Tibetan Terrier Madness

Now 10 1/2 weeks old, the puppies are just fun! Mad!

Haring around at Tibetan Terrier miles per hour, running into things, jumping over each other, barking for attention... This is a house of Tibetan Terrier madness...

But we love it!

At just under 9 weeks old, Mario, our "Sable", went to his new home. We've heard he's loving his new toys and being in the garden, and we all think of him, but know that he's gone to a family who will love him very much.

Tomorrow, Zeus, our "Ryan", is leaving us for his new home too. The puppy's characters have really developed since they were 8-9 weeks old, and I can see why some breeders or people showing dogs will wait until this time, before they make their decisions about which puppy to keep or buy.

Zeus is the youngest of the four, and he is lovely natured. He loves to be cuddled especially first thing in the morning and seems to be the most intelligent of the four. I worked on leash training with him last week and he picked it up immediately, and he was the first to learn to "sit" too.  

Oreo, our "Claude" is with us for another 10 days or so. He will have a little further to travel, so it is important that all the right measures are put in place. So Monday week, we'll say goodbye to him. He's 'Oreo the Brave'.  He seems to have no fear, and rather than running away from a strange noise, will run straight up to it. He was the first to discover the stairs and where they lead (we have doors at the bottom but he thought following his mum would be great fun). And any new area, he is allowed to go to, he is right there! He has got a little barky for when he wants attention, so I spoke to my dog trainer (Summer the mum, and I go to Agility classes), and she gave me a few tricks to try. And they seem to be working already! Fingers crossed...

Sky has really been overshadowed by the boys. Whilst Zeus will sit back and watch, and Oreo will dive in, Sky seems to sit between the two. Maybe once Zeus is with his new family, we'll discover more about our little girl!!

Warnings to owners of 10-11 week puppies. Watch your washing! I keep finding socks in the garden. I've now realised that whilst I'm loading the washing machine, if a sock misses the drum, it disappears veeeerrrryyy quickly!!  Washing hanging on the line is also very easily accessible...  As are hanging tea towels in the kitchen....

Five week old Puppies

Well our gorgeous little boys and girls are growing up!

They really look like Tibetan Terrier puppies now, with curled up tails and fluffy to boot!

It's been difficult to find time to write the blog over the last few weeks, as I've been so so busy, puppy sitting (well, playing)..

The puppies were all registered to The Kennel Club at 5 weeks of age, and within the week, we've quite likely sold them all. I'm happy that as far as I can tell, their new homes sound wonderful, but I'm also a little sad that I may not see some of them again.

WORMING
Yes, what a delightful topic! At our vets, the worming place at 2/3 weeks and then at 5 weeks and 8 weeks, so this week I drove the TTs including mum, Summer, to our vets for their first of three day course of disgusting tasting worming mixture, which is fed via a syringe.  I then give them each a dose on day 2 (which was today) and again on day 3. Then next visit will be at 8 weeks.

GROWING UP

Week Five of looking after puppies has been great fun. Their characters have really developed... and so have their teeth!  TTs are know for slow cutting of teeth, but Sky (girl) has a full set of pincers (and I've experienced them..ouch!). Claude (white and black) has the next amount of teeth but still a few days behind Sky, and the two sables, are gummy with just the odd tooth poking through.

The puppies have learnt to escape. There is only one area outside of the whelping box that the puppies could possibly get through, so we have a long box running the length of the space. Except Claude has learnt that if he throws himself at the box, it topples over and he can get out. So clever!  I was sitting eating breakfast in the lounge (as the table had to be dismantled in favour of the dog box) whilst the puppies were sleeping this morning, and a few moments later, in trots Little Claude with a soft toy in his mouth... closely followed by Ryan. I wish I'd had a camcorder running!

Sky and Claude's hair is really growing. But all the puppy's hair looks lovely, and I've been brushing them everyday with a soft brush and a pin head brush, so they get used to it when they go to their new homes. We have Summer's hair cut as a "puppy cut", which suits our family life and she is happier with a light coat than a long heavy one. But for showing, their hair cannot be cut, and as this is what we will try with Sky, and possibly Sable (different owners), we will have an 'interesting' time with this long coat. I am told though, by a reliable source (Judy), that it should only take 30 minutes every day - but MUST be done every day.. or you end up with knots.

