MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE

 It has been a long road but all the pups are eating on their own and have graduated to puppy food. They are developing personalities and are in the OH SO CUTE STAGE. They have yet to run in the kitchen but this week that is the goal. They will be five weeks on Sunday and they are all ready to run. The littlest one will run and play and then just fall asleep. It is the cutest thing. She is only1 and1/2 pounds and I never thought she would make it. She is too small to be adopted, she needs a lot more time with me and probably will be here forever. Sometimes these little ones grow but the kidneys do not keep up so we have to watch for that. 

Hope you all have a very Merry Christmas and New Year.  Hopefully in the new year I will be able to write more.

One of the hand fed babies, catching up!

GOING BETTER

 I have now graduated from every three hours of feeding to every four hours. The little ones are doing well. They have learned to nurse as long as the bigger pups are out of the way. So I take half of the pups, the biggest ones and put them in my little box with the heating pad. Then the two little ones and the two medium ones can nurse all they want without being pushed away. They must do pretty well during the night as they often have full tummy's in the morning. Bonnie is not confined with her babies, she is able to come and go as she wants. This works well for her because if she is confined she will spin and that creates havoc for her and the pups. When she can get in and out she is perfect. Not sure what I will do in another week when the pups are able to get out, even  accidentally.That will take some thought. I have always had mom dogs who would sleep right in the pen with the pups. I am so thankful that I did not lose power last night. I use heat lamps to keep the pups warm as they cannot adjust their body temperature for the first two weeks. I was hoping that I would not have to go out into the wind and pouring rain to hookup the generator and get it going. The power did stay on which is amazing with a storm like the one we had. We almost lose power here no mater what the weather is.

I say to Bonnie, lets go check the babies, and she will run to the other room and take a look and if they are all sleeping she will come back into the kitchen. If they are restless or crying she will go get in and check them out with her nose. She knows when they need attention. She is a good little mother.The little ones are finally growing, sometimes when I go in to feed I will get them mixed up with the medium pups. 

Tonight I will spend time brushing Sammy, their shedding times are so mixed up. But he is blowing his coat as if it was summer. So strange.

I plan on one last litter in February and then I am done breeding. I do like producing healthy, quality pups for people but I am ready for a long break.I want to spend time with my adults, do some training and have some fun with them. Litters like this one are a lot of work. Although litters of 9,10 and 11 are very unusual for Shelties. Next year I plan to expand my dog yard so they can really run and I will set up all my agility equipment. I will totally enjoy my dogs.

In another two weeks the pups will be fun; they will be learning to play and run and can be so funny. Time to socialize starts. 

Well it is almost four which means the dogs inner clocks will be going off soon and they will be wanting dinner. They don't have much patience. I will try for some good pictures soon.

Please take care and be safe. 

BONNIE AS A BABY

NOT A GOOD NIGHT

 Last night one of the boys, not the little ones, a strong, healthy boy had his navel open up. I have never in all my years seen this. He was bleeding internally so I knew he would not survive the night. It was sad but better for him. He just curled up went to sleep and did not wake up. I am glad it was so quick for him. 

We now have 9 healthy pups and the two little ones are starting to nurse quite well. I will be sitting by the whelping box when Bonnie feeds so that I can have half nurse and put the other half in a little heated box that I have. Then when the ones nursing are done I will put the others in to nurse.When the first batch finishes Bonnie thinks she is done for awhile so I have to be sure she lets the other half nurse. It is a lot of work but necessary. It is best for the little ones to get as much of mothers milk as possible. 

I will still get up twice during the night to help the little ones nurse. I have switched them to a bottle for other times and they do well with it.

When you breed dogs for so many years you will come across so many things that take the lives of little pups. Not every litter but every so often. Something we learn to deal with and live with.

Breeding is not for the faint of heart. But on the other hand there are so many joys of breeding and watching these babies grow and develop. It is amazing how they progress in such a small amount of time. How quickly personalities develop and how quickly they grow up and are ready to be a family  companion. 

