All that said, I should remind all of you that DAILY PUPPY FIX is published Monday through Friday, and the editrix/authoress takes the weekends off. Those who suggest that the title of the publication is misleading should chill out a little bit and go back to their regularly scheduled job of being my mom and not haranging me all the time.

Enough family squabblery. Today in the DAILY PUPPY FIX, you should once again prepare yourself for astounding cuteness. There oughta be a law, more than one person has suggested to me. Well, there's not. So deal with it.

In "roo-manicure," we see that even puppies have to undergo grooming unpleasantries. Here Roo is pretending to be all calm and sedate about the process; by the next photo she had started squirming a bit. Generally these puppies are pretty good about things like nail clippings. They haven't learned yet from their mom or their Uncle Henry or their Aunt Edie (the feisty cocker spaniel who shares their home) how upset they are supposed to be when they get their nails clipped. With luck they will continue to follow the example of their strange feline Uncle Octane, who allows his claws to be clipped with nary an ounce of fuss.

In "beegee-ma" and "beebee-candid," you see the Brindle Twins lounging in their sundry ways. Beegee, the Brindle Girl, is snuggling with her mother after her last nursing session ever; the puppies have been completely weaned as of Saturday morning. Beebee, meanwhile, is pictured among the thousands of toys that crowd the puppies' whelping box these days.

Finally, take a gander at "roo-naa-naa." I swear Roo loves Fawn. This was just a photographic mishap, and in no way reflects any smaller sibling attitude toward the larger sister. In fact, I believe this was an effort to give a kiss that fell a little short. Regardless, enjoy.

"Beegee-closeup" shows Miss Sweetness in her full endearing glory, and go ahead and click open "beebee-closeup" to see why I call these kids the Brindle Twins. Could their expressions be any more alike? Their coats, of course, are very different, with the boy sporting a reddish hue to offset his black brindling, and the girl wearing a sleeker tan color under her black stripy wrap. But facially - well, maybe this is just the nature of the bullmastiff at four weeks of age. Maybe they all look at you like that, with that too-cynical "are you serious?" gaze, right before they bound off to bite a sister's ear.

"Roo-menace" requires some explanation; little Roo has shown herself to be quite the little toughie in playdates with her siblings recently, often found pinning down another (larger) member of the pack. While I don't really consider her a menace, she doesn't mind looking tough in a photo, not unlike Mr. Will O'Bryan in one of his famous press pass poses. Please note Fawn's limb positioning at the bottom of the photo, indicating that she is trying to surrender.

"Fawn-at-rest" shows the wee one (who has, it must be noted, her own little fan club here at my workplace) after she's played with the rope bone toy and worn herself out.

Fawn's Fan Club brings me to an interactive feature of today's DAILY PUPPY FIX: Who is your favorite puppy? I know, it's hard to choose just one, and maybe your favorite changes every day. But let's see how the approval ratings are going - reply to this e-mail and cast your vote today! I'll report results tomorrow.

(drum roll, please)

Fawn! Yes, it's true. Of voting DAILY PUPPY FIX subscribers, a resounding number chose Fawn as their favorite puppy du jour. Maybe it's her good looks. Maybe it's her winning personality. Maybe it's all been rigged by operatives from the Fawn Fan Club (you know who you are). Regardless, something about Little Miss Blondie has been sitting right with readers lately. Please take extra note that the authoress/editrix did not use her tremendous power and occasional penchant for trickery to twist this election into a sham and declare Roo the hands-down winner, even though in my heart of hearts she is the #1 rockstar puppy.

Illustrations are in order: please see "fawn-cuddlee" for an up-close pic of the People's Choice for May 20.

Meanwhile, please consider "roo-heartbreaker" the next time you are asked to vote on this important issue.

Let us not forget our Brindle Twins! It should be noted here and now that the Brindle Boy received a vote from the far reaches of Outer Whereaboutus, someplace exotic that I probably couldn't pronounce or find on a map, where intrepid reader Jennifer Rasmussen is temporarily working in her role as a human rights lawyer fighting injustice around the globe. Ms. Rasmussen, we salute you and thank you for reading us so devoutly while you're stranded on foreign soil.

(Speaking of foreign soil, I would like to note that our very good friends the Norwegians did not cast ballots in this poll, so we can't get a good sense of what makes a righteous bullmastiff in Scandinavia.)

Anyway, back to the Brindle Twins. Today we are happy to present "brindles-squish" for your amusement and enjoyment, and please remember the next time you vote that brindles are bullmastiffs too. (This is not to suggest that the Brindle Twins are not well loved, in this election and elsewhere; au contraire!)

And now a word from our sponsor: **What's that puppy whining about? Why, maybe she's cutting teeth! How about tossing her a bone - a CHILLY BONE to relieve gum pain. (Cue "roo-bonechilling2.") Just stick it in the freezer and then present it to pup for full relief from dental pain. Give your puppy a CHILLY BONE today for her health and happiness - and for your own sanity while the teeth are coming in.**

Today I am proud to offer a video exclusive, an enhanced video no less, with audio and techniques and everything. (Somebody was having fun with the software on her fancy new computer late last night while all you good little DAILY PUPPY FIX readers were tucked into bed, dreaming of the next day's installment.) Somewhere in the conversion process the audio got slightly messed up, but it's still fun and fabulous, if I may say so myself. If you'd like this video, which is heftier than usual at nearly a megabyte, please let me know and I'll send it off to you. The star of the show is Brindle Girl. What a sweet puppy she is! What sweet puppies they all are!

At the risk of typecasting the Brindle Twins as, well, the Brindle Twins, I offer today another photo ("brindles-comfy") of the two of them hanging out together. I promise we do not keep a segregated puppy pen; they just seem to like each other's company for snoozing. Beebee, the little man, is squished against the litter box while Beegee, the little lady, has her chin propped up on the rail, again in perfect bullmastiff form.

And now a word from our sponsor: **Does your bitch have empty nest syndrome, but the nest's still full? Is she suffering from the pains - emotional and physical - of not being allowed to nurse her babies anymore? Try giving her a FUN RAM(tm) stuffed toy (cue "emmy-new-toy") for hours of distraction and affirmation. That's right, affirmation. When the FUN RAM(tm) is squeezed, she bleats a heartfelt "I love you!" to remind the mother that she is special. When the babies have moved onto solids, Mom will want something she can cart around and nurture. Buy yours today.**

Finally, at the repeated urging of our very good friends the Norwegians, we've made an effort to provide a "stack" photo, showing little Fawn in show dog mode. See "fawn-stack-fight." She was not amused, and immediately reminded Breeder Chris Rasmussen that there's a reason there is no 4-week-old puppy class at dog shows. Efforts to stack the puppies will continue when they are a bit older, but in the meantime, feel free to admire Fawn's physique even if she isn't nicely stacked according to judges' demands. (And please note that all the others are every bit as beautiful - their muscles are emerging and they are just getting prettier and prettier by the day!)