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Post by keyglyph on May 24, 2023 1:56:07 GMT -7
// Introducing: Shelter and Fluffy //
Hello Duke's Group! I'm new to the forum, but not new to naturally raising. My OG family line has spanned five generations so far -- and we're about to welcome the sixth! All right, so here's the plan. These two are expecting a puppy any day, and the growth of their family is going to be my first focus here.
For a quick bit of background, Shelter is super special to me because he was the first dog born in my game after the pandemic broke and I turned back to Petz for comfort. I love that he inherited his mom's stocky, cuddly build (they both get it from Bear, Shelter's grandpa) and his father's pink eyes, which I'd never seen in a Petz pet before I adopted Charmer. Fluffy is an absolute triumph of a selective breed by RogueRowan, and this pup in particular looked so much like one of my childhood dogs that I named her in her honor.
Now, it has come to my attention that Fluffy may be experiencing a stuck pregnancy. I'm giving her another day before we try to induce labor, so in the meantime we got our nursery prepared:
I went on a bit of an downloading spree to make sure we had a lot of essentials stocked. I specifically went out looking for Amanda 's Usagi Blanket, which I'd seen elsewhere and could not live without, and along the way grabbed other items from her site (the beach ball, yarn ball, tennis ball, and blanket bed) as well as ECRose ‘s (the sandwich cookies, the room itself). I figure there's enough in here to keep the parents occupied, but not distracted, when the time comes.
Now we just have to wait. So why not get to know our dogz a little more?
// Taste Test: Sesar's Wet Food //
I was really fascinated to learn only a year or so ago that petz have favorite colors and flavors. For my entire twenty years of playing the game I hadn't noticed any preferences because I'd assumed all items were basically equal. I've only ever stocked one type of kibble and one type of treat in my travel case! Now that I'm wiser, I thought it would be fun to empower my dogz to make more decisions in their lives -- and we started with food.
I put out four of ECRose 's Sesar packets to start: Chicken and Liver, Grilled Beef, Smoked Bacon and Egg Breakfast, and Roasted Turkey and Gravy. Then I brought out Fluffy and Shelter one at a time. The idea was to wait for the pup to bring a pouch over to me as their "selection," then put it back down and see if they ate it. Here's what happened.
Fluffy did have to make her initial opinion known, but she made her decision pretty quickly.
Shelter apparently knows himself and got right to it.
Now here's an interesting fact. Alongside Fluffy I actually adopted two other spaniels from RogueRowan: Kaolin and Crosshatch. Fluffy is Crosshatch's half-sister (they have the same mom), and Kaolin is Crosshatch's half-brother (they have the same dad). They are a Venn Diagram of genetics. I consider them all siblings, so I thought we'd raise them a bit alongside their incoming niephling. It's a particularly interesting experiment for me, because I've never played with poodles in the game before and am eager to see how different their personalities can be!
Thus, Kaolin and Crosshatch were given the same taste test.
I just realized I misspelled "turkey" in the graphic, but whatever. I was emotionally exhausted.
Unfortunately I crashed ScreenToGif before I could develop the photos of Crosshatch's turn, but let it be known that she both stepped in and licked every single pouch before she chose Smoked Bacon and Egg ran around with Smoked Bacon and Egg in her mouth for a while. She did eventually eat it. But it was a whole process.
With everyone fed, we decided to have a little family thing out in the fresh air to close out the day.
// Backyard Family Thing //
There's a lot for everyone to be getting used to right now: Shelter and Fluffy are about to become parents, Kaolin and Crosshatch are meeting their brother-in-law for the first time, and I can't even begin to imagine what kind of baggage and/or beef the sibling trio might already have with each other. How would a family gathering go?
We started with the sibs.
It took me a while to figure this out, but Kaolin (the dusty spaniel) has resting pissed face. At first I thought he was genuinely angry at everyone, but he's not. Then I wondered if he was being a tough guy, but he doesn't intimidate anyone; he just stares, all angry-eyebrow'd. Then I thought, "okay, maybe he's just really determined about all things at every moment," but... I don't think that's it either. I think it's just how he engages with the world. He even started out this way with his food, for goodness' sake.
I'm happy to report that when Shelter was brought out, not only were the two siblings-in-law very cordial, but Kaolin in particular just loved him. Shelter is apparently the only thing in this world that can take away Kaolin's [benign] angry eyelids.
Well, except for when the entire family fell asleep but him, and he was not done playing.