So puppies... how do they look now?

ONLY TIME FOR (LITTLE) CLAUDE TONIGHT...rest tomorrow..

 

This little puppy, known as Claude (just for now) has won so many hearts.

He is bright and alert, loving and calm.

Tibetan Terrier Puppies - 4 1/2 weeks old

Well what a week!

This hot temperature has been brilliant for drying oddles of 'vet bed', now our little Tibetan Terrier puppies - 1, 2, 3 and 4 - are weaning and then weeing and pooping, ALL over the place...

Above: Claude (left), Ryan, Sable (and Sky asleep in the back)

The Three Boys

Sleepy Sky

"I love my mummy" says Ryan!

Ryan (sitting), Sky and Claude (sleeping)

Summer with her chew. She wanted to hide it in the puppy play area! But ate it instead...

UPDATE

In the last week, the four puppies have not only leant to walk, but now run too! And they are just so funny!!

Eventually their little TT tails will curl over their backs, but for now the pups look a little like a fair ground bumper cars, with tails stuck straight up in the air and running backwards as well as forwards.

They can all escape from the open door of their whelping box and so we've turned the box around so they have a playing area, and have put some fencing up in front of one of the 'french doors' so there is a cool breeze blowing into the room.

Feeding Puppies

At just over 3 weeks, I started to wean our gorgeous puppies (named for now, Sky (no e), Claude, Ryan and Sable). We had managed to nearly get through 12kg of Royal Canin Starter Mother and Babydogs for Medium Dogs, and then couldn't buy any in the shops. The puppies had about four days on this, and really loved it, but then we had to find an alternative and decided on Arden Grange Weaning/Puppy.

The Arden Grange didn't go down quite as well, so I started making up a mixture of very diluted puppy milk - and now they all love it!  I also went for an Arden Grange Adult food, so that I have now started weaning Summer, their mum, off the puppy food.

But Summer is still feeding them, and cleaning up their poop!

I have to say though, that for all of them, they have scrambled egg for breakfast. Summer has an egg mixed in with her biscuit, and the TT pups have it on it's own.

The puppies can now stand up in front of a bowl, but they get distracted, so I sit with one at a time, making sure they eat properly, and enticing them if they try to disappear to play!!


Kennel Club Registration

We have finally decided on the Kennel Club names for all the pups. I'll tell you when they've been confirmed, but the paperwork has been sent off, and it's all in the hands of The KC now.

Tibetan Terrier Puppies - Third Week

Weeing and pooping! Food...but not much. Barking. Playing. Getting stronger as they walk. Inquisitive. Funny. Falling over. They've all been wormed (12,13 & 14 July).  Typical TTs, they don't like having a dirty bottom so let us all know when they've pooped! Have started being brushed (puppy brush). Have started to be weened.  

7th & 8th July 2013 - Pee Pee Puppies

I've had quite fun with the puppies today!

The Sable and White TT can definately move quicker and with greater ease than the others! These little faces appeared over the whelping box door opening- 3 of the 4 - trying to escape?! Whilst Skye slept, I bought out the 3 boys and put them on the carpet.  Summer quickly appeared (we call her the vampire because she 'just appears' when you're trying to steal a puppy!!), and the 'feeding frenzy' race began. Summer turned a few circles deciding that clean puppy bottems was preferable to having to lie still and feed. As she turned, Sable & White got on his four feet and it looked like he was chasing her, although he could really only manage four or so steps!  It was the first time, I'd seen more than 2 steps. Such fun!!

I can't work out why this picture is portrait when I cropped it to landscape, but here is a cheeky little face, looking for fun!!

Our Tibetan Terrier team are now looking less like guinea pigs and a little more like REAL puppies.  Their eyes are more open, although you can tell they can't see as clearly as they will be able to, yet. Their ears are more than little flaps and more like the start of TT ears which are opening and not just little buds.

Their nails are growing sooo fast - and I think I'll have to give them their 3rd nail cut in 2 1/2 weeks! Poor Summer, when they pad at her teats!

Their hair is starting to get a little thicker too.

But their tails are still little sausages! I can't believe that they'll have the lovely TT curl up tail!

