pUpdates

Four pups from EE finished the week out with us, plus Delilah. By the end of next week, we’ll only have Eagle and Delilah. They will stay at Hickory Hollow a couple extra weeks before heading home. These pups have been lots of fun. Someone asked if we could tell if those still here miss those who have gone home.  It’s pretty hard to say.  They probably recognize the difference but no one seems to behave any differently.  I do think they are ready to set out on their own adventures. As you can imagine, they have outgrown the routine here at Hickory Hollow. If we were in the business of starting pups, there would be plenty of work to do. While we have toyed with the idea, we have a little too much going on in other corners of our life to give this much consideration right now, but maybe someday. Until then, we’ll let you take it from here!

We will continue to post weekly puppy portraits of Eagle and Delilah until they go home. For other pictures and activity at Hickory Hollow, follow along on Instagram. We hope to hear from everyone as the pups grow - don’t be shy! Thanks to everyone who has reached out to us. We are continually learning how to raise pups for a good start with their new families and appreciate all who offer advice. Thanks for joining us on our website and stay tuned for future litters next summer. Take care!

Quick note: As soon as we hear back from Field Dog Stud Book we will update the litter registration number.

I am going to cheat the pUpdate this week and post the same on both pages.  But please look at both pages to see different photos as those are not the same.

Very fun week with these guys and our last full week with all nine.  From Litter DD, Dandelion went home on Christmas, and Dennis went home two days later, so you’ll start to see the numbers die down as we progress toward the New Year.  These pups have been a true joy.  I remember thinking after Litter CC how could any litter top that one?  I know I’m repeating myself, but we would keep any one of these pups.  They all stand out in their own way and they are just awesome.

I did want to offer some limited advice should you find your puppy doing behavior you’re not crazy about.  At our place, we have diggers and barkers.  With seven dogs, neither of these behaviors are very desirable and can be difficult to control. 

A good rule of thumb:  A tired Llew is a good Llew.  But the days get busy and getting them the exercise they need isn’t always in the cards.  Truly, though, if you can get them out and let them run, your problems melt away.  If not, here a couple trouble areas and some suggestions if this is your Llew…

We’ll start with digging.  Shelby’s a digger and she’s been working to convert everyone else.  After doing research (YouTube, Google, etc) we’ve found there’s no cure but there is some prevention you can try.  We buy cayenne pepper in bulk (no joke, you can get it in a 5-lb container) and sprinkle it wherever you don’t want your pup digging or where a hole has been started.  It truly works.  Generally, a dog will sniff before they start digging.  When they get a whiff of the pepper they move on.  Shelby is a nondiscriminatory digger.  We can’t pepper our whole yard, but we at least can get the flower beds and then spots in the yard where she starts to dig.  You do have to reapply after rain or snow.  And one extra tip, applying in heavy wind is not very effective.

As for barking, we have a couple ladies who like to bark at the dark when we’re all tucked in and sleeping peacefully.  As soon as one barks, they all spring into action and race out of the house.  While not all engage in the conversation, the ruckus they make just getting out the dog door is startling.  We do use bark collars and have tried quite a few other deterrents to get away from the collar.  The bird houses which emit a high pitch – not reliable.  Getting up and calling them all back in doesn’t last very long.  Closing them in at night is problematic for those who can’t quite make it through the night without a pee break.  So, we tried a couple different bark collars brands and landed on the Garmin Bark Limiter Deluxe.  It has multiple settings and they truly do work.  We put them on our ladies at night and they go to bed.  There are different settings ranging from zero correction to an autorise setting where it gives the dog a warning vibration and slowly increases if the barking continues.  Before you judge too harsh, please read up on these collars.  I’m confident there isn’t a neighbor near us who loves to hear our dogs barking in the middle of the night.  We needed to do something because we like living here, and we like our neighbors.

These are suggestions based on what has worked for us and may give you a starting point if you find you need to redirect certain behaviors.  Give ‘em a try if the need arises.  If it doesn’t work, don’t give up!  There are other options out there, just keep looking.  And Good Luck!

Now that we’ve posted puppy profiles, I’ll tell you a bit about each pup. Probably seems a little like the cart before the horse, but there’s some real uncertainty about when to present what. Truly, we know the pups much better after this week but if we waited until now for everyone to make puppy selections, we think we’d be rushing those at the top of the list and we know you need something to go off of.  So, this will most likely confirm some of your thoughts if you’ve been watching the puppy cams.

Einstein will make a very good friend to anyone.  He isn’t pushy, he isn’t timid, he’s just present.  He plays and rough houses like the others but he seems to give you a little more space than some of the others.  He seems to hang out with Eva the most although he does play with all.

Eddie likes to tease you.  I can distract him for a little while with a toy, but he prefers live interaction, it seems.  He’s taken to pouncing and lounging and is not afraid to take Dennis on.  Plenty of confidence in this boy!  He also keeps squeezing through the fence in the large play area.  His timing is impeccable as I still haven’t figured out where he’s getting out.  I think he’s just squeezing through the squares of the fence -  my son saw him do that a couple times.  As long as he keeps getting out, the pups’ play time out there will be limited to direct supervision.  I know they all love all that room to roam but they’re stuck with whatever my schedule can allow for right now.