I plan to get some pictures today and will post them soon.

Hope  you all had a Happy Thanksgiving

 COOKIE TIME

 

BONNIES TEN LITTLE INDIANS

 This past Sunday Bonnie decided it was time for her babies to arrive. She started having pups at 4:30 am and had the last one at 5 pm.A long day for her and for me. By the the time she was finished she given birth to 11 pups. The last one was not born alive, probably too long arriving in this world. She has ten surviving babies. I am feeding round the clock, every three hours to keep the little ones going. Three days and they are doing well.It is a lot of work but Bonnie gave me these babies and it is up to me to keep them going. We have 9 boys and one little girl. In about a week I may be able to sleep through the night. But for now the little ones have trouble nursing and need the nourishment that I give to them. I can see growth already and I am really happy with that. Bonnie is so good and so careful getting into the puppy pen, she knows exactly where she places her feet. 

I will try to keep the blog up to date on the pups growth and development. Bonnie is a good mom and very concerned with her pups. And they are hers, everyone else needs to stay away, she tells then in no uncertain terms. 

I wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving and take care and please be safe!

This is Izzy the papa to all these little babies.

TIME HAS JUST FLOWN

 It is amazing how fast the time goes when caring for a litter of seven pups. Once they moved to the kitchen for more exposure to noise and activity they developed a good routine. It made for an early day but that is ok, its good to get going early. Breakfast by 5:30, the pups were really hungry after a good nights sleep. I get them out to run in the kitchen while I clean the pen. I need to figure a way for a larger pen as the pups are very clean and only potty in one corner. It is amazing how they did this on their own. Once the pen is clean I make their breakfast and I ask them "are you hungry" they run over to me and all sit and watch while I get breakfast ready for them. They know what hungry means. They are so cute to see them lined up for food.

Once this is done all the adults go out to potty and spend a few minutes outside. During this time I get my coffee made and the pups are all settled, ready for their morning nap. The others all come back in to join me for coffee hour sometimes longer. They all get a treat and then settle down. For the most part they are very good. Walter will test me with chewing and he has now learned the word LEAVE IT and is getting very good when I tell him to leave it.

Walter can be a challenge, he is an independent boy and wants what he wants. I am going to start working on tricks with him, the goal is for his AKC trick title. I think it will be fun and I think that Walter will enjoy it. When they have fun training they learn so quickly.

Covid is raising it's ugly head again and once again we all need to be careful. It is so important to wear a mask for you and for others so both can be safe.

My dogs could not care for themselves if anything happened to me. So I am super careful, the dogs need me.

Puppies are going to their homes soon. They are ready for more one on one and some basic training. These pups are so smart and so pretty. I know that they will be wonderful family companions!

Sorry it has been so long since I wrote but raising pups does not leave a lot of time. Maybe a New Years resolution will help.

Take care, have a safe and Happy Thanksgiving!

PUPPIES ARE SO AMAZING

 The pups will be four weeks on Tuesday morning. Two days ago I started feeding baby cereal with goats milk, they were not sure what to do. So I waited until today,made up some goats milk with baby cereal and a little softened puppy food. Well they just chowed it right down. It is amazing that two days development can make such a difference. They are now eating three meals a day plus mom is still taking care of them and nursing. Glory is the best mother, she is getting a little tired but always goes in with the pups when I ask her to. She still spends the night with them and they still need her throughout the night. I wish all my girls were such good moms, but Glory has been a mom a couple of times and she knows what is required. The pups are responding to my voice, they pop right up and come over to see me. It is hard to believe that in four weeks these pups will be fully developed to the point where they can go to their new homes. Their personalities are emerging and they are so cute and so funny. I love this age, even though it will get a little messy. Soon I will be able to take them to the kitchen to run and play and experience new things. It will be a busy time for sure. A friend of mine gave me a really nice camera for my birthday. I am looking forward to taking some really great photos. I can get close ups and the details are amazing. Of course I do need to practice, since I just grab my cell phone to get shots. I will post updates as they grow and hopefully will have some awesome photos.

