Woody returned for a few days’ stay and Finley was especially excited to see him (as was Xupe). Below is Finley playing with her son. They’re head to head, she on her back sprawled on the blanket covered sofa, Woody at her from the floor. There was a whole lot of chasing and wrestling!
We received the following from Dutch’s family…
Barley is headed to the airport this cold afternoon, on his way to his new home. We helped pack treats and familiar smells to keep him entertained en route. (He’ll be flying in the cabin, not cargo, just in case anyone was worrying.) And so we say goodbye to the last of the pups…
…until tomorrow, when Woody returns for a boarding stay! And, of course, Xupe remains with Chev, Finley, Biff and I. So the house will never be too quiet.
As blizzard winds howl outside and I anticipate a day off school tomorrow (yes, they’ve already announced that we’ll be closed), I’m going through the articles that breeder Barbara Young sent us. This one’s great, too, a companion to the one I posted earlier today. Click on the link to the pdf below:
We’ve been aware that today is Barley’s last full day with us. He is a snuggly sweetheart and has been a great wrestling pal and sleeping partner for Xupe these last two weeks. Although we’ll be sad to see him go, we’re delighted that he will soon be part of a new family. He’ll be flying to New York tomorrow.
Finley’s breeder, Barbara Young, shared the article below with us. It’s especially timely if you are a new puppy family, living with those razor sharp teeth. Just double click on:
Excerpts from a note (and photo) from Stache’s people’s about their new boy…
“WE LOVE STACHE!!!!!!!!!!!!
Here’s the latest of Aya with her “sister”. Her person wrote, “Pups are getting along great. Aya’s face hair is getting longer and she is getting very comfortable at her new home. She is stalking and pointing her sister. I will be taking her to introduce her to some birds in a few weeks.”
Just one more “cautionary” post this week. The link below may take a minute or two to open but it plays well. It’s a slide show about foods your dog should never eat. Did you know garlic, onions, avocados and grapes should not be given to dogs?
http://pets.webmd.com/dogs/ss/slideshow-foods-your-dog-should-never-eat
I actually get variations of this question a lot (it was even the first question I got on Purely Puppy). When can I jog with my puppy? How far can my puppy walk/jog? When can I start agility training for my puppy?
I usually stumble through some kind of vague answer involving letting the puppy set the pace and not overdoing it. Turns out, after a search of VIN (Veterinary Information Network), many vets do exactly what I do.
My search yielded cold hard answers, though. (I told you I would learn through this blog too!) Incidentally, the question was even in the “Medical FAQ” section of VIN’s website, so I’m definitely not the only one asking.
Anyhow, the VIN consultants (a consortium of boarded veterinary specialists) point out that there is no “hard and fast” answer. However, there is evidence to support that there is an increase in the severity and incidence of elbow dysplasia and OCD in dogs who experienced “forced exercise” before their growth plates closed. Note that OCD is not obsessive compulsive disorder! Clients usually look shocked and laugh uncomfortably when joint OCD, which stands for Osteochondritis Dessicans, comes up. OCD is basically growth abnormalities in the cartilage that can cause lameness.
Forced exercise is defined as “anything beyond what the dog would engage in with dogs of the same age.” Gentle play time with other like aged puppies? A-OK. Running around with adult dogs, meanwhile, is bad (the puppy will overdo it trying to keep up with the big guys). Fence-running, excessive ball/stick/Frisbee chasing, and jogging with the owner are considered “forced exercise,” too. (Does the concept of doggie “forced exercise” bring to mind little army puppies in camo gear doing forced “boot camp” runs with little rifles over their heads, or is it just me?)
When it comes to agility training, Joni L. Freshman, veterinarian and agility expert, says she doesn’t start “any jumping training, any weave poles or any contact (climbing) obstacles until the growth plates are closed as well.”
In large breed dogs, the growth plates close generally around 12 months of age. The recommendation, according to VIN’s Medical FAQ Exercising Puppies, is “waiting until these dogs are 12-15 months old [will] allow the owner to enjoy many more years of exercising with their pets by allowing adequate skeletal development.”
So there’s the scoop.”
Dr. Vivian Carroll