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The Great Outdoors **OPEN THREAD** UPDATED

By Rabble Rouser Reverend Amy on March 31, 2009 at 12:45 AM in Barack Obama, Current Affairs

On the puppies’ four-week “birthday,” we decided to take them outside for the very first time. It was so much fun – for all of us. Initially, they slunk down, not quite sure what the green stuff was, or the breeze, or the sun. That lasted about 1.7 seconds. Then, they were off and running!

I have proof:

And yes, that is me frolicking with the puppies. Or rather them frolicking ON me. What a fun day. Naturally, they all crashed after their exciting fifteen minute foray into the wild.

So you can see how big each one is getting, here they are:

Lucas, the first born -

Lucky is the black/white one coming toward you -

Leo is the brown one on the left, and Lani is the one on the right -

Leila, the last one born on March 1st.

Lucy took a two hour break, then came Locomotion -

And last, but not least by any means, Luna -

That’s Lucky on his back with his feet crossed, and Locomotion all spread out. I have to admit, seeing them do this absolutely had me in stitches:

Hope you enjoyed this little break with my pack (and Go, HEELS!!!)!

UPDATE: The puppies had their 4 week vet visit on Monday. Locomotion weighed in at the most – about 7 lbs!! They all weighed around 1 lb at birth. They are all above the 6 lb mark, with the 3 girls weighing less than their brothers.

Two of the vet techs at our AAHA-certified vet clinic have dibs on a puppy each (I’m Fed Up, you better get out here quick if you want one!). One of the techs is so crazy about the puppies that she put herself down to be the tech yesterday (she wants Leo). The other one is getting the puppy for her husband’s birthday. He’s going to pick the one he wants this coming weekend (though the puppy won’t go home with them yet – still too soon).

Even our vet, whom we adore, was taken by them – and she started to fall for Lani! (How great would THAT be – to have our vet adopt one of the babies??)

Lucy’s work is done now. Her rations are being cut way back for a few days so she stops producing milk. The puppies are well on their way to eating moistened food (they’ve already gone through the pablum stage), and will be on dry food by the weekend. Lucy was an outstanding mother, though, and did right by these puppies. She makes gorgeous ones, to be sure, but these will be her last. She will be retiring from motherhood (and will be spayed in about a 1 1/2 months once she has had time to recover from all of this).

Your comments warmed my heart, as always – thank you for sharing the great joy that these puppies have brought us. The work to take care of them pales in comparison to what they are giving us – and that gift is simply priceless. I thank you for being on this amazing journey with us.

And it does help to take our minds off of Obama taking over private businesses, right??

  • lorac

    I like seeing the puppies grow up.

    Especially with all the garbage going on in the “larger world”, it’s nice to see simple pleasures. They can’t be corrupted.

  • Peggy Sue

    Who doesn’t love puppies? They make people smile. And you, Rev. Amy, certainly look like you’re having a great, great time. Nice!

    Great looking congregation you have there, too.

    Btw, Lani is a heartbreaker. Love the white socks and tipped tail [I'm partial to black and white markings].

    Very handsome! How quickly they grow.

    • http://noquarterusa.net/ SusanUnPC

      Lani has that hand, er paw, in the air look down. It’s very feminine!

  • Tricia Spiegel

    So adorable!

  • http://www.marklevinshow.com Seattle Moss

    After another day of witnessing the naked power grab by the Leftist Marxist’s it’s nice to see some real news.
    Thanks for the photo’s Amy!

  • Diana

    They’re all absolutely adorable, and what pudgy little babes. Mama is doing a fantastic job with them.

  • http://ezinearticles.com/?Three-Basic-Parenting-Styles&id=744499 Northwest rain

    Thanks — what a nice WARM sunny day for the puppies to discover the world.

  • Eastan McNeal

    Amy. One of our three had 8. The hardest part was not to decide which one to keep. It was which ones to give away. Someday I will have a farm and that question will not be an issue in the future. I now have four and still miss the other little ones. KEEP THEM ALL!

  • CG

    I can’t believe how fast they have grown. Amy, they are just adorable. Brave of you to set all of them free, in a frolicking fifteen minute foray into the wild with the potential of each of them going in different directions. Thank you so much for brightening things up with such precious pictures.

