Hazel's 1/2 McNab Puppies

Diablo's first trip to Oregon

2008-07-12T10:18:00.000-07:00

Jon and I spent last week visiting his parents in Oregon and we decided to take Diablo. My Mom stayed here at the house and took great care of Hazel, Meika and Mandi. Diablo had a great time! We took him hiking and mountain biking all around the Willamette forest. Here are some pics:

Diablo and Hercules are famous!

2008-06-18T16:40:00.000-07:00

When I was teaching Diablo Aggie and Hercules to play frisbee (at 3 months old) I used a soft Filppy Flopper frisbee so that they could pick it up easily. I took a great photo of them and thought that I should send it in to the Filppy Flopper company because it was such a good photo. They asked if they could post it into a new section that they were creating called "Happy Customers". I said "sure"! I had no idea that they were creating a new section on the website when I sent the photo in.

This is the link to the "Happy Customers":

http://www.bmbpet.com/Default.aspx?ISC_PageName=Gallery

The photo of Diablo and Hercules is the second one from the left.

Those pups were so much fun! I could not believe how fast they learned to play frisbee. Actually, Aggie learned the fastest and seemed to enjoy playing more than any of the other dogs. Diablo has since decided that frisbee is not so much fun without the other boys to play with and has moved on to herding his Mom for fun.

Penny and Odie

2008-06-13T11:00:00.000-07:00

I received an email from the person who adopted Odie and Penny. I was so excited to see the pictures of the pups. They have grown so much! I can see similarities between Penny and Hazel and Odie and Hercules. Odie has the same bone structure as Hercules but the same markings that Priscilla has. Penny has the same bone structure as Hazel does but her coat looks to be the same color as Hercules.

This is the update from Jackie:

The pups are doing great, loving life here. Everyone spoils them rotten! They both love water, Penny especially. Luckily between the creek and the irrigation ditch behind the property they have tons of opportunity to cool off, and we've discovered that the "shoot" mode on the hose makes a great stream of water to chase around the yard. :)

They've been helping my cat out by digging up all the gopher holes...A part of me wants to stop them from the digging, but the gopher hole at the end of each of /their/ holes makes me just let them do their thing. :)

It's getting time to get them fixed, Odie's been starting to try to mount her and I want to nip that one right in the bud.

They are fantastic dogs, Odie loves being petted by everyone after he's gotten his welcoming round of barking out of the way, Penny is much too excited by visitors to sit still long enough for pets though. :)

Diablo has been trying to mount Hazel and we have an apt. for Diablo and Hazel to be spayed and Neutered on the same day. It will take place on July 17th. Diablo looked a bit nervous when I explained his upcoming appointment to him.

Priscella

2008-06-10T19:45:00.000-07:00

It’s been a long time since the last posting. We have been watching Diablo grow up and Hazel has been his best friend and mother the whole way. Yesterday we met up with Priscilla and her owner Donna for some fun play time. Priscilla seemed to remember us and it was a great reunion for all! Priscilla has grown so much! She is a bit smaller than Diablo 33 pounds as opposed to 40. Diablo is a big boned boy and Priscilla is a petite, dainty and very agile girl. She is great at climbing up and around the hills and a very fast runner too.

Dear Puppies: We Will Be With You

2008-05-04T23:44:00.000-07:00

Dear Puppies,

I was warned about you when I was a kid, "No strays, they might be pregnant." But, I was older now and knew better -- this was advice from parents that never happens -- an old wives tale. But it does happen, you are the proof.

We were there when you dunked your nose trying to get your first drink of water, and when you took your first breath. I could see you when you couldn't see me. I watched over you, and Brigette slept near you. You went from a 3-roll-of-duct-tape cardboard box with 6 inch walls Brigette spent 4 hours on the floor making to 6 foot high pseudo-fencing some of you could still climb over. You terrorized the pugs by licking their face -- overwhelming them with your licks and kisses.

Nine little paws prints with Momma in the middle.

There were times you fought, or didn't make it outside, or charged through the baby gates and barricades, not for food or a cat, but instead simply to get some affection And, while not pleasant, we stayed calm, after all, it was our fault not your's.

We spent hours fighting craigslist flaggers, people who think they are the Internet Animal Control, and that we didn't need to use their site to find you homes. But, we would repost and repost and repost, asking for pity, asking for help, asking them to stop blocking our posts -- they meant well, but this all started with a starving dog, we didn't know it would add up to 9 more.

You puppies were in there...

Your mom was very sick and hungry when we found her -- so hungry I took pictures in case she died the day after we brought her home -- so we had proof of the starvation and so someone might be punished for the cruelty your momma endured. And yet, you all came out healthy.

