A couple of days ago I was explaining to someone new to Lappies how each puppy in the litter plays a role. There is the dominant one, the playful one, the quiet one, the noisy one, etc. These characteristics can be swapped from puppy to puppy as they grow and develop, although some things tend to remain the same. The moniker of "noisy little sod" usually gets passed from one puppy to the next over the weeks and I do my bit to discourage that behaviour in each one in turn. The most dominant puppy tends to show him or herself pretty much right away and remains the dominant puppy throughout their time with me.
I do my very best to match each puppy with its most suitable family based on their individual personalities. But, of course, once they leave the familiarity of their mum and siblings it's all change. For example, the quiet one can find new confidence, the dominant one no longer has anything to prove, the playful one ... well, they are all playful and they stay that way.
Genetics definitely play a role in a puppy's character - time and again I have seen the influence of Neka in her kids and even her grandkids. I have also clearly seen the influence of the sires of the puppies, most of whom I don't even know very well. But elements of their natures are there in their puppies clear as glass.
Having said that, the great majority of a dog's behaviour is the result of how he is raised. For example, it is in our Maija's nature to be noisy. She truly loves the sound of her own voice and takes her role of watch dog very seriously. However, she knows very clearly that excessive barking is ICA (illegal canine activity) in our house, so at those times that she really can't resist, in spite of being told to cut it out, we get closed-mouth huffs. They are permitted. Neka, on the other hand, who also loves the sound of her own voice, barks with excitement, with joy and when playing. She gets so much pleasure out of it that she simply doesn't care if we scold her. So with her, games always end when she starts to get noisy. Mind you, she is also good at closed-mouth barking. Keskiyo, on the other hand, is expert at the silent bark. He knows he's not allowed to bark to go out, so he sits by the door going through the silent motions. It's quite funny.
Part of the onslaught of information that I subject new owners to includes how to deal with an undesirable Finnish Lapphund general characteristic as well as individual puppy characteristics that they will definitely want to be discouraging. How to discourage barking for attention, how to train recall, how to deal with timidness or hand-shyness, how to avoid getting your Lappy attacked by other dogs. Yes, that happens a lot. Why? Well, there are lots of good, logical reasons why this might happen, not least of which is the Lappy's insistence on getting into the face of every dog he meets, whether the other dog wants to say hello and play or not. A young Lappy simply cannot believe that another dog does not want to say hello (or be chased...) and he will not take no for an answer. He will leap around as if to say "come on, let's play, you'll like me when you get to know me, really you will, oh go on, give me a chance..." etc. Other dogs are frequently not amused. Incidentally, neither are their owners. It's a mortifying situation that I dare say most Lappy owners have had to cope with at least once, but more likely a dozen times. Or more.
But the Pippuri puppies? Well, I don't want to jinx anything here (famous last words and all that), but the Pippuri puppies are among the quietest, easiest, most chilled and laid back gang who have ever borne the name Infindigo. I'm sure they will also be guilty of pestering other dogs to play, but they are generally very relaxed puppies. So much like their dad in that way. Isn't it great when a plan comes to fruition in much the way you hoped it would?
There is little of the ear-splitting yapping of the over-tired puppy, not much of the heart-stopping panicked screeching of the puppy who gets his jaws stuck in the bars of the pen (yes, that's a truly terrible event), no barking just for amusement, and not even a lot of barking during play. Although, yes, there is some of that and much growling during play. The most noise they make is squawking in indignation when a sibling pins someone down or chews too enthusiastically on a paw or yanks a tail just a little too hard.
The absolute most noise they make is howling. Each week on Instagram there have been howling puppy photos. They all do it, and they all do it such a great deal more than any puppy I've ever had here. I think they get it from their mum who often has a little howl when she yawns. Anyway, I love it, it completely cracks me up. They do the full ar-ar-ar-ar-ar-ooooooo, nose in the air like a wolf. And sometimes they get so into it that they topple over backwards. Too, too funny.
The most persistent and regular howler is Mini (of course) and the funniest is Tito, partly because he has naturally a rather quieter Lappy voice (his new owners will be pleased to hear). One of the sounds on the noise CD that I play for the puppies is a variety of sirens. Awake or asleep, Tito has been simply unable to resist howling along to the siren. I just wish I had captured it on video because suddenly he is growing accustomed to the noise (which is the whole point) and has stopped howling along.
Here's a video of the gang playing after breakfast with the noise CD raining away in the background. Tito is snoozing in the upper lefthand corner while the other 4 are engaged in various wrestling matches. A personal highlight is when Sox, Fiia and Tuulen are all playing together when Mini comes and pounces right on top of the pile.
Anyway, when the siren starts you can see that Tito wakes up and looks towards the noise, but alas no howling. Instead he just settles down again. Oh well. I shall have to content myself with knowing that they are growing used to the scary noises as I wanted them to.
Showing posts with label noise. Show all posts
Showing posts with label noise. Show all posts
Tuesday, 3 December 2013
Monday, 27 December 2010
play
Once the puppies start to hear they start to make noise. In addition to the little grunts they make when they're wrestling over a prized spot on the milk bar, they start to bark, squeak, squeal, howl (amusingly) and - funniest of all - growl. They test their volume, too, and they frequently give each other and themselves a bit of a start with an unexpectedly shrill screech.
And once they start to see, the whole big world opens up to them and all the really cute stuff starts. When I say "whole big world", I mean the portion of the big world contained within the walls of their whelping box. At this stage, anyway.
