Monday, August 11, 2008

A breeder's Poem - Author Unknown

This is a perfect time to share this heart-warming poem with all of you. It is especially touching to me because this is a very bittersweet litter.


I love my little puppy; she makes my house a home.
She is my very sweetest little friend; I never feel alone.
She makes me smile; She makes me laugh; She fills my heart with love . . .
Did some person breed her, or did she fall from above?

I've never been a breeder, never seen life through their eyes;
I hold my little puppy and just sit and criticize.
I've never known their anguish; I've never felt their pain,
the caring of their charges, through snow or wind or rain.

I've never waited the whole night through for babies to be born,
The stress and trepidation when they're still not there by morn.
The weight of responsibility for this body in my hands,
This darling little baby, who weighs but 60 grams.

Should you do that instead of this . . . or maybe that was wrong?
Alone you fight and hope, one day, he'll grow up proud and strong.
You pray he'll live to bring great joy to someone else's home.
You know it's all just up to you; you'll fight this fight alone.

Formula, bottles, heating pads, you've got to get this right,
two-hour feedings for this tiny guy, throughout the day and night.
Within your heart you dread that you will surely lose this fight,
to save this little baby, but God willing . . . you just MIGHT.

Day one; he's in there fighting; you say a silent prayer.
Day two & three, he's doing well, with lots of love and care.
Day four & five . . . he's still alive; your hopes soar to the heavens.
Day six he slips away again, dies in your hands, day seven.

You take this little angel, and bury him alone.
With aching heart and burning tears, and an exhausted groan,
You ask yourself, "Why do this? . . . Why suffer through this pain?"
Yet watch the joy your puppies bring,and everything's explained.

So, when you think of breeders and label them with "Greed,"
Think of all that they endure to fill another's need.
For when you buy your puppy, with your precious dollars part,
You only pay with money . . . while they pay with all their heart.

....Author Unknown....

Sunday, August 10, 2008

Cooperation at 12 weeks. :+)

Hello!

I know I said I was not posting anymore individual pics, but today I was doing my weekly grooming and trimming on the pups and they were so cooperative that I thought I would give it one more photoshoot.

They ARE rambunctious, noisy, leaping, grabbing, energetic lovebugs! Let me add full of mischief as well. :+) They are NORMAL puppies.

Here are the darlings (ahem...)


CHARLIE started it all. He was just so complient and sweet as I was grooming him. You can all thank CHARLIE for this post. :+)



















TESSIE, the little 'wind-up' toy! She squeezes through the gates in the kitchen when I let them roam about and teases all her littermates. She has no fear of the adult dogs, but is very smart to show them respect. Do you see that little smirk??? I adore her. :+)



















MARLEY the Gentle. Always the one waiting for attention instead of demanding it. He is the type of pup you put on the lap of children and the elderly.



















Look at that tongue! OZZIE too, is quite passive as compared to some of his littermates. He doesn't take any baloney though. KOBIE and he get into quite a few skirmishes but are always friends afterwards - like children. :+)



















Almost as white as the toy she is carrying, DAISY gives her namesake grace and beauty. Did you notice that she and the toy's texture are nearly identical? My 'big' dogs love her. (They do have favorites, you know.)



















Curly, soft, inquisitive and loving KOBIE is a trip. If there is something going on, he is usually involved. Pick him up though and you are his lollipop! Flip him on his back and he submits totally. What a glorious package he is! My vet's favorite.



















BAILEY the Adorable. She reminds me of Chinese Sweet and Sour chicken fingers - just enough sweet with a bit of sassy that makes you want more. Smart and curious with just enough softness to make it difficult to be mad at her.



















LOLA adores being the center of attention. She wants to cuddle with you lots and lots. Loves sharing your lap, but she wants the biggest part of it. :+) A girl that holds her own but also gets along well with others. She has a way of looking at you that melts your heart.



















Lastly, MOLLY. Of the girls, she thinks she is in charge, yet she has a very gentle demeanor. She has size and energy but doesn't abuse it. Easy to work with and grounded. A pup that will enjoy playing outdoors, swimming and being active as well as cuddling.

Wednesday, August 6, 2008

The girls are spayed and doing great!

I tried getting this uploaded yesterday but my AnnaBlog had the hiccups. :+( The surgeries all went well and I have to say that these girls were so quiet to and from the vets. Not one peep! All the vet techs were fighting as to who was carrying which pup and we looked like a furry train going out the door!

