Puppy Points

Its not exactly like I've been getting hate mail but a few people - and you know who you are - have been suggesting that frankly they could give a pinch of Parmesan as to what I'll be doing the next little while. How are the puppies? What are they up to? Where are the pictures? Well to be honest I'm a little leery of turning this into the Nicky and Nora site. Let's admit it showing puppy pictures all the time can be as irritating as your cousin Harold who pulls out photos of little Smeadly's first diaper change. And I don't want to become that irritating. But in response to those who find my life less interesting than that of two dwarf wire-haired daschies, here you go.

• The two of them are constantly fighting and it does seem to get pretty ferocious at times. I've been assured this is just puppy play and this too will pass. I've noticed that more often than not Nicky will start it and then play poor-put-upon puppy.

• Nora is a barker - and won't we have to stop that - and Nicky is a whiner. I remember our first daschie being the mistress of the whine. She had a whine for every occasion - sort of like our local Enoteca (wine shop).



• One website tells me that you should use the equation of months old+one to calculate how long a puppy should be able to hold out before becoming the Trevi Fountain. While another says only the number of months. There would seem to be times when Nicky uses the equation: number of months divided by two.

• The breeder gave us instructions for feeding which we both found rather strange but we've followed them: 15 - 20 grams of dry food, a teaspoon of honey and 1/4 cup of milk. No one else we know has ever heard of this.



• While I was on the group walk of San Lorenzo on Monday I mentioned to one of the ladies that we were getting up every morning around 0400 with the puppies. She was incredulous - why didn't I just crate them with the door open and leave a puppy pad nearby? Well we've tried it for three nights and it seems to work.


• And whoever told me that since I was training one puppy I might as well train two, is going to get a good talking to!

Oops sorry, someone's scratching at the door to get out: progress we have progress!

07 maggio - Santa Virginia