Everyone has the desire to be known, to have their story heard, to be recognized. I started this blog in the hopes that I could place my musings here, and that my words would have a place to go other than in a notebook which only I will see, until it becomes a tattered memory that finds its way into a plastic bag to be ignominiously thrown on a literal and figurative dump heap, with everyone else’s things that are no longer serving a purpose.
A kinder death of such memories is for them to be burnt. Perhaps it is time for a bonfire.
The puppies are almost six weeks old now, and are busy, busy, busy, which keeps me busy. I feel like a maid at a dog hotel. I wake up, make them breakfast, put them outside, run upstairs and get the laundry while they are busy, forget to make myself a cup of coffee, and try to take pictures. This was my attempt to capture them for Puppy Finder.
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I plan to let them go by 8 weeks, though I’d prefer to keep them longer to further their socialization, even though their mother is growing tired of the shock of ten puppies crashing into her like a black wave. She groans when the wave hits her. There is nothing as intimidating than being swarmed by 10 sets of puppy paws thundering toward you, coming to bite your toes while demanding you notice how adorable they are.
The pups are just over two weeks old. Their eyes opened, and they are beginning to walk. Rolley poly puppies! They take about five steps and tumble over.
I read about coat color for years because of my fascination with brindle, and was eagerly anticipating what color these pups would be. ALL BLACK. Or what seemed to be. I didn’t understand black is dominant, and will almost always show. Argo seems to not be entirely black, but a blackened fawn.
Bruce looks very handsome with his white tuxedo and white paws that flash when he trots. Knowing that black and white markings are undesirable, however, I was at first disappointed that they are all mis-marks. Upon realizing they were all unique, though, it dawned on me that I could name them after constellations of the night sky. Having ten black puppies is confusing. Without names, I would lose track of them — not knowing whom to give extra cuddles.
Every day I sit with them, peering intently to see if any of them are a color other than black. After seeing that Argo is developing a fawn-type coat, with black head, legs and tail, I researched the color and found a coat called “seal.” Harlequin is a modifier of the merle gene, which exists only on the black locus, which shows over other colors. However, because Harlequins are bred essentially black to black – through harlequin, merle, mantle or solid black – it is possible for them to carry for fawn from generations back, suppressed by black. Breeding Bruce to a brindle seems to have uncovered a long hidden gene. Zoey is double masked, meaning the black on her face extends up to her ears, and this may play a part. The color genetics on “seal” have never been tested, so the exact mechanics are not known. Some of the puppies like Puppis and Comet look very black. Perhaps not coincidentally, those are the biggest, and may be more influenced by their Great Dane sire. Zoey is a 1st generation Dane x English Mastiff. The bigger pups are more slow to master walking, as they are twice as big as the smaller ones.
Juro (M) was the first to walk, followed by Vela (F) the smallest of all the pups. He seems very well balanced, and even as a wobbly puppy looks very well built. Thuban (M), who I call T-bone, is the biggest cuddler. Cygnus (M) is the one I most often find outside the box. Ankaa (M) has a big cartoonish star on his chest, while Ancha (F) has been off my radar for three days. Where is she? I keep counting 10 puppies, so I know she’s in there. She has what looks like a grecian urn filled with milk dripping from her chin to her back toes. Carina (F) also looks like she is turning brown, with an a canoe shaped chest marking. Puppis (M) is easy to find, as he has a large dagger on his chest. Comet (F) is absolutely huge, she is probably pick of the litter, as she is very well put together. And last but not least is Argo (M), the most un-black of all the pups. He is good sized, and most definitely not black.
They looked all black, with white chest pieces and a few white toes. I named them after stars and constellations.
Comet
Puppis
Vela
Carina
Argo
Thuban
Cygnus
Star Phoenix (Ankaa)
Phoenix Star (Ancha)
Juro.
Juro is not the name of a star, but Japanese for Ten Son, he has a J on his chest. No star starts with J.
Ancha has a pitcher with water flowing out, so we chose something from the constellation Aquarius.
Star Phoenix is Ankaa, in the constellation Phoenix. I named Star Phoenix and Phoenix Star before I knew there were two stars in the sky with the same name, or that there was a constellation called Phoenix!
Cygnus, the Swan. In this case, a black swan.
Thuban, from constellation Draco, once the North star.
Argo, the ship of the Argonauts. This is the biggest constellation in the Southern sky, but has been disassembled into various parts of hull, sail, and stern.
Carina, The Hull.
Vela, The Sail.
Puppis, The Stern. Puppis contains the Skull & Crossbones Nebula.
Comet is not named for a star, but for the streak across her chin.
Six Feet Over 