Canary

This puppy was very thin and gaunt looking just after birth. She plumped up once she had a little milk. This puppy is extremely tiny... the definite runt of the litter. She is, however, robust in her movements and doesn't seem to have any difficulty holding her own among her much larger siblings.

General Behavioral Notes:
This puppy never makes any noise when lifted or shifted into a different position (such as when we must move the puppies to place a new pad under them. She is always aware of when her mother returns and isn't shy about getting into the fray at the milk bar, even though all of her siblings are twice her size. This puppy is generally quiet and doesn't appear vocalize much at all.

Temperament Test #2:
This puppy sat up during the rough pet, but did not move forward or backward. She was silent during this task. This puppy pumped her back legs as if cycling during the lift. Her tail was not stiff, nor was the rest of her body. She just kept pumping her back legs, like dogs automatically do when raised above water. This puppy was silent during the lift. This puppy was still and quiet during the turn. Her legs were cupped under her like a roly poly's does when it is turned over. This puppy was not stiff, but looked comfortable. This puppy was not head shy during the pet in an unfamiliar environment. She did not fuss or fight to get down. This puppy was silent and still. She did yawn once during this time. This puppy remained near the handler when placed back into the den away from her siblings. She sat still for a few seconds, then walked over to the handler's foot and sniffed at it for a few seconds. She did not appear to have an elevated heart rate or stiffness to her movements. She then walked back to the puppy pile and fell asleep.
This puppy receives a score of 8.8 for this temperament test.

Temperament Test #1:
This puppy was still inside the intact sack upon birth. She arrived head first, but wasn't initially moving. She did not seem to struggled to breathe, but she did seem quiet still and limp just after birth. This puppy grunted for about a half hour after birth. When she warmed up, she quieted down and remained quiet for the first eight hours after birth. This puppy moves about with ease. She squeezes herself in-between her siblings and finds little pockets to slip into. This puppy initially wiggled her body and grunted when lifted. This puppy wiggled slightly on the scale, but was silent. This puppy held her feet into her body on the turn, but she was quiet. This puppy grunted and moved herself back to her mom, going in a straight line. This puppy is constantly on the move if she isn't eating.
This puppy receives a score of 6.7 for this temperament test.

General Appearance Notes:
This puppy may be small, but she is not a runt in the traditional sense of the word. She doesn't appear to be small because of lack of healthfulness. On the contrary, this puppy does not have any trouble getting around. She has a small overall size with thin bone structure, including dainty feet. This puppy has long, floppy ears that do not appear to have any lift or stiffness to them.

Birth Notes:
The fifth puppy born at 8:07 pm is an extra-tiny female, much smaller than any puppy I have ever helped birth, weighing 7 oz. She is so tiny, Opal didn’t even know she arrived. Luckily, I saw her still in the sack just lying there. I thought she was stillborn. To my surprise, when I opened the sack, she breathed! Curious how this extra-tiny puppy would fair amidst her giant siblings, I laid her down next to them. They engulfed her… literally. She disappeared in the crack between their bodies. I prepared myself for possibly having to let her go if I found her to be in any way unhealthy. But, she fought her way out from under her siblings, poking her head above the crowd. Then, she found a place to suckle and went to work, never missing a beat. INCREDIBLE. What a will to live. She isn’t out of the woods yet, so we will monitor her, but we do not believe it is fair to prolong her life unnecessarily if she declines and begins to suffer. But, for now, she is very resourcefully finding her place in the world with the hand she was dealt. Way to go, little one! I want to name her Charming Yellow Canary because she is like a delicate little bird in a harsh working man’s world. (yellow)