Rodders still doesn't seem to be drinking much but I have carried on making his meals fairly wet. He has also stopped using the paper indoors and it is becoming a bit of a battle of wills - I am sure that part of it is because it is so much fun chasing me mopping it up with the kitchen roll.
There has been lots of playing in the garden today, 3 times in total, and he just loves it!
I spoke to the breeder today and mentioned that he isn't finishing his meals. She has found the same with the 2 puppies she has kept and has cut down their portion sizes too. Phew, it isn't me doing something wrong then!
So Rodders ate breakfast, lunch and a bit of his tea. And then he flopped at 6pm. Nothing could wake him much and he was very dopey when I tried and just went back to his snuggle blanket to sleep. Even when a friend called in, he was a bit off, woke to say hello and hide behind me and went back to sleep as soon as possible. By 10pm I was really panicking as I couldn't get him to eat supper so I rang OH. He managed to calm me down and pointed out that he was exhausted after all that playing in the garden and maybe I need to pace him better. He also pointed out that he couldn't be starving or he would have eaten, especially after all that running around.
I put him in to his crate and went to bed. 5 minutes of crying and he was asleep again, I wasn't far behind him!
Showing posts with label breeder. Show all posts
Showing posts with label breeder. Show all posts
Friday, 14 October 2011
Thursday, 13 October 2011
The great day
It was agreed that I would pick Rodders up between 12 & 1 and I was itching to get in the car from the minute I got up! I put his dog bed, pad, snuggle blanket and teddy in the car and still managed to leave earlier than planned! Once I got closer I stopped and fuelled up as I didn't want to have to do that on the way home.
Found my way back to the Breeders in Lincolnshire just as they were just seeing off the 1st puppy to leave the litter. I was allowed in to the conservatory with the remaining 4 puppies. 3 of them launched themselves at me but one stayed away - wonder who that might be? Rodders had obviously decided that he was not ready to leave his brothers and knew that I had come to get him, so he was going to shun me as much as possible!
I eventually picked him up and as he snuggled in to my arms I just melted.
I spent about 2 hours with the breeder going through the paperwork, his care and basic grooming tips. They were brilliant and happy to answer all my questions. He was coming home with their puppy pack, all his paperwork and a months supply of food. The breeder carried him out to the car and placed him gently in the crate and it was time for the journey home.
Great excitement!
Sooooo excited, the breeder has emailed me 2 photographs so that I could see how Rodders had grown.
Rodders is in the middle of each photo!
The Eye Test
Schnauzers are prone to eye problem. Both Mum and Dad have to have yearly examinations to check they are OK and then the whole litter get checked at about 7 weeks. And this was the day.
Got home from work and received a call from the breeder to say they had all passed with flying colours. Better than that, they had all curled up and gone to sleep in the car - this was going to be really important as he and I would have a long car journey home and I wanted him to enjoy the car so that we could get out and about visiting friends, family and finding new, exciting, places to walk.
Got home from work and received a call from the breeder to say they had all passed with flying colours. Better than that, they had all curled up and gone to sleep in the car - this was going to be really important as he and I would have a long car journey home and I wanted him to enjoy the car so that we could get out and about visiting friends, family and finding new, exciting, places to walk.
First visit to the litter
So I got up in the morning and put my glad rags on, went to the wedding and (silently) cursed the bride for being 15 minutes late - didn't she know I had puppies to go and see? Lovely wedding by the way and very much what the couple wanted. Quick dash to my sister's to change and then she & I drove the (scenic) way to the breeder in Lincolnshire.
We had a chat with the breeder (and met Mum) before being allowed in to see the puppies. How could you possibly resist them???? Five little cuties running about the room, with the floor covered in newspaper to catch any accidents. They were crawling all over us and loved being fussed and I lost my heart to one puppy in particular. We stayed for feeding time and for me to answer my looooong list of questions, were shown the difference between a stripped coat and a clipped coat, met Dad and half brother before being told that I was allowed to buy one and yes, the one I had lost my heart to was available! We agreed on a date for me to pick him up when he would be 8 weeks and 4 days old.
OH was texting me to check what the litter was like and if I was getting one. I ignored him, surely he knows that I couldn't go to see a litter and not pick a puppy! I did talk to him on the way home though!
