December 20, 2012

Brandie got shot!... err... got her anti-rabies shot.  :D

With the Christmas reunion in my house fast approaching, I needed to prepare Brandie and the pups.

I scheduled for her rabies vaccination.  I didn't want anyone getting bitten by Brandie.  Though I know she's that kind of dog.

I took a leave from work.  Paid the PHP50 charge at the Municipal Hall.  Went back home and picked up Brandie and went to the Agriculture office where the Municipal veterinarian is.  I spent more in the jeepney and Trike fare than the vaccine.

I was so worried.  I didn't have any muzzle for Brandie.  So I prepared a velcro which I could fasten and wrap around her snout.

We rode a tricycle.  It was her first to be out of the village and seemed excited absorbing the sights.

I let her walk around at the Agriculture Office while we wait for the vet.

 

When it was time for her shot, she was very behave that she didn't need the velcro muzzle I made.  It was done in about 5 seconds.  Brandie hardly felt the needle.

We rode back home as if nothing happened.  Her pups were glad to see her back, and was breastfeeding in no time.

I feel safer now for me and my house guests.  Next stop, the shots for her pups on January 31st.

December 15, 2012

Brandie brought home the bacon... err... bone.  :D

I would usually let Brandie out in the morning and evening to do her 3 Ps (Poop, Pee, Pasyal), and she would be back after 10-15 minutes.  She's not in heat so there is no danger of her getting pregnant again.

My neighbors have special occasions and parties at this time of the year.  Stray cats and dogs usually have a field day in trash cans/bags.   I usually castigate Brandie if I see her "trash" one of these garbage cans to scavenge.

One evening, she came back with a bone in his mouth.  I was trying to let her in, but she didn't want to.  I followed her to a vacant lot.  She dug and hid the bone.  She's done this several times.  I wonder if she ever remembers any of these hiding places she dug.

Another evening, I heard her whining by the gate.  From the balcony, I saw her holding something in her mouth.  I went out and put a leash on her, and led her to a vacant lot.  But she continued to whine, and didn't want to hid whatever it was in her mouth.  It seemed that she wanted to go back home with her pups.

I looked at the thing in her mouth.  It was limb of a lechon de leche.  Not just bone, but with meat and skin on.  It seemed that someone from the village who knew her gave it to her.

I was thinking, maybe she wanted to give it to her pups.  So we went back.  Upon opening the gate, she was met by her pups.  She dropped down the piglet limb and the pups had a field day.  They were tugging at it until it breaks into pieces.

I've been very careful in giving bones to the pups.  But Brandie seemed to know that the pork limb was safe for her pups.  I thought so, too.  Brandie's maternal instinct was really in full gear.  She never ceases to amaze me, of being a good mother, considering it was her first and no mother dog had to teach her or learn from.
 

Brandie and Diego

The pups are now 5 weeks old

December 9, 2012

The pups are now 5 weeks old.  Looking more like alive stuffed toys.  :D  Getting cuter and cuter every minute.  Always playing, always running.  Their routine is eat, play and nap.

Marius

Marius is becoming the biggest pup of the litter.  He resembles a small Saint Bernard.  Marius is one of the two pups that have full tails.   His round body (after a meal) and his excited wagging tail is a sight to see.  He really likes playing with her siblings.

Diego

With his black top coat and head and coffee-colored underside and paws, Diego is looking more like a Rottweiler.  His demeanor also projects a guard dog.  Always the first to bark when someone approaches the gate.  He doesn't play as much as her siblings.  He just watches them.  As if guarding them.  Diego's dad or granddad may have been a (or part rottweiler).

Amber

I was entering RCBC Plaza when I saw a K-9 dog.  It reminds me of Amber with its brown coat with streaks of black, and black muzzle.  It was a German Shepherd.  I wonder, maybe Amber is part German Shepherd.  Or it was just a recessive gene that surfaced in her.  Amber has the most unusual rhythm in wagging her tail.  If her siblings tails are like pendulum, left-right-left-right, Amber's tail is like waltzing in 1-2-3 count.  1-2-3 left, 1-2-3 right, 1-2-3 left....  My nephews find it really quite funny.  One said, "Parang sa saranggola. May kilya ang buntot nya.  :D"  That's when a kite is leaning to one side.

Hachi

I still could not determine Hachi's possible ancestry.  Her color is somewhat similar to Diego.  Instead of the Diego's black, Hachi has an unusual  ash gray color.  Though she likes playing as much as her siblings, she's a bit more timid, and would sometimes be in one corner watching the others.  She always has this scared look on her face. She prefers with them during nap time.