They gaze up at you as you peer into the box, they wag at you (I know!), they gaze up at their mum (and chew her ears, and take swipes at her nose) and of course, they can see each other. This is when the playing starts. It usually kicks off with a bit of mutual face-chewing.
At this age they do a lot of sleeping, so after about 5 minutes or so of playing, they all look for somewhere comfy to have a snooze.
"I bag the corner!"
Kicker doesn't look impressed.
And, on a different note, he looks so much like Inko did at the same age! Same little comma eyebrows.
"You lie on him & I'll lie on you."
In the meantime, other puppies just sleep through it all.
"Who woke me?"
And once they start to see, the whole big world opens up to them and all the really cute stuff starts. When I say "whole big world", I mean the portion of the big world contained within the walls of their whelping box. At this stage, anyway.
They gaze up at you as you peer into the box, they wag at you (I know!), they gaze up at their mum (and chew her ears, and take swipes at her nose) and of course, they can see each other. This is when the playing starts. It usually kicks off with a bit of mutual face-chewing.
At this age they do a lot of sleeping, so after about 5 minutes or so of playing, they all look for somewhere comfy to have a snooze.
"I bag the corner!"
Kicker doesn't look impressed.
And, on a different note, he looks so much like Inko did at the same age! Same little comma eyebrows.
"You lie on him & I'll lie on you."
In the meantime, other puppies just sleep through it all.
"Who woke me?"
Thursday, 23 December 2010
eyes poll result & food
I guess you think you're clever getting it right that "someone else" would be the puppy who opened their eyes first. So, well done for getting it right!
However, I'm guessing that you all thought it was going to be Honey. I thought it was going to be Marilyn because she was the one who was making blinking motions even with her eyes closed. That's why I included her in the group listed on the poll. In the end we were all fooled, though, because it was Kicker. He was followed later that day by Kuusi and Vee and by the next day everyone had pretty much caught up.
While I've got 5 minutes, I'm also going to do a quick weight update, and try to load a little video. I'm struggling with the new camera, I don't mind telling ya. I took a few videos, but again they were high-def and taking about 4 days to upload. This one is lower quality and shorter, but pretty cute, in spite of the fact that it's slightly out of focus. Must try harder!
Nope, it would not upload. Urggghhh.
In the video I tried to post you would have had a hint of how much they have developed. Now that they can see and hear, they are making more noise and starting to play. And they are getting pretty mobile - and pretty clever too - they make straight for the newspaper to have a wee. However, as soon as at least one paw hits paper, away they go, so it's usually their front paws that make it to the paper while the back end wees onto the vet bed. It's the thought that counts, though, right? Especially at this time of year.
The next instalment will be a report on the first attempt at real food! That's always a hoot. Truly not to be missed. Since I was unable to provide the promised videos lately, here are a couple of quick photos to whet your appetite (and theirs).
The very 1st plate of puppy porridge is a surprisingly big hit with everyone
Marilyn & Vee keep going when everyone else has given up
It's hard work learning to eat real food - Junior & Honey falling asleep licking it off each other's faces
However, I'm guessing that you all thought it was going to be Honey. I thought it was going to be Marilyn because she was the one who was making blinking motions even with her eyes closed. That's why I included her in the group listed on the poll. In the end we were all fooled, though, because it was Kicker. He was followed later that day by Kuusi and Vee and by the next day everyone had pretty much caught up.
While I've got 5 minutes, I'm also going to do a quick weight update, and try to load a little video. I'm struggling with the new camera, I don't mind telling ya. I took a few videos, but again they were high-def and taking about 4 days to upload. This one is lower quality and shorter, but pretty cute, in spite of the fact that it's slightly out of focus. Must try harder!
Nope, it would not upload. Urggghhh.
In the video I tried to post you would have had a hint of how much they have developed. Now that they can see and hear, they are making more noise and starting to play. And they are getting pretty mobile - and pretty clever too - they make straight for the newspaper to have a wee. However, as soon as at least one paw hits paper, away they go, so it's usually their front paws that make it to the paper while the back end wees onto the vet bed. It's the thought that counts, though, right? Especially at this time of year.
The next instalment will be a report on the first attempt at real food! That's always a hoot. Truly not to be missed. Since I was unable to provide the promised videos lately, here are a couple of quick photos to whet your appetite (and theirs).
The very 1st plate of puppy porridge is a surprisingly big hit with everyone
Marilyn & Vee keep going when everyone else has given up
It's hard work learning to eat real food - Junior & Honey falling asleep licking it off each other's faces
Saturday, 17 April 2010
5 weeks old
I cannot believe we are at the 5-week mark already. After such a shaky first couple of weeks, it's been so much fun ever since. Not to mention so unexpectedly easy compared to my first litters of 7 and then 9. In fact, when the puppies were about 3 days old, Jay came into the puppy room, looked into the box containing 5 tiny wigglers and said, "Where's the rest of them?"
I've been determined not to teach these puppies to scream at people who enter the room. I really didn't want a repeat of the cacophony the last lot used to make each morning when I came downstairs. To date, they're staying pretty quiet when I first come downstairs and sort out the other dogs.
Of course, the litter of 9 constituted twice the lung-power, and it's still early days. However, we're working on ignoring the cutest thing in the room when we first enter. It's good for the puppies and a useful lesson to take home with the youngsters when they leave here. Puppies need to learn that the world doesn't actually revolve around them and that they are not the most important person in the household. Tricky, that one. I've yet to see a 8- or 10-week-old puppy who was not the most interesting thing in any household.
