# 7 inches of Fresh Powder!



## IPP (Nov 29, 2008)

Got 7 inches of snow starting yesterday...most of it fell after midnight. I looked out this morning and thought MUST TAKE CAMERA with me when I go out. The temps aren't too cold like a nice "almost freezing", but with the sun out everyone didn't mind so much, I got a few good shots in the 10 minutes we were out there!

The black poos look funny because they all seemed to get the most on them! The one pic is of Heidi on her back rolling around in the fresh snow...she does it every time we go outside! She looks so funny with her legs up in the air and head buried in the snow!


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## IPP (Nov 29, 2008)

More pictures!


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## jester's mom (Nov 25, 2008)

LOL.... looks like they are having a BALL! Glad someone likes this snow we are having... personally I can't wait till spring. 

I love the shot of the apricot running past you, great capture!


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## IPP (Nov 29, 2008)

jester's mom said:


> LOL.... looks like they are having a BALL! Glad someone likes this snow we are having... personally I can't wait till spring.
> 
> I love the shot of the apricot running past you, great capture!


Yes they love the snow...I could do without having to confine them all in the kitchen to dry them all off. I spend at least 1 hour just drying them off every time they come in...I dry and brush out one, let it into the living room then on to the next. Hubby let them out the other day and didn't dry them and Casey SOAKED his spot on the couch with her wet legs and we only had about 3 inches that day.

Now when he lets them out he tells me first to make sure I come in the kitchen for "drying duty!"

I like winter, but hate to be cold...but as for cleaning up after them, well I would rather it be snow then rain. I much rather dry and brush then have to wash mud off everyone like when spring comes! :banghead:


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## SECRETO (Aug 20, 2008)

Great pics. The smaller parti Poodle (i think) looks like a little lamb. They all look great having a ball in the snow. Too cute!


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## IPP (Nov 29, 2008)

SECRETO said:


> Great pics. The smaller parti Poodle (i think) looks like a little lamb. They all look great having a ball in the snow. Too cute!


If you meant the silly girl covered in snow...she is Heidi our mini. I can't remember if her AKC papers say brown & white or chocolate and white...either way that is her! She rolls around like that every time I take her out, and its so funny because she is so pudgy!

I was wrong when I guessed 7 inches...I heard on the tv we actually got more like 10-12 inches...I thought it was awfully deep! Supposed to get more today I think...if we do you know I will try to get some pics of my crazy pack having fun in it.


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## txtori (Jan 29, 2009)

lol us folks here in Texas go on vaction & pray that it snows so we can see it. I have only seen snow once in my life. We are going to go to New Mexico in Feb. Hope like crazy it snows.


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## IPP (Nov 29, 2008)

txtori said:


> lol us folks here in Texas go on vaction & pray that it snows so we can see it. I have only seen snow once in my life. We are going to go to New Mexico in Feb. Hope like crazy it snows.


Its pretty and the dogs love it of course...but if it were up to me we would get about 4 inches on Christmas Eve then be done with it. That way the kids get enough to see and play in, and if it wants to stick around for a week that is oaky to...but this 1/2 a foot every other week stuff is for the birds!

Sometimes I wish I only saw snow when I went other places...but on the other hand Indiana is good for me because I know I couldn't handle Texas's heat. If it hits 90 degrees around here we act like we are all dying, even with the AC going full blast, ect.

I remember when I was about 16 yrs old we flew down to my aunt's in Houston for THANKSGIVING and it was like 80+ degrees out...which was great, but even a bit too warm for my liking. THEN we fly home and its below freezing...ugh I remember I WAS SO COLD on the ride home from the airport and everyone kept saying but its 10 degrees warmer than yesterday. LOL

I think New Mexico get quite a bit of snow in the right places...hope you get to see some!


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## Jako (Mar 4, 2008)

Looks like they had a blast! I wish we got just a little more snow. I haven't seen more than a couple of inches in the past three years. Just enough to make the roads slick, but not enough to play in.


