Tag: puppies

Edith Wharton, fostering, puppies, Uncategorized

Expecting

Cara Achterberg

Not much has gone as expected for the past few days. Okay, well, a few things. My husband took off for France. Ian won his soccer game, and Addie got the part she wanted in the school play (of course it wasn’t the part I expected she’d get as she’ll be Blackstache instead of Molly or any other part normally assigned a girl in Peter and the Starcatchers). The tomatoes continue to produce, as do the horses, and now that school has started pretty much no one puts their dishes in the dishwasher. Those things I expected and they happened. Yay, life behaving itself.

What hasn’t gone as expected is most everything having to do with our 50th foster dog.

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I’d painted this lovely romantic picture in my mind of our 50th foster dog, Edith Wharton, giving birth to a handful of puppies in our kitchen as we all watched and were amazed by the miracle. What a great experience for our milestone foster. I was so ready.

I borrowed a really nice handbuilt whelping box from my neighbors (who at this point are probably beginning to wish they lived on a different road as I hit them up for pretty much every dog dilemma I have). We set it up in our kitchen and Nick ran to the hardware store and bought foam pipe insulators to cover the top edges so Edith wouldn’t rub her heavy belly on it when she climbed in. I set down a layer of soft things and puppy pads in preparation.

I looked through my calendar for the next week or so, making sure I could be home if necessary, already preparing my excuses (“Sorry, you’re on the own. Gotta go. There’s a dog giving birth in my kitchen…”)

I read about puppy whelping and even watched a few badly made YouTube videos of it actually happening. I gathered advice from my knowledgeable dog-breeder neighbor and made a list of the supplies I’d need. A box of some of those supplies arrived from OPH (thanks Gina!) and pretty soon I was ALL READY. Edith was due to arrive in less than 24 hours!

And then I checked my email.

Apparently Edith was not made aware of my preparations and my whelping box and she gave birth to the puppies at the shelter that morning.

I was disappointed and a little bit relieved.

Here’s the other unexpected news – Continue reading “Expecting” →

adopters, fosterdogs, fostering, Lucy, Oberyn, oph, puppies, Rooney

50th Times the Charm

Cara Achterberg

Our house is much quieter. (for now)

Rooney finally went home with her new forever mom after a long wait. They met over a week ago and fell in love, but we had to wait for Rooney to finish her antibiotics and be 100% healthy so she could go home. Which she did on Friday. And we all miss her. My little brother will be very happy to know Rooney is in the Air Force now! Her mom is one of America’s finest.

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Before she left, she, Lucy, and Obie had a fun week.

Here’s Obie and Lucy sharing a stick:

And here’s Rooney and Obie not sharing a pumpkin: Continue reading “50th Times the Charm” →

fosterdogs, oph, puppies, Uncategorized

When Three is Really Nine It’s Good to have a Solid Marriage

Cara Achterberg

The email said, “Jen just posted a momma and 3 pups on Facebook.”

Mindy knew I was jonesing for some puppies, so I appreciated the heads up. I checked the page and there was a picture of a momma and there were five pictures of individual puppies. I examined them and decided that some of the pictures were just different angles of the same pups.

And the pups were adorable- only two weeks old, their eyes barely open. Like human newborns, unless they’re yours they all do look kind of alike.

And mom even looked a little like Lily.

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I’ll take ‘em, I said. Yay puppies for Easter!

I went for a bike ride with hubby and broke the news. Continue reading “When Three is Really Nine It’s Good to have a Solid Marriage” →

Begonia, fosterdogs, Foxglove, Hadley, Lilliana's puppies, oph, Pigweed, puppies, Snapdragon, Sneezewort

Puppies!!

Cara Achterberg

The puppies have arrived! The cuteness is pretty much unbearable, so it’s good that they stink pretty bad.

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At five weeks, they have no qualms about walking through, playing with, or even sleeping upon each other’s poops. I’m trying to stay on top of it (so to speak), but with the Christmas chaos, visitors, my own work, Hadley, GRACIE (no, we haven’t forgotten our own personal pup), and the fact that I have to bake six dozen cookies and package them beautifully for a cookie exchange tonight, it’s pretty much impossible to keep them poop-free.

My five little charms are half of the litter of pups that I witnessed Lily give birth to back in November. They are growing fast and resemble little bear cubs. While I’ve only had them 24 hours, here’s what I can tell you about them as individuals- Continue reading “Puppies!!” →

Uncategorized

Last to Go

Cara Achterberg

DSC_0581And looks who’s left…..

I thought Chism would be the first one to go. I did. I figured a dog like her – gorgeous, unique with a HUGE personality – she’d be scooped up quickly. But now it’s just me and her.

