Wayeh's 2006 Alaskan Malamute "Notorious" Litter

Born 10/19/2006, go home 12/14/2006

8/13-15/06

Mariah & Nikko tied each day. This puts the due-date ~ 10/15, anticipated go-home ~12/10

10/14/06

Mariah is restless, nesting, has to go out and wonder around every 4 hours to make sure the fences are still standing guard and the boogey man can't get in.... Even if it's 2am and she just went out at 10pm, we have perimeter patrol and she whines and fusses and paws at the door until I figure out how important this is. Then back to sleep -- for some of us. And she can't make up her mind WHICH crate she should come back to. At 2am, I often let her decide because I DON'T CARE all that much at 2am. Please, honey, pick a crate...

10/19/06, BORN 1 boy, 1 girl, go home 12/15

Born at 5:30 this morning, a gray boy has a half collar on his right shoulder. And then at 5:55a a gray girl with high white on her show-side shoulder. Both have goggles, snippets, faint bars. She is such a fabulous mother!

Two wasn't enough to initiate contractions back when they were due. Which is why we were walking the perimeter every 4 hours.

Starting at just after midnight, Mariah decided to have these puppies in an old doghouse in the back yard, one without a bottom, so she was happily/frantically digging a den when I figured out that she had other plans than I as to the location for the blessed event. Thence developed a tug-of-war, which I "won" when she got back in the house and into her crate... twenty something minutes later.

I think we're done, but there may be one more... probably not.

Pups are healthy, mom has lots of milk, and they are all snoozing now. Pictures

10/26/06, 1 week old

Pups are growing daily, plump and round -- Mariah has enough milk for 10. She thinks she should eat for 10. Not likely, gal. They are crawling and I caught her yodelling and him grrr-growling. Mariah is restless sometimes and wants to get out of the whelping box. I'm keeping them in the front bedroom, one door away, so I can hear if she rolls on them. Heat turned off in the house to encourage them to bunch. Easier for her to keep track of one pile, than two piles. She didn't get the boy cleaned off of placenta fluids before he dried, so he's got green stains on his whites. Will come off with time, or a bath -- which I don't want to do yet. Pictures

11/2/06, 2 weeks old - deworm

Eyes are open! Well, squinty, but open! They are REALLY fat, plump. Crawling with speed and strength. And howling! They hear the other dogs singing and join in, even if Mariah isn't singing, they will when the group sings outside. They seem to recognize me for our Early Neurological Stimulation (ENS) exercises, or just smooches and rubbing their faces. Pictures

11/16/06, 4 weeks old - deworm, toe nail trims

We have teeth, and we're eating kibble out of mom's bowl! Not much chewing, but they like the flavor and they will stand in the bowl while Mariah tries to finish her meal. They are venturing out of the doghouse sometimes on their own and coming to the front of the doghouse when I call them. I'm getting kisses and they will suck on your chin if they are hungry when you cuddle them. The girl is slightly larger (greedier) than the boy. Both have full pigment on lips, nose, and eye-rims. Both are going to have show coats (plush and thick). She's more outgoing than he is -- but when there's two, one has to lead. He may be a leader when he's away from her influence, but right now he lets her go first... well, not sure LET is the appropriate word since she's always charging ahead. They sing with the rest of the dogs, and growl when they play tug with each other's tails and ears. Pictures

11/23/06, 5 weeks old - fecal test

We are super outgoing and friendly with strangers this week. Met Joe & Karen, Susan & her mom, & Josie. Kisses for everyone. Play bows, wagging tails. Kibble is a no-brainer, they love it. Mariah still has plenty of milk. And they all snuggle together in the big dog house. Pups are carrying toys around in their mouths, and discovered shoe strings -- I don't wear the cursed things, so this was brand new for them. We explored the puppy yard a little this week -- they don't like cold damp feet. They do love tall grass. And they are fascinated by the pooper scooper -- doesn't say a lot for their wisdom, but does say something about their intelligence. <G> Wanting to bat and paw at it while it was busy cleaning up after them. Mariah has stopped cleaning up after them and I am finding myself grateful there are only two -- haha! Pictures

11/30/06, 6 weeks old - deworm, toe nail trims, Leash training/testing

Mariah is starting to play with them... well, OK, they are grabbing her tail and backing up as hard and fast as they can until she turns around and swats them. They are super friendly with visitors. And this week we start leash training.

LEASH TRAINING/Testing Day1 - coooooold today, 18-20 F	F1/Tori	M1/Rocky
Put leash on	Crouch and wag	Crouch, pee, wag
Walk through gate, away from everyone, and coax to follow	crouching, followed, with encouragement, right thru gate	hopped up, ran two steps, stopped, and wagged until encouraged
Call puppy and start slowly away	follows, behind, loose leash mostly, wagging, watching everything	follows, behind, loose leash, wags and grabs everything he passes-- pine needles, weeds, pine cones, sticks
Leash tightens the first time	Marlin on a line -- bowed up and backed up	Marlin on a line -- bowed up and backed up -- this happens with all puppies
Take one step back to loosen lead, and coax forward	Not me, you come get me	Oh, sure, I can do that
Carry to marker (fence post) and set puppy down, start walking back	I'm with YOU! Right on my heels	Uh, hey, we came around this fnece post from the RIGHT, and I don't want to go back to the LEFT. (So we didn't)
Head back the way we came	Puppy underfoot, right at my side	Puppy underfoot, right at my side
Walk through gate	Underfoot, pounced on leaf	Underfoot, looking for mom

LEASH TRAINING/Testing Day2 -	F1/Tori	M1/Rocky
Put leash on	Crouch, wag, start without me	Started back to kennel, not wanting to play
Walk through gate, away from everyone, and coax to follow	followed, with encouragement	followed, once we insisted we're going THATAWAY
Call puppy and start slowly away	started investigating, waited for her to finish, carried pine needle bundle for a few steps	Picked up all kinds of things -- even tried to pick up a glass railroad insulator -- too heavy
Leash tightens the first time	marlin on a line, until slackened leash & coaxed	marlin on a line, until slackened leash & coaxed -- twice, threw himself on the ground and rolled around.
Take one step back to loosen lead, and coax forward	Trotted right to me	Then trotted happily.
Carry to marker (fence post) and set puppy down, start walking back	Oh, no, you're not leaving me out here!	Hey, can't we go further? We've never gone that way..... (When I walked that way, he turned and lunged for the house)
Head back the way we came	Goin' HOME!	Hey, I've never seen this stick before (that he carried for 10 feet on the way out)
CONCLUSIONS	Getting more confident as we go, still a very soft dog, won't be a barnstormer Without the support of her dam and familiar surroundings, she's more of a follower than I expected.	Hints of barnstomer, mixed in with bashful. More confident than sister, which surprised me because in all other things -- within the puppy kennel -- she's more confident. But isolated, he's more sure of himself.

LEASH TRAINING/Testing Day3 -	F1/Tori	M1/Rocky
Merged results with TT & PAT.

Test to Perform