Winthrop

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Updated 1/13/07: Winthrop and his litter mates are just a few days short of 2 months old and their individual personalities are becoming quite apparent. Winthrop is an absolute angel. He is not as outgoing as his brother, Tom, but he is also not as quiet as his sister, Unity. He plays hard but crashes easily for a powernap after a little while. Winthrop enjoys exploring the backyard and chewing on sticks and bark. Also, he will quickly give chase when his siblings are up for it. Winthrop is somewhat of a loner in that he tries to stay away from the chaos when napping. He will find a spot away from his siblings to curl up in until he is ready to join the fun again.

Winthrop is on track to being housebroken. He recognizes and seeks out the nearest training pad when he needs it and is receptive to using the backyard when he is outside. Winthrop is enjoying the crunchy puppy food while waiting for his baby teeth to fall out and loves to crunch on the occasional ice cube if you let him. He does have a habit of stealing socks to play with, so his foster parents are careful not to leave too much on the floor when the puppies are roaming the house. He enjoys chasing the cats every chance he gets and tries to engage the bigger dogs to cuddle with him when he is ready to lie down. Like his siblings, he loves to curl up in your lap or on your chest for a cuddle. He is not afraid of the vacuum or other appliances. More on this precious pup as he continues to grow…………..

Original: In mid-November, 5 springers came into MAESSR’s care when a breeder chose to downsize her breeding program. One of the dogs, Zoe, was near her due date and delivered a litter 4 days later. Names were needed for Zoe’s new family and, in the spirit of the season, it was fitting that a Thanksgiving theme be used. Zoe’s family now includes Tom Turkey (no one could resist the lighter side of this choice), Unity (in the spirit of the original feast), Winthrop (after a man who drafted the first Thanksgiving resolution) and Xia (Greek for welcoming).

In just a few days Winthrop and his litter mates will be one month old. The 4 puppies and their mother are doing great. Zoe is eating regularly now and producing plenty of milk to keep her growing babies fed. By their 3 week weigh-in, each pup had grown to 3 pounds or more which is quite big for their age. At that time the puppies were still nursing full-time but will be ready to start on solid food soon. There’s nothing as entertaining as baby puppies swimming in their first real food!

Of course, everyone has their eyes open now. They’re all walking and even starting to play with each other. This is when their individual personalities begin to emerge and Winthrop is no exception. Winthrop is very playful. He keeps chewing on all his siblings as well as the pant legs and fingers of his foster mom whenever he gets the chance. He’s going to need some puppy-sized toys soon. His foster mom jokingly says that he’s starting to look like an actual puppy instead of a doggie-like sausage. He’s already mighty cute and getting cuter every day.

More on this little guy as he takes on shape and personality.