Puppy-less puppy-fixes

I am Future Leader Dog puppy-less.

FLD Dutch and I pose at the entrance to the Leader Dogs for the Blind kennel on return day.

Dutch in the intake room.

 

Evenings around here are calmer now that FLD Dutch is on his way. He went back to Leader Dogs for the Blind on November 11 to begin his formal training. 

Dutch's new tag sporting his "dog" number.

When there is a puppy underfoot, I forget how easy it is to care for my older dogs. CC'd Gus is a professional couch potato. Except when he gets the rips.

Last night, when I went out to stoke the fire before bed, was the first time since Dutch left that Gus zoomed around the yard. Even old Gypsy got into the game a bit, barking and snarling as he kicked up leaves on tight turns around her.

On his return, Dutch bounced away just like all my other puppies. Now the wait begins.

Leader Dog in-training Dutch relaxes while I finish up some paperwork. 

Luckily, I have other opportunities to get my puppy-fix.

PUPPIES!

My friends, Phyllis and Dick, home Leader Dog mom Amber. On November 2, Amber delivered her fourth litter - nine black puppies. I got to serve as "mid-wife" to the Lab/Golden mix pups.

Three boys and six girls. They are two weeks old now, eyes opening and they are pushing up on all fours.

One Amber-puppy, just opening his eyes at two-weeks of age.

PRISON PUPPY-RAISING PROGRAM

Last August,  Leader Dogs for the Blind coordinated a puppy-raising program at the Chippewa Correctional Facility in Kincheloe, Michigan in the Upper Peninsula (UP). My puppy counselor, Tammy, will also be puppy counselor for the prison raisers. And I get to help!

The Chippewa puppy-raisers in August 2013 with their four puppies and FLD Dutch and FLD Harper.

We take monthly trips to the UP to help the prison-raisers and to take the puppies out on "furlough." There are now six puppies at Chippewa, so this can be a challenge. Fortunately, there are past and present puppy-raisers in the UP who have offered to help. While the prison puppies are exposed to many different distractions at Chippewa, there are a few things which they need to experience that they can't get in prison. For instance, traffic and a variety of people, like kids and women.

This week, Tammy and I are traveling to the prison with Deb, the Puppy Development supervisor at Leader Dogs. After our work at Chippewa, we head to the west side of the UP to the town of Baraga. A prison there wants to start a puppy-raising program too. I will be taking a Chippewa puppy with me to check them out.

Keep posted as I continue with updates on the Michigan prison-puppy raising program....and updates on Dutch's progress at Leader Dogs!

(An inside source told me that Dutch has passed his physicals!)

At 2 weeks...

Leader Dog "mom" Amber is being an excellent mommy. She keeps the puppies clean and fed. Their eyes are still closed.

And mostly, when they aren't eating, they sleep.

PHOTOS

LD mom Amber takes a rest in the whelping box after most of her puppies had dinner. They eat, they fall asleep, they roll off mom.

They also like to sleep in a row.

Phyllis picks up a puppy so she can clip her nails. Eyes and ears are almost open and their snouts are getting longer!

Clip, clip, clip! This puppy is learning early not to fear the nail clippers.

The puppies doubled their weight in a week.

Aren't they precious?

A moment when anything is possible.

The 9th Assistant Dog Blog Carnival (ADBC) is on!

Martha, at her blog Believe in Who You Are, is hosting this quarter.

Her topic:  MOMENTS.

Being puppy-less at the moment, I've been getting my puppy-fix at a friend's house. Read my submission to the ABDC below to find out how...

WARNING, SOME LANGUAGE AND PHOTOS ARE EXPLICIT!

 

There are three tiny black Lab puppies piled warm on a heating pad in a blue bin when I arrive at the home of my friends, Dick and Phyllis. They host Leader Dog "mom" Amber in their cozy country house located just north of town.

Amber paces around the dining room and pants; her sides bulge and heave. According to a recent x-ray, there should be five more puppies to come. This is Amber's third litter born here.

"They're coming much faster this time," Phyllis says.

The mid-afternoon sun shining in the bay window augments the heat-lamp that is attached above the whelping box. A scale sits on the kitchen counter, ready for weigh in. This will be my first litter-assist and I don't know how much help I'll be, but I'm anxious to witness the wonder.

Amber steps into the warm whelping box, easing onto her side. Contractions rack her belly. She struggles up, curls her head around and before we know it, a slick black sack plops onto the towel. Amber teethes away the membrane and bites at the umbilical cord. Phyllis leans in to help extract the puppy from the sack. She gives Amber some time to lick the pup clean. Another female.

Dick is disappointed. So far there is only one male. He notes the time of birth on a record sheet.

Phyllis cradles the puppy with a clean towel and brings her to the table where Dick is waiting with string to bind off the cord. He snips the excess and drips a bit of medicine on it to prevent infection. Phyllis ties a bit of orange ribbon around the puppy's neck. The puppy will wear orange until her return to Leader Dogs for the Blind six weeks hence. A quick check to make sure the puppy's palate is not cleft and she is weighed in. Then, it's back to momma, who is now at rest in the whelping box.

Phyllis places Miss Orange near Amber's tit. The puppy's pink tongue forms a perfect suction seal and she sets to suckling.

When the next puppy comes, I tie the cord with my smaller fingers. Maybe I will be of use after all. By the end of the evening there are seven healthy puppies. Dick is pleased that there are two males.

There is a moment in time when anything is possible. Prince Fielder waves off his teammates and catches the pop fly that sends the Detroit Tigers to the World Series.

Leader Dog "mom" Amber births seven black Labs with a destiny.

Leader Dog "mom" Amber gazes up with her melted chocolate eyes.

Phyllis lends a hand in removing the sack from another one of Amber's puppies. It is amazing to see the tiny nails on each paw trying to poke through.

Miss Orange latches on and gets to suckling next to her sister.

Mr. Blue matches the soft blue blanket where he snoozes between feedings.

Amber cleans off Miss Yellow while she and four of her siblings have dinner.

Phyllis cuddles a newborn.

Chain reaction. Amber sits up. Five puppies lose suction. Two hang on.

Seven Future Leader Dog puppies keep warm in a pile.

Stay tuned...more to come on Amber's puppies!