So Much Fun!
We had a lot of fun during Tuesday’s live Puppy Cam chat with Molly Morelli. There were a number of great questions, and even a surprise comedy act towards the end! We can’t reenact that for you, but here’s the Q&A in case you missed out:
rockyryan – AZ Are you noticing any “personality” traits coming out in individual puppies yet?
WarriorCanineConnection Some traits, but they are really just starting to develop.
tuppycat-NZ Molly – last week you mentioned only keeping the pups 8-10 weeks. Do you have puppy parents lined up for these 5 already?
WarriorCanineConnection I have lots of people that want to raise but am just starting the interview process. I am also bringing in a new Golden puppy from a breeder and she will be going into a home around the same time.
Maxi Molly, how old is Macy? Was she a service dog and did she have any litters in her younger years?
WarriorCanineConnection Macy is only my pet. I got her in college after begging my dad to buy her for me. She came from a back yard breeder in Fairmont, WV. She does not have the best temperament and is NOT very trainable. Never a service dog! She is going to be 12.
Erin R Hey Molly, my question is, how big is Misty? Her weight before the puppies?
WarriorCanineConnection Misty is about 75-80 pounds. she is a very heavy boned girl.
Maxi Molly, who are the closest pals among the big dogs?
WarriorCanineConnection All of my dogs get along and I don’t notice any that are always together.
himmichigal Molly, Hi, How Is Penny’s [1st ] PP doing? I believe there were some health issues there?
WarriorCanineConnection Penny’s PP is doing well.
crowie Is it typical of mom dogs to use their noses to hide the pups potty droppings in the litter tray or is that a Misty thing?
WarriorCanineConnection Out of 30 litters this is the first mother that has ever buried poop (that I have noticed). Each mom is different 🙂
Maxi Does Macy get along with the others or is she a loner?
WarriorCanineConnection Macy gets along with other dogs but doesn’t really like puppies in her face. She is a grumpy old lady.
tinksmomMO What do you do if the pups play to rough with each other? Do they get the “nope” as with biting too hard?
WarriorCanineConnection Right now they are allowed to work it out. As they get older the will not be allowed to play too rough. They have to learn social cues from one another.
lynnesky Are you as comfortable with pups in PET Center as you were when you had HHD in the house ?
WarriorCanineConnection The first night I was just worried the heat would shut off because I couldn’t figure out the timer. I just kept checking on them. I feel very comfortable with the pups out there.
iluvdogs Molly, this is Misty’s 3rd litter, did she bury the pups’ poop with the other 2 litters?
WarriorCanineConnection Misty didn’t have her first two litters with me – she had them with her breeder.
Goldensmom Molly, Have you ever had a male that did not lift their leg to urinate?
WarriorCanineConnection Yes, I have had males NOT lift their leg.
crowie Do you notice a difference in the interaction with Mia and Misty’s pups compared to Holly’s pups now that she is older?
WarriorCanineConnection Mia is more into the puppies this time around. These are typical labradors and much more mouthy than Holly’s pups.
mgatesy Do you have a monitoring system, i.e. a baby monitor or by pc?
WarriorCanineConnection We have a baby monitor for sound, the Explore camera and a security system.
MtM-WA Is there an outside fenced area next to the PET building that the pups (future ones too) will be using when the weather is better?
WarriorCanineConnection Yes, there is a puppy yard. We are going to post some pictures soon.
tuppycat-NZ When do you intend to introduce the caterpillar? (Don’t want to miss it)
WarriorCanineConnection I haven’t gotten the catepillar yet. Maybe in the spring for Olive’s litter when things dry up and I can put it outside.
Maxi Is Holly more ‘strict’ than Misty?
WarriorCanineConnection Holly was just more serious about things.
Wuvtai5 For any young person thinking of going into this type of work as a career would you advise also taking any veternain studies?
WarriorCanineConnection No, they wouldn’t need vet stuff. My undergrad is in Behavioral Psychology. I did work as a vet tech for awhile though.
luv_my_catz These puppies are just 5 weeks yet so smart and loving…are they ahead developmentally compared to other litters you have raised?
WarriorCanineConnection These guys are right on track developmentally.
jch Will Misty become a service dog after this litter and if so, will she need to retrain in any areas?
WarriorCanineConnection Misty did not have any training as a service dog. Actually, she was trained to be a show dog. Misty will continue to train and work as a therapy dog. She loves to train and work with the Wounded Warriors
MtM-WA I thought I remember from before that your mentioned you preferred not to spay females until 1 1/2 -2 years old. You are waiting for their growth plates to close, I believe. Do you notice any differences in a pup spayed early (6 month) and one at 2 year
WarriorCanineConnection The biggest thing you will notice with an early spay is longer legs and a smaller head. The disproportionate legs to body can cause orthopedic issues (torn cruciate ligaments).
