silver’s vet visit and how she is growing physically and mentally

We brought Silver to a local vet to be spayed.

She weighs in at nearly 7 pounds now and is 12 weeks old. The vet’s office told us that as long as she is over five pounds we could have her spayed.

Dropping her for the operation we both braced for the verbal onslaught. When at home and when I leave her sight in the morning to let the other dogs out she whines, howls and screams. So we both thought she would do the same.

We all went into an exam room to discuss and weigh her and meet with a vet tech. Silver was quiet and calm. Put her on the table and she settled down and the vet tech cuddled her and Silver enjoyed the cuddle. Leaving the room and office we were expecting the commotion we hear at home. Later on in the afternoon the vet tech called to tell us Silver came through the operation just fine and she was quiet as a church mouse! It just figures. She wanted to embarrass us!

Bringing her home we tried to keep her activity level down but that is like trying to stop a speeding train. She is energetic and was she hungry! She made quick work of her choice of dry and moist food and a good drink of water.

In the past few days I have noticed a marked difference not only in physical appearance but also her mental state or thought process.

It may seem cliche, but she has grown so much. She is matruing right before our eyes so much more than any other pups we have had.

She knows how to show us what she wants. Be it food or water. She shows the other dogs where their boundaries are with her. A male foster we have now, a mixed breed lab and border collie, comes to close to the bed she rushes to the side and barks and sputters at him and he backs down and moves away.

We both recognize what is happening and we deal with it with a firm hand and a calm and in control mind set. Silver loves the other dogs but when they get a bit to much or intrude on her space she will let them know.

Our learning and growing continues

playing and learning, who knew you could do both?

 

Much like a child pets have to make decisions and choices while they are young and learn from them.

Silver is doing this when it comes to other dogs. We leave dry food out in bowls in the house, she cannot go outside as she has not had all her shots yet, for that occasional snack that they would like after being fed in the morning, between 5 and 6 a.m.

Silver learned that some dogs do not like others in the dish at the same time and she was growled and snapped at. Being present during this learning process no harm came to her of the other dog.

She backed off with her ears down and scampered to a corner of the kitchen to ponder what happened.

Later on in the day she and another dog, our Aussie Shepard mix almost a year old, became closer friends. Up until this point when Silver would approach, Callie would snarl and bark and run off.

Here they started to mix it up a bit more. Silver would go over and play growl and snap and try to tug fur and she would get a glare and some teeth bared and she would lower her ears and drop to the floor in submission, which is good for her to learn and after a few seconds start the whole process over again. Until they were playing with each other.

Later on we have this mayhem breaking out almost in my lap. I have a green recliner and they decide to mix up right next to me.

Notice the position of Silver, feet up in the air and belly and chest exposed. She was having a ball. They played off and on for about a half hour and then it was nap time for Silver.

well, how did I get here?

Little Silver is growing up so quick. Day by day we see new behaviours and adventures.

Yesterday, we the rest of the pack and fosters went upstairs and Silver decided she was going too.

She made it to the fourth stair and then stalled and had a panicked look on her face and she started to yodel/howl that she does.

So we walked and said, “well you got this far so come down with the rest of.”

And she yodeled and howled some more and whimpered. We left for a moment to figure it out and she made her way to the eleventh stair, which was going up.

And when informed her of her navigation error, she gave us a look like, well just get me down from here!

And then one of her playmates decides to pass her going down.She likes his tail and paws and fur. Makes a great chew toy and he does not mind at all. There share water and food.

so I know where the biscuits are

Yesterday evening about 7:30 Silver is on the floor and she whimpers at me and heads to the kitchen. I follow her and tell her to show me what she wants. I have done this as I followed her into the kitchen and she would stop where her water or food is. She either wanted her food or some water.

This time she stopped where we keep the biscuits. We give our dogs and fosters good quality treats and Silver has been given some in the same place as the others and now she knows when she wants a treat where to go. And she is two months and four days old.

Quite something she is.

growing up day by day

Not only is Silver getting bigger day by day, physically, she is getting more mature mentally day by day.

We have three foster dogs with us now.  A Shepard/Collie/Husky mix female and a Beagle mix male. The Beagle mix walked by Silver as she was laying down and she put her ears down and rolled onto her side and exposed her tummy and chest to him. He gave her a sniff and she remained motionless and he went out his business.

Silver also likes to get in on toy time with our Chow/Rottie mix. He is about 70 pounds and I dunno know maybe, 10,000 times bigger than her. And when he has a toy, stuffed animal, that he is in the process of destroying by tearing it too shreds, Silver will get right in and get in on the fun. He growls as to warn her that it is his and she will lick his face and nuzzle him and then they get right back at it.

while Silver dreams

She is napping on the floor, busy day yesterday and today so far. So much to do and see.

My mind wandered back to our beloved Skye and I found this image of her paws.

silver goes to school

We not a Wolf Dog school, she visited with Kindgeraten to sixth grade students at a local school.

The kids were excited to meet her and it tired Silver out. She took a half hour between some of the grades and we continued on.

The kids got a chance to meet and pet her and see an offspring of a Wolf which made the eyes of the kids grow wide when they realized that she was part Wolf.

It was a great time and one of the kids asked if her dad come and visit.

greeting the new day

5:30 a.m. the alarm clock goes off to the music of Handel, local NPR station, and Silver is close by on my pillow and starts to the edge of the bed where our dogs and the fosters sleep on the floor, her little tail wagging the whole time.

I stop her journey and she whines and pulling her next to my face she starts to nuzzle and nip. First my check, then my chin, then my ear lobes. She is whining and muttering low frequency moans the whole time.

She has her way with me for a few moments until she rolls onto her side and exposes her tummy to me. I rub her tummy lightly and she is in a happy place.

I next start to nuzzle her the same way she did me, I whine and mutter low frequency grumblings and nuzzle and nip her in the same place and I can see from the look on her face, ears down and tail wagging, she is enjoying it as much as I am.

our life with Silver

She sleeps with us in our bed. She has made a shelf that is backed with a mirror and is directly behind where I sleep her Wolf Dog Den.

I awake most mornings to find a black nose and two gray green eyes looking at me. She starts the day by licking and nuzzling our faces. My wife she kisses and licks, me she nibbles and bites and growls and tugs at my beared and hair. We go on for a few minutes till I get up to get dressed and take care of our members and foster dogs.

Silver stays relunctly in bed, whining and howling the whole time till I get back and then races to the edge to see what the day will bring her.

Her she is with some of our fosters, two Labradoodles and a hound mixed female.

She gets along with all the dogs that we have come and stay with us and actually bosses around the puppies. Sometimes the larger dogs are a bit unsure about her.

Silver did find the tail of a Golden Retriever a most pleasant and enjoyable and true his breed the Golden did not object as she gnawed on and tugged his tail.

Silver

Silver is from the same litter as Skye and weighs in at 5.3 pounds. While we cannot replace Skye as was and remains an individual, Silver fills our hearts and life with joy, laughter and sunshine on a cloudy day.

She does have a comical way about her.

She has gray green eyes which the camera can not pick up