    I used to live in the research triangle (Raleigh) and I know first hand that it is one crazy place for college basketball. Good luck to the Heels.

    • http://www.rabblerouserruminations.blogspot.com/ Rabble Rouser Reverend Amy

      Great comments, friends!

      Fortunately, CG, I had my partner out there, and we have 3/4 of an acre all fenced in for the dogs anyway. They couldn’t have gotten far. And they didn’t go that far, either, though a few of them were quite adventurous.

      And YES – they were EXHAUSTED from their big outing when they came in! :-)

      • CG

        RRRAmy I was just teasing about the puppies going in different directions. I am an identical twin and have a brother 16 months older and my mother frequently reminds us that we were a handful because we all went in different directions and she would have to decide which one to go after first. Those puppies are in wonderful care, I was just projecting the lovable antics of mischievous puppies gone wild in the wonder of their first truly free to run moments. They are so sweet.

  • elise

    Does Lucas have ambitions to be a model? I can’t help but notice how carefully he posed for his picture. You might want to watch out for excessive vanity. Just one more comment this time about Lucky. Any animal who lays on it’s back feels completely safe and content. They are just so cute and you have provided them with a happy home. Thank you so much for that.

    • http://noquarterusa.net/ SusanUnPC

      Lucas also has that haute couture cool look thing goin’. I’m afraid he’s a tad plump for the Milan or Paris runway.

      • Karma

        Well….Milan banned those super skinny models so Lucas might still have a chance.

        Crossed paws for luck!

  • I’mFedUp

    Please get them all in your car and drive them to California. Okay, fine, I will come get them. I can’t stand how cute they are. OMG they’re gorgeous. See, if I had them, I would KEEP all of them.

  • kgirl1028

    The first time outside is always the funniest. I have two dogs one CoCo is Seven and Ceaser is 3. CoCo was actually 3 months when i bought him but he had spend most of it in a pet shop crate. So when I took him out into the back yard for the first time he was like, WOW it’s so big,. YOu should have seen his face. I wish I had taken picture. Several years later I intoduced a 7 wk old Ceaser to his big brother in that same back yard not only did he have to deal with the enormity of the back yard but of his brother who wanted to playfully pull on his tiny back legs.

    • I’mFedUp

      Awwww kgirl I had a little Schnauser named Caesar too. I can’t stand this. RRRAMY…please bring me the babies. I’ll give them the best life in the world. All my friends say they want to come back in the next life as my dog. Wahahahahahah I want those babies.

      • Diana

        My Schnauzer just died last week. She would have been 16 in Nov. I got her for my husband as a birthday gift. Then found out I needed a hysterectomy. She became my baby. I used to put sunglasses on her to protect her eyes. Hats. Baby clothes in the winter. When we traveled I put her in baby diapers…Ok I can’t talk about this. I lost two I loved dearly so close. My father died the day before Christmas Eve, and now I lost her. Emotions go out of control.

        • Diana

          Let me just add she saw me through some of the darkest moments in my life and I am thankful for everyday, every moment I was blessed with her. She never complained, I would have bit me many times. I quit dressing her up once she wasn’t a puppy anymore, but I still would dress her up for pictures.

          • http://noquarterusa.net/ SusanUnPC

            Diana, I am so, so, so sorry for your losses. No one can say that losing one’s beloved dog not the same as losing a person. It is.

            Isn’t it incredible how they are always there for us? And I swear my pets know when I’m upset, and they make an extra effort to comfort me. Your loved one was clearly like that for you. Hugs, Susan

            • Diana

              Thank you very much Susan, and I totally agree. Even cats that are normally independent will sense when they’re needed. Although they’re a bit different at comforting than a dog. Their idea of comforting you is more, “You think you’ve had a bad day? Let me tell you about my day. I need to be comforted much more than you do. So pick yourself up and get on with it. No time for self pity.” They have no need to talk they were already born with that 6th sense. It’s said a dog is here to teach us pride, honor, loyalty, unconditional love. The cat is here to teach us humility, humbleness so all the things the dog teaches us doesn’t go to our heads. I believe it. ;)

        • I’mFedUp

          My mother has already identified the insane asylum she will deposit me in when my dogs go. And I will thank her for it. I love my dogs more than I would have ever loved children, siblings, etc. You can only understand that if you are a dog owner. Otherwise, it sounds bizarre I would think.

