MUNI | Dangerous Common Sense

Day 26 — There’s a World Out There!

MUNI definitely started noticing the world today!

First off, at breakfast time for the pack, Zenith was chowing down in the kitchen when she heard MUNI crying in the TV room. MUNI has made crying noises before as she searched for mom in the whelping box or wanted to complain briefly about some outrage, but this was different. MUNI had noticed that she was alone, and had a real need for companionship. Squeal!

So, Zenith moved and finished her bowl of food in the whelping box next to MUNI. MUNI took notice of us both in the room and quieted down while Mom ate.

All day MUNI was watching what and who was going on around her. She’d track me when I came into the TV room. She’d crawl over to my arm and bit my finger, testing it for food production, I assume.

By the way, MUNI has little teeth started. They’re sharp and small and not too far out. But, I definitely felt gnawed.

MUNI in the whelping box next to a binder clip

Day 26 – MUNI Starts Noticing Things
Click on the picture twice for larger and larger versions

I don’t know if I mentioned it before, but for the last night or two after Geoffrey and I have finished dinner on the TV bed, we have invited both Zenith and MUNI to join us. Zenith was nervous the first time, having her daughter up on the bed and exposed. But tonight both of them settled down next to one of us and didn’t cling to each other. MUNI and Zenith each enjoyed direct contact with the human daddies.

Very cute, of course!

Day 26 — the first day I am confident that MUNI was reacting to the World!

By Galen|2018-10-20T19:37:36-07:00October 19, 2018|dachshunds|0 Comments

Day 25 — A Day of Growing and Being Watched

No news today! Well, there was the 24-hour 1.5 oz gain in weight, to 35.3 oz. But, fortunately, that’s a continuation of the healthy trend and not newsy!

Zenith and Galen paying attention to MUNI in the whelping box

Day 25- Zenith and Galen tending to MUNI

MUNI was fairly quiet. She’s crawling, using her legs more, but not walking yet.

Galen with MUNI in the whelping box by a ruler

Day 25- MUNI being Petted, not Measured!

Another day in the life of a growing pup!

By Galen|2018-10-20T10:25:01-07:00October 18, 2018|dachshunds|0 Comments

Day 24 — First Checkup and First Nail Trimming

Zenith and MUNI almost slept through the night! True, bedtime after Sweat last night was late, around 11. But, the girls didn’t ask for attention until 4:30 this morning. This is a big improvement over the every-two-hour timetable of recent nights. And, Zenith allowed us all to sleep for another hour and didn’t inquire about breakfast until 5:40ish.

Day 24 — MUNI’s First Nail Clipping. Geoffrey is both the nail trimmer and hand model.

But, the main news today was that MUNI got peoplehandled!

First off, Geoffrey put her on the scale to discover that she gained 1.4 ounces in the past day and was at 33.8 oz. This puts her back on the fast-growth track that just yesterday we thought might be slowing.

Then, Geoff did the first nail trim for the girl. He said he trimmed all of the front nails and many/most of the rear ones. It’s a rite of passage.

Geoffrey noticed that MUNI didn’t mind the trimming at all, but she was not a fan of being on her back. Since he was focusing on the trimming, he let slide the “not on my back” squirming. She’ll learn cradling soon enough.

Galen is wearing dachshunds. MUNI in his arms and smooths on the shirt.

After the morning nail trauma, Galen used MUNI as a prop to show off the dachshund shirt sent to him by Patrick. [Click a couple times on this — and all pictures — to see larger versions with more detail.]

The main scheduled event of the day is well baby-checkup with our SF vet, Dr. Jill Chase.

Dr. Chase and her two assistants arrived a bit before noon, and MUNI passed her exam with flying colors. MUNI weighed a couple tenths of an ounce more than she did for Geoffrey early this morning. The vet weigh in validated our home scales and MUNI’s healthy weight gain.

