Stacey, the volunteer coordinator for the SPCA, contacted me yesterday to ask if I could come to Petco and take pictures of the dogs who didn't have pictures for the PetFinder web site. There is a guy who does it every week, and his photos are professional quality. I take snapshots, but I said that I would come.
I didn't get there until about 2 because Eliza had been whining and when I picked her up to cuddle her, she fell asleep in my arms. I was enjoying the puppy time and didn't want to wake her up.
When I got to Petco it turned out that there were only two dogs who needed photos. Peanut is a chihuahua who makes Dexter look like he went through an "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids" machine!
The other dog who needed photos taken was Sadie, Stacey said. The name didn't immediately ring a bell, but one look at those teats and I knew instantly that this was the mother of our puppies.
Looking at Sadie makes me realize why the puppies, especially Higgins, are such behemoths.
She seemed like a really sweet dog (and look at the size of that tongue!). But....BIG. I think I'm just as glad that she and the other 9 puppies are in a different foster home!
The puppies are a little over 5 weeks old today and growing like weeds. I sometimes think if I watch closely I can actually see them growing.
They are completely off of the bottle and next week I will start cutting back the amount of formula that I mix with their solid food and within the next couple of weeks, they should be taking only puppy kibble.
And they are starting to play -- with each other and with toys. I don't remember other puppies who really took to toys like these guys. They are particularly fond of finding cloth on the floor and dragging it across the room, which is easy to do since the floor is covered with towels and rugs.
Dexter has moved right in as one of the guys.
Of course the difference is that Dexter is at least two months more mature than the puppies so he expects them to play the way he does and they are still just learning. Today he raced at top speed from one end of the house to the other and back again over and over again, crouching down each time and inviting the puppies to join him. "C'mon...this is FUN!" The puppies, who had just discovered the living room (thanks to Dexter), were too busy investigating the new smells--and they can't run like that anyway. The best they can manage is a fast waddle. It will be a week before they are up to "running."
But when it comes to wrestling, they are all in it together.
Dexter's favorite is Eliza, but if she's sleeping, he'll wrestle with the other two. He's smarter and more experienced than they are, but they are learning to hold their old against him. It won't be long before Higgins can take him as an hors d'oeuvre!
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