Lots of visitors today and the puppies are all doing so well. It was nice today and I was able to have them outside for quite a bit of time and I swear they are growing by leaps and bounds.
The best part of today was having one of my puppy owners from a previous litter call and ask me if I could use her help next week. She has some time available on her schedule and is going to come on Monday and stay with me until Thursday. This means so much to me and I am so grateful for her assistance. I was quite worried about next week and was working on lining up some additional help, but having her stay until Lorena comes back - well this is just the best.
It also reminds me how special my puppy families are. I love having puppies and relationships they bring me with families that get my dogs. I know everyone appreciates the effort it takes but when situations like this occur, well it really brings it all home and I am looking forward to the new relationships that will be developing in the next few weeks.
Tonight I had to bath a few very stinky puppies. Turquoise and Blue decided to sleep in puppy poo that we didn't get to fast enough and it was stuck to their coats. We also decided that we needed to bath Lady Bug because she likes to wear her food and white boy because he was no longer white. I figure that we are going to have to give a few puppies a bath over the next coming days and probably by the time I get through them all we will have to start over again.
Ladybug
Wednesday, January 1, 2020
Tuesday, December 31, 2019
Happy New Year
Last Night after tossing and turning and finally falling asleep, the alarm on my Freezer decided to go off at 4am! 4 Fricking AM!!! Are you Kidding me. When the alarm goes off it is a beep and every 2 minutes a long beep, not something you can actually sleep through. So I carefully get up, hoping and praying that I can sneak out of my room, past the puppy pen the laundry room in order to shut the damn thing off. I come out of my bedroom and 17 faces are staring at me - damn, so much for sneaking past the puppies. I go and turn off the alarm and it is showing a D for defrost, I am assuming. Really what kind of sadistic bastard programs a freezer alarm to go off at 4am, shouldn't there be some kind of safeguard in place to have it go off during normal awake hours. Like I am going to defrost my freezer at 4am. I am going to be lucky to defrost the damn thing before February at this point. Now the puppies are awake and they are pretty sure that it should be breakfast time. Sorry puppies, no breakfast for you at 4am, go back to sleep
Luckily I was able to go back to sleep fairly easily and woke up to pouring down rain and I do mean coming down in buckets. I decided we would feed the little puppies back in their room and the big puppies on the deck under the awning. Of course by the time the puppies were fed, the sun had come out, at least for a little bit, so we brought the little puppies out too. They all had some outdoor time before the next squall came.
I purchased a new tunnel for the puppies and it came yesterday. It was longer than I would have liked, so it doesn't fit under the awning but we put it out in the grass. Hot pink girl was the first one to investigate and go running through it. It was a great entertainment value. Pups were attacking each other through the tunnel, pulling on it and running through it. I am sure if the weather had been better today they would have played all day with it. But the weather did not cooperate today and we had to bring them it, they were soaked when we got them in so in a way they all got a little bit of a bath today. Basically every time we brought them in the weather changed so we took them out, then it changed and we brought them in. I am telling this is a great workout program.
Tonight everyone got their toenails trimmed and the little pups got wormed for the first time, puppies are terrorizing each other and Dallas and Vegas don't want to be outside due to the fireworks going off in my neighborhood. Kenya could care less and is perfectly happy on the deck. Have I mentioned how much I hate fireworks. I think they are lovely in displays where people can go and watch them. But having m80's go off just for the sake of making a loud boom never made much sense to me. Unfortunately my neighbors feel that it is their right to make as much noise as humanly possible tonight at the misfortune of poor Dallas.
I wish everyone a very happy New Year and may all your dreams and resolutions come true. Me I will be washing clothes, have the TV on loud and running as many electronic appliances as possible to drown out WW3 in my neighborhood.
Luckily I was able to go back to sleep fairly easily and woke up to pouring down rain and I do mean coming down in buckets. I decided we would feed the little puppies back in their room and the big puppies on the deck under the awning. Of course by the time the puppies were fed, the sun had come out, at least for a little bit, so we brought the little puppies out too. They all had some outdoor time before the next squall came.