Eva has a mischievous side.  I’m not sure to what extent yet, but she likes the sneak attack.  She’ll innocently climb aboard my lap and then make a grab for something – hair, hands, shirt, shoelaces.  I can distract her with a toy and sometimes get her in a tug-of-war with another pup and.a rope toy.  Eva is our smallest pup.

Ely is our smallest boy, but he is not afraid to lay the law down if someone’s playing a little too rough with him.  I’d say he’s our feistiest one and loves to play.  Right up until he’s done, then he just lays down and shuts his eyes. 

Ellie knows what she wants, and she gets what she wants.  If she wants your attention, she simply asks for it.  She’ll come to you, either lean up on you or climb in your lap and look for attention.  And how can I resist?!  When she’s done playing, and she’s usually the first one done playing, she’ll find a spot on the fringe of the action and lay down for a nap.  She grumbles when her roommates crash into her and sometimes will crawl to a place farther from the action, but she’s pretty predictable.

Eagle is our biggest in this litter.  He’s a gentleman’s dog, no doubt.  He doesn’t always engage in a lot of the rough-housing, inside or outside the puppy cottage, but he will participate once in a while.  He’s a little like Delilah in the way he observes what the others are doing.  Of the nine pups, he’s the most easygoing.

If you have been watching the puppy cams, you may see Shelby and Skylar come in occasionally.  They ask to come in all the time, but I have been limiting it a little because once they’re in, the pups attack and they get a little overwhelmed.  Skylar more than Shelby, but they are asking to come in, so I do let them.  I can’t believe Shelby is still letting them nurse.  She’s way tougher than I am!  I assure you, though, I’m not forcing that on her.  Skylar is quick to step away from the pups when they’re looking for the milk bar.  Both ladies are staying in good shape.  And all the pups seem to be healthy.  We’ll check for parasites.  I’ve noticed a few runny stools so there may be something circulating.  All nine pups will get their vaccinations this week.  They need to get their first round of shots between 6 & 8 weeks.  To make the process the most convenient for our veterinarian, we delayed vaccinating Litter DD last week to synchronize with this litter.  Huge thanks to Dr. Julie Frese who comes to our house and saves us all the hassle of loading pups up and taking them to a clinic.

This week’s pUpdate will focus on puppy profiles using the same categories previous litters were evaluated by.  After you read through these, please feel free to email with any follow up questions at jennifer@hickoryhollowllewellins.com.  We have a lot we can say about all of them.  This is just a snapshot.

Temperament Types:

• Active (A) - Smart, interactive, spirited, intelligent. Pup needs owners who have the time and determination needed to train them.

• Neutral (N) - Relaxed, undemanding, well-rounded pup. Perfect for all family types.

• Passive (P) - Reserved, shy, submissive. Pup needs owners who will respect the pup’s limitations and devise ways to coax the pup out of his/her shell.

The Tests:

1. Interaction: (A) jumps right into play (N) hangs out amid activity (P) stays on sidelines

2. Play: (A) hyper (N) easy going (P) just wants to be petted

3. Cradle: Lay pup on back and cradle in arms
   (A) kicks like crazy (N) wriggles a bit then relaxes (P) relaxes immediately

4. Call back: back away from puppy with a toy
   (A) races after you, jumping and nipping at ankles (N) follows happily (P) hesitates or needs coaxing

5. Tuck & Pat: sitting in chair, settle puppy between legs and stroke pup's back
   (A) wriggles free and nips (N) wriggles then relaxes (P) enjoys the petting and relaxes immediately

6. Bend over: approach puppy then lean over to pet him/her
   (A) jumps at face (N) relax and lets it happen (P) cowers and retracts

7. Nose kiss: cradle pup's face in hands and Eskimo kiss, nose to nose
   (A) bites your nose (N) accepts and calmly returns affection (P) pulls back

8. Toe squeeze: gently squeeze the pup's skin between the toes
   (A) attacks hand (N) licks or mouths gently (P) cringes

9. Startle sound: make a loud unexpected noise (like clanking two stainless steel pans together)
   (A) aggressively approaches the source of the noise (N) nonchalant glance or stop and listen (P) cowers or withdraws

10. Uplift: lift puppy 4" off the floor cradling the midsection
    (A) wriggles and bites furiously (N) relaxes and looks around (P) looks fearful and constricts posture

Results:

• All A's - This is a dominant puppy, bright and interactive. Raising the pup will take concentration, consistency, and time. Pup's favorite expression: "What's next?"

• All N's - Easygoing and contained, this pup will be pleasant and self-assured, though perhaps not terribly motivated to follow your agenda when it conflicts with his own. Pup's favorite expression: "Is this absolutely necessary?"

• All P's - This pup has a weak self-esteem and needs your reassurance to feel safe. Without proper lessons and socialization, the pup will be shy. Pup's favorite expression: "It's been three minutes; do you still love me?"

• Mix of A and N - This puppy will want to be in the middle of everything but will show slightly more impulse control than a full-on Active pup when stimulated. Pup's favorite expression: "Let's do it again!"

