puppies2018 | Dangerous Common Sense

Day 19 – The Aperture Got Us

By Galen|2018-10-15T10:50:25-07:00October 12, 2018|dachshunds|

Today's update is more about the limits of photography than it's about raising a puppy. Remember, because MUNI just opened her eyes, we are not using flash for a while. When you take a picture in low light one way to make the image visible is to open up the lens aperture. (Read Wikipedia on lens aperture settings.) The aperture settings are delineated in f-stops. Higher number f-stops indicating smaller lens openings (less light) and lower f-stop numbers indicate a larger lens opening for more light. My camera's lens have f-stops from 22 to 2.8. 2.8 is pretty good at [...]

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Day 18 — I am the Walrus!

By Galen|2018-10-14T17:48:36-07:00October 11, 2018|dachshunds|

MUNI continues to grow at a happy pace. This morning at 7:30 she was up to 26 oz. even. We have started thinking that instead of a dachshund, we are raising a walrus. Here's why... Day 18 - I am the Walrus Meanwhile, we have narrowed Zenith's puppy food banquet down to just one brand: Hills Science Diet Puppy Food. This has made her stomach calmer. But, she still is demanding attention every few hours day or night. Sometimes she "needs" to go out, but often she's just looking for adult attention. And, at 2:30 in the afternoon [...]

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Day 17 — Playing Hide and Seek

By Galen|2018-10-10T20:48:37-07:00October 10, 2018|dachshunds|

We've seen MUNI's eyes, but she's not being rigorous about keep them open. Here's her 8:10 am look this morning: If you look real close -- and believe -- you can see MUNI's eyes.Click on the photo for a larger, clearer version. We (mainly me, because Geoff is working 12-hour days for the upcoming tax deadline) are handling her more. Both MUNI and Zenith seem to be okay with that. MUNI calms down when I blow on her face/neck, just like her mother does. Today, on the jittery scale, she jumped up 1.6 oz to 24.2 oz. I [...]

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Day 16 — The Eyes Have It!

By Galen|2018-10-10T19:51:40-07:00October 9, 2018|dachshunds|

Day 16 -- I See!Click for a full-size picture. MUNI is keeping to her snuggling, eating, and sleeping routine, and it's working. She looks like a fat, happy walrus in the whelping box. This morning she was 1.4 oz heavier than yesterday; she is now at 22.6 oz! Of course, the most impressive development was the ability to look MUNI in the eyes. You had to work at it, because she's keeping the openings to a slit, but there definitely an eye on each side. At the same time, Zenith has been eating regularly and strongly. She woke [...]

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Day 15 — Can I See Yet?

By Galen|2018-10-10T12:34:09-07:00October 8, 2018|dachshunds|

Another day of quiet growth... up to 21.2 oz at 8:15 am. Here's MUNI in the brighter kitchen lights at 8:15 am. Day 15 -- Can I See Yet?Click for a larger version! We checked for eyes in the morning, and there were none. But then, at 9:30 pm, Geoffrey looked into MUNI's eyes for the first time. Yay!

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Day 14 — MUNI Feels Safe in a Dad’s Arms

By Galen|2018-10-08T10:31:28-07:00October 7, 2018|dachshunds|

Still no eyes are showing, but MUNI continues to eat, grow, and move more often and further away from her mother in the whelping box . All good! When Geoffrey weighed MUNI this morning, it was another bouncy weight reading as she crawled around the towel on top of the glass bowl on top of the scale! Geoffrey settled on a weight of 19.8 oz. Here's MUNI after the 8:50 am weigh in... Day 14 -- At Ease in Dad's Arms.(Click for a larger version). The biggest improvement in pack morale today comes from Zenith's stopping her diarrhea [...]

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Day 13 — When “Sleep” is an Active Verb
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Day 13 — When “Sleep” is an Active Verb

dachshunds

Day 13 — When “Sleep” is an Active Verb

By Galen|2018-10-07T08:47:10-07:00October 6, 2018|dachshunds|

It's warm and sunny in Noe Valley, and all five girls are asleep, or close to it! Oddly, I am the only one who's gone out and enjoyed the fall sun. MUNI is preoccupied with growing, and Zenith looks comfortable providing the nourishment! MUNI noshing while Zenith zones out. MUNI weighed in another ounce heavier than yesterday at 18.4 oz. But, Geoffrey and I agree that the scale bounces all around with MUNI's movements. It's more like "pick a number" than scientific tracking. Fortunately, she's looking fat and healthy, and acting like a hungry 13 day old.

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Day 12 — MUNI Naps and Zenith Has Her Stitches Removed

By Galen|2018-10-05T18:57:22-07:00October 5, 2018|dachshunds|

We blew it! The stitches from Zenith's C-Section were supposed to be removed on Day 9 or 10, according to the discharge instructions I re-read this morning. Ooops. Fortunately, our SF vet, Dr. Jill Chase, changed her schedule and came by about 6. She checked Zenith out, removed the stitches, said Zenith's weight was fine (I was worried Zenith's picky eating were making her thin), and wasn't worried about the probably-cottage-cheese-caused diarrhea. More importantly, Dr. Chase marveled happily at MUNI's size and healthy look. Here's MUNI modeling chunky good health in the whelping box: Day 12 -- MUNI sleeping [...]

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Day 11 — Picture Perfect

By Galen|2018-10-04T18:02:13-07:00October 4, 2018|dachshunds|

There has been so much more to write about than I expected when I started chronicling our new relationship with Zenith's puppies... now puppy. I'd expected that most posts would be pictures, with a some comments about weights or behaviors. At least until the puppies started crawling a moving around a bit. Today has been one of the days I expected. Not much going on on the puppy front. I have just been going into the room and looking adoringly at the girl. Here are a couple photos from today. As always, please click on a picture to see a larger [...]

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Day 10 — Peaceful Growth

By Galen|2018-10-04T17:07:24-07:00October 3, 2018|dachshunds|

It's nice to post predictable puppy progress. We are all happy with a few days of quiet normality! MUNI skipped the 14 oz level and showed up in the scale at 15.38 oz this morning! Good, steady gain. I dug out our guides and confirmed that I need to put away the flash for a while. MUNI's eyes should be opening any time now, and a bright flash could injure a young eye. So, please forgive the photos for a while. They're going to be grainy (because of the fast ISO we need for low light), with a small area [...]

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