Not only are there no “DUDS!!, these Little Firecrackers are literally EXPLODING!!!!   They have easily doubled in size in only one week!  Macarena must have the best milk EVER!!!  Honestly, they look and wallow around like little walrus’s!!!   Only a mother could love them and Macarena DOES!!!   She is a VERY good mother!

This week was actually a pretty big one for such little snaps!   First, they had their dew claws removed when they were 3 days old and had their first checkup by the vet.   Amazingly, none of them had rear dew claws!!   I think that is a first for me and something I will certainly note for future reference.  Still no dermoid sinuses (YEAH!) and no other problems at all with any of them.  Macarena’s c-section is healing fine and she feels good.  She has staples in her stomach so they will have to come out next week.   All the belly buttons are looking good so hopefully no hernias will happen.  As usual, toenail trims have already started.  Macarena REALLY appreciates that!!!

We have also started them on the ‘Super Dog Program” which was developed by the military after years of research to determine what, if anything, will help a dog become a healthier, more intelligent, easy to train, confident and capable canine companion in the future.  In short, it requires doing some very simple exercises with each pup from 3 days old until 16 days old.  For more information, check out this website:  

http://www.breedingbetterdogs.com/achiever.html

I had some friends who were lucky enough to attend a seminar by the author, who passed the information on to me.   I have been using the “Super Dog Program” for about 2 years now so it is a little early to tell if I see any difference but I certainly feel like it can NOT hurt!!!   It takes only a minute or so per puppy so I have just incorporated it into my usual “puppy play time”!!

Enjoy the new photos!!  Can you guess what their names are going to be??!!!


July 18, 2007
Little “PUNKS”  - 2 Weeks old

We have EYES!!!   Little squinty eyes, but eyes none the less!!!   I don’t think they see too well, if at all, but every day they have opened more.    Their little ears are starting to flip down and lay against their heads all the time instead of being pinned open and flat against their heads.   They are starting to look more like PUPPIES in other words!!!   No more walrus's!!!

Got a few that have already figured out the GI Joe crawl and are making some pretty good tracks around the whelping box!!!   They can sort of sit up a little, but have a tendency to tip over a lot too!!!  They also do a lot of 'leaning' against what ever is handy, and then they tip over!!    I expect within in few days that I will see them trying to stand, then they rock, then they tip over!!!  I think you get the picture!!!

They have started vocalizing already too.   It is not a growl and it is not a bark – we call it ‘trilling’ and that is exactly how it sounds.   High and vibrating.  Very, very cute and sweet.  The ‘real’ growling will start soon, followed by barking and then we will never hear them trill again!!!

Dew claws are all healed up just fine as are the belly buttons.   ANOTHER toe nail trim!!   Macarena had her staples taken out with out any problems as well.   She feels fine and looks great except for she is already starting to ‘blow coat’ which is somewhat normal for a lactating momma.  Means she will have a whole new hair do by the time the Firecrackers are ready to go home!!  Mostly, the puppies just eat and sleep at this point which seems to be fine with Rana as that is pretty much all she does too!

I have chosen names for the Firecrackers!!   Not too sure who is who necessarily just yet – I need to play with them a little more and match the right name with the right puppy!!!

The Boys:   Rocket, Roman, Bomber, Flash & Dynamite
The Girls:   Glory, Glitter & Sparkler

Watch for the Fireworks that are their Namesakes!!!!


July 25, 2007
The “FUSE” has been LIT !  - 3 Weeks old

What a difference only a week makes!!!   The Firecrackers have morphed into PUPPIES!!!!

They learned to walk and sit up and are even attempting some pretty clutzy attempts at HOPPING!!!   No more tipping over spontaneously!!!   Best of all they are learning to PLAY with each other – lots of mouthing and chewing on each other’s feet and tail and ears!!!   Sometimes they accidentally chew on their own feet which is a good learning experience for them as well!!!   It is very, very cute to watch them learn to play.

The ‘New’ part of their world this week, was going OUTSIDE for the first time!!!  They didn’t quite get what that green stuff was poking them in the tummy!!   They adjusted quickly however and now they get to play daily out in the grass under the shade of the big apple tree.   Momma Macarena is quite relieved to leave them alone for longer and longer periods of time – I think she is kind of ‘over it’!!!   

They also got introduced to their litter box!!!   It is the lid from an under the bed storage unit so it is easy for them to get in and out.   It is filled with compressed pellets of wood sawdust that one can buy to start their wood burning stoves.    No dust, smell good, they don’t eat them, and they disintegrate when they get wet into biodegradables.   They are pretty good already about going in the box and we are working on teaching them “WHY” they are going in the box???

Healthwise, all is still GREAT!!!   Still no dermoids so I am hoping we are over that hurdle.    They got wormed for the first time – YUK!!! – actually they seem to like it as it tastes sort of like bananas – Don’t ask me WHY I know that!!!!  Noticed just the beginnings of teeth starting to emerge while I was worming them so Momma will need to contend with THAT soon too.   Of course, another weekly toenail trim!!!

