Let's meet the new families!

Hello!

Thank you to all the new families for allowing me to post your picture on this AnnaBlog. I sure do hope that your pups always keep you smiling - at least most of the time!! :+)
















Janny and Brad could not wait one moment longer and picked up TABOR the very next day after they all got their second puppy series shot. He has already been introduced to their grandchildren and outdoors to potty and investigate his new world.





















Tracy did some fast maneuvering to plan her day to get MC DUFF picked up. As with all families of active children, time is of an essence. The trip home went very well and his introduction to the family has been successful.





















Nancy and Deane have been enjoying the antics of LEIA as she goes about being a typical 'nosey' girl. Deane's older brother is away at college and is dying to get home to enjoy the new member of their family.
















PATTON is sharing his new environment with Carina and Aaron as well as TWO resident cats! He is already experiencing his city on a leash and providing tons of entertainment for his new owners.
















When David and Paul told me they were naming their new guy DIESEL I laughed and laughed! The name was just perfect for him! We know about 'diesel' oil and him being black and all that, but what I didn't know is that it is also the name of a famous clothing line. I am told, there will be no fancy clothes on this pooch!!
















Talk about a family willing to wait for the perfect fit! Both Joy and Kevin came to see me last summer for a pup! It was a happy day when they held PADDY . I have already received an adorable picture of their two boys holding him. :+)
















And just this morning, our last pup, NAPLES was picked up. He is on a road trip as I type. Oddly, this family's roots are from Maine; I was 'discovered' in New York (via a family that owns another of my pups) and he is cruising to his new home in Pennsylvania.

Thank you to all my new families. I have so enjoyed our emails, phone calls and look forward to receiving pictures and updates on how your new additions are doing.

Sincerely,

Joyce

A big, brown bear came to visit today. :+)

I know that many of you have been here and have met, in person, Miss Annabelle. However, pics of the pups' dad have not been many except for what is on my website. So, Master Rumple Sticks came for a visit and this big, brown bear is a site to behold. Of course, his guardians wanted to get him all 'dolled up', but I asked them not to so you could see what a wavy, fleece coated Australian/American Labradoodle looks like in FULL coat.


Although you can't see his eyes, Rumple has a beautiful face with a long flowing moustache and his 'trademark' white beard.













He is a good sitter. :+)











I took this one outside so you can see his wonderful movement and coat in true light.








Here is a better pic of his head and coat. I had handfulls of his glorious fur to snuggle with. It is soooo very soft and lush. A coat like Rumple's is VERY prized. People that enjoy dogs with long 'hair' prefer this type of coat. Others, admire the curly coats and keep them short.

I have been blessed to own 3 types of coats - the fleece like Rumple & Willis; the soft loopy wool like Annabelle and the curly soft wool blend like Harriet.


This give you a good idea of his size. My husband owns a Ford 150 truck and he does not have big tires on it. Rumple is just about the height of the bumper.

We have reached the magical age of 12 weeks today. (weights)

I can hardly believe it. Yes, the pups are large, hardy, mischievous, and some are already jumping over our 18" gate! OOPS! Hopefully, all of you have purchased at least 30" x-pens and doorway gates.

Here are their weights:
TABOR IS NOW 13.8 LBS.
PATTON IS 15 LBS.
PADDY IS 14.4 LBS.
OLIVE OYL IS 12.8 LBS.
NAPLES IS 15.8 LBS.
McDUFF IS 16.8 LBS.
CLARA BELLE IS 12.8 LBS.
DIESEL IS 11.12 LBS.
LEIA IS 13 LBS.

Except for maybe Clara Belle, Olive, and Diesel, I bet these pups will all be in the high 30 to 40 lb. range at maturity. Definitely, a solid medium dog that will tolerate lots of wrestling, walks, fetching and still be manageable in the car, tub or plane.

Also, below are some pics of Rumple's family playing with the pups. Yes, they are a bit rambunctious but love playing with kids. :+)

And while 4 pups were in surgery, the other five were ......

enjoying less mayhem, had lots of room to stretch, had all the toys to themselves and their mom
found that only having five pups around, made life much more manageable and was quite happy to play and lie with them in the kitchen. Here she is cuddling with Clara Belle.