 Glory's pups at three weeks!

PUPPIES AND MORE PUPPIES

 I love puppies. From birth to watching the daily development is just amazing. First week they are able to crawl to mom to eat and then they sleep a lot. Mom stimulates them to poop and pee.She does that for the first week through about the fourth week. I change the bedding twice a day and it stays nice and clean.  Glory had four girls and three boys. The three boys and three of the girls are spoken for. They are now getting close to three weeks, which will be this coming Tuesday. Their eyes are open and they are hearing now. They are starting to respond to my voice and they hear noises. They are so darn cute right now. I am a little nervous about visitors, the covid is beginning to increase in New Hampshire. We will social distance and wear masks. The visits will be short. We won't be picking pups until they are eight weeks. The litter is co-owned with a friend and she has to pick her pups first. The pups are really getting into the fun age and I love pups at this stage. I will move them to the kitchen at four weeks. This will make it easier for them to run and play on the kitchen floor. 

I did not write for awhile as I was so intent on watching Glory, as she was very late to have her pups. But all was well, she and mother nature knew what was going on.It was not a real easy birth but she did very well.

Lots of pictures soon. Hope you are all well and take care.

 

COFFEE THIEF

 Every  morning I have all the dogs up with me and we have morning coffee together. Topaz is my paper thief, any thing she can reach, any type of paper, paper towel, cardboard, even wall paper which is not good at all. I don't know the attraction but she loves paper. So this morning she grabbed something that I definitely did not want her to have, I got up quickly and told her "leave it" and she did. Before I sat down again, there she was lapping coffee from my cup. She loves coffee too and if I forget and leave my cup too close to the edge of the table she will stand up and drink my coffee. You really have to be on your toes around her.  So many things to think of. She can outsmart me so quickly. She has quite a sense of humor, you can see it in her eyes. Bonnie is at Illusion Farm Shelties being bred to a lovely dog. But she is Topaz's playmate and Topaz is lost without her. They are such best buddies. All I have to do is get down just a little and Topaz's front goes down and her rear comes up tail, wagging, she is ready to play. You can see the joy on her face. 

We are still waiting on Glory, one more due date. I really did not expect her to go so long before whelping. If we get past the last due date, and pups have not arrived, we will make a trip to the vet. Hopefully those pups will show up this weekend and the vet won't be necessary.All I can do is wait and I am not good at that. Mother Nature is in charge so not much that I can do.

GUESS THE HEAT JUST SLOWED ME RIGHT DOWN

Cant believe that it has been a month since I have written. I don't know where the time goes. It was so hot for so long that I did not have much ambition. I set up the small agility course in the garage, about 10 obstacles and I have used it once. I am so ready for the cool fall weather. We have  had a couple of days that have been very nice. I put the air on today and brought the dogs in with me so we could all cool down.

I am waiting for pups to arrive,Glory was bred and fortunately she is expecting. The pups should come any day now. I am all set for them and looking forward to their arrival and being busy with them again. Her first due date is tomorrow. I love having pups here especially after they have all arrived safely.These will be sable babies. It is a nice old pedigree and I may just keep a pup. Some dog shows have started up but not much local at all.  There have been a lot of virtual shows and many virtual obedience trials. I guess you would need a video of your dog performing and then submit it. I think that they have actual judges that look at them. Kind of a nice way if you don't like to travel.

Rosie and I have been walking early  mornings when it is really cool. She and I both need the exercise.She gets so excited when the leash comes out. She just loves getting out. It has been pretty quiet around here, the seniors are all well and that is good news. Bling and Brooke had their teeth cleaned and Brooke had a large lump removed that was benign. I am thankful for that. She is 11 soon and you never know what could come up. 

Hope you all survived the heat and are ready for the fall season. It is my favorite time of year.