Dr. Chase was embarrassingly complementary about MUNI’s looks and temperament. She did mention repeatedly that MUNI was “enormous” and much better than her mother and aunt were at her age. The world “walrus” was spontaneously uttered by Dr. Chase or one of her tech, too!

Day 24 — Dr. Jill Chase Holds MUNI

By Galen|2018-10-18T13:12:12-07:00October 17, 2018|dachshunds|1 Comment

Day 23 — Steady as She Goes

Today was a happily unremarkable day.

MUNI gained only .4 oz in the last day. No worries! She looks healthy, and she and Zenith spent most of the day contentedly together in the whelping box.

Geoffrey says that he heard little “Grrr!” noises coming from MUNI when he rubbed her side this morning. We hope that she inherits that gruntle noise of her grandmother.

Zenith has decided straight Science Diet wet puppy food is yummy, and she NEEDS a 2:30 midday feeding. If I try to sneak some kibble into her food, I get met with puzzled tail wagging from Zenith and a look that says she knows that we cannot expect her to eat the dry stuff. I am trainable, and the two cases of canned food arrived from Petco via UPS this evening.

Zenith is also comfortable spending more extended stays away from MUNI. Zenith joined me in the sunny backyard this afternoon. She relaxed and fell asleep for 5-10 minutes before deciding she needed to go check on her puppy. MUNI didn’t complain of the neglect.

MUNI and Galen posing with a shirt from the UNFORTUNATES,
another OSF show that came to ACT.
Click a couple times to see a detailed picture.

This evening, the pack also had its longest time without humans since the puppies’ birth. Geoffrey bought tickets to ACT’s version of Sweat, and the canines were on their own from 6 – 10:30. Both the puppy room and the adult kitchen lair were spotless when we returned home… good dogs!

By Galen|2018-10-17T11:22:10-07:00October 16, 2018|dachshunds|0 Comments

Day 22 — Three Weeks Old and A Two-Pound Whopper!

Geoffrey was up early today to do a full day at the office on the tax deadline day (this never happens, but this year is “different”), so the morning weighing was early, at 7:10. But, MUNI made her goal! She’s an even 32 ounces!

MUNI, All 32 ounces of her, still fits in one hand.
(Don’t forget you can click on the pictures a couple times to see a full-size photo!)

We think that MUNI reacts a bit more to the humans every day. She is comfortable in our arms.

MUNI has the Yawn Action Down Cold!

And, like her mother and her aunt, she likes us blowing on her neck and head. This is a yawn, not a howl of complaint!

Mother Zenith, however, is not a fan of her daughter being picked up and petted. For the photographs, we have been sending the adult pack outside to do their doggie things. While they’ve been outside, Geoffrey and I have scooped up MUNI, posed, and returned her to the whelping box ASAP.

Zenith still knows that her puppy has been MANhandled. She whimpers and licks MUNI clean.

Our vet comes Wednesday, and we’ll discuss with her if we need to do any behavior modification. The trade-off between mom’s need for security and puppy socialization probably has an infinite number of answers. Like every other question in dog world, it seems for every 10 people, there are at least 15 definitive answers.

Today is warm and sunny in the backyard. Mom and the other adults will go out and lay on the bricks for a few minutes. Zenith lets herself relax, get petted, and snuggle on the bricks for a minute or two. Then she jumps up and asks to go back into the puppy’s room to check and nurse.

Zenith also is on to my mixing dried kibble with the wet puppy food. She turned her nose up at the last of the food this morning, even after I added some ground-up boiled chicken. She may be returning to more picky eating, but it’s also likely that she just wasn’t hungry for THAT much food. We will have to see in the coming days.

Tomorrow our 24 cans of puppy food will be delivered from PetCo. This would not be the right time for Zenith to decide she’s over the Science Diet menu!

But, for now, we are warm, quiet, and happy.

By Galen|2018-10-15T16:10:12-07:00October 15, 2018|dachshunds|1 Comment