They have named themselves !!!    Here’s a brief description of each:

Glory – perfect female, tiny white dot on her chest, almost no other white, dark mask, golden red, perfect ridge

Glitter – perfect female, wavey small spot on her chest, almost no other white, dark mask, lightest golden red female, perfect ridge

Sparkler – perfect female, big white spot on her chest, little bit of white on back toes, dark mask, darkest red and largest female, perfect ridge

Dynamite – perfect male, big v on chest, little bit of white on back toes, dark mask, darkest red male, perfect ridge

Flash – pet male, big spot on chest and white right front foot, medium black mask, golden red,
1 crown ridge

Roman – pet male, medium white spot on chest, little bit of white on toes, dark mask, lightest golden red and biggest male, 4 crown ridge

Rocket – pet male, almost no white anywhere, least amount of black mask, red gold and big, 3 crown ridge

Boomer or is it Bomber? – Pet male, long squiggle of white on chest and a few white toes, very dark mask, darker red, 3 crown ridge.     Last week he seemed more like a Bomber – this week more like a Boomer!!  Will have to see what fits him BEST!!!

Enjoy the “Explosion” of the Firecrackers!!!!   Remember they are scheduled for "TAKE OFF"  on August 29th when they are 8 weeks old !!!!


August 8, 2007
EXPLOSIVE Energy!!! – 5 Weeks

Ok, well the Firecrackers are indeed turning into little “PUNKS” after all !!!!  They are all wild things and are high energy go getters in short bursts of about 15 –20 minutes followed by high intensity power naps which last at least an hour or two!!!    They are outside most of the morning and evenings and love to follow me around watering, weeding, and eating my flowers.   Macarena is getting pretty sick of them now and will not lie down to feed them anymore, so they chow hanging off of her!!!  Looks very, very uncomfortable to me!!     She only feeds them 2-3 times a day, which is fine as they are eating puppy mush very well 3 times a day too.  Even the weekly toenail trim doesn’t help because they have TEETH!!!   Not completely in yet, but very definitely they have them and are learning how to USE them!!!

Healthwise, they got wormed for the first time, YUK!   Actually, this wormer they like – sort of tastes like bananas (don’t ask me why I know that!! )  Still no dermoids, no hernias, no health issues at all.   The Firecrackers are a very healthy, genetically clean litter of pups – only cosmetic ridge and color faults - so I am thrilled with the quality of the pups and therefore so proud of their parents!!!

Potty training is going well.   They rarely ever go pottey anywhere other than their litter box when inside and of course ONLY in the grass when outside.   They never, never go pottey in their crate or on their bed.

They have learned how to bark, growl, jump and run, and they really like to play and wrestle with each other.  This week, I let them meet their ‘big’ sister, Can Can, from the Ritz litter!!  They have a great time following her around, biting her legs and tail!   Can Can is quite gentle with them and likes to let them crawl all over her.    They get LOTS of visits from many, many humans of all ages and are happy to get hugs, holds, and kisses from everyone!!!



August 22, 2007
Getting READY to LAUNCH!!!   -  6.5 Weeks

Well, our little monsters, I mean DARLIN's, :-) are completely weaned from Momma.   Macarena still likes to play with them but they continue to try to nurse her of course and she finds that very annoying!   Lately, she has discovered that if she lays on top of the picnic table, she can observe them and protect them but she doesn't have to DEAL with them!!!!   They wear themselves out trying to figure out how to get to Momma, which is also a good thing -  a tired puppy is a GOOD puppy!!!

This past week or so the Firecrackers mostly just grew!!!!   and ATE!!  --  lots of eating!!!!    They get to play now in the BIG outdoor puppy play yard which has full grown trees, BIG rocks, and a BIG log that is laid down with lots of grass and room to run, hide, play and chase!!!!    They also get to share a chain link fence with all their older brothers, sisters, aunts and uncles as well as Mom and Dad, so they get lots of nose time with other dogs and lots of opportunities to watch what BIG dogs do all day!!!   Which is mostly sleep!!!  so the Firecrackers feel real good about fitting right in with the rest of the family!!!

Coming up this week is their final check with the vet, microchipping, first puppy shots, 3rd worming, and what we call the "Puppy Assessment Party" where my breeder friends from various breeds, some who are AKC judges, all with fresh eyes, come over to 'assess' the litter and decide who will be the show pups for sure!!!   We stack them up to look at structure, play with them to temperament test, and then let them trot around to look at movement.   Did you know that a puppy at 8 weeks (not 7 and not 9 weeks!) is as close to being structurally balanced and correct as they will ever be again until they are full grown two YEARS later!!???   We like to think the assessments make our 'educated guesses' at least a little more scientific!!!!   Plus it is just FUN!!!

All is well!!   Enjoy the latest BORN in the USA pictures!!!