Anyway, so far so good.
And, so, to the 5-week photos. I have been informed by a member or two of the Facebook Lapphund community that Jay & I are not the only ones who struggle to take good photos of the puppies standing at this age. Reassuring! Nonetheless, this week we have managed to join the 'them' who display lovely standing photos. Ours are not as good as 'theirs', obviously, but we persevere.
The decisions have now been made as to which puppy is going where, so I'm also unveiling their new names (pending KC approval, that is) - ta da!
2Toes: Infindigo Tuisku Minna
Pet name 'Minna' - a girl's name
2Tone: Infindigo Tuisku Kallio
Pet name 'Kallio' - meaning 'rock'
GreyWolf: Infindigo Tuisku Kes
Pet name 'Kesä' - meaning 'summer'
Dino: Infindigo Tuisku Usko
(How's that one for a tongue-twister?)
Pet name 'Usko' - meaning 'belief' or 'faith'
Butterfly: Infindigo Tuisku Piia
Pet name 'Jaana' - a girl's name
(It's nice to have a puppy in the family called Jaana. Maija has a sister whose kennel name is Jaana, but she is called Sybil! Hence, Jaana's kennel name shall be Piia. Just don't ask how I will distinguish between Piia-Jaana and Jaana-Sybil in future blog posts...)
I've been determined not to teach these puppies to scream at people who enter the room. I really didn't want a repeat of the cacophony the last lot used to make each morning when I came downstairs. To date, they're staying pretty quiet when I first come downstairs and sort out the other dogs.
Of course, the litter of 9 constituted twice the lung-power, and it's still early days. However, we're working on ignoring the cutest thing in the room when we first enter. It's good for the puppies and a useful lesson to take home with the youngsters when they leave here. Puppies need to learn that the world doesn't actually revolve around them and that they are not the most important person in the household. Tricky, that one. I've yet to see a 8- or 10-week-old puppy who was not the most interesting thing in any household.
Anyway, so far so good.
And, so, to the 5-week photos. I have been informed by a member or two of the Facebook Lapphund community that Jay & I are not the only ones who struggle to take good photos of the puppies standing at this age. Reassuring! Nonetheless, this week we have managed to join the 'them' who display lovely standing photos. Ours are not as good as 'theirs', obviously, but we persevere.
The decisions have now been made as to which puppy is going where, so I'm also unveiling their new names (pending KC approval, that is) - ta da!
2Toes: Infindigo Tuisku Minna
Pet name 'Minna' - a girl's name
2Tone: Infindigo Tuisku Kallio
Pet name 'Kallio' - meaning 'rock'
GreyWolf: Infindigo Tuisku Kes
Pet name 'Kesä' - meaning 'summer'
Dino: Infindigo Tuisku Usko
(How's that one for a tongue-twister?)
Pet name 'Usko' - meaning 'belief' or 'faith'
Butterfly: Infindigo Tuisku Piia
Pet name 'Jaana' - a girl's name
(It's nice to have a puppy in the family called Jaana. Maija has a sister whose kennel name is Jaana, but she is called Sybil! Hence, Jaana's kennel name shall be Piia. Just don't ask how I will distinguish between Piia-Jaana and Jaana-Sybil in future blog posts...)
Wednesday, 24 September 2008
do as I say...
... not as I do.
I preach the cold turkey method of first-night puppy training - i.e. put 'em to bed and let 'em howl. Very quickly they learn to sleep through the night, safely in their crate. Well, sleep through until nature calls them out to water the grass, at any rate. And, more importantly, they don't learn to kick up a big enough racket to get you to come running.
With Tarmo, Kaija (Sulo) and Viivi off into the big world, I can report that they've all settled right in and are doing wonderfully. Best news of all, lo and behold, they have been sleeping extremely well at night - or at least those all-important first couple of nights. That leaves me hopeful for the rest of the pups as they go too.
In fact, I was so reassured by this news that Maija's crate went up on Monday night and in she went with her stuffed Kong to keep her occupied. Brilliant idea, I thought, to get her accustomed to sleeping in her crate before her brothers and sisters leave her all alone. Well, who knows, she might have been ok in there set up right next to the puppy pen but it didn't take long for the others to start howling and yapping. I gave it 20 minutes and went back down. Cleaned up the mess Maija had made in her new crate, shushed everyone, and went back to bed. I don't think I lasted 20 minutes the next time before sticking Maija back into the pen with the rest. Instant peace.
I guess Maija (and we) will just have to go cold turkey on Saturday night after the last of her siblings leave. I dread to think what cacophony she will come up with that night after getting me to run to her rescue TWICE on Monday night. **sigh** My only defense is that we have already had more than our fare share of puppy noise in this household. Not to mention our neighbours. Saturday night will be interesting, I'm sure.
Back to the 3 adventurers who have already left. I've had great reports about them all. They're very popular in their new homes and towns, needless to say. I hear they're getting plenty visitors to keep them occupied and on the road towards Ian Dunbar's recommended 100 strangers by 12 weeks old - or was that 200 strangers? Either way, it's not a difficult target to reach when you have a Lappy puppy.
For that matter, each of the pups must have met at least their first 10 on their trip up the high street with me before ever leaving home. There are not many people you pass who don't want to have a quick stroke. And if the high street is unusually quiet, there's always the pet shop and the post office. All great places for cuddles with complete strangers.
