The Pup Room.

Whew!  Now that the majority of our family visits are over, I was able to move Brinkley's pups to the Puppy Room.  It was definitely time.  

They are comfortable and have more room.  Each week, as they grow, their area will change somewhat. Eventually, the pens expand and more toys are added for interest and exploration.  Before you know it, they will be going outdoors to play in the snow!

As you can see, they are spread out in their comfy bed and enjoy snuggling with the stuffed animal when mommy is not around.  I have included a litter box to entice them to move towards it as an introduction to pottying in the right area.  It will take many more days (weeks) before they use it optimally.  The type of litter box changes as they adjust to using it.  The baby bunting is used to prevent drafts as well as to prevent little feet from getting tangled in the wire panels.  Since they are not in a 'pig pile', I know the temp of the room is perfect.  When chilly, they pile on each other, when perfect, they spread out.  :+)

'The stockings were hung by the chimney with care.......' WEEK TWO!

They certainly were.  :+)

I hope you don't mind me posting their two week pictures a day early as tomorrow, like everywhere else, will be a happy, crazy day of festivities, food, company and anticipation!!

Red Boy weighs 2.3 lbs.

Purple Girl is at 2.2 lbs.

Black Boy is 2.9 lbs.

Blue Boy weighs 2.3 lbs.

Teal Girl is 1.15 lbs.

Pink Girl weighs 1.12 lbs.

 

And momma with babies are sound asleep with full bellies and dreaming of sugar plums!

Brinkley's guardians visit this morning!

Boy was Brinkley happy to see her 'parents'!  Big smiles and lots of pats and kisses.  I love it when my guardians come and spend some time with their girl.  It makes for a very happy and trusting relationship.  

After washing their hands, we went into the pup area for them to see Brinkley's chunky babies and it is like grandparents seeing their grand babies for the first time.  Such pride and thankfulness for great health, and comfort.

Both John and Anne-Marie donned Santa hats - so did Brinkley but she was not sure she liked it!!

This little cherub was just fine with the cuddling.  :+)

It was such a nice visit and certainly they will come again to play with the pups and fuss over Brinkley. Ho, Ho!!  Soon, the new owners will be visiting as well.  Guardians get special privileges which is why being local is such a bonus to pups, mommas and me.  :+)

BRINKLEY3 X DIESEL - ONE WEEK!

Yup, these chunky babies are now a full week of age and thriving!  Brinkley continues to keep them warm and satisfied.

Today, I gave Brinkley a quick tidying up as those little baby claws LOVE to tangle themselves into her soft coat and make knots.  A weekly brushing and detangling is a must to keep Brinkley comfortable in her own skin and managing her coat.  I detest it when breeding mommas are shaved completely down because of the tangles.  All it takes is weekly maintenance.

The pups also had their second car ride today.  I do this with all my litters as 'desensitizing' them to the motion of a car early in their development helps them be good car riders as they mature.  I don't have a 100% score on this but I would say about 95%!  They MUST have three car rides before they are ten days old.  Their first, was at the vets for an exam on their third day of life.  With the upcoming snow and very cold temps over the next few days, my car will have to be thoroughly warmed up before they go on that last required ride before their tenth day!

I also continue to do Early Neurological Stimulation each day for 16 days.  Utilizing a program designed to provide stimuli to help pups develop a higher ability to deal with life's stresses gives your pup a great start to become the best he/she can be.

For another week or so, the pups will remain in my office where they are safe, somewhat buffered by the chaos of the holidays and free to sleep, snuggle, eat and 'roll' about.  Right after the holidays, they will be moved to the Pup Room for more exploration.  By then, their ears and eyes will be open and soon after be ready for some visits.  :+)

These little 'elves' will soon be on their way to you!

TEAL GIRL IS 1.4 LBS TODAY.

PURPLE GIRL WEIGHS 1.6 LBS.

PINK GIRL APPEARS TO BE THE SMALLEST AT 1.3 LBS.

AND BLACK BOY IS THE BIGGEST AT 1.10 LBS!!

BLUE BOY  (1.7 lbs) HAS SOMETHING TO SAY....MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

and to all a GOOD NIGHT is RED BOY'S parting words.  1.8 lbs.

 

A little peek on how the pups are doing.

All is well and the pups are growing nice and plump as they should with lots of nursing time and cuddling with Brinkley.

It is so nice to have a momma here that is so obliging.  Brinkley does not care at all if any of the other girls should come into the office.  Most moms absolutely reject ANY dog to come next to where their pups are but Brinkley is so calm and gentle, she simply settles in and continues nursing or cleaning her brood.  I can even keep the door slightly ajar so that Brinkley can come and go as she pleases.  Makes for such a stress free environment.  :+)

The pups are only a few days old but I know everyone is anxious to see more pics of them so here is one just for 'the holiday spirit'.  :+)

From left to right: Teal Girl, Pink Girl, Purple Girl, Blue Boy, Black Boy and Red Boy.

