A companion is born...

At 12:30 AM on 9/1, Flirt, my sweet toy poodle, pushed one very large puppy into the world.
She has never before given birth, but somehow knew to make a safe nest before hand and manage labor gracefully. She instinctively knew how to remove the pup from it's sac, nip the umbilical cord, and stash the placenta. She helped her new daughter to nuzzle up to the milk bar and polished her till she shone like a small warm pearl in the low light. She is a dedicated mother; I have to force her to go outside to take care of business, and deliver food and water to her by hand because she will not leave her new baby. I have to wonder, gazing on this vignette of maternal instinct, if there is some way to teach certain human mothers such devotion to their young?

A few days ago I spoke to a woman who told me she used to teach art to underprivileged inner city kids. One first day of class she heard a student say, "I am not going to listen to that bitch." She turned to the class and said, "Do you know what a bitch is? It is a female who will do anything to protect her young. You are right. I am a bitch. And I will be here not just to teach you but to protect you." My little Flirt? She's a bitch. 7 pounds of fierce protecting her singleton pup. It is beautiful to see.

Getting along...

People are suprised when I tell them I have five dogs. And though living with this many dogs seems normal and fine to me, I do realize that FIVE is a lot.

Many years ago, when I was in high school, I read a book about a woman who took care of dogs in her home. She had dogs herself, and brought the new dogs in and integrated them into her "pack." No cages, no leashes, no fences. I didn't think all of what she did was a great idea, but one thing she said made a big impression upon me. She said that she believed animals would live up to our expectations to a large degree. It was her belief that if she expected the dogs to all get along, they would.

I tell people that we have a rule at our house that everyone gets along. People think I am kidding, but really, I am not. My husband and I have never had a fight. My dogs live side by side with the chickens, the rabbit, the sheep. I expect that everyone will get along, and they do.

One day our (then) teen aged daughter threw a fit about something. My calm, patient husband said to her, "Your mother and I CHOOSE to keep a peaceful home. You will not change that." I was moved to hear him say those words. It is a choice, I think, to have a peaceful home. Even the pets feel it.

Flirt finds a chew toy...

Flirt bypassed the puppy toys. The soft ones in bright colors, the chewy ones that squeak. She went right for the venison joint that weighs (literally!) more than she does. It offered hours of chewing delight for the wee sprite.

Introducing...

Meet "Flirt!"
In this photo you see Poppy the pug, who is a very small pug, a svelt 15 pound girl with stubby legs. Beside her, the new addition, "Flirt." This girl named herself by her face forward, devil-may-care, never meets a stranger attitude. She loves EVERYONE and thinks everyone should love her back. As you can see from this photo, Lilly the boxer could be thinking that she'd love to taste a morsel as dainty as this! (Actually, Lilly has been quite fine with the new baby so far.)

This is the tiniest dog I've ever had. She weighs in, at 12 weeks, at a whopping 2.25 pounds. She was a trouper at the pet fair, letting people hold and pet her, using piddle pads in the hotel with much accuracy and sleeping through the night in a nice Hilton bed as if it was what she was born for. And air travel? No problem. She rode in her classy red bag with her baby blanket and her soft toy without a peep of protest. At the New Jersey layover she used the ladies room (I had piddle pads with me) with ease. Then a snack and a sip and off we went for the second leg of our trip to Maine.

I think she is a star.

Wicked impulsiveness...

I do NOT need another dog. Truely, 4 is more than enough. But this tiny toy poodle puppy is probably coming to live with us. I think her name will be Bliss.

She is currently 4 weeks old, and as you can see, not very big. Full grown she still won't be very big, 6 lbs. or so. As my husband would say, "I've eaten sandwiches bigger than that dog!" I keep thinking how cute a little fuzzy white puppy will be curled up with the sleek black pugs. Cute overload. And I can dye her different colors to amuse myself in my "spare time."

Perhaps my saner mind will take over and stop this madness. If not, there is puppy breath in my near future.