Won't Be Babies Long Enough

Last night we let the three "boys" run around in the house while we watched TV.  They played.  They found stuff.  Bobby Lee had a package of ketchup.  They are getting very good at finding things in the garbage.  I have to keep an eye on them at all times.  They sniffed of everything.  And they were in and out of our laps.  Preacher and Johnny fell asleep at Mr. B's feet.  Bobby Lee was asleep at my feet. I pulled him into my lap and Mr. B. pulled Johnny into his lap.  We won't be able to do that much longer.  Johnny likes to grunt and groan - he is an all around noise maker.  The other two get the upper hand of Johnny and for now he seems to be at the bottom of the totem pole. He's loud.  He likes to fuss and growl. When we pick him up he growls and fusses but it is easy to see he's having a large time and it is just his way of playing.   He's very theatrical more so than any I've had. He can have the entire pack on his side and sympathizing with him in seconds by howling and whimpering if he thinks he's been unjustly treated by another dog.  Bobby Lee is smart.  He's a problem solver.  He's a climber.  You can't keep him out of any place he really wants to be. He is also a tag-along and likes being underfoot. Although he's shy he is also fearless when his nose is turned on.  Johnny is bit shy and will need more socialization. He's hard headed too and has to be told more than once:-) And when I'm counting heads his is always the one that's missing.  Preacher is the independent one.  He's busy and had rather be any place than our laps although he does like to visit for a second.  I have to make time for Preacher because he has no time for me.  I tell him that he's my pick puppy but you wouldn't know it because he could care less for attention.  The boys are smart, they use their noses more than any bloodhounds I've owned and that's saying something, they have skin that's soft as suede or felt to the touch and the longest ears I've seen in some time now. This is an aside but I've noticed that people like to measure ears to the end of a dog's nose but that can be deceptive.  If these boys get any size on them and have large heads their ears could just be at the ends of their noses although they are long now.  A bloodhound with a 10 inch head will appear to have longer ears when a bloodhound with a 12 inch head's ears will appear short but actually be longer than the one with the 10 inch head.  Like a lot of things - things such as that are relative.  But for puppies they do have the longest ears I've seen in a long time.  Their Grandmother Jama used to trip over her ears and suck on them like a baby will suck on its thumb.  We are enjoying them but like the title says - they won't be babies long enough.   Bloodhound puppies are the coolest but they do grow up fast and when they get old they are as I've said already "grizzely" looking with their skin tags, grey faces, callouses in all kinds of places, etc. etc.  You know you are a bloodhound lover when you appreciate and love the old ones as much if not more so than the babies.  I've got three old-timers that are all over 11  years old which is something too.   And while I'm on this line of thought these pups if they make it to be old have the potential to be really old because three out of four of their grandparents are still alive and between the ages of over 11 to over 12 years old.  The other grandparent lived to be over 12 before he passed away.   The father is 11 and the mother is 7.  That alone is very rare in this breed and that alone is why I am so excited to have these boys.  Until next time -