This is the weekend that Pearl and Phineas' puppies go home.

Lilly was the first to go.  It was a day to celebrate!

Flynn is going to be such a fun addition to this active family.  

This is one happy couple!  Quechee is finally going home!

The Bruce family happily adds Rafael to their home!

Okay, Barbara is definitely outnumbered by all these males.  There are two more sons at home!
And Milo is a male fur baby!  I don't think she minds though.  :+)

I do hope that all of the above families enjoy their new addition.  It is never an easy task to bring in a new puppy into a busy family but if you 'grin and bear' it for a few months, consistent training will erase the first tough weeks in no time!  Enjoy the ride.

:+)  Joyce

RED SOCKS (SOX) RULE!

CONGRATULATIONS BOSTON STRONG!

 

Milo, Lilly, Quechee, Black Boy and Flynn (hiding underneath the group) are
celebrating your incredible achievement!
RED SOX RULE!!

By the way, we had the best trip to the CERF vet this morning.  I had fed the litter a slightly smaller portion of food early.  Then a good friend of mine, Heather of Blueberry Cottage Labradoodles, gave me this great idea of putting a filling into a PVC 'elbow' joint.  I bought several of them yesterday and after washing them, put just a swipe of peanut butter in both ends of the five elbows and placed them into the back after I loaded the puppies in.  SUCH happiness...and content puppies!

After having their 'snack', each of the pups kept putting their paws and faces on the windows of my wagon to look out.  I have never seen so many smiling faces on passerbys!  People honked, waved and laughed all the way down Highway 95 as I drove to Portsmouth, NH for their exam.

I just know that a lot of people went into work today in a wonderful frame of mind after witnessing these five cuties peering out the windows as they traveled down the road.  What a way to start the day!  :+)

Early Spay and Neuter Day!

I dropped off the group bright and early this morning for their exam, microchip, stool check (again) and surgeries and just received the call that all are doing well.  Resting from the anesthesia but I should be able to pick them up around 3 pm.  So glad all went well.  Whew!

Am in the middle of steaming the puppy room for their coming home party.  :+)  They will be penned for a bit and then have restricted access to the outdoors until pick up time.

At around 5 PM, I will give them all a bit of soft food.  If that stays down, I will feed them more around 7 PM.  Both Milo and Quechee had wet muzzles when I got home which tells me they are still feeling a bit queasy from the stress of surgery, anesthesia and a bumpy ride home. With the 7 PM feeding, I will give them a pain killer to keep them conmfortable. Tomorrow, they will be jumping beans, but their outdoor area will be very much restricted so they don't overdo themselves. At the time of this typing, all is quiet.  :+)

Update:  I fed them again at 7 PM and let them out to potty.  They enjoyed the fresh air for about 15 minutes than I huddled them all back into the crates for the night.  I expect howling tonight but that is normal for a first night of crate training.  They do have a friend while here so I hope all of you got a Snuggle Puppy for them to buddy up with at your home.  :+)

Update - Wednesday am - The pups are full of themselves this morning - just look at the picture!  Ate their

breakfast with abandon and the four with surgeries also had their last pain med.  I have closed off the puppy playarea (artificial turf) and they have the 'paved' areas for exercise and pottying.  It gives them space but confines their ability to run too much.  They are wrestling and playing happily with each other.  All is well.  :+)

Here is the group in the converted 'crates'.

The boys are settling down in their bed.

The girls are doing the same.

And Black Boy is wondering why the heck does HE need to be confined???
Black Boy was not neutered today but all are learning 'crate time'.

We are ready for Trick or Treating!

Captian MILO forgot his eye patch!  9 wks. 9 lbs.

Captain FLYNN spots a pirate ship on the horizon!  9 wks. 10 1/2 lbs.

'Land ahoy'! says Captain Black Boy.  9 wks. 9 lbs.

LILLY, the Good Little Witch!  9 wks. 8 3/4 lbs.

And, QUECHEE, the Friendly Witch!  9 wks. 9 lbs.