                                                          

                                    GLORY          WALTER

TOO HOT FOR AGILITY

 Last month I set up a small agility course in the big garage which is usually cool. With the weather we have been having I have used it only one time.  It is even too hot in the garage to be comfortable doing agility. I am hoping that today is the last day of brutal heat and humidity. I know the dogs do too. Thankfully my dog room in the walkout basement stays fairly cool, not as cool as in normal weather but the dogs love the cool cement floor. They are either there or lying under the window air conditioner. They do know how to find cool. Usually Bling and Keeper are under the air. Rosie and I usually walk on the trail next to the house but the last two mornings even early, have been too hot. Maybe by Thursday things will have cooled off some. Rosie and I both need the exercise. Once things have cooled off I can get them all back out to the large exercise area so they can really run. Chanel and Jessie are here to visit for the day. Too hot for them to do errands with their mom in the car. They too have found the cool spots in the kitchen. This has been the longest, hottest summer that I can remember. The dogs and I are ready for fall. We need to be able to get out to run and play. Keep plenty of fresh, cool water available for the dogs and no car rides until this weather goes away. They all agree, maybe a few extra cookies.

Hopefully I will get back to writing more than just once every two weeks.

COFFEE TIME, PLAY TIME!!

Rosie who is 8 years old loves to play. Bonnie who is 2, is pretty much still a puppy. The two of them chase around the kitchen table, roll and tumble each other and just have fun and it is actually good exercise for Rosie. I have decided to let Bonnie grow up more before she has  more pups. She was a good mother but it did take a lot out of her. Watching her play with Rosie she needs another year of maturity before becoming a mom again. Rosie will pick up a toy and go right to her face and tease her with the toy and then the chase starts, round and round the table. It is fun to watch as you don't expect an 8 year old to play that way. Rosie loves puppies and is such a good puppy sitter.

Going to Fryeburg tomorrow to bring Glory home. She has been bred and fingers crossed for puppies in September. If there are pups Rosie will be in seventh heaven! We are hopeful for pups but Glory has had two misses so we will see. She is getting to retirement age and this is her last chance to be a mom. Rosie's toes are crossed, she wants more babies to baby sit. I love puppies too, they keep me so busy which is good for me. I love watching them grow and develop and how they act when they first hear and see. Their little ears flip back and forth taking in the new sounds. This new life is a  miracle!

Rosie is finally worn out, she came to say hi and went to lie down and catch her breath! Bonnie has a bone now and still entertaining herself, she rarely tires.

Take care in this heat and don't take your dog in the car when it is so hot.Definitely don't leave your dog in the car, the heat will kill them quickly.

Rosie is now sound asleep. In a few minutes after resting she will be ready to go again.Bonnie is emptying the toy box.

Hope you all have a good day and keep your dogs cool and you too!

Be safe!

ROSIE

WALKING ROSIE

Rosie is my best friend , she gives hugs which are wonderful. She will give anyone a hug, she just loves getting attention.

We had not walked in about a week as it was either too hot or rainy. It was nice and cool on the trail this morning, very quiet, you can hear the birds and feel nature. I needed to empty my mind as this is the third anniversary of my husbands passing to brain cancer. Getting out on the trail is just the thing to settle your  mind. When I asked Rosie if she wanted to go for a walk she just turned herself inside out. She loves it and it is so good for her as she really needs to lose a few pounds. Rosie is not your typical Sheltie, she has no reserve in her temperament. She loves everyone, except Girly the cat!She is very jealous of Girly and is always giving her the eye. When Girly is on my lap Rosie will just lay there and watch, I can see the look on her face, very questioning. You can see she is not happy with Girly. She would never go after her but she sure watches her when she is around me. Rosie is 8 years old now and has been  with me since she was a baby, so it is ok for her to be a little jealous. At least when we walk she has me all to her self. That is exactly what she wants.The dogs enjoy morning coffee time with me. Rosie and Bonnie will play like they are puppies. Rossie misses the puppies, she used to pick up a toy and tease them to come chase her. She is an awesome baby sitter.I think I will get a treadmill for the winter so I can keep her moving. I would like for her to drop 5 pounds, that would be so good for her. I need to keep her in good shape so that she will be with me for many more years.

