Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Faeries stole my puppy

You may have noticed that there haven't been many photos of Magnum in the last week or so. There is a reason for this: You've heard those myths of faeries stealing human babies and replacing them with changelings? My puppy has been stolen by the faeries. Or maybe an alien from outer space.

You know how some breeds just sort of gracefully grow from puppyhood to adulthood with a gentle maturing? They start out looking like miniature adults and just sort of get bigger? Cardis are not one of them.

My pretty, flashy, promising blue male has been replaced with a tube -- nay, a pipette -- with these long legs, huge hocks, big wide clumsy feet, and a ginormous goofy head. He's all gangly limbs flying in different directions, and he's as likely to trip over his HEAD and wipe out as he is to run or gait normally. His black ear is back upright and huge, while his grey ear is almost back up straight, and also huge.

Magnum is, nevertheless, a very happy little changeling. He dotes on his people even moreso than the other dogs, which was a pleasant surprise to me. He's confident with strange people and dogs. He's go-go-go, always ready to pounce and play. We have to sort of stealth cuddle him: wait until he's asleep or almost asleep and then transplant him to our laps. He is, quite simply, delightful. Even if he is a changling. Or a space alien.

I am still awaiting the arrival of the errant twin. We have a vet appointment tomorrow for his second shot, so I will have her poke around for it. I plan to ask whether a shot of testosterone would be advisable.

If it doesn't end up descending then things get hairy. My head says that there is only so much time/space/resources to go around, and if I want to have a breeding program/show home then I need to think long and hard about keeping something that can't be part of that program. But my heart absolutely adores this puppy, and I can't imagine him leaving.

Maybe the faeries could return my puppy WITH both balls?

5 comments:

  1. You can still post pictures of the gangly changling, we won't mind! Hope your vet locates what's missing!

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  2. I second that. We've seen gangly Cardi boys before.

    Mmmm - retained testicles are a problem we've run into a time or two. They're an even bigger problem in Pems. My personal thought is that by using studs who had a slow-to-descend testicle that you are perpetuating the problem down-stream.

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  3. Yeah, I know how you feel. :) The puppy ganglies are never any fun! Then they usually look great at 6 months, then ugly again. Then hopefully great again!! LOL

    Good thoughts on the missing parts. :(

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  4. If it's any comfort, Kipling is now much BETTER than he was at eight weeks. He got a ton more bone, lots of angulation in the rear, and his ribbing came down - I don't know anything any more. I feel like you could practically reach into a bag and pick a puppy and do just as well.

    You know I love your puppy, and I think he's going to mature just gorgeous. All the pieces are there. But if not then you'll just have to make the journey down here for the next litter :).

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  5. I only bred one litter, several years ago; and all the boys were either monorchid or cryptorchid; and the pick bitch my co-breeder and I kept turned up dysplastic as well as hating the show ring. We did keep her, as a beloved pet; and she died about a year ago at 12.75 years. I know have a darling English Cocker boy who easily finished his championship with a handler (I'm not too good at showing, and have never used a clipper) at 16 months.

    Maintaining a breeding program when you're short on space is difficult - you have to be very smart and hard-headed. That being said, I think your Magnum is gorgeous, particularly for that gangly stage as they start adolesence. Of course, I don't know the Cardigan standard...

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