Duncan X Rowan - 5 1/2 Weeks

The pups are 6 weeks tomorrow!

Everyone is doing great. They are really enjoying their outside time and coming along nicely with their baby housebreaking routine - they are already mostly pottying outside so long as I can get them out as soon as I hear them waking up from their many naps. Tonight they came in after their supper and were up again whining at 10PM - they wanted to go OUT!


We have also managed to get them to start following us indoors and outdoors, so less carrying than this past week! Much easier on my back and quicker, too!


Puppies will get their first shots soon and will be wormed one more time. They are eating regular food three times a day and now nursing only once or twice a day, when Rowan is feeling uncomfortable. I suspect puppies having teeth is a major contributing factor to Rowan wanting to wean them!


We are trying to expose the pups to as many new things as we can. This week I took a bucket into the puppy yard to water some flowers and they all were fairly sure the bucket was WAY TOO SCARY. Once it was empty I tossed it into their yard and left it for them to investigate. You can see how they did with it in this photo of Banks and in their latest video:

Duncan X Rowan - 4 1/2 Week Video

New Video!

Four Weeks - Rainy Day Update

Puppies have been doing very well outdoors. Now that they are getting around better, they are beginnning to enjoy the grass and learning about toys and new smells and how to play together.

They have also started on regular food which we try to feed outdoors so they can potty afterwards OUTDOORS! Yesterday was so nice they spent most of the day outside and there was no pooping indoors at all!

However, this morning was drizzly but still fairly warm. I put the pups outdoors under the eaves of the porch so they could attempt to potty outside before their breakfast. A few brave souls ventured out into the wet grass and drizzle to potty. Soon, of course, they were all huddled under the protective eave and I opened their gate to let them onto the covered porch to eat. One by one they followed me onto the porch and discovered their meal. Soon the bowl was empty and the pups were exploring the porch.

There were many new things to see: a few toys, furniture (ooh! wicker!), a broom, rugs of different textures, a bucket full of scrub brushes and garden tools, the grill... One puppy managed to knock over the broom but nobody seemed to mind. Soon they were all examining the handle and attacking the bristles... Someone found a plastic piece of who-knows-what and proudly carried it off to show the others.

The pups are very curious and every day is a new adventure. However, at this age their stamina is limited and after about 15 minutes they were all huddled under a table, looking cold and sleepy.

One by one, I called them into the laundry room. Each puppy managed to brave the BIG 5" doorjamb into the house. Keeping in mind the pups are only about 6" at the shoulder right now, it was quite the climb! The pups each are learning to respond to my voice and follow my fingers. As each pup made the big climb he or she was scooped up, given a smoosh and put into the box. This apparently was NOT part of their plan! Soon they were all at the front of the box, yelling for their lawyers and wanting BACK OUT!

All is peaceful now. They are piled up under their heat lamp, sleeping off their breakfast and getting warm and dry again.

PUppy Video #3

I cannot promise a video every few days, but I have another for your enjoyment.

First an update. Pups are all doing well, continuing to grow and learning new things every day. They have been outdoors twice now and were somewhat braver on the second trip out. As they are still only awake for 10-15 minutes at a stretch, all adventures dissolve into naptime...

Pups have been wormed once so far, due again next week. It is pretty funny to see them standing and sitting about the box, all coughing and gagging on this new taste. Even the adults seem to gag on the wormer (which apparently tastes like butterscotch). It must be the slightly sticky texture.

As a treat, in preparation for their introduction to real food, I placed a plate in the box today which was smeared with yogurt (just vanilla). I dipped each little nose into the plate, and soon they were all sitting around, licking their lips humming with pleasure. I went to answer the phone, and when I came back 5 minutes later, the plate was licked clean and the pups were working on each other. I let Rowan back in and she finished up the cleaning.

Since I caught several of them standing elbow deep in Rowan's food bowl the yesterday, I think they will be quite pleased when it's time for food. Rowan was a bit annoyed that three little heads and six little feet were taking up most of her bowl, (altho she just growled and pushed in between them to eat) so I've gone back to feeding her OUTSIDE the box. They have also had a few sips from the water bucket clipped inside teh box - so they are learning that not all good things come from Mom. I'm not, however, in a hurry to start them on food so long as they are still gaining steadily and Rowan is maintaining her weight (albeit with about 12+ cups of food per day plus goat's milk and eggs). Once they begin on real food, often the dam is less willing to help keep the box clean and my job gets quite a bit more arduous.

Here they are, after their nap, wide awake and full of vinegar:

Puppies First Outside Adventure...

This is a video of the pups' first time outside. They are 2 1/2 weeks old. They were a bit sleepy as they had just eaten. Keep watch for Grammy Scarlett, who pretty much hogged the limelight...

Dogshow ABC's - Part I

Quite a few of our puppy people have expressed interest in dog showing, but some confusion about what is involved. We thought it might be good to give a VERY basic introduction to dogshows and what is involved.

What is a dogshow?

