COMSTOCK PUPPIES - Page 3
The pups are getting more outdoor time now. We moved are large (10 ft x 12 ft x 6 ft high semi-portable run to the shady side of the house. After breakfast in the garage we move them to that run. That takes a while since we can't carry two at a time anymore-they are getting too big. Plus moving all of their toys and various pieces of bedding to lay (or pee) on. We put a small crate (minus door) into the pen. One or two of them usually climb in the crate to play or sleep. We also gave them a big cardboard box to play with.
About 10 AM we move them back into the air-conditioned garage (we leave Caroline's studio door open with a small fan to blow air into the garage). They stay there during the hot part of the day. The garage is now where they get their weigh-ins. We can no longer use our shoe box and postal scale (10 lb limit) so I purchased a 50 lb postal scale and attached a large basket to it. It works OK as long as we can keep the pups centered. They tend to lean one way or another and that weight shift seems to affect the accuracy of the reading.
About 6 PM we bring them out to the front yard and let them play until dinner at 7:30 PM. Some of the play seems rather fierce but nobody seems to get hurt. They are starting to play with the balls more. Almost like a Soccer (make that Rugby) team.
We do a lot of interacting with the pups during this evening play session. Even I get to play with them as the picture on the left shows. (Someone commented that they had never seen a picture of the cameraman so Caroline took this picture of me.) I take a lot of pictures during the play sessions hoping to get something special. I got a rather nice one of Green (right photo).
Back in the garage about 8 PM as the sun sets. Then we think about our dinner.
The other night Caroline took Lucah into her studio and let Lucah lay on Calli's bean bag type bed. He loved it and settled right in. It is hard to believe that in about 4 or 5 more months he will fill up that bed.
Yesterday evening we took some more pictures. I got some pretty good ones of White, Lt. Blue and Purple. Purple was running towards me when I shot her pic.
We gave the pups another box to play with and got a decent shot of the entire group in action.
Our vet was impressed with the pups. When he was done he came out to the van to see them all together. He commented again on what a nice litter it was. Sorry about no picture of the 10 pups in the van but I forgot to take my camera with me to the vets. I suggested to Caroline that we do a re-enactment to get a photo. She was less than enthusiastic about that idea.
The pups were all weighed at the vets and their weights ranged from 15.5 to 19.5 lb. I will use those weights on their 7 week photos which I hope to have up on the webpage by this evening. You will have to wait until then to find out who were lightest and heaviest.
Knowing that some of you need a puppy fix each day and that I am usually a day late in getting the weekly photos uploaded I have included a couple group photos in this upload. The pups are getting more daring and are wandering farther afield as seen in the left photo. The near right photo is their after dinner rest period. Funny thing is that we pick the little sleeping darlings up and put them gently into their freshly cleaned garage pen (fresh bedding and clean paper, etc.) and they come alive. They start playing and wrestling but mainly they start shredding the paper I put neatly in place (far right photo).
Knowing that the pups will be going to their new homes this coming weekend, Caroline has started bringing each pup (one at a time) into the house at night to sleep. Saturday night she started with Blue (pottying him outside first). He wandered around the Family Room for awhile exploring. He was then put in a size 500 crate in our small guest bedroom for the night with Calli on her quilt right next to him. Caroline slept in the room with him. He was very good about settling down to sleep without fussing. He awoke Caroline once during the night to go outside to pee.
The next morning Blue wandered around the kitchen while Caroline prepared breakfast. It didn't take him long to discover the source of the food.
All-in-all it was a good experience for Blue. The rest of the day, back with the brood, he seemed more out-going and maybe just a little bit spoiled since he had had special treatment that the other pups hadn't.
Sunday night we brought Red into the house. He also enjoyed exploring the Family Room and nibbling on toes. This is a quiet time with a single pup and they seem to enjoy it.
When it came time to go into the crate and go to sleep it was another matter. Red was not happy even with Calli laying next to his crate. He howled and barked and let us know that this would not do. Caroline finally broke down and went to the garage and brought in Blue as a companion for Red. Red quieted down and both pups slept through the night without waking Caroline.
The next morning Blue showed Red where the food came from. It looks like they are trying to fiure out how to tip the bag over. Caroline took a break from fixing the pups breakfast to hold them in her lap. These pups are great time wasters. When they are gone what am I going to use as an excuse for not getting the yard work done.
The grass in the morning outdoor pen is usually damp so we added the lower half of a size 700 Vari-Kennel to the run with a nice quilt for the pups to curl up on. It appears in the left photo that the fawns took control of the VariKennel and tossed the brindles out. Later (right photo) they relented and agreed to share the Vari-Kennel.
During the past few days we have continued bringing in separate dogs for overnight crate training. Yellow (nickname Sunshine) was our house guest on Tuesday evening, White on Thursday evening, and Smudge (LtBlue) last night. They all did very well although Smudge was a little fussy when she was put in the crate. Her problem was she just wanted to be held more-not that she missed her littermates. Yellow and White actually made it through the night (midnight to 6 AM) without pottying. Smudge got Caroline up once to go out.
Caroline started leash training the other evening after dinner. All of the pups did well once they quit playing with the leash. These were just short jaunts on the grass. Since the pups like to follow us now the leash training is simplified.
Thursday was bath day for the pups. Their first full bath. We moved their eating arena (aka plastic kiddie pool) out to the front yard. Marilyn, a friend of ours (fellow Mastiff owner, breeder, handler) came down to see our litter and offered to help with the bathing chore. The pups were very good. A little squirming but virtually no squealing or barking. They all loved the dry-off, particularly Purple who fell asleep in Marilyn's arms.
After the dry-off, however, they came alive and started ripping around their pen, chasing each other and having a great time.
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