Hardly any puppies left :(

There was a mass exodus take place here last weekend with six more puppies heading home. Axle had left a few days prior, to head home to the Yukon with Spencer. Ruckus waved buh'bye on Saturday, Mia and Boxley on Sunday, with Jaxon and Dillon closing the gate behind themselves on Monday. It was a very busy few days for me as I got puppy binders ready, bathed and groomed little fuzzy babies, put together some frozen meat packs to get everyone started, and then wished them all well as they start their new and exciting journey through puppyhood together. Hardly any tears from me as, really, it's time to go. That last week they seem to go from sweet little angels to wild n' crazy little demons. With such a bold and confident litter, it was work keeping up with them.

Puppies already have or will soon be starting puppy classes. They've gone with owners to visit where they work, stopped in at a Rally-O trial, visited the neighborhood Tailblazers, etc. As they went to their new homes already well trained for their crates, sleeping through the night, dry beds in the morning, that transition was very easy. I've had no reports of babies having a meltdown and crying all night. They're probably too tired at night to cry and just appreciate restful sleep in their own beds.

Lacey is still here with us and is "supposed to" fly to Comox next Tuesday, July 29. I say "supposed" to as Glenn keeps threatening he's going to keep her. She's been his constant shadow all week. She helps to feed the lambs, lets the horses out in the morning, smells like a mechanic as she spends a lot of time under the tractor with grease on the top of her head, is usually soaking wet from being mauled by Paisley, and has great fun playing tug with Uncle Pete. She's a fun, confident little girl who seems to be taking everything in stride.

Happy Trails ... Theresa

Time to Talk

Oh no! No update on the blog in a week. I better hurry up and write 'cuz the puppies will be gone in 10 more sleeps and then nobody will care any more.

Today was my "annual" puppy play day ... a day when I invite the owners to come and spend a few hours with their puppy, meet the other owners, watch all the kids in action, play a little with a clicker and treats, etc ... and also my chance to see how you'll really interact with your puppy, in case I have to change my mind at the last minute :) We had beautiful weather, if not a little too hot and sunny, and I'm sure there is more than one sunburned set of shoulders going home. A couple of owners from the last litter also popped by to see the newest crop. Toby's mom, Belinda, came by with her young nephew, Lyndon, who is visiting from England.

The babies didn't disappoint and had lots of fun playing with their new families, getting a gazillion clicks and treats from Autumn's little boys, demonstrating how quickly they can polish off a pound and a half of ground chicken, and showing off their breast stroke in their "puppy pool".

The award for best new clicker trainer goes to Jill and Mia, and it's easy to see that bond already being formed. Don't forget to double-knot your runners, Jill, as Mia will definitely keep you on your toes.

It was very exciting and very sweet to see the look on the faces of Nathalie's two boys, Sebastian and Remi. They thought they were just coming to visit and have a picnic. They both agreed the puppies were all pretty darn cute, until Nathalie held Boxley and announced that HE WAS THEIR BOY! She had managed to keep it a surprise all this time.

Autumn's little fellow, Jessie, put a lump in my throat when he came to me as they were ready to head home. In the pure innocence of a 5-year-old boy, he said to me, "Theresa, Autumn is our puppy so please don't give her away to anyone else". Awwwww, no worries there, buddy, she's going home with you.

The next week will be a bit of a bittersweet time for me as I help the puppies get ready to head to their new homes, away from their siblings, and away from the comfort of their mama. Hannah still goes in with them a few times throughout the day to nurse them, especially in the early morning and again the last thing at night, just to tuck them in. They slept in their crates last night for the first time and we only had one wet crate this morning. I was there at 6 AM, opening the crates and quickly ushering them outside for their early morning potty break. Everybody ran for the door and squatted to do their business as soon as they hit the grass.

Axle had a visit from his new family this morning, and will heading off to the Yukon on Tuesday afternoon, a week ahead of the rest. I've got a real soft spot for this sweet little guy and will be sad to see him go, but very excited for his young owner, Spencer.

Well, time to sign off (before I have to reach for the kleenex).

Happy Trails ... Theresa

Time flies ... and runs and jumps and barks

Where has the time gone? It seems such a short while ago that the puppies were sleepy little sausage rolls who contentedly slept in my hand. Now, I'm lucky if they stay still long enough to even be held. It's always GO GO GO where these guys are concerned. They're exploring the entire dog yard now, adventuring on their own to the far south corner, little pawpaws up on the lower rail, just imaging all the possibilities for them out in the big world beyond their puppy yard.

They love to eat, and eat, and eat. If you've met Dillon, you know I'm telling the truth. He's a tank. They love their ground chicken and beef and bison and clean their dish in mere moments. They really enjoy their pork ribs and spend a little more time ripping and chewing and tearing the meat away. Sneaky little Ruckus even took a rib and bounced into the crate to bury it under the blanket for later. "Later" turned out to be only a nanosecond as he quickly reclaimed it, but he's got the idea. They have several fresh recreational bones in their pen on a daily basis.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7dqLyU54JQU

I had to bring them all into the kitchen yesterday afternoon. They went crazy! They had been outside but a huge black cloud blew over Strathmore and it was very windy. I had just bleached the concrete floor of their pen in the garage and they couldn't go there. So, into the house they came. They used to tire out and nap after 15 minutes of playing; this time they easily went 45 minutes and then still fought the urge to fall asleep. And it was a rambunctious 45 minutes. Gracin still growls and lifts his lip when they're in front of his crate, but he's always been a "personal space" kind of guy. He's playful and protective with them outside.

Mia, ever the terrorist. She has such an attitude, and it's all bad :) She's just so comical.

Jaxon is totally full of himself, but he has such presence. Because of his very independent nature, I spend a little more time with him on a one-on-one basis. He comes into the kitchen with me while the others stay outside. I run around the island and he chases in hot pursuit (yep, close your eyes and picture that). He gets tough and barks at me, and I bark right back. We play with a tug toy and he gets right into the game. It's really paying off as he now comes up for attention, is very engaging if not somewhat demanding, and is a much more social boy.

Today will be a big day as I'm taking them over to the stable for some socialization. There's always lots of kids and activity on a Saturday, and I'll set up an expen so they can take it all in. No "dogs" are permitted there, so no worries about that. It'll do them a world of good. Plus it'll involve a 10 minute van ride each way, good preparation for their BIG trip to the city on Monday.

They're booked in to see our wonderful canine ophthalmologist on Monday morning, where they'll have their CERF exams ... the first step in getting them ready to head off to their new homes. The microchips arrived and Auntie Tammy will be out this week to help me inject them.

I've started a bit of basic work with them, offering a bit of cheese and luring them into a "sit". Except Ruckus, no rock-back sit for him, and I'll leave it to his mom to teach an "up sit".

And, as a "natural rearing breeder", I am VERY pleased to report that I had a fecal done on the puppies this week and it's totally clear. No bugs, no wormies, nothing nasty. In the past, I've had vets tell me "all puppies have worms" and that their mothers always have worms, too. Au contraire, mon frere. No so with our puppies. Starting diatomaceous earth at the same time they start on real food probably helps, but having parasite-free adults with healthy immune systems is always a top goal for me and that's reflected in the health and worm-free state of my puppies.

Happy Trails ... Theresa