What is so special about Rosie is that she and I have the same birthday, I remember the night she was born.

THE EYES TELL YOU SO MUCH!

Expression in the Sheltie face is so important. The eyes can tell you so much.

Like Rosie watching me eat lunch, of course she is a chow hound. I had a sandwich on my desk and she was on the floor watching me. But she did not turn her head she just moved her eyes, from me to the sandwich and back to me again. I guess she thought she was being good not being too aggressive over my sandwich.

One day Chanel came to stay with me, and she not knowing that her mom was leaving was pretty upset when she realized that Mom was leaving. I went to the door and closed the gate so she would not try to leave. The door was open and we were both standing there and Chanel's eyes got so big and round when she realized that Mom was leaving. I have never seen that expression before,She was really shocked that Mom was leaving and not taking her. I will never forget the look on her face.

The other morning Sammy had an accident in the kitchen, and he does know better.But he really had to go and he usually runs down stairs to the door. Well I guess that this time he could not wait and when I said his name and what are you doing, his got this horrific look and he knew he was making a mistake.The look was like OMG what did I just do. I had to laugh, well he really has the concept of house training down.

Shelties should have a moderate, almond shaped eye, that is soft and expressive. Sheltie expression is inquisitive and soft. It really is amazing the different expressions they can get aside from inquisitive and soft. They really do think, you can see it in the eyes. In agility you can see a dog think about which way to go and which obstacle you wanted him to take. Or the playful expression when a puppy is saying "catch me if you can" that is a game that all pups love. But they do need to learn come or here for safety. I love the questioning look they get when you ask a question, they are really trying to figure out what you want.

I talk to my dogs a lot and they really listen, even if they don't know what I am saying. They will look at me with questioning eyes and turn their head from side to side to figure out what I am saying. They are such good dogs and companions. I don't get lonely, they take care of that completely. They make me laugh a lot.

My Shelties are just awesome friends.

A HAPPY FACE!

JEEP

LOVELY PUPS GROWING UP!

My pups are all getting close to 4 months now and from the photos that I receive I am so pleased with all of them. They are all very lovely and will be gorgeous adults. I suppose that I am prejudiced to a certain extent. But when I breed I look at pedigrees and then the individual dogs and the dogs in the pedigrees that I know.

I make sure that mom and dad complement each other in many ways. I don't double up on faults,. My dogs are health tested so I know that I have a really good chance on producing, healthy, quality pups.

I did get to see one of my pups yesterday. Her ears had gone up and needed help. We glued her ears so they would tip properly in time. Correct Sheltie ears do so much for the expression. Expression makes the Sheltie.

This pup is in beautiful condition, and very pretty, I was so pleased when I saw her. The fact that her people wanted correct ears meant a lot to me. This pup is going to blossom into a lovely adult.

So if any of my puppy people read this blog, if your pups ears are standing up straight or if hanging down like a hound, I am more than happy to show you how to fix the ears. I can also email you information on glueing the ears in the correct position. But if you like the ears the way they are now that is fine, it is totally your choice.

The dogs have all found a cool spot and are sleeping, they just don't like the heat and I sure don't either. I was going to work in the dog yard this morning and wash the back of the house, but it is already too hot for that. Plus it is Sunday and I usually try to keep Sunday chore free.

My mats should be here tomorrow and Bonnie and I will get started in some basic agility. She is going to love it. I am looking forward to getting back into training. I would love better control with my dogs, when I say sit which they all know I would like to see them all sit on the first command. That would be so awesome. I see people with multiple dogs on places like Face book that are that well trained. So I  know if I put my mind to it I can make it happen. My goal is for them to all sit in a group wearing red bows for Christmas. I had better get going or we will never make it for Christmas. This is going to take some determination and persistance and patience. Certainly I can do this in six months.