What a difference it makes to have just five pups around! Annabelle is very content to be with her babies.







The pups were very settled. Here is Olive on the left and McDuff on the right just chillin'.








Oops, look who is chewing the toy basket! Paddy is enjoying using the basket for 'teething' purposes. I wonder where Clara is....she usually loves to sit in it. :+)







Ah.......it appears it is siesta time for Clara, Patton and Paddy.
I think momma Joyce is going to get a goodnight's sleep tonight too. Yawn!! :+)

All is well with neutering and spaying yesterday.

Hi,

For those of you concerned about your furry babies getting through their surgeries - you can breathe easier because it went without a hitch. :+)

Although Naples (Black Collar) didn't have both of his (parts) decended, my vet's abilities did the trick with a minimum cut. I thought that both Naples and Leia would really be sluggish and require their own space from the group, so I spent most of the afternoon reconfiguring the puppy room to accommodate the 'patients'. I should not have wasted my time, they were full of beans when they got home. So much so, the groups spent most of the night playing and barking. :+( They were not happy being separated at all, but I felt it necessary for their incisions to have at least 24 hours of 'no wrestling'. Of course, that meant very little sleep for me!










Here are Naples on the left and Leia on the right - jumping! They pottied, ate a small meal (they were ravenous) and drank some water. Luckily, none of the pups had vomiting or diarrhea from the surgery. Later on, I gave them more food and a tablet for pain. Perhaps they would have slept more if I hadn't given them the pain killer!!










And the other two 'victims' are Tabor and Diesel. They showed no signs of having had surgery either. Early spay and neuter is an amazing process that has practically no 'downtime' for the pups. The hardest part of the ordeal is keeping them on the quiet side. It is so very different compared to surgeries done at a later age. Most take a week to heal and need Elizabethan collars to prevent them from licking the stitches which brings on a whole different set of issues.

Cute, casual pics 'just because'.

After breakfast, vacuuming and playtime, the pups began to settle down and I took the opportunity to take some 'personals'.


Here is OLIVE OYL. I love her gentleness. She loves to wash my face with kisses and put her paws up on my chest. She stares at you deeply and with such wisdom.










PADDY is a sweetheart and is usually one of the first of the pups to settle.
His coat is like soft swirls of vanilla and butterscotch.











NAPLES is such a interesting boy. There are times when I think he is a bit more on the submissive side and then he surprises me with his 'bravery' with the vacuum or countering his siblings.








TABOR continues to be a laid back, ultra soft natured dog that loves to be loved. I swear he is a miniature Labrador in a Labradoodle coat with his temperament.










Here is McDUFF who is full of surprises. A confident pup who is always in the middle of things and give both Leia and Clara a run for their money.












We finally have a name and it is PATTON! This big boy is tied with DIESEL with regard to being 'more conversational'. He LOVES his voice and talks to me quite a bit. I am using Cesar Milan's method of 'shush' to keep our conversations short (but sweet).









DIESEL is full of himself! He is the first to announce 'GOOD MORNING' and 'is it time to eat?' He was also the one pup who would rather find the 'safe zone' than encounter the big monster vacuum. Diesel is a 'hit and run' sort of pup. He is small enough to tease and then scatters. Too funny to watch him in action.







Here is Clara Belle, hogging the toy basket. Is anyone surprised?












Oh, is this not a perfect shot? LEIA, Queen of the Ewoks, sitting on her 'throne' gazing at her subjects.

Between her, Clara Belle and McDuff, they keep things rocking and rolling around here. :+)







I have to say, I really love all of the names picked for these pups! Nice job everyone!!! :+)

The vacuum cleaner is NOT a monster!

