1/1/16  The poodles and I have been rather lazy today we have been lounging around the house only to go feed the chickens, horses, and the alpacas. We look forward to a fun an exciting year.  I am planning to build a new whelping box for Honey and Gigi to have their litter in.  I also plan to build a puppy  poodle mobile for the new puppies to play with. I will have show and tell when it is done .   

12'26'15
2015 has been a very busy year.  The year started off we Gigi and Ruger's first litter.  They were beautiful  healthy puppies.  She had 4 boys and 4 girls,  they all found wonderful home.  We made many new friends as we got to know some of the puppies new owners. 

As we moved in the spring and summer the poodles would hang out by the horse pasture as I worked with the miniature horses and occasionally would come in and hang out by the Alpacas.

Christmas has come and gone and now we look forward to what 2016 will bring. 
  
As we move into 2016 we are looking forward to Honey and Ruger's first litter.  We can't wait to see the beautiful litter they will produce.  Watch for updates.   

Hope all of you have had a wonderful 2015.  See in 2016.  Marcia

There are times when you can't get to the vet or when you need to whip up a quick home remedy for your dog. This article tells more about what home remedies for humans are also safe for dogs.

http://dogs.answers.com/health/8-household-medications-safe-for-dogs

I first heard about Zeutering (neutering via chemical application of Zinc Gluconate) on a blog from a US Service Member stationed overseas who had the procedure performed on her dog and was upset it wasn't widely available in the US.

Zeutering allows a male dog to become sterile but to retain some endocrine function, thereby avoiding some of the health issues seen with early spay and neuter. We believe in letting a dog physically mature before withdrawing the hormonal engines that help to drive uniform growth.

Here's more information:
http://www.arksciences.com/faq.html

The puppies checked in for their weekly meeting today, and their weights are looking good. Because they're becoming so active and running themselves out until they're exhausted, their growth rate should slow.

Puppy love!

These puppies are extremely active now – they are wonderfully active and their personalities are developing so rapidly!

Here’s what we’ve been up to:

Weaning: they visit mom about once a day if she’ll let them. Last night was a no-go with growling involved, so I am guessing she’s d-o-n-e done.

Outside playtime: We’ve been going outside in the morning and evenings as temperatures allow. I’d say we’ve been averaging at least a good hour outside daily. The weather has been beautiful but a little chilly in the morning so if it’s frosty we don’t stay out long. Dogs partially regulate their temperature through the soles of their feet so they’re pretty good about letting us know when their tootsies are too cold to play. Papa dog has recently joined us in playtime since Mama has relaxed her protective instincts a bit. She’s still on patrol watching closely, but I think she enjoys the company and the help in socializing the pups.

Potty training: Puppies are doing great at doing their business outside and understand that cue. When inside, they do their business away from their play area. I’d say we’re at an 80% hit rate with the potty pads concerning #1, but with #2 they prefer an area off the potty pads. More than you wanted to know probably, but they’re pretty consistent about it.

Crate training: We are actively crate training our puppies right now so it will not be a foreign concept when they get to you. On average they are spending an hour to two hours in the crates in the evenings after they’ve eaten and have been outside. A few complain for about 15 minutes, but then they calm down. Granted they are together with littermates. We’ll transition to longer crate periods and some sole crate periods over the next week.

What’s coming up for the puppies:

Tonight we’re having puppy bath time and this weekend we’ll have shots, our last worming medication and microchip implantation. We’ll also take photos for our HomeAgain ID cards. If you have a veterinarian you’d like me to input as your vet contact on the HomeAgain card, please drop me a note.

We’re increasing our food ration to the next level on the bag. Right now it’s 2 cups a day per puppy and they’re growing fast. To read user reviews of the dog food we feed, visit http://reviews.tractorsupply.com/0519/514956699/4health-puppy-formula-35-lb-bag-reviews/reviews.htm

We are also separating the smaller pups from the larger ones at dinner time so they will have an opportunity to eat more should they desire.

What’s coming up for the families:

·      Please send me an e-mail to schedule a pickup time for the weekend of Nov 17/18. We’ll be available anytime after 7:00 Friday night and after 10:00 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

·      I will send statements of remaining amounts due. If you prefer to pay cash upon pickup, please let me know and I will be sure to have change on hand. Cash or credit/debit card only, please.

·      I have the sample contract on my website and have prepared versions in your puppy packs. Please review the sample contract and let me know if you have any questions.

·      On pickup day, plan to spend about 40 minutes here – by the time we go over the paperwork, questions, and goodbyes it’s easy to burn through 40 minutes or more.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQDneALe86I

Updating via mobile so they won't appear hyperlinked but check FB.

I didn't have time to take all puppy pics today but I thought I would share the ones I did get of Penny this morning. She got a second bath this weekend so her new family could come do some allergy testing, and this is her after her shampoo and blow dry, or what I call the puppy equivalent of "big Texas hair". You can see how different one puppy can look depending on the light and camera settings!

We are into Puppy Toddlerhood! This is when the social period in your puppy’s life begins. The puppies emerge on their own from the litter and venture into the surrounding environment. Gentle handling by us helps to form a trusting relationship with humans in order to become man’s best friend.