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## Blue Fox (Oct 22, 2008)

They all look like they're having so much fun together. Do you get many fights or niggles amongst them? I'm just wondering with that many I imagine they really do form their own little pack, is it difficult maintaining the alpha dog position?


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## IPP (Nov 29, 2008)

Blue Fox said:


> They all look like they're having so much fun together. Do you get many fights or niggles amongst them? I'm just wondering with that many I imagine they really do form their own little pack, is it difficult maintaining the alpha dog position?


Yes, yes and um definately YES. Some dogs will only play with certain other dogs, and yes we have squabbles. Those squabbles always escalate into a full blown fight IF it involves Punkin and I don't jump RIGHT IN. Lord that dog vexes me so! She is not the oldest one of the group, but she was our first dog and she holds these other dogs against us. 

The only one her highness Punkin wants to play with is her beloved Daddy. She will only chase a ball if it involves getting to keep it away from Peanut or someone else...she has issues. She is the ONLY one that gives ME problems with alpha dog position which is MINE, and strictly enforced when needed. She never gives hubby any problems with not listening to basic commands like sit, go lay down, ect...but the other girls do sometimes, but just basically being a pain in the butt stuff like not getting out of someones face and they are licking or jumping up on someone. Too much of that and the squirt bottle comes out and I spray them in the rear until they go lay down. They ALL know that if they are getting squirted, to immediately go find a bed and lay down...unless you are laying in the bed barking, then if I take aim "you better be quiet or RUN becuase I am going to squirt you!" 

Well wait let me say she does give hubby problems if he isn't paying attention and she starts making stiff tail at someone she feels is getting too much attention. Then I jump in and 1st offense is a stern NO, second offense is you get stuck in the kitchen...but I will be darned if she hasn't learned to jump that stupid gate that I about killed myself on! 

So last time we had visitors she bit Peanut in the butt 3 times, yes 3 different times...the last time I stuck her butt in the crate, since after the second time I dicovered she can jump that stupid gate...and didn't let her out until the visitors left. 

She has settled since but I have to ask her..."DO YOU WANT TO GO IN THE CRATE?" and she will immediately go lay down by my husband...yeah like thats gonna save you!

It is funny...I recognize all their growls and what its about almost immediately. if I hear one growling and its just a play growl and I know its just playing I don't say anything. If one hits a higher tone that lets me know it is serious or is going to be...then I will say something, if it doesn't stop...out comes the squirt bottle, if it still doesn't stop you get sqirted.

If I hear one growling and its Punkin, nope stop the train...she never is being playful when she growls so I make her stop. 

Sophie has being a bit more growly and I have had to tell her to stop, too...but I know she is just establishing pecking order so if someone is just out and out trying to pick a fight with her even in play...and she doesn't want to play, I will let her growl for a few seconds, then I tell them to both knock it off...you stop growling and you go play with someone else!

I have some that always have to have the last word...tell them to be quiet and they have to get in that one last bark but other than that none of them (besides her royal highness) ever out and out try to defy me or are BAD per say. 

I am pretty firm with them, but putting them in a crate or a shot of water with the squirt bottle is as far as I will go. 

We have only had maybe 5 fights that involved bloodshed and none that were too serious for some aluminum spray...nothing too deep or needing stitches. All of them have involved Punkin and its been when I am in the bathroom or am outside and by the time I get in (YELLING the whole way to KNOCK IT OFF PUNKIN because its always her) its over and Punkin is on her way to hide from me because she knows that fighting gets you a long time out in the crate. 

All the pics are honestly of everyone playing...as you can see Daisy only plays with Casey (or me hence the pics of her right in front of me) and Casey will play with anyone, and so will Raven and Ginger. Mostly you see Raven trying to get Daisy to play with her, but Daisy ignores her to chase Casey around...she will lay down and play with her a bit but not romp like she will with Casey. Ginger, Heidi, Dolly, Raven and Gypsy have their own little group, and sometimes Ruby will play with them...mostly Ruby plays with Kikiyo and annoys Shippo. 

