Best Posts in Thread: Pups

Housebreaking is going very smoothly; which I figured from the first litter. They are really smart dogs and as they are running around like mad they just kind of figure that taking care of business should be done outside of where they sleep and play. We have 4 other dogs that know to do their business outside so the pups will imitate it.

The first litter was birthed inside the house and the house was where they spent their first few weeks before exploring outside; this litter is different as they were birthed outside and spent their first few days in the birthing box until we moved them to the nipa hut. They enjoy visiting the house but most end up sleeping in the nipa and really enjoy running around the "yard". A couple have taken up sleeping in the house (one consistently) and not a mistake in a few days.

Obviously if they were confined to a small area they would have a harder time picking up on housebreaking but as they have free run in and out of the house 24/7 as well the yard and nipa so it is much easier to get them to figure it out.

Shawn

 

The pups have figured out how to get up and down the steps at the Nipa so they are really getting adventurous exploring the yard and coming into the house. They do head back to the Nipa to sleep. They are really so excited to be around their humans as well, just wanting to play and be petted. Now is also the time to start working on house breaking, it does take some time but they figure it out pretty quick (from all indications of our first litter). Being so young they have less control of their bladder and bowels so it gets easier as they get older.

Last week one of Cherry's former school teachers stopped by to check out the house and talk (guess they ran into each other in the market earlier), she got to meet the pups and then brought her 16 year old son by the next day. He fell in love with one of the males so they will buy that one later. It was quite funny as he must have asked the wife 10 times why he could not take him right now even though it was explained that this time is most important for their development and they won't be ready for new homes until the beginning of July. A good thing is that we have a pup from the first litter so they get to see how big they will get (even though Romo is still growing), a bit of an understanding on the energy level and how important the human interaction is.

Shawn

 

With everything going on I was shocked to realize the pups are actually just over a month old; time to get the vet in for their first shots and deworming.

They are so active and playful now. Really acclimating with all of us as well as the other dogs. The mom, Chili, the Belgian Malinois was first to let her son (the one I kept from the fist litter) be around the pups. Ruby (our local runt) likes to play with them, but once 4 0r 5 get going she runs. A few weeks later and she will be constantly on the run as they get bigger.

My wife amazes me in quite a number of ways that I've mentioned, what she did with the house as well as how she works with animals is something I've never seen. The pups are quite fine to decide my toe or ankle is something they want to chew a bit on but when she comes around they just run to her, all of them. I have yet to figure out how she does it, it is not just our dogs but every animal she just seems to bond with.

This litter of pups were not in the plans, but I guess things do not always go the way you expected. The father was our Dalmatian, Pepper who passed from poisoning, so this litter ends up being more special to us as we see him in each pup.

Shawn

 

The pups have mostly opened their eyes, seems they are seeing motion but ears are still closed. Chili is doing a great job again as a mother and has been really good with our son handling the pups...our other dogs still need to stay away.

Got an inside bet with the wife on if the ones with a browner tint keep it or end up looking like the first litter of pups; pretty confident but either way they will be a great group of pups; even without planning for them, they will have all shots and such going forward as that is just how we are.

These guys are many, many weeks of being able to looking for new homes, so that will be a different post in a different section.

Shawn

 

I ended up putting the birthing box in the previous dirty kitchen, when we had workers, that I converted to a goat pen for the couple goats we will be getting. The first litter I had it in the house but the wife did not want to deal with the "smell" that accompanies the pups so it is outside. I was a bit worried our girl would get a little stressed with our other dogs as she will be very protective of her pups, she did tear into a couple dogs at first but now just walks them away if they get into the "zone" she feels is OK. They were obviously curious to what the sounds were but now know to stay away...our Belgian has always been top dog so they know not to mess with her.

The pups are doing well and have grown quite a bit in just 4 days. I think they will look pretty much the same as the first litter but three of them are tinted much browner than the rest or the first litter. My wife has a theory that since the Dalmatian only hit it once, compared with constantly with the first litter, that the browner pups will take on the Belgian features more than the ones that are black. Odd though that the ones with the browner color have more pronounced white on their nose, neck and chests. She never left the yard and only locked up the one time with the Dalmatian so it is an interesting theory. If the first litter is an indication, the spots on the white areas won't really show for a few weeks and it really takes 6 weeks or so before you really start to see what they will end up looking like.

As I've mentioned numerous times, I kept one pup from the first litter and at almost 6 1/2 months I see so much of both the Belgian and Dalmatian in him, both physically and personality. Great dog as I'm sure the pups will be.

Shawn

 

Seven pups now and I think she is done, drinking water (cold from the dispenser). She is a great girl, wish I would have been better prepared as we were with her first litter. This one really surprised us, Chili and her pups will be moved tomorrow once I get her birthing box straight. I dropped the ball on this one as I thought we were still weeks out. All the pups are doing well and getting to the teats, cute and look the same as the last litter.

A long night,

Shawn