 

Sasha

The smallest of the lot, but the fastest and most playful.  She runs so fast that she sometimes tumbled over.  She could easily carry her body weight.  She's the first to climb on a box, the stairs, etc.  My nephew said she looks and acts like Bolt from the animated Disney film, except that Sasha has grey spots and has a half tail.  

 

Milk time while Mama Brandie is standing

December 6, 2012

The pups never seem to get their fill of Mama Brandie's milk.  They want to feed every time they'd see her.

One time, I saw them feeding.  Not the usual where Brandie would be lying on her side.  This time she was standing.

The pups could now reach her teats standing on their hind legs, while their front paws are pushing on the Brandie's breast so that milk would flow continuously.

Though it would seem that Brandie is sometimes hurting with the 5 set of small sharp teeth and 5 pairs of paws clawing at her breasts, being the good mother that she is, Brandie would take it all in, so that her pups could get the nutrients they need.

It's quite interesting watching the pups doing their balancing act while suckling on milk.  They are like miniature bears/panda bears.  :D

The Pups invade Brandie's Sanctuary

December 4, 2012

Brandie would sometimes have her alone time away from the pups. Usually it's my workshop (where I store my tools and other materials for various projects) that is currently also acting as storage.  It is elevated from the carport and porch.  Though it doesn't have a door, a wall-to-wall, ceiling-to-floor curtain separate it carport and porch.  Brandie feels it's a perfect hiding place.

When the pups hit their fourth week, they've become more adventurous and always investigating every nook and cranny in between play time.  And since they could run now, they are always running after Mama Brandie.  And they could definitely smell her when she's at her Sanctuary.

In just a few days, they've invaded Mama Brandie's Sanctuary. 

They would then have feeding milk time in the Sanctuary.

Brandie's alone time would then be spent in the front balcony.  Under the balcony sala set, near the railings, or in front of the Master's Bedroom balcony door.

Brandie's alone time would soon be a thing a of the past as the pups are growing fast.  Poor Mama Brandie.  Nowhere to hide. Nowhere to run.  :(

Christmas Rush; No time to post :( .... Sneak peak of the upcoming posts.

The past weeks have been a flurry of activities leading to the Holidays.  No time to post.  Just to give you a sneak peak of the upcoming posts....  The pups have grown a lot and are very active and have been running up and down the courtyard-balcony staircase.  Marius and Hachi have been adopted already by my neighbors but would still run after Mama Brandie when they see her outside, or run to my house gate and cry till I noticed them and let them in.  Diego, the Rottweiler-looking pup is becoming to be my favorite.  He has suddenly become very sweet and always excited to see me when his brother Marius left.  The pups are developing fascinating and endearing individual characteristics.  A bit dangerous as I am getting too attached.  Need to remind myself that they are leaving soon.  The pups and Brandie show me an animal behavior worthy of an Animal Planet scene.  This really surprised me.  The pups invaded Brandie's Sanctuary.  Mama is always looking for an alone place.  Brandie would get her anti-rabies shot before the Holidays.

Back to reality.  Back to work mode.  :(

Cleaning after the pups

Weekends are usually house chores day for me.  Living on my own for now in a 4-bedroom, bi-level, 2-balconied house, cleaning seems to take forever, that sometimes, I do the house cleaning once a month.

With the rescued pups more than a month old now, and have just started eating solid food (milky porridge), I realized that cleaning after them seems like a full time job.  As much as possible, I would no longer allow Brandie to clean/eat their pee and poop, so I would clean these immediately.  Good thing I have the squeezy magic mops from Divisoria at PHP80 each.  This is my right hand man in the clean up.

I am just so glad that my carport is tiled which makes it easier to clean/mop. I also noticed that the pups would rarely pee on their mat/bedding.  Very good.  Four times, I found poop in the courtyard.  I had to pick them up and hose the gravel and/or stepping blocks.  I think that's the closest they could get to a soil area.

I think each pup would pee about 10 times daily, and poop once.  Whew! My carport would sometimes stink of dog pee and dog smell.  Unfortunately, the pups could only have their first bath after their 8th week.  :(

Brandie has her bath once or twice a week, usually on weekends.

Once or twice a week, I would wash their mat/bedding, then clean the carport with soapy water and  Zonrox, then hose the tiled floor.  I would put the pups in the storage (Brandie's sanctuary), and they are so behave that they would not leave the place while I'm hosing the carport.  They would just sleep their time away.

With the added work due to the dogs, some of my projects for the house have been put on hold (carpentry, frameless art work, new set of living room set covers, etc). 

Do I regret rescuing Brandie and her 5 pups, knowing that it would mean more work, more time, and more expense for me, and knowing that the pups would be adopted eventually and leave my care?  Definitely not.  I gave them a second lease at life.  And they've been giving me joy every day, even for a just a few weeks.  I just hope that the people who would adopt them would really take care of them.