Thank the Gummi Mary, Farmer H chose the right pup when he went to pick him up Thursday afternoon. I don't know if he was smart enough to show the picture on his phone, as I insisted. More likely, Giver knows her pups, and remembered the one I asked for. She even gave him a bath!
They arrived at the Mansion around 3:00, as I was leaving for town. Of course I had to delay my trip by 20 minutes to hold Pepper. He smelled so fresh! Like shampoo. He snuggled right in, but was shaking. Not from the cold, because we were in the laundry room, and it was 60 degrees outside.
"He's just scared. He whimpered all the way here. I had him in that box on the front seat of my truck."
"Well, no wonder. It's like he's been kidnapped. He doesn't know where he is, and we're holding him captive. He was calling for his momma to come find him."
"Yeah. He'll get used to it."
Farmer H was going to get the pet carrier and put it in the laundry room, for Pepper to spend the night. Then he decided against it. The temperature wasn't going down much overnight. Pepper was surprisingly quiet. I expected more whimpering. I went out to pick him up and pet him when I got home from town. Farmer H checked on him a couple times. When it got dark, he took out Pepper's blanket that Giver had sent with him. Said he snuggled in on it inside his dog house.
Friday morning, I had Farmer H bring Pepper inside so I could hold him for the half hour before Farmer H left. Pepper was quite feisty! Like he didn't want to snuggle with me on the couch! I held him on my chest, one arm wrapped around him. He was very squirmy! And started yipping and howling. Which is just the cutest thing. Not sure if he was hollering for him momma, or excited to be inside. When Farmer H talked, it got Pepper's attention. He might be bonding with his "kidnapper," and come to adore Farmer H like Scarlett did. At least he knew Farmer H from a couple visits before he was taken. And Farmer H is the one who feeds him.
That's kind of a problem. It's like Pepper doesn't want to eat. Farmer H had gotten him puppy kibble. I thought he was getting some canned food as well, but he did not. He said Giver had been giving Pepper the dry food with a little water sprinkled on it, mixed with wet food.
I visited Pepper throughout the day on Friday. Every couple of hours. Petting and picking up and putting down and wrestling a bit. Pepper has sharp puppy claws! My arms were dripping blood. It was hard going back inside, because by the time I got through the door, Pepper was inside. There's no shooing a puppy. I had to get a neck-nape grip and coax him across the threshold, then be quick with the door, taking care not to slam his puppy head into the jamb.
Intermittently, Pepper would take five minutes to have a howling fit. I did not go check at that time, because it would be rewarding his howls. I swear, Pepper might really have some beagle in him, from sound of his voice. When I'd sneak in for the next visit, I'd see Pepper sitting in front of the door. Or nowhere, which meant he was in his house napping. He would run to me when I called him. Wanting to be picked up, then wanting to be put down.
When Farmer H got home, I told him I didn't think Pepper was eating. The kibble was still in the food pan.
"I'm not sure he understands how to eat. Maybe he's just hungry."
"She said he was eatin' the dry food. Do we have anything else?"
"Just a hot dog. Or sandwich meat. I'm sure 10Box sells puppy food. They have a pet aisle."
"I'll get some tomorrow. Maybe cut up some of that hot dog real little. Or do we have milk?"
"There's a little. Not sure if it's still good."
Farmer H took out some diced hot dog. Put some in Pepper's mouth. SAID he ate it, but I'm doubtful. Looks like all of it is still in the food pan. Farmer H took out a bowl of milk. Said Pepper drank a little. Saturday morning, I tried some shredded turkey lunch meat. Pepper was not interested. When I tried to put it in his mouth, he clamped his lips shut. At least it stopped the howling!
I'm hoping Pepper will like the canned food. I figure a pup will eat before it will starve to death with food right in front of it.
No comments:
Post a Comment