[CMT]

Sunday check in, 17 weeks and 33.4 lbs, up 1.1 lbs since last week.

Not a whole lot of action pics this week, but a lot of more portrait-oriented shots as I'm constantly marveling at how mature he looks now.

He shows a lot of rib. We got a bit worried that he was too thin so we upped his food portions slightly - We still had him portioned out at a lower weight and realized that we need to pay better attention to a quickly growing boy.

I hope everyone had a great weekend, as always!

 

[melbrod]

If he were a human kid, I'd say he's about 10 years old. Give him a couple more months and he's going to shoot up on you.

 

[CMT]

I can definitely see it happening. His legs are already so long!

 

[4x4bike ped]

Hope is looking great! He sure does have that "I'm a growin' boy" look. LOL

Keep on updating.

John Lichtwardt
Portland OR

 

[CMT]

Thank you John, he seems to have the Grow-O-Meter pegged!

He got into some stuff today. No clue what it could have been, maybe some deer/coyote/mountain lion poop but he came in smelling like a compromised latrine - with weird tree sap splotches on his stomach that took rubbing alcohol to get off - so it was time for his second bath in his time with us.

He never moved, shied away from the nozzle or fought the bath once. Very surprising. He clearly wasn't in super love with the process but an amazing bath client regardless, and he smells so much better right now!

 

[spocksdad]

....
He never moved, shied away from the nozzle or fought the bath once. Very surprising. He clearly wasn't in super love with the process but an amazing bath client regardless, and he smells so much better right now!

Yep, looks like Hope is practicing his EPAD look! (Eat Poo and Die)

This look is passed down in Doberman genetic heritage.
It is used whenever they are forced to do something they REALLY don't care for, like getting baths and wearing hats... 😁
Only a few rare Dobermans don't have this gene, MeadowCat's Sypha, for example, as she always has a perfect smile on her face!

 

[melbrod]

"Compromised latrine" LOL You have such a descriptive way with words--I can smell it right through my computer screen.

Anyway, you are SO mean to that puppy--seriously, giving him a bath JUST because you didn't like his perfume--mean, mean people.

 

[CMT]

Yep, looks like Hope is practicing his EPAD look! (Eat Poo and Die)

View attachment 137860

This look is passed down in Doberman genetic heritage.
It is used whenever they are forced to do something they REALLY don't care for, like getting baths and wearing hats... 😁
Only a few rare Dobermans don't have this gene, MeadowCat's Sypha, for example, as she always has a perfect smile on her face!

Haha if he continues with this soiling strategy, there's going to be a lot more EPAD up in here!

"Compromised latrine" LOL You have such a descriptive way with words--I can smell it right through my computer screen.

Heh. Thank you and I am so very, very sorry! It was enough of a not-so-pleasant, deeply penetrating stanque that he went right to the sink without thought or hesitation.

I went out back and found sizable paw prints in some of the loose dirt and, given the recent Ring videos posted to our Nextdoor cluster, I'm strongly suspicious that a mountain lion has visited us. It, along with the packs of howling coyotes that start up at night are the two predators I worry about in this area.

 

[LadyDi]

Egads and I thought alligators was a concern.
Sending sunshiny thoughts from florida.

 

[CMT]

We also have some lovely rattlesnakes here, and they're prevalent to the point where we're going to be taking Hope to a rattlesnake avoidance training class that's offered locally.

It's Sunday, so time for an update. 25.8 lbs, up 2.8lbs from last week.

What's interesting is that he's got some Flying Nun ears going on above and it's the first I've seen of it. His ears do perk a bit when he's alert and focusing on something, and today was a challenge to get him to sit still for the shots, so hopefully this doesn't become a thing going forward.

It was a good weekend with lots of outside time while we handled yard work, Merlin came to visit, the little menace got a pair of my shoes but is currently without the teeth required to do any damage, and finally a good amount of napping in the sun.

That's the last time I leave shoes anywhere near where he can get into them.

I hope everyone had a great weekend, as always, and is poised to have an even better week!