Angry!
Greatly offended!!
But eh, also tired.
And that was our day! The family gets along, we're prepared for the incoming pup, and everyone's resting up. Things should go well over the next few days!
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Post by keyglyph on May 28, 2023 19:51:39 GMT -7
// The Big Evening Arrives //
As the days went on and Fluffy became more and more overdue, I was finally convinced that we were dealing with a stuck pregnancy (more on this later). She didn't seem to mind, but I was getting worried -- so we settled on a date to try inducing parenthood.
First, we got Fluffy comfortable in the living room. This was harder than you'd expect, but not because of the amenities: Fluffy just refused to accept it wasn't playtime anymore. Every time I plopped her on that Usagi blanket she'd dash off, grab a toy, and do donuts all over the room. The longer this went on, the more obstinate she got. So, her mate Shelter stepped in to try to encourage her to be gentler with herself.
His attempts ended with the last-ditch effort of picking Fluffy up by the scruff of her neck, which 1) I didn't think was possible between two adult petz and 2) really crystallized the severity of this situation. I mean, seriously Fluffy, you're pregnant! This can't continue. Shelter's gonna just cradle you in his arms jaws until you find some chill.
Now, I don't know if any of you out there have had this experience, but my partner once knew someone who absolutely swore that eating a specific food would induce labor, guaranteed. This guy would actually put money on the efficacy of a specific brand of cream cheese, which he would gift to overdue pregnant colleagues. He would then ask them, daily, if they'd tried it yet. I am not making this up.
What would happen is that his expecting colleagues would put off the cream cheese for so long out of annoyance that by the time they finally gave in, that baby was coming no matter what.
At least that's been my take on it. But you know what? I've never had a baby. So I took a page out of that book and gave Fluffy some Mythic Biscuits, because what the heck, maybe they'd do something. It certainly wouldn't make her unhappy! When Shelter saw we were getting serious he went into full-on supportive spouse mode, circling his mate and keeping a stress toy on hand. Just look at those loving looks. Clearly these two can handle anything together.
But these aren't the only pups in our universe. What about Crosshatch and Kaolin? With absolutely no one in this household getting any sleep for a while, we gotta do something to keep the kids occupied and unconcerned.
// Frisbee at Midnight //
I decided to take Crosshatch and Kaolin out into the backyard to burn off some energy and give the parents some breathing room. Thankfully these two weren't picking up any anxious vibes amidst all the excitement, so they romped around without a care in the world. They also didn't care that it was after midnight and the neighbor over the fence had left their window open, but whatever -- they seemed to be on their computer anyway. May they feel blessed by the adorable poodle barks.
(NOTE: The nighttime backyard scene -- as well as other evening versions of the standard scenes -- was created by queenie and can be downloaded on her site, Phantasmagoria!)
I think these two might have the show ring in their future. Crosshatch is so committed to posing when the shutter snaps that she'll plunk right down in the soil bed. Or maybe she loves getting filthy? I'm going to say it's more the latter, actually. If I were to describe Crosshatch's aura, it would be that of a top-tier professional wrestler. Amazing at stunts. Secure in her awesomeness. Fully embraces (if not enjoys) the physical discomfort of her art.
Kaolin is not as effortlessly talented as his sister at catching frisbees, but he sure is determined. And not all wrestlers have to be high flyers anyway. Maybe he's the old-school brawler type with a knack for in-ring psychology. (This extended metaphor has officially run away with me and may actually be canon now.)
But back inside...
// The Puppy Arrives //
Fluffy still hadn't given birth yet, so I wandered into the Playpen to grab something. She followed me to have a walk around, so of course what happens? The puppy is born right there on the parquet tile!
In hindsight, I'm not actually sure whether we were experiencing a true stuck pregnancy. The usual techniques for motivating a Petz birth weren't working for me, which was odd. I thought maybe it had to do with a difference in Windows 10, but what wound up working for me was simply relaunching the game in the Playpen area and bringing Fluffy out there. On top of that, when I asked about this on an old RKC thread, several folks confirmed the old ways still worked for them on newer operating systems. It's hard not to conclude that there was something going on with my constant use of a custom playscene, either at launch of when I brought Fluffy out, that wasn't triggering the birth.
But regardless, she finally made it! Say hello to Stucco:
And it was not the biscuits that did it.
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Post by Anthracite on May 29, 2023 12:27:35 GMT -7
This is wonderful to read.
