To Sir With Love

~a short treatise on having responsibility for a neonatal puppy~

Neonatal: "of, relating to, or affecting the newborn infant"

Sir Winston Churchill arrived more neonatal a dog then most people have ever seen. The vet estimated he was 5 days old (making his birth date June 6th) but I now suspect he was probably three days old or so. His umbilical cord had come off but the naval area was quite open and "fresh" (for lack of a better word). His eyes and ears were shut tight -and still are quite closed. He ate every 90 minutes around the clock for a full week with us. He mewled and moaned and made little seagull noises for over a week. Yesterday and today he yipped tiny little baby barks. Last night he slept for one 3 hour block. Excitement is coming easily these days. 

He spends his days in a mesh pet carrier that I'm sure was designed for guinea pigs. He has three water filled latex gloves on top of his round bed and under his towel to give him the sensation of moving puppy bodies around him. (When it's chilly I can heat the water in the gloves and put a warm snuggle safe under them to keep them toasty).

He needs stimulation to keep all his systems functional  - although he has pooped twice by himself now. He has had a couple of little baths to keep him clean and fresh. And I have done a LOT of laundry. 

We have spent two hundred and twenty four hours together already and he has rarely been out of my hearing in that time. He came to the dentist with me and delighted them all. Amazing how something sleeping so soundly can be so appealing. He comes to work with me daily and the timing should be quite good as once he is a more active toddler type puppy I should be on summer break. 


It's amazing how attached you become to something so demanding!