Moving Day!

 On Friday we moved the puppies from the whelping box to a larger, more secure puppy pen.  The puppies are getting more agile and more active, and a few had become regular escape artists.  The new space provides the puppies with more room to play, introduces them to crates and the start of litter box training.

The pen has three spaces:  a playing area, a sleeping area and the litter box.  The crate is now the sleeping area.  We use a 400-size airline crate with the door removed.  The crate is lined with a chew-proof pad and several blankets. Dogs are den animals, so the crate is an easy transition.  We add the litter box at this stage, and our expectation is that they will become accustomed to the feel of the litter.  It's a new surface for them, and they are not sure what to think the first time they step on it.  We place the pups in the litter when they wake up from a nap and after they eat.  With luck, our timing is good.  If not, we hope for the next time!  The playing area makes up most of the rest of the space in the pen. The puppies are starting to recognize each other and it has been fun to watch them play.  We have left the door to the pen open and placed a storage box in front.  The box serves as a barrier that keeps the puppies in the pen and as a step stool so that Mom can come and go as she pleases.  We let our moms decide how much time they want to spend with their pups.  We think that Mom provides much needed discipline and socialization so we let her manage her own schedule.  

 We used rubber sports tiles to line the floor of the pen.  They have a textured surface and are cushioned and easy to clean.  We have a rubber mat under the flooring to protect the floor from moisture and so far it is working great.

Each week the puppies are starting to look more and more like little dogs!  They are barking and wagging their tails and playing.  They started with one meal per day this week, but that will change as their appetites increase.  It's a fun time!

The puppies make themselves comfortable in their new home!

When is the Nanny Getting Here?

The puppies are now just over 3 weeks old.  Their eyes are open and they are starting to realize that there is a big world out there.  It is also about the time that Mom starts to grow tired of just being Mom and starts taking time away from the litter.  It is a great signal to us that it's time to start the weaning process.








The puppies had their first meal this week.  I soak a small amount of Purina ProPlan in warm water until the kibble is very soft.  It is then pureed into a soupy gruel.  I pour this gourmet delight of a meal into a Pyrex dish with a small lip that makes it easy for the puppies to eat from.  I typically have to show the puppies the food and put a taste of it on their noses to entice them to eat.  I didn't have to do a thing for this litter - they literally dove right in!  For the first few meals we expect that as much food will be on them as in them and this litter was no different in that regard.  Once the food is as eaten as it will get, I let Mom back in the room and she cleans up the pups and licks the plate clean. 

Mary Kate has been happy to have the help of her mother Ginger, who has been stopping by to check in on the pups and Mom.  Mary Kate has been very comfortable with her mother helping out and Ginger has been the perfect Grandma.  She does not overstay her welcome. 

This weekend we will move the puppies from their whelping box and into a larger puppy pen.  The puppies are starting to outgrow the whelping box.  Their new puppy pen with give them more room to play.  We will start to train them to use a litter box and we will celebrate each and every time a puppy remembers to use the box!  We will introduce more toys and expose the puppies to different objects to crawl around and under and through.  



It's been 3 weeks and it's gone by so fast!

A Mother's Love

The puppies have changed so much in the past week!  They are all over twice their birth weight.  They are beginning to stand up on their legs and walk like little sand crabs across the litter box.  Markings are beginning to peep through their coats. In another week the markings will be much more visible.


As part of the healthy development of the puppies we go through a series of daily exercises with each puppy.  This is referred to as The Early Neurological Stimulation Program and it was developed by the US Military as part of their canine training program.  The program consists of 5 simple exercise meant to provide mild neurological stimulation to the puppy, which is believed to enhance the puppy's ability to deal with stress throughout their lives.  The exercises are simple and are done for 3-5 seconds.  The pup's paw is rubbed gently with a Q-tip - between it's toes; the pup is held with it;s head errect, and then with its head pointing down; the pup is held on its back and then placed feet-down on a damp towel that has been refrigerated for 10 minutes or so.  It takes about 30 seconds to do.  We will continue these exercises until the puppies are 16 days old.  

Mary Kate is a great mom, and she has been very attentive to her pups.  She does come out to visit us - but then runs back to the puppy room to check on her pups.  She hops back into the puppy box, touches each pup with her nose, and then finds a comfortable place to relax.  The puppies come toddling and scooting over and before you know it, Mom seems to disappear under a blanket of pups.  The next week will be an exciting one.  Eyes should begin to open, markings will become more distinct and the puppies will become more mobile.  The fun is about to begin!

 

Announcing a new litter at SunnyOaks!