I purchased a new tunnel for the puppies and it came yesterday. It was longer than I would have liked, so it doesn't fit under the awning but we put it out in the grass. Hot pink girl was the first one to investigate and go running through it. It was a great entertainment value. Pups were attacking each other through the tunnel, pulling on it and running through it. I am sure if the weather had been better today they would have played all day with it. But the weather did not cooperate today and we had to bring them it, they were soaked when we got them in so in a way they all got a little bit of a bath today. Basically every time we brought them in the weather changed so we took them out, then it changed and we brought them in. I am telling this is a great workout program.
Tonight everyone got their toenails trimmed and the little pups got wormed for the first time, puppies are terrorizing each other and Dallas and Vegas don't want to be outside due to the fireworks going off in my neighborhood. Kenya could care less and is perfectly happy on the deck. Have I mentioned how much I hate fireworks. I think they are lovely in displays where people can go and watch them. But having m80's go off just for the sake of making a loud boom never made much sense to me. Unfortunately my neighbors feel that it is their right to make as much noise as humanly possible tonight at the misfortune of poor Dallas.
I wish everyone a very happy New Year and may all your dreams and resolutions come true. Me I will be washing clothes, have the TV on loud and running as many electronic appliances as possible to drown out WW3 in my neighborhood.
Sunday, December 29, 2019
Lots of Visitors
Sorry for the lack of posting, we have had quite a few visitors the last two days and I am just now having an opportunity to sit down and write. Visitors are so good for the puppies. Everyone reacts and plays with the puppies in a different way. Different voices, sizes, ways of petting, picking up, funny noises, scritches, you name it, each person does something different and it all helps socialize and create better puppies.
These pups have great reactions to people, they are not fearful in any way shape or form. When the big dogs bark, they stop what they are doing look and then carry on with what they were doing. I am not sure if it is the sheer number of puppies that has helped or the great genes that they all have, but as a breeder I could not be more proud to watch how they interact with new things, sounds and noises.
They are also getting so big, when I first brought them out to my living room I thought they looked so small in the space I had set up for them. Now I look at the space and think it looks too small for them, but there is just no way I can make it bigger without rearranging all of my furniture and that is just not going to happen. I did make their outside area larger today so they have a lot more room to run and play. This is important for their development and of course Vegas is super excited and happy with the new surroundings because now she feels like she can play with the puppies.
Today she was bowing and playing with them. They were biting and barking at her, I just love watching this interaction. At one point someones head was entirely in her mouth and she was just holding the puppy down as if to say "see, teeth hurt you need to be more gentle". This is a great learning lesson for the babies and I know it freaks some people out, but mom will teach them more about bite inhibition than I can ever do.
We are working with the toothbrush more on their nails and have started to integrate some new foods into their diet which they are pretty excited about and their bowls are squeaky clean at the end of meals. I am still keeping the little pups separated from the big pups at meal time so that they have a chance to actually get some food. Today I also introduced my Weaner Feeder for the big pups. This is a carrier that holds four individual bowls and I have two of them. This teaches the pups to eat out of individual bowls instead of the round bowls we have been using. It is a way to make sure that each pup gets the right amount of food and the bigger ones are not eating the majority of the food. I will try and take a picture of them eating out of it so you can see.
The Seahawk Game is on - so time to go yell at the TV and add another thing for the pups to get used to.
These pups have great reactions to people, they are not fearful in any way shape or form. When the big dogs bark, they stop what they are doing look and then carry on with what they were doing. I am not sure if it is the sheer number of puppies that has helped or the great genes that they all have, but as a breeder I could not be more proud to watch how they interact with new things, sounds and noises.
They are also getting so big, when I first brought them out to my living room I thought they looked so small in the space I had set up for them. Now I look at the space and think it looks too small for them, but there is just no way I can make it bigger without rearranging all of my furniture and that is just not going to happen. I did make their outside area larger today so they have a lot more room to run and play. This is important for their development and of course Vegas is super excited and happy with the new surroundings because now she feels like she can play with the puppies.