Without her herd, she’s a much calmer dog. She actually sleeps. Her manners are much improved. I just checked and her morning breakfast is only half-eaten. There’s no need to gobble it all down in 20 seconds if there’s no competition. Left alone, she’s much more mellow. I may have to take back all that stuff I wrote on her profile about her being such an INTENSE, HIGH ENERGY dog. She’s taken to lounging on the Frank bed for hours at a time.

All of this behavior makes me think she’d be better off as an only dog.

Chism has gone from ADOPTABLE to ADOPTION PENDING and back two or three times now. She scared off two adopters because she has a mild obsession with cats (as in – she’d like to chase them down and lick them all over and probably won’t kill them. Probably.) If she sees or senses or even imagines a cat on the porch, she’ll bark nonstop and claw at the door until she’s put in restraints. I’ve wondered if she might chill out if she finally got to meet a real cat. Maybe she’d find out they aren’t really that interesting and they have pointy parts. My cats are not game to take part in the intervention. They aren’t interested in a relationship with Chism of any kind, at all, ever. In fact, since Chism moved in one of my porch cats has moved in with the barn cat who isn’t so happy about sharing her domain. Continue reading “Last to Go” →

Uncategorized

Is Anyone Getting Anything Done Around Here?

Cara Achterberg

DSC_0512Having a house full of puppies is like having several hundred toddlers pop in for a visit.

It’s loud. It’s messy. Things break. But gosh, they’re so darn cute. (Thank God they’re leaving.)

We are entering week three of the puppydom. Some of us are growing weary of the efforts. As veteran parents, we are accustomed to the work that comes with caring for toddlers. We even understand that sometimes a toddler might bite you. They can pee on the floor on occasion. They don’t take direction well. These are known facts accepted.

Even so, with all that cuteness, one still can become resentful. Shut up, I think, when I hear Chism holding forth. Sure, she’s barking at a butterfly or a cat wandering across the yard. Cute. Yes. But loud. And I’m trying to write, here. Continue reading “Is Anyone Getting Anything Done Around Here?” →

Uncategorized

Pick a Puppy….but Know What You’re Getting Into!

Cara Achterberg

There are monsters in my kitchen.

This is how close the monsters can get.....it's not easy getting a clean shot.
This is how close the monsters can get…..it’s not easy getting a clean shot.

Okay, they’re just puppies. But they have sharp fangs, make odd noises and have other worldly energy. In only one week, they’ve outgrown our mudroom which housed six puppies for three weeks this summer. These are BIG girls with BIG needs.

I’m super excited to say they are already mostly housebroken which speaks to their extreme smarts and not my superior training ability. That, and they’ll do ANYTHING for a treat.

DSC_0268I’m partial to Charm but that’s only because I have to rescue her so often from Chism’s extreme energy and lack of empathy. Chism doesn’t get that when she has a good hold on Charm’s ear and Charm is emitting a high pitched squeal for long periods of time that translates as “Excuse me, but you’re HURTING MY EAR!” Charm is the Laurel in this Laurel and Hardy act. She’s sweet and clumsy and so very forgiving.

DSC_0269Chism takes up all the air in the room. She is ON all the time and if you catch her taking a quick nap on the Frank bed, all you have to do is think, “Ah, there she is sleeping” and she will leap to correct your assumption. Whoever adopts this pup better know his/her way around a dog training manual.

Here’s the thing about Chism. She will either be the coolest dog you ever owned or the most difficult dog to ever rule your life. It will very much depend on the effort and time put in for the next two years. Consistent training and challenges are what she needs. That and plenty of exercise. Plenty. Continue reading “Pick a Puppy….but Know What You’re Getting Into!” →

Uncategorized

Our Busy B&B plus PUPPIES!

Cara Achterberg

DSC_0156Puppies! We have puppies! I once again have a house fused with puppy energy, puppy happiness, and of course, the smell of puppies. Charm and Chism are both over-the-top happy girls who beg for my attention every time I walk by the mudroom, clamoring against the puppy pen and whining. Most times I can’t resist their velvet soft ears and sheer joy, so once again, not much is getting done around here.

These puppies are about the same age as my last puppies, except they are twice the size of the last puppies. And let me tell you that cleaning up after two BIG puppies is much more work than cleaning up after six small puppies. This time around OPH had puppy pads for me, which would be awesome if C&C realized that they were meant to be peed on, not torn into a million tiny plastic shreds. Fun times.

DSC_0164But let’s not talk about that, let’s talk about the cuteness level of these two girls. Obviously, Chism steals the show with her splashy, crazy coat. What kind of dog looks like this? Your guess is as good as mine. Her file says ‘hound mix’, but she hasn’t got the hound bark and I don’t really see any hound characteristics at all. She seems more lab-mutt type. Where she got those markings is anybody’s guess.