Brigette made your mom cooked food and we fed her slowly at first. It took 5 days for her to wag her tail or even lift her head to my hand for a pet. After a month, she gained some weight, but it didn't look right -- little did we know that was you.

To prepare for you, we read books and asked for advice. We made a crash-kit in case there were any problems. When you came out, two of you hemorrhaged from your cords, but I pinched it off and tied it shut. Boy was it a mess, piles of down feathers everywhere, and no doctor in case things got complicated.

We tried so hard.

We wanted to make sure you were a good thing for this world and not just more trouble.

We gave you away for free, not because you weren't worth something, but instead because we knew you were priceless and couldn't be handed to whomever was willing to pay. Some of your new people offered a donation and we accepted, but it wasn't required.

Your new owners were very hard to find. But, they all seem like they would be good friends to us, so I'm sure they will be great friends for you too.

We tried because we knew what happened to you those first few months could really have lifelong impacts.

We tried because we now know raising dogs is passed down from parents to children. Plus, having dogs as kids was one of the best parts of life, so if we could make you better dogs it was all worth it.

Discussing the edibility of brown deer berries covered in morning dew.

I'm sure we made some mistakes, but I also know you will be the greatest version of man's best friend we could pull off. Maybe you would have turned out the same if we hadn't been there, or hadn't given you so much energy -- but we'll never know, that wasn't a risk I was willing to take.

Your new people did us a favor by offering up their homes to these unknown dogs, but I think they knew we also spent 4 months (more or less) feeding, playing, cleaning, and caring for you.

While we loved you while you were with us, only a home with a new family could provide the time and attention you deserve. We miss you much, but we also know you are a kind of hand crafted gift from us to strangers. Make us proud and do no harm to anyone.

If dogs are man's best friend, you will become some of the best friends known to man -- I'm sure of it.

Be careful of cars and don't eat any stinky fish you might find -- it will make you sick.

Picture taken from Mt. Rose

2008-05-04T23:30:00.000-07:00

Here's a picture I took two years ago from the side of Mt. Rose. Aggie and Hercules live on this same road.

My friends were doing a mountain launch of their hang gliders from the side of Mt. Rose just below the ski resort. There was a forest fire about 40 miles away and the smoke coalesced into strange ripples around 11am. This is Wayne just after he launched.

Here's Ben D. taking off from the ski resort launch:

Operation Escape Suburbia Complete!

2008-05-04T23:27:00.000-07:00

All the pups now have new homes. They are mostly in pairs (or neighbors at least).

We just dropped off Hercules and Aggie to their new people who live between Reno and Tahoe on the side of Mt. Rose.

Here's a complete map of where all the pups landed:

View Larger Map

We found a great set of new people for the pups. Dealing with all these dogs was very difficult -- but, once we were in this situation -- and for the sake of the pups -- we couldn't take the easy way out.

A day at the park

2008-04-27T09:06:00.000-07:00

We took the pups to Robert Sibley Park and had a great time! The pups learned to play with the frisbee and met other dogs. More pictures can be found here: http://picasaweb.google.com/brigettelowe/DayAtSiblyWithThePack

TIME IS TICKING

2008-04-22T12:41:00.000-07:00

Jon wants to find homes for the pups and Hazle in the next 7 days. If you know anyone who would like to adopt any of the pups please have them contact me at 925-330-8899 or brigettelowe@gmail.com

Custom dog collars

2008-04-16T23:16:00.000-07:00

Raw Dog Leather is based in Eugene (my old stomping grounds) and makes amazing custom collars for dogs. We found them on Etsy but the complete site is here.

These are 100% hand-made in the USA dog collars and leads. They even posted a message about our pups to help find homes up north in Eugene area.

Another good custom place is Moxie and Oliver from Seattle.

We are working on a custom collar for Diablito since all the ones in the stores are overpriced and under-quality.

Disk Dogs Doing Tricks

2008-04-13T20:24:00.001-07:00

This crazy disk dog looks a lot like Aggie (but I think Aggie will be taller when full grown). Look at that crazy Raccoon tail!

These boys need a home

2008-04-09T22:10:00.001-07:00

We are still looking for someone to adopt both Aggie and Hercules. They have so much fun together and have bonded over the past 3 months.

2008-04-09T22:06:00.000-07:00

I took some new pics of Agamemnon and Hercules today. They are looking quite handsome these days. They are growing out of the cute puppy stage so fast and are showing signs of what they will look like when they are mature.I have been asked how we named these two pups. We named some of the pups after Greek Gods.

Agamemnon

Agamemnon is pronounced: ag-a-MEM-nahn

Agamemnon is possibly derived from the Greek meaning "very resolute, very steadfast". In Greek mythology, Agamemnon is one of the most distinguished of the Greek heroes.