Today she was bowing and playing with them. They were biting and barking at her, I just love watching this interaction. At one point someones head was entirely in her mouth and she was just holding the puppy down as if to say "see, teeth hurt you need to be more gentle". This is a great learning lesson for the babies and I know it freaks some people out, but mom will teach them more about bite inhibition than I can ever do.
We are working with the toothbrush more on their nails and have started to integrate some new foods into their diet which they are pretty excited about and their bowls are squeaky clean at the end of meals. I am still keeping the little pups separated from the big pups at meal time so that they have a chance to actually get some food. Today I also introduced my Weaner Feeder for the big pups. This is a carrier that holds four individual bowls and I have two of them. This teaches the pups to eat out of individual bowls instead of the round bowls we have been using. It is a way to make sure that each pup gets the right amount of food and the bigger ones are not eating the majority of the food. I will try and take a picture of them eating out of it so you can see.
The Seahawk Game is on - so time to go yell at the TV and add another thing for the pups to get used to.
Friday, December 27, 2019
Super Mom
Yesterday the place where I have been getting my pine pellets from was out and so I got shavings instead. Oh My God, what a freakin mess that is. The puppies think its great, lets see how far we can spread it, it's soft and sticks in their fur and in 20 short minutes they have spread it from one end of the puppy play area to the other. Cleaning it is going to be fun and I see my shop vac going into overtime tomorrow morning or this afternoon if I can find some pine pellets somewhere else in town.
I hate the pellets because the puppies chew on them, but they have been doing so well going to their box to potty, at least for poop, we still miss the mark when peeing, somehow having your two front feet in the box when you do the business is being in the box in their little minds.
Yesterday they spent a good majority of the day outside and they loved it. It was cold but they didn't seem to mind and as they started to fade off, especially the younger ones, we brought them in, we fed the little ones outside as well yesterday and that was good so they could go poop and pee right after they ate. Hopefully the weather will cooperate and we can have more days like that for the pups, at least I will get to use my new 32 degree shirts from Costco for something as I sit outside with them trying not to freeze.
The puppies are growing so much and when you pick them up they make the best grunting sound, it cracks me up, pink and teal have the best sounds. Lady Bug is no longer the smallest, she is growing like a weed as well, she still gets cold fast and can't be outside for long but she is holding her own and yesterday I saw her pick a fight with one of the big boys and she was winning, she may be small but she is mighty.
Yesterday I also picked up an electric toothbrush to start playing with their feet so they get used to a noisy thing touching their toes. I like to use a dremel on my dogs to do their toenails and most groomers do as well. This way they are getting used to the vibration and the noise touching their toes. Most of them could care less as I was doing it. A couple were not having anything to do with it, but they will be getting double doses until they no longer care either.
I also managed to lose my crown on Christmas day and my dentist is closed until Monday, so if you see me or talk to me in the next couple of days I am missing one of my front teeth and boy is that a weird feeling, but I honestly I am just happy to be upright these days and it's not like I am the only person that has ever lost a crown.
We also did pictures yesterday of the puppies so I will work on adding them to the side bar for you. Today's picture is of Vegas being supermom! Kenya has decided she has had enough of these hooligans and she will feed them if she has to, but she really doesn't want to and does everything she can to stay away from them. Vegas on the other had does everything she possible can to be with them, she is trying to feed them all, mother them all and is starting to play with them. She really is being supermom and reminds me so much of her Grandmother Ivie, I even called her Ivie the other day, she is just like her and loves her babies and Kenya's too.
I hate the pellets because the puppies chew on them, but they have been doing so well going to their box to potty, at least for poop, we still miss the mark when peeing, somehow having your two front feet in the box when you do the business is being in the box in their little minds.
Yesterday they spent a good majority of the day outside and they loved it. It was cold but they didn't seem to mind and as they started to fade off, especially the younger ones, we brought them in, we fed the little ones outside as well yesterday and that was good so they could go poop and pee right after they ate. Hopefully the weather will cooperate and we can have more days like that for the pups, at least I will get to use my new 32 degree shirts from Costco for something as I sit outside with them trying not to freeze.