The last puppy to have his walk up the high street was Jaska today. I had to wait for a moment when Jay could come with me because the puppies are getting so big and heavy now. And Jaska, adorable little chunk that he is, is just too heavy for me to carry for very long. None of the puppies were overly worried by the noise and commotion of the high street. Maija fell asleep on the post office counter and Inko and Rauhan both had to withstand an enormous noisy lorry and roadworks. Of all the puppies, though, Jaska and Jaana were the least concerned. Jaska took it completely in his stride, not even wriggling when lorries drove past. Jaana didn't bat an eye when she was cuddled by Debbie, the owner of the pet shop, and she was most intrigued by Debbie's 2 parrots who kept calling out "bye bye!"
Until I have some more photos of puppies leaving home - or photos of puppies in their new homes - here are a couple of videos. The first was taken a couple of weeks ago when their ears were all still folded down and when we still had 9. The second was taken this morning.
Puppies, come!
Puppies, do shush, please!
I preach the cold turkey method of first-night puppy training - i.e. put 'em to bed and let 'em howl. Very quickly they learn to sleep through the night, safely in their crate. Well, sleep through until nature calls them out to water the grass, at any rate. And, more importantly, they don't learn to kick up a big enough racket to get you to come running.
With Tarmo, Kaija (Sulo) and Viivi off into the big world, I can report that they've all settled right in and are doing wonderfully. Best news of all, lo and behold, they have been sleeping extremely well at night - or at least those all-important first couple of nights. That leaves me hopeful for the rest of the pups as they go too.
In fact, I was so reassured by this news that Maija's crate went up on Monday night and in she went with her stuffed Kong to keep her occupied. Brilliant idea, I thought, to get her accustomed to sleeping in her crate before her brothers and sisters leave her all alone. Well, who knows, she might have been ok in there set up right next to the puppy pen but it didn't take long for the others to start howling and yapping. I gave it 20 minutes and went back down. Cleaned up the mess Maija had made in her new crate, shushed everyone, and went back to bed. I don't think I lasted 20 minutes the next time before sticking Maija back into the pen with the rest. Instant peace.
I guess Maija (and we) will just have to go cold turkey on Saturday night after the last of her siblings leave. I dread to think what cacophony she will come up with that night after getting me to run to her rescue TWICE on Monday night. **sigh** My only defense is that we have already had more than our fare share of puppy noise in this household. Not to mention our neighbours. Saturday night will be interesting, I'm sure.
Back to the 3 adventurers who have already left. I've had great reports about them all. They're very popular in their new homes and towns, needless to say. I hear they're getting plenty visitors to keep them occupied and on the road towards Ian Dunbar's recommended 100 strangers by 12 weeks old - or was that 200 strangers? Either way, it's not a difficult target to reach when you have a Lappy puppy.
For that matter, each of the pups must have met at least their first 10 on their trip up the high street with me before ever leaving home. There are not many people you pass who don't want to have a quick stroke. And if the high street is unusually quiet, there's always the pet shop and the post office. All great places for cuddles with complete strangers.
The last puppy to have his walk up the high street was Jaska today. I had to wait for a moment when Jay could come with me because the puppies are getting so big and heavy now. And Jaska, adorable little chunk that he is, is just too heavy for me to carry for very long. None of the puppies were overly worried by the noise and commotion of the high street. Maija fell asleep on the post office counter and Inko and Rauhan both had to withstand an enormous noisy lorry and roadworks. Of all the puppies, though, Jaska and Jaana were the least concerned. Jaska took it completely in his stride, not even wriggling when lorries drove past. Jaana didn't bat an eye when she was cuddled by Debbie, the owner of the pet shop, and she was most intrigued by Debbie's 2 parrots who kept calling out "bye bye!"
Until I have some more photos of puppies leaving home - or photos of puppies in their new homes - here are a couple of videos. The first was taken a couple of weeks ago when their ears were all still folded down and when we still had 9. The second was taken this morning.
Puppies, come!
Puppies, do shush, please!
Friday, 19 September 2008
poll result
And, I almost forgot, the answer to this week's poll is....
Rauhan
Although it's true that several puppies did ask to go out for a wee the same day, Rauhan was the first I spotted.
Now they all ask to go out to do their business. House-trained puppies! Git yer house-trained puppies he-ya! (In the style of London street newspaper vendor, courtesy of Jay.)
Amazing clever little things, these puppies. Of course, it wasn't quite so cute at 5:20 this morning when they decided I'M HUNGRY AND I NEED A POO! SCUSE ME - I SAID, I'M HUNGRY AND I NEED TO GO OUT!
When are they leaving, again?
Rauhan
Although it's true that several puppies did ask to go out for a wee the same day, Rauhan was the first I spotted.
Now they all ask to go out to do their business. House-trained puppies! Git yer house-trained puppies he-ya! (In the style of London street newspaper vendor, courtesy of Jay.)
Amazing clever little things, these puppies. Of course, it wasn't quite so cute at 5:20 this morning when they decided I'M HUNGRY AND I NEED A POO! SCUSE ME - I SAID, I'M HUNGRY AND I NEED TO GO OUT!
When are they leaving, again?
Saturday, 13 September 2008
wow what a racket
I'm sure going to be needing some serious bribes to crawl back into my neighbours' favour when this is all over. Luckily, puppy cuddles take me a little way, but 6am is beyond anyone's forgiveness.