Hercules

Hercules is pronounced: HERK yoo lees

Hercules means grandiose gift;"glory of Hera" from the name of the goddess Hera combined with Greek kleos "glory". This was the name of a hero in Greek and Roman mythology, the son of Zeus and the mortal woman Alkmene.

2008-04-09T21:37:00.000-07:00

We took the pups to Sibley park for a walk in the trees. They met a pack of 6 older dogs and had a nice time meeting them.

2008-04-09T21:27:00.000-07:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

2008-04-07T09:55:00.000-07:00

The pups are 3 months old today.

Hazel is a great mom!

2008-04-07T09:50:00.000-07:00

Hazel and George. George is the only dog who has the same markings as his mom.

Hazel after she had the pups.
She looks so tired. For two weeks she would only leave the whelping box to run into the front yard to relieve herself. She would be back in the box in under a minute. She would not even get out to eat. I had to keep her food and water bowl next to the box so she could lean over and eat.

We would let the pups roam around in the kitchen and block them in with a plastic storage container. She would check in on them often.

Here she is nursing the pups at 9 weeks old. She is still trying to nurse the pups and they are 3 months old! She will run out to her "spot" (an area in the back yard) and stand with her legs all spread wide, sort of bracing herself for the pups tugging and sucking. Now they just smell the milk fountains and run away. She looks around, waits a bit and then starts to play with them. She loves to play with her pups.
The pups had an accident the other day in the kitchen. I saw Hazel cleaning up the mess like she used to do when they were very young. I told her to stop and I cleaned up the rest of the mess. I tell her all the time what a great mom she is. I hope she understands what I am telling her.

Aggie and Hercules are available for adoption

2008-04-06T22:38:00.000-07:00

Aggie and Hercules are looking for a home. They are great friends and I want them to live together. Aggie is very attentive to everything around him and Hercules is starting to show signs that he may be a great herding dog. They are both very sweet and will melt your heart.

George, Aggie, Lefty and Hercules getting ready for bed

George, Aggie and Hercules

Hercules checking out the park

Aggie and Lefty playing at the park

Lefty and George have been adopted!

2008-04-06T22:24:00.000-07:00

Lefty and George were adopted yesterday.They will be living in Junction City, CA. Looks like great place from Google MAPS.
The boys are living on lots of land and have a Jack Russel for an older brother. They also live with 3 Peacocks!!! They are fitting in well and LOVE the new home and lots of land to roam. They are two lucky boys.

Lefty meets his new mom.

George is so handsome

Ranger has been adopted and Priscella is his neighbor

2008-04-06T21:44:00.001-07:00

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Ranger was adopted early this week. He lives near Priscella in Canyon, Ca. Ranger is going to learn how to herd goats. I am so glad that I found two great owners for both Priscella and Ranger. The best part is that since they live so close to me, we can meet up for hikes in the trees. Diablo will be so happy to play with his brother and sister.

My Lefty

2008-04-06T17:10:00.000-07:00

Lefty has been adopted. I have a broken heart...

Brown Deer Berries

2008-04-05T23:27:00.000-07:00

Diablo went to the park with us last weekend. We were teaching recall (come when called). I had taught him come two days before and figured we'd go for a hike. He did really well, I could call him from 50 yards, uphill, etc. and he returned really well.

Hazel knocked him him down a hill and he rolled in the grass about 8 times -- ended up all wet.

Brigette got this great pic of us with my cell phone:

From Misc2

I don't know what we were discussing -- maybe it was something about eating brown deer berries, gotta put a stop to that right away ;).

He also went to Sherman Island for some kitesurfing today and went for his first swim -- he really liked it which is good.

Aggie and Hercules are back!

2008-04-01T10:13:00.000-07:00

Ranger, Aggie and Hercules

Jon received a call on Sunday from the person who adopted Agamemnon (Aggie) and Hercules. The owner felt that the pups were not getting the attention and guidance that they need to be good, well adjusted dogs. They had 10 acres to roam on but needed more time with owners. We tell everyone who adopts that pups that we will be more than happy to have them back if things do not work out. We are glad the previous owner realized that the pups needed more than he could provide and that he called us before deciding to call anyone else. We picked up both pups on Sunday afternoon and brought them back home to the pack. They we so happy to see Momma Hazel again! They had some re-adjusting with the rest of the pack and are doing well.

We are now looking for good homes for Aggie and Hercules as well as Ranger and George.

Priscella has a new home.

