Today is Rave's 4th birthday!
The pups continue to become more active, they interact more
with toys and objects in their environment and play more with
each other. They are learning social behavior, learning how to
be puppies and live in a dogs world. There endurance is still very
short, a active play where all pups are involved may only
last 3-4 minutes! They are also getting a lot of handling, and
continue to have human visitors. Rave is still nursing full time, and
the pups seem to be growing well. I am picking up a bag of kibble today,
as at some point she is going to need some help. I have chosen
a simple kibble to feed – California Natural Lamb/Rice – single protein
source and a gluten free grain. Based on some research done by
Strombeck, I would like to have the pups nurse until 6 weeks.
At that point their digestive system will be ready for more novel
foods and protein other than nursing, prior to 6 weeks the pups
digestive system really is best designed for mothers milk!
Black girl with her head on a tennis ball on 3-13-04
Red boy sleeping next to her

March 14, 2004

Rave and the pups Sunday morning March 14th

March 15, 2004

This afternoon, I had played with the pups they
all got sleepy so I came in and fixed up their indoor pen.
And then went to work at the computer.

I can see their outside pen from my computer chair.

They were all sound asleep when one of those ice cream
trucks came by? You know the one that plays the song
really loud so all the kids will come and buy ice cream!!!

Well the pups heard this and came out of their crate barking
in the direction of the sound (it sounds A LOT like
their indoor toy that plays a song and makes them howl)
– well wouldn’t know about ½ the litter started howling!!!!
It was too funny I wish I could have managed a picture
but it all happened too fast!

March 16,2004

I have been thinking about the litter box for the pups.
I did not want to put shavings down yet – 1 because they
are messy, 2 because Rave is still cleaning up after pups
and she does not need to eat a bunch of wood!

So today I thought of a perfect at least short
term solution!

I purchased some sod!

The litter box is about 29x29” and the sod covers all but a
9x9” section. I figure it will only be about a week or so and
I will add shavings, but this will be a good in between step.

The weather continues to be awesome!!!

Updates to the puppy outside yard, I added another xpen
(there are now 3 and instead of making it one large square
or circle it sort of has “rooms” this way the pups can think
about going around and problem solving.

I also added a square piece of wood that is about 20x20
with a brick underneath it. So when the pups walk on it,
it moves. And lastly I added a tunnel. The tunnel is made
of cardboard, and I will only leave it in until Saturday.
I want the pups to get used to it, but that will be enough,
we had some discussion last year a some pups
were cramming through the tunnel if perhaps
that is how Lexus got hurt.

The pups were also wormed again today with Nemex 2.
When the pups had loose stools about 10 days ago
we did decide to treat them with Albon as a precaution.
I wanted to give them a full week from their last Albon
treatment before I wormed them again. All the pups weighed
between 5-5.75 pounds today, then continue to
make good progress.

The Auntie dog - Shine

This is the amazing auntie dog, except she
never tells them NO!
We had to pry the pups off the poor girl as they were
really chewing her up!
She has bright red nipples, poor thing! But she would
not make them stop.

Hormones!!!! What can I say. Shine and
the pups on 3-16-04.

I think Rave is wishing shine WAS lactating!
I think Rave would accept some help LOL

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