:Echo

Rick and Sharlee set up Echo’s area exactly like I recommended. Note the ex-pen surrounding the crate. Echo has two places to snooze; a bed inside the crate and a blanket right outside the crate. Her water dish is also right outside the crate. At the far end of the pen, not shown in this photo, is a puppy piddle pad.

This set-up provides three distinct areas. Sleeping. Drinking/eating. Potty. My puppies are exposed to this concept from the time they’re born. As the puppies grow, so does the area. At first the mother and puppies are in an airline crate (without the door, usually without the top), inside a 2×3 puppy playpen which sits in a corner in the bathroom. When the mother is ready to demote herself from her 24/7 job to…say 23/7…I set up a 2×4 in the same corner, adding another bed just outside the airline crate. Food and water are always available. When the new family outgrows this set-up, I move them to the end of the hallway, which is easily blocked off with ex-pens panels. The entire area is lined with newspaper, with the exception of the area with bedding, food and water. Over the next weeks, I make the newspaper area smaller and smaller, working towards the end opposite their bed, food and water. When the puppies have outgrown this, I make a similar, larger set-up in the basement. That area has light coming in large size windows on three sides, along with a window in the door. Think walk-out basement. The puppies come upstairs in the evening and weekends; again in the same area. At this point, they’re pretty good about finding the newspaper and are allowed more freedom in the house. I’m able to expand this freedom, this envelope, slowly first allowing them access to the bathroom, then the library, then the entire hallway, then the kitchen. And finally the entire house, which takes constant supervision. Right Vickie?!

Looks like one of Rick and Sharlee’s cats likes the set-up too! This photo they titled Sleepover.

And face to face…

Learning the stairs…which took 5 minutes!

Echo’s world has definitely expanded. As has her siblings’ world. Yesterday they made the big move to The Kennel. Gasp! Not the kennel! <g>

Siku and Whisper, in the past week or so, showed plenty of signs they were ready for the big move. Yesterday morning I prepared a kennel run, between the Girl Group and Edmund. The spaces in the fencing are 1″ wide and 2″ tall. For added insurance, I have temporarily snapped ex-pen panels to that fencing. When the kennel settles back down, current dogs accepting the newcomers as permanent residents the ex-pen panels will come down. And the puppies will be rotated between the Girls and the Boys when outside. Full integration will have occurred. At least until it’s time to separate the puppies or Whisper goes to her home.

Right now, even as I type, the puppies’ door is open, allowing them access to their outside run. It’s a whole new Big Dog world!

:A first

A first. Today I’ve done something for the first time. Admitedly, once before I attempted a dual sired litter. But that was done by Dr. Hess, at her clinic…and were AIs, not natural breedings. Kham ma was ‘back-up’ because of Katu’s age and sperm production. Conception did happen, but the puppies were resorbed. Technically I’ve never produced a dual sired litter.

Chandra – Vajra and Arsha’s sister – lives with her dam Garma at my friend Bobbie’s house. Panchen is Chandra’s sire. Chandra is a beautiful Apso. I’ll get photos while she’s here. I had been going back and forth, back and forth about which dog would mate with her. You know the situation, compounded by the probability that this will be Chandra’s only litter. Do I use Keeper? Or do I use a Gompa male?

Initially, weighing all the factors, including past success – or lack thereof – I decided the sire would be Keeper. During the Chandra handoff, after explaining my decision, Bobbie pointed out the obvious. Try another dual sired litter. Last night Chandra mated with Keeper. This morning she mated with Kham ma. DNA profiling will sort out the puppies.

Bobbie did mention the word slut, with the dearest of meaning.

The pedigree/s.

:Tibet

On Monday, a global day of action delivered the 1.5-million strong Avaaz Tibet petition to Chinese embassies and consulates worldwide. Click to see photos, and to urge your head of state to join the call for change:

Dear friends,

On Monday, thousands of people in 84 cities worldwide marched for justice for Tibet–and delivered the 1.5 million-signature Avaaz petition to Chinese embassies and consulates around the globe. (Click below for photos.) Avaaz staff have engaged with Chinese diplomats in New York and London, delivering the petition and urging action. And a growing chorus of world leaders is joining the call.

