All the puppies have found homes

Well, the last few met their new families yesterday. This has been such a rewarding but exhausting experience. I am so happy to have been a part of connecting loving families with sweet canine companions!

Sorry for the delay in getting the update out but I have been sick. The puppies are getting so huge. I haven't weighed in about a week, but I would guess some are at 15-17 pounds. The remaining pups not yet adopted are HERO, ZEUS, ATHENA, & ARES. If you would like to adopt one, you can go to www.bullmastiff.us/rescue and fill out an application. Email me Jamie.LaRue@gmail.com and we'll set up a time to talk or meet. There are a few people interested in a couple so they will probably go fast.

Ares and Athena are definitely more lab-ish. Ares still plays rougher like Hero and Zeus, while Athena prefers to be a little lady and not play quite so rough. They are both smaller, not so dense like the others. They are sweet, snuggly, kissy, playful. Come when called, etc.

Hero and Zeus are a little more stubborn, hence a little more bulldog-ish. They are bigger, denser, thicker dogs who LOVE attention and affection, but might not necessarily come when called. Hero is a food HOG and I have had to feed him seperately and small amounts or watered down, etc. He will totally gorge on his food and eat everyone else's and have the biggest pot belly you have ever seen! (and then LOTS of poop) Zeus is the barker. He stirs things up with the other dogs and gets into barking contests with our shih-tzu frequently.

I will post new pictures as soon as the sun comes out, my daughter gets up and gives me the camera and I can get the pups to hold still for one minute!!

8 weeks and feeling better

Well, we've been fighting a tummy bug, but everyone's on the mend and getting fat again! Temporary setback is all. They are 10-14 pounds and so smart! About half go straight to their crates when coming indoors and the others make a run for the livingroom!!! Almost all the pups have been matched up to their new homes. Ajax will be going to Illinois, Apollo is going to Massachusetts, Phoebe, Chloe, Calypso, and Zephyr will be staying local.

6 weeks old

There is so much growling and barking now - it's so amusing. They're starting to get over their second bout with kennel cough and are playing a lot more. Everyone's eating about 1.5 - 2 cups of food a day already, so thank you - again - to ABA for sending food! They are loving to play outside and are doing a good job going potty in the grass. Oh, and they're learning to DIG!! Applications are pouring in - it's going to be hard to pick only 12 families for these angels.

216 toenails

It takes a while to trim 12 puppies' nails and wipe their noses and give their meds, etc... But what really makes it take so long is that each one has to be held and snuggled with for at least 10 minutes a piece. So what if the dishes don't get done!
I'll get more pictures out in the next day or 2. Hero weighs 8 pounds already! The rest are between 5-7 pounds. Pretty much all of them have kennel cough again. : (
They're growling and play fighting and howling in the middle of the night. They are grabbing each other's tails and shaking them furiously!! It's absolutely hilarious! They're doing better and better about going potty on the potty side, which is now pine shavings, not newspaper. They were having way too much fun ripping the paper. : )
Better go do some other things before it's supper time for the pups!

Vet Visit

We went to the vet for the first time and almost everyone looked & sounded great. A couple have a recurrence of bordatella and got put on antibiotics and are already TONS better after 24 hours. The favorite thing to do now is lap water from a bowl. We have to stop them because they won't stop themselves!! Next favorite is playing tug-o-war with wash cloths... too funny!
A couple weigh nearly 6 pounds and they're starting to get "leggy." Mama isn't nursing much at all anymore and they're doing fine with food. Will post pictures soon.

4 weeks old!

4 weeks old tomorrow and we've made it through kennel cough with no major problems. The puppies have seperate areas for sleeping and going potty and they are actually getting up and walking over to the paper to poop. This morning there were no poops in the sleeping area!! Sometimes they still pee, but gee - they're only 4 weeks old!! Their little personalities are starting to come out. We have some adventurers and some howlers. Some are very playful while others prefer to sleep. Some are eating puppy food like it's cavier and others still prefer to chase mom down and have milk instead! They're a lot of fun!! Hopefully we will get to venture outdoors soon. That should be fun!

Eyes open and walking

They are so cute - wobbling around. They are trying to play and are learning to growl... so sweet! All of the eyes are open. A couple even lapped milk from a bowl tonight. They just grow up way too fast!

Names

I forgot to tell you their names... We have Athena, Calypso, Chloe, Phoebe, Zephyr, Hero, Ajax, Midas, Hector, Zeus, Apollo, & Ares

12 Days Old

We are eagerly waiting for their eyes to open! All of the puppies have doubled their weight and Mama is eating like a ..... nursing mama!!! Thanks to the Bullmastiff Rescue for sending food - what a great organization! Not much to tell about the puppies yet. 7 boys, 5 girls... Will update when they start getting up and around!