I don't feel so bad about the people behind our house who have 3 of the noisiest children I've ever heard. Every day they & about 200 of their closest friends, get stuck out into the back garden to just get on with it, as far as I can tell. When I was trying to work from home - before we moved into our luxurious new accommodation in the unheated, windowless industrial unit - that racket used to drive me crazy. So I'm happy for the puppies to dish out all the noise they like to them. Heh.
But for everyone else - and I mean everyone within a significant radius - I'm truly sorry. Four, even 5, puppies cause a bit of noise when they're playing. It's natural. Everyone understands. Double the number of puppies & double the decibels. Yikes.
Most of the time, 99% of the time, the noise level is acceptable. I'm with the puppies for the majority of their waking hours and I don't let them sit yapping & howling just to amuse themselves. (Although I must confess to enjoying the howling just the teeniest bit. It's very funny.) The time it becomes truly unbearable is just as they realize I'm on my way downstairs in the morning.
They begin to wake as the sky is getting light and they're hungry & need to relieve themselves. They have been relieving themselves all over their newspaper all night and it's in quite a state, let me tell you. They start to whine & whimper & perhaps one of them will howl a little. There is a bit of sleepy playing. If I leave them a few minutes too long at this stage, the noise level steadily increases, so I try not to go downstairs until as close to 7 o'clock as I can manage. I figure most people are up by about 7 to get ready for work. When the pups see me appear at the bottom of the stairs - bam! - they all start SCREAMING.
Now, under normal circumstances, I don't even make eye contact with the puppy who is barking for attention. He's completely ignored. He's the last to be picked up and the last to move from pen to pen. That's how they learn not to yap for attention, and it's a good strategy, it works. However, all that goes right out the window first thing in the morning. It's a race for me to get their breakfast & them into the outdoor pen as quickly as I possibly can. Sticking their faces into their breakfast plate is the only thing to quiet them. And, of course, they have wound themselves up to such a frenzy that it takes some racing around the pen, still squawking, to release the pent-up energy.
I haven't received any petrol bombs or eviction orders. Yet.
Here are a few cute puppy shots to keep you going. New poll tomorrow.
Jaana having a cuddle with Lenny:
L-R: Jaana (sitting), Tarmo, Tarkka, Viivi, Rauhan
L-R: Inko (sitting), Jaska, Jaana, Viivi, Tarkka
I don't feel so bad about the people behind our house who have 3 of the noisiest children I've ever heard. Every day they & about 200 of their closest friends, get stuck out into the back garden to just get on with it, as far as I can tell. When I was trying to work from home - before we moved into our luxurious new accommodation in the unheated, windowless industrial unit - that racket used to drive me crazy. So I'm happy for the puppies to dish out all the noise they like to them. Heh.
But for everyone else - and I mean everyone within a significant radius - I'm truly sorry. Four, even 5, puppies cause a bit of noise when they're playing. It's natural. Everyone understands. Double the number of puppies & double the decibels. Yikes.
Most of the time, 99% of the time, the noise level is acceptable. I'm with the puppies for the majority of their waking hours and I don't let them sit yapping & howling just to amuse themselves. (Although I must confess to enjoying the howling just the teeniest bit. It's very funny.) The time it becomes truly unbearable is just as they realize I'm on my way downstairs in the morning.
They begin to wake as the sky is getting light and they're hungry & need to relieve themselves. They have been relieving themselves all over their newspaper all night and it's in quite a state, let me tell you. They start to whine & whimper & perhaps one of them will howl a little. There is a bit of sleepy playing. If I leave them a few minutes too long at this stage, the noise level steadily increases, so I try not to go downstairs until as close to 7 o'clock as I can manage. I figure most people are up by about 7 to get ready for work. When the pups see me appear at the bottom of the stairs - bam! - they all start SCREAMING.
Now, under normal circumstances, I don't even make eye contact with the puppy who is barking for attention. He's completely ignored. He's the last to be picked up and the last to move from pen to pen. That's how they learn not to yap for attention, and it's a good strategy, it works. However, all that goes right out the window first thing in the morning. It's a race for me to get their breakfast & them into the outdoor pen as quickly as I possibly can. Sticking their faces into their breakfast plate is the only thing to quiet them. And, of course, they have wound themselves up to such a frenzy that it takes some racing around the pen, still squawking, to release the pent-up energy.
I haven't received any petrol bombs or eviction orders. Yet.
Here are a few cute puppy shots to keep you going. New poll tomorrow.
Jaana having a cuddle with Lenny:
L-R: Jaana (sitting), Tarmo, Tarkka, Viivi, Rauhan
L-R: Inko (sitting), Jaska, Jaana, Viivi, Tarkka
Tuesday, 9 September 2008
character building
Late post today as I've been preoccupied with puppies-in-puppies-out all day long. Amazingly, at just short of 6 weeks old, these little 'uns are asking to go out for wees and poos. If I had a few extra arms & a few hours more energy, they'd be housetrained in days! As it is, I only get half of them out about half of the time. And, yes, it's still raining. Or should I say raining again. Much muddying of puppies. Much towelling dry of puppies. Much laundering of muddy towels. All good fun.
Their characters are developing nicely and their temperments are much more even than they were, say, 2 weeks ago. There is no clear dominant pup anymore (I can hear Jo breathing a sigh of relief from here). They are learning not to play so roughly with each other. Rather, they save their most ferocious biting for when I dare stick my fingers in the pen. Their favorite game is to see how many can hang off my sleeve by the teeth at once. There are still skirmishes that need to be broken up from time to time, but in the main everyone plays nicely.
