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Mommy! Mommy!  Come in and share our picnic lunch!	Kacey patrols the prison perimeter...
	(Winky has gone through some name changes <g>.  First he was changed to Tyler, now his family-to-be has settled on Duke)
The "nannies," Angel and Kacey supervise from outside the pen...	Trying to get black dogs and puppies to pose for a "natural" shot is nearly impossible!

Due to recently changed recommendations from a number of vet schools, my vet and I decided not to hit this litter with the full combination vaccines for all the diseases at once.  The current line of thinking is that hitting the immature immune system with all the vaccines at once may overly challenge the puppy's system and that vaccines are probably good for a longer period than the 1 year previously assumed/promoted by the drug companies (for further details, see the advice of the vet school at Colorado State University   Thus, we decided instead of a full "wallop" every 3 to 4 weeks, that we would give this litter half doses every 3 or so weeks.  All the puppies (even Miss Minnie Mouse) were given their first Distemper, Hepatitis,  Leptospirosis and Parainfluenza shots at 8 weeks (April 28) and will be going in for their first Parvo shots on May 18.  Bloodwork was done on the smaller puppies first as a precaution and no puppy showed any reaction to their shots (except Minnie who managed a maxi-sized indignant screech <g>).

At six to eight weeks, I start to make serious assessments for the potential of my puppies.  Normally by eight weeks I can predict their final size at this age - the boys will be no more than double their height and the girls a bit less.  The boys will be at least double their height at six weeks, no more than double their seven week height plus an inch and no bigger than double the eight week height.  The girls normally end up double their seven week height. The pack order is pretty well established by now as is the pup's individual approach to life - though those things can still be changed and develop through both nature and nurture as the pups are introduced to ever-expanding environments and situations.

DUKE was 7 1/2 inches at 7 weeks and should mature at about 15 1/2 inches, probably about 22 pounds. He has a scissor bite and both testicles are in place.  He is a moderately curious puppy with moments of playfullness but also can be extremely laidback.  Likes to tug on shoelaces but also will stay on his back for belly rubs.  He'll be going to Westchester County in NY to be "little brother" to a 5 yr. old TT, two human children and two cats - and two adults.  There should be enough to keep him busy in his playful moods and somebody available to snuggle when he wants "quiet time."

BJ was 7 1/4 inches at 7 weeks and a little finer boned, probably will mature at 15" and 18-20 lbs.  He is very much like his father as a puppy... a "thinker" more than a "doer" when something new is introduced.  He starts out rather cautious, preferring  to sit in the shadows and observe a situation and see how others handle it and then when he decides to act, does so appropriately.  When people came to see the puppies and he was in the living room for the first time, he sat under the sofa and watched - when the other puppies had introduced themselves and played a bit, suddenly BJ came out and was untying shoelaces with everybody else. Scissors bite and his testicles are also down. He'll blossom in an adult or low-key family who will let him do things at his own pace - perhaps with another dog whose lead he can follow. He was originally supposed to go and join his older half-sister to help keep her "entertained" but the older couple who planned to take him decided that they weren't up to taking care of two "Tibetan Terrorists."

CURIOUS GEORGE still is living up to his nickname...  He was 8" at 7 weeks with a scissors bite and both testicles down and will end up about 16 1/2" and 25 pounds. When he's not bent on mischief such as tipping over the trash can looking for plastic bags to shake or papers to shred,  or untying shoe laces ,or dragging one of his littermates around by the tail, or trying to climb up my leg or  poke me in the face with his paw, or jumping on one of the adult dogs, he struts around with his head up in the air practicing a "show dog" stance.  He loves to grab the corner of the newspaper when I am putting fresh paper down for them - and will try to run with it into the next room.  Definitely the kind of guy who needs a "job" to do or he will be in your face asking for one.  He is going to be going to upstate New York where he hopefully will have a future in the agility ring and "help" train horses.

SOCKS was 7 1/2" at 7 weeks and will end up at 15 1/2" or a little more, probably also about 22 pounds but not quite as "chunky" as Duke who will be his neighbor.  Socks is my "collapsible" puppy - he's not quite as outgoing as Duke but is more so than BJ.  He is interested in checking out his surroundings and plays, though more gently than the average puppy; when he is picked up, he rapidly relaxes and goes totally limp in your arms. He'll probably be very happy to visit his brother who will be living down the street - but then equally happy to go back home to his own "digs."

SMUDGE was 7 1/8" at 7 weeks with a scissors bite and the testicles there but not fully down until the following week.  He's a bit huskier than BJ  and will probably end up about 15" and around 20-21 lbs.  The corner and inside of his right nostril (where there is white coat) still is unpigmented and may not fill in.  He is often right behind George in an "investigation" ... but he also can be a bit of a bully and picks on Minnie, pulling her around by whatever he can grab (tail, head, neck) and ignoring her screams of protest though he is beginning to listen to my telling him "no".  He will be living locally, filling the empty pawprints of a 14 yr. old Tibetan who died last summer and whose owners are looking forward to having a new "entertainer."

GREMLIN was just 7" at 7 weeks - also with a scissors bite though at times her mouth can look like she's got a bit of a pout.  Gremmie needs to have some "direction" in her life - she's active and agile - and may remain a fraction under 14" so could compete in the 12" jump class in agility rather than the 16" that most TTs compete in though I don't foresee that a higher jump would be any problem - after all, her 14" dam, her 15" sire and her 13 3/4" half-sister all clear the 38" high Dutch Door into my kitchen with ease many times a day!  She is about as curious as George and can be just as much of a pest and will team with him to grab the newspaper or a toy.  If something unexpected happens, she becomes momentarily cautious - for example, if a loud noise results from her knocking down the broom, she will steer clear of the broom until she is satisfied that it isn't going to "attack" her in a moment of unawareness.  Like Smudge, she will pick on Minnie until Minnie screams - but a good part of the time Minnie will approach Gremmie or Smudge, roll over on her back and start screaming until they DO pick on her.  It seems to be Minnie's way of initiating play-fights as much or more than the others truly "picking on" her.  Gremmie will be staying her for a few more months for some basic training and then will be heading out to Sacramento where she, too, is destined for a career in the agility ring.

MINNIE is still a silly looking puplet... measuring in at just under 4 1/2" at 7 weeks and hitting a whole pound by 8 weeks when she also lost all the hair on her front legs and about half of her hind legs as well as a patch on her "forehead" and on her shoulder giving her the appearance of a really bad poodle show clip with shaved feet <g>.  Now she is growing in some black velvety looking fuzz to cover the skin.  She's very active - though tires more quickly than the other puppies and usually after playing a bit comes to me to be lifted on to my desk where she likes to either curl up for a nap in a shoebox with a soft denim hat for a mattress or to walk across my keyboard, on up my arm to my shoulders and neck where she'll curl up and nap (after trying to pierce my ears!).   She's very bright - comes skittering to me when I call her, even from a different room though one has to be patient and allow plenty of time for those short little legs to get her there.  She's learned to "climb" the walls of the donut bed in the kitchen, sometimes dragging a small plush "snake" with her to use as a pillow and she does "chin-ups" to drink from the big dog's water bowl or help herself to their kibble.  She's been eating dry dog food along with her littermates for the last couple of weeks and that seems to be agreeing with her as she has been gaining several ounces every week for the past three.  Her teeth are slower coming in than her littermates - but even the front ones are now cutting through the gums.