          Sorry to hear about your loss. Ughhh…we get them, fall in love with them, and then realize they will never outlive us.

          I lost my father, sister, and stepfather in 96, 97, and 98. If I didn’t have my babies, I would have lost my mind.

          • Diana

            lol Maybe we could get rooms pretty close. I still have my Yorkie and a Pom. I had my children at the time, but my daughter was heading into her teenage years so she didn’t understand and my son had no idea what was going on. I think it was harder at the time because I had to have a complete hysterectomy and then was denied any type of harmone replacement.

            Now I’m thankful I have my grandchildren. My grandson said to me, “Grandma? Why are you crying?” I said “Because Babs died and I am sad. I’ll be OK. Just give Grandma a few minutes.” He said, “But Grandma don’t you know she went to the sky?” I said, “She did?” He said, “Yeah and I think she’s going to be OK because I think that’s where God lives and he will take care of her.”

            • I’mFedUp

              Awwww that’s so sweet. I’m glad you have kids and grandkids. I was too busy thinking I was cool having a career. I have my mother, and my dogs. And they don’t like each other LOL. I tend to always judge people on how they feel about animals. My mother sees absolutely NO reason why I have my big, fat, hairy, black three labs. She’s right that it’s a mess to clean up all day. But I have slept with them for 13 years. My little girl, Lulu, sleeps in my arms. My mom can bite me. Anyone who doesn’t get the love of dogs is a goofball.

              • Diana

                My daughter has a Chocolate Lab she adores. She drives me bonkers. She isn’t content to just jump on you and let you pet her. She has to jump like a Kangaroo boxing with you. But smart! I’ve never seen a dog as smart as she is. She can hide anything and that dog can find it with just one smell. She can jump up turn the door handle and let herself in. She loves to play fetch. She’s only 4 months old and has taught herself to do it all.

                She sat one day by the door for hours, watching as we were going in and out of it. I told my daughter she’s watching how we get in and out of the house. She said no way. When we finally came in for good, a few minutes later she turned the handle with her mouth and paws and shoved the door open. She had a toy that was tore up. My daughter took it from her, brought it in the house and threw it away. She couldn’t have seen her, but as soon as she got in the house she sniffed around and within a few minutes knocked the lid off the trash and had her toy. So she took another one of her toys and hid it, sure enough within a few minutes she came back with it. Then she let her smell the baby’s blanket and hid it, same thing. She also has a Golden Retriever.

        • http://www.rabblerouserruminations.blogspot.com/ Rabble Rouser Reverend Amy

          Diana, my heart goes out to you. Thank you so much for sharing your story with us. My deepest sympathies for your losses…

          And I understand completely abt our pets being our children (I couldn’t have children either – same reason).

          Blessings on you as you as you move through this time…

        • Karma

          Diana, I am soo sorry about your lil fuzzy gal…Babs…especially after your father.

          These threads are perfect for sharing about those you love. I look forward to any other stories about them.

          All my best to you and your family.

          • Diana

            Thank you both very much. Amy I’m also very sorry for your loss.

  • Jackarooty

    Love those puppies! They really are beyond adorable! I’ll bet they were exhausted from their 15 minute sensory overload! Look at all of those happy curly puppy tails. One of my cats sleeps like Locomotion. I call him “surfer cat” when he does.
    Thanks again Amy!

  • I’mFedUp

    PS RRRAmy, what I forgot to mention….look at the joy you have in that video. How happy are YOU? Look at those gorgeous childs. Okay they’re MINE now.

  • mountainaires

    What a wonderful gift to all of us, RRRAmy; you made my day! We have a pack of 5, and we wouldn’t trade them for a banker’s bonus, even though they wear us out some days. ;-)

  • candymarl

    Must…resist…the urge…to ask…for another puppy.

    PUPPIES!