2008-04-01T09:51:00.001-07:00

I dropped Priscella off at her new home yesterday. She is living in beautiful Canyon,CA! She will have lots of room to roam and will be living with an Australian Cattle dog- German Shepherd mix. It was sad for me to see her go, but I know she has a great new home.
When I returned from delivering Priscella to her new home, I went straight to my computer to check email and found that Priscella's new owner had already sent me an email:

Dear Brigette,

Thank you so much for the beautiful gift you have given me!! Right now she is sitting in Christopher’s lap watching baseball while I cook her food. I found a fresh sweet potato to add to it... She has "met" 2 of the cats and so far so good!! Also, she just met girlfriend, the 6 year old female Aussie and German Shepherd mix of my sister's who lives downstairs. They sniffed and wagged tails!! I took her outside twice and she sniffed around and both times ended up nose down headed straight down the driveway. I swear she was following your scent!!

It was great to know that she is being loved and had lots of new friends and room to roam. The best part of all is that she only lives about 20 minutes from us. We are planning to meet up again soon to take Priscella, Hazel and Diablo out hiking in the Canyon forest.

Canyon is one of the only places in the Bay Area that seems like you are not in the Bay Area. Its a very small town with about 200 people and is mostly hills and trees.

I wanted to take pictures of the Priscella's new home, but the camera is broken.

This is a Google map image of Canyon

As you will see, Priscella is one lucky girl. Just think of all the good smells and land to explore!

Pups in pairs please?

2008-03-28T10:02:00.000-07:00

I would really like to place the pups in pairs. They are 11 weeks old and have bonded with one another. I think it would sad to see them go to homes alone and be without the other best friend and pack member.

Ranger and Lefty are very good friends. They are both mellow and laid back. They love napping next to each other when play time is over. When I feed the pack, I place three bowls of food down and these boys can be found eating together. They have a wonderful bond.

Ranger and Lefty

Priscella and George are always playing with each other. They are more active than Ranger and Lefty. When they are in the back yard playing, Priscella is always the first pup to hear when I walk into the kitchen. She will run (FAST) through the doggie dog and George is always right behind her. Right now the pups are sleeping and Priscella is resting her head on George. They have also bonded together.

Priscella and George

Ranger is so cool

2008-03-25T15:28:00.000-07:00

Ranger is the only pup who is mostly white with the ticking that Australian Cattle dogs get. We think Hazel is half German Shepherd and half Australian Cattle dog (Red Heeler). Priscella and Odie have shown some of this "ticking" too but not as much as Ranger has.

Don't you just want to take him home?

The Camera broke!

2008-03-25T15:25:00.000-07:00

I would like to post the pictures of the resort that Aggie and Hercules are living at but our camera broke. It will not hold a charge so we think the battery has gone bad. I will post the pics as soon as I can.

Hazel plays with George

2008-03-20T20:44:00.000-07:00

It's so cute to see Hazel play with her pups. Here she is playing with George.

2008-03-16T21:50:00.000-07:00

George

Hercules

Priscella

I think we have the worlds smartest puppies. They can all "SIT" when we ask! Jon taught them all this trick when they were 8 weeks old. I have posted videos so you can see the brilliant pups in action. They will "SIT" when we ask and will do it even if we do not have treats to give them.

Ranger and George can "SIT"

2008-03-16T15:18:00.001-07:00

Lefty and Priscella can "SIT"

2008-03-16T13:17:00.000-07:00

Lefty

2008-03-16T11:11:00.000-07:00

Lefty is growing a dark area around his back in the shape of a saddle. His tale is getting darker too.

Lefty is such a sweet boy. So handsome too!

Two left paws that are white.

Lefty, Ranger, George and Priscella still need homes

2008-03-15T10:51:00.000-07:00

Lefty, Ranger, George and Priscella still need homes. Aggie and Hercules have found a home at a resort and will be moving this weekend some time.

Link to pics of the pups that need homes:

http://picasaweb.google.com/brigettelowe/LeftyRangerGeorgeAndPriscellaStillNeedHomes

We would love to place them in pairs so that they could have each other to play and cuddle with.

Living at a resort

2008-03-10T12:12:00.000-07:00

GREAT NEWS!

Aggie and Hercules have been adopted and will be living at a resort. The resort sits on 10 acres surrounded by a deer fence. The pups will be protecting chickens, playing with resort guests and sleeping comfortably inside at night. I will be delivering them to the resort tomorrow. Look for pictures of the new place in the next few days. I am so happy they are going to live in such a great place!

Ranger, Priscilla, George and Lefty still need good homes. It would be great to place them in pairs like the last two adoptions. We have been so lucky this far to have the pups go to live together in pairs.

New pictures -- you know you want a puppy

2008-03-07T17:31:00.000-08:00

We've been posting all over the Internet (mtn. climbing, telemarking, hiking forums), fighting people flagging us at craigslist (removing the post because they think we are breeders), dealing with people who have puppy love, and still have pups to unload.