Shippo usually only wants to play with me, he wasn't properly socialized around other dogs in that important young age and he will very rarely try to get one to play with him, but he loves to play with me and sometimes he will join in and play with Ruby and Kikiyo as long as Ruby doesn't want to play too rough he will chase them around all day.

Some of them do have honest to goodness best friends...and I wonder what I would do if I wanted to place one or the other. I don't have any plans to place anyone or anything like that, but it has crossed my mind...like heaven forbid what if something happened to one of them if they would adopt another one of the dogs as a BF in place of the other. 

I am glad they all have so many other dogs to play with but the thought has crossed my mind...actually when the subject about Locky came up I started thinking about it. 

I am glad that Casey and Daisy are close in age and that the others will hopefully be very long lived so I don't have to worry about it anytime soon! 

They can all be a royal pain especially when I am tired in the morning and they are all just giddy and read to go outside and sometimes I just have to laugh because I just don't know what I would do without each one. 

All of them bring so much to the group...we are indeed a pack...we have a peace keeper, the guardians, the clowns, and they are a joy. :rainbow:

I am happy to say that while they can be a handful I really wouldn't want it any other way!:rainbow:


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## Puzzel Jr (Jan 30, 2009)

I must say that I am a bit envy of that snow. Puzzel Jr really loves to play around in it, but we seldom get much snow nowadays.

The winter here in Stockholm has been so dull. When ever we get any snow it melts away very fast.


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## Blue Fox (Oct 22, 2008)

It sounds like you have them under control IPP. I couldn't imagine having so many although I really would like three perhaps four at some stage.


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## Jana (Feb 2, 2009)

IPP said:


> They can all be a royal pain especially when I am tired in the morning and they are all just giddy and read to go outside and sometimes I just have to laugh because I just don't know what I would do without each one.
> rainbow:



Wow, so you have 10 dogs, if I counted right 

So amazing...I used to live next to a family with 10 kids, and I really admired how the older ones would teach the younger ones. 

You are giving each of those dogs such a wonderful life with all those buddies! 

I have two kids...and I think two dogs will be my limit as well. (My rationale has always been not to let the "littles" outnumber the adults....in case they each take off in opposite directions at the same time )


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## IPP (Nov 29, 2008)

Jana said:


> Wow, so you have 10 dogs, if I counted right
> 
> So amazing...I used to live next to a family with 10 kids, and I really admired how the older ones would teach the younger ones.
> 
> ...


LOL...you counted right, but not everyone was outside! Here is my roll call!

Punkin...toy apricot
Peanut...toy parti-color white/cream
Dolly...toy parti-color white/black
Kikiyo...toy sable marked silver/cream
Shippo...toy sable marked apricot/cream
Fenton...toy phantom marked black/cream
Ruby...toy red

Raven...mini black
Ember...mini parti-color apricot/white sable
Heidi...mini parti-color white/chocolate
Ginger...mini dark apricot

Daisy...standard black
Casey...standard dark apricot

The others:
Sophie...Afghan Hound
Piggy...french bulldog
Gypsy...HHL Chinese Crested Dog
Cleo Bitty...Sphynx Cat
Katara...Cheetoh Cat
Dillemma...Peterbald X Donskoy cat
Toph...Donskoy cat
Shimmer...Donskoy Cat

Then there is me, hubby and our 3 sons ages almost 1 yr, 2 yrs old and then our oldest is 7 soon to be 8 yrs old. 

We have enough adults to handle the 2 little humans, and the dogs help keep them entertained! I have to say you rarely want for something to do around here, but you also never have to look far for something to laugh about either!


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## txtori (Jan 29, 2009)

WOW! That's all I can say.