Erin R I never knew that early spaying could cause those effects?
WarriorCanineConnection Well, they are different breeds.
puproar Molly, do these pups weigh more than Holly’s did at the same age? They seem so solid.
WarriorCanineConnection I am sure they weigh more but do not have the other pups weights in front of me.
breynolds50@yahoo.com Are there any major differences between labs and goldens, besides the physical attributes?
WarriorCanineConnection There are some differences but the breeds are fairly similar.
breynolds50@yahoo.com Temperamentally similar? Requirements for training like discipline too?
WarriorCanineConnection There are so many variables within the breed. Each dog is so much an individual.
reddogs Would it be logical to assume that all 7 of Misty’s pups were exposed to the bacteria that took Mr. Black and Ms. Pink and that it was the quick action of your vet in transfusing the remaining 5 to boost their immunity that saved them?
WarriorCanineConnection I would say yes but this is only speculation. I can’t ever know for sure.
lynnesky With labs being “mouthy”, as they get teeth and play with Mia, how will you teach her to deal with sharp little bites?
WarriorCanineConnection She is told to give the puppy a toy instead.
Murphy’sMom Will the virology report tell you how they contracted the bacterial pneumonia?
WarriorCanineConnection We just want to rule out any viral component for our own education. We will never know exactly how they got it.
Maxi When a dog joins your family later in life, do you feel as though you missed a big part of their life or do you have a different outlook on this?
WarriorCanineConnection Not at all. I am happy for the time I have with them.
readlines11 What is the best part of taking care of these pups?
WarriorCanineConnection The best part of taking care of these pups is knowing that what I do now will impact them and give them what they need to become service dogs. I am always thinking about 2 years from now.
moosemom~WI How is / does Rick deal with all the attention that WCC has received via the webcam?
WarriorCanineConnection Rick works so hard with the Wounded Warriors and really focuses on that.
readlines11 How old will they be when they become service dogs?
WarriorCanineConnection Dogs are usually ready to graduate anywhere from 18 months – 2 years old. Sometimes the boys take longer to mature. We need to let them grow into their adult bodies and know that all of the health clearances are okay (mostly hips/elbows).
WarriorCanineConnection I never even think about releasing a pup until they are around a year old and even that can be early. So much changes and I want to give them a fair shot to mature and be ready to work.
breynolds50@yahoo.com How are HHD doing in their training? Any problems or stars?
WarriorCanineConnection Right now all of the HHD look great. Levi totally stands out but it could also be that he is the only male.
KoppyKat27 Ruby is doing well? I feel like we don’t hear too much about her.
WarriorCanineConnection Ruby comes for playdates here at HQ as her mom is helping us design our new website. Ruby is looking fantastic and I have my eye on her as a future breeder (this could change!)
razorbackal I noticed when they were together that Abby is quite a bit smaller than Grace. Do you think Abby is going to get large enough for a service dog?
WarriorCanineConnection There is no size requirement for a service dog. She may be smaller but that doesn’t mean much at all. Just as human siblings can be different so are canine siblings.
tinksmomMO The pups are ‘officially’ yours until they are ready to work, but live and do some training with puppy parents?
WarriorCanineConnection The dogs remain under the ownership of WCC until they are placed and working for 1 year. After that year the handler can obtain ownership yet we still follow the dog for life.
Maxi Is Grace still with you or back with her PP’s?
WarriorCanineConnection Grace’s PP’s are traveling until Mid-Feb. Grace will be going to NiCOE later in the week for some training too.
KoppyKat27 Do these puppies seem to take to the solid food more than HHD? Is that because labs are, as a breed, more inclined to eat anything and everything than Goldens or is it just a difference between litters?
WarriorCanineConnection Just a difference in litters – they do love food though.
luv_my_catz Are these pups beginning training of any kind now? If not at what point do they start and what kind of things are a part of that?
WarriorCanineConnection Yes, the puppies will start things like “down, ‘sit”, “wait” and also retrieving items and turning on lights.
angel abby When are you going to breed another Golden?
WarriorCanineConnection I do not have another golden that is old enough (2) and has had all healthy clearances right now. I am looking to “borrow” a golden from a breeder for a litter sometime late 2013 or early 2014.
Maxi With so many dogs in the house, is it difficult to keep them on similar eating, sleeping and pooping schedules so that you can get some sleep?
WarriorCanineConnection No, my dogs are very low maintenance 🙂
LauraB Does neutering male dogs after 6 months mess with them in any way?
WarriorCanineConnection Early spay/neuter affects both sexes. If you are interested in links to the research just send me an e-mail.
readlines11 How many commands will they learn by the age of 2?
WarriorCanineConnection Roughly 90…but honestly once placed it is likely they will not use them all.