China is on the fence–indicating an openness to talks with the Dalai Lama, while at the same time pressuring other governments to support its continuing crackdown. Each day, more leaders declare their stance. It’s time to redouble our efforts–click below to send a personal message to your head of state, urging support for dialogue with the Dalai Lama–and check out the photo gallery from Monday’s day of action!

http://www.avaaz.org/en/tibet_report_back/5.php/?cl=69872680

Together, we’ve built an unprecedented wave of global pressure. The Avaaz petition is one of the biggest and fastest-growing global online petitions on any topic in history; since it launched on March 18, it has been signed by 100,000 people per day–an average of more than 4,000 per hour, day and night.

Politicians understand that there is power in numbers. We need to show them that they have more to gain by listening to their own people–and heeding the cry for help from Tibet–than by giving China a pass in the lead-up to the Olympic Games. Take action now

http://www.avaaz.org/en/tibet_report_back/5.php/?cl=69872680

We’re privileged to be alive at a time when people anywhere can reach out and support people everywhere–instantly. If we have the power to make things better, we have a responsibility to act. Thanks for what you’ve done so far, for the people of Tibet and for a more humane world for all.

With hope,

Ben, Ricken, Graziela, Galit, Paul, Iain, Pascal, and the Avaaz team

PS – The more people sign the petition, the more powerful our call for change. We will hope to deliver it to the Chinese government again once we reach our target of 2 million signers. If you haven’t already, please forward the email below to your friends and family, and urge them to sign the Tibet petition!

________ here’s a message to forward to friends _________

Dear friends,

After decades of suffering, the Tibetan people have burst onto the streets in protests and riots. The spotlight of the upcoming Olympic Games is now on China, and Tibetan Nobel peace prize winner the Dalai Lama is calling to end all violence through restraint and dialogue–he urgently needs the world’s people to support him.

China’s leaders are lashing out publicly at the Dalai Lama–but we’re told many Chinese officials believe dialogue is the best hope for stability in Tibet. China’s leadership is right now considering a crucial choice between crackdown and dialogue that could determine Tibet’s–and China’s–future.

We can affect this historic choice–China does care about its international reputation, and we can help them choose the right path. China’s President Hu Jintao needs to hear that the ‘Made in China’ brand and the upcoming Olympics in Beijing will succeed only if he makes the right choice. But it will take an avalanche of global people power to get his attention. Click below now to join 1.5 million others and sign the petition–and tell absolutely everyone you can right away–our goal is 2 million voices united for Tibet:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/tibet_end_the_violence/97.php/?cl=69872680

China’s economy is dependent on “Made in China” exports that we all buy, and the government is keen to make the Olympics in Beijing this summer a celebration of a new and respected China. China is also a sprawling, diverse country with much brutality in its past. And it has good reasons to be concerned about stability — some of Tibet’s rioters killed innocent people. But President Hu must recognize that the greatest danger to Chinese stability and development today comes from hardliners who advocate escalating repression, not from those Tibetans seeking dialogue and reform.

We have presented the petition at protests, marches, rallies, and private meetings with Chinese diplomats around the world–and we will keep sending it as long as it keeps growing. Please forward this email to your address book with a note explaining to your friends why this is important, or use our tell-a-friend tool to email your address book–it will come up after you sign. The Tibetan people have suffered quietly for decades. It is finally their moment to speak–we must help them be heard.

With hope and respect,

The Avaaz team

Here are some links with more information on the Tibetan protests and the Chinese response:

“China softens Dalai Lama stand” — Wen Jiabao calling for dialogue
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080401/jsp/foreign/story_9081121.jsp

Dalai Lama expresses appreciation for world reaction, appeals for continued support; also sends appeal to the Chinese people:
http://dalailama.com/news.221.htm
http://dalailama.com/news.220.htm

China announcing support from governments around the world:
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-03/20/content_7829212.htm

Leaders across Europe and Asia starting to back dialogue as the way forward:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/7300157.stm

Chinese Prime Minister attacks “Dalai clique”, leaves door open for talks:
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-03/18/content_7813194.htm

Other Chinese signals:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/China_looks_at_India_to_talk_to_Dalai_Lama/articleshow/2875142.cms
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ABOUT AVAAZ
Avaaz.org is an independent, not-for-profit global campaigning organization that works to ensure that the views and values of the world’s people inform global decision-making. (Avaaz means “voice” in many languages.) Avaaz receives no money from governments or corporations, and is staffed by a global team based in London, Rio de Janeiro, New York, Paris, Washington DC, and Geneva.

:Puppy pictures

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