scrapbook pop

Created for the creative team challenge at GoDigitalScrapbooking. It was so much fun to document the little guy's day! Used a kit called A New Day be designer Christy Skaggs.

Video of Tiki's Boys

Isabelle is panting in the background. She had just finished a good, hard run on a hot and humid day! The pups had so much fun playing in that tall jungle grass till it got cut down. Kind of like playing hide and seek :)

We had hoped that Tiki would be in her retirement home by the beginning of 2009, but she had an accidental pregnancy that kept her here longer than we anticipated. But with being in the busy season at work and living in a house with 6 people at the time, 2 of them toddlers, sometimes these things happen. At least it was with Cooter, the preferred male. She had a litter of one puppy when she was 5 and she rejected it, which is the main reason (combined with health issues) we decided not to breed her again, thinking she was no longer interested in breeding. But just as she turned 6, she mated and this litter with two boys has been a true joy. It's almost as if she knew we were retiring her and she wanted one more litter. I've never seen her play so much with her puppies before. Not that she didn't play with previous litters, just that she seems to take special pride and joy in this final litter, and she never, ever gets tired of them or wants to be away from them. The boys are 3 months old now, and the three of them are playing at my feet as I type this. Tiki walks through the house proudly and I'm sure she's bragging about her boys and flipping mental photo albums to all the other dogs she meets along the way. We have been so busy with work and with projects for the Village that we haven't spread word about the boys, but here they are!

More Scrapbook pages

Can you tell I'm having fun with the new digital scrapbooking pages?

The elements, papers, etc. for these pages came from the designers at godigitalscrapbooking.com

There is a lot of meaning to the word where this little guy is concerned. Maybe one day his whole story will be posted. He's a brave little soul, with lots of (hutzpah?).

More pictures of Buzka & Fabio's puppies

Buzka's mom sent me more pictures of the cutie patooties today. She said both the boys are chunks. Big balls of pure luvin. Check 'em out.

Little GSD puppy needs some extra TLC

Over the night of January 6th, Allie & Axel (belonging to friends) welcomed their litter into the world. Among them was a little baby that was smaller than the rest and wasn't getting the same attention as his siblings. When he was about 12 hours old, the breeder called to say that it wasn't going to make it, the mother wasn't caring for it. When I got there, the little guy was separated from the other puppies, cold and weak, and hadn't yet been stimulated to release his first elimination.

I scooped him up, put him in my shirt primarily for body temperature, but also so he could feel the love. Once he got his temperature up and some food in him, he started getting stronger and stronger. This little guy has a bright future ahead of him. Once he's doing well, he's going to a home that is custom-made for him. They've been waiting for a male german shepherd puppy and it will be a perfect fit.

September Fun - Mum Festival!

September has been a very busy month! We started off with a bang by going to the Dog Splash at the recently closed water park. At the same time, we were battling fleas. Yes, the fleas this year were horrendous. Last year we made it through our first flea season holistically with a bit of diatomaceous earth and some garlic tablets. This year, we knew by the way the summer started it was going to be harsh, so we added essential oils but ran out of garlic tablets. Right around the end of August, beginning of September, I knew we were in trouble. I located some more garlic tablets and added them to their diet. They worked wonderfully, but the problem was that the fleas were jumping off the dogs and onto me! That first night I found a flea in bed, off to the vet we went. The first vet we visited had actually sold out of Frontline (does that tell you how bad it was?) and so we got a bottle of bulk spray at the second stop. Now we've got them back under control, but it was touch and go there for a while! Bet I won't run out of garlic tablets again... Especially since Petunia had a horrible reaction to Frontline (like a chemical burn) and I only sprayed her 4 times (according to the bottle, she could have anywhere from 20 - 40 sprays per her weight). I wish they had remained with their original flea-inhibitor formula instead of going to a pesticide.



This is a 3 generation picture. Daisy, on the right with Rizzo, her daughter, on the left and Kentucky Lilly, the spoiled and headstrong granddaughter in the middle. They had tons of fun wresting every day. Lilly went to her new home two evenings ago and she is terribly missed, no matter how much trouble she caused :) She is busy trying to figure out what she can take over in her new home, I'm sure. She has lots of people there to give her undivided attention and slather lots of love on her! She and Rizzo are products of what we've been breeding for in our lines, with the combinations we've chosen and we're very, very proud of both of them, and of the rest of our crew. Not only is Lilly beautiful and strong, but she also has a strong immune system. She showed symptoms of parvo at 4 weeks old and recovered from it beautifully in very short order with the help of parvaid and colloidal silver. I will always have these products on hand for my litters now that I know exactly how effective they can be, especially when given at the onset of any symptoms.