I promise another pic when they are a week old on Saturday.  Enjoy this holiday season!

They are here!

Last night in the early hours, Brinkley was ready to welcome her new babies into the world.  She wasted no time at all and literally 'spit them out' easily.  :+)

• An apricot/cream male arrived at 1:05 - BLUE COLLAR ID 
• His brother, also an apricot/cream arrived at 1:23 am.  RED COLLAR ID (Orange in pic)
• The third male, a black, pushed his way out at 1:40 am.   BLACK COLLAR ID
• Finally, a female arrived at 1:58 am (apricot cream).  TEAL COLLAR ID
• Her apricot cream sister followed at 2:05 am.  PURPLE COLLAR ID
• Not to be outdone, the last pup, another female who is black, with a bit of white arrived at 2:23 am. PINK COLLAR ID

Wow, six pups in under an hour and a half!  Great job Brinkley!  The messy bedding was in the washer, the area cleaned up and I was on the couch for a nap by 3 am!  Slept till 7 am and admired the litter once again.  A good whelp under any standard!!

Brinkley ate her breakfast, went outdoors to potty (before the rain came) and is happily nursing her sweet litter.  Bring on the holidays!!  :+)

THANK YOU BRINKLEY!

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!!

EXCITING NEWS!

 Today, Brinkley had her x-ray and she has six healthy looking newborns growing!  Her Ultra Sound looked like there were six and the x-ray today confirms it.  I am delighted.

Her wonderful guardians met me at the vets and were thrilled to be able to go in to see the x-ray up front and close.  Brinkley has been wonderful and, like all guardians, are always sad to see their girl leave with me to have her whelp.  However, Brinkley was happily welcomed by our girls here at ADNE and meshed in like she lives here full time!

Soon, I will be posting about her delivery, so stayed tuned!

Brinkley looks like she has angel wings (sssshhhh....she does!)

Both Anne-Marie and John will miss their girl greatly but know they can come visit any time.

I hope everyone is enjoying the spirit of this time of year.  I am in the midst of still decorating and cleaning like everyone else!  Still have shopping to do too but I don't stress about the little stuff.  As long as Brinkley has a nice, smooth delivery... I will have received everything I could wish for.  :+)

Enjoy your holiday feast!

 After we are all stuffed to the gills, we will take a lovely snooze just like Brinkley is doing.  Gobble, Gobble!

It appears both she and her babies are resting quietly during this holiday.  Maybe she will get a piece of turkey for being such a good girl.  :+)

Soon Brinkley's babies will arrive here at ADNE and we will prepare for the Christmas holiday festivities!  It will be fun to have holiday pics of her cuties!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO EVERYONE!

I know it has been some time since I have posted but we have been very busy with our poultry business as well as renovations on our son's home.

We are happy to say that Brinkley's Ultra Sound shows she IS pregnant which I am so pleased about and as long as all goes well, puppies should arrive in December before Christmas.  I have not contacted anyone because I want to know all are healthy before 'counting' my chickens.

Until then, take this time of year to enjoy your family, stay healthy and prepare for winter's 'welcome'.

AXEL LEAVES TO JOIN HIS NEW FAMILY.

This morning, Terri came to pick up her new addition!  As soon as she came in the door, Axel was his typical friendly self and wanted attention.  He stayed near Terri the whole time as if he knew 'she was the one'.  It was very cute.

He will not be bored - he has other doodles to mingle with just like he did here.  Be a good boy, Axel!  Tell me all about your new adventures!!

 

I am sure Axel and his new family will enjoy his antics, intelligence and zest for life!  Our house is very quiet without that chubby fellow around!  

Axel has found his home.

Yesterday, a couple I have known for quite some time expressed interest in becoming Axel's owners.  Happily, they thought he was quite charming and would be a great addition to their home that has three other doodles of various ages.  Since Axel is so comfortable being here with four doodles, I am sure his personality will shine when he meets his 'cousins'.

I am delighted that Axel will have an experienced home with several doodle friends.  In time, he will join in the various walks taken during the day.  Axel will enjoy the many opportunities to chase the critters in their yard, go for rides and still have plenty of cuddle time with his new 'mom and dad'.

Unfortunately, Dan had to take a call so was not included in the picture but he did say 'I was in love at first site'.  :+)

Such a cute twosome!

Axel gives the best head tilts!  Yes, they are keeping his namesake.  :+)

 Axel will be in his new home this coming Friday.  

Axel tries to make friends with our pumpkins.

