Back at It

Saturday morning our computer died - no warning, no goodbyes. Just dead. I didn't realize how much I would miss the computer until I didn't have it. We're back among the connected now.

Yesterday the puppies started opening their eyes; it's a gradual process that takes a few days. Several of the puppies have progressed to standing on their wobbly legs and taking a few steps. Crawling is still the most reliable transportation though.

Annie had her stitches (Cesarean) removed Saturday. She doesn't walk on a leash so I had to carry her in and out of the vet clinic. The vet, again, said not to expect too much improvement in Annie's emotional state too quickly. We talked about how Annie had moved her puppies around and the vet saidshe was trying to hide and protect them. The trip to the vet must have been really difficult for Annie because she moved her puppies all weekend. I know Annie was stressed, but worrying about and searching for puppies was pretty stressful for me too!!

Annie's new hiding place is behind the freezer. She spent a lot of the weekend hiding there but for some reason this morning Annie acted like a new dog. She jumped up on me when she saw me this morning. She came into the family room for the first time in three days, she tried interacting with the other dogs and she even followed me into the kitchen. After a few seconds she ran back to the puppies but I was really proud of her courage and curiosity.

For those of you who don't know, the woman who had the puppy mill where Annie came from surrendered 10 more dogs and that makes around 90 dogs total. Any dogs still in the poor living conditions of the mill is too many and I'm hopeful that the woman will give up the rest. I've been told that USDA is going stay vigilant and watch her very closely.

It's nice to see the days getting longer. After work, it's a race to get home, change clothes, bundle up to face the cold and wind and get to the Bark Park for a bit of fresh air before dark. The four big dogs (Jasmine, Maggie, Brandy and Pennie) love running and sniffing. Their friends Gage the white German Shepherd, Mystic the Bloodhound and Shera the Husky were at the park to run and chase with this evening. It's so much fun to see the delight of being a dog!