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## tannerokeefe (Dec 14, 2008)

omg!! how do you do it? are they all in the house I presume? how much do you spend on kibble a month? bless you for loving soooo many babies!!


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## IPP (Nov 29, 2008)

tannerokeefe said:


> omg!! how do you do it? are they all in the house I presume? how much do you spend on kibble a month? bless you for loving soooo many babies!!


Yes they are all in the house...we have one crate for "time-outs" and that Sophie uses to eat in when they have dinner. Speaking of dinner...

Weekly
Dry kibble...40 lbs $30
Chicken...6-10 lbs $6-10 (depends on if I buy leg quarters or whole chickens)
Veggies...3-5 lbs $5-$10 (depends on what I buy since its winter not a big selection on fresh so I have to use frozen sometimes)
Rice or whole grain pasta or lentils ...2-5 lbs $5-$7 

We leave a bowl full of dry out all the time because we have little ones and their sugar to worry about. Nine of them are diabetic or anything but they are all active so I worry...to be honest they hardly touch it except for right before I feed them their dinner. I take the other above stuff and make either one or 2 batches of "homemade" dinner that I freeze into daily servings.

Now for the part that people are ABSOLUTELY amazed by...when I feed them their chicken/veggies dinner I only use 3 bowls. I take the food, warm it in the oven if needed, let it cool, spoon it over dry kibble (1/2 what they should ALL be taking in daily @ 12 cups) add about 2 cups lukewarm water and put it into 3 bowls...then I set it on the floor and all the dogs with the exception of 2 eat together. 

Fenton will not eat like that, he is too submissive so I just put him a separate small bowl in another spot, and Sophie is the same way soI feed her in the crate with the door open, she eats with her head and food in the crate and shoulders back sticking out the front...laying down with the bowl up on a pillow to help digestion. She stands up for about 1 minutes then gets lazy and lays down to finish.

So everyone always thinks "well how do you know they are getting enough?" I figure I do leave out the dry food all the time, and they all eat VERY WELL when I put down the chicken, ect/kibble mix and no body is extremely thin, even the Afghan looks much better now than she did just 3 weeks ago...and I have to admit that Casey and Heidi are a bit on the thick side...so I think everyone is getting either enough or more than enough. I have noticed that everyone has been more playful, firmer stools, nicer coats, and other health benefits since switching from just giving them dry and a bit of canned mixed in...so I have decided to try to stick with it or try to add more chicken and less kibble if I change anything.

The real added bonus of it has been the fact everyone has to be very well mannered, or they learn quickly that if they want to eat the yummy dinner they have to be nice. I have one that was growly in the beginning...she would growl and I would reach in the mess of eating dogs and snatch her up and put her outside. We all know poodles are smart, so it only took her 3 times of this 3 nights in a row and she has NOT done it AT ALL since. 

Since we have been doing the community dinner thing there have less bickering over toys, sleeping spots, chewies and other just silly dominance issues.

I would have NEVER EVER started feeding this way if I thought I had a dog with food aggression, but I feed them all (except Sophie and her crate in the living room) in the kitchen behind the gate and NEVER when children are around. The biggest rule of safety is that I don't allow food, kids, and dogs EVER EVER EVER in the same plane. I will feed my children while the dogs are around, but food is on the table where dogs understand that it is MINE not for them. We don't feed from the table...we do give some leftovers, but never from the table...and I think this helps.

All in all I think that the feeding has taught them new respect for their pack...I stand right beside them and so far no fights...if I see any rigid body language I just say HEY and the tails drop. I can reach in at any time and they will all back up and let me have it...I do this still from time to time...just to remind them that its mine and I am being nice enough to share. I think that it has helped me to establish pack order...and so far so good!

They all get loved on, we do have quite a few friends that stop by to see us and the dogs too...and they all sleep either with or near us at night. The bigger ones normally sleep on the floor in big dog beds. but they have been known to get up there with us, too!


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