Update on Tikva General Chat

Having blocked off her access to the back [therefore under] of the refrigerator, I have had to block off her access to the bottom basket of the vegetable rack behind my robobin. Not that I keep vegetables in it and the bottom basket was always empty, but it is very useful for keeping old newspapers in [which I used to put down for Pereg's food bowl], also plastic bags etc.

"Thing" managed to climb into the bottom section and of course could not get back down, so that is now blocked off.

However, she and I have come to an arrangement whereby she gets a bowl of pet milk substitute when she wakes up [she usually sleeps until around 6am] and then I go back to bed while she wanders around, ending up in her bed in the salon and giving me extra time in my bed.

She is eating well - the milk substitute is the only liquid meal, the other three [or four] being solids. And she adores raw ox heart! She is definitely growing a bit but is still very tiny. I weighed her on Sunday and she was 775 g - more than I expected but she is quite solid for her size and seems to be doing very well.

House training very hit and miss - little pees everywhere unless I put her on a puppy pad and convince her to pee, and although she does poo wherever she is at the time, if she is in the salon she will go on the pad there to poo.

She has also discovered how to play with toys, but only in her bed. When they are out on the floor she ignores them. Her idea of fun is chasing the mop when I am trying to clean the floor, or chasing a broom, but her special idea of fun is getting in the refrigerator or cupboards when they are opened - so I have to be very careful not to shut her in!

Yesterday I managed to snip the tips of her tiny nails - as she cannot go out they will not wear down, but she did not object as she was happily chewing on my arm at the time!

I reckon I will keep her!

Yes. I reckon this one is going nowhere!
Time for another couple of photos, I think!

Yes, she's certainly got her feet well under the table now - and anywhere else she chooses to put them!

How am I supposed to take photographs of a whirlwind? OK, these are the best out of about two dozen, and no, she does not have sticky eyes - she just has a dirty face as she ran off before I could wash it after she had been head first into her lunch!

Oh, and her legs are longer than they look - she is shorter-bodied and longer-legged than a Doxie but then she is only half Doxie and Lord only knows what her father was, but definitely very small as her mother is a standard Doxie and Tikva is, I think, going to be a shrimp.

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Tikva has definitely grown since last lots of photo's posted xx

She is looking me straight in the eye - I feel she is the one in charge!

She has definitely grown and gained weight, but is still very tiny, much smaller than Ziva was. Extremely active though and scuttles around at warp speed - then goes back in her bed for a zonk.

She is a very happy puppy even though she is a right little devil!

I wish I could get some photographs of her standing to show her shape/build but she will not stay still. When she is up she is scuttling around and then she comes back and jumps into bed!

Can you see the devilment in her eyes?!

She has certainly developed since the last photos.I think your original info was probably correct, and she does look to be a Dachs x Min Pin.
Yes, you are in for a lively time!

Yes! I am in awe and would feel obliged to pander to her every whim if she was living with me!

Love the photo' of her laid on your legs

She looks a lot sturdier now and is definitely growing.

Puppies are such a pain, but don't we just love 'em for it

Mum is definitely a standard Dachshund - a large one at that. Dad, according to the guy whose "girlfriend" owns mum, said that the father was "a small dog from across the road". There are dozens of these little dogs, all looking similar, which people call Minpins, although they are all mostly black with maybe a bit of tan, and yet all eight puppies were brown.

Tikva has turned out to be a bit darker than mum, who was fairly light brown but even though it does not show in the photographs, due to the angle at which I took them, she has a much shorter nose than a Dachsie, and her snout is blunter, not pointed. She also has smaller ears.

So, she is definitely half Dachsie and probably half of what are known as Minpins here.

Anyhow, she is not on puppy food - apart from her first milk substitute drink, and her supper being human baby cereal mixed with half milk substitute and half water. Her other meals are top quality tinned [adult] and also raw meat. Currently ox lung which is ideal, being 75% protein, 25% fat, plus various vitamins and minerals. http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/beef-products/3471/2 Scroll down for Nutritional Information.

I have worked out her nutritional needs and she is definitely getting enough of everything a very young puppy needs. The fact that she has grown, gained nearly 200g and is so lively, active and sturdy, satisfies me that she is getting a good diet.

In another couple of weeks she will probably be fully on raw. Hopefully not me!

She's so tiny and adorable.

Thank you - but she is only adorable when she is asleep

Chris - the little booger was trying to eat my kaftan...

Bet you can't wait until Tikva is older to go walkies with her xxx

@6JRT's - Tina, I cannot even take her out on my lap as she wriggles and tries to climb up onto my shoulder. I do not have a collar small enough for her and it is too risky to take her out without a collar/harness and leash so she cannot jump off my lap.

I tried putting her in a bag which I could hang round my neck so I could get a taxi to the Pension and see if they had anything smaller, although I think Ziva's was the smallest they had and that swamps her, but the little booger promptly climbed out of the bag.

Anyhow, Ram will not give her her first puppy shot until the middle/end of next week as he says 7 weeks minimum and she is only 6 weeks old now, if that.

Not sure if they sell cat harness over there, I used them on the hooligans to get them use to wearing harnesses when they were 6 weeks old xxx

@6JRT's - Tina, I am fairly certain that the Pension sells cat food so assume they have cat harnesses. The only problem is that Tikva is just so tiny that even a cat one would probably be far too big. Something like a ferret harness would be the best size but I have no idea if they sell anything for ferrets. She really is very very small and I am sure your hooligans were much bigger at six weeks.

Even Ziva's collar, which was the smallest size, had to be on the tightest setting and was very loose - and she walked straight out of the matching harness. And Ziva was at least twice as big as tiddler Tikva.

The only thing I can think of is getting my old knitting bag out of The Shack as I know I have some very soft yarn in it, and crocheting a collar and lead. I can make the collar a semi-slip one - would not be able to make a harness though. It might work and it is the best idea I can come up with for the moment.

Incidentally, Tikva has managed to get into the toy baskets and now has a bed full of toys!

Lol sounds like a toddler