The label of "noisy pup" of the litter has been passed from puppy to puppy over time. It seems to be a phase that each one goes through and then reverts back to a little whining for attention and only a little barking and growling in play.
The socialisation progresses. Each puppy is getting a trip down the park to the main road to get their first taste of traffic and the ooh-ing and aah-ing of strangers. They also get to sit in the car for a few minutes (no engine) and stay alone 5 mins inside and 5 mins outside. I try to make sure that each one gets one new experience everyday. Yes, I have a chart on which I keep track of who has done what so far!
Too bad I didn't take a film today when the puppies had their first taste of chicken. The reaction was "Man! You mean there is food like this!?" The crunchy puppy meal will never be the same. I missed that event, but here is a little video of how cute they are when you approach the pen. See how big they're getting?
Their characters are developing nicely and their temperments are much more even than they were, say, 2 weeks ago. There is no clear dominant pup anymore (I can hear Jo breathing a sigh of relief from here). They are learning not to play so roughly with each other. Rather, they save their most ferocious biting for when I dare stick my fingers in the pen. Their favorite game is to see how many can hang off my sleeve by the teeth at once. There are still skirmishes that need to be broken up from time to time, but in the main everyone plays nicely.
The label of "noisy pup" of the litter has been passed from puppy to puppy over time. It seems to be a phase that each one goes through and then reverts back to a little whining for attention and only a little barking and growling in play.
The socialisation progresses. Each puppy is getting a trip down the park to the main road to get their first taste of traffic and the ooh-ing and aah-ing of strangers. They also get to sit in the car for a few minutes (no engine) and stay alone 5 mins inside and 5 mins outside. I try to make sure that each one gets one new experience everyday. Yes, I have a chart on which I keep track of who has done what so far!
Too bad I didn't take a film today when the puppies had their first taste of chicken. The reaction was "Man! You mean there is food like this!?" The crunchy puppy meal will never be the same. I missed that event, but here is a little video of how cute they are when you approach the pen. See how big they're getting?
Monday, 8 September 2008
puppy torture
I was chatting to Adam the other day & he asked me how things were going. "Fine," I said. "I'm busy torturing puppies." Being familiar with my somewhat twisted sense of humour, he laughed, knowing full well I would never dream of torturing any animal - especially puppies... would I?
As a matter of fact, I carry out a little gentle torture every day. It's important.
On that particular occasion I was engaged in the laborious process of worming and cutting nails. Ask any puppy and I'm pretty sure they'll tell you that both these chores fall firmly within the classification of torture. The good news is they get used to it. The bad news is it does take a while for this miracle to take place and in the meantime you must be FIRM FIRM FIRM and get your own way at any cost. Eventually the little darling realises the stiller he remains the quicker it will all be over.
At this age, worming consists of squirting through a syringe a thick white liquid into the pup's mouth. Once a day for 3 consecutive days every 3 weeks. I'm pretty sure it tastes disgusting. And if I wasn't already quite sure, then the puppies' reactions convince me once and for all. The trick is to get them to swallow it without spitting it out or, what's worse, shaking their heads frantically from side to side sending the sticky stuff flying all over me & the room. A hand gently placed over the face at this point is usually quite helpful. The puppy's face, not mine.
I also quickly follow the disgusting syringe with one full of lovely sweet Lactol. That appeases them nicely and they don't start screaming the next time they see a syringe. Hopefully.
By the time a puppy goes to its new home, he will be taking worming tablets. And that's a whole other ball game.
So far, these puppies are pretty good at having their claws trimmed each week. As I recall, their behaviour will get worse in this respect before it will get better. But, again, patience and perseverence is the key.
Then there's noise torture. Everyday I make sure the puppies are subjected to lots of different noise stimulation. First of all, there is the Crash Bang Wallop cd. Apparently it's been discontinued, which is a shame. I'm really glad I got mine before it was. It's 40 mins or so of everyday noises that can traditionally frighten animals who are not accustomed to them. Included in the repertoire are fireworks, thunder, people screaming, children playing, doorbells, doors slamming, etc. The idea is that you play this cd for the puppies starting with the volume very low then gradually building up the volume. I started using the cd when the pups moved downstairs and at the moment the volume has reached the level where Jay has yelled downstairs "Who's outside leaning on the car horn!?"
In addition to the cd, the puppies' pen is vacuumed around each day. They are still not too keen on this experience, but not overly traumatised either. Perhaps it helps that over the weekend the grass mower - a much scarier type of hoover-monster - was pushed around their outdoor pen. In comparison, the Dyson is a pussycat.
Then there are various things I think up to inflict upon them. Rattling a black bin bag over their heads, crashing things onto the floor, and into the sides of the pen. The point is not to terrify them, but to gently & gradually make them accustomed to lots of different experiences within a safe environment - i.e. in their pen with each other and Neka who, through her own calm, relaxed attitude, illustrates to them that it's ok.
It's all great stuff. If I've said it once, I've said it a hundred times, all together now: along with feeding, the single most important thing you will do for your puppy is socialising him. There is no such thing as too much or too early. The work you put in those first few weeks will pay dividends for the rest of your dog's life. Fail to do the socialising at the best time and your dog will suffer as a result of it for the rest of his life. Yep, it's that important.
This week the pups have begun to go out and about meeting people. One at a time and safely tucked under my arm, of course. They're also getting acquainted with Lenny, the cat. He's a sweet boy who wants to be friends with everyone, so I know the pups are safe with him. The puppies, on the other hand, are not too sure about him yet. Especially when Lenny starts to purr.