Four little puppies...all in  row...

And why pee pee puppies???

Now the puppies are larger, there is more wee...  Twice today, I've been holding a puppy (different one each time), and I let Summer lick their tummies and make them wee.  Then she turns her head to look at something else.....and I have a puppy sprinkling wee everywhere!

4th & 5th July - Eyes Opening

Our guinea pigs...sorry, Pedigree Tibetan Terrier puppies, are getting bigger and bigger. They are getting a touch more control of their heads but do look a bit like those nodding dogs you sometimes see in the back of cars!

The pups aren't doing too much except sleeping and feeding, so sorry that the pictures aren't too different to previous days.

I've seen the sable/white and 'Claude' almost standing on all fours! But as quickly as they stand, they fall!  Won't be long!

And the feeding frenzy! It is sooo funny.  Mummy TT Summer, walks into the whelping box, and from the four courners of the box, these little bodies whiggle at 'top speed' towards mummy's tetes! Zoooommmmm...

Sleepy Sable

Sleeping in pairs

Cute

Big boy, Claude

And here is Sable/white. He is a real whiggler! But today, we could see that his eyes are JUST starting to open. 'Claudes' seem to, too!

But Claude is very cheeky... We found him trying to climb out of the whelping box! We ARE going to have fun with him, when he can walk!!  He he...

Day 8 & 9 - Puppies after One Week

All is still going really well!

It's funny watching Summer's (Mummy Tibetan Terrier) reaction to her puppies. She likes to feed them, then go for a walk...but a single tiny squeak...and she's back! 

I was quite concerned about her last week, as she was panting and digging so much. I did a fair bit of research online, and it sounded like there were a lot of people like me, worrying about continual panting. But a few of the articles and forum entries explained that as long as the bitch had been checked out (which she was), then it would be quite common and some dogs even panted for about 10-12 days.

Luckily and with great relief, Summer started to recover and gradually stopped panting on day 7/8, so by day 8/9, she was more relaxed.

Summer can be a fussy eater but she has been loving the puppy food. Now, however, I have to add 'liver cake' sprinkled in, with a little hot water. For breakfast she has scrambled egg with her puppy food. Once we start to ween the puppies next week sometime, we will start reducing puppy food and adding her adult food, so that by the time the puppies are fully weened (about 6-8 weeks), she'll be just on adult food (Wainwright's Light Adult Complete Dog Food).

A mass of hair, or a bundle of pups?!

The pups are looking a bit like guinea pigs right now - but Our Girl (black) has a cuddle with Sable

We don't often see them sleeping together, but with the warm weather, we opened a back door (2 rooms away). It was shut again, quite quickly...

Sable loves to cutch up to Mummy Summer

You can just about make out the four pups!

The puppies are changing too. They're starting to get a little control of their heads, only to lift them for a few seconds, but are turning them!  Their whiskers above their mouths, have also started to grow a little. Rather than tight closed eyes, you can see that their eyelids are developed over their eyes and you can now imagine them looking around.

Weight wise, 'Claude' and Our Girl, remain the heaviest, but Sable and white/sable are getting heavier in great leaps. We think the puppies have just taken on different genes!

The puppies can roll over, and they can travel at quite some speed across the whelping box shuffling on their tummies.

They do look like guinea pigs...really! But I know they'll start to look more dog like in the next few weeks...he he

This week we hope that the puppies will open their eyes and at the beginning of next week, their ears too, which are just tight little buds right now.

Oh, and there is movement in their tails! Only a little but we've all noticed it at different times...

We are trying to come up with a name for Our Girl. We (the family) were so sure on Summer as a name, that we're sure we'll come across another that we all agree on too...  But it's taking a long time.

Puppies - Day 2

Even though they're only 24 hours old, they are already changing - developing.

They've learnt the skill of 'latching on', and are picking up speed when shuffling around the whelping box, on their bellies like wriggly worms!

The one we've nick-named "Claude" because he looks like his dad (white and black), is the fastest. Fastest to move and fastest to latch on.

Little squeaks errupt from the box, just one or two. You know that Summer has gone for a wander or they've wiggled too far  from mum.

Nicole has been a great help today, playing 'nannie'.