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Post by keyglyph on Jun 13, 2023 13:19:32 GMT -7
// The Limits of File Paths //
A lot’s gone on since I last updated. Among other things, the way I've structured my petz folders since the beginning of time has finally exceeded the maximum allowable character limit for file paths in Windows (sweats), so I’ve had to reinvent my schema somewhat. Horrors! I liked everything the way it was! Dramatic outbursts aside, though, it should be fine. This is the way I've been doing things up until now: • Create a folder for each single pup that includes their name and birthdate (e.g. “Tambo 05.29.01”) • If they pair up, add the mate’s name and birthday to that folder name (e.g. “Faith 04.29.00 + Tambo 05.29.01”) • Nest folders for each offspring under the couple’s parent folder, indicating birth order (e.g. “01 Tobias 11.22.01”) • Repeat into infinity Honestly, it’s kind of amazing I hadn’t hit the limit before now. But apparently the sixth generation was the breaking point, so my folder trees now start with things like “Gen 1-5” and “Gen 6” and branch into the relevant families from there. I don’t love it, but you do what you need to do. But now, on to Stucco!
// Stucco’s Childhood //
We got a brief glimpse of Stucco last time, but now we can get to know her better. Although the adoption certificate photo does provide a little bit of insight when a pup is born, there are plenty of things it can’t tell you. Things like... is that a mutt eyelid I see??
Just look at this adorable goof.
I've mentioned before that I only recently discovered that petz can have favorite colors and flavors. Well, another new thing I've learned over the past couple years is that the various OG breed have “tells” for their personalities. I hadn’t known this because I’d never spent any significant amount of time with most OG breeds; I'd simply adopted my very first dog – my dane Tambo -- and then for the next twenty years all of my dogz were either descendants of his or mixies I’d applied for on the internet. Without a baseline with the different purebreds straight from the AC, I never picked up on these kinds of differences. But now I have! And Stucco’s droopy eyelid means she’s absolutely a mutt! Since I’ve also been getting an education in poodle behaviors lately, I was delighted to notice that they sometimes walk on their tippy-toes. Sometimes even while carrying their children. (Okay, maybe slightly less delighted about that second bit.) In Stucco’s world, she began walking after just one day of infancy, which is something I’ve never seen before... but to be fair, she was very overdue. She has also officially entered independent childhood! We went for a nighttime run on the beach to celebrate and she insisted on playing with every toy. Even toys that weren’t toys. Stucco, please. That is a living creature. Mama Fluffy came out for a moment to commemorate the occasion too but promptly fell asleep on the sand. (RELATABLE.) Stucco does not understand why adults are so tired all the time. When Mama Fluff woke up cranky and clearly in need of a real nap (the relatability continues) we encouraged her to take some me-time. Papa Shelter came out to take up the post instead, and he and Stucco just adored each other, joyfully bouncing around and mimicking each other. I hope it stays this way. I can’t say the same for some other family relationships…
// In-Law Emotions //
Remember how the original plan was to raise Kaolin and Crosshatch, Stucco’s uncle and aunt, alongside the new family? Remember how Kaolin was throwing angry eyebrows at everyone but never seemed to put any real malice behind them? Remember how cool Crosshatch was with her brother-in-law, and how much Kaolin loved him? Well, things change. What happened to this?? Like an old faded photograph...
Kaolin and Crosshatch are suddenly not okay with their brother-in-law anymore. Honestly, it kind of feels like something relatively minor happened in the maternity ward that was amplified by the charged atmosphere and instantly, dramatically upended things. Maybe Kaolin suggested a name for Stucco that Shelter immediately vetoed, and now Kaolin will carry this grudge for the rest of his life. Maybe Kaolin has decided that he actually didn’t want a niephling after all (yes, he’s mad at Stucco as well) and resents how his sister Fluffy is now too busy to hang out. Whatever it is, Crosshatch is on board too, and any future backyard get-togethers are going to be very awkward.
Kaolin and Crosshatch themselves still get along, though -- this despite my witnessing the following scenario play out three times: Kaolin luring Crosshatch away from a food bowl with the tug-toy, Crosshatch engaging in tug-of-war, then Kaolin letting go and sending his sister flying. Are we going through a phase, Kaolin? Stop pouncing on the hermit crabs, Kaolin. Kaolin. KAOLIN. I’ve decided to let the poodle pair rest themselves for a while outside of my game while I focus on Stucco & Co. Maybe when Stucco is older she’ll have a chance to reconnect with her aunt and uncle. Maybe things will blow over and holiday visits, at least, will resume civilly. But for now, all the drama is distracting us too much from the growing family. It’s for the best.