Here is Jaska having a cuddle on my lap with Lenny. We tried to get a similar one of Jaana, but she wasn't in a cuddling mood so we'll have another go with her later.
As a matter of fact, I carry out a little gentle torture every day. It's important.
On that particular occasion I was engaged in the laborious process of worming and cutting nails. Ask any puppy and I'm pretty sure they'll tell you that both these chores fall firmly within the classification of torture. The good news is they get used to it. The bad news is it does take a while for this miracle to take place and in the meantime you must be FIRM FIRM FIRM and get your own way at any cost. Eventually the little darling realises the stiller he remains the quicker it will all be over.
At this age, worming consists of squirting through a syringe a thick white liquid into the pup's mouth. Once a day for 3 consecutive days every 3 weeks. I'm pretty sure it tastes disgusting. And if I wasn't already quite sure, then the puppies' reactions convince me once and for all. The trick is to get them to swallow it without spitting it out or, what's worse, shaking their heads frantically from side to side sending the sticky stuff flying all over me & the room. A hand gently placed over the face at this point is usually quite helpful. The puppy's face, not mine.
I also quickly follow the disgusting syringe with one full of lovely sweet Lactol. That appeases them nicely and they don't start screaming the next time they see a syringe. Hopefully.
By the time a puppy goes to its new home, he will be taking worming tablets. And that's a whole other ball game.
So far, these puppies are pretty good at having their claws trimmed each week. As I recall, their behaviour will get worse in this respect before it will get better. But, again, patience and perseverence is the key.
Then there's noise torture. Everyday I make sure the puppies are subjected to lots of different noise stimulation. First of all, there is the Crash Bang Wallop cd. Apparently it's been discontinued, which is a shame. I'm really glad I got mine before it was. It's 40 mins or so of everyday noises that can traditionally frighten animals who are not accustomed to them. Included in the repertoire are fireworks, thunder, people screaming, children playing, doorbells, doors slamming, etc. The idea is that you play this cd for the puppies starting with the volume very low then gradually building up the volume. I started using the cd when the pups moved downstairs and at the moment the volume has reached the level where Jay has yelled downstairs "Who's outside leaning on the car horn!?"
In addition to the cd, the puppies' pen is vacuumed around each day. They are still not too keen on this experience, but not overly traumatised either. Perhaps it helps that over the weekend the grass mower - a much scarier type of hoover-monster - was pushed around their outdoor pen. In comparison, the Dyson is a pussycat.
Then there are various things I think up to inflict upon them. Rattling a black bin bag over their heads, crashing things onto the floor, and into the sides of the pen. The point is not to terrify them, but to gently & gradually make them accustomed to lots of different experiences within a safe environment - i.e. in their pen with each other and Neka who, through her own calm, relaxed attitude, illustrates to them that it's ok.
It's all great stuff. If I've said it once, I've said it a hundred times, all together now: along with feeding, the single most important thing you will do for your puppy is socialising him. There is no such thing as too much or too early. The work you put in those first few weeks will pay dividends for the rest of your dog's life. Fail to do the socialising at the best time and your dog will suffer as a result of it for the rest of his life. Yep, it's that important.
This week the pups have begun to go out and about meeting people. One at a time and safely tucked under my arm, of course. They're also getting acquainted with Lenny, the cat. He's a sweet boy who wants to be friends with everyone, so I know the pups are safe with him. The puppies, on the other hand, are not too sure about him yet. Especially when Lenny starts to purr.
Here is Jaska having a cuddle on my lap with Lenny. We tried to get a similar one of Jaana, but she wasn't in a cuddling mood so we'll have another go with her later.
Tuesday, 2 September 2008
busy days
We're back! As expected, it was a hectic weekend full of visiting puppy-families-to-be. The canine gang took it all in good humour. However, after being spoiled by so much attention, they're now getting demanding. Uh oh.
The workload is ratcheting up. The weaning is going really well. They are eating 4 meals a day, all provided by me. Two or 3 of them will be puppy biscuits soaked for a few minutes in warm Lactol and one will be thick porridge. Every other day or so they will have scrambled egg for one of their meals.
Now that Neka is only in with them at night, all the cleaning up is also down to me. That's fine when the weather is good and they can spend time outdoors. Going into the garden regularly also helps with the house training as they get accustomed to doing their business on the grass instead of the fur mat. Unfortunately, however, it doesn't seem to want to stop raining for more than 5 minutes at a time, so we have frequently had spiky puppies as they get caught while I'm frantically trying to clean out the indoor pen. I do have a waterproof sheet draped over the pen to protect them from the sun & rain, but when it's so windy as well, that doesn't last long.
They don't wake us at night so much now except for the occasional teeth-caught-in-the-bars emergency that results in blood-curdling puppy screams that send us rocketing out of bed and down the stairs before our eyes are even open. Of course, by the time we get to the bottom of the stairs, the crisis is over. There is nothing to match the screech of a Finnish Lapphund who thinks he just might, perhaps, have a slim chance of being about to get hurt.
Rise & shine is at about 5:45, which is an improvement on the last litter who woke religiously at 5 am. I guess it's down to the later sunrises. As their day starts with a trip to the garden, I don't dare get going until 7, though, as I'm trying to be kind to my neighbours. Yes, they're noisy. No, not the neighbours...
So if we've all gone a bit quiet here it's only because I don't have quite enough hours each day. And don't even ask about how the lounge painting project is going!
