The other side of a breeder's day.

I would like to share with you the side of breeding that isn't always fun and games. There is no need to post the pics of puppy poop clean up, because most of you have had children and understand that side of parenthood. For most, it was not our favorite chore. It is the same with puppies.

A typical morning at Annabelle Doodles begins with cleaning up the mess from the previous night. Thankfully, most of the pups go potty in the pool, but the smell and the mess greets me each and every sunrise. I do this prior to even thinking about a nice cup of tea. That mop and bucket gets a lot of use. I clean out the pool and gather another 40 lb. bag of wood pellets from the cellar. In the meantime, the pups are locked outdoors yelling their unhappiness about waiting for breakfast.

I love seeing the room all cleaned up. :+)















Then I prepare their meals. All of them in single bowls because I now need to separate the group into the big ones and the little ones so all of them get the proper amounts of food. The hardest part of this is getting those bowls down quickly enough!















The next two pics show that once the initial chow down is done, they like to go and see what is left on the 'other side'. As you can see, all are full (or getting there) and quite content. :+)















Ummmmm....they want every last crumb!



















Of course, what goes in must come out, and once the bowls are picked up, it is a challenge as to what I do first....run outdoors and supervise the toilet training, or grab the broom to sweep up the leftovers before they are ground further in the floor. Between that, I need to wash the floor (again) before they come back in. Keep in mind that both this 'alleyway' and....














both outdoor pens then need to be pressure washed, then scrub-brushed first with Ammonia and then again with a disinfectant to hopefully keep disease away.














In about another week (after shots), they will be allowed to run in their play area and I will have to tend to cutting the grass there and avoid stepping into the holes that will be dug - and refilled by you know who. :+)















Then I get to do it all over again for 5 more weeks. This is why I don't have visitors before 11 AM!















But look at these happy faces. :+)

This is what we do most of the day.

During this week, the pups have been outside each day. I leave the gate open on the pup pen, and they come and go as they please using the doggie door like pros. I still have a potty pool in the pup room along with their water. Sometimes they sleep under the ramp outside, or they crawl into the Playskol gym. Other times, I find them on the wooden step inside. In any event, they are enjoying themselves. In another week, they will have their first series of pup shots. At that time, I will allow them to go into the play area where there is lots of grass and room to run, run, and run some more!

Oh, the magic of the Seventh Week. :+)

The pups are playing more, still taking lots of naps but have more 'steam' for longer periods. They have certainly enjoyed playing in their outside pens. I am working on them going to the potty areas rather than 'just anywhere' and we are making gains.

Each week I brush, clip nails and prepare for our photo shoot. Here is this week's fun pics! I must say all of them were very, very good about getting glammed up!

Red Girl is showing off her 'Socialite' attire in grand style. I was tempted to order her a Cosmopolitan! (6 3/4 lbs.)



















Dotted and bowed, Parti Girl looks ravishing! Her 'potty brush' nose is so in style! (5 lbs.)



















On the other hand, Yellow Girl has decided her decoration should be edible. (5 1/2 lbs.)



















Silver Boy is quite dashing in his 'bib cape'. He has the muscle but not the temperament of our latest 'hero' in the movies called....Hancock. Has anyone seen it? Silver Boy does not know how to be rude. Thank goodness!! Hmmm... is that his tongue sticking out??? :+) (7 1/4 lbs.)















Camping is just Turquoise Boy's cup of tea! He has packed his goodie bag and is simply waiting for the bus to arrive. All of 6 lbs. - give or take a mouthfull. :+)














'I am sitting patiently for my dinner. When will it be served?' Blue Boy at 7 1/2 lbs.



















'Hey! Where are the Hula Dancers?' Green Boy at 7 lbs. of cuddle.



















'Right here, big boy! If you think I do a good Hula, watch my Belly Dance!' Neon Girl at 6 lbs.



















This week, Pink Girl has surprised me with her daring and dash! I have started calling her Paris Hilton because she is the 'Girl About Town'! Albeit, she is missing the chihuahua! (5 3/4 lbs.)

Wishing all of you a Happy Fourth of July!

Our first day outside!

Boy was that fun! The pups were scurrying hither and dither with both Clara Belle and Olive Oyl supervising and initiating play. They loved it and I had the pleasure of using my vacuum and mop to clean their pup room without all those feet and teeth to hinder my efforts. :+)

By the way, the white powder you may see is Diatomaceous Earth that I sprinkle everywhere to 'dehydrate' bugs. It is non-toxic to animals.

The 'Cat's Meow'!

Today I tossed in a 'cat play tunnel' for the pups to investigate. They thought it was interesting right from the getgo as evidenced below. It is quite the fun item as it crinkles when walked on.














Of course, it is also quite the chew toy.














And it has lots of areas to tug on.














There is also plenty of space for everyone to grab.














I think they like it. :+)

Come, let's take a walk along the stone path.

We are six weeks old today and pretty soon will be using the pens outdoors to explore more of the world. It will be nice when they are comfortable out there so that I can start using the vacuum instead of trying to sweep and mop their pen between 36 feet and nine mouths grabbing me, the broom, the mop and any other moving target!

Here are some pics of them outdoors enjoying a few minutes of Vitamin D taken today. :+)

Our chocolate delight is enjoying his bumpy stroll. (4 3/4 lbs.)











Pink Girl DOES stop to smell the flowers. She is so light in color, it is blinding sometimes. (4 1/2 lbs.)















The ride on the mulch is much to Neon Girl's liking. (5 1/4 lbs.)















As is typical of boys, Blue gets 'physical' with the ornamental grass. Yum! (6 1/2 lbs.)















Parti Girl lets it 'all hang out'! She is just chillin'! (4 1/4 lbs.)















Ahhhh...the smell of Coreopsis leaves is so delightful and Yellow Girl gets a nose-full! (4 3/4 lbs.)
















Green Boy is content to watch the world go round. (6 lbs.)











Silver Boy is hanging on for dear life! (6 1/4 lbs.)















'Life is good' says Red Girl. (5 3/4 lbs.)