This coming week is full of vet appointments and traveling.  Today started it off with their nine week picture segment based on the spirit of Hallow's Eve.  Surgeries are tomorrow and eye CERF's are on Thursday.  Pick ups begin on Friday and run through Monday.  

Baths are on the schedule for today as water on surgical sites is not recommended.  Crate training will also begin tomorrow and more inside time than outside time will be on the agenda.  I hope all of you are ready!  :+)

Many people wonder if the dam of a litter miss their pups.....

I think we can be pretty much assured that life goes on and the comforts of being home outweigh any 'twinges' of guilt as Muddie Pearl enjoys the first fire of the season at her home.  Gotta love her expression in this photo - pure contentment.  The 'leg hug' is just the frosting on the cake.  :+)

The pups' mom came to visit today. Pearl definitely knew her brood!

Look at the positions of the pups....

All of them are showing respect and submission - heads and tails down.

Pearl has inspected each and every one in the belly up position.

She also played with them but always made them submit.  She is teaching them respect.

Pearl is showing them 'Mom is the boss lady'!  Pearl is erect, legs somewhat stiff and head up.

Pearl is still a kid at heart and could not resist the tunnel.  :+)

I always groom and bathed my guardian home girls before they go home to their families again but my guardians asked me to wait as they had an event to go to.  So she came today.  There was no mistaking that Pearl knew her babies!  She even sat to let them suckle although milk has been gone for quite some time.  It was great to see her again and watch her interact and train her babies.  Dogs really do have their own language and parenting skills!

The pups had their first shots today at 8 weeks old!

Teal Boy is now 'MILO' and is a perfect balance of weight and age - 8 lbs. at 8 weeks.
He kept taking a snooze on my vet's foot during the exams.

Black Boy is at 7.6 lbs. and remains the smallest boy.  He is the 'life of the party'.

Green Boy is the heavy weight at 9.1 lbs.  Methinks a 'gentle giant'.
His name is now 'FLYNN'!  He certainly has an Irish flair!

The smallest pup in the litter is 'LILLY' (Purple Girl)  and weighs 7.5 lbs.
Lilly will be a perfect companion for her 'big brother'.

Rainbow Girl's eyes are soooo human. Weighing in at 7.7 lbs. this week.
Her name is 'QUECHEE', after a town and gorge in Vermont.

I hope you enjoy these pics of the pups sporting their cute Halloween scarf.  They did exceptionally well at this afternoon's photo shoot.

We had a great trip to the vets this morning.  All the pups were so cooperative.  There were numerous admirers who were just so smitten by these faces!  Not a peep in the car and no messes in the vet office - WOW!  Everyone got a great check up and received their Health Certificates.  There were no worms, Coccidia or Giardia in the stool sample - so a CLEAN slate!  Yea!!! 

Please take the time to find your groomer, vet, trainer and decide on what food you will be feeding your pup.  I always recommend The Honest Kitchen dried meat and vegetable blend because it is a well researched raw food source made easy - just mix with water.  Of course, there are lots of foods listed on my AnnaBlog under Points to Ponder to look through as well.  As a matter of fact, ALL of you should be spending some time on that link to make decisions and to read through the supplies list and all the other topics. 

A leash and collar will be provided as well as a homemade blanket with their siblings scent on it.  Toys will be included and your personal notebook of paperwork and testing copies.  I do highly recommend you check into purchasing a Snuggle Puppy.  Here is one link but there are many more:
http://www.pethealthmarket.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=16726&Click=1849&utm_source=GoogleShopping&utm_medium=shoppingengine&gclid=CIPpwJ7dqLoCFVOf4AodeF4AMg   These cuties have a battery operated 'beating heart' which is a great source of comfort for you new furry baby.

Be sure to puppy proof your home and yards!  Time is flying by!

I NEED NAMES!  Please think long and hard on the name for your pup as I need to put them on several locations as I do paperwork.  As you decide, I will update this post.  :+)  

Puppies have all been assigned.

