A LOT Happens in 5 Days

Since my last post....The puppies have been evaluated by three more breeders (for a total of 5 counting me), gone to MIZZOU for their B.A.E.R. hearing tests, had their first official veterinary visit and set of shots, had more visitors including more children and FFPV's (Favorite Frequent Puppy Visitors) to say good-bye, Yadi has gone international, Waino is headed for the Big Apple, Albert will live with his Great Aunt Dolce in Chicago, and Rhani continues to be loving life!  Every Day is a Gift!

I will try to capsulate each day's activities, and at the end will be most of the fun photos and videos.  Before that are three sets of stacked shots from Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.   So if you just want to see cute and funny puppies, scroll to the end!

Day by Day!

Walter and Peggy visited on Wednesday.  It was so great to catch up with them and I really value their opinion of puppies.  They have a great eye and strong knowledge of structure. It was almost a full week early to evaluate as 8 weeks is the optimum time, but Walter - just like Janice on Monday and subsequently by Meg and Carola - evaluated all the puppies to have good front assemblies balanced with their rears, nice heads, dark eyes, good top lines, good feet, good bone.  They all have all the parts - well made - that make them capable of performing their heritage purpose - coaching - endurance trotting.  Combined with their confident, fearless, outgoing temperaments, any of them should do great in any performance sport they get the opportunity to do.  Thanks to Walter and Peggy for taking the time to visit and for the wonderful bag full of toys!  The puppies are still getting to all of them!

The puppies were exhausted and I got some really special mail on Wednesday!



Thursday was B.A.E.R. test day at MIZZOU so we loaded up the puppies and headed to Columbia!  The puppies did well with the car ride - limited fussing at the beginning, one threw up, everyone ate it (ugh) and they all went to sleep for the one hour 45 minute drive!

I took my crate trolley so I could just load the crate full of puppies onto it and wheel them in.  One of the Vet Students came out to help me just beside herself with excitement about a litter of spots!  They did not disappoint!  I think everyone there that saw them fell in love!  The puppies were there usual curious happy selves - completely undaunted by all the people and dogs in the waiting room.

The puppies tests produced PERFECT results - ALL EIGHT EARS HEAR!  Hooray!  Good job, Liam and Rhani! And no sedation needed. The puppies all tolerated the test well.  To add some fun to the day, Amelia and Cambell (students at MIZZOU) met me at the clinic for some puppy love!  Typical of almost everything about this litter, we did have a hiccup!  The Resident doing the B.A.E.R. said he could not complete the OFA applications for submitting the results because the puppies were not yet microchipped.  I am quite confident that is not the case but he could not be dissuaded. So even though they were scheduled to get their chips the next day (for almost no cost), I asked him to see if SOMEONE at the vet school could microchip them so we could get the result submitted OFA.  He found someone and for $72 PER PUPPY, they got microchipped and the results will be official.  Good grief!  (OFA - Orthopedic Foundation for Animals - offers a database of health testing results.  Responsible breeders fully publish the health test results of all their dogs and puppies so that anyone who wants to check them can.)

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On Friday, we loaded the pups in the car again for their first official Veterinary visit for wellness exams, first vaccinations, and a blood draw for the OFA DNA Repository.  We also needed Health Certificates for Interstate transport by air and to Canada.  This was just a short ride so no one lost their breakfast on the way!  Again we wheeled the puppies in and they hit the floor of the exam room running from corner to corner to investigate.  They demonstrated their ankle snapping and shoe string tugging capabilities to the amusement of our Vet and his Vet Tech!  All puppies weighed between 12 and 13 lbs, all were evaluated to be healthy with no structural abnormalities or heart murmurs.  They all took their vaccination shot without flinching.  All but Waino gave up their blood for the DNA databank without fuss.  Waino required more than one visit to the back for that!  

In keeping with the "nothing is easy" theme, the Vet could not find Waino's $72 microchip with the scanner.  He tried three times - head to toe and upside down and sideways!  He actually x-rayed him (for no charge) and there is not one there.  He was prompted to even scan it because of a "wound" he and I both noticed on Waino's side.  I said I thought it was from the microchip.  He guesses that it fell out of the puncture.  Just bizarre.  So I got to pay him $50 for another microchip for Waino.  Now I am arguing with MIZZOU to refund the $72 I paid them for the chip that is not there!

Friday afternoon, Meg arrived.  We had a great visit and were able to take more photos of the puppies on the table.  I share the stacked photos from all these evaluations because you can see how much puppies can change during this period of their lives!  Of course, they also are getting more comfortable with the table and being handled in this manner which helps them relax.  As already mentioned, Meg was in agreement that this is a structurally, this is a really sound litter.  Thank you, Meg, for making the trip down from Chicago to look at the puppies and for helping me get an "almost" complete set of photos when the puppies are almost 8 weeks old!  

On to Saturday!  Meg was very kind to help with morning chores including Rhani's subQ fluids after I poked her badly to get them started.  :( Some of our neighbors really wanted to see the puppies to say "good-bye" to the ones leaving soon.  They've been such great socializers, how could I say "no"???  Margot came over with her daughter in law and 2 grand daughters - Charlotte and Reagan.  While they were there having fun with the puppies, I noticed Carola's flight was arriving a half hour early!  So I had to leave to pick her up at the airport.  

Stephen also wanted to stop by around noon.  So Carola got to meet Stephen and the puppies got to have a big party in the yard!  This gave Carola a good look at the puppies moving and gave the puppies a good sense of adventure!

After the fun, Carola picked her puppy.   

Yadi it is!  His new name is "Link" - Juju N Onsengeltje the Link Between.  I spent some time alone with him last night telling him what a good boy he is and how much I will miss him.  Then this morning, he and Carola boarded a plane bright and early and were off to his new home in New Brunswick!  He was a good traveler and is already friends with Carola's Parsons and meeting the other Dals there.

The remaining three seemed much quieter with Yadi/Link gone, but they still had a great time on the patio Sunday afternoon and later in the kitchen when Valerie, Amelia and Campbell stopped by!  I leave you with some fun photos and videos...  

Until next time - Every Day is a Gift!