Then the dash home, change back in to my glad rags and the evening reception (which was a fantastic evening) before collapsing in to bed with puppy thoughts streaming through my head.
How we got to here
I worked happily in a stressful job with a long commute for many years until they announced redundancies. Having been there so long I was due a reasonable sum of money and so it gave me the chance to really think about what I want to do.
I have wanted a puppy for years, not just any puppy a Salt and Pepper Miniature Schnauzer, and this was my chance. When my Mum died 5 years ago I really struggled to get back in to the swing of things at work and my lovely boss Michael tried so hard to make me happy again, we had many chats about what I wanted and all I could come up with was that I wanted to work closer to home and get a puppy! He wasn't prepared to let me go and so I kept on the Hamster wheel but now, with redundancy looming, I was going to be paid to do what I wanted. Not actually sure I would have done it otherwise but this is a golden opportunity. Decision made, I would get my puppy and, once he was settled in, try to get a job close to home so that I can get home at lunch time for him. That makes it sound like it was an instant decision, it wasn't, it took me months with much soul searching. I know a dog is for life and not just for Christmas and I want to do it properly - Find a good breeder, a vet I am happy with, an excellent training school. I want a well balanced dog who is a joy to have around. Spending time with him and training should help me to achieve that - fingers very firmly crossed!
I then started researching breeders with the help of the Schnauzer Club, Kennel Club and the Schnauzer Forum. I knew that I wanted to avoid Puppy Farmers at all costs and it seemed like a minefield so I wasn't keen on trying other websites such as pet's for homes where there doesn't seem to be any control over who is posting.
With my redundancy imminent I rang a few breeders and my first problem was finding a dog (I wanted a boy rather than a girl) and the second problem was finding one in the right colour. Back I went to the Schnauzer Forum for help. I got a few messages with offers of help including one breeder who had a litter and suggested I give them a call.
I spent a long time on the phone talking about the litter (5 boys, all Salt & Pepper) and found out that they breed one litter per year and they also show their dogs. We both seemed happy with each other so it was agreed that I could go and visit the litter the following saturday when they would be just over six weeks old. She made it clear that until she had met me and seen how I was with the puppies and how well prepared I was she wouldn't decide if I was to be allowed to buy one of her litter - no pressure then!
I have wanted a puppy for years, not just any puppy a Salt and Pepper Miniature Schnauzer, and this was my chance. When my Mum died 5 years ago I really struggled to get back in to the swing of things at work and my lovely boss Michael tried so hard to make me happy again, we had many chats about what I wanted and all I could come up with was that I wanted to work closer to home and get a puppy! He wasn't prepared to let me go and so I kept on the Hamster wheel but now, with redundancy looming, I was going to be paid to do what I wanted. Not actually sure I would have done it otherwise but this is a golden opportunity. Decision made, I would get my puppy and, once he was settled in, try to get a job close to home so that I can get home at lunch time for him. That makes it sound like it was an instant decision, it wasn't, it took me months with much soul searching. I know a dog is for life and not just for Christmas and I want to do it properly - Find a good breeder, a vet I am happy with, an excellent training school. I want a well balanced dog who is a joy to have around. Spending time with him and training should help me to achieve that - fingers very firmly crossed!
I then started researching breeders with the help of the Schnauzer Club, Kennel Club and the Schnauzer Forum. I knew that I wanted to avoid Puppy Farmers at all costs and it seemed like a minefield so I wasn't keen on trying other websites such as pet's for homes where there doesn't seem to be any control over who is posting.
With my redundancy imminent I rang a few breeders and my first problem was finding a dog (I wanted a boy rather than a girl) and the second problem was finding one in the right colour. Back I went to the Schnauzer Forum for help. I got a few messages with offers of help including one breeder who had a litter and suggested I give them a call.
I spent a long time on the phone talking about the litter (5 boys, all Salt & Pepper) and found out that they breed one litter per year and they also show their dogs. We both seemed happy with each other so it was agreed that I could go and visit the litter the following saturday when they would be just over six weeks old. She made it clear that until she had met me and seen how I was with the puppies and how well prepared I was she wouldn't decide if I was to be allowed to buy one of her litter - no pressure then!
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