The Cookies are Checked Out

 

We routinely take our litters to Banks Vet. They don't accept many new customers because they are small, but we've been using them for nearly ten years and have been very happy. The Doctors come and go a bit, but they are carfull to get good ones.

The Cookies are all in very good health. The only thing called out was a potentially cleft pallet in Tollhouse, but it never did develope into a problem. Humans get this same thing and we often call them "gapped tooth" because there is a small but noticable gap between front teeth. Some call the trait "cute". The defect is only about as wide as a pencil lead right now and not into the upper mouth at all. It will likely close up completely when the adult teeth make their appearance. Other than this minor thing, and a regrown dewclaw on Lemon Zest, the pups are perfect in every way.

Personalities are beginning to show up. Each puppy looks quite a bit different, but the way they act is hasn't been too different until this week. They have also had their ears grow in and often step on them when walking around with noses to the ground. We call this bear walking because it pulls the head left and right as they walk. 

It looks like two of the three have families, not that this was ever in question. We haven't spent much time marketing simply because there are just the three this time. Lots of interest in the third puppy right now and I assume they will all be spoken for by this weekend. Call Ann (503-351-0212) if you are interested in Tollhouse. He still needs a family to call his own. Expect a very active little boy.

The Classic Cookies Litter - Week Four Update

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The weeks seem to fly by so quickly. I find myself writing an update at four weeks and this is unusual for us. In past litters the updates were quite a bit closer together. More often than not, most litters are quite a bit larger and finding good homes takes quite a lot more time. So anyway . . .

The Cookies are doing wonderfully. They have developed very well and all three are showing superb Basset traits. I will write full evaluations in a few weeks, so this post will be a bit less complicated. Here are the highlights: All three had marvelous body shapes with no flanged ribs or swimmer backsides. All three are beginning to run more than walk when they move. All three have well developed head shaps without any bite issues or flat skulls. In truth, these are the sorts of troubles we might find, if there were any troubles at all. And there are none to speak of. 

At four weeks we expect they will begin taking water from mom's water dish, and also they will begin looking at solid foods as a possible alternative. I put a dog biscuit into the whelping pen with them yesterday and they were quite interested. Lucy left the biscuit for them for about an hour before eating it herself. She is a very good mother.

Today we will be worming the pups, because worms are definetly a thing puppies all seem to have. We also worm our entire tangle of hounds at the same time, just in case. Vaccines will happen around the fifth of September and people will be allowed to visit the litter after than. There are some nasty sicknesses in the world and we are careful to keep them safe. 

If you are considering bringing one of our pups into your family it is always a good idea to visit us prior to making a firm decision. Call Ann at 503-351-0212 to set up a time.

Spritz is a wonderfully happy little puppy, but a bit scrappy. Her tail wags constantly as she plays with her sisters. She is very well deloped and weighs four pounds, fourteen ounces, today. Her first nail clipping and worming were a snap, but getting good pictures was not so easy. She wants to explore and will charge the gate of their pen any-time the door is open.

Lemon Zest is a real snuggler. The largest of the group, at fiv pound, seven ounces, she would rather do lap sitting than go looking for trouble. She will eventually share roughly the same coloring scheme as her dame.

Tollhouse is everything we look for in a baby Basset boy. He is rubust and loves to play. His facial coloring is symetrical and lovely deep browns and blacks. He is good natured, but rough on his siblings. If I were to keep a puppy, this would be the one. He weighs five pounds, four ounces.