It was a perfect day for a walk!

After I finished taking pics this morning, I decided to take the pups for a walk before lunch was served. They all went out to potty first and then I packed them in their stroller. Daisy happily pranced along keeping an eye on the pups as a responsible nanny should. :+)

They do enjoy the walks and do a lot of peeking around. Motorcycles  zoomed by as well as trucks and cars. Certainly not to the extent of being in a city but every little bit of exposure helps. Once home, lunch was served and now they are having one of their numerous naps.

Here they are! 'A day late but not a dollar short'! WEEK 8 for the Nellie x Emmett litter.

The past two days were sort of hectic with company but it IS still summer and we love visits from family and friends.  :+)

The pups did just superb at the vets yesterday for their shots. For the trip, I put some peanut butter and treats mashed together in some pvc pipe elbows for their entertainment. They were very interested in licking out the goodies and were happy as clams. Not a one had any vomiting or salivation going on either. They also waited until they were on the vet's floor before peeing - love my vets - they are so prepared and unfettered.

All of them received their Health Certificates and first Distemper and Parvo Virus vaccines. They were checked over, played with, handled and fussed over. Did I say I love my vet office???

They all have GREAT names now and I love them all! :+)

Betsy is now DIVA! She DOES have eyes!! 8 weeks and 6 3/4 lbs.
I used that name to describe Diva's 'dramatic' personality and it clicked! :+)

BEN Franklin's owners will keep the name! 8 weeks - 8 lbs.
Ben is The Perfect Gentleman.

George Washington is now WATSON! 8 weeks - 6 lbs. Do you see his tongue peeking?
Can't you just hear Sherlock Holmes saying 'My dear Watson....' 

Little MOLLY PITCHER will also keep her original name! 8 wks. - 5 1/2 lbs.
No grumpies being awakened from her nap - definitely the pout and sleepy eyes though! 

Annabelle's ABIGAIL ADAMS is a breeding hopeful at 8 wks and 7 3/4 lbs.
Congrats to both Jan and Michael for becoming guardians for this sweet and charming girl.

YEA!

Temperament testing went well today and all pups have been assigned. I am happy to report that everyone is over the moon with the matches made including me!

What lucky puppies to have such great families. Big smiles all around.

Tomorrow is Temperament Testing Day!

It is a very exciting time so stay close as I hope to assign pups in the early afternoon. If you have a preferred number for me to call, please send an email.

Once assignments are made, vet appointments begin:

• 8/28 - Distemper and Parvo Vaccines and Health Certificates.
• 9/02 - Eye check ups with Dr. Cassotis, Canine Ophthalmologist
• 9/04 - Spays and Neuters with Microchipping

The week of September 7th begins puppy pick ups for those who wish to have their pups before Sat. Sept. 12 at 1 PM.

Seven Weeks old and just chugging along!

I had a whole different picture theme set up for their 7 week shots but Mother Nature gave us rain and I had to switch gears. I am, however, grateful for the rain so am not complaining.

The pups seem a bit put off by the sprinkles and have been 'less than happy' to potty outdoors. In between the showers, I have them go outdoors as much as possible and just clean up the messes indoors as they occur. Part of being a breeder!

So, today they donned their raincoats and used the umbrella to get some fresh air.  :+)

Molly Pitcher at wk 7 is 4 1/2 lbs.
Molly continues to be an investigative and curious girl.

Betsy Ross at Wk 7 is 5 3/4 lbs.
Betsy plays hard to get. She should be in theatre. Says 'no' but means 'yes'. Oi.

Abigail Adams at Wk 7 is 6 3/4 lbs.
Abby struts her stuff. Seems confident and willing to try new challenges.

Ben Franklin at Wk 7 is 6 3/4 lbs.
Ben is a gentle giant but with teeth. He loves belly rubs and cuddles.

George Washington at Wk 7 is 5 lbs.
Don't be fooled by George's stoic face. He LOVES people and is the first to want pats and cuddles.

The heat just keeps on coming....

Although the pups have plenty of shade, cool stone bricks to lie on, a small pool to tip paws in as well as refreshing water, they were dunked today. It has been so hot lately and I felt a nice cool dunking was in order, so each of them had a turn experiencing our pool. I gently held them for a 'body dunk' and all of them did a dog paddle motion - sooo cute! I never let them go, of course! This was done to each and not a one cried or panicked. It seems they enjoyed the little dousing. :+)

Then I gave them some lunch and all took a nice nap in the shady pen outdoors. Ahhhh... such a life.

Current news on Nellie's litter.

Nellie has gone home to her guardians and the pups have not missed a beat. They play hard, investigate the play area at will and sleep well.

They all know how to negotiate the dogie door now so they go in and out at will. When I leave the house to do errands, I put them in an outside pen for safety. Sometimes, I keep them in the pup room if the sun has not reached the windows yet.

Often, I take turns putting one of them on the grooming table to brush, check ears, hold feet and open mouths to get them use to this process and to calm their fear of being off the floor. Repetition is key to them becoming comfortable in an otherwise stressful situation.

Daisy continues to be their role model now that mom is gone. She is a very tolerant nanny.  I actually saw Molly flip on her back this morning with four feet in the air showing respect to Daisy as she cleaned up their bowl from breakfast. They learn lessons so quickly.  :+)

Nellie's pups spend some time out in the puppy play-yard today.