  • GlowingSpark

    The number of Americans who believe that the nation is headed in the right direction has roughly tripled since Barack Obama’s election, and the public overwhelmingly blames the excesses of the financial industry, rather than the new president, for turmoil in the economy, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll. Two-thirds of Americans approve of the way Obama is handling the country’s top job, and six in 10 give him good marks on issue No. 1, the flagging economy.

    • Lyn

      ACE has a very interesting post about MSNBC results,
      http://minx.cc/?post=285166
      The spin on this one starts right in the lead:

      WASHINGTON – The number of Americans who believe that the nation is headed in the right direction has roughly tripled since Barack Obama’s election…
      Okay. Let’s stop there and go further down the story, to paragraph four.
      The percentage of Americans in the new poll who said the country is on the right track still stands at just 42 percent…
      Wait…42 percent? In the era of hope and change? That’s pretty solidly below a majority. Maybe it’s a plurality out of right track/wrong track/don’t know. Let’s see:
      but that is the highest percentage saying so in five years and marks a sharp turnabout from last fall, when as many as nine in 10 said the country was heading in the wrong direction. Fifty-seven percent now consider the nation as moving on the wrong track.
      Once you get past the ‘yeah, but…yeah, but…’ explanations helpfully provided by the reporters, the headline should really be, “Majority still believes country on wrong track, despite Obama election.” The reporters spin valiantly, pointing out that the ‘right track’ number is higher than it’s ever been but that doesn’t change the fact that the candidate of hope, change and optimism has yet to convince a majority of Americans that the country is on the right track.
      The story mentions that independents are “less solidly” behind Obama than they once were, but here’s what that really means:

      Obama’s overall approval rating among independents has dipped six points, to 61 percent, and fewer than half, 45 percent, said he is doing a good job of handling the deficit…
      …after two months of vigorous debate about his stimulus package and ambitious budget blueprint, confidence has decreased by 13 points among independents…

      …the percentage of independents siding with Obama has dropped 12 points, to 50 percent. Many of those independents in the new poll said neither has the upper hand in the economic debate. About a quarter of independents align with the Republicans on this question.

  • Judy L. NC

    I used to have a T-shirt: “The more people I meet, the better I like my dog.” Wish I still had it.

  • Judy L. NC

    Amy, has your vet made any guesses on who Baby Daddy was?

    • http://www.rabblerouserruminations.blogspot.com/ Rabble Rouser Reverend Amy

      No, she didn’t, though there was a mini beagle pup in the same time as our brood. She is 9 weeks old, and our weighed almost the same as the beagle pup. That is all to say, I’m guessing he was a good size…

      Judy, I love the t-shirt!

      And Susan, you are cracking me up!!!

  • LesleeE

    Thank you for bringing us another episode of ‘Puppies Progress’. Love it, don’t stop.

  • Sassy

    Great pictures and cute puppies Amy!
    It’s good to see responsible, loving pet owners!
    We have an adorable(well, he was) pup next door who is now running free and has started chasing every car and truck that comes down the street.
    He, like those before him, is not long for this world!
    I hope I’m not the one who takes him out!

  • I’m a Linda too

    So nice to see ya’, RRRA! And having fun with your babies!

    They are so cute. I just love their paws :)

    You have no doubt been fantastic and given them all such care for an excellent life. Thank you for sharing your journey.

  • http://NoQuarterUSA.net Larry Johnson

    RRRA
    Can’t let the moment pass without recommending you look into a raw food diet for the dogs. Here’s a link: http://www.barfworld.com/
    BARF stands for Biologically Appropriate Raw Food.
    I’ve had my dogs on a raw food diet for the last two years and regret I had not learned about this earlier. BARF World is just one company. There are other ways to achieve the raw food objective. check it out.
    LJ

    • Rio

      Thanks for the link Larry. Our dog has food allergies, especially beef, and refuses to eat the prescribed dog food so the vet gave us a basic recipe to cook. One third meat, one third grain, one third vegetable and add Omega and a daily vitamin. He loves it, but I worry that he might not be getting everything he needs in this diet.

      I bookmarked the addy and will look into it.

      Rev Amy, the puppies are real heart melters. If not for our retirement community that allows only one four-legged pet……. Love their names! You must invite Larry over, he fits with the pattern, just don’t adopt him out.