The puppies are growing so much and when you pick them up they make the best grunting sound, it cracks me up, pink and teal have the best sounds. Lady Bug is no longer the smallest, she is growing like a weed as well, she still gets cold fast and can't be outside for long but she is holding her own and yesterday I saw her pick a fight with one of the big boys and she was winning, she may be small but she is mighty.
Yesterday I also picked up an electric toothbrush to start playing with their feet so they get used to a noisy thing touching their toes. I like to use a dremel on my dogs to do their toenails and most groomers do as well. This way they are getting used to the vibration and the noise touching their toes. Most of them could care less as I was doing it. A couple were not having anything to do with it, but they will be getting double doses until they no longer care either.
I also managed to lose my crown on Christmas day and my dentist is closed until Monday, so if you see me or talk to me in the next couple of days I am missing one of my front teeth and boy is that a weird feeling, but I honestly I am just happy to be upright these days and it's not like I am the only person that has ever lost a crown.
We also did pictures yesterday of the puppies so I will work on adding them to the side bar for you. Today's picture is of Vegas being supermom! Kenya has decided she has had enough of these hooligans and she will feed them if she has to, but she really doesn't want to and does everything she can to stay away from them. Vegas on the other had does everything she possible can to be with them, she is trying to feed them all, mother them all and is starting to play with them. She really is being supermom and reminds me so much of her Grandmother Ivie, I even called her Ivie the other day, she is just like her and loves her babies and Kenya's too.
Wednesday, December 25, 2019
Merry Christmas
I hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday with family and friends. It has been pretty quiet here, other than puppies that want attention.
John and Erin came over for Christmas Eve Dinner last night and we had the bright idea that we would get a picture of all the puppies perfectly lined up on the couch for the holidays. John has helped me with pictures before and so we knew that we needed the puppies to be sleepy and full otherwise chaos ensues. So after everyone was pretty much passed out we started placing the puppies on the couch. Started with the little pups who literally passed out and fell asleep where we laid them. Then we added the big puppies. The picture above is the final result.
Moral of the story....my puppies will never be still and quiet and line up for a perfect photo. I have yet to do be able to accomplish it and I don't think there is enough duct tape or glue on the planet to make this happen. My breeder friends do it all the time, they say do it when they are 4 to5 weeks, do it when they are tired and full, do it on something high so they are fearful of falling off. Ya Right. Not at my house, I did all of the above and obviously it didn't work. Notice Pink Girl - she is the one that is about to leap over the railing for freedom and she was just the start of many that planned on joining her.
Erin is in love with White boy and thankfully he is now too big for her to try and sneak him out when she leaves. Christopher wants to keep Lady Bug and I change my mind daily on which puppy I want to keep for myself. I love them all, love their little personalities and am super excited for their future. I used to think that Vegas puppies were amazing and many were going to be show potential, but as Kenya's babies get older, I am really liking them as well. I have my short list from both litters, but time will still tell how they turn out. I will say that the two pink girls are going to be going into experienced Berner homes that are going to engage their minds and put those two girls to work. They are busy, busy, busy and I am starting to think Turquoise may also be in the same boat. I have definite people in mind for these girls, but again we will make those determinations when they are 8 weeks old and know who is going to be show potential.
John and Erin came over for Christmas Eve Dinner last night and we had the bright idea that we would get a picture of all the puppies perfectly lined up on the couch for the holidays. John has helped me with pictures before and so we knew that we needed the puppies to be sleepy and full otherwise chaos ensues. So after everyone was pretty much passed out we started placing the puppies on the couch. Started with the little pups who literally passed out and fell asleep where we laid them. Then we added the big puppies. The picture above is the final result.
Moral of the story....my puppies will never be still and quiet and line up for a perfect photo. I have yet to do be able to accomplish it and I don't think there is enough duct tape or glue on the planet to make this happen. My breeder friends do it all the time, they say do it when they are 4 to5 weeks, do it when they are tired and full, do it on something high so they are fearful of falling off. Ya Right. Not at my house, I did all of the above and obviously it didn't work. Notice Pink Girl - she is the one that is about to leap over the railing for freedom and she was just the start of many that planned on joining her.