We also got out for a day of sunshine and fun when delivering a quad runner to my friend's sister. It was a beautiful day, and we ran the quad runner up into an area where he hunts. I got to see beautiful land and dream of living out in the hills and forest. At the end of the day, a storm ripped through while we were driving back (hauling a trailer, no less). It was Hurricane Ike running into a fiercely set high pressure system. The meeting of the two caused a funnel-like reaction bringing hurricane like winds to the Miami Valley. We saw road signs bent over in half. There was actually a tree down on I-70 itself. We saw everything blow across the road in front of us except a cow. The damage was widespread. Even as it was happening, we saw a convoy of 17 Ohio Edison trucks on the highway off to try to repair the damage. In trying to get gas, we had to watch for any signs of electricity at the exits to even pull off. When I finally saw a lit sign, only 2 of the 8 gas stations were operating and they had long lines. And half their pumps were empty already. On returning home, it was shocking the amount of damage. I'm not sure there was anyone that didn't lose limbs from their trees, even if they didn't lose whole trees. In one yard alone, I counted 7 downed adult trees. The wind came through on Sunday, but the main roads in town were still without electricity till Friday and Saturday. Thanks to the help of some neighbors and Tony's ingenuity, the freezers full of meat were saved. With the cost of gas, maybe at an expense close to what was in them!! We have mostly recovered from the event, but there is still a tree in my mom's yard that needs to be cut up and removed. What we suffered was nothing in comparison to the folks in Texas. Our prayers are still with those who are battling the ravages of the hurricane!



Normally I don't post if we've had a visitor or not, but we did have the lovely miss Buzka visiting last week and she was delightful. I couldn't resist posting this picture of her (left) with Fabio. And if you're wondering, she really was giving him a dressing down. Buzka's mom was on her way to pick her up when we learned about a Mum Festival in her area, so we packed up and went there, instead.

Representing Pugville were Petunia and Ellie Mae. They had the most energy to burn that day and boy did they get their money's worth. We walked the vendor's booths for 3 hours! We had a blast. I forgot how many steps you can take between people wanting to pet the dogs. I think it's 3. Sometimes 5. But that's ok. We had fun and the dogs LOVED all the attention they were getting. They had just had baths that morning and were all spruced up and ready for a day out! And, yes, they slept very soundly that night!

New picture of Rizzo's pup

It's been a while since any updates. So much has been happening, not enough time to tell it all. But here is a picture of Rizzo's baby girl taken today. She is aware of the world now, and been getting some new experiences. Today she was outside going potty and a truck came by with a whoosh. It scared her, so she jumped back behind the coral bells and peeked out between two leaves. Too cute! Wish I had a camera for every cute moment with these precious pups. But here is one of her trying to sleep while I was in the mood to take pics.

An accomplished nester?

Rizzo during childbirth. Can you see the pug?

And her singleton daughter:

Stairs? No Problem!

I am so proud of brave little Alvin. I was proud of him when he mastered the back deck stairs, but it takes a lot longer for them to be brave enough to come down the inside narrow stairs.

Last week when Ellie went up the stairs, Alvin decided he was brave enough to go up, too. He paused a few times and looked down, but decided it was safer to keep going up than to attempt going down. And we had to carry him down because it was way too scary to do it on his own. But on his third trip up, when I was carrying Ellie down, intending to come back for Alvin, the little trooper marched right down the stairs, his nose practically touching my leg. He was a VERY brave little boy! And now he goes up and down with ease. His mother, however, still requires carrying. So occassionally she gets left up there for a while to discourage her from going up in the first place. But she eventually gives someone her pouty Ren & Stimpy face and someone carries her back down.

One of Ellie's puppies enjoying sheer bliss

Made with the girly girl kit from freedigitalscrapbooking.com plus a few elements from other kits from other sources (the tag, the pearls at the bottom and the brad holding the tag).

Storytime - Alvin

I had Alvin up on the bed Saturday night playing with the pack. We have hardwood floors, so the gang values their play/wrestle time on a nice, comfy bed. After the pups were weaned, Ellie took great care in teaching them the pro wrestling moves, but they still haven't been able to pin mom down unless she fakes it.

