Our 9 week photoshoot!

What gorgeous weather we have been having and boy have the pups been enjoying it!

On Friday they all got their first puppy series shots and what troopers they were! Not one of them complained. On top of that, they rode perfectly in the car there and back. This is a wonderful batch of car riders!

I decided to play 'dress up' for this week's pics!

'I am NOT big, I am curvaceous!' Teal Girl at 11 1/2 lbs.


'I love chocolate, pearls and ruffles. Doesn't every girl?' Chocolate Girl at 9 lbs.


'I am a rough and tumble male, NOT a beach bum!' Green Boy at 9 1/2 lbs.


'Where is my umbrella? I can't have the sun bleaching my lovely locks!' Pink Girl at 7 lbs.


'Ahhhhh....sunshine, chirping birds, warm breeze, life is good!' Purple Girl at 8 lbs.


'Oh me, oh my.... is that a bird in the sky?' Blue Boy at 8 1/4 lbs.


'Oh ya, I am goooood lookin'! Red Boy at 8 lbs.


'How long do I need to pose in this ridiculous shirt?' Black Boy at 10 1/2 lbs.


'Honestly, I would rather be playing with my siblings!' Orange Boy at 9 1/2 lbs.

Maple's litter turned 2 weeks today and celebrated St. Paddy's Day early!

It was a crazy day today as I had to drive to R. I. to breed Olive with Chico and did not leave until about 2 pm. Prior to my departure, I managed to take these pics of Maple's pups. They are sure growing quickly and some of them have already opened their eyes!

Maple is the right color to celebrate with the Irish! She has donned her 'Luck of the Irish' hat to participate in the festivities. :+)


Miss Rose shows off her lovely profile. 2 lbs.


Miss Fudge is charming for sure! 2 lbs.


It appears that Mr. Spot is a heavy thinker. 2.2 lbs.


Mr. Navy is so hefty, I need to use two hands to pick him up as he is 'too round'! 2.8 lbs.


Miss Lavender looks soooo comfy. 1.12 oz.


Miss Kelly Green has opened her peepers!!! 2.8 lbs.


Doesn't Miss Pumpkin compliment the Irish green beautifully? 2 lbs.


Maple wishes all of you a Happy St. Patrick's Day!

The monsoons have open season here in Maine BUT

I have to say the pups were absolutely wonderful for their trip to the CERF vet today! Every one was super good in the car with no retching, crying or complaining - well, maybe Blue Boy for just a wee little bit. My car was all set up the day before expecting the worse but hoping for a quiet ride there and back which I got in spades! Great group!!

Then we arrived (after being lost for 20 minutes) and they had a new experience with strangers and did well after the initial 'where am I?'

All the exams went very, very well and each pup is cleared of any eye disease which always makes me smile. :+)

Here they are wondering what's going on.


When they arrived home, all were quite comfy. It appears they enjoyed their first 'field trip'!

We have been soooo busy!

First, we expanded the outside playpens for Cadbury's pups because the inside playpen got a wee bit smaller to accommodate Maple and her litter.

Look at how pretty these coats are. I see two curly ones in the group of fleeces.


The 'big' puppies are very interested in what is going on as Blue Boy shows. :+)


Maple is a very tolerant mommy and lays comfortably watching her babies as the big pups randomly lay around in the same room.



Then, more visitors arrive for the big pups to nibble on, grab hair from and sometimes cuddle with. They now also get kitchen time and love the large running space!


Yes, kisses tickle!


Standing in line for cuddles.


Here, it looks like some of the pups are moulting! The hair roots of the parchment and lavender pups are simply growing like crazy!


For some reason, Pink Girl and Black Boy love to sleep in the little green wagon.


Chocolate Girl is always looking for a great pillow to take a nap on. :+)

The assorted chocolates are 8 weeks old!

The pups have had a very busy week, but wanted to be sure that I posted their updated weights and personal shots.

Red Boy is still holding his color and weighs 7 1/2 lbs. Definitely the smallest male of the group.


Black Boy is showing his muscles at 9.4 lbs. this week!


Oh those eyes!! Teal Girl is the largest pup at 10.2 lbs.


'Gentle Ben' fits Blue Boy to a tee. He weighs 7.6 lbs.


Chocolate Girl is really sporting her apricot ears this week! 8 lbs.


Pink Girl is a smidgen! Dainty and delightful at 6.2 lbs.


Nosy Purple Girl weighs 7 lbs. on the dot!


For those who have visited, you know Orange Boy has energy and personality! 8 1/2 lbs.


Rough and tumble Green Boy was a perfect gentleman today. :+) He weighs 8 1/2 lbs.

Wow! Maple's babies are a week old already!

Maple and her brood are doing wonderfully. They are still quite cozy under my desk in the office where the other dogs can't bother them. Their eyes are still shut and they sway their heads from side to side which tells me they are still infants to be sure!

Maple is providing them with lots of milk and they are gaining normally and are, in fact, pretty porky! I adore their markings. :+)

When I took their individual pics, I use some of my 'fun farm animals' to give you an idea of size. My ceramic animals are roughly 6 to 8 inches long.

Here is a bowlful of them!


Miss Pumpkin is 1 lb. 6 ozs. and is 'swelling' like her namesake with mom's good supply of milk!


Mr. Spot looks like a beached whale! He is 1 lb. 9 ozs. at a week old. :+)


Miss Fudge has been laying off the cream and is 1 lb. 4 oz.


Miss Rose is keeping up with Miss Fudge at 1 lb. 3 ozs.


Not to be outdone, Miss Lavender weighs 1 lb. 3 ozs.


This little porker is quite happy to ingest the cream! Miss Kelly Green is 1 lb. 8 ozs.


Mr. Navy is an anchor! He weighs 1 lb. 10 ozs!

Cadbury's litter had their first temperament test.

Hi,

It was another very busy day with my trainer/behaviorist here for most of it assessing the pups. Overall, the litter did very well.

One of the big 'experiences' for the pups is that they must go into a room they have never been in, with a total stranger and go through multiple handling techniques. You will all get a copy of the test and its results in your puppy packet. After the indoor tests, they go out to the front of my house where trucks, cars, ambulances, etc. go by. It is their first exposure from the comfort of the puppy room and can be a scary place for them. They are assessed on how they handle this 'stress'.

Three of the nine pups showed excessive shyness at this time and have softer natures. This means that I have to work harder to expose these pups to be 'brave' and embrace their world more. This is why I believe it is so very important to have them tested twice. Each pup will develop in their own time frame, much like children. So many pups who have tested ' shy or soft' in the first series have completely turned around by the second one with more time, effort and positive exposure. What I find so interesting is that these three 'shy' ones are SUCH little love bugs and adore being held and coddled. Those of you who were here this weekend saw for yourselves how playful and friendly the whole group is. I will continue to work with them over the next weeks to help them gain the confidence they need.

Having a trainer here to give me her professional, objective viewpoint is exactly what I need to be sure that I can intervene early enough so the pup you get has been given the proper start to be the best he or she can become.