Erin is in love with White boy and thankfully he is now too big for her to try and sneak him out when she leaves. Christopher wants to keep Lady Bug and I change my mind daily on which puppy I want to keep for myself. I love them all, love their little personalities and am super excited for their future. I used to think that Vegas puppies were amazing and many were going to be show potential, but as Kenya's babies get older, I am really liking them as well. I have my short list from both litters, but time will still tell how they turn out. I will say that the two pink girls are going to be going into experienced Berner homes that are going to engage their minds and put those two girls to work. They are busy, busy, busy and I am starting to think Turquoise may also be in the same boat. I have definite people in mind for these girls, but again we will make those determinations when they are 8 weeks old and know who is going to be show potential.
Tuesday, December 24, 2019
Merry Christmas Eve
Wow! Hard to believe it is already Christmas Eve, these pups are getting so big and full of themselves, this is the fun stage, big pups are 5 1/2 weeks and littles are 4 1/2 weeks and I am starting to see little personalities develop.
This morning was frosty and cold, so after feeding pups in their boxes, we took the big ones outside for a little bit while I worked on cleaning the puppy play area. Oh Boy did they like that crunchy cold grass. Vegas was feeling her oats and started to play with them. I LOVE this stage when momma is teaching them how to play, it is so much fun and I could have sat out there on the cold grass in my pj's forever if it wasn't for the fact that I knew I had to get things cleaned up.
I think it is a tie between the two pinks on which one is the sassiest and has the most spunk. Hot Pink is the smarter of the two and figures things out faster, she is the first one to use the ramp outside and is always the first one to come and get petted when the opportunity comes up. Pink is just trouble with a capital T! She is the one that is picking fights and this morning she was telling her momma a thing or two I was just cracking up. I tell you those girls are something else and will definitely be going into experienced homes that know how to channel that energy.
We took the little pups out for a few minutes and again they loved that crunchy grass, Turquoise is starting to also be a little miss sassy pants and it will be fun to see if she continues on the path of her cousins. Lady bug is always the first to get cold and we don't have her out for very long, she doesn't have the long coat that the other pups have and is perfectly content to be held in someone's arms or come into the house and have the play area to herself.
Orange boy is doing much better, he was getting around outside pretty well, still limping but at least he is putting weight down now on the sore foot, so I think he will be just fine. Maybe a bit of a drama queen but he will be ok.
I would like to wish everyone a Very Merry Christmas filled with Love and a chance to spend time with your family. This is probably the quietest Christmas I have ever had without a single decoration out, but that is ok - 17 beautiful puppies is the best Christmas present ever.
This morning was frosty and cold, so after feeding pups in their boxes, we took the big ones outside for a little bit while I worked on cleaning the puppy play area. Oh Boy did they like that crunchy cold grass. Vegas was feeling her oats and started to play with them. I LOVE this stage when momma is teaching them how to play, it is so much fun and I could have sat out there on the cold grass in my pj's forever if it wasn't for the fact that I knew I had to get things cleaned up.
I think it is a tie between the two pinks on which one is the sassiest and has the most spunk. Hot Pink is the smarter of the two and figures things out faster, she is the first one to use the ramp outside and is always the first one to come and get petted when the opportunity comes up. Pink is just trouble with a capital T! She is the one that is picking fights and this morning she was telling her momma a thing or two I was just cracking up. I tell you those girls are something else and will definitely be going into experienced homes that know how to channel that energy.
We took the little pups out for a few minutes and again they loved that crunchy grass, Turquoise is starting to also be a little miss sassy pants and it will be fun to see if she continues on the path of her cousins. Lady bug is always the first to get cold and we don't have her out for very long, she doesn't have the long coat that the other pups have and is perfectly content to be held in someone's arms or come into the house and have the play area to herself.
Orange boy is doing much better, he was getting around outside pretty well, still limping but at least he is putting weight down now on the sore foot, so I think he will be just fine. Maybe a bit of a drama queen but he will be ok.
