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More Puppy Pics!
Yeah, so I'm boring these days. Just not much to say. Actually ... this isn't true. I have a LOT to say. Just nothing I can really say in public on LJ. So, instead, I have ...
PUPPY PICTURES!! *woot* =D
These are pretty much all at 11 weeks old. The one of him in the laundry is at 10 weeks, I think.
Let's Play Ball!!!
Curtains!!! Funny how this is hella cute right now. But in about a week or so, it won't be funny any more. I did make him stop once I had snapped the pics, though.
Doing some laundry! Not sure why his little eye is so red. I think this might have been right after he tried to "make friends" with my cat. Oy. >.O This pic was when he was around 10 weeks old. Funny how quickly they change.
Closeup: Seems so innocent, doesn't he? Heh, heh. It's all an act. =P
Ninja Puppy!! Black on black ... Well, and some white, too. ^.~
PUPPY PICTURES!! *woot* =D
These are pretty much all at 11 weeks old. The one of him in the laundry is at 10 weeks, I think.
Let's Play Ball!!!
Curtains!!! Funny how this is hella cute right now. But in about a week or so, it won't be funny any more. I did make him stop once I had snapped the pics, though.
Doing some laundry! Not sure why his little eye is so red. I think this might have been right after he tried to "make friends" with my cat. Oy. >.O This pic was when he was around 10 weeks old. Funny how quickly they change.
Closeup: Seems so innocent, doesn't he? Heh, heh. It's all an act. =P
Ninja Puppy!! Black on black ... Well, and some white, too. ^.~
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Is he teething? (do dogs do that?) Is that why they chew? I am super clueless about dogs/cats lol! But seeing Shiner makes me secretly want one... but I'm holding out for a Fennec if I end up moving back to FL. They seem to only be legal as pets in the south. :(
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He is a sweet, snuggly puppy -- but he's also very good at trying a person's patience! He's smart and curious ... which means he's into everything. He's very playful, too, so I have bruises all over from little puppy nips. (Another habit we are trying to stop before it gets too ingrained ... although it's partially just a matter of waiting it out until he outgrows it.)
Yes, he is teething. This is a big reason why puppies chew on anything and everything. Also, like human babies, they are curious. So they put everything into their mouths. Some dogs, particularly hunting / birding / gun dogs, remain "mouthy" even as they get older -- which means they will continue to want to put their mouths on you, grabbing your hands or pants, etc, with their mouths. But they learn to be gentle and apply no pressure.
Fennec!!! Those are so, so cute!! Are they hard to keep? I know nothing about exotic pets. The most exotic thing I've ever owned is our hamster! (LOL) Well ... unless a horse counts. I used to have a horse.
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He sounds like a keeper! I hope he doesn't damage anything while in his exploration phase. I know my ferret went thru an awful terrible 2's stage when she was a baby and destroyed about 1-2k worth of stuff. >_<;;; We almost got rid of her she was so horrible to us LOL! But she calmed down thank goodness. But Shiner seems so much sweeter and kinder than our rat beast.
From what I've researched and read they are like a cross between a dog and ferret, in the sense that they are very pack oriented like a dog but nocturnal and hyper like a ferret. I'd have to designate a corner of a room just for it to sleep and fennec proof the house/yard like I would if I had a ferret or else they'll escape.
LOL! I am the opposite, I've never had a domesticated animal before. I've always wanted cats but unfortunately Im allergic to them as is Ray, so no kitties for me. So far, I've mostly owned ferrets, and once a pony and capuchin monkey. LOL! The monkey was badass but furiously jealous of males, so we had to sell him. ;_;
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Shiner is actually an English Springer Spaniel. They are very similar to Cockers and, historically, were bred in the same litters. Their body shape, head shape, posture, and the way their fur grows is all very similar. I think their coloring can also be similar, although you typically don't see solid-color Springers. (Like you can see solid-color buff or white cockers, from what I understand.) Historically, the main difference between them was size. Cockers tend to top out at about 20 pounds or so. Springers, depending on what strain they are from, can weigh from around 45-60 pounds. There are "field" springers, which are used for hunting and bred for those qualities. And there are "show" springers, which are bred for certain appearance and breed characteristics, such as the shape of their head, length of neck, a "proud" head, which sits higher up on the neck, shape of body and conformation, etc. Show springers usually have the longer, flowing hair, and Field springers typically have shorter, curlier hair. Also, show springers are usually a bit larger. Shiner is from a show line, although he would never qualify to show -- which is why his breeder was willing to sell him to a private home as a pet. He will probably weigh about 50-60 pounds when he's full-grown.
Springers are considered "gun dogs", much like Labs, Golden Retrievers, Pointers, etc. Their function, as I understand it, is to "point" the game ... and, then, at a signal from their owner, they will "spring" the game from the brush/grass/whatever. Once their owner shoots the game, the springer will then retrieve it. Although he's very rough now, as Shiner grows older, he (probably) will instinctively develop a "soft" mouth, which means he might mouth things (like your hand, etc.) but apply no pressure. This is typically an inbred instinct with them so that they don't damage whatever game they retrieve. Show springers have a lot of the same instincts that field dogs have. Even as a puppy, Shiner already points and springs. It's pure instinct with him, which is totally cute and really funny.
So far, he really hasn't been that bad, puppy-wise. My previous springer, Tex, who died about 4 years ago, was the worst puppy ever. He was super destructive. He chewed up my mattress multiple times, broke several baby teeth on my metal bed frame, pulled the stuffing out of my couch, toilet-papered my apartment pretty much every day, shopped in the fridge when he figured out how to open the door, ate many many shoes ... and pencils ... and even a calculator >.O, chewed a hole in the wall of one of my apartments, etc. So, whenever Shiner tries my patience, I try to take a deep breath ... remind myself of what a horrible puppy Tex was and what a fantastic dog he became ... and just hope the same is true for Shiner. It doesn't always work ... but it's better than totally going out of my mind. Hee!
I can totally understand that feeling of "man, i should get rid of this pet" when you are faced with a new pet that is so super-destructive. It is painful to think of getting rid of them, but having something that destructive in your house is super stressful. You just never know what you will come home to find. And it's painful when they destroy your stuff! I can't tell you how many shoes I cried over after Tex ate them. -.-"
I looked up Fennecs on the interwebs! I knew basically what they looked like but didn't know much else about them. It seems like they are really great pets if you know how to "fennec proof" your yard and house so they won't escape. I'm sure you are more than prepared, since you've always had exotic pets. (Which I think is so awesomely cool!!)
Sorry for the super long comment -- and the boring "springer spaniel" tutorial, too. Yikes! >.O *shame*
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