Very sad news from Spain

Tundra was bitten by a snake prior to giving birth and all her puppies have passed away. It is still very surreal that  Alpakka never got to be, and we are all heartbroken from these horrible news. We were getting so to excited to add another member to the family but sadly things did not go our way. It seems very unfair to all involved, and our thoughts are with Paco especially.
We hope Tundra keeps gaining strength and that she makes a full recovery from this incident.

This is tragedy to say the least. It is a very sad day indeed.

Itty bitty fatty!

Jeebs, my momma-lady is planning my arrival all crazy like! My life is gonna be full like nobody’s business. And why you might ask? Well, she’s all nerdy and has read everythings about pooch. This means that she knows all about the importance of me getting to know all kinds of stuff while I’m still little. This way I’ll learn that new things aren’t scary.
She says she’s not gonna be all anal about it, I’m gonna live in Oslo so I’ll experience a ton of things from day one regardless. But she’s still keeping everything in mind. Bless her lil’ soul.

And don’t forget, I’m still just itty bitty! Momma-lady says I’ve been upgraded from prawn to guinea pig now. One week until my estimated birth!

This other lady, Margaret Hughes of Positive Paws Dog Training once wrote a thingie she called  the puppy’s rule of twelve.

Puppies need a great deal of socialization at an early age to help them grow up into well-adjusted companions. The list of activities below was developed for puppy adopters as a fun way to properly socialize your new pet.

Make sure all experiences are safe and positive for the puppy. Each encounter should include treats and lots of praise. Slow down and add distance if your puppy is scared!

“By the time a puppy is 12 weeks old, he/she should have:

* Experienced 12 different surfaces: wood, carpet, tile, cement, linoleum, grass, wet grass, dirt, mud, puddles, deep pea gravel, grates, uneven surfaces, on a table, on a chair, etc.

* Played with 12 different objects: fuzzy toys, big and small balls, hard toys, funny sounding toys, wooden items, paper or cardboard items, milk jugs, metal items, car keys, etc.

* Experienced 12 different locations: front yard (daily), other people’s homes, school yard, lake, pond, river, boat, basement, elevator, car, moving car, garage, laundry room, kennel, veterinarian hospital (just to say hi and visit, lots of cookies, no vaccinations), grooming salon (just to say hi), etc.

* Met and played with 12 new people (outside of family): include children, adults (mostly men), elderly adults, people in wheelchairs, walkers, people with canes, crutches, hats, sunglasses, etc.

* Heard to 12 different noises (ALWAYS keep positive and watch puppy’s comfort level—we don’t want the puppy to be scared): garage door opening, doorbell, children playing, babies screaming, big trucks, loud motorcycles, skateboards, washing machine, shopping carts, power boat, clapping, loud singing, pan dropping, horses neighing, vacuums, lawnmowers, birthday party, etc.

* Been exposed to 12 fast moving objects (don’t allow puppy to chase): skateboards, roller-skates, bicycles, motorcycles, cars, people running, cats running, scooters, vacuums, children running, children playing soccer, squirrels, cats, horses, cows, etc.

* Experienced 12 different challenges: climb on, in, off, and around a box; go through a cardboard tunnel; climb up and down steps; climb over obstacles; play hid and seek; go in and out a doorway with a  step up or down; exposed to an electric sliding door; umbrella; balloons; walk on a wobbly table (plank of wood with a  small rock underneath); jump over a broom; climb over a log; bathtub (and bath); etc.

* Handled by owner (and family) 12 times a week: hold under arm (like a football), hold to chest, hold on floor near owner, hold in-between owner’s legs, hold head, look in ears and mouth, touch in-between toes, hold and take temperature (ask veterinarian), hold like a baby, trim toe nails, hold in lap, etc.

* Eaten from 12 different shaped containers: wobbly bowl, metal, cardboard box, paper, coffee cup, china, pie plate, plastic, frying pan, Kong, treat ball, spoon fed, paper bag, etc.

* Eaten in 12 different locations: back yard, front yard, crate, kitchen, basement, laundry room, bathroom, friend’s house, car, school yard, bathtub, up high (on work bench), under umbrella, etc.

* Played with 12 different puppies (or safe adult dogs) as much as possible.

* Been left alone safely, away from family and other animals (5-45 minutes) 12 times a week.

* Experienced a leash and collar 12 different times in 12 different locations.

If you wish to read this article in norwegian, please click this link.

Hello world! But not yet….

I have yet to be born! But hopefully this is the start of the fourteen day countdown until I will start existing. Here’s to hopin’! I say t minus 336 hours, and that’s final! My arrival is long awaited, or so I have been told. My alphas are planning the trip to go get me as we speak, apparently it’s a right kerfuffle. But I’m sure I’m worth it.

In the meantime my alphafemale will entertain herself by posting interesting tidbits about my breed. And maybe even some other stuff.
She is real excited to meet me, so cut her some slack if she gets naggy.

This is a test image. It is a prawn. At this point I probably look something like this.

Åååkey. Jeg er ikke den som skal blande meg altfor mye inn i Alpakkas blogg. Eller jo, det kommer jeg helt sikkert til å gjøre mye av. (Og dere får unnskylde at det blir engelsk og norsk om hverandre. Jeg vet hvor teit det egentlig er…)
I dag er en ganske stor dag. I dag ble det bestemt at det er en liten Alano frøken vi skal ha. Jeg har vært i tvil lenge om hva det var jeg skulle gjøre med tanke på ny hund. Det har vært endel fram og tilbake og jeg og Kim har pratet mye om dette for å si det mildt. I kontakt med oppdretter har jeg vært i lang tid, men noen helt endelig beslutning ble ikke tatt før i dag. Jeg har vært på vei til å trekke meg utallige ganger. Men Tundra er drektig, Paco sier at han tror det er mange valper inni der, og på flybilletten står det avreise fra Madrid 9. juli klokken 13.30. Da skal Sherpa-baggen være full av valp og vi fulle av spenning. Nå er det ingen vei tilbake.

Rasevalg har vært en litt stor greie denne gangen. En stor greie sånn i forhold til at jeg har valgt å ta en sjanse. Noe som på en måte er dritskummelt og på en annen måte en gedigen lettelse. En logikk som muligens ikke kommer til å bli forstått av mange, men det får så være. Sannheten er at jeg ikke vet så altfor mye om Alano. Det finnes nesten ingen av dem i Norge rett og slett. Det har vært litt av poenget faktisk. Ikke fordi jeg skal være så forbanna sær og spesiell, men fordi jeg trenger noe helt nytt. En rase jeg ikke har knyttet så mange forventninger til, hvor ting er litt uforutsigbare og jeg ikke forutinntatt.
Det jeg har gjort i forhold til rasevalg er at jeg har møtt de Alanoene som faktisk finnes i landet, og jeg har valgt å stole på en nøkkelperson som har holdt på med rasen i mange år. Han sier at rasen oppfyller mine krav, og jeg har valgt å stole på det. Så får jeg bare ta utfordringene som de kommer.

Jeg gleder meg.