At any rate, I fell asleep long before they did. (If I lay just right, when they run over me, it's like a massage!) And here's how I woke up at 4am Sunday. I was laying on my side, head on my pillow. Alvin was laying on his side, upper body on my pillow, facing me. His little head was right by my head. Ok, honestly, his little mouth was right by my lips. I was wakened by his dreaming. He was making all sorts of noises and when the air would come out, his lips would billow with the wind, all up against my lips. If that won't shock you out of a deep sleep, don't know what will! I picked him up (totally dead weight, head lolling back, lips smacking in protest of being woken) and put him back in the ex-pen, thinking he would need to go potty soon.

But then I found out he already had! He was very polite, didn't wake me, and went to the far bottom corner of the bed and quietly had gone potty at some time during the night. I love waterproof mattress pads so I can enjoy my puppy time :)

Pug pups at the Nursing Home

I had an appointment in Columbus with a holistic vet who also does chiropractic adjustments. Ellie's boys and Millie went with me to get their puppy checkups and chiropractic adjustments as yet another step in helping them get the best possible start in life.

The boys didn't make it easy on me, though. They pooped in the crate on the way there, pooped on the floor of the car, and one of them vomitted on my freshly cleaned pants 3 times. By the time we arrived at the vet, we were dirty, stinky, and very unimpressive. And by the time we cleaned up the prior messes and a couple of new ones on the office floor, the room had be fumigated behind us. So embarassing! But the boys were very cute, despite all that. And Millie tried to pierce the vet's fingers with her extra-sharp teeth while he innocently tried to listen to her heart and lungs.

I was very impressed by the vet tech. She actually got all the boys' names straight and knew the difference between Alvin and Theodore right away! The whole staff was very pleasant to deal with, even though they might not want us back right away - lol!

On the way home, we took a detour and stopped by a nursing home where one of my relatives is living. She's going to be 98 this year! I was going to take in one or two of the boys, but they stank themselves right out of that job and Millie got to be the star. She entertained a lounge full of women and nurses aids with her antics. She loves to bring a smile to their faces!

Maybe next time, boys!

Pug In Violets

Does this make her a pocket pug?

I was feeding Little Bit (Millie) out on the front porch this morning in the beautiful morning air when something came up. As I was talking with some folks, she started to get cold and shake, so I put her in my sweatshirt to keep warm. She climbed up on my shoulder, down my sleeve and popped her head out the end so she could keep tabs on everything going on :)

First real day out for Ellie's boys

We've been dabbling with the good weather. Some time on the porch, in the yard and in the gravel (introducing to different textures/surfaces), but today was our first all out big day out. It was gorgeous, the sun was shining, and it probably hit pretty near 70 degrees. Our first stop was an oil change where the boys got proper admiration. The next stop was the reservoir. We weren't near the water, but we had fun in the grass. The adults got a full out run in GREAT BIG circles and got to stretch their legs good. We took pictures until the batteries in my camera died, which unfortunately wasn't very long. Here's a shot of Isabelle followed by Ellie and Jolene in one of their big circles.



Hey - where did my brothers go??



I was starting to edit this next picture, went into the other room to check on supper, and the dogs jumped up on the desk to see what they were missing out on and found the shortcut key for changing the picture to black and white on the keyboard. I kind of liked the effect, so I kept it :)



Geesh... there she is with that camera AGAIN...



The boys romped, played, bit my toes, ate some grass, sniffed some smells, ran in and out of the crate, and had a blast. These boys might be total angels, but even I was pleasantly surprised when they voluntarily all climbed back into the crate at the same time I was ready to pack up and go home. Talk about SMART DOGS!!




Then we went to Mom's house and took a nap. Both me and the dogs! After our nap, we visited the neighbors where the dogs met a pug outside their pack, got lots and lots of hugs and kisses, and were introduced to another toddler. They had an absolute blast, tails wagging full on the whole time. They even managed to steal a bone or two away from the adults. Yes, they were quite proud of themselves and strutted to show it.

It was a great first outing for the boys and I'm so proud of them. They were a little timid at times, but by and large they handled the big old world like pros. It helped having the moms there. Their next outing will have a little time with mom and a little time with just me. We try to give them new exposures and experiences a little at a time so that they know they are safe even if the whole pack isn't there. We eventually wean them down to some one-on-one time and some alone time to help them adjust in a familiar setting before going to a new home.

Updates on Winter, Ellie's Boys and Millie

Wow, that's a big world!!




