One Foggy Christmas Eve - 12-05-15 - 7 weeks Old

The jingle bells are on, the sleigh is hitched and filled to the brim, and the Reindeer are ready to flyyyyy with Santa’s happy “Ho Ho Howl “urging them on!!!

They have really grown in the last week - mentally, physically, and personality.   The Reindeer have truly developed their own little footprints and are each uniquely themselves now.  This week the weather warmed up just enough that they got to play outside in the SNOW!!  What fun they had exploring a whole new world and it was fun to watch each of them explore.   The ice was not quite so much fun, however as I saw a few taking an unplanned slide and usually ended up with all four feet spread out and chin thunked!!!  All that play and exercise really tires them out though!!!  A tired puppy is a GOOD puppy!!  Remember that!!!

No more milk replacer for the Reindeer as they need to cut down on the fat content so they are in tip top shape to fly!!!  They eat only twice a day now, which is a good schedule for their whole lives and will hopefully fit their new family’s lifestyle.  A little warm water, added to their food right before you feed it for the rest of their lives, will slow the speed of eating down, still makes them chew, and decreases choke factor, cleans teeth and helps with good digestion.

Monday was their final vet check so that they can earn their flying papers!!!    A big day - they get weighed (the heaviest was Donner at 13.8, the lightest was Prancer at 10.6), poked, prodded, all body parts checked, then a little needle with their first puppy vaccination, more yummy wormer, and last a BIG needle with the microchip in it.  Big needle = BIG benefit if they are ever lost or stolen.  Hearts, lungs, testicles (all the boys had the required two!), teeth all checked out great.   Santa and his Reindeer were a big hit with all who enjoy helping with them at the clinic!!!  Especially those that helped with their very challenging arrival!


Merry Christmas to all and to all a Warm,Puppy Kissed Night !!

Males:

Donner:  very dark red, full mask, big spot on chest, minimal white on toes, big, good teeth, nice ridge, easy going, very observant, people pleaser
Rudolph: very dark red, full mask, tiny spot on chest, small amount of white on all toes, good teeth, nice ridge, eager to please, attentive goofy and fun
Blitzen: dark red, dark mask, medium spot in armpit, minimal white on toes, good teeth, one cowlick/crown ridge, attentive, easy going, a watcher but loves attention.
Santa: dark red, dark mask, small star on chest, minimal white on toes, good teeth, one crown ridge, happy, thinker, curious and interested
Comet:  dark red, medium mask, big spot on chest, most white on toes, big, good teeth, nice ridge, full of energy, a go getter, playful and fun, dermoid sinus healing fine
Cupid: golden red, light mask, huge star on chest, lots of white on toes, big, good teeth, nice ridge, tiny kink near tip of tail, quiet, gentle, happy go lucky galoot, dermoid sinus healing fine


Females:

Olive:  golden red, medium mask, small spot on chest, white on all toes, big, good teeth, nice ridge, independent, inquisitive, easy to be around
Dasher:  very dark red, full mask, big spot on chest with ‘“dash” spot within it, minimal white on toes, big, good teeth, nice ridge, sweet, attentive, easy to be around
Vixen:  dark red, full mask, tiny spot on chest, minimal white on toes, small, good teeth, nice ridge, minor kink on underside of tail, goofy, wiggly, funny, lots of swag
Dancer:  dark red, medium mask, two tiny spots on chest, almost no white on toes, big, good teeth, off set crowns in ridge, playful, sassy, full of spunk
Prancer: dark red, full mask, tiny spot on chest, almost no white on toes, good teeth, off set crowns in ridge, small with lots of spit and vinegar, entertaining

 

All the Reindeer Loved Them - 11/28/15 - 6 Weeks Old

What a herd of little “wildings” the Reindeer have become!  They are a romping, running, hopping, jumping, moving team of ENERGY!!!  and they are soooo, sooooo very busy!!!   Into everything, curious about everything, underfoot always, and then they CRASH just as hard as they play for their very frequent power naps.

Every day new toys are introduced to them so that they have something new to keep sharpening and developing their minds.  Their toys suffer horribly, but their ears, tails and toes as well as Momma DeLoreans’s ears, tail and toes, are MUCH better off.   The weaning process went into high gear this week  - Lori is out of patience with the toenails, the teeth, and the “hanging off of her” style eating sooooo…..the Reindeer had to say bye bye to their “Mrs. Santa” this week.  Fortunately, the Reindeer love their puppy mush and don’t even snorkel in it much anymore.  They all eat together out of their giant stainless steel puppy donuts that are set up high enough that they can’t walk in it!!!   They look really cute all around the donut hole!!!  All those little ridges lined up!!

We had our first BIG snow - almost 2 feet! - which the Reindeer did NOT get to enjoy!!!   They are a bit too young to be ready to slip and slide their way into the traces of a sleigh!!    They did get another yummy worming which they like - tastes like bananas! (don’t think about why I know that!) and another annoying toenail trim which they DON’T like.