Chism is in charge of Charm, bossing her around and stealing her food. Charm takes it really well, seemingly happy to share. There are none of the battles of the last batch of puppies. In fact, it’s pretty quiet in that pen unless someone happens by. Both of these girls LOVE people. They don’t snuggle together, but they don’t wrestle either. Every now and again a tug of war breaks out over a toy, but Chism’s got about five pounds and a couple incles on Charm, so she wins that battle every time.

Charm is a love. She’s still light enough that I can pick her up and she will snuggle right into my shoulder and be still. If she moves at all, it’s only to give me a few kisses on the cheek. She won’t stay snuggle-size for long, though, with her mile long legs and good-sized paws. I’m partial to hounds, so when she broke out in a long hound bay the first morning, I loved it. The two of them back up Gracie every time she sounds the alarm that maybe, possibly, there could be something as scary as a leaf blowing around on the driveway. It is not a quiet house. Continue reading “Our Busy B&B plus PUPPIES!” →

Uncategorized

Thirty six Goodbyes

Cara Achterberg

DSC_9554It’s going to be a tough week. For all of us. The first pups take off on Monday. Lug Nut and Jillie Bean will be relatively local, so their adopters will be able to come for them. Marzle leaves on Tuesday evening.

There will be some serious howling in the puppy pen. I know this because when I take just one pup out for a bit, everyone else cries. They’ve never been apart in their short lives, so even when it’s a separation of only a few feet, they are devastated.

I’ve been trying to help them get used to being on their own, so I take each out for a solitary adventure most days– a walk up the hill to gawk at the chickens, a snuggle in the hammock (only Boz and Lug Nut can be still enough to enjoy this), a visit to the gardens to pull a few weeds, a little time in the kitchen with me while I prepare a meal, or a half hour spent on Ian’s lap watching him play computer games.

It didn’t take long for them to enjoy the attention and forget about their siblings. They don’t rush back to the pen (except Jillie, she usually is happiest to get back). But the ones left behind – it’s a sorry sound. The howling and crying are heartbreaking.

They’ve gotten much bigger in the past two weeks, and their pen, which seemed vast at first, seems overstuffed. They shift it around while wrestling and I never know what configuration it will be in or which object they will have pulled partially through the walls (trash bag liner, coat that wasn’t hung up, pile of newspaper).

When I have the time and the help, I take them out for a tear around the screened-in porch. They love this. I thought at first I would take my laptop out there and work while they played, but that was a silly idea and I got nothing done. Their cuteness and antics were just too distracting.

(That was just three of them) Continue reading “Thirty six Goodbyes” →

Uncategorized

The Power of a Puppy-Cam

Cara Achterberg

DSC_9414Puppies are powerful. They change everything – schedules, priorities, moods.  No one can be unhappy around a puppy. There’s been a lot of smiles and laughs around this place all week.

Of course, I’m not smiling or laughing when I’m cleaning up after them, except when Marzle grabs the pee rag and takes off dragging two or three siblings along with it. That’s kind of funny. Unless they step in the poop enroute. That’s unfunny.

The puppies are a people magnet. We’ve had plenty of visitors and I’m fairly certain attendance was up at our annual fourth of July party due to the six furry guests who basked in all the attention.DSC_9412

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I think OPH should harness the power of these puppies in their fundraising. Spending as much time as I am with them, I’ve had lots of ideas.

My first thought was – Puppy rental! It seemed like a great idea. Elite Daily has a nice article on the power of puppies entitled, “Why Women Love Men with Puppies.”

Sadly, this is not a realistic possibility for many reasons, not the least of which is that puppies under 16 weeks and not fully vaccinated shouldn’t be out in public places because of the risk to their health. (All my puppies are spoken for and will be going home long before 16 weeks, so you lucky people make sure to keep them healthy by staying away from busy places!)

The restriction on public appearances means my other ideas of Puppy-Selfies and Puppy-kisses and Puppy-therapy, would probably not be a go either.

Many times visitors this past week have asked, “How can you get anything done? I’d just stand here and watch them all day.”

Honest truth – sometimes I do. They are so far beyond the realm of normal cuteness and their presence is addicting. It’s very easy for me to while away a good hour just watching them wrestle and throwing tennis balls in the pen or snuggling with a puppy on the church pew on my back porch breathing in the puppy scent and day dreaming.

Thinking about this while picking blueberries (a mindless task that takes hours), I came up with a brilliant way for OPH to use puppy magnetism to raise serious funds and awareness. Continue reading “The Power of a Puppy-Cam” →