3rd Times the Charm

When it came down to decision time, my parents decided that Iris didn't fit their lifestyle and that she would find a loving home through the Humane Society.  And because the deal was that there would be no complaining when she left from my brother or I, we had to say our goodbyes.  

Iris spent 1 week up for adoption before she was adopted by her first family.  Unfortunately the man lived in a small town house and worked too often, leaving Iris home alone for too long in a confined space.  In the end He had to return her as she barked all throughout the day.  

Iris spent a second week at the humane society and then was adopted by her second family.  The couple were two runners who were home often and were able to give her tones of attention and exercise.  But when Iris was brought home she found the owners cat, and chased her out into the backyard only to get swatted on the nose.  Iris then refused to come back into the house.  The couple returned Iris to the humane society the next day. 

 We went to visit Iris after she had been returned for the first time.  She was so excited to see us, and as much as I wanted to spend all the time with her, I tried to allow my mom as much time with her as possible, all in attempts to have them re-bond in hopes that she would get attached.

After a month of watching and waiting to see if Iris would find a home, my mother could no longer take the sight of Iris constantly getting shuffled between families and the shelter.  So the night after Iris' picture went back up on the adoption page for the third time, my mother called my father who was on a business trip at the time, and told him what she thought.  They came to decide that despite what they thought, they both truly loved Iris.  

The next day as I was sun tanning in my backyard before attending my night school class, from behind I heard something run across the pool cover.  When I looked to the end of the backyard, in a shadow I saw Iris' to large ears, and I knew! My parents had completely surprised us with her adopting, and it was the best surprise.  

In the end, sometimes the dog chooses you.

Iris Gets Spayed

After all the puppies were adopted we kept Iris for another month.  Most female dogs are spayed at the age of 6 months before their first heat, but in Iris' case we waited 2 weeks after the puppies left for her milk to completely dry up in their absence before she was spayed. At Iris' age she is considered a mature spay and the surgery although relatively the same as a regular spay, can sometimes be a little more invasive or complex do to the age and size of the dog.  

Iris before and after spay.

The pink rap around her leg is the bandage covering her IV line and the purple and yellow bandage around her belly is extra support pressure for the time right after the surgery is complete.

Iris was a huge Drama Queen before and after her surgery.  As a Kennel Care worker at the vet part of my job is to restrain animals while the vet technicians place the catheters into the patient before they are put under Anastasia.  Most animals after given their pre-meds are more sedated and can be easily restrained for this process.  Iris fell in to the smaller category of difficult animals whom make it a challenge to prep for surgery.  I had to get up on top of the surgery table to use my full body to restrain Iris as she refused to stay still or lay down.

Her surgery preformed by Dr. Carolyn Martin went beautifully, and I was able to watch the whole thing as I do most surgeries.

When we got home Iris was completely spoiled by the whole family.  She was given excessive treats and belly rubs and was even allowed to sneak onto the couch with my brother.

Through the days she wore a loose t-shirt to prevent her from licking at her incision, and at night she slept on my bed so I could keep a closer watch on her.  She loved hanging out in my room.

The 7th week stretch...Up for Adoption

Puppies are usually and properly put up for adoption at 8 weeks.  They have had enough time to learn social skills and learn from their mother, at 8 weeks they are ready to move their dependance and affection from their siblings and mother to their new owner.  Although I had originally tried convincing my mother to keep the puppies for one more week until they were fully 8 weeks, by the time the 7th week rolled around we were all ready to give them up.  

 Photo shoot the night before they leave...

Tegan, Zeus, Lacey, Bentley

Tegan and Zeus

Lacey ad Zeus

Seymour and Murdoch

Bentley and Tegan

If you have ever adopted an new puppy, you should know that with all the excitement that comes with them also come the hectic new lifestyle that surrounds the little devil who will soon be tearing around his or her new home.  Well for us we had 7 wonderful weeks with these puppies, and it was one of the most incredible experiences that I have ever had.  That being said i will not lie and tell you that we didn't also experience the hectic lifestyle, in fact we had it 7 times over! Each of the puppies were special in their own way, but by the end of the 7th week, they were too much for one family to handle, 2 yes, 3 maybe, but not 6 with a 1 year old mother.

So as we said goodbye, it was sad but we knew that they were all going to amazing homes, and that we had given them the best chance to a good life.

We know that Zeus got adopted by an elder lady, which I think is perfect for the big love that he is.  Tegan got adopted by my brother's best friends family, so we get to see her grow up! She looks just like her mother just a little darker and no markings on her face.  They say shes a little devil.  And Lacey got adopted by a very nice family who comes to the vet that I work at.  I saw her at 4 months old and her ears had completely perked up and her spotted feet are very defined.  The lady told me that she is one of the smartest dogs she's ever had.

Backyard field trips & the Importance of Socialization 6th week

nearing the end of the 5th week we took a field trip to the back yard...

... it was safe to say that everyone was a little spooked by the outside world.  

Just like anything, the backyard when first exposed to it scared the puppies.  The feeling of grass, the temperature of the air and all the new scents were a lot to take in for a small pup.  

Backyard Pen

At 6 weeks the puppies were much braver, my dad built them a small corral in the backyard where they could run and play during the day as their small pen in the house was no longer enough to keep them occupied all day.  

