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| Indy "Indian Island" |
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| All photos on this site: © 2010 White Oak English Shepherds |
Indy was the third pup to arrive, and by far the smallest of the
group. Just weighing in at .55 pounds at birth, Indy at 5 days had
climbed up to .85 pounds. I wouldn't be surprised if he just about
catches up with everyone else before leaving here at 8 weeks of
age. Even though Indy looks like he might be a tri-colored pup, I
suspect that he will be a sable and white boy similar in color to his
mother, Holly. I could tell after he dried off that he was not
black, but brown toned. He currently has the "b&t" face
markings, as well as the legs, but Holly did & still does on her
face. I am beginning to see him lighten up overall & seeing the
sable showing up across the back of his head and around his eyes
(not to be confused with his Shepherd Spots). Indy has a full
white collar, front stockings with the left being longer, white
back feet, and a tip on his tail. The very small blaze will be gone,
or almost gone, before he leaves at 8 weeks of age. Indy was
born with rear dewclaws that have been removed.
group. Just weighing in at .55 pounds at birth, Indy at 5 days had
climbed up to .85 pounds. I wouldn't be surprised if he just about
catches up with everyone else before leaving here at 8 weeks of
age. Even though Indy looks like he might be a tri-colored pup, I
suspect that he will be a sable and white boy similar in color to his
mother, Holly. I could tell after he dried off that he was not
black, but brown toned. He currently has the "b&t" face
markings, as well as the legs, but Holly did & still does on her
face. I am beginning to see him lighten up overall & seeing the
sable showing up across the back of his head and around his eyes
(not to be confused with his Shepherd Spots). Indy has a full
white collar, front stockings with the left being longer, white
back feet, and a tip on his tail. The very small blaze will be gone,
or almost gone, before he leaves at 8 weeks of age. Indy was
born with rear dewclaws that have been removed.
| 6 days old |
| 2 weeks old Eyes not quite yet open |
| Indy & Tuck |
| You can really see the "brown" tone to his fur now. He is also developing sable around his eyes & across the back of his head. |
| 5 weeks old The old saying that Number 2 tries harder really applies to Indy. Being a little bit smaller (around a pound) makes a difference in how soon he can accomplish things that the others do. After a couple of days of watching his littermates trot up the front steps, Indy accomplished this as well. Where the others were long enough in their bodies to pull their back legs up, Indy discovered that he would have to "jump" up the steps. It's pretty neat to watch him go! Indy is beginning to actively seek out play with the other pups. If I hear the sounds of a puppy tussle, it is not because Indy started things, but he will stand up for himself and finish it, if need be. ;-) He does not go looking for trouble. Indy truly enjoys being with his people & is quite affectionate when in my arms. |
| Indy & Oakie |
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| 3 weeks old Despite his slightly smaller size, Indy is right on target with the others in his abilities. Indy weighed in at 2.35 pounds on day 22. He is growing appropriately for his size. As you can see from the shot above, he likes being in our laps, but will also get out & explore on his own. He is one of the few pups who have been out on the hardwood, which can be a scary place when their feet slip out from underneath them. He walked around like a trooper, without any mishaps. Indy can be quite a talker especially when nursing. I still believe he will be similar in color to Holly, but not sure whether he will go through the "fading gray/sable" stage that she did. I will be able to tell that in the coming weeks. |
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| 4 1/2 weeks old It appears to me that Indy does have the fading gray gene. As you can see from some of his pictures, the sides of his torso have lightened up considerably from last week. This will continue over the next 3 months before changing back to the coloring of Holly. She did the same thing as a pup. Indy has a sweet nature about him, but sounds larger than life whenever one of his littermates wants to tangle. He is quite the explorer as well. I have finally figured out that his head shape is similar to "grandma" Kira & her littermates at the age of 4 weeks. I went back and looked at some pictures sent to me by Kira's breeder to verify that hunch. |
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| Indy inviting play with one of his littermates. |
| 7-8 weeks old Indy was the last pup to leave. I told Brian that it felt funny not having him underfoot after he had gone. When he left, he was a little over 9 pounds. During our visits to the herding trainer's house, Indy did well with the ducks. Indy will be similar in color to his mother when grown. I am waiting to see if he has more black on him than Holly, but that will take some time before his coat color is completely established. Holly was between 6-8 months before hers was in its final color. Indy is staying in NC with some folks that I have had the pleasure of knowing for the past 5 years. I am excited about Indy being with the Mason household & know that he is in for a wonderful life. He was still quite a clown at 8 weeks - always made me laugh & smile at his antics. I can't help but continue in this vein while remembering his time with us. |
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| 6 weeks old |
Working with Patrick Mason during our visit to Autumn Winds Agility Center
| Indy and Cedar |
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