Here's the Devon Nine in their pen this morning.
L-R: Flash, Right Paw, Spot, Big A, Boots
Back: Cross, LMP
and 2 in hiding in between
Not sure who owns that gorgeous little bottom on the left, but that's Cross in the middle and Suck Monster on the right.
The workload is ratcheting up. The weaning is going really well. They are eating 4 meals a day, all provided by me. Two or 3 of them will be puppy biscuits soaked for a few minutes in warm Lactol and one will be thick porridge. Every other day or so they will have scrambled egg for one of their meals.
Now that Neka is only in with them at night, all the cleaning up is also down to me. That's fine when the weather is good and they can spend time outdoors. Going into the garden regularly also helps with the house training as they get accustomed to doing their business on the grass instead of the fur mat. Unfortunately, however, it doesn't seem to want to stop raining for more than 5 minutes at a time, so we have frequently had spiky puppies as they get caught while I'm frantically trying to clean out the indoor pen. I do have a waterproof sheet draped over the pen to protect them from the sun & rain, but when it's so windy as well, that doesn't last long.
They don't wake us at night so much now except for the occasional teeth-caught-in-the-bars emergency that results in blood-curdling puppy screams that send us rocketing out of bed and down the stairs before our eyes are even open. Of course, by the time we get to the bottom of the stairs, the crisis is over. There is nothing to match the screech of a Finnish Lapphund who thinks he just might, perhaps, have a slim chance of being about to get hurt.
Rise & shine is at about 5:45, which is an improvement on the last litter who woke religiously at 5 am. I guess it's down to the later sunrises. As their day starts with a trip to the garden, I don't dare get going until 7, though, as I'm trying to be kind to my neighbours. Yes, they're noisy. No, not the neighbours...
So if we've all gone a bit quiet here it's only because I don't have quite enough hours each day. And don't even ask about how the lounge painting project is going!
Here's the Devon Nine in their pen this morning.
L-R: Flash, Right Paw, Spot, Big A, Boots
Back: Cross, LMP
and 2 in hiding in between
Not sure who owns that gorgeous little bottom on the left, but that's Cross in the middle and Suck Monster on the right.
Saturday, 23 August 2008
pups on the rampage
What, didn't you believe me when I called them noisy horrors? See below for the proof and witness LMP (I think it is) attempting to break out.
And after that, have a look top right for the new poll. It's the race to reach the 2 kilo milestone.
And after that, have a look top right for the new poll. It's the race to reach the 2 kilo milestone.
Wednesday, 20 August 2008
teeth
We're in danger of one or two pups making their rather premature exit from the box! Predictably, Big A was the first to rear up on his hind legs to scrabble at the edge trying either to climb out or be picked up. He was quickly followed by Right Paw who sat back to watch for a minute then decided that was a GREAT idea. So far, they're just too small. But that won't last.
They spend a lot more time playing now - mainly taking swipes at each other, barking and chewing each other's faces. They also gaze into your face when you speak to them and if you put your face close to theirs, they lick your nose. Wonder who they get that habit from...? (In case you don't know, it sometimes seems that Keskiyo can reach your face with his tongue from the other side of the room.)
Yesterday as they sucked porridge from my fingers I could feel the first hints of little canine teeth starting to poke through. Well, that would explain the face chewing, I guess.
Stand by for week 3 photos tomorrow (already!?)
In the meantime, here's a shot of Suck Monster after he licked his side of the plate clean this morning long after everyone else had given up.
They spend a lot more time playing now - mainly taking swipes at each other, barking and chewing each other's faces. They also gaze into your face when you speak to them and if you put your face close to theirs, they lick your nose. Wonder who they get that habit from...? (In case you don't know, it sometimes seems that Keskiyo can reach your face with his tongue from the other side of the room.)
Yesterday as they sucked porridge from my fingers I could feel the first hints of little canine teeth starting to poke through. Well, that would explain the face chewing, I guess.
Stand by for week 3 photos tomorrow (already!?)
In the meantime, here's a shot of Suck Monster after he licked his side of the plate clean this morning long after everyone else had given up.
Tuesday, 19 August 2008
puppy stretches
Little video of the pups during a rare quiet moment today. I just love the bellies & little toes - not to mention the noises they make in their sleep.
Tuesday, 12 August 2008
puppy skirt 12 days
This week's video. They were remarkably quiet when I got the camera out. Now that they can see each other, they are learning to bark and growl and spent a very noisy night trying out all their new skills.
The growling is my favorite - very, very funny! In the last litter, two puppies loved to growl. It was never an aggression issue, just a sound they liked to make. Taika liked to growl when she was picked up, but the best one was Koda (Infindigo Kultainen) who quickly earned the nickname Growler because he would grrrr to get attention instead of bark. Fine by me!
I don't think any growling was captured on this video, but I'll try to get them in a noisier mood next time.
The news today is that one or two of the puppies are finding their feet and lurching a few steps before crashing into another puppy/mum/wall of the box.
The growling is my favorite - very, very funny! In the last litter, two puppies loved to growl. It was never an aggression issue, just a sound they liked to make. Taika liked to growl when she was picked up, but the best one was Koda (Infindigo Kultainen) who quickly earned the nickname Growler because he would grrrr to get attention instead of bark. Fine by me!
I don't think any growling was captured on this video, but I'll try to get them in a noisier mood next time.
The news today is that one or two of the puppies are finding their feet and lurching a few steps before crashing into another puppy/mum/wall of the box.
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