To reaffirm how cute these pups are, I took a bunch of new pictures.

From super-cute

Did I mention they are house-broken?

2008-03-06T20:31:00.000-08:00

The pups are (or have been for a week or two) house-broken. It's not "proofed" yet in one or two of them, but most of them are doing well.

They also "sit!" now. If I time it just right, I can get all of them to sit in unison -- that's pretty funny, first step to a dog circus team or something. It's definitely a dog circus around here -- you know you want one....

Well adapted pups

2008-03-05T07:12:00.000-08:00

The pups have learned to go up and down the stairs quite easily and have recently softened their bite or stopped altogether (deciding to lick instead) during chew play. We are still reinforcing the bite inhibition with a quick "ouch" and pulling the hand away if they bite too hard. Seems like a pretty logical reaction, so it's not like we are undertaking some behavior program to do this.

Overall our plan is to just ignore or gently correct things we don't want, and praise, reinforce things we do want. At this point, that really just amounts to not eating/chewing certain things.

Here's another interesting quote from a dog behaviorist:

In wild dogs the bitch doesn't make any big deal about thunder by comforting pups, she
simply ignores it- and who ever heard of a wolf or coyote or any wild dog being afraid of thunder
or lightning? They are not afraid because they learned not to be as pups during the same 3 to 6
week period. Comforting an apparently frightened pup when fear has not yet developed is
reinforcing the startle response so on the next noise the response will be more exaggerated. The
breeder must encourage the startle response and must let the pup return to normal behavior on its
own which is the normal thing for any developing nervous system. It is what the dog will need to
do as an adult. Deprived of the sudden noises followed by the low level startle response and the
quick return to normal will mean an over reaction to noises followed by a prolonged fearfulness
when the pup passes the 7 to 8 week milestone when fear is escalating. And this is the stuff gun shy
dogs are made of. But again, the exposure to the sudden loud sounds must be during the 3 to 6 week
window when fear has not yet developed.

Seems we've done well so far handling the pups, giving individual attention, exposing to other dogs (that they live with) making noise in the house, etc.

The full article that includes that quote is here:

PRODUCING BEHAVIORALLY SOUND DOGS: Dr. Ed Bailey

Hazel and Odie's new home

2008-03-04T12:14:00.000-08:00

Hazel and Odie have moved to Doggie Heaven! Click the link bellow for the pictures.

http://picasaweb.google.com/brigettelowe/NewHomeForHazelAndOdie

Two Pups Go to the Sierra

2008-03-02T17:46:00.001-08:00

We brought two of the pups to their new in Grass Valley, CA today. Grass Valley is an old mining town right near Rough and Ready, CA (love that name, probably some wild history at that place). The new owner was very happy and the pups seemed very happy to have space, grass, a small creek, pond, etc. to explore.

View Larger Map

2008-03-01T19:40:00.000-08:00

The puppies got the DHLPP immunization yesterday. With the help of my brother Mike, I loaded up the puppies and Hazel into the back of my car and took them to the Oakland SPCA for their first set of immunization injections. What a ride that was! Both the pups and Hazel were very calm during the ride, no cries or barks. They seemed to be fine with the short drive. Hercules, Lefty and Little Hazel stood up and watched out the front window holding on to Mikes arm. It was so cute.
The Oakland SPCA is great! The Vet Tech offered to come out to the car and immunize the puppies so that I would not have to bring each one inside one at a time. She was very accommodating and gave each of the pups the shots on the hood of my car. Mike sat inside the car and waited with the pups while I held each of them for the Vet Tech. I was relived to see that they did not seem to care about the needle. After we got home, they had nice long naps.

Tomorrow we will be driving to Grass Valley, Ca to deliver Little Hazel and Odie. I am very sad right now but know that they could never be happy living in my small back yard. I know they will be in good hands with lots of love and 5 acres of land to roam on with ducks and chickens. he new owner works on a ranch so when they grow up, they will get to go to the ranch to play and maybe learn to herd. I am very happy to know that they will be able to sleep inside at night and that they will have each other to cuddle with.
Jon and I made a little stepping stone with each of the pups paw prints on it and Hazels too. We will find a nice space inside to remind us of one of the best experiences that we have shared together and the 10 doggies that we had the honor of spending the last few months with.

George and Hercules need a home

2008-02-28T09:50:00.000-08:00

George and Hercules are very smart boys. They love to play together and are very alert.

Hercules is the only one with ears like his mom so far. He keeps them up all the time. He looks like a little fox to me.

George looks exactly like his mom. The only difference so far is that his ears do not stand up like mom's do. They may in a few days though.

Lefty and Ranger still need a home

2008-02-28T09:43:00.000-08:00

These two would be great living togeher. They are both sweet and love to cuddle a little bit more than the rest of the litter.