Summer is leaving them now and again, but for the first few times when we took her out for a 'wee wee', we had to put her on her lead and drag her out the box. Once outside, we had to remind her why she was outside - 'Summer wee wee' which she would do ("Good Summer wee wee"), and then race back to her babies.

I rang the vets just to let them know that Summer had had four healthy puppies. I don't feel she needs any assistance, so we may not return for a while.  I did ask when she (Summer) should poo by as she hadn't, and I was advised to put more water in her food and anytime in the next 24hours would be fine.  Within 2 hours (about 26 hours after the first birth), she did a biiiggg poo ("good Summer toilets")

Proud Mum, Summer with her 4 TT pups

Left is "Claude", then the girl, white/sable is 4th born boy,
and sable on right is the first born

Cosy!

Mum and pups on day 2

We started pupping tapes on them, but as only 4 puppies and
they are all different, it's very easy to tell who is who!

Today is the Due Day!

Oooh, we ARE getting excited!

Summer has calmed down compared to yesterday, although it's still early in the day (2.30pm) for her. 

(Above) Our lovely TT, Summer, is just moving from one cool place to another. I feed her some bits of chicken but she's really not interested in food today.

We bought a new set of scales to weigh the puppies, and Nicole (daughter) and I had a practice with a stuffed penguin!

Look at this big pregnant dog tummy! I felt quite a bit of movement in there today...

WEEK SIX

Well we've had a very busy week, but watching Summer change has been enchanting!

Our gorgeous Tibetan Terrier bitch is most definately pregnant, with a round tummy that is making scratching a little bit of a challenge for her...

Whelping Box

We spent ages trying to find non toxic paint to use on our whelping box, and having found some, then spent most of the week painting it. The box is pretty big, about 4 foot square and incredibly sturdy. It is currently taking over our lounge but we are going to dismantle our dining room table and make a puppy area there. The lounge/dining room is open plan so won't be perfectly quiet, but hopefully we can make Summer feel cosy and comfortable.

Vet Bed

The Vet Bed arrived this week. This is special cosy bedding that fluids can pass through. Well this roll is massive, as tall as me at 5 foot 5! We

Keeping cool

It has been a lovely warm week, and like pregnant women, Summer has been having difficulty getting comfortable and cool.  We have a corridor shaped hall way with no windows, and this has proved perfect for dog cooling! I've also bought thining scissors (looks like a comb) so I'm going to try and thin down Summer's coat which is now very thick, having been groomed during the first week of her season (about eight weeks ago).

A walk in the park....

Summer and I, with Judy and Tibetan Terrier, Harris, met some more of our dog walking friends on Friday (7 Jun 2013).

Never think that dog walking isn't sociable. You really do meet some lovely people, and I have - including Judy, and our friend Debbie.

Now Debbie also has a Tibetan Terrier, called Freddie who is about 18 month to 2 years old, and also a Bichon Frise, called Charlie.  Before there was a Freddie, Summer, our TT, loved Charlie. She still does, but since Freddie came along, Charlie doesn't quite like her as much!  Summer gets very excited when she meets Charlie, but he now growls and snaps at her and won't join in the play. Poor Charlie.

Freddie is a full blooded male (not neutered) and when he, Summer and Harris are together, they look like a big bundle of black. Freddie has a sleek, mainly black coat and has only ever been trimmed. He looks very dapper!

Until Friday, it had never crossed my mind that a fully in tact male would find a pregnant female so attractive (in dog terms of course), but a walk around Box Hill with the four dogs, resulted in Freddie having to be placed on his lead now and again. Freddie was so 'in love' with Summer that he would have spent the whole walk with his nose about 2 inches from her bottom. 

Summer would tell him off, gently; a little yap and a snarl, but within seconds he'd be back in his favoured position...trotting after her, a few inches from her back end!

Charlie was also more tollerant of Summer and had lots of sniffs too.  Harris tried to intervene early on in the walk by putting himself between the boy dogs and our Sums, but he then removed himself and was content with trotting into the undergrowth looking for squirrels or rabbits.

I'll up load some pictures tomorrow of our walk.

4 WEEKS

Well we're quite excited, because Summer our lovable Tibetan Terrier dog is actually now showing signs of pregnancy. This is, signs that the books and websites signify as such!

