Day 44 Chinook Centennial Litter Pup-date

Milestone Pictures
These puppies are coming into their own and developing fun personalities. They have met forever families and admirers alike. Some howl with big 1/2 brother Trask. They all prefer the milkbar to gruel when they get a chance. They run, tug, sing, cuddle and sleep in a puppy pile. Toys are carried about with a prideful prance. Holes to China have begun. They are so excited to be around humans that the Puppy Shuffle is a must when walking about to avoid stepping on someone in the enthusiastic mass.

Arthur - A golden pup! You are a very different sort, your nose is black, your hair is short...and eager tail that twitched, that itched, to hit the trail, "Your heart and legs are brick and mortar, You're a sled dog, made-to-order!"

Wind - "Something fresh and free, that brings new change, raises hopes, and wings like spring down frosty slopes."

 Treadwell  "Strength of a tractor..Heart of a spaniel."

Washington - They raced the wind, they chased the sun, up even great Mount Washington. 'Twas here the grand dog probed is worth."

Kate  - Kate Walden is smiling down at Ms Pink for her awesome strength, her handsome look, her fortitude like dogged glue, her disposition, kind and true, Is so fine, a magic blend...

Byrd - "Twas Admiral Byrd who ran the show... yet Chinook was undeterred. He set new records without fail. He conquered every inch of trail."

Big 1/2 brother Trask supervising the Milestone photos.

Day 42 Chinook Centennial Litter Pup-date

Six poopy puppies; getting ready for a large party; countless visitors and the washing machine breaking down - I was able to sneak out for a Costco party supply run but found no time for pictures. There was once when Koyuk grabbed Nemo and had 4 of the puppies holding on in a huge tug-o-war game. I realized I was remiss without my camera. The i-pad was closer so I ran to grab it and though I missed the mass tug game, I did catch some puppy action.

I have been uploading for 24 hours. I'm not quite sure if this video will make it.

Day 42 Chinook Centennial Litter

puppy shuf·fle

verb

1.

walk by dragging one's feet along or without lifting them fully from the ground to avoid stepping on swarming puppies.

The puppies are now running with bunny hops and constantly underfoot as they vie for attention. 

The air was still "unhealthy" by government standards but a slight breeze was dispersing the fog-like smoke to the point where I felt the puppies could head outside and work off some pent up energy. Our first visitor of the day were the litter sire Tyee's family down from north of Seattle.

The lighting was still amber from the smoke in the air when we carried the puppies to the Pup-corral.

 Puppy adoration.

 Lunch

Even though she just ate, Koyuk still risks mobbing to get puppy chow.

 A few, last bits of kibble remain.

 The puppies are so cute and fun to be around. They really respond to human interaction.

 Eat, Play, Crash...Repeat throughout the day.

We had two more groups of visitors. The puppies were moved in and out of the house as the smoke drifted in and out. I actually found myself too busy and tired to take more pictures or even post these last night. Confined inside right now, the noise from the whelping box is deafening aggravated by the three big dogs playing Chinook tag  around the furniture in the house. Soon the whole circus will be outside again.  I really don't know how I did it with winter litters that could not go outside at all. 

Day 41 - Cough

Temp in the 90s and very unhealthy smoky air. I put the little ones out this morning so I could clean the whelping box and linens and then brought them right back in. I live at the altitude of near the top of this TV news picture. You can't even see the Eugene south hills let alone our butte.

Ever wonder what a whelping box with 6 puppies sounds like? Being new to this whole video thing, I somehow also got a section of slo-mo but I think you still get a taste of the in house environment today. I just couldn't risk their developing lungs in air so smoky we couldn't see the pond from the house.

Still 96 degrees and slightly less smoky when Karmen and Raleigh came for a puppy visit.

We decided to let them outside for a brief time to wear off some excess energy (and make less of a after dinner clean-up. With the windows closed against the foul air some things are just better done outside.)

 Trask getting Karmen all to himself.

 Trask has the longest tongue. Yes that pink extension from his mouth is actually his tongue.

 Karmen was perfect kissing height.

 Wind stole the car keys and proudly pranced all over the Pup-corral with them.

 More guests.

No temperament issues with this puppy. He actually fell asleep.

Sneak attack. Kerstins hair became a tug toy for Treadwell.

 Trask and puppy attack started an uncontrollable giggling episode.

 A. also had attractive curls.

 Even Byrd seemed to be getting the giggles from watching the tug-a-war...

until his belly became a platform for the game.

A. was quite pleased with her two handed pup-carry back into the house.

We also took advantage of lots of hands to take the Milestone photos which will be posted later.

Day 40 - BIG Remodel

It took about 1/2 hour for Koyuk and Trask to show the puppies how to escape the Pup-corral. I was briefly enjoying a breakfast of homemade, hand-picked blueberry/peach pie (thank you Kerstin) with my morning coffer when the dogs pulled down the fencing and let the puppies out. Coffee got cold. Pie had to wait. One roll of duct tape and two climbing ropes temporally held up the top of the plastic fencing.
A beautifully (I hoped) secure enclosure...

and a fun place to play with the puppies... (Trask demonstrating how to fit two at one time in his mouth.)

and cool off with ice water in the early morning 96 degree, 60% humidity heat...

 then escape.

 I really did expect to get a few days or more of black plastic imprisonment...

 but with a little - actually a lot of help and encouragement from Koyuk and Trask...

 they were out.

 "Hey don't forget me."

 A roll of duct tape and two climbing ropes later and everyone is happy in the newly secure play area.

 Wind crashed mid-crab tote.

All crashed as I finally got to  drink my re-warmed coffee and read the Sunday paper.

My washing machine broke down so there was no option of moving the pups back inside. It was HOT and  MUGGY with smoke filled air. To coll the puppies I not only misted them periodically with the hose, but I brought out the swim pool.

Standing in water was a new experience for the pups. As soon as I got them in and aimed the camera, they were out the other side. Able assistant Karmen stood in the pool and plopped in puppies as fast as she could grab them.

 "Come on. You can do it."

After R&R post dousing, it was dinner time. Twenty some pictures summed up in one.

Cedar in the Pup-corral. Once I put a rope around the top, She was unsure how to get in. After a bit of whining, I showed her the human/canine entrance. She was so happy to interact with the little ones.

The Pup-corral is now reinforced with duct tape and rope tied to trees and T-posts and guarded from predators by Trask.

 Maybe tomorrow I will get all the way through my coffee while it is still hot...

Maybe even the next three weeks...! Meanwhile I do need to call the appliance repair guy. Even almost paper trained puppies create a LOT of laundry.