Lefty falling asleep

Ranger loves to play fetch and he is only 7 weeks old!

Yahoo!

2008-02-27T15:20:00.000-08:00

Little Hazel and Odie found a home with lots of room to roam!

Little Hazel and Odie get to live the rest of their lives together and I am so happy!. We will be meeting the new owners the first week of March. Aggie and Priscilla may have a home together as well! We will be meeting the people who want to adopt them the first week of March too. Oh Boy they have a farm too! We need to find homes for Ranger, Lefty, George and Hercules. Jon has fallen for Diablo and wants to keep him as our pet.

New behavior: Bite Inhibition

2008-02-26T20:53:00.000-08:00

Today a couple of the pups seemed different. It seems like they want to hang-out more than use you as a chew toy. Not sure what caused this, but they will chill out and not bite at you constantly. When they do bite, you can say "No!" and they seem to remember it for longer than 5 seconds.

eating

2008-02-21T14:34:00.000-08:00

eating

2008-02-21T13:43:00.000-08:00

Getting ready to eat

2008-02-21T09:58:00.000-08:00

outside play time

2008-02-18T11:26:00.001-08:00

Pups now have a place to play in when its warm. Thanks to Mom and Reg for helping to clean up the side yard. They love it! They have been spending a few hours a day playing out side. Hazel enjoys playing with her pups in the play area too.

Link to pics

2008-02-18T09:04:00.000-08:00

More cute pictures

http://picasaweb.google.com/brigettelowe/NewCoatsForThePuppies

Ears UP!

2008-02-16T10:26:00.000-08:00

Hercules has his ears up now. He can move them in different directions too.

New behavior: What's my name?

2008-02-13T20:55:00.000-08:00

Today 2 of the pups actually turned around while they were digging/chewing at something when I called their name. I wasn't sure if it was the name, or just the sound, so I called each one a couple more times to see if I could get alternate/individual responses. It worked, so I think they know their names (or at least 2 of them do, others will not be long behind). It usually takes about 3-4 days for some newly learned skill to distribute through the litter.

Here's a really interesting paper that explains some pups could more than a week apart in development based on a couple different things:

One finding extremely important to the mystical (mythical?) 49 days time frame was that pups in a single litter can vary in developmental age by a week in each direction though all are born within a few hours. This developmental variation arises from several sources- conception can vary two to three days due to super fetation, delay in implantation of fertilized ova in the uterus may be another two to three days, location in the uterine horn, blood supply to the various embryos, developmental arrests or speedups, differential delay in parturition all can contribute to developmental variability. There is also differential post partum development especially during the first few weeks. This means that by the time the pup reaches 49 days since birth, it can be anywhere between 42 and 56 days old developmentally relative to all other pups in the total population of pups whelped on the same day, even to pups in the same litter. And it is the neural, physiological and physical development, not the exact chronological age, not minutes elapsed since popping into the cold, cruel world that is important in the behavioral stability or lack of it in pups and later when the pups reach adult status.

Note the part I made bold. There are definitely some pups that are ahead in some skills, but I don't know that it's always the same pups -- some get one skill fast, some might pick up the next skill faster. Plus, they are not at training age, just skills like name recognition, affection, recall, etc.

funny puppies

2008-02-11T12:49:00.000-08:00

funny puppies

2008-02-11T11:21:00.000-08:00

Aggie attacks!

2008-02-11T10:52:00.000-08:00

Ranger

2008-02-11T10:21:00.000-08:00

New behavior: Affection

2008-02-09T20:50:00.000-08:00

The pups have started responding to affection. Previously, you could pet them, but they would just bite, nibble, and fulfill whatever instinct they were thinking about. Today, 3 of them actually pushed up against my hand to get a pet and seemed to actually recognize and enjoy getting rubbed.

Sleeping and eating

2008-02-07T22:11:00.000-08:00

Sleeping and eating slide show

Little Hazel learns to escape

2008-02-07T21:56:00.000-08:00

Little Hazel was the first one to learn how to escape. I was at the computer in the next room and heard a thump. I looked into the puppy room and found her out of the condo. I ran and got the camera. She came into the room and found her Mom and Meika our pug to play with. It was so cute!

Mornings

2008-02-07T21:46:00.000-08:00

Most mornings I wake up and make coffee with the sounds of hungry puppies. Hazel tries to settle them down and feeds them a bit. She is not feeding them for as long as she has in the past few weeks. When I feed her breakfast I feed the pups food.

Growing up

2008-02-07T21:32:00.000-08:00

The pups are growing so fast. It seems as though they grow 10% more each day. The white on the Odie, Ranger and Aggie is starting to get freckles. All of the cute little noses are getting longer too.