Winter the Cat

Winter was dropped off here just before Christmas and although Luna, the resident cat, thought two cats were too many for one house, she has since relented and now they seem to be friends. Winter has an appt for her spay in early May and then we will be actively looking to place her in a home. If you know of anyone interested, please let us know! She is snow white and very flirty. She is litterbox trained (although she will kick a bit of litter out the front every now and again), she is friendly and affectionate and hasn't attempted nipping me once for anything I might have done wrong.

Ellie's Boys

If it's possible, they're even more cute today than they were yesterday. Every day is an adventure for these little guys, bringing something new to explore, something new to learn. They're curious, loving, and ever so sweet. Mom came over this past weekend and it was their first day outside. A great, warm spring day. They discovered the shoelaces and the little tab on the back of mom's shoes and they are the new favorite toys. Made for puppies, don't you know?

Ellie and Isabelle have been keeping them fat and happy, so they have been turning up their noses at every weaning food I've offered them. And I offer a 5-star restaurant quality, I'll have you know. But Ellie is thinking about having them try some adult food. She saved part of her chicken quarter the other day and let the boys gnaw on the leg for a while. Same with another piece of meat. I can't say that I've seen them get any meat off the offerings so far, but it gives them a good mental challenge as well as works out some of their nibbling urges. Gives mom's tail a break - lol. Toys only keep their interest half the time!

The boys also found a bowl of kibble while on one of their evening excursions around the house. They jumped in and ate a few bites. So they have a little bowl of Blue Buffalo kibble in their pen if they get hungry between feedings, as well as fresh water. And this morning they had some ground pork with a bit of water, some pro-biotics and some zeo-clear with diatomaceous earth. They gobbled it right up! Now they're working on attacking a stuffed duckie that's the size of two of them put together :)

Ellie has also taught me a few new tricks about mothering. She took the opportunity with the bone to teach them manners. Now I bring the bone to you, now I growl and you back off. Now I bring it to you again, now I growl and you move away. Basically, they are given food at her will and command and they are to respect her space and her wishes, but she will ensure that they are fed and cared for. Both she and Isabelle take their development very seriously. I'm so proud of the little mommas!

Millie

Millie has already earned her scouting badge for therapy work. Many a client this tax season has come through the door stressed and worried and left relaxed and calm due to the presence of little Miss Millie. They talk to her, hold her, love her and bottle feed her. She loves the attention. She's the official greeter an therapy dog.

She has her eyes open and is very mobile, but is just now starting to track and see things farther than just in front of her nose. She sleeps through the night and lets me know when she needs to either potty or eat. A very good communicator for her age!

Stay tuned for more updates!

Boys peeking out of the crate

Tiki Surpise!

We thought Tiki was experiencing a false pregnancy, but as it turns out she gave us a tiny little baby girl on Wednesday, March 12th. The puppy came out breech and as a result, took in some fluids in her passageway. It took a concentrated effort to remove the fluid and get her breathing properly and by the time we got her up on her feet and knew she was out of danger, her scent was different than Tiki expected. Tiki is still trying to figure out exactly where her puppy is. She will nurse this one if we sit with her, but she is not identifying with it. We have to bottle feed it to ensure she gets enough to eat. I wish I would have taken pictures when she first came out to show how small she was, but she is 4 days old here and has stamped her little pawprint on this world with great fervor. The first 24 hours, she would not open her mouth to nurse, so we had to force it open each time. Then she started accepting a bottle better. Now on day 4, she has learned that Momma's milk comes in 3 different scents and flavors (Isabelle has pitched in a couple of times with her false pregnancy milk), and rubber nipples come with several different human scents. And the source doesn't matter as long as there's a nipple within reach when she demands it!! You would think with three available nursing females we'd be in the clear, but that just isn't the case. None of them will feed her unless they're curled up on our lap getting pets and kisses while they nurse. Other than that, they ignore the little girl other than to chase away the other non-nursing females in the house. But we're making do and the little girl is thriving! She's a doll.

Sleepy little boys

Ellie's pups at 10 days old. They were passed out cold from just having eaten a nice, warm dinner courtesy of Miss Ellie. I barely got any reaction out of them!



The adults were playing and snorting in the background. Those noises aren't coming from the babies!! :)

Two have opened their eyes and the third one is halfway there. They seem very aware of their surroundings, where they want to be and what they want to do. But their little bodies aren't quite there yet. They're getting their legs up underneath them better. In another week they'll be walking, then look out world!