11/20/14 - 7 Weeks Old - "Cut to the Chase"

The Ducks are full of mischief little heathens !!!   They have grown up, matured and really become themselves these last 2 weeks.   They are so much more confident and courageous now, and LOVE to have new things given to them to figure out.   It got very very cold all of a sudden up here so that has really limited their opportunities to be outside and REALLY experience the world, but I give them strange new toys every day with emphasis on textures, noises, shapes, sizes and sometimes they just have to figure it out.   They like whipped cream lids (frisbees), old socks (pull toys) and old nylons with balls tied in the middle and knots all the way down are the BEST!!!   All of the news toys and play gives me an opportunity to observe them AND most of all wear the little monsters (I mean DARLINGS!) out.   A tired puppy is a good puppy - remember that!!!

Monday is a BIG day!!  They are off to the vet for their final check up before going to their new homes.  I anticipate that all of them weigh over 10 pounds with the big boys weighing closer to 15 pounds!!!  They will get their first (of three) puppy shot for bad things like distemper, hepatitis, parvo and parainfluenza.  Another worming with the yummy banana stuff, and then comes the BIG needle with the microchip in it!! OUCH!!!  It IS a BIG needle but the little ones usually take it pretty well.  You may notice a bit of a boo boo between their shoulder blades when they come home, but it will just be a scab that will fall off.  I have a Puppy Checklist that I made with every possible body part listed so that my vet can check things off and make notations if she thinks there is ANYTHING you or your vet should be aware of and potentially watch.  A copy of the check list will be in each puppy’s going home packet along with all their other health records.   Hearts, lungs, teeth and testicles are the last hurdles that must be jumped before"going home" day.   The entire staff at the vet’s office LOVE it when the pups come in so it is a good time for all!!!

As I continue to get them ready to go home, little transitions continue.  They are now down to eating twice a day to help get them acclimated to a more probable feeding schedule at home.   I still BRIEFLY soak their food in warm water which I recommend that you continue for the rest of their lives.  I will be sending home samples of the food they are eating now to help you make that transition too.

They are very good at using their litter box and NEVER go to the bathroom where they sleep.  You should be thinking about WHERE the bathroom is going to be at your house.  I suggest somewhere way out back behind the garage. Be prepared to carry them there for the first week or so, so that they don’t have the opportunity to make a mistake on the way!!!

HEY!  the DUCKS are flying  !!

MALES:

Phil - dark red wheaten, full mask, 3 crown ridge, tiny spot on chest, very little white on toes.  Largest, perfect teeth, quiet, gentle, easy going, big galoot

Si - dark red wheaten, full mask, perfect ridge, medium spot on chest, very little white on toes.  Perfect teeth, happy, fun, goofy, friendly, people loving sweetie

Willie - dark red wheaten, full mask, perfect ridge, big spot, little bit of white on all four feet.  Perfect teeth, big, confident, outgoing, curious, independent

Jase - dark red wheaten, full mask, perfect ridge, medium spot on chest, very little white on toes.   Perfect teeth, spunky, full of himself, go getter, clown


FEMALES:

Miss Kay - dark red wheaten, full mask, perfect ridge, tiny spot on chest, no white on feet,  Smallest, perfect teeth, born with unusual skin markings - tags and bare spots, has very hoarse bark.   Mentally normal, loving, sweet, gentle lap lover

Korie - dark red wheaten, full mask, perfect ridge - crowns very slightly offset, big spot on chest, white toes on all four feet.  Biggest, perfect teeth, spunky, sassy, confident, very outgoing and courageous

Missy - red wheaten, full mask, perfect ridge, tiny spot on chest, tiny white on toes.  Big, perfect teeth, people lover, eager to please, sassy and curious, confident attention seeking go getter


 

11/6/14 - 5 Weeks - I've Been Showing Up Late & Dirty All My Life!"

Poor Momma Harley, the Duck Dynasty pups have TEETH, and they know how to use them!!!   The toenail daggers were bad enough, but the teeth pretty much sent Momma over the top!!!  Weaning began at 4 weeks with puppy milk replacer which was quickly followed by puppy MUSH made from milk and puppy chow that has been soaking to the perfect mushy texture.  They pretty much snorkel in the puppy mush so it is VERY messy!!!  Thankfully, Harley is always very willing to clean them up!!!  Slowly every day, the Ducks eat more meals from their big silver puppy ring and less nursing on Momma Harley.  Now Harley never lays down to feed them, so they hang off of her which looks extremely uncomfortable if not down right painful!  No wonder the teeth have pretty much been the last straw!!!   All their teeth look very good though!!!

