Paws for Puppy Tales - November 2022

11-27-22 Will start with puppy news rather than what I really need to vent about but at the same time don't want to.. . . . .

In puppy news, oh my how time flies! Skye's puppies are 6 weeks old today and they all continue to do well. They have names; Murphy, Max, Molly, Misty, and itty bitty Minnie. Registered names still to be determined. Skye feeds them when needed standing most of the time now since they've grown and it gets a bit crowded and uncomfortable I suppose to lay down and have them all climb all over her. She is not the best playtime mama; once she is done feeding them she gets into her "I want to be alone" mode. I have invited Dolly into the M litter playtime so that helps a little as she is a bit more attentive. Meanwhile, Dolly's 3 pups will be 3weeks old tomorrow and they are also doing well and growing, weighing at least as much as Skye's Minnie. Their eyes are open and they are beginning to move around more. I moved Dolly and her litter from the crate into a 4x4 pen yesterday; I think Dolly was definitely ready for more room.

Our family Thanksgiving was good; everyone here except for Matt & Emily. . .(Gage just for a bit late in the day). Matt said he really planned on coming but his work scheduled him from 7 am - 4 pm and he didn't want to come that late in the day. I don't blame him on that. John and family was here early enough where John was a HUGE help in getting dinner ready. Much appreciated!

. . . .and then there is the ridiculousness of my ordeal with Kathy. She is being totally ridiculous (for lack of wanting to use "stronger" language to describe the situation - though ridiculous fits as well) in what she thinks she is owed to remove her name from Winston's registration and end our co-ownership of him. It seems to me that what she really wants is reimbursement (in the form of money) for all of the things she did for me during our "friendship" (and I use that word lightly now); things she did of her own free will without me asking for any of it. As with past relationships she's had with other people that she had told me about, no doubt she got to the point of feeling taken advantage of, yet rather than ending the "friendship' whenever that started, she continued on and now thinks she needs to be reimbursed for all of it. Ridiculous, as I mentioned nor does any of that have anything to do with our co-ownership of Winston.. Her last email mentioned "not going to argue" anymore and hey I'm all for not wanting to go back and forth with emails, getting nowhere. Because until she comes off of her high horse and becomes more reasonable on what is needed to end our co-ownership, things can/will just stay as they are as far as I'm concerned. I've got more important things to think about than to waste my time with her.

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11-14-22 Dolly's puppies are 1 week old today and all are doing well. Dolly is SUCH a good mama always wanting right back with her babies after a potty break. I am thankful now that with her having only 3 babies because just yesterday I decided to periodically bring in one of Skye's puppies to feed off of Dolly. The smallest of Skye's pups, Minnie as I call her is still under 1 lb at 4 weeks and just seemed a bit off and her weight gain was not what I like to see. With 5 hungry mouths to feed and the fact that I don't think that Skye necessarily gets in to feed her puppies during the night as she should, I think maybe Minnie was needing more nourishment. Dolly accepted Minnie with no problem, so I will continue to put her with them off and on during the day for some extra TLC & nourishment. Skye is a good mom, but not nearly as attentive as Dolly is. Since last night I will be setting an alarm to get up at some point during the night to make sure Skye gives her pups at least one feeding. That's really about it for now, nothing else much new.

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11-9-22 Pretty much exactly like the first time, Dolly had her pups on day 59 past her first breeding, which this time meant on Monday, November 7th. This also happened to be her x-ray day. X-ray appointment wasn't until 1:30 in the afternoon and as the morning wore on I began to wonder (and hope) if we would even make it there. Thankfully she did hold off so that we could get the x-ray done and see that she was carrying only 3 puppies this time. No indication was given by Dr Rhine that the pups would be to big for her to whelp, but still with one less puppy and just as big as the last time, I was just a tiny bit concerned. It wasn't long after we got home from the appointment (about 2 pm) that I knew Dolly was at least far enough into Stage 1 of labor that she and I went to our room for the duration. Her first pup was born at 5 pm, the second one shortly before 6 pm, and the last around 6:30 pm. She had 2 females and 1 male with weights ranging from 5 ounces to almost 6 ounces. Dolly did great and had no issues at all, in fact I'd even say that these births went more smoothly than her first litter. The pups all have quite a bit of white on their bodies, but enough black in the right places making them possible show prospects, and all of them have a white blaze of some size and white on their muzzles. I am looking forward to see how they mature. Nice healthy weights means less work and less worry for me and once again Dolly is being an awesome, attentive mama.

Skye's pups at 3+ weeks now are getting much more mobile and growing like weeds. With there being 5 of them, it makes me wonder when they might start to over power their mama at feeding time. The idea to introduce semi solid foods to them a bit earlier has crossed my mind to hopefully ease the load for Skye.

Oh my gosh, Julie's craft P-ART-y was awesome. She purchased/supplied each of us with a large door or wall hanger decor, some for fall, some Christmas. She also ordered dinner food to the house for us from Vincenzo's, and as always had snacks and drinks galore. Such a blessing to have such giving nieces willing and able to share such fun with their aunts.

With Dolly's pups born with healthy weights, I was able to go to brunch with Marilyn and Mary from high school. It was a nice visit, reminisced a bit about Linda whom we lost just last month, and whether it was because there was one less of us or what, but I felt I was able to contribute just a bit more to the conversations, feeling "not there" just once or twice when Mary & Marilyn's conversation was not familiar to me. Idea was brought up to meet again possibly next month at Marilyn's new home in Elkhorn.

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11-1-22 Nothing to much to report, just saying hello to a new month and all that it will bring; the birth of Dolly's puppies, a fun day/evening doing crafts, dinner, and chatting at Julie McNeil's lake house, Jesse's birthday, and Thanksgiving. October fizzled out with a very low key Halloween. Jim said we had a total of 10 trick or treaters!!!! The weather was as perfect as it can be so I don't have a clue as to why this was. Really weird

I've got a fairly busy first week or two of November; Julie's p-ART-y on Wednesday, taking Matt to his eye appointment on Friday, the following Monday is Dolly's x-ray appointment, brunch with the high school friends on Tuesday, and well anytime after that we could be welcoming Dolly's litter at any time, as they are due certainly by the 13th which is that weekend. She seems to be about as big as she was the first time, so I'd guess at least 4 puppies again, and again kind of hoping for 5 so that maybe they will be just a tad smaller than 5 oz., and of course wishing for a day whelp and praying for a trouble free labor & delivery of healthy live pups.

I think that's it to get the month started....