cute! pretty sure she's mix
Princess Sparkle...
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@debradownsouth I am very lucky in that my son realised I could never be without a Basenji (or two) and insisted I buy in a puppy when Keeper died. Hoover was miserable anyway as a lone dog after being part of a pack for 11 years. She became a puppy again, with the new buddy, but sadly she died a few months after her 12th birthday, leaving a miserable boy. So the obvious answer was. . . buy in another puppy. Mku's half brother, Kito. They both had birthdays in the past couple of weeks. Mku is two and Kito one year old. My son adores them and will take them on when the inevitable happens.
In the meantime they are keeping me fit and active. Daily squirrel hunts - yesterday we were out for 2 hours in the forest and they got absolutely filthy in the mud and rain ! I am looking at the weather now and figure there is a window of a couple of hours in the downpour about 11 o'clock.
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Wow! Lotta posts! Logan bit my Laptop power cord in half (shocked himself, but he's ok), so I only have a little battery left until the new one gets here.
@tanza
on the A&D. Not losing any puppy tails on my watch.@Zande I love getting your input and it's gratifying to me that you're getting a kick out of this thread. You're a great contributor here. Wouldn't be the same without you here.
@DebraDownSouth IT"S SO GOOD TO SEE YOU BACK! Thanks for the kind words! Very much appreciated, and again... so glad you're enjoying our puppy journey!
I'll give a much better update with pictures in the next few days once I've had a chance to charge this thing back up. I hate typing on a tablet.
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@jengosmonkey said in Princess Sparkle...:
Logan bit my Laptop power cord in half (shocked himself, but he's ok)
There is something about electric cables and Basenjis. Nothing was plugged in but until they got used to being left - during lockdown they almost never were - Mku and Kito chewed through the cord to the coffee machine, the charger for the torches and two chargers for the laptop.
I suspect Kito. He is the one who ate a whole pack of Omeprazole. Well, 25 from the 28. He managed to get them all out of the individual foil bubble packs except for one, and I had taken the other two. No after effects whatsoever to him, but to my wallet, OUCH !
A trip to the vet, and an expensive call to the Poison Line to find out what, if any, harm they would do him. Luckily no need to pump him out. Mku had to go too, because I wasn't sure if he had eaten any.
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@zande said in Princess Sparkle...:
ate a whole pack of Omeprazole
Well, if nothing else... a Basenji will encourage you to keep your home tidy!
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They were on a high shelf. My home is immaculate but nothing legislates for a determined Basenji who can leap onto the kitchen table from a sitting position ! He probably picked that packet because he couldn't open the bottles of pills which are on the same shelf.
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No pictures yet, but here's an update...
Puppies are FAT. Fat puppies. No eye slits yet. I checked yesterday This morning and this evening. No damned eyes slit at all. None. Zero, zip, nada. Nothin'. GROW DAMN IT! Poop is bigger. Pee is more. More poop and pee on me, but no eyeballs yet. I clipped 96 toenails today. That was nerve racking. I only got two yelps, but no "I'm dying" screams. No blood either. Tails are fantastic! No tail rot at all. I adjust collars everyday too.
When I pick my lil' critters up I hold them in front of my face and gently blow into their lil' Basenji noses... very gently. They always calm down right away. Then I cradle them next to my heart so they can feel my heartbeat. They're so sweet. They always calm down. I did this again when I clipped nails if they got upset. Worked to settle them down every time.
Tri Baby's red is coming in BIG TIME. Pips and red are everywhere. He's gonna be a really stunning Basenji, I think. Zowie's lightning bolt is sticking good so far. Tank is a BIG baby. And Dotto's dot is still there. Spike and PW are healthy buggers. I think they could be the surpriser's, but I'm no expert.
... I have to not get attached, but I am. My babies.
Even though they're blind and deaf... they're like ATV's at this time. They can't see, but they know they can walk. They're walkin'. Once the peepers open.... game on. Noses are fully functional.
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@jengosmonkey It is inevitable that you become attached, but try and maintain contact with new owners so you get emailed photos and updates. I am still getting Christmas cards from people who bought a puppy in 1985 - she is now fostering any dog that needs a home for a while. Others along the way are also in touch. Although back then contact was by letter post and hard copy photos !
I held neonates to the pulse in my neck - same difference. You are doing all the right things. Eyes will soon slit and then open entirely, but all hell will break loose as you so rightly surmise ! They will be all over the place, exploring and chewing.
Has Sparkle let Logan take over some of the parental duties yet ? He should be a good teacher.
Enjoy them while you can !
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@JENGOSMonkey (and @Zande and @tanza) This, I think, might be my favorite thread of all time! I absolutely love hearing about Princess Sparkle and Logan's litter! The updates have me giddy with impending news.
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@zande - Agree that you become attached.. that said, Zande is right and I am sure that Stella will let you know where she places the pups... so you can keep in touch.
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(Best read using your best pirate voice...)
Aye, me matey's ! Thar be eyes!
