| ABC Dog School |
| HELP THESE DOGS |
| copyright 2009 Carole J Sulser |
| In August of 2005, my Black Dahlia came in heat and I noticed a large black and tan male hanging around. He looked almost like a Doberman, but he had large hanging ears. I wondered if he was a Coonhound mix. I rather liked him and put a bowl of food down several times, by the road where I saw him sleeping. Then he gave up on Dahlia and spent his time at the neighbor's, where obviously there was a female in heat, also. Later he was joined by a smaller black male who remained for several months after that. Star was tethered in the front yard with no shelter at this time. I couldn't believe those people weren't doing something about that. With males hovering about, she was like the goat in the T-Rex pen, for those of you who saw "Jurassic Park." Her owner told me at church one morning, that the big dog had hurt Star the previous day. More like he jumped her bones. Duh Close to Halloween, on a cold rainy day, I was cleaning up the front dog yard when I saw Star tied to a fence. She looked very pregnant, like the big event was about to happen. For shelter, a piece of plywood was leaned against the fence and straw was on the ground under it. I gave them credit for the attempt, but the bed was on the windward side of the plywood, and rain was slanting right in on it. In addition, it was running down the slope and everything was wet. And cold. And getting colder as night approached. I had visions of this poor dog whelping in that cold wet mess. In desperation I called the dog pound and apprised them of the situation, hoping someone would come and inform these ignorant souls that Star needed decent shelter. I don't know if anyone came, but the dog was there for several more days, and then she was gone. It was months before I learned she had given birth in the trailer. And two days later, Annie did, too. She had slipped her collar yet again and paid a visit to her old pal, Chubby. But, with three males on the premises, who knows who bred who, and how many males contributed to each litter? In December I began seeing puppies. At that time, I didn't know about Annie, and hadn't seen her for months, so I thought they were all Star's. I would see a number of them in the Yorkie pen and try to count, although it wasn't easy as these folks don't mow the back yard, and it's about three feet high in the summer. It seems like every time I counted, there were more. When I got up to ten or so, I was amazed, especially since I was still hearing puppies in the tool shed! How many of them could one dog have? The Mrs. would carry them back and forth, putting them in the pen, taking them out, putting them in the shed, I thought. They seemed to be everywhere. It was months before I learned that Annie was in the tool shed. I wondered all that time if she was still alive. I guess it was the logical place to put her with the puppies, especially since she and Star would fight savagely if they got together, and the Yorkie pen was needed for puppies. But she was in there for around eight or nine months! This was the beginning of woes. Mine, too, but mostly the dogs, then and yet to be born. Read on. |
| 2005 - Two Litters! |
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| The Yorkie pen, where the puppies spent their first weeks away from Star, and where the "Rotts" spent their first winter. Photo taken 1-06-08 |
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