Yesterday - 4 weeks and one day - she started having a clear discharge and we noticed that her nipples had most definitely grown, although the colour of them doesn't seem to have changed greatly.  Nothing major, but it is great, at last, to finally find some actual, real, not imagined, clues!

Day 12 - Mating Summer so DAY ONE?

Monday 22 April 2013

I wasn't totally convinced that today would be the right day, but, by gove, it was!

As with Friday, our Tibetan Terrier, Summer's bleeding was still a pink watery substance this morning but having discussed a possibly good day to take her to visit her prospective bow, Claude's owners and I had decided that today should be the one! 

Claude's experience as a stud would tell us if Summer was ready to mate or not. If it wasn't the right time, as the drive from Surrey to Northamptonshire is around two hours, Claude's owners were happy to have Summer to stay, possibly until the right time (which would not be long). As Summer is a much loved family pet who has never spent a night away from us in all of her (nearly) four years, we weren't sure how either us or Summer would feel...

...But we didn't need to find out...

My friend, Judy (owner of TT Harris' who is Claude's brothers), accompanied us to Northants as support and company. We left late in the morning, stopping once so we could all stretch our legs... (I'd read that you should let the bitch have a wee before arriving at the studs house).


THE MEETING

On arrival at Claude's house, as instructed, we let Summer off her lead in the lovely enclosed garden.  She had a good sniff around, a few more wees/marking, and then Claude was let in.

I can only say, it was an instant attraction, and any worries that my "little baby" would suffer, instantly disappeared! Puppy bows all round (bottom in the air, front legs parallel with the ground and wagging tail), jumping and playing - phew!  Within minutes Claude climbed onto Summer's back and started humping her. This stopped and started as they moved around the garden. He was arousing her, something I hadn't read about.

Claude's owner watched very closely and as it was a windy, cold day, we took the dogs inside where it was warm, when it became obvious that the actual mating was imminent (they had been playing around for maybe 15-20 minutes).

Inside, Claude climbed on Summer, started humping and Claude's owner confirmed that this was it! After a few minutes or so, Claude stopped humping and they were tied.  Summer did not look to be concerned, worried or stressed, at any point of the proceedings. Together with Claude's owner, we held Summer's head and comforted her as she tried to move away. Claude was moved around so they were bottom to bottom (a bit like Doctor Doolittle's Push Me Pull Me).  Summer tried a few times to move away so we had to hold her gently but tightly, so she wouldn't damage Claude's boy bits!! But she wasn't stressed.

After a twenty minute tie, which I'm told is a good length of time, Claude moved away and was put in an area of the garden way from Summer. They would not meet again that day.  Summer was kept inside for about another 15-20 minutes and then let out for a wee.

It was time for tea and coffee, and a nice long chat. And for me to ask lots of questions...


QUESTIONS & THOUGHTS

COLOUR    I was once told that Tibetan Terriers do not breed true (a colour outside of the breeding family can just appear) but this is not true. You could find a colour coming through from the parents etc but generally the pups should take on the parent's colouring.

Touch wood, Summer and Claude's pups will be black and white (like Summer) or white and black (like Claude). There may be a bit of tri-colour.

The colour breed standard for Tibetan Terriers are "white, golden, cream, grey or smoke, black, parti-colour and tricolours, in fact any colour except chocolate or liver permissible".

REGULARITY OF SEASONS    We had expected Summer to come into season 10 months after the previous season, which was 10 months before that, and 10 months before that. Her first season was at 11 months and 3 weeks old.  The last season did not happen in November 2012 as expected and when I expressed concern to our vet, he said that we must have missed it and that all dogs have seasons between 5 and 8 months. I wasn't convinced. I have since learnt that it isn't unusual for a Tibetan Terriers season to be around every 12 months. Phew again!

GIVING BIRTH / WHELPING   From simple research, I know that the bitches temperature drops and when it does (around 60 days) birth is due within the next 24 hours. I learnt that the bitch also gets very clingy nearer the birth and won't want to leave the owner.  She will also start to get very restless.

It also isn't unusual with Tibetan Terriers for the bitch to go into labour early, maybe even up to five days!