Hi,

Puppy assignments are both anticipated and stressful.  I always hope that the right pup has been matched to the right family.  So many factors are taken into account.  It is not just about color, size, coat and gender - you need to consider family dynamics, ages of children, allergies, work schedules, outside activities and above all -  temperaments!  It is a puzzle that you constantly work on, take notes, assess 'infrastructure' and throw in a few prayers that guide you in the right direction.  :+)  This is a deliberate decision using common sense, intuition and a good dollop of a trainer's finesse.

For Pearl x Phineas' Litter:

• Black Boy - is withheld pending a possible stud trade with another breeder
• Purple Girl 'LILLY' - Bozorgzad family.
• Rainbow Girl 'QUECHEE' - Paul household.
• Green Boy 'FLYNN' - Pawlus clan.
• Teal Boy - "MILO' - Sullivan home.

Honestly, I have no idea how any breeder can simply put a puppy on a plane to a home without ever meeting and interacting with the family.  They have to be much better at assessing a puppy than I am.  I look so forward to the family visits which are so beneficial for the socialization and development of the pups.  I truly don't know who enjoys it more - me, the buyers or the puppies!  A win-win-win for all, I guess!

Please be sure to take this opportunity to visit groomers, training facilities, interview dog walkers and puppy proof your home.  Don't wait until the last minute, you will be way too busy raising a puppy to do this!

Kids and puppies!

A new family came to visit my adults and Pearl's puppies today to see if a puppy is in their future. Their son has allergies so they wanted to do a 'trial' visit. I think it went great!  Looks like everyone was having a wonderful time.

It is so satisfying to be able to help people with allergies realize that SOMETIMES their wishes do come true and they can add a family dog to the household. Pics like these always put a smile on MY face.  :+)

We are enjoying the pumpkin season! (7 weeks)

Green Boy continues to be the largest in the litter at 7 3/4 lbs.

Teal Boy is not far behind his bro at 7 lbs.

Rainbow Girl sports a white collar now because she and Green Boy look so much alike.
I needed to have a collar that showed up better.  6 3/4 lbs.

Purple Girl weighs 6 3/4 lbs. this week.

I think we all know who this is - Black Boy!  6 1/2 lbs.

I will take them for another ride this week to keep them 'car savvy'.  This is also the week for Temperament testing with a trainer.  We shall see how that goes.  Assignments can be as early as the weekend!

Tomorrow they are being visited by a family with two adolescent children, so they will have lots of fun and get some good social exercise.  I have given them the full run of the puppy play area as well as access to the puppy room, so they dash about at will.  I keep the gate to the actual puppy pen closed as I want them to think 'outside' to go potty rather than using the litter box.  I am so thrilled that the weather has been good for lots of outdoor play.

All of you have visited the pups and have a pretty good idea of your preferences.  This would be a good time to send me a private email about the three that appeal to you the most.  This will help break any 'ties' that the trainer and I might have after the temperament sessions.

We had a 'puppy magnet' visit today!

 

Emily is getting one of Pearl's puppies and it is obvious she and the pups enjoy visiting!  The pups were climbing all over her and having a ball.  Silly Emily even laid down on the turf and had the pups literally all over her body.  Emily, you sure are a dog lover!  I don't know yet which one of these fluffy butterballs will be yours but I know he/she is going to have a GREAT home!  :+)

Exploring the puppy area at six weeks.

Black Boy checking out the caterpillar.

The girls eyeing their brothers.

No stone should be left unturned.

Purple peeking over the bar, Rainbow and Green kissy-pooing.

Looks like Teal Boy is going to call a meeting.

Yes, some hobb-nobbing going on here.  I guess tunnels work as well as water fountains for gossiping..

They love going up and down this ramp!

Oh my...if Purple grabs hold of.....OUCH!

Still friends even after the bite.  :+)

We fit through!

Black Boy's intense stare.

Time for a nap?  Wait for me!!!

This is the first time I have let my puppies loose in the play area so soon.  Generally, I wait until they are 8 weeks, not six.  However, they are loving it.  They have been outdoors every day but in the enclosed pen.  I will allow them to have 'free time' in the play area weather permitting.  I know they expended a lot of energy because they all crashed on their bed in the puppy room.  A good puppy is a tired puppy.  :+)