Nine dogs all behaving at once. LOL

My pups were a lot of work but also alot of fun. I really enjoyed them and every one was so smart. They all learned their name in days and would come when called. Young pups have brains like sponges and soak up every bit of training you give them. That is part of the reason it is so fun to work with puppies.  I remember when Luke was a baby 9 weeks, I was teaching him to sit and he caught on so quickly. I was using treats and one time I told him to sit and he did right away and I was a little slow getting the treat out so sitting there he stamped his front feet to tell me to hurry up. It was the cutest thing I have ever seen in a young pup. I will have to write more about expressions and what they mean. It is amazing what they can express in their eyes.

All for now! Be safe!

IS IT POSSIBLE????????? LOL

DOGS LIKE IT COOL TOO!

My Shelties are not crazy about this heat and humidity. Nor am I. I have the air running in my little office and the dogs are lieing all around and so is the cat. Guess this is why it is called the dog days of summer, although it seems like summer has been here a long time already. My time sure has been strange with being home almost all the time.

This time of year my huge garage is empty so I decided it would be a perfect place for the dogs to do some agility. It is cool in there and no bugs or ticks. I am waiting on some mats so that we can do a little low jumping.  I think that I will start with Bonnie and Walter as they both have had some agility training. Bonnie is a very energetic girl and she loves to run through the tunnel and jump. She just needs to learn more control and of course more basic obedience. Walter has been to both obedience and agility class, he has a good idea of what he needs to do but it has been awhile and he needs some brush up on his obedience.

It has been three years since I have been to a class and I have really missed it. I took my boy Jeep to agiity class once a week for 8 years, he was a really good worker and he loved it. When my husband got sick I could no longer work Jeep so he went to live with a friend who is excellent in agility. He has earned many more titles since living with her and I am so happy that he has been able to do what he loves.

I hope that Bonnie will eventually love working the way that Jeep does. Bonnie's daughter Fancy, is a natural for sure. Climbing out of the puppy pen at five weeks and just did it, never hesitated, of course I had to put the top on the pen or she would have been out all the time.

For now we can enjoy this small course and just have fun. My sons use the garage to store their boat and trailer in the winter and until late fall it is all mine and the dogs.

For now there are not any dog shows or competitions but it takes a long time to be good enough to compete in agility. And I know that I am not fast enough to keep up with Bonnie so we will just play agility. Bonnie has a natural herding instinct, bugs, birds, butterfly's, she just loves to chase, her instinct is very strong. Maybe some day we will try a herding test to see how strong it really is. Her concentration is very strong. Except when she is being naughty, getting into something she should not then she has very selective hearing.

I am really looking forward to see what she can accomplish.  She will not have pups for sometime as with her seven it took a lot out of her and she needs to get back into condition and mature more. She was a great mom but she needs a good break. She needs to have some fun.

Be sure to not take your dog with you in the car in this hot weather and never leave your pup in the car alone when it is so hot. Dogs can suffocate very quickly when it is so hot. And that would be a tragedy.

Everyone be safe and well! Spend time with your dogs, they love the attention and the love to please.