A whole new ‘room’ was added to their ‘duck blind’ this week.  The whelping box is just NOT big enough anymore!!!  The new digs are arranged such that Momma Harley can not come in so the Ducks are learning to spend time away from her where they have their own blankets and TOYS!!!  Now the toys take the worst they have to offer from those new teeth rather than each others ears, tails and toes!!!  Stuffed animals, balls, paper towel rolls, yogurt lids etc….all are new and cool!!!

This week, the litter box was added to the puppy play pen so that they can learn that there is an appropriate place and an appropriate time to go potty!!  they never EVER go potty in their bedroom and always go where they are supposed to.  Hopefully, this will help you potty train them at home!!!

Another dreaded toenail trim, and another go round of that yummy banana flavored de-wormer were the health issues of the week.   For the first year of their lives, it is a good idea to do both of these things EVERY month so their toenails stay short and the intestinal worms stay gone even though, like all puppies, they are putting EVERYTHING in their mouths no matter how disgusting!!!

They are beginning to be their own little selves!!  To me they all LOOK very different, but now they will begin to become their own little SELVES too !!!  The differences in looks are sometimes very subtle (how dark is the mask, how deep is the red, how much white will fade with time?) as will be their personalities (Wild to mild !).

Was that SUPPOSED to happen???? - Si

MALES:

Phil - dark red wheaten, full mask, 3 crown ridge, tiny spot on chest, very little white on toes, quiet, gentle giant

Si - dark red wheaten, full mask, perfect ridge, medium spot on chest, very little white on toes, cooperative, willing, happy and funny

Willie - dark red wheaten, full mask, perfect ridge, big spot, little bit of white on all four feet, curious, fun, friendly

Jase - dark red wheaten, full mask, perfect ridge, medium spot on chest, very little white on toes, easy, relaxed, happy go lucky

FEMALES:

Miss Kay - dark red wheaten, full mask, perfect ridge, tiny spot on chest, no white on feet, small, born with unusual skin markings - tags and bare spots, but is spunky and very normal mentally, so loving, sweet, kind and gentle

Korie - dark red wheaten, full mask, perfect ridge, big spot on chest, white toes on all four feet, go getter, spunky, sassy, confident

Missy - dark red wheaten, full mask, perfect ridge, tiny spot on chest, tiny white on toes, people loving, loves attention, eager to please, confident

 

10/26/14 - 3.5 Weeks Old - "Hey" Can Mean a Lot of Things!!"

Hey!!  The Duck Dynasty crew turned into PUPPIES over the last 10 days!!!   They are casing the entire whelping box on a regular basis - hopping, jumping, kind of running, but motoring around really well!!!  They still tip over a lot but only when one of their litter mates slams on the brakes and starts a chain reaction!!!  They have definitely figured out what brothers and sisters are and have begun to play and roughhouse together.  Ears, noises, tails and toes are all fair game - even on Momma Harley who is eternally patient  - at least for now!!!

Their eyes are all wide open, kind of a bluish brown now, but they definitely all see and are very aware of Harley’s comings and goings, as well as mine.   They can also hear now and get worried whenever Momma barks, and the sound of mom’s food or water being poured into the stainless steel bowls wakes them right up!!!   They are getting vocal and for about a week they practiced up on their ‘trilling’ which is a pathetic cross between a growl, a whine, and a bark.  It is very cute and very short lived as they quickly figure out how to REALLY bark, growl and whine!!

This week, they got wormed for the first of three times with that yummy banana tasting yellow stuff that Grandma June puts in their mouth.  (Don’t ask me how I know it tastes like bananas!)  They also had to endure another weekly toenail trim along with a very thorough Grandma June going over - still no dermoid sinus’s or kinked tails!  YEAH!!

Sooooo……… HEY JACK!!!   Meet the Duck Dynasty litter !!!

MALES:

Phil - dark red wheaten, full mask, 3 crown ridge, tiny spot on chest, very little white on toes, big

Si - dark red wheaten, full mask, perfect ridge, medium spot on chest, very little white on toes

Willie - dark red wheaten, full mask, perfect ridge, big spot, little bit of white on all four feet

Jase - dark red wheaten, full mask, perfect ridge, medium spot on chest, very little white on toes

FEMALES:

Miss Kay - dark red wheaten, full mask, perfect ridge, tiny spot on chest, no white on feet, small, born with unusual skin markings - tags and bare spots, but is spunky and very normal mentally

Korie - dark red wheaten, full mask, perfect ridge, big spot on chest, white toes on all four feet

Missy - dark red wheaten, full mask, perfect ridge, tiny spot on chest, tiny white on toes