Axel is now 7 weeks of age.  He is full of himself and thinks he is the 'cat's meow'.  He weighs 6 3/4 lbs so is leaning to be the size of his mini daddy, Jaxon rather than his 'bigger' mommy, Sadie.  I expect him to mature around 20 to 25 lbs.  His coat will be curly and his temperament is silly, curious, happy and energetic.  :+)

I tried to take a really cute pic of him amongst some of my pumpkins but he is busy, busy!.

'What is over there?'

'I need to climb over this orange thing to get to the driveway'.

'Oh, what did you say? Sit & stay?'

The next two weeks will soon be over and this bundle of cuteness will be with his new family.  :+)

Axel is growing but not by much!

 This little boy has confidence, energy and smarts in spades!  All 5 and 1/4 lbs. of him is just waiting for something to happen that he can investigate, grab, tug or chase.  He loves to 'investigate' our retired girls here and they put him in his place each and every time.  So, his dogie education is intense!  Thankfully, he is smart and immediately shows respect and rolls over.  :+)

Axel enjoys petting and when you hold him and give him a gentle squeeze, he grunts like he is some sort of squeaky toy.  :+)

He is up on a slide and has no fear.

Oh boy, he is gonna 'get it' from Gunny!

'I WISH someone would play with me.'

Looking for a playmate.....

Here's one!  I like to snuggle too.

Whew! Busy Day!!!

Axel is doing very well.  His mom, Sadie, went home to her guardian family this week and she is doing great too.  Axel is eating his meals, interacting with our adult ladies and getting to meet people on a daily basis.  In about a week, I will be taking him to special places to meet new people to keep the exposure going.  Thankfully, we have lots of people that stop by often and who does not love to meet a puppy - especially one as cute as this little guy?  :+)

 

Axel loves his free time running around our kitchen and also going outdoors to play in the large puppy pen.  Without siblings to entertain him, it takes more effort on our part to be sure he gets lots of people time in our arms or chasing after our feet or PJ legs!  He loves clogs and leather sandals too.  Hmmmmm.  He is very curious, playful, energetic and cuddly all rolled into one adorable face.  :+)

Sadie and Axel playing.

As I mentioned in my last post, Sadie is all over Axel when I let them play outdoors.  Here are a few pics to enjoy.  Sadie seems to be done feeding him but LOVES to play with him outdoors!  She thinks of him as her personal wind-up toy!

 

Axel - 4 weeks old! (Sadie x Jaxon)

 This week I have taken Axel outdoors to explore textures - the turf, the pavers and the wooden stairs and aisle.  He was quite curious and happy to smell and wander.  His mom, Sadie, would not leave him alone - always sniffing and guiding him this way and that.  With her being so pushy, I would sometimes leave her in the house so he and I could be 'cumbersome free' to do as we pleased!  I want Axel to explore at an early age so he is comfortable in odd settings and become very accustomed to places other than his crate area. Early exploration encourages confidence and stability in pups.

Without siblings to play with, Axel needs lots of stimulation from me and the other doodles in our home so he is allowed out of his area to mingle and enjoy our company.  As the weeks go by, he will have more and more time out of his safe zone to grow and learn.

I just love those white toes and short, high set ears!  His nose is slowly turning black and his little fat tail wiggles more and more as he identifies my voice.

Here he is on top of the Play Skol slide outside.  Axel is now four weeks of age and weighs 4 3/4 lbs., slightly above average.  Hopefully, he will agree to eat the gruel I have been making for him and mommy can go back home as soon as he does eat it with enthusiasm!  Right now, he still prefers mommas milk!!

AXEL! The 'Lone Ranger' of Sadie's litter of one.

Although Axel has no siblings to speak of, he does very well by himself.  Our house girls go visit him; and Sadie is with him numerous times during the day but all in all, he is doing well.  I carry him around often and enjoy him on my lap while I use the rocking chair on my deck in the early morning.  He raises his little nose and takes some deep whiffs of the outdoors - rather adorable.  :+)

Don't you just love those little white toes?

Here he is enjoying the view on our outdoor table.  

Pretty soon he will really check out his world here at ADNE.

I still don't know what I will be doing with Axel - selling as a pup, a possible breeder to another program or keeping for a potential guardian home.  I will not be making this decision until he is around seven weeks or so.  

We have our first Canine Good Citizen from the Jonnie x Hobbs Litter!

 A BIG Congratulations to Jane and Ernie Carroll and their very handsome boy 'JOE' for completing his CGC program.  It is not often a six month old pup succeeds this course!

I am very proud of you Joe!!

PUPPIES AVAILABLE AT CORNERSTONE LABRADOODLES!!!!

 To those on my waitlist:

I am so happy to tell you that the above breeder is in Maryland and has availability on her litter going home in OCTOBER!!!  

