Whenever I first come out of the house, or when I first return home, the
six German Shepherd-mix puppies (now seven or eight months old?) need
physical contact. [I've been surprised by this.]

No matter how tired I am, I have to stop, go to each puppy, touch &
speak to them. After that, they're OK.

???

Susan, Su_Texas my opinions

On Tue, 9 Sep 2003 wrote:

Whenever I first come out of the house, or when I first
return home, the six German Shepherd-mix puppies (now seven
or eight months old?) need physical contact. [I've been
surprised by this.]

No matter how tired I am, I have to stop, go to each puppy,
touch & speak to them. After that, they're OK.

???

dogs are social creatures. there are exceptions, but most
dogs crave some degree of physical contact with their people.
do these pups stay outside all the time? climate issues aside
(i think someone else already mentioned it), puppies need
pretty heavy socialization with humans. it's hard to spend
that sort of time with them if they live outside.

--
shelly (perfectly foul wench) and elliott and harriet
http://home.bluemarble.net/~scouvrette

On Tue, 9 Sep 2003 wrote:

Whenever I first come out of the house, or when I first
return home, the six German Shepherd-mix puppies (now seven
or eight months old?) need physical contact. [I've been
surprised by this.]

No matter how tired I am, I have to stop, go to each puppy,
touch & speak to them. After that, they're OK.

???

dogs are social creatures. there are exceptions, but most
dogs crave some degree of physical contact with their people.
do these pups stay outside all the time? climate issues aside
(i think someone else already mentioned it), puppies need
pretty heavy socialization with humans. it's hard to spend
that sort of time with them if they live outside.

--
shelly (perfectly foul wench) and elliott and harriet
http://home.bluemarble.net/~scouvrette

Whenever I first come out of the house, or when I first return home, the
six German Shepherd-mix puppies (now seven or eight months old?) need
physical contact. [I've been surprised by this.]

No matter how tired I am, I have to stop, go to each puppy, touch &
speak to them. After that, they're OK.

Dogs are instinctually pack animals and you're the leader of the pack. They
are being submissive to you and also just plain looking for praise and
comfort.

They're outside all day in Texas?

-Sharon

Whenever I first come out of the house, or when I first return home, the
six German Shepherd-mix puppies (now seven or eight months old?) need
physical contact. [I've been surprised by this.]

No matter how tired I am, I have to stop, go to each puppy, touch &
speak to them. After that, they're OK.

Dogs are instinctually pack animals and you're the leader of the pack. They
are being submissive to you and also just plain looking for praise and
comfort.

They're outside all day in Texas?

-Sharon

Texas Heat

I don't have air conditioning, so the temps are pretty much the same,
inside the house & outside in the shade.

The four pups still in cages are on a porch, which I've put up multiple
tarps to shield & shade. I check on the pups many times a day, & check
on them at night, when they bark & seem upset. Most things in my life
have been put on hold, so that I can care for & financially support
these pups.

The two pups who are tied, are underneath a big tree, which provides a
lot of shade, & there's a dog house.

I'm hoping (& working) to get all the pups on long chains (15-25 ft or
so), as quickly as I can. [The males can't run together, because
they'll fight to be top-dog. And one female (the smallest) will fight
to be top-dog.]

The pups underneath the tree, have a large plastic tub & a children's
pool of water to jump in, whenever they get hot. Plus they have buckets
of drinking water.

I fill some holes with water, before I let the pups out of their cages,
plus I fill large plastic tubs too. Each day, when they run & play for
hours, they'll cool off & play in this water.

[During this time, I'll hug, hold, stroke, & praise them a lot. I want
them to bond strongly with people, so they'll make good dogs for the
disabled, or search & rescue dogs, or whatever.]

Since their mother is afraid of water, I've tried to help the pups to
super-like it.

The pups have managed to adjust to the heat & humidity, gradually over
time. If you were to put them in air-conditioning now, they'd probably
get sick.

When they were small pups, the vet's office told me Not to run the
truck's air-conditioner or heater, when the pups were inside the truck
with me, ... because they were outdoor dogs. It would make them sick.