1 month old

2008-02-07T20:59:00.000-08:00

The pups are one month old today. They have become quite active and are having so much fun. They learned how to bite and are practicing on everything. Hazel is starting to give them little bites to teach them that biting hurts. She is very gentle about it. It is so cute to see the pups play with Hazel and I can tell she enjoys the play as well.

New food!

2008-02-02T13:07:00.000-08:00

Hercules Says: "This stuff is good"

Over the last week, the pups have started teething and Hazel has started to wean them. They seemed a bit hungry - crying more than usual when Hazel would approach the puppy condo. It was time to feed them some food besides mom's milk. I decided to feed the pups Embark Dog food because, in my opinion it is the best dog food you can buy from a store. Most of you know that I make dog food for my dogs from scratch. I have started supplementing the food with a little Embark. I do this for a few reasons. First, to make sure that the dogs are getting a variety of nutrients and second because I get a little bit lazy sometimes. To entice the pups to eat, I had Hazel lick some of the food to get her smell on it then put the bowl down for the pups to try. They still nurse on Hazel just less often. We have successfully been feeding the Embark a couple of times a day for the past two days.

Play Time!

2008-02-02T11:29:00.000-08:00

Mom needs a break

2008-01-31T00:14:00.000-08:00

Cleaning house

Got Milk

So tired...

Agamemnon (Aggie)

2008-01-31T00:05:00.000-08:00

3 weeks old

Trying to squiggle away

This is Agamemnon (Aggie). He was the first one to bark, walk and is always excited to see us. He can be found standing on his hind legs trying to escape from the puppy condo or sleeping near a member of his pack. Aggie has a multitude of colors- dark brown, black light brown and white. He has a dark brown head with black around his nose. He has a few lines that run from his nose to his head. Aggie has an all white belly, ½ dark brown and ½ white tail and an arrow on his neck that points to his head.

Diablo

2008-01-30T23:52:00.000-08:00

3 weeks old

This is Diablo. He is full of energy and was one of the first to bark. He is a feisty one but loves to give kisses. He has a dark brown/black head with white on top of his nose that leads up to his forehead. Diablo has dark brown/black spots with a 1/2 black and 1/2 white tail and his front toes are dark brown.

Odysseus (Odie)

2008-01-30T22:05:00.000-08:00

3 weeks old

He is falling asleep

This is Odysseus (Odie). He is very aware of what’s going on around him. Odie is sure of his every move. He is a love bug too! Odie is the only white and light brown pup in the litter. He has a light brown reddish head with white nose and a line that runs up his forehead and meets his shoulders. He has an all white belly with 1/2 brown and 1/2 white tail.

3 more pups to meet

2008-01-30T12:37:00.000-08:00

Check back tonight to meet Diablo, Agamemnon (Aggie) and Odysseus (Odie).

Priscilla

2008-01-30T00:05:00.000-08:00

3 weeks old

She is such a good model.

This is Priscilla. She is a loving girl but stands her ground with the boys of the pack. She is a feisty little thing like her sister! Priscilla has a light brown face with a white around her nose that leads up her head. Her body is all white with light and dark brown spots. She has a 1/2 dark brown and 1/2 white tail.

Lefty

2008-01-29T23:52:00.000-08:00

3 weeks old

Learning how to chew.

This is Lefty. Lefty is a sweet little guy who likes to stare into your eyes. He is playful! He can be found checking things out or cuddling with his pack. Lefty is mostly reddish with a dark area along his spine and a dark tail to match. He has a light red face with white around his nose and chest. We call him Lefty because when he was born his left paw was white and the right paw was reddish. His coloring has changed but you can still see his left paw has more white than the right.

Lone Ranger

2008-01-29T23:37:00.000-08:00

3 weeks old

So sleepy in these pictures

This is the Lone Ranger. He likes to hang out peacefully by himself but gets along well with his pack. Ranger loves to be held and is very a quite mellow boy. He has a dark brown head with a dab of white on his nose. He body is mostly white with a few brown spots. His feet are muddled with bits of light brown.

puppies want food!

2008-01-29T11:58:00.000-08:00

Press the play arrow to see cuteness...

Play time!!

2008-01-28T21:19:00.000-08:00

3 Weeks old today!

2008-01-28T20:58:00.000-08:00

The pups are 3 weeks old today! They are such happy little puppies. Over the next few days, I will be posting a few pics of each of the pups with a short discription. Today you will meet Little Hazel, George and Hercules. Please be sure to contact me with questions.

Hercules

2008-01-28T20:49:00.000-08:00

Three weeks old

This is Hercules. He is such a sweet little guy. He loves to cuddle and be held. He is reddish with a blackish area along his spine and white belly with a dark brown outline. He has a white area on top of his nose that runs up the ridge of the nose. He has white paws and a little white tip on his tail.

