The girls were left alone much of today, too, as Geoff had non-stop meetings for work and I accompanied a friend on something he was doing. But, still. There was time to capture MUNI starting to think about what might be outside the box! Day 38 -- There's a World Out There? She's pretty adorable, but not really ready to venture into the real world on her own!
Halloween is beautiful and sunny. So, MUNI and I had an outdoor adventure. I set up the tripod and used the remote control to come up with several shots where I looked good reflected in MUNI's beauty. I edited and posted the best shot without waiting for this blog. Sorry! Day 38 - Posing in the Backyard Not too much else going on in the pack. The humans were away a lot. So, despite the fine weather, most of the dog day was spent sleeping. Between a meeting I had at the office and then having to go out [...]
At 8:20 am MUNI tipped the scales at 3 pounds even. Good BIG girl! She continues to have play sessions where she waves her paws at the adult dogs, does a sort of down dog, and wags her tail. Then she collapses. Zenith and SeQueL play along as does Paris when she figures out what's going for her ear. Apex isn't sure she's allowed to play, and is mostly backing off, wagging her tail. Zenith seems to remain the main source of nourishment. When gruel is put in front of MUNI, she approaches the saucer gingerly, nibbles on a bare [...]
It's Monday and the start of MUNI's fifth week! She weighed 2 pounds, 14.4 ounces at 8:20, and seems very comfortable with her full figure. The morning activity of practicing play was truly exhausting for Mom and puppy. Gnawing at ears and waving your front paws at the adults is very tiring! Day 36 - The Pack that Naps Together... The challenge today is to keep the puppy-sized tennis balls in the vicinity of the puppy and not allow Apex to run off into the back yard with all three. I decided that we'd give up one to [...]
We remember that when the whelping box comes to the kitchen, it's a time of quick development for puppies. Today exemplified the fast-paced world of a developing bitch! MUNI was alert and inquisitive from the start of the day. Mother Zenith kept her close, but there was a gleam in her eye for her morning iPhone portrait. Day 35 - Mother and Daughter captured on Geoffrey's iPhone When I returned from church mid-afternoon, MUNI definitely had gained a new skill: play! Day 35 - We will Call it Play. MUNI Growls at Mom, Incited by Geoffrey's FingersClick [...]
MUNI gained only an ounce today to 2 pounds, 13 ounces. The leisurely progression reflected the laid-back nature of the whole day. Grandma SeQueL made sure everything was orderly for the stay-at-home day for the girls... Day 34 - Grandmother Inspects Don't forget to click this picture... or any blogged pic... for a larger size photo! ... even if Geoffrey and I went out mid-day for a cooking class and memorial service (two separate events!). Our absence, from 11:30 to about 4, was the longest that MUNI has ever gone without human supervision. She was not stressed by [...]
Now that MUNI is centrally located, she can be visited more easily. We're happy that people want to see her because she -- and all puppies -- need socialization. Today our first outside-the-pack visitors accepted an invitation to visit. Day 33 - Carrier Sterre-Salazar meets MUNI and Mother Zenith Click on the photograph for a larger version A friend from church, Carrie, was MUNI's first visitor. I'd locked SeQueL, Paris, and Apex out of the kitchen to keep the commotion down. They were behind a dog gate in the back hall. Zenith stayed with MUNI. When Carrie came [...]
Wow! Now that the whelping box is in the kitchen, MUNI is really the center of attention. Day 32 -- A Confusion of Dachshunds All of the adult girls feel the need to wander into the whelping box and either clean, lick, and guard or else simply greet and sniff. The configurations change, but the quarters are close and there is lots of intrapack contact. Good canine socialization for MUNI! Day 32 -- A Narrower Confusion of Dachshunds The day was a lovely sunny October San Francisco day. Without getting agreement from Geoffrey, I decided that [...]
We thought we might move the whelping box into the kitchen over the weekend. That would make MUNI more integrated into our lives and give her an idea of what humans do. We think that MUNI can handle the additional draft of the kitchen, especially since the heater can follow her there. But, we have been busy or the moment just didn't seem right, here it is Wednesday, and the TV Room is still the Puppy's Room. So, the day started out with the now-traditional weighing. Day 31 -- How We're Weighed This morning, MUNI was a respectable [...]
MUNI first sampled solid food on Day 28, two days ahead of Zenith's first plunge into a food bowl (according to the photo record). Back in 2013 Zenith was still using her puppy name "Janice", and wasn't eager to give up her mother's milk, but we thought it was time for her to try. MUNI is similarly hesitant to stop relying on her mother's milk. She waddled up to the food bowl on her own a couple days ago. But, since then she hasn't been enthusiastic about solid food. Today MUNI licked -- and maybe chewed -- the sides of [...]