Dog Journal -3- Gluttonous Dogs, Puppy Names and Paying More Attention to Weaker Puppies

Kiku’s story keeps growing as I write because she’s still nursing. She has always been a “foodie”, but now more than ever. She’s hungry as soon as she finishes a meal but her tummy has been quite upset the past couple of days, and since she’s nursing her pups, I can’t cut down on her food. My dog loving friends talked to a vet who suggested I deworm Kiku. He said I should have done so before she littered. Better late than never. I managed to shove a Cantel deworming pill down her throat and hope she’ll simmer down.

Just 15 days since their birth, the pups have begun to open their eyes. Rei and Aii (their names mean ‘Propriety’ and ‘Love’ respectively) opened theirs in about 12 days. They look like twins – both white with chocolate markings and both roly poly, so you have to look at the subtle differences in their markings in order to tell one from the other.

The four puppies have already begun to walk rather than crawl which means their legs have gained strength. Aii is the only female in the litter. The other two are named Shin (Truth) – the one-eyed Jack that was born last, and Mu (Nothingness). Mu is the bully in the pack and the biggest too and absolutely devoid of markings, thus the name. These exotic Japanese names will hopefully remind me of the virtues I need to inculcate in myself.

I want the pups to be strong so Kiku gets 4-5 meals everyday which include a soft boiled egg, milk, whole wheat bread, rice, some chicken with bones (my dogs have always eaten chicken bones without any problems), an iron supplement, an alfalfa tonic and a nourishing supplemental powder that I mix into her milk. She’s always been a glutton and now even more so, but I don’t overfeed her.

Today, not yet a month old, the pups are walking around, exploring my bedroom. Aii, the only female is true to her name –Love. She seeks me out when she hears me and likes to lick my face and chew on my earlobes and chin. What is it with dogs and earlobes? They seem to have an affinity for them. It seems as though female babies of all species are far ahead of their male counterparts.

Aii has been the first to wag her little tail and generally explore where the others have not yet trod. The pups bark extremely sweetly and growl at each other in play. Their coats are beautiful. They’re a joy to behold and to hold. Soft and cuddly.

Mu, the independent one, the bully is very peaceful in my arms unlike Rei who becomes a little fidgety and the rather shy Shin with one side of his face black, the other white. Since he seems like the weakling being the last born, I spend extra time with him. He doesn’t look like a weakling anymore, being pretty plump and finally, finally, he’s licked my face too, which is a good sign. He shouldn’t be shy of humans.