I know that vacuum cleaners don't all sound the same and many dogs are afraid of them. For many weeks now, I have used a LOUD Craftman's Wall vacuum in their puppy pen without anyone freaking out. With all the wood chips that I use daily, I always have a mess, so must use my 'house' vac many times. Usually this is done when they are in the pup room. Today, however, I was vacuuming while they were in the kitchen, and aside from being very careful that they weren't chewing on my cord, they all did rather well with most very curious, others rather complacent, and a couple finding 'safe zones'. No one screamed, shook or showed excessive anxiety which is very good!! :+)

Here are some pics showing who is brave and who is more cautious. :+)










It appears that Paddy and Red Boy are pretty brave, while Clara, Leia and Olive look on in the background.











Naples, McDuff and Paddy show there stuff and if you look closely, Olive has become braver. :+)
By the way, the vacuum was on the whole time.

Here we are at 11 weeks old!

FINALLY! The information you have been waiting for - who is going to whom! I know that all of you know which pup is yours, but now everyone else will know too. Here we go!


This handsome boy will now be known as 'PADFOOT'. He will be called 'Paddy' by his owners the 'Wollers' which includes two boys who adore the Harry Potter books. (Just like me!) They are very busy settling into their new home and getting ready for their new addition! Paddy sports the same gentle nature of his dad, Rumple.

Paddy at 11 weeks old weighs: 12.8 lbs. (Orange Boy)





The 'Simpson-Banker family' are anxiously waiting for this curly, black beauty now named 'LEIA, Queen of the Ewoks'. It seems we are full of people who love the fantasy books!

Leia weighs 12 lbs. at 11 weeks. Formerly known as Rainbow Girl.







Silky, shiny 'NAPLES' was named after the location of his mistress's grandparents here in Maine! He will be taking a roadtrip to Pennsylvania with the 'Halverson' family.

Naples weighs 13.12 lbs. and had been called Black Collar Boy previously.




I have heard that this little guy will be called 'DEISEL', but am not positive of the name nor the spelling! Hopefully, I will know soon!! In any event, he is the one that scurries under a table, chair or stool whenever I try to put the pups back into their pen! I really think he wants the extra attention. :+) I am sure David and Paul are going to enjoy this little guy!

Deisel is now weighing 10.9 lbs. at 11 weeks. (Turquoise Boy)


Well, the Czarnecki family have named this guy 'MC DUFF' . His Irish name fits him perfectly. He is full of fun & playfulness with a sparkle in his eye! :+) Formerly known as Green Boy, he has always been the biggest, brawniest pup since birth. He prances around the kitchen like he wears a badge saying 'I am in charge'! (Clara does NOT believe him.)

Today Mc Duff weighed in at 14.8 lbs.


Annabelle's 'OLIVE OYL' will remain with us at the Tabor Homestead until I find the right Guardian Home for her. She has a soft, gentle nature and lives to cuddle and give face washes. I love her shiny, wavy coat and sweet face. I don't expect Olive to be very large, perhaps a 30 pounder soaking wet. She would make a wonderful Therapy Dog.

She weighs 11.4 lbs.




Annabelle's 'Clara Belle' is full of spunk. :+) She will remain with us, along with Olive, until the right local Guardian Home happens by. Clara is a confident pup that holds her own in any situation. She is a lovable bit of fluff that just keeps us laughing. She is quite the instigator and not for the faint of heart. She even bites my mop like her mom use to do as a pup! Too cute for her own benefit. :+)

Clara Belle is 12 lbs. this week.




Red Boy's owners live pretty close by in Portsmouth, NH. Both Carina and Aaron are photographers - so I am expecting lots of pics from them! They are not positive about a name yet, so I continue to call him 'Red'. He is another big boy with a very soft personality. His home comes with two female cats who, I am sure, will inform him who is boss.

Aaron has been very busy planning his 'safe area' in their open floor plan. Red Boy is a hefty 13.8 lbs.





Everytime I look at this pup the word 'demure' comes to mind. We have been honored by the Grays who have named him 'TABOR'. I guess he will have to be our 'grandchild' until two-legged ones are born, huh?

Tabor is a sensitive dog that will benefit with the nurturing environment and patience a retired couple can give him. Always willing to play but content to just cuddle too. Should be a wonderful dog for the grandchildren, too.

