Update on Teri's Pups - Week 4

This female pup is the smallest of the lot. And the most daring. By the way, the container was clean.

Update on Teri's Pups- Week 3

The puppies are growing tremendously fast every week. They move faster too, and I have to be really quick in handling them. It is not possible to clean the cage they are in without putting them in a box. As soon as I open the gate, they rush out simultaneously, and even after dropping to the floor, they just continue on.

The pups are beginning to feed on soft kibbles even after having had their milk. I wonder if Teri is producing enough milk for them. It must be very taxing for Teri because she weighs a mere 8 kg. She looks malnourished as a result of feeding her babies. It is not noticeable due to her long fur. However, the spine can be felt easily. Otherwise, she is full of energy.

I always joke about her when she resists going into the cage when I send her back in after walking with her. I say that she doesn't love her children, and that she prefer to be outside than to attend to them.

This is the biggest sibling, and he hasn't had enough

Feasting on kibbles

Feels good to empty the bladder after a satisfying meal.

Doesn't it look like a hamster?

Using Dominance to Bully

Lately I have realised that Max's life - having to live with Jon - is oppressed and restricted. Jon is indeed the Alpha, though I don't think he deserves that title. One of many reasons for this is that he is afraid of thunder and fireworks.

Anyway, since I am not at home in the daytime to observe the dogs, I occasionally view footage from the CCTV. Just by viewing a day's events, Max was rarely seen in the footage. That means he is subjected to a smaller area to rest and roam- the area which the CCTV does not cover. On the other hand, Jon is always in restless mode - looking out for passers-by and cats.

It is the same situation during weekends and weekday evenings. When I am at home, I see that Max seldom walks about the house. Whenever he is alerted to passersby - before Jon gets to - and goes to the gate to bark, Jon will join in. Max will then immediately back off and walk away.

Take a look at the picture and video below. It shows me stroking Jon. But before this, I was doing the same for Max, and Jon simply barged in to seek for the same treatment. Max politely moved away. He appears to be looking at something in front but actually is avoiding eye contact with Jon. Max practically relinquished his playtime rights to Jon.

Another similar incident happened this morning. Upon waking up, I saw Max already having woken up. I decided to invite Max for a stroke. He came over enthusiastically and put his head to my belly and snuggled there. I barely belly rubbed him for 20 seconds before Jon appeared and came over and also put his head to my belly. This act by Jon was unprecedented. Max promptly moved away. It was the fluency of the way Jon shoved his head and Max moveing away that amazed me. There were no "go away" warning signals by Jon. Both dogs used their instincts and a bit of body language. I immediately got up and said "No!" to Jon and left. If he wanted me to stroke him, he should walk over slowly - like he always does - and I will stroke both of them simultaneously.

If I was Max, I would surely feel very depressed. He can't play with Jon and share living spaces with him; can't roam freely around the compound of the house; gets "pushed" away during play time with me. I do see his cautiousness and fear in him when Jon is near him. I guess he just have to put up with Jon, because Jon will never change.

Scent of a Dog

If "nosy" humans are not enough, I have to put up with my "nosy" dogs. It is just fortunate that humans don't have two hundred million nasal olfactory receptors. Every weekend, whenever I come home after a visit to an animal shelter or after a pet sitting session, Max and Jon will sniff my legs and upper torso. I can practically stand still for an infinite period of time and these two will just sniff and sniff. Well, currently, Max still has the inquisitive mind and spends long periods of time checking out the invisible multitude of scent. On the other hand, Jon has been through this for over two years, and now sniffs me for a short while. Sometimes he never sniffs at all. I always believed Jon was jealous that I went to see other dogs. This is because he is very possessive and is hostile and not sociable with other dogs.

 This video of Jon was taken before Max's arrival. Back then I always go to animal shelters during weekends. He did not get a chance to sniff my body on the day the video was taken, but the traces of over 100 dogs' on the shoes were sufficient for him to be so absorbed and inquisitive. I liked the way he turned back to glare at me - as if unhappy of where I went - at the end of this video.

Jon does not spend as much time as before in sniffing. He has smelled all there is to smell. Max is like a child who is still learning new things.

There is a difference between how Jon and Max sniff. Jon is the cautious type, and he probes slowly, without touching the surface of the object he is smelling. Max is the type who is really "nosy", to the point of being intrusive. He will poke his nose onto the surface of the object and probes it fast and repeats the probe on the same surface at least twice. So, whenever he sniffs me, my skin will always be wet. I am very sure that if I were to lie down on the floor, he will smell every part of my body.

After recording this, Max took another 1 minute to complete his probe

Incidentally, these  last three videos were taken after I went to see female dogs at a vet and a client's place. I would like to record a moment after I get in contact with male dogs to observe if there is a difference in the way my dogs sniff.

Pupppies' eyes are open

These three are the biggest of the lot. This guy must be squinting at what I was holding, and decided that it was best to scamper away.

Sleeping after having fed by mummy

Update on Teri and puppies

This is the smallest pup, and the only one with a single color. The rest have white & brown

Practising at a young age to display puppy-look effectively when it is older

Teri at full alert of other dogs in the vet. She even snapped at an Alsation.