Eyes as faaar as an eye can see!Won't be long now till they be armed!
Armed to the teeth... with daggers.
The weapon of choice by these scourges.Take heed and beware...
Find a cave, dig a hole, or steal a strong chest and wrap it in chain.
Time be short. Hide yer stuff!Fore these pups be comin' ye be ready or not.
Aye! Thar be eyes! Eyes as faaar as an eye can see! -
Hurray !!
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@Zande I'm so excited! Three of them have opened their eyes. I expect the other three will open later today or tomorrow. I'm keeping the light somewhat dim in that room to give them time to adjust. I'll get some pictures, but I won't be using a flash, so I'm not too sure how well they'll come out.
Weights are really good! I have one that is a 2 pounder now! Three others are really close. The little female is still a bit behind the others, but she gains weight every day, so we're not too concerned.
Two of them have outgrown their newborn collars. I have bigger collars on hand and have gone to those. The other pups will follow soon. I have everyone's markings memorized. You could take all the collars off, mix 'em up and I could still tell you with 100% certainty who is who.
Walking is getting much more energetic now too.
We've allowed Logan to see, smell and get close to a puppy one at a time, but we haven't allowed him close to or inside the whelping box yet. Sparkle is beginning to relax more, but she's still somewhat adamant with him... "My puppies!"
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@jengosmonkey - Very cool!... and once their eyes are open Sparkle will let Logan talk to them... totally normal... And how funny that you post that you Know who is who... many have asked that question... when you raise a litter you know who is who... LOL...
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Just weighed them all, adjusted collars and slimed tails... 5 of 6 are above 2 pounds! Little one is a just few ounces shy, but she had a pretty good weight gain day. Checked eyes gain. Still need three pups to open up. Hopefully tomorrow. It's interesting watching them. They all seem to have about the same mobility, but the ones whose eyes opened today have better targeting e.g., they see Sparkle sooner and make a b-line straight to her instead of wondering around and bouncing off of pig rails first. Newborn collars have about another one, two days at most of adjustment left, then time to switch to the bigger ones. Have everything ready for solid food introduction this weekend.
I love seeing their little eyes open so I can say hello. It's obvious though that they're still pretty light sensitive. Not sure if I'm just a blur or just a big ugly monkey, but at least they can associate the big ol’paw that picks 'em up, kisses 'em, weighs 'em and stuff like that. I keep showing them to Logan, but he seems scared to get too close to them. Not sure if he's afraid of Sparkle, or he just doesn't want to be the meat head that breaks one. Who knows?
Hopefully it won't be long now till everyone has eyes open, gains some confidence and I can start setting them loose on me on the floor. I slept on a cot next to the whelping box for almost the first two weeks, but have moved to the couch in the same room. Kinda looking forward to sleeping in a real bed again soon.
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Ok... you've waited long enough. Here's a few...
I call this Neck Nap...
This one is Eyes...
This is "I'm Good"
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This is Spike and PW...
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@jengosmonkey said in Princess Sparkle...:
Kinda looking forward to sleeping in a real bed again soon.
Probably a bit late to mention this, but.... Walmart sells inflatable mattresses in the camping area. The last time I checked twins were under $10 (plus the battery operated inflation pump, which I recommend). I'm sure other places sell them also -- just thinking it might be more comfortable than a sofa.
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@jengosmonkey Sparkle will get fed up with these little balls of energy and allow Logan full access once the eyes are fully open. But you don't tell us what his reaction is to the one pup at a time ? How does he feel about the new-comers ?
And no real need to sleep close to them on a sofa - I was only that conscientious the first night and then it was back to my own bed for me !
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@zande Yeah, well, ya know... first time nervous puppy dad. Gotta make certain everything is perfect and nothing bad happens, so closer is better. But I agree... I think we're passed a good part of the danger. Just so worried something might go wrong along the way, and I wouldn't be near enough to unscrew a screwed-up situation. I will say this! Pig rails are awesome! Hard for momma to squish a puppy when it's protected by a pig rail.
Logan is cautious. He gets close and sniffs their noses. Part of the issue is protective momma. When she sees me remove a puppy from the whelping box, she follows. As I'm showing it to Logan she will stick her snout between his and the pups to back him away. She's not nasty to him, but definitely assertive. He usually backs away. I think next week will be better once everyone's eyes are open as you say. The ones whose eyes are open are already much more playful than the ones whose eyes are still closed. That should change soon.
My plan is to more a coffee table out of the family room and set down a large blanket, then put all the pups on the blanket so we can all play together. I'm hoping Sparkle relaxes and Logan perks up.
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Shame you don't have a granny Basenji. Our older ladies lactated and helped Mom at mealtimes. I have lovely pics of Grandma Tuppy feeding one pup while daughter Ziggy fed the other two. Ziggy only had 3 to nurse, Sparkle has a lot bigger family.
Chezz developed milk for Troubles pups too.
It is a Basenji habit in a pack.