Here is her link:   https://www.cornerstonelabradoodles.com/upcoming-litters/lulu-and-finns-puppies/

Sonali is a wonderful and caring breeder and you would do well to contact her ASAP  to get on this list(s)!  I know that I will not have any puppies for a while as none of my girls are 'in season', so PLEASE don't miss this opportunity to contact Sonali and have a pup home for the holidays.  :+) 

It is a doable distance for most who have contacted me for a pup.  I wish any and all of you well if you move forward getting a pup from Cornerstone Labradoodles.  

:+)  Joyce

Sadie and son.

I have to stop calling Sadie's son the 'chunk', so I am going to call him 'Axel'.  It seems fitting since his mom's name is Ms. Sadie Benz, so I am keeping the automobile theme.  It would have been fun to nickname a full litter of auto names/parts but Axel suits this fellow to a 'T'.

Axel seems to be quite content in his new settings.  I moved him just before his second week birthday (today) so that he will acclimate to the light, sounds and movement of the doodles here.  He is already past 2 lbs. at week 2, so the food supply is going well.  :+)

Sadie does not seem to mind that the other doodles here go in and out the dogie door in the Pup Room which means she is no longer in 'protection mode'.  Sadie is more interested in trying to get one of my house girls to play with her.  :+)

Although Sadies loves to take out the toys and especially the Snuggle Puppy, I have been able to rescue them most of the time so Axel has some 'playmates' to snuggle with when Sadie goes about her business.  Just to clarify, Axel is the apricot color, the Snuggle Pup is cream.  

It is about time I show a pic of Sadie's chunk.

 This little guy lacks for nothing.  Milk any time he wants it, lots of licks and cuddles from mom, Sadie.  Soon he will have a new space to enjoy the sounds of the house and meet more people.  He is not two weeks old yet, so we need to wait a bit longer.  

I am just very grateful that I have not had any of the issues that generally accompany singletons.  Sadie is producing milk but not engorged; the pup is content and moving about normally and all of us are getting enough sleep!  :+). Looking forward to taking more pics as this handsome guy grows.

  

Update on Sadie and her son.

I am beyond thrilled that Sadie is a loving and dedicated mom to her chunky son.  Typically, breeders are very concerned when there is only one pup in a litter because of a variety of reasons.  I know I was - given this was the first time that a c-section was performed in my program because of only having a singleton pup.  Many moms do not want to care for their baby because of the anesthesia, so you may have to tube feed the pup for the first 24 hours - not so with Sadie.  Later in the afternoon of her surgery, she willingly laid there as her son suckled.  Sadie is licking him often with a  gentle tongue to keep him clean and stimulated.  He is a strong boy and readily scoots to her to feed and cuddle.  I feel very, very lucky.  :+) 

He is a cutie for sure.  I will post a pic of him once he is big enough to get a decent one.  :+) 

SUCCESS!

This morning, Ms. Sadie Benz had the first C-Section in ADNE history!  Dr. Kelleher was so informative, kind and skilled.  Sadie went in and in a couple of hours we had our very healthy, 11 ounce baby boy to oogle over.  He favors his poppa, Jaxon, who is a second generation Cockapoo. He is apricot with adorable white markings on his head, chest, tail and toes.  :+)

At this point, I am just so grateful that all went well.  Sadie and her newborn are resting together after the surgery keeping warm and bonding.  

This 'special' mating was planned to keep a pup back for my program and there was only one, so chances are I will not offer him for sale at this time.

Sad news. :+(

 On Monday, August 23, I had to make the agonizing decision to lay Gabriel to rest.  It was a very difficult day but Gabe was not doing well over the weekend and I took him to my vet on Monday morning.  Thankfully, they got me in right away and upon examination by Dr. Kelleher, he thought maybe the abcess in his mouth might have been the reason for his lack of appetite. However blood work showed his kidneys were actually shutting down and he was in a lot of pain.  With lots of tears and hugs from my vet and staff, Gabriel was brought home to rest in our garden.

Gabriel was a delightful little man who was so stoic and loving.  We knew from the onset that his life would be short but I never expected it to only last six months.  We were lucky that his time with us was full of love and care.  Four grand-daughters lavished him with pats and giggles all summer.  He swam in our pool, took obedience classes and entertained Clary's litter.  Be at peace little one.  

Just have to post this.

 Diego's daddy emailed me this pic of Diego and 'friend' meeting each other and really getting along well.

Diego's dad said a bunch of people gathered round taking pictures and videos of the two of them 
playing with each other.  It was like Samson and Goliath!!  Diego is so tiny!!!  :+)

Lucie.

 Hopefully, all the pups are settling in and enjoying being the new member of the family.  I just received this cute pic from Lucie and her guardians and would like to share it.  They tell me she is smart!  Hmmm... I new that!  :+)