Puppy Manners

 We set up a third play area for them in the kitchen where they were able to tear around the table like a race track.  It may look just like play time, but just as a kid learns not to hit other children on the playground, the puppies are learning valuable life skills as well.  There is huge importance of socialization.  Unlike their mother, these pups have spent plenty of time in a safe environment where they can play together and learn their manners, without the fear of predators or constant hunger.  Iris having grown up in a very different environment, lacked regular social outlets, where she should have learned proper social behaviour of a dog.  So instead she barks at dog right in their face, constantly wants to jump on them and has no understanding of acceptable play.

Kitchen Fun

Potty training

Most people believe that potty training is something that only starts with dogs at weeks around the time of adoption.  To avoid the nightmare of potty training at that age, a lot actually depends of the breeder or in this case foster parents.

It is not natural for a dog to excrete their waste in their sleeping or eating quarters.  In the wild the mother wolf takes very good care at keeping the den as clean as possible.  Iris cleaning the pool, as well as licking the pups bottoms falls directly under this category.  As soon as the pups are able to walk, which can happen as soon as 3 weeks or earlier depending on the breed, potty training should begin, just as a mother wolf would be teaching her young to excrete their waste outside of the den.

Although the pups won't be completely potty trained, you will be surprised at how quickly they pick up the concept of the designated areas.  It is all about the set up of their area.  As my mom and I were new to raising pups at such young ages, we looked for help on the web and found The Misty Method which was created by the breeder Bev Dorma from Misty Trails Havanese / Mastiffs.  The Misty Method is a system which is specific to 3 week old pups.

The basics to the method are the following

1. Have a designated potty area, eating and playing area, and a place to sleep.  
2. Keep the potty area to the back so when you enter the room they aren't stepping in poop as they jump at you.  
3. Keep the play/sleep area always clean, if an accident happens, change the area, so they don't get confused.
4. The poopy area should have a faint sent of poop even when you change the paper and pads.  As the puppies rely on the sent to understand the concept.
5. Once the puppies excrete waste on the proper side, immediately cover with fresh paper so that they don't walk through it again.  

The maintenance of the areas are very time consuming in the beginning, always having to change dirty blankets.  As they get older they begin to get the concept much better.  Then it is all about changing the papers and pads more often as they excrete waste more often.  

The poopy side should be lined with 'puppy pads' to absorbed some of the moisture and then covered by paper.  You will need LOTS OF NEWS PAPER! We flew through newpapre so quickly that my mom and I were out every recycling night scavenging our neighbours bins as well as going to local shoppers drugmarts to collect the old news papers.  

5th week weening to feeding

At the beginning of the 5th week the puppies appetite had become so huge that we began to introduce dog food pablum into their diet.  Every morning 2 cups of dry dog food would get put into the magic bullet, until completely broken down and then warm water was added until the mixture came to almost a yogurt like consistency. With just one taste the puppies were enthralled by it, and although their diet at this point was split between the pablum and their mothers milk, this was the beginning of Iris weening them off the milk.  

It was given first on plates, then in troughs.

The puppies quadrupled in size from their large appetites, they ate pablum roughly 3 times a day and Iris would feed twice in the day and sometimes at night.  All their faces began to stretch out creating snouts, and their muscles developed just as fast as their feature.  They were constantly tearing around their play area, unfortunately the more they ate the more they pooped...

Bentley, Seymour, Murdoch

Nearing the end of the 5th week, Iris had significantly weened the pups off her milk, as a part of the natural growing process.  The Puppies teeth had come in and we were able to feed them whole kibble that had been slightly softened with warms water.

"On the 7th day of christmas my true love gave to me, 7 four week old puppies"

At 4 weeks old, right around christmas the puppies eyes had finally begun to really open up, and you were able to feel the outline of where there teeth were soon to pop up.  They were too big to stay inside the pool so it was time for a new design by the boys.  They took out the pool and divided the room by 1 1/2 ft wall that Iris was able to jump over to nurse.   

There were days when Iris didn't want to nurse, not because she was neglecting her pups, but simly because they didn't always make it the most pleasant for their mother.   It sometimes could seem like an attack as the puppies forced themselves to the largest boob.  Iris came to us malnourished, from living in the wild and having just given birth to 6 pups, but regardless of the 2 cans of wet food, 6 cups of dry, and countless treats a day, it seemed everyday the puppies got larger and larger and Iris became smaller and smaller.  

One point I don't want overlooked, is how much joy these puppies and Iris brought to my family.  Over the Holidays although they are special, they sometimes begin to be a blur over the many years. Holding a puppy gives you a special feeling that can not be replicated easily, a feeling of love spiked all the way through your body, a glimpse of pure happiness.  You can't help but smile. 

Some people think babies do the same thing.  Maybe my parents are right, maybe somewhere along the way I missed the boat of loving hairless alien looking miniature people, maybe I have a heart only reserved for the furry animals on the planet.  I like to believe that its not the repulsion of babies that makes me believe that animals, in this case puppies, have special powers, but more so that there is a bond unlike any other between a person and an animal.  Despite how small they are, they develop much faster than any baby does, I don't see any 4 week old baby playing tug of war, let alone understanding the concept.