Tabor's weight is 12.8 lbs. (Navy Boy)

Our 'road trip'!

Well, it all started last night. Naturally, it was snowing. It really wasn't predicted, but Mother Nature listens to no one, least of all the weatherman. :+( I knew I had to take all the pups for their eye certifications today, so I weathered the snow, ice and cold to rearrange my car to fit all of the pups comfortably. After taking all the necessities out of the car that I keep in there 'just in case', I folded down the backseats, put matting down, and placed one of my smaller x-pens in there. I attached the small 'people jump over' fence to the x-pen at my hatch opening so I could reach in and get them easier. :+) For the first time, I had an uneventful trip to the CERF vet. All nine were quite happy and no one cried. For the nearly three hours they were in there, I had only three pups urinate. No one pooped! WOW!!










Here they are looking out the back door! You can't see everyone but they were quite the show in the parking lot. I am also VERY happy to report that everyone had a clean bill and were perfect ladies and gentlemen.

10 Week Weights!

Hi all!

These are their 10 week weights - sorry I have been remiss in posting them at the proper time.

NAVY BOY is 11.12 lbs.
RED BOY is 13.0 lbs.
ORANGE BOY is 12.5 lbs.
OLIVE OYL is 10.9 lbs.
BLACK BOY is 13.4 lbs.
GREEN BOY is 14 lbs.!!!
CLARA BELLE is 10.12 lbs.
TURQUOISE BOY is 10 lbs. - He has finally matched his weight with his age. :+)
RAINBOW GIRL is 11.5 lbs.

Puppy playtime!

My husband Carl has been getting into playing with the pups now that they are in the 'rough and tumble' stage!

In this first pic I finally got all nine of them in one shot! :+)












Oh those sharp nails and teeth!












Now that they have some good playing, they are beginning to settle and enjoy the pats. :+)

Puppies have their own bowls now.

Hi,

Here is a pic of all the pups enjoying their own bowls of food rather than the large 'community bowls'. I look like a comedy chef trying to maneuver into the pens balancing nine bowls of food!!

Oops, I forgot to give you their 9 week weights!

Here they are:

Navy Blue is 10.4 lbs.
Red Boy is 11.2 lbs.
Orange Boy is 11.0 lbs.
Purple Girl 'Olive' is 9.4 lbs.
Black Boy is 11.8 lbs.
Green Boy is 12.0 lbs.
Pink Girl 'Clara Belle' is 9.8 lbs.
Turquoise Boy is 8.8 lbs.
Rainbow Girl is 11.4 lbs.

We got through Week 8 very well, with nothing negative affecting the puppies. They are doing great with my Craftsman Vacuum cleaner's noise in their pen. Some pups even try to bite it as I clean (it is usually Clara, Rainbow and Turquoise). I usually let them out to run about the kitchen when I do this, but all of them take turns running back into the pup room to check on how I am doing and to use the potty pool. There have been some potty mistakes and when that happens, I restrict them to the pup room for longer periods and let them out for shorter times. I have learned that if I go into their pen FIRST and sit down and have some conversation about hygiene, and THEN get them excited enough to potty while I am in the room, I don't have messes to clean after their kitchen romp. I lure them back in with a snack or their meal.

By the way, they now get fed with individual bowls in hopes that this will deter them from being 'gobblers' when they come to you.

Karen, the trainer, is coming on Tuesday! THIS IS THE WEEK YOU ALL HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR - PUP ASSIGNMENTS!

Somebody (s) want to wish you a..................

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY! Turquoise boy is very happy to shout it out! :+) He is also eating the Valentine Heart feathers!!!


Orange Boy is in his 'Tails' and bringing his new family a big RED heart!














No one gets into the spirit more than Rainbow Girl! Tee Hee! What a character she is. :+)


Carrying his tender heart on his sleeve, Red Boy wonders who will get to love him.


Happy Valentine's Day everyone, hope you had lots of chocolate, kisses and hugs!