 

[melbrod]

He must be developing some magic powers--it looks like he can levitate things right into his mouth in some of your pics.

He's looking a little thin in some of your shots, though. They'll do that as they grow, especially when they start to shoot up--he'll look chubby, then thin, then chubby, then....you get the idea.

But I'm thinking adding maybe another 2 pounds (in addition to what he will normally do as he grows) might be good--though it is better for them to be a bit thin rather than overweight. He definitely looks full of zip....

 

[CMT]

Ok. Got it. Without personal experience, strictly going off the final shots laying on the rug in the sun, I'd agree. He looks thin - Not quite emaciated, but even after revisiting his food portions twice in the past two weeks he still shows a lot more rib than seems healthy, so we'll see about upping the grub once again!

 

[MeadowCat]

You can tape his ears down for a few days to ensure he doesn't have the flying nun ear look going forward....

Shoes aren't so different than toys, right? Right?

 

[spocksdad]

Always enjoy action pictures of Merlin & Hope (most photographed Dobe, ever) playing!

I recommend 11" Pitch Dog rings for your Dobe Hope & friends, as an alternative to Frisbee/ Throwing discs. They are made of semi-soft EVA foam, and last for many years. Can't travel as far as the discs, but more durable. Light, and much easier for dogs to pick up off hard surfaces, such as gravel or concrete, float and are great for tug-of-war. This is best interactive dog toy we have had in our (10) years of two Dobermans. When the Dobes would go outside in back with me, they would each carry their rings with them.

Original product on Amazon (several replacement products available now)
Pet Supplies : Dog Toys - Dog Training Equipment - Large Dog Toys - Toys for Dogs - Big Dog toys - Fetch Toy - Tough Dog Toys - Dog Tug Toy - Dog Ring Toy - Medium Dog toys - Dog Toy Ring by PitchDog ( 11, Blue) : Amazon.com/


Pitch Dog Rings New

...After 3-years of Hard Two Doberman Use (before washing)

Remember cardinal rule, however: Order minimum of (1) ring for each dog!

 

[melbrod]

They'll still fight over that special one.

When I was a kid, we used to fight over who got to sit by the car windows on long trips (3 kids, two windows.) My kids fought over the center seat (2 kids, one center seat)

Reminds me of my kids when they were little. We had two plastic airplanes, exactly the same--except one was white with red wings and the other was red with white wings. Only one of them was worth playing with (and no, I don't remember which.)

But it was when I knew my daughter was going to be a very special sort of person. She was 2; my son was 5, and after a little...ahem..."discussion"...she announced that Steven could play with the coveted one. "He NEEDS it more than I do."

Pretty cool from a 2 year old.

 

[CMT]

She sounds amazing. That kind of magnanimous resignation (and perhaps a trace amount of passive agressive swipe) is amazing at that age!

You can tape his ears down for a few days to ensure he doesn't have the flying nun ear look going forward....

Shoes aren't so different than toys, right? Right?

Ha. This is where I'd usually quip back something about having a custom pair of red and rust mocs made and providing the hide myself, but I can't bring myself to even joke that way these days. However I will allude to the idea without actually using it as a response. Which I feel is safer.

I do have a general question about Flying Nun ears, as I'm pondering the benefit to taping his ears down. Is it strictly aesthetic? Does trying to perk his uncropped ears up when alerting and focusing on something hurt him in any way? Or is it that too much trying to lift them results in a perpetual state of raised ears that looks wacky/comical into adulthood?

Just curious. He never nuns it up, at least not that I see and I've been watching for it, and yesterday's update pics were the first I've encountered it. It has to be a consideration if there's a recommended treatment strategy to get rid of it, so I'm really curious what it's really all about.

Always enjoy action pictures of Merlin & Hope (most photographed Dobe, ever) playing!

I recommend 11" Pitch Dog rings for your Dobe Hope & friends, as an alternative to Frisbee/ Throwing discs. They are made of semi-soft EVA foam, and last for many years. Can't travel as far as the discs, but more durable. Light, and much easier for dogs to pick up off hard surfaces, such as gravel or concrete, float and are great for tug-of-war. This is best interactive dog toy we have had in our (10) years of two Dobermans. When the Dobes would go outside in back with me, they would each carry their rings with them.