We have introduced the giant puppy litter box which they use faithfully all the time.   Hopefully, this will make house training easier for you as they never ever go potty in their giant crate and they have learned that there is an appropriate place to go potty.  Be sure you think about WHERE the bathroom will be at your house BEFORE a Reindeer comes home to you!

We have lots of friends and family who come to visit and of course playing with the Reindeer is high on the list of things to do.  Not sure who is having the most fun but everyone loves watching the Reindeer becoming their own unique little selves.  All the Reindeer love them too!!!

This go round of pictures is always very interesting and ‘telling’ because this is the first time they are ALONE and completely out of their element.   As if that weren’t scared enough for them, I also add strange props and strange noises.   Watching each of them react in their own way is a great opportunity for me to note who they are becoming!!

Then how the Reindeer love them!!!
As they barked out loud with glee!!
DeLorean and Neo’s Reindeer
You’ll go down in History!!!


Males:

Donner:  very dark red, full mask, big spot on chest, minimal white on toes, big, good teeth,  nice ridge, spunky, confident, curious.
Rudolph: very dark red, full mask, tiny spot on chest, small amount of white on all toes, good teeth, nice ridge, kind, gentle, eager to please
Blitzen: dark red, dark mask, medium spot in armpit, minimal white on toes, good teeth, might have one cowlick/crown ridge, attentive but reserved, easy going
Santa: dark red, dark mask, small star on chest, minimal white on toes, good teeth, may have one crown ridge, happy, a watcher, and thinker
Comet:  dark red, medium mask, big spot on chest, most white on toes, big, good teeth, nice ridge, full of energy, a go getter, dermoid sinus that will be removed
Cupid: golden red, light mask, huge star on chest, lots of white on toes, big, good teeth, nice ridge, tiny kink near tip of tail, quiet gentle happy go lucky galoot, dermoid sinus that will be removed

Females:

Olive:  golden red, medium mask, small spot on chest, white on all toes, big, good teeth, nice ridge, independent, inquisitive, easy to be around
Dasher:  very dark red, full mask, big spot on chest with ‘“dash” spot within it, minimal white on toes, big, good teeth, nice ridge, sweet, attentive, easy to be around
Vixen:  dark red, full mask, tiny spot on chest, minimal white on toes, small, good teeth, nice ridge, minor kink on underside of tail, goofy, wiggly, funny, lots of swag
Dancer:  dark red, medium mask, two tiny spots on chest, almost no white on toes, big, good teeth, off set crowns in ridge, playful, sassy, full of spunk
Prancer: dark red, full mask, tiny spot on chest, almost no white on toes, good teeth, off set crowns in ridge, small with lots of spit and vinegar, entertaining

 

Join in the Reindeer Games - 11/18/15 - 4.5 Weeks Old

The Reindeer are everywhere!!!  They have diligently practiced their hopping, jumping, and doing laps around the whelping box to the point where they are VERY close to taking off and attempting a flying leap from the whelping box!!!   No, no bad puppy!!!

The litterbox has been added to their world and they do enjoy romping around in it too.   Hopefully, they will begin to make the connection that they are supposed to do something else in there besides eat and/or roll around in the saw dust pellets!!!

DeLorean is really, really discouraged about the whole nursing thing!!!   She doesn’t like to lay down with them very often as they maul her, soooo…… they have begun hanging off of her which looks horribly uncomfortable and I KNOW will lead to the end of nursing momma!!!  The Reindeer’s are eating their milk replacer better and better every day although to be honest they snorkel in it a lot yet.  I’ve even begun to add a little bit of really mushy puppy chow to the milk so that they will slowly make the adjustment to puppy chow rather than momma chow.  Their teeth are beginning to emerge, so that WILL be the end of DeLorean’s commitment for sure!!

The Reindeer are just beginning to become their own little selves.  Watching them unfold is like unwrapping a little Christmas present!!

Males:

Donner:  very dark red, full mask, big spot on chest, minimal white on toes
Rudolph: very dark red, full mask, tiny spot on chest, small amount of white on all toes
Blitzen: dark red, dark mask, medium spot in armpit, minimal white on toes
Santa: dark red, dark mask, small star on chest, minimal white on toes
Comet:  dark red, medium mask, big spot on chest, most white on toes
Cupid: golden red, minimal mask, huge star on chest, lots of white on toes

Females:

Olive:  golden red, medium mask, small spot on chest, white on all toes
Dasher:  very dark red, full mask, big spot on chest with ‘“dash” spot within it, minimal white on toes
Vixen:  dark red, full mask, tiny spot on chest, minimal white on toes
Dancer:  dark red, medium mask, two tiny spots on chest, almost no white on toes
Prancer: dark red, full mask, tiny spot on chest, almost no white on toes