During the toddler period puppies learn basic behavioral patterns specific to dogs:

• While playing, they practice different body postures, learning what the postures mean and how they affect their mother and litter mates.
• They learn what it is like to bite and be bitten, what barking and other vocalizations mean and how to use them to establish social relationships with other dogs.
• From the age of five weeks, the mother teaches her puppies basic manners. They learn to be submissive to her leadership and what behaviors are acceptable. If necessary, she growls, snarls, or snaps at them as a form of discipline. When weaning the litter, for instance, the mother will discipline her puppies so that they will leave her alone. Because the mother disciplines them in a way that they clearly understand, after a few repetitions, the puppies will respond to a mere glare from her.
• A 5 week old puppy is beginning to understand house training rules and begins to understand living with humans as well.
  

I could not be happier with the early indications of temperament for this litter. They are AWESOME. They're all fully mobile, competing for food resources from a bowl and have several toys in their area, so it's a good time to start examining their blossoming little personalities!

I will include a temperament test evaluation in their puppy pack that will be performed by a neutral third party. Temperament tests are not the end-all-be-all personality indicator, but they can point out areas that new owners can help solidify or minimize through training.

I'll go on to discuss individuals in a minute - the entire litter has a few things going for it.

• Suspension Test: They're all doing great on the "suspension test" since they've been handled so extensively. Basically, a tester holds a dog in mid air at arm's length and tests the time to reaction, if any. Hanging limp means the pup is respectful and deferential to human authority. All the puppies are very used to being handled.
• Sound Sensitivity: Our house bustles with activity, so it's unlikely they'll overreact to sounds when tested. Microwaves, vacuums, football games, Nerf gun battles...they're used to family life.
  
• Social Dominance: They're all regularly on their backs during playtime, and they seem to accept that is something normal at this point.
  
• Touch Sensitivity: I'm afraid they'll all flunk the sensitivity test indication because their paws are regularly handled and massaged to make them accustomed to nail trimming and paw grooming. A "flunking" score is when they show no reaction after 10 seconds. There's nothing worse than trying to trim the nails on a skittish dog, so we try to work on that daily.
  

On to the first round of observations:

• Hudson: He's a happy little guy and likes to sleep a lot. I would put him on the more mild side of temperament at this juncture. His frame is also tending more towards mom at this point, so I think he'll top out around 50 lbs (again just a guess). He hangs back to check out the situation, and then if it's not too boisterous he joins in. When the other puppies are rough housing he will join in after a few minutes, but if the action gets too lively, he'll bow out. He barks and chases in his dreams and it's pretty darn adorable. Typically a puppy's eyes will turn darker around the time of weaning. The other puppies eyes have turned, but his eyes are still blue along with his sister LuLu, and if they remain blue it will be exceedingly rare. Likely the melanin is just taking a bit longer to darken up.
  

• Maeby: She's a thinker - mindful and alert of her environment. She waits patiently for her turn with mom and doesn't seem to be too anxious about anything right now. If a puppy can be classified as deliberate, I'd say she's it. It seems she's always thinking about the best way to approach, whether it be a toy tangle with her siblings, a place at mom or place at the food and water bowls. Her reactions are generally enthusiastic to all who approach.
  
• LuLu: This gal is head of the household when it comes to the ladies. She is bigger than all the rest of the female dogs in size and in personality. She and Wallace and Kingston like to hop out of the pool to explore the kitchen on a fairly regular basis. They'll love their new divided playpen. I expect LuLu will be 65+ lbs in adulthood. Her personality is well balanced - she is curious but also a great napper. She is always first at the food bowl and often is in the middle of the food bowl claiming the unexplored territory. Of the rough-n-tumble, she's a tumbler.
  
• Kingston: A total snuggler and partner in crime to Wallace. He loves to get out of the pen and into mom's food and water bowls. He loves to be held and also is content exploring the house on his own. He and Wallace are crazy playful and love the Kong puppy toys and the braided chew rope.
  
• Wallace: Escape artist deluxe! I thought about nicknaming him Columbus because he's so frequently dropping of the edge of his world to explore the new world of the kitchen. He is also currently the new favorite of the boys, so he's been getting a whole lotta love (no worries other puppy parents, they usually shift their attention weekly!) He's so very chill in the bathtub and is beginning to recognize his name...usually because I'm telling him to hop down off the pen wall. I'm going to guess he'll love to swim. He loves his toys and exploring the kitchen. He is teething like a madman - his molars are through. This means we're getting ever closer to the days where I won't have to puree puppy kibble! Hooray!
  
• JuJu: She is the smallest of the bunch, and more laid back and timid. She does vocalize quite a bit when the other dogs aren't giving her a fair share of a meal, but since she's a full pound behind it's understandable. We try to give her special alone time with mama so she can catch up. She has the frame of her mother and I think she'll probably end up around 40 to 45 lbs with fine features. Her coat is a gorgeous cloud of apricot and white and she looks like a fleecy little tuft of cotton candy.
  
• Penny: She is a go-with-the flow dog content to hang out with the group. If there ever was a middle of the road dog, she's it! She makes her way to the center of the puppy pile to sleep. No crazy barking, plays nice with the toys and with other dogs. She is very affectionate when handled and docile otherwise. Penny will be a great complement to a relaxed household.