Puppy class!

 

In this photo you can see me-Asia- with adult mix Corey, Chihuahua Mayet, and an adult Dalmatian/Heeler cross who was boarding with us last week.  Her name is Sophie.  See how much Sophie and the black-eared puppy Traveler look alike?  Buddha and Tank wanted to get in the picture too...

However, this post is not about the eternal cuteness of puppies, it is about our puppy classes!  Now that the puppies are 4 months old they are all receiving their final sets of shots.  That means they have good immunity to the diseases like Parvo that are common killers in this area, and THAT means that they can go out in public!  We want to invite all of the puppies that live in vegas to join us for a socialization class once a week. We introduced the puppies to lots of different people and dogs as they grew up. At four months of age they are starting their shy phase, so to keep them from learning to be afraid we will take them out to see all the things the world has to offer. This 8 week class will keep them in the socialization loop through their shy phase so they can face the world with confidence like Shadow and Freyja in this photo taken in front of Caesar's Palace. 

Judith has lots of fun outings planned.  The plans range from informal dining at Sonic's outdoor tables to puppy parades in Home Depot, attending First Friday's pit bull parade, dealing with the crowds on the strip, and training sessions at the park. This puppy class will take place once a week and should start March 8th.  We are asking a small 10$ donation from each family that comes to a class.  This will help cover our travel expenses. We welcome other dogs, so if you have another dog living with a dark moon puppy or a friend with a dog they can come along too!

Chew toy training

Your puppy needs to chew on things.  For dogs, chewing develops the body, keeps them mentally occupied, and cleans their teeth.  Chewing is such a part of what a dog is that if they can't chew they will actually become mentally ill.

To keep them from chewing on the wrong thing you need to puppy-proof your house before you bring your puppy home.  Just like when you have a toddler, anything that will be within reach needs to be put away.  

You also need to make sure they have good things to chew on.  We cut up old clothes and tied them in interesting knots to make inexpensive chew toys.  We also give them Kong toys, sticks, dried bamboo from the garden, and stuffed dog toys. 

We are always careful to get toys without squeakers if we are going to let the puppies play unsupervised because they like to dig the squeaker out and eat it.  This can result in a trip to the vet if you are unlucky!

Our older dogs generously offer to be chew toys as well.

Ghost: the Deaf Puppy

Ghost is turning into a very special puppy.  

He is deaf.  

  

 Deafness in dogs and cats is associated with the genetics for the color white.  The simple way it was explained to me is that when there are two copies of the gene that causes white color on the eardrum, it interferes with hearing.

We called him Screamer when he was younger because he would make more noise than anyone else. This was our first clue that he was different from his littermates.  If you don't watch him very closely you can't tell any difference.  He has days where training is easy and days where it if hard, just like other puppies. 

 He plays with other dogs just like the rest of the puppies.  He loves to cuddle and follow you around just like other puppies.  But when you call him he won't come unless he can see you.

Since the puppies came back from their christmas vacation on the ranch Ghost has become one of my favorites.  Last night he slept in the bed with me, cuddling all night long.


He is one of the gentler puppies in his litter and he is always paying close attention to me.

Look at this sweet face!  Judith would like to use a vibration collar on him.  We would train him that when the collar vibrates he should look around for his person.  Then we have a way to get his attention without depending on our voice. 
We have had several deaf families contact us about providing a home for him.  Wouldn't it be great if he could learn sign language with a family that understood his world view so intimately?