-----------

Most people here keep their dogs outside, so I don't understand why
people are upset about this. ???

-----------

I keep working on trying to get up a fence around the property. I plan
to put an electric wire under it, to keep the pups from digging out, &
to keep other dogs & predators away.

My injuries, the cancer surgeries, the swollen left arm from lymphedema,
the lack of funds, etc., make this slow going, which is frustrating.

I have hope & keep trying.

-----------

Mother's Guilt?

I'm tired, & I think I'm feeling mother's guilt, for my not spending 24
hours a day, hugging, petting, & caring for the pups, ... which is what
the pups seem to want.

I've had to set limits & boundaries, of what I can & can't do each day,
in order to get my & the puppies' survival needs met.

Some days, it's tough.

Susan, Su_Texas my opinions

PS Cats

This evening, the stray mama cat had her second litter of kittens,
probably under the empty rent house.

When I was leaving (to go bathe & eat), I saw & chased off a tom cat.
How do they know when the kittens are born? I'm hoping that the dogs
will keep this tom cat run off. I can't stay home & protect the
kittens, 24 hours a day.

I've worked hard to gentle this mama cat some, & her three kittens
(which are about half grown). Hopefully, I can get close enough to the
new kittens to gentle them early & well, & then give them away. And
I'll have to come up with the money, to get the mama cat spayed.

Texas Heat

I don't have air conditioning, so the temps are pretty much the same,
inside the house & outside in the shade.

The four pups still in cages are on a porch, which I've put up multiple
tarps to shield & shade. I check on the pups many times a day, & check
on them at night, when they bark & seem upset. Most things in my life
have been put on hold, so that I can care for & financially support
these pups.

The two pups who are tied, are underneath a big tree, which provides a
lot of shade, & there's a dog house.

I'm hoping (& working) to get all the pups on long chains (15-25 ft or
so), as quickly as I can. [The males can't run together, because
they'll fight to be top-dog. And one female (the smallest) will fight
to be top-dog.]

The pups underneath the tree, have a large plastic tub & a children's
pool of water to jump in, whenever they get hot. Plus they have buckets
of drinking water.

I fill some holes with water, before I let the pups out of their cages,
plus I fill large plastic tubs too. Each day, when they run & play for
hours, they'll cool off & play in this water.

[During this time, I'll hug, hold, stroke, & praise them a lot. I want
them to bond strongly with people, so they'll make good dogs for the
disabled, or search & rescue dogs, or whatever.]

Since their mother is afraid of water, I've tried to help the pups to
super-like it.

The pups have managed to adjust to the heat & humidity, gradually over
time. If you were to put them in air-conditioning now, they'd probably
get sick.

When they were small pups, the vet's office told me Not to run the
truck's air-conditioner or heater, when the pups were inside the truck
with me, ... because they were outdoor dogs. It would make them sick.

-----------

Most people here keep their dogs outside, so I don't understand why
people are upset about this. ???

-----------

I keep working on trying to get up a fence around the property. I plan
to put an electric wire under it, to keep the pups from digging out, &
to keep other dogs & predators away.

My injuries, the cancer surgeries, the swollen left arm from lymphedema,
the lack of funds, etc., make this slow going, which is frustrating.

I have hope & keep trying.

-----------

Mother's Guilt?

I'm tired, & I think I'm feeling mother's guilt, for my not spending 24
hours a day, hugging, petting, & caring for the pups, ... which is what
the pups seem to want.

I've had to set limits & boundaries, of what I can & can't do each day,
in order to get my & the puppies' survival needs met.

Some days, it's tough.

Susan, Su_Texas my opinions

PS Cats

This evening, the stray mama cat had her second litter of kittens,
probably under the empty rent house.

When I was leaving (to go bathe & eat), I saw & chased off a tom cat.
How do they know when the kittens are born? I'm hoping that the dogs
will keep this tom cat run off. I can't stay home & protect the
kittens, 24 hours a day.

I've worked hard to gentle this mama cat some, & her three kittens
(which are about half grown). Hopefully, I can get close enough to the
new kittens to gentle them early & well, & then give them away. And
I'll have to come up with the money, to get the mama cat spayed.