A dog show is an event which you enter with your dog, to be judged (by a licensed AKC Judge) regarding how well your dog meets the AKC standard compared to the other dogs entered on that day. The AKC breed standard is a description of the breed and its traits, written by the national breed parent club (For example, the Pointer Standard was written by the American Pointer Club) and approved by AKC.

What is the purpose of a dogshow?

Dog shows are intended to evaluate breeding stock. Having an AKC championship means that you have acquired 15 AKC Championship points (more on this) and have been evaluate by at least 3 AKC licensed judges and deemed to be better than a number of other dogs of your same breed. A championship doesn't necessarily mean you should run out and breed your dog, but it does go a long way to proving your dog has the qualities asked for by the breed standard and that your dog has something to contribute in a positive way towards the gene pool of your particular breed.

Dogshow is also a fun activity for you and your dog, can be a nice social outing, and a good experience for your children. It can also be political, frustrating and time-consuming. But mostly it's fun!

How do I find out about Dogshows in my area?

It's a good idea to contact a local all-breed club in your area to learn more about shows around you. An all-breed club is a dog club that has members from many different breeds. These people work together in their community to educate people about dogs, often host training classes in both conformation (showing) and obedience and host and run dog shows.

Another source for shows in your area is the various Show Superintendents. These are organizations that supply equipment for shows (tents, rings, tables, ribbons, etc.) and manage the paperwork involved (keeping records and providing them to the AKC to keep track of the results at a given show.) Getting in contact with show superintendents can help you be put on their mailing list for upcoming shows.

What does my dog have to do during a show?

For conformation (the "beauty pageant" part that you see often on TV such as Westminster Kennel Club's annual show) your dog must stand squarely for the judge to look at him. He must stand quietly while he is examined all over - head, ears, body, tail, testicles for males, sometimes even his feet and legs are touched. Also the judge will need to pull back his lips and look at his teeth, so he must tolerate this. Next the judge will ask you to move your dog around the ring so he can evaluate how he moves and uses his body. Moving the dog is done at a trotting pace - this gives the judge the best view of how the dog is using himself. The judge will want to see your dog moving away from him, towards him and from the side. He might send you in various directions to be able to see this: normally away and back in a diagonal line across the ring, and then around the perimeter of the ring so he can watch the dog move from the side. Often after the dog has moved away and back to the judge, your dog will need to stop and stand squarely on his own (you can use food to teach him how to do this - it's called "baiting") so the judge can see how he stands on his own without you placing his legs and also so the judge can see his face and expression.

Your dog will need to be accustomed to moving thru a crowd, being around other dogs, hearing and seeing strange noises and sights, and being touched.

How does my dog learn all this?

Much of this can be practiced at home. YOu can teach your dog to stand, to have his mouth and head and body examined, and to move on the leash in your own house and yard. However, it's helpful to attend a "show handling" class (many all-breed clubs hold these classes) and to get out and about in general to become socialized to new people and places.

I'm interested! My dog and I know what to do, now what?

If you've trained your dog and taken some classes and have a good idea of what you will need to do in the ring, you will want to enter some "match shows." These are practice shows, run very much like a regular dogshow, except that there are no points awarded (as they are not "official AKC" shows) and the judges are often learning just like you and your dog. They help you see how your dog is doing with his show education, and help you to get some experience working with your dog in a "show" environment. Ribbons are awarded and it can be fun to see how your dog stacks up against his competition, even if it is practice!

Once you've entered a few matches, you might be ready for a show! First, your dog must be 6 months of age to enter a show. (Often matches allow puppies as young as 3 months to enter.) He should have a bath and have his nails trimmed and in general be in good condition and tidy all over. (Pointers don't require a lot of grooming so you're off the hook for a lot of the work required by other breeds like Poodles, shih tzus and other coated breeds). Since the judge will be looking at the dog, you will want a slightly lightweight show lead so as not to distract the judge from your dog. Most people dress up a bit for dogshows - business casual or slightly nicer is the rule of thumb - but it's ok to wear comfortable, safe shoes so you don't fall in the ring!

So? How do you enter? Once you've contacted some all-breed clubs or show superintendents, you should be able to get your hands on what is called a "Show Premium." This is a pamphlet that lists an upcoming show, the date, location, and who the judges will be for each breed. At the back of this pamphlet will be an entry form. You must fill out ALL of the information to enter the show, and send this form with the fee (listed on that page) to the show superintendent in charge of teh show BEFORE THE CLOSING date of the show. THis closing date is usually 2-3 weeks before the actual date of the show. The entries are needed well in advance so that the judging scheduled can be planned based on how many dogs of each breed are entered.

Usually the week before the show, you will receive in the mail a Judging Schedule which will tell you in what Ring you will be showing, what time, how many dogs are entered for each breed, and what your Show number is. The judge is not permitted to know the names of the dogs entered, so you will be given a number to put on your arm while showing your dog. You will want to be sure you have the correct number so when the results are recorded, you get credit for whatever your dog has done at the show that day.

Coming up: Part II - Attending the Show and What are all those Ribbons For???