I would like to wish everyone a Very Merry Christmas filled with Love and a chance to spend time with your family. This is probably the quietest Christmas I have ever had without a single decoration out, but that is ok - 17 beautiful puppies is the best Christmas present ever.
Monday, December 23, 2019
Spa Day
Yesterday my good friend Terri and her husband showed up at the house early in the morning for a spa day for the puppies. Terri just asked that I had coffee, which I promised I did and wouldn't give her goats milk, I promised.
I always love it when folks show up for the first time, walk into my front door and it's the same expression and "OH MY GOD" when they see all the puppies. Then they cannot wait to get in and start petting and playing with them. This was Rick's response yesterday when he came to the house.
I have to say it was so nice of them to come, Terri breeds Golden Retrievers, she took one look at me, still in my PJ's and no coffee yet and took charge. I have to say, it was so nice, I knew she knew what she was doing and for once it was just nice to not have to make any decisions. They brought towels, I supplied the shampoo, she sat down and started trimming toenails and then proceeded to wash all of the puppies. Rick, Larena, Christopher and I all worked on drying puppies. It was a fun day, lots of laughter and having nice clean puppies at the end of the day was so nice.
After they left, my vet asked me to bring Orange boy in at 2pm - again on a Sunday so that she could look him over. We did x rays and she looked him over really well. Determined nothing was broken, he is just very sore and more than likely was stepped on my either Vegas or Kenya. She said to keep him away from the others as much as possible as rest was what he needed the most.
By the time I got home, it was 3pm and I realized I had not stopped moving since early in the day and I hadn't eaten anything either. It was very nice having Christopher here, so that I could make myself some lunch and just relax for a few minutes.
Today, I went into the office for a little bit, then had to go out and purchase Dog Food and more chicken from Costco - Costco on the 23rd of December at 4 pm is not the place you want to be if you are in a hurry to get home. I swear all of Sequim was there and if they weren't in Costco they were in Safeway, like they had Christmas plans or something. A good friend of mine ran into me at Costco and just laughed at me - He said I looked like hell - Gee Thanks Ben, I guess maybe I should do better at trying to not look like a Walmart Shopper that you see on Facebook and here I thought I was doing pretty good - I actually took a shower today and didn't have puppy poop on me, at least I didn't think I did. LOL
I always love it when folks show up for the first time, walk into my front door and it's the same expression and "OH MY GOD" when they see all the puppies. Then they cannot wait to get in and start petting and playing with them. This was Rick's response yesterday when he came to the house.
I have to say it was so nice of them to come, Terri breeds Golden Retrievers, she took one look at me, still in my PJ's and no coffee yet and took charge. I have to say, it was so nice, I knew she knew what she was doing and for once it was just nice to not have to make any decisions. They brought towels, I supplied the shampoo, she sat down and started trimming toenails and then proceeded to wash all of the puppies. Rick, Larena, Christopher and I all worked on drying puppies. It was a fun day, lots of laughter and having nice clean puppies at the end of the day was so nice.
After they left, my vet asked me to bring Orange boy in at 2pm - again on a Sunday so that she could look him over. We did x rays and she looked him over really well. Determined nothing was broken, he is just very sore and more than likely was stepped on my either Vegas or Kenya. She said to keep him away from the others as much as possible as rest was what he needed the most.
By the time I got home, it was 3pm and I realized I had not stopped moving since early in the day and I hadn't eaten anything either. It was very nice having Christopher here, so that I could make myself some lunch and just relax for a few minutes.
Today, I went into the office for a little bit, then had to go out and purchase Dog Food and more chicken from Costco - Costco on the 23rd of December at 4 pm is not the place you want to be if you are in a hurry to get home. I swear all of Sequim was there and if they weren't in Costco they were in Safeway, like they had Christmas plans or something. A good friend of mine ran into me at Costco and just laughed at me - He said I looked like hell - Gee Thanks Ben, I guess maybe I should do better at trying to not look like a Walmart Shopper that you see on Facebook and here I thought I was doing pretty good - I actually took a shower today and didn't have puppy poop on me, at least I didn't think I did. LOL
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