Play Time With Puppy: Part 2

Little Gus tried so hard to get someone interested in playing with him. Rigby just wanted him to go away and Sal and Chima were resting on the couch so he steered clear of them.

He even tried to play with Frodo and the new football but Frodo was having none of that.

So he had to keep himself entertained. First with Nylabones and then later just rolling around on the floor.

Isn't his little roly-poly belly cute?

Play Time With Puppy

I figured that I would be drafted to be Gus' playmate since none of the other dogs usually are interested in hanging out with a puppy. But yesterday we got a big surprise - Salinas decided to accept Gus' play overtures and they actually had a game of tug and later a game of chase that would have lasted longer had Chima not gotten in the middle of things.

As much as Gus wants to play he has very good manners for a puppy and will back down when the other dogs tell him to give them space. It doesn't stop him from trying to get them interested though.

New Food For Foster Boys

Yesterday I took a trip to a natural pet food store to buy some food for both Gus and Rigby.

Gus is underweight and not as muscled as he should be at this age, thanks to being ill for a few weeks. So I wanted to find a food that had a lot of calories - something dense with protein and fat. These days a lot of food are heavily marketed and have things that are pretty unnecessary. For example a kibble that brags about having fish oil, glucosamine and probiotics in it is not really any better than one without - both the oil and the probiotics are damaged by heat during the processing of the kibble so aren't able to be utilized by an animal like you would hope they would be. Foods are marketed for small breeds and weight management and senior dogs and even specific breeds. There are a lot of gimmicks out there to get you to pay more for a food.

You can see Gus's spine, ribs and hip bones now - all signs that he needs to gain some weight

But food for puppies is something that is worth spending your money on - at least for the first 6 to 8 months. Unlike an "all life stages" food that can't be too fatty for older dogs, a puppy food is going to give a big boost of calories and also the higher fat that is needed for their developing body and brain. Pregnant dogs should be eating a puppy food as well - they need the extra calories.

So Gus will start on Firstmate Ocean Fish Puppy Formula which is a wonderful grain-free kibble made in British Columbia. I'll add some pollock oil and refrigerated probiotics to the mix as well and he is getting 3 meals a day, which all the other dogs think is so unfair. Hopefully with the extra meals and calories he'll start putting some weight on. Goodness knows he loves to eat! The kid is like a vacuum and can suck a meal down in no time.

Then, exciting news for Rigby - since most people really don't want to have to cook for their dogs we are going to start doing a trial of a kibble again now that his infection is all cleared up. I bought him some Nature's Variety Instinct Limited Ingredient Rabbit kibble and tonight was his first meal with some of it mixed in with his turkey, green beans and broccoli. Wish him luck!

Introducing Gus!

Gus arrived in WA on Sunday and was going to be fostered by another family, however they have another foster keeping them very busy and unexpected family stuff came up so they asked us if we would take Gus on as our foster boy. YES! I was so excited at the chance to foster this boy. 

Gus is always moving so some of the only times I can get a clear picture is when he stops to scratch or pee

This little guy has been down in Fresno with a couple temp foster moms being nursed back to health after a nasty battle with parvovirus followed by a complication that was a result of all the fluids he was receiving. And on top of that he had giardia! Little guy has gone through a lot and everyone is so happy that he made it through after several days where all the vets could really do was wait and see if his little body would be able to fight back. 

Watching the other dogs who are having a fit over some crows

He's now your typical busy little 15 week old puppy. As a result of being sick for so long he is underweight and his motor skills are a little behind in development due to being so weak and not moving around much. He'll be getting 3 good size meals a day of puppy food mixed with probiotics and a bit of fish oil and we are hoping he'll quickly start to put on the weight and build up the strength that he has lost. 

Most photos are a blur of jumping puppy like this one

But for now, a big welcome to this happy, friendly little guy!

Adopted! Magill Heads Home

Sweet little Magill was so cute and full of personality that it didn't take long to find him a home. We are pretty excited that he found such a great home complete with a young Rat Terrier brother so he will finally have someone who will play with him!

All harnessed and tethered for his ride to meet his new parents. He is heading east over the mountains to his new home.

Bored, bored, bored

Magill isn't currently a fan of car rides since for the most part car rides have not been fun experiences so far - trips to the vet and the long transport ride with people he didn't know. I'm sure his new parents will soon help him understand that car go to fun places too. Oh, and his new name will be Loki - which definitely fits the little maniac.

Meeting dad and mom

Kiss attack!

We will miss the life and energy he brought to our house but the other dogs are celebrating his disappearance with relaxed naps.

Frodo can finally sleep in his bean bag without Magill leaping off the couch onto it. 

Chima doesn't have to share her sun spots or the Nylabones

And Rigby is probably most happy of all to have things quiet and peaceful again. 

Construction Time with the Helpers

The 3 brown boys: Magill, Rigby and Frodo

It has been a very busy day so far. We are terracing the lower portion of our back yard which has meant large amounts of earth work by hand and today we started putting in the lower retaining wall. The dogs wanted to help, as usual and Magill was the most interested of all, and always seemed to end up right in the middle of things.

I tried to entice him with some of the long sticks that I was pruning off the cherry tree but he found Troy's wall building and dirt work much more exciting.

The big dogs were also interested in what was going on and were very happy when Troy moved one of the composters and left some rotten gunk behind for them to chew on. Chima took advantage of us being distracted and dug a hole in one of the flower beds, as well.

Chima and Rigby checking out the composting area

The first and largest of the 4 wall sections has been built and so far is seems all the boy dogs have voted the unfinished path as the best place in the yard to poop.

Sunning With The Girls

A favorite past time for my dogs is to take in the morning sun in the rec room where the sunlight creates large patches for the dogs to snooze in. While relaxing for a nap isn't Magill's favorite activity, he does like to hang out with the big girls.

Lucky for Magill he likes to chew on Nylabones and the girls don't mind him chewing by them, as long as he stays still and doesn't run over the top of them. This is great since the boys, Frodo and Rigby, are much less tolerant of having Magill near them.

Even Magill's puppy energy is no match for the powerful effect of sunlight and before long he ends up snoozing right along with them.