Maya and Della did their own thing but would check in with me periodically. Tilly and the pups stuck with me, apparently still thinking that I'm the most interesting thing happening. 

I know that today was probably more activity, outdoor time, and excitement than the pups are used to. They are tired and I'm sure will sleep well tonight.

OK, puppy identification time. This is Sly. 

Notice that the white on his chest comes up to his neck.

Tilly, Sly, and Tippy

Sly and Della

Sly again, he also has some hair loss around his eyes, although

I'm told that this is improved from where it was two weeks ago.

This is Tippy, you can see the white tip on her tail.

Tippy again, big white splotch on her chest,

and it does not extend up her neck.

Tippy

This is Maya coming to tell me that she's ready to go back inside

and she thinks that I should too.

Sly in front, Tippy laying in the grass.

Maya agreed to wait for a while, but I did take her back in soon after this.

Della and Sly

Della and Tilly had another play session before we came in.

The pups watched the big dogs play but didn't try to join in.

Here's the flamingo garden starting out. I'm always very hopeful in the spring.

Growing puppies

Another day of planting was too much for the dogs. They were officially over it, bored, and couldn't even pretend that what I was doing was interesting any more. Little did they know that they were in for a surprise that might make them yearn for more days of planting.

At 7:00 p.m. Sunday evening, after picking up some more plants at Lowe's, I went to Green Dogs and picked up two Great Dane pups. They are Tippy (female) and Sly (male), both about four months old. They were surrendered by their (backyard) breeder for reasons that are not entirely clear to me. But in any event, they are ours now and will be available for adoption through Green Dogs Unleashed.

They met Della first, then Maya and Tilly. I think Tilly will enjoy them and she gets the assume the big sister role in the dog yard beginning tomorrow. Max will become a mostly indoor dog. I don't trust him or Vger around them. I would love to have the pups out in Daneland, but that's Vger territory for now. I may close the divider and split Daneland into two separate parts again and try Max in the other half adjacent to Vger. That's a tomorrow question.

The pups stayed in the dog yard until it was nearly dark. I stayed outside planting a few more things and then watering since we didn't get any rain today. I brought the puppies inside and put them in side-by-side crates in the kitchen for tonight. I had never worn collars or been on a leash until today, when else they know or don't know is yet to be seen.

I'll need to figure out how to manage movement, feeding, and day/night positions for the puppies, Max, and Vger to keep everyone safe. 

That's Sly on the left and Tippy on the right. She has a white tip on her tail.

Sly looks smaller in this picture but they are actually the same size.

Della was NOT expecting puppies today and she doesn't seem overly happy about it either.

Tippy was very interested in them and I think will be good for them.

Maya laid down some rules for them too.