George

2008-01-28T20:34:00.000-08:00

Three weeks old

This is George. He is a sweet little guy who likes to play with rough sometimes. He is reddish with a dark black area along his spine. He has a dark brown/black nose with a little white under his chin. He has a white chest with some brown spots on his belly. He has white markings on his front and back paws.

Little Hazel

2008-01-28T20:23:00.000-08:00

Three weeks old

Saying Hi to Mom

This is little Hazel. She is quite a feisty little thing! One of the first to bark and walk. She is a a light reddish color and has white front and back paws a little white on her chest and darkish black area along her spine.

New condo for the pups

2008-01-28T20:14:00.000-08:00

My Step-Dad Reggie, came over last week and built the pups a new condo. It has a nice big living area and a separate "Poop Deck" that the pups can access through a cut out door way. Over the next few weeks I will try the Misty Method and get the pups to use the Poop Deck. The pups are very active and get excited when we walk near the condo. They start saying "Hi" and try to climb out.

2 weeks old!

2008-01-23T15:49:00.000-08:00

So you want to adopt a pup?

2008-01-13T16:09:00.000-08:00

The pups are so cute! We have several people that would like to adopt them. We are looking for homes to place them in where they will be well cared for and loved. Part of loving these pups will be embracing their instincts. They will want to work. They are herding dogs. They will need to live on a ranch or farm and have something to do all day, everyday or you will come home to a huge mess (chewed up furniture, carpets, cabinets, all your shoes, dug up back yard etc.) due to boredom. If you do not have lots of land and have a large yard, you will need to spend several hours a day playing and running with them- Before you leave for work they will need a long run, after you come home they will need a long run, play frisbee, fetch the ball etc. They will need lots of your time. Please take the time to educate yourself about the McNab and Canaan breeds to make sure you will provide what they need.

LINK TO PUP PICTURES

2008-01-12T15:30:00.000-08:00

We have photos of the pups:

http://picasaweb.google.com/jonorb/HazelS9Puppies

Finally a walk!

2008-01-12T13:07:00.000-08:00

Hazel went on a walk today for the first time in 6 days. A much needed break from the pups! The pups are growing by the minute. All of the umbilical cords have dried up and fallen off. The pups are so cute! They are starting to show some personality too. A few like to make lots of noise and some seem to stay quiet. Hazel doesn't mind if we pick the pups up to pet them. She let Mandi our older Pug smell a few but not Meika the younger Pug. She is not comfortable with Meika around her pups. Meika would never harm a fly so Hazel has nothing to worry about.

This is Hazel

2008-01-09T22:14:00.000-08:00

This is Hazel.

On November 17, 2007 we found her in a field starving, cold and scared. She looked up at me with her pretty hazel colored eyes and I named her Hazel.

We brought her home and fed her lots of home cooked food and supplements. We bought her a bed and hooked up a heating pad for her to keep warm on the back porch at night.

She started to warm up to us and let us give her a bath. She had some fleas so we gave her a nice non-toxic herbal flea dip. We noticed that she had a slight infection in her vagina so she went to the vet and got that fixed. She started to gain weight and was introduced to our Pugs Mandi and Meika.

She made friends with the pugs and was allowed in the house. Hazel started to show us that she trusted us and would approach us for pets and love. A month passed and she was gaining more weight, especially in the stomach area. We thought that she was just getting a fat belly like the pugs and being pregnant was the last thing should could be...

Jon's parents helped us to convince us that she was pregnant. A visit to the vet confirmed it. Soon she was so big around the tummy! We started to feel the pups move inside her. How cool it was!

Finally the day arrived!
On January 7th 2007 at 1:30 pm the pups were born.
9 healthy beautiful pups
Seven boys
3 sable colored and 4 multi colored
Two girls
1 light sable/ red (who looks just like her mom)
1 multi color
The are all healthy and active, no runts!

A phone call to the person who lives near the field where Hazel was living for 5 days confirmed that the father of the pups is 100% McNab, a breed that originated from a smooth-coated dog typically reported to be the Scotch Collie or Fox Collie that was also the ancestor of the Border Collie. The breed's focus is on herding. His name is Frank. Frank was last seen playing and mounting Hazel. Frank is very very smart and loves to play fetch knows voice commands and is a happy guy. He lives on a ranch where he works herding sheep, goats and cows. Frank is in great shape for a 12 year old.

Hazel looks to be Canann, a herding and flock guardian dog native to the Middle East . She is SUPER SMART. The pups will be very smart too. Since they will have such strong instincts, they will need to have "jobs" or lots of room to roam and 2 walks each day. See the articles on left of the page.