Day 1

Dog Date 3.18.10
Twelve days old

Day one was a blur.

Task #1: Learn to tell them apart so that I don't feed one twice while starving another. (insert puppy squeal) Yeah, I don't think they'll let that happen. Good. Next!

Task #2: Decide on names. I am thinking that since they were lucky enough to be rescued (on St. Patrick's Day no less) that the names should be something like; Lucky, Charm and Rainbow. Those names are immediately met with a look of horror from B... evidently naming a rescue dog "Lucky" is like telling a stage actress "Good Luck" on opening night. Somehow I don't think that "Break a leg" will make a good puppy name, so we decide to go the subtle route: Irish names. We are currently trying a few names on for size. I'll make the formal introductions in a few days.

Task #3 Work out a routine. I keep finding myself in the midst of screaming puppies, trying to wrangle them and something else, thinking... woops, I think I did that backwards. There's an old proverb that says that "For every one thing to be done, there are ten things to be done before the one thing." Wait, I think that's one of Murphy's Laws... well, that is now my mantra: "What's first? " It seems to be keeping things a bit quicker and quieter.

So far the routine looks something like this:

1. Make the bottle:

The formula is mixed up at a ratio of 2 to 1. Two parts water to one part formula. At their weight they get about 2 oz. per feeding, six times per day. The first few feedings we made them their own individual bottles in a effort to do everything perfectly. This was not only messy and time consuming, it was also hard to keep the temperature of the milk regulated. It was easy to over heat and it cooled super quickly. Once we felt comfortable that they wouldn't eat until they exploded, we made one bottle for all. That works much better.

2. Gather all supplies:

Towel to feed on? Check! Washcloths/ Paper towels for after feeding? Check! Bottle? Right here. Meds? (only once per day) Check!

3. Port - o - Puppy:

One thing that was instantly needed was housing and it was decided that the bedroom would be good for stability and routine. They'd be near at night and it's quiet during the day for naps. So the den was set up with heating pad, warm able bean bags, and towels. Done.

In reading about puppy rearing best practices, it was suggested that on the counter is best. I like that the mess is most easily contained there and it's nice to have them on my level without them scratching my face. So kitchen counter is meal central.

So how to get them from here to there and back.... hhmmm.... I could pick them up and just snuggle/ carry them to the counter. But, upon trying this tactic, one will quickly observe that puppies don't wear diapers... Thus the Port - O - Puppy came into being. B devised a system of transport involving a simple box lined with a base layer of towel for comfort and warmth that is covered in newspapers. it is literally a bathroom carrier. By the time they make it to the kitchen they are empty and ready for a new batch of milk and cookies. (well, no cookies yet.) A quick yank and the paper goes in the trash so they can wait for their turn at the nipple in clean dry comfort.