Here are some candid shots of the pups enjoying some 'free time' with Nellie and Daisy out in the play yard. Daisy will take over the full time duties of training the pups about doggie language as Nellie goes back to her guardian family tomorrow.

George and mom synchronized walking!

YES! Abigail does have eyes and romps around.

Nellie teaching some of the pups manners.

SNACK TIME! Daisy is a wannabe momma.

'These are the rules: no teeth on nipples, no jumping.........'

Ben has two mommies telling him what to do.

George talking a stroll on the turf.

Betsy in the cart and Abigail waiting her turn.

Betsy with her 'sleepy eyes'.

Ben moseying along.

'Who, me'? Molly's face says it all.

Abigail - FREEDOM! WHOOPEE!!!

Nellie's pups at SIX weeks of age!

As I mentioned, I am using a number of things to give the pups a little stress to deal with. After breakfast this morning, I put them in their normal outside pen but created a different one on the small stone area. I moved them to the stone pen with some new outdoor toys for them to check out and there was lots of whining. Now, they have acclimated and are napping.

In addition, today's picture session was with them in a bucket hanging on a fence. Yes, the bucket was stable but had some movement, so another different feeling they needed to adjust to. Ben was the most frightened but when I did a second photo session with him, he settled right in. George took one shot - a natural! Molly wanted to climb out of the bucket several times. Betsy simply settled in to snooze I think. Abigail took advantage of the scenery the 'balcony' provided.  :+)

Each week I see changes - some get more brave while others decide what didn't frighten them last week startles them this week. It is how they learn to cope and digest all the new things surrounding them. Expect the same types of adjustments when they go home. Expose them to many new things every day and don't forget to introduce them to as many people as possible. Staple, healthy dogs are also on that list but NO dog parks till fully vaccinated.

George Washington Wk 6 and 4 1/2 lbs.

Betsy Ross, Wk. 6 and 5 1/4 lbs.

Molly Pitcher at 6 weeks and 4 lbs.

Ben Franklin is 6 lbs. at 6 weeks.

Abigail Adams is 5 3/4 lbs. at wk. 6.

Carriage ride.

Today, I took the five pups for a carriage ride. They will be six weeks tomorrow and it is time to start getting them stressed a bit about their world.  So aside from introducing new toys, sounds, etc., I need to expose them more to 'real life' experiences.

My road is not terribly well traveled but certainly busy enough. They ALL showed signs of being stressed by the carriage, the road, smells, cars and motorcycles buzzing past them.  They met some new people too as I negotiated the bumpy road at the trailer park. During that walk, a Jack Russell Terrier and his owner came out to greet them and exclaim how cute they were.

When we got home, they all curled up together in the shade of the outside pen and went to sleep. I will continue to do this until a ride in the carriage is a FUN experience and move on to the next stressful test. Good exercise for them (and me)!

Random pics of Nellie's litter.

I spent a good portion of today pressure washing the outside pens and alleyway so the pups could finally get some fresh air. They loved being outdoors as I expected. They also loved sleeping inside the little igloo all packed together for a long nap!

Some of the pics are of their pup room area too. Such a cute group!!  :+)

Ben and Molly. Look at the size difference!

The group indoors.

George on the frog.

Abigail in back with Betsy and Molly in the litter box.

Who else but Ben!

Molly tasting the slide.

'Let me out' says Abigail.

Outside for the first time with mommy.

There's Abigail again wanting out.

George, Ben, Molly and Abigail. Missing Betsy.

Here she is!

Nellie's 5 week old pup pics on schedule! :+)

The breeding for Charlotte and Rocky went very smoothly and the traffic did not cause any crazy delays - yea!

My goal for early this week is to pressure wash and clean up one of the outside pup pens so they can begin to enjoy some of this great weather and extra playing space. I know they will love exploring and chasing each other - they are ready!

George 'Grump' Washington! He really is not grumpy at all - waggiest tail in town! 3 3/4 lbs.

Ben Franklin has those gorgeous hypnotic eyes. 5 lbs.

Betsy Ross - can her eyebrows be any more outrageous?? A diva in the making. 4 1/4 lbs.

Such an intense stare from Molly Pitcher. Actually, she is getting ready to step onto the hosta.
Loved running around in the plant-life. 3 1/2 lbs.

Methinks Abigail Adams prefers a 'red carpet' rather than a birdbath! 4 3/4 lbs.

Charlotte and I are back from our trip to Connecticut!

Miss Charlotte 2-Step and Rocky took to each other immediately. Two successful matings were achived and now we just have to wait to see if puppies will be arriving. Send good vibes that all will go well and she will have a good pregnancy and delivery. If successful, I expect pups in early October and going home around the 12th (or so) of December.

I am pretty sure her litter is sold but that depends on how many she delivers so applications are still welcomed.  :+)

Nellie's guardians (with extended family) came for a visit a couple of days ago.

The pups were held by a variety of 'people sizes' and did very well! There were a lots of different smells and sounds which was great exposure for them. Both Nellie and pups had lots of attention and cuddles.

Thank you so much for visiting! Come again soon.  :+)