 

This litter has been in the planning stages for about a year.  And the timing was finally right!  Mary Kate - GCH SunnyOaks Sweetheart Deal was bred to Ian - GCH Spotlight's Ruffian in November.  In December we did an ultrasound to confirm that puppies were on the way and on Monday, January 20,  7 healthy puppies arrived.  We have 4 females and 3 males - all black and white spotted.  One of the males has a patch on his left ear.

About Mom and Dad

 

Mary Kate - GCH SunnyOaks Sweetheart Deal is 3 years old.  She was born here at SunnyOaks.  Mary Kate is a happy sensible Dalmatian, in excellent health, with her CHIC number and all of her health clearances in the OFA database.  Mary Kate was shown to her Grand Championship, with several Best in Sweepstakes and Specialty wins.  She finished with 4 majors, the final major was earned by going Winners Bitch for a 5-point major at the Dalmatian Club of the Piedmont Specialty.  Here is a picture of Mary Kate:

 

GCH SunnyOaks Sweetheart Deal

"Mary Kate" 

 

 Ian, GCH Spotlight's Ruffian is six years old.  Ian was Best in Futurity at the Dalmatian Club of America National Specialty.  He followed that up by winning the Top 20 event 2 years later and going on to a show career that started with a Best of Breed win at Westminster and concluded with Best of Breed at the Dalmatian Club of America National Specialty.  Ian has a great temperament, is a happy go lucky guy, and has all of his health clearances and his CHIC number.  Here is a picture of Ian winning the Group at Westminster.

GCH Spotlight's Ruffian

"Ian"

 

 

We think this combination will produce sound, healthy and well-tempered pups who will grow up to be great ambassadors for the Dalmatian breed.  Some of the pups will get to be show dogs but they will all be someone's beloved companion.  Here's a picture of the proud Mom with her kids.  I'll be posting frequently, so stop by often to see what's new under the SunnyOaks!

 

Mary Kate and the Kids - January 20, 2014

 

 

And Then There Were Three

The puppies have been making their way to their new homes.  One of the benefits of having a job in California is that I was able to deliver a puppy to its owners who have a summer home in California.  Colby, the gal with the under ear patch, flew to California with me in a sherpa bag.  It's the first time I've flown with a puppy in the cabin with me.  If only Dalmatians stayed this small!  I was very fortunate to be blessed with a dog-friendly person sitting next to me and wonderful flight attendants.  I was upgraded to Business Class - another side benefit of being a frequent traveler - which provided additional room for a Sherpa bag and quite frankly a more relaxed travel experience.  Colby was able to sleep on my lap for most of the flight.  She had a french roll with the lunch service and was wisked away by one of the flight attendants, to be returned about 30 minutes later.  Her new owners will be in California until October, when they will return to their home in Washington DC.  We hope to see Colby in the Fall. 

 Two other pups went home that same weekend.  The yellow boy is now "Anthony" and his new mom and dad picked him up last weekend.  He'll be living on the east coast, so we hope to see him from time to time at shows.  The blue boy who is still nameless, will be local, co-owned with Carol O'Brien and we expect to see him on a regular basis.

We have another puppy heading off to a show home in NC and I'll be taking the red puppy - soon to be named Rocky Raccoon - to California with me next weekend. 

  The pink girl is now "Mary Kate" - a name that Tom has been wanting to use for a girl - and this one just looks like a Mary Kate.  She will be SunnyOaks Sweetheart Deal and she's staying with us here at SunnyOaks.





And that brings us to the three pups that are available.  We're still looking for the right show homes for these boys.  "Kyle" has a single blue eye on his off-show side.  JJ and Nolan both have dark brown eyes.  The pups have been well socialized with the house dogs here, make trips out to the barn to visit the horses and have started to walk on lead. 

"Kyle"

 "JJ"

"Nolan"

The Puppies Are 8 Weeks Old!

The puppies are now 8 weeks old.  The past week has been a busy one for them.  They were temperament tested last weekend.  They went to the vet for their first set of shots and have been micro-chipped.  We did our 8-week evaluation of the pups using Pat Hastings' Puppy Puzzle method.  And today we did a full set of 8-week photos.

The weather in North Carolina has finally cooled off and the past two days the pups have been able to play outside in an exercise pen.  They have been having a great time!

Here are the pictures of the pups.  You can tell who was behaving and who was not by the grip Tom has on the pups while he's stacking them.  Ginger's kids are always energetic, and this litter is no different!

Black Puppy - Male

Blue Puppy - Male

Green Puppy - Male

Lavender Puppy - Female Underear Patch

 

Orange Puppy - Male

 

Pink Puppy - Female

Purple Puppy - Male

Red Puppy - Male Patch

Yellow Puppy - Male