BIRTH ISSUES     I did wonder about things to look out for when the puppies are born  particularly with Tibetan Terrier pups. Umbilical hernias aren't unusual and for non show dogs don't always need to be touched - a show dog won't be penalised. Also we need to check for back feet claw nails and these must removed around day three.

                                               ---xxx---xxx---

I'm sure there must be other bits I learnt today, but I'll maybe add them as I remember!

Next step for Summer and Claude now, is to wait for 48 hours and see if they will mate again. 48 hours is necessary so the dogs sperm is at its strongest/most effective.

Sooooo DAY THREE will be Wednesday 24th April, and Summer and I will return to Northants. Tomorrow (DAY TWO) we are going for a walk with Harris (Claude's brother, and Summer's boyfriend!). I wonder what Harris will think of her and if he will sense if she is pregnant?

If Summer is pregnant, that means puppies should arrive around 21st June, give or take a few days!

She's in Season!

Summer (taken 16/04/13)

Our lovely Tibetan Terrier, Summer, usually comes into season every 10 months; just like her mother!  So we prepared ourselves for a November/December mating. 

But then January came and went, followed by February and March.  Had we missed the occasion? 

Thank goodness, no! Or we don't think we did...

On April 11th she came into season (started to bleed).  We didn't believe it at first, but after about 4 hours of checking, we could confirm she most definitely had.

GOING BACK 10 MONTHS

From May to October 2012, having decided we wanted Summer to have puppies, (as a pedigree dog) we had to have a series of tests done to ensure that she had no genetic defects, and that her puppies would be healthy.

Following the Kennel Club guidelines, the health tests for a Tibetan Terrier are:

1.  BVA/KC/ISDS Eye Scheme

2.  BVA/KC Hip Dysplasia Scheme

3.  DNA test - PLL   (Primary Lens Luxation)

4.  DNA test - NCL   (Neruronal Ceroid Lipofuscinosis)

For the Eye Scheme test we had to take Summer to a specialist vets in West Surrey. It was a very quick test  involving looking into the back of the eye and dye, and was painless and straightforward. We received a certificate immediately to show she was clear. Excellent!

The Hip Dysplasia test was much more involved, and meant that she had to have a general anesthetic. The x rays were taken at our local vets who sent off their findings for the scoring. The results did take some time, and unfortunately the results were lost (not at our vets) but the normal process we would have expected from x-ray to results was about 6-8 weeks.

The PLL and NCL were just simple swab tests. You pay and order the kits online, wipe where you're asked to (!) and send them off. All clear too. Fabulous!

So the conclusion of the tests was that Summer has NONE of the problems listed above, and next step was to find a mate..

A MATE FOR SUMMER

At Crufts in 2012, also a first for me, I got to talk to a number of breeders and asked lots of questions. I'd travelled there with my friend Judy (also a TT - Tibetan Terrier - owner), and the breeder of her dog, Harris, was there also.

I have to mention, and this was pointed out to me by Judy and her husband, Rob, before the show, that TT owners (generally) are very friendly and happy people, ready to give advice and support. I was pleased to report that this was my experience too!

I digress. With a few names of breeders in my hand as I left Crufts and also having spoken to the people on the stand of the Kennel Club Assured Breeder Scheme, I felt ready for the next step. To find a mate.

Now Summer and Harris (Judy and Rob's TT) are, what we say, "in love".  Boyfriend and Girlfriend. Love to be together, and play and protect like two dogs that live together. Same age. We take them out for walks together twice a week, exploring places like Box Hill, Headley and Nonsuch Park. 

Judy mentioned that Harris' breeder, showed Harris' brother, Claude, and thought he may be a stud dog, so I contacted them, and was so pleased to find out that he was. Harris is a gorgeous dog, laid back and happy. Summer is also a very happy dog but more sprightly and energetic. I suspect that Claude will be a mixture of the two, and what a wonderful combination of personalities the puppies could have!


A MATE IS FOUND

After a number of emails between myself and Rose at the Tyngeli Kennels, who breeds Pulis and Tibetan Terriers, and checking that the dogs were compatible through their breeding lines, it was decided that Summer (Margretas Desert Dreamer) and Claude (Tyngeli Mr Bojangles) could be a perfect match. Summer would have Harris' nieces and nephews!!