Original product on Amazon (several replacement products available now)
Pet Supplies : Dog Toys - Dog Training Equipment - Large Dog Toys - Toys for Dogs - Big Dog toys - Fetch Toy - Tough Dog Toys - Dog Tug Toy - Dog Ring Toy - Medium Dog toys - Dog Toy Ring by PitchDog ( 11, Blue) : Amazon.com/


Pitch Dog Rings New
View attachment 137990


...After 3-years of Hard Two Doberman Use (before washing)
View attachment 137989

Remember cardinal rule, however: Order minimum of (1) ring for each dog!

Awesome - Thanks! I sent the link to my wife who handles all the purchasing of this kind.

 

[Fitzmar Dobermans]

You take great pictures!! Enjoying watching the changes.

 

[MeadowCat]

Ha. This is where I'd usually quip back something about having a custom pair of red and rust mocs made and providing the hide myself, but I can't bring myself to even joke that way these days. However I will allude to the idea without actually using it as a response. Which I feel is safer.

I'd like to see those mocs! They could be amazing....

I do have a general question about Flying Nun ears, as I'm pondering the benefit to taping his ears down. Is it strictly aesthetic? Does trying to perk his uncropped ears up when alerting and focusing on something hurt him in any way? Or is it that too much trying to lift them results in a perpetual state of raised ears that looks wacky/comical into adulthood?

Just curious. He never nuns it up, at least not that I see and I've been watching for it, and yesterday's update pics were the first I've encountered it. It has to be a consideration if there's a recommended treatment strategy to get rid of it, so I'm really curious what it's really all about.

It's purely looks...just like you see a huge variety of crops (some, IMO, less pleasing to the eye), you will see a huge variety in natural ears as well. If you look at the breed in places where cropping is disallowed, you'll see how the ear is supposed to lie flat like your boy's does, with a nice shape to it (there's a lot more with ear set, etc, when it comes to showing, but that's not terribly relevant). Not to delve too far off-topic, but it's kind of interesting that here in this country, we don't always have consistency in what the natural ear looks like because we don't really breed for it the way they obviously do in countries where that matters, since our puppies are cropped.

 

[CMT]

Happy Wednesday! It's been a heck of a week already and I am definitely ready for the weekend now.

You take great pictures!! Enjoying watching the changes.

Thank you. We are trying to savor the puppy life for as long as possible, even the infuriating parts. There's not much left of the squat-bodied, loose-skinned adoraball in light of Stretch Lankygnaw, but we love him more each day. Which is good because he likes to test that love ...like, all the time.

It's purely looks...just like you see a huge variety of crops (some, IMO, less pleasing to the eye), you will see a huge variety in natural ears as well. If you look at the breed in places where cropping is disallowed, you'll see how the ear is supposed to lie flat like your boy's does, with a nice shape to it (there's a lot more with ear set, etc, when it comes to showing, but that's not terribly relevant). Not to delve too far off-topic, but it's kind of interesting that here in this country, we don't always have consistency in what the natural ear looks like because we don't really breed for it the way they obviously do in countries where that matters, since our puppies are cropped.

Thank you for such excellent information! I've been keeping an eye out for Nun action and aside from very sporadic perks, he does not seem to do it enough to warrant action. Not yet, at least - I'm sure things could change, and at least we know what to do when/if they do.

We like the natural ears, but it's hard/impossible not to wonder what if we'd made the choice to crop. Grass being greener and all that...

 

[CMT]

Sunday again? Can do. 38.4 lbs, up 2.4 lbs from last week.

We have been feeding him a good bit more and the eyebrow-raising ribs seem to have receded a bit, but every now and then the light hit just right and I'm back to thinking that we are starving him. Which we are assuredly not!

He wouldn't sit still for the above pic because Merlin is here and they are embroiled in canine carousing outside literally as I type this.

2 months ago:

Just now:

...the boy has really found his legs. He COOKS across the upper yard now.