• Mix of N and P - This self-assured puppy will be easygoing and gentle yet with a stronger sense of self than a completely passive pup. Because the pup is more composed, it will be an ideal puppy for a calm house. Pup's favorite expression: "Another belly rub please!"

Excerpts taken from https://www.dummies.com/pets/dogs/how-to-test-a-puppys-temperament/

There are a lot of movers and shakers in this bunch.  What’s crazy about this gang, for as much moving as they do, there’s not a lot of chatter.  All you really hear is lots of shuffling around.  Pretty funny.  You’d expect squeals, barks, growls, but this is not the case.  Even when Litter DD comes in to play during the day, all nine just chew on each other in silence.  Maybe we’ll get lucky and none will be barkers (fingers crossed!). If you are also reading Litter DD’s pUpdates, you’ll know we’ve been bringing those three in to play with these guys during the day.  We do give the families their own time at night.  The pups do not sleep through the night yet.  At least, from what we can tell with the three who come in the house for the evening.  You can hear them thumping around in their box long after they should be asleep.  We did get them started on dog food last week. All are still nursing but we are offer puppy food three times a day.  We’re slowly tapering back on soaking the kibble.  They have teeth, so it’s not a matter of not being able to breakup dry food.  It’s more to keep them interested.  We did rearrange the play area.  With warm weather forecasted for later in the week, we’ll show them how to use the dog door and let them test our outdoor play area.  We do have two outdoor play areas, but they’ll only have access to the smaller side until they’re a little bigger.  For now, we have the dog door closed so none unexpectedly find themselves outside in the cold and unsure how to get back in.  Shelby has access to the larger play area, which is about 8,000 square feet of native grass.  The smaller area is about 100 square feet with concrete pavers for the surface so we can keep everything clean. To avoid repeating information, feel free to hop over to the pUpdates for Litter DD for more information about everything going on at HHLS.

With week three in the books, all pups are happy, healthy, and getting stronger and stronger. Plenty of personality in all nine, but I will say that Ely is making a name for himself. He may be the smallest of all of them but he’s the most mobile. Eagle, on the other hand, likes a good nap. Shelby is still not too comfortable with other dogs near her pups so we’re respecting her space. She’s fine with Skylar’s pups (Litter DD) hanging out with her six, but no adult dogs allowed just yet. As soon as she’s accepting and we have her six on puppy food, we’re hoping to bring Skylar’s pups back into the puppy cottage. This will get everyone under the puppy cams and generally makes life easier on us. Things are otherwise going great. We did deworm this litter again this week to get them on the same schedule as Skylar’s for when we do bring both litters together.

It was a good week for Litter EE in the puppy cottage.  Everyone opened their eyes.  There have been a couple wobbly steps taken but this bunch seems to be spoiled by Shelby’s rich milk – lots of eating and sleeping.  They were all given de-wormer today, which we typically do every two weeks until they reach 8 weeks of age.  We treat both the puppies and Shelby since there’s a lot of sharing of everything going on in the litter at the moment.  Looking ahead, we’ll start the process of weaning them at 3-1/2 weeks old, and they’ll get their first round of vaccines at six weeks old.  Nothing very exciting to post this week.  Things will start to get a little rowdier as they find their legs and gain coordination.  Shelby is doing great.  She loves a little free time outside the puppy cottage but still doesn’t stay gone for very long.  She’s a good mom!

This is shaping up to be a very active litter.  When these pups are awake they seem to be in motion and talking up a storm.  It’s quite busy in Shelby’s corner of the puppy cottage.  Everyone seems to be doing great.  Dewclaws were removed at three days old.  Shelby is a very protective mom.  When we do let her out for some fresh air she doesn’t want any other dogs around and barely takes time to go to the bathroom before heading back to her pups.  She and Skylar are burning through the calories.  While they’re nursing, we’re feeding both ladies a mix of cottage cheese and dry food in the morning and a mix of canned and dry food in the evenings.  They always have dry food available free choice, otherwise.  Shelby is gobbling it up.  As you can see from the pups’ weight gain, it’s all going to milk production.  She dropped her puppy weight fast – she’s one of those chicks ;)

Another beautiful litter by Shelby. As you may know from other social media outlets, we did lose one little girl. To say it’s been a heartbreaking week is truly understating the week’s events but we are loving the pups we do have. Shelby’s pups are very active and seem to be thriving, as we anticipated. She is a very attentive mom in spite of many distractions. At the moment she is sharing space with Skylar and Litter DD in the pup cottage. There is a divider between them, but both ladies are quite curious as to what is happening on the other side. We are able to control the temperature in the puppy cottage much easier than in any room in our house so we’re hoping both families will settle in. This time of year is tricky with the big swings in temperature throughout the day. We have wireless temperature gauges we can monitor from our phones so we are keeping track if either whelping box gets too hot or cold. Shelby and Skylar are able to go outside as needed. While the pups need 85 degrees, mom does not so both may step away to a cooler part of their space here and there. We will continue to post pictures and updates throughout the 8 weeks the pups are with us before going home. Please have patience with the live puppy camera. We’re not lucky enough to have anything better than radio feed so the struggle is real at our house!