Prior to me preparing for their pick up, I had rearranged the pup room again to keep them separated from the boys and it was a good thing I did because the ladies used the 'restroom', had a bit of dinner and promptly took a nap. :+)

The boys were all excited to see their sisters again and caused a bit of a ruckus, but eventually settled. Today the girls remained in their area until this evening. It has now been 24 hours and they were quite happy to go outside with their siblings and play. I did, however, keep them all in the enclosed puppy pens. They were not allowed into the grassy play area because of all the rain.














































Tuesday, August 5, 2008

THE 'HOMESTEAD' OLYMPICS!

THE SLOPES! Or should it be titled SLIDE CLIMBING?

All the pups are excited about this event! They are anxiously waiting for their 'numbers' to be called. Who will it be? Ozzie? Lola? Charlie? Duffy? Bailey? Daisy? Kobie? Tessie? or Molly?















You think I can climb this BIG hill? Daisy's face is surely not convinced.














Kobie has lots of confidence and is willing to try just about anything!















Of course, the big guys - Charlie and Duffy claimed First and Second Place easily!















Bailey and Tessie are staunch competitors and don't give up!















AHA! FIRST PLACE for Daisy on the BABY SLOPES! Does she not look proud??















The 'SWIMMING EVENT'

My interpretation of this scene is that Molly has decided that this is a 'team' sport and they need more teammates and has sent out Tessie to gather them.















Tessis did an excellent job and now there are TOO many!















Okay, we got some of the others to compete in another event, but look who is rushing to get her spot on the team - TESSIE!















This must be the 'BOTTOM'S UP' event and I must say that First Place should go to the cute little touche of Miss Tessie. :+) She is the one on the right.

Sunday, August 3, 2008

The eleventh week!

As the thunder continues to roar above, I expect showers to follow and the pups to run back outside to play in the raindrops. This has become almost a daily event. I don't remember a summer quite like this one. Did we move to the tropics on the geological maps????

In any event, this will probably be the last time there will be individual shots of the pups until pick up time - which is VERY close!!! The girls go in for spays on Tuesday - their turn to wear the 'coneheads'!! Now the boys can tease them for a couple of days. :+)
....................................................................................................................

'DUFFY' continues to be a very laid back pup. His softness reminds me of one of the pups from the last litter that the owners named 'TABOR' in honor of us! They are so delighted with him and I am sure the owners of DUFFY will have the same experience. (12 1/2 lbs.)



















'OZZIE' is another gentle giant who is very flexible. I can see MIT students fighting to take him for walks when he attends later this year. :+) (weight 12 lbs.)
















'CHARLIE' is a delightful pup that is inquisitive, curious, steadfast and cuddly - exactly what a 'future' therapy dog should be. :+) I will be watching his progress closely. (12 lbs.)



















'KOBIE POTTER' without a doubt, will be the 'manager' of the condo where he will be living in no time flat. A personality plus pooch that will have everyone wrapped around his chocolate paw. A non-stop wagging tail and a never-ending supply of kisses abounds on this charmer. (10 1/4 lbs.)
















Lucky, lucky 'MOLLY'! Her owners go to the shore a lot in the summer and it so happens, MOLLY loves the water, too! A girl with a good amount of zip will entertain the family but also snuggle for hugs and kisses. Enjoy the water MOLLY - GIRL! (12 lbs.)



















'LOLA' is another waterbug! Thankfully, it is available in abundance where she is living. Hmmm....that 'mud room' is aptly named for her and her roomate, Rossi! (10 lbs.)


















Talking about 'mudrooms'! Hey Barbara, did you know that 'CHARLIE' is earning a degree in plumbing? (I could not post this pic, it is too darn cute! It is also how the pups look daily. They clean up well though, huh?)

















Miss Dainty Delight, 'TESSIE' is quite the show - not only in coat color, but in her personality as well. Sometimes full of it and others - quite demure. She has a very soft manner but can get 'charged up' and instigate the group easily. She will have a blast with Lando, once she is comfortable. :+) (weighs 8 1/4 lbs.)



















What can I possibly say about 'BAILEY'? That little face says it all. Is she an imp? Sometimes. Is she adorable? Always. A more 'middle of the road' pup will be hard to find. She will have so much fun with her little owner along with their neighbor's new pup as well. (8 3/4 lbs.)



















'DAISY' was 'made to order' for her new owners. Already pros at loving and wanting more submissive furry friends, she will waltz into their lives easily. A graceful girl in build, temperament and personality, DAISY will be a great addition. (9 1/4 lbs.)