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Post by Anthracite on Jun 13, 2023 19:13:58 GMT -7
Poodle personalities are the best, the PB ones are especially finicky. RIP family get togethers :x
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Post by Amy on Jul 31, 2023 21:59:24 GMT -7
This has been very enjoyable to read! Love your little petz family <3
I've noticed young petz that do angry eyes at or around other petz will usually end up hating each other when they turn into adults.
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Post by keyglyph on Aug 5, 2023 9:54:08 GMT -7
This has been very enjoyable to read! Love your little petz family <3 I've noticed young petz that do angry eyes at or around other petz will usually end up hating each other when they turn into adults. Ah, that's so interesting! I'm going to have to keep an eye out for that in the future.
Kaolin's pent-up rage just needed time to fully bloom, haha.
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Post by Thor on Aug 8, 2023 14:45:44 GMT -7
Aww I love family trees and history <3
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Post by keyglyph on Aug 13, 2023 0:02:11 GMT -7
// Summer Olympics Inspiration //
Now that the Summer Olympics are over (woop woop, Team Coconut!), I've been really wanting to get back to raising Stucco. This is not only because I have the time and energy to focus on her again, but having such a great time competing and bonding with my OG Dogz 4 family made me want to do something I haven't done since the olden days: introduce my youngest pup to their eldest elders! So this is how Tambo, Tobias, and Stucco wound up going for a midnight run on the beach with me.
// The Oldest Meet the Newest //
Tambo and Tobias are indescribably important to me. I've gone on and on about them before, but with Tambo being my first adoption ever and Tobias being my first puppy born in the game, these two (plus Tobias' mate, Enya) are pretty much the heart and soul of my petz experience. And it wasn't until I put this image together that I noticed Stucco has her great-great-great grandad's muzzle. MY HEART.
Stucco also has a lot of the signature mutt markings that have been passed down through every generation from her great-great-great grandmom, too (plus some extras from her direct mom).
...and now I want to create a quick graphic of this. So this is great-great-great grandma Faith, and each direct descendant who leads down to Stucco:
Obviously the right ear, butt patch, and chest patch carry too, but that back foot situation is special. There is only one other mate who married into this line who has visible mutt markings, and he does not express a booted hind foot on that side. It's highly likely this specific patch came straight from Faith, and I choose to believe it did. It's just too sweet.
Man, I love the genetics in these games.
// Midnight Beach Run //
So here's what happened on the beach!
First of all, to my delight, everyone got along. Stucco is cut from the same cloth as Tambo and Tobias -- fun-loving, warm, and goofy -- although it remains to be seen whether she inherited their clumsiness or the small yet powerful shred of athletic grace that sometimes surfaces in this family.
Stucco spent a lot of time bouncing around and "singing" various "music" with Tambo, but with Tobias, she mostly stared. Perhaps it's not difficult to see why. Yes Stucco, it's weird that he's sleeping with fish bones in his mouth; it's not just you.
I'm also happy to share that the silver soccer ball from Amanda was a huuuuuge hit. Tambo and Tobias are still riding high from the Summer Olympics closing ceremonies and barely put it down!
You know what else was a big hit too? Bunni 's coconut drink. 👀
It's probably fine, but it wasn't until Stucco spent a straight three minutes drinking this stuff that I realized I'm not actually sure what's in it. For fear of being an accidental terrible parent, I put it away. This caused everyone, not just Stucco, to converge upon the travel case in dismay. The coconut flavor is irresistible!
I'm thrilled that everyone had fun together and enjoyed their SumOly gifts. And I think these three are going to share a special bond and play with each other often. It's really sentimental to me, bringing them out together, seeing these traits that passed down over 20+ years of play and connecting these distant eras in my life. <3
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Post by ✬MsWildiful✬ on Sept 29, 2023 8:38:05 GMT -7
Awww, it's lovely that everyone got along at your dogz family reunion <3 That is special you introduced your oldest to your youngest; I might have to do that one day with my sentimental dog family Bunni's coconut drink was popular at my house over the summertime too. That's funny you had to cut Stucco off xDD I think we should be suspicious considering it appears Bunni put an addictive compound in the coconut beverage, lol.
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