BONNIE

SHELTIE CONVERSATION

Yes there is such a thing as Sheltie conversation. Especially when they are the only ones you have to talk to. If I have something good to eat, Rosie will sit there in front of me and look at me and then look at my dish. She does not even turn her head, she just moves her eyes and then rolls her eyes back to me. It is so funny, I know exactly what she is thinking. She has very expressive eyes. A little too large for the breed but they tell you everything. Even if Girly the cat is sitting there her eyes will go to her, then to me, like really this is not for the CAT!Then to the food. This could go on for several minutes,  Rosie is a special girl, she loves everyone and does not hesitate to let them know. She is not your typical reserved Sheltie. She has to be the center of attention, food or no food.  Now Keeper who retired with me a couple of years ago has a different way of expressing himself. He will pull his lips back and give you this funny smile showing his teeth. It really is hysterical. I should try to get a picture of him doing this. Sometimes he will do it for no reason at all, at least no reason that I can see. Maybe he is expressing his joy of living here and being a full time house dog, he just loves being in the house. Now Bling is another funny one, she will come and stand in front of me and bark and wag her tail. Sometimes it is for food and most times it is just to say hello and after the greeting she will lie down next to my chair. I just heard from the vet and Bling's blood work is good. One type of white cell a little high but nothing to be concerned about. As for the seizure all we can do is watch and see if it happens again. If there is nothing in the next month I will go ahead with her spay and teeth cleaning. Hopefully I will not see another seizure. Anyway we are talking about the Shelites conversation. When I let everyone go potty for the last time before bed, sometimes I forget Bling and she will come and find me and tell me that she needs to go out. I will ask her if that is what she wants and she answers with two barks. It is always just two barks. She is a funny girl, but I love her. I knew Bling along time ago, I whelped her very first litter for my friend and I fell in love with her then and she probably was about 2. At that time I promised her she could come retire with me when done with babies. Two years ago she retired and came here with me. Took her a little while to settle in but she did and now is very comfortable. She is a little different but sweet in her own way.

Brooke is my own senior who has been with me since she was 8 weeks. She was a difficult pup and wanted her own way and now at almost 11 she still wants her own way. She will stare at you and you just have to figure it out and if you don't she will just walk away. Guess it was not that important.

The young ones have their own way of conversation also. But that is for another time.

• ROSIE

ALL IS WELL!

The pups are in their new homes and all are doing well. They are learning house training, walking on leash and riding in the car. I am really pleased with the care that they are given. I have been in touch with all and progress is being made. It makes me feel good to know the choices I made for them were all the best.

Now to get back to my normal routine, which really is not normal with this stay at home order. I now need to find a good fence contractor and get the large exercise area built. The dogs really need more exercise and the larger area will do that for them. I may even set up a little agility equipment so that we can play agility some. The younger dogs will love that.

Bling is going to the vet for a check up and blood work. She had a seizure about a week ago and I have no idea what brought it on. We will know more about her in a week or so. It was mild but it did scare her.Since she is getting old it could just be an old age thing, but I need to know. I wonder if it is the flea and tick medication that I used on the dogs. I hate using that stuff as it is chemical and you never know for sure what it can do or the reaction it could cause. But when the tick population is heavy as it usually is in May I do use it. As the summer goes on I don't use it but when fall comes and ticks are breeding and plentiful I will use it one more time.

All the dogs are shedding and that will be my chore for this week, it is almost on going with all the dogs. They look so nice when they are all done. One of these days I will treat myself to a professional grooming for them.

I have to thank all my puppy people for being so understanding about not coming into the house to visit the pups when they were little. It was very different but we all had to be safe. Thank you all!

I know it is a pain to wear a mask when you are out but is does show respect for others and for yourself.

Be safe, be well!              

                                                         A big helper!

GETTING ATTACHED

I have two babies that have been here a little over a week since the other pups went to their homes.

These two will be going on Saturday and it is going to be hard. Fancy the little blue is gorgeous and Reba the little sable is

stunning.  Plus they are fun pups. I am especially attached to Fancy and that is not good. I am trying so hard not to but

it is not easy. They both know their names and are such tuned in pups. But I have to say the whole litter learned their

names quickly. A couple have been changed as I did not know what they were going to be. I have to say that keeping

two pups clean and happy is a lot easier than 11 pups. I am ready to get my house back in shape, put the puppy

pens away and concentrate on my adult dogs. They all tolerate the pups except for one and I have to separate her.

And Bonnie who is Fancy's  mom, does not like her any more. At about six weeks Bonnie decided she was done

with her pups. She would growl at them and tell them to get away. So at that time Topaz took over and tried to care for all of

them. Sometimes she would be nursing or trying to nurse all the pups.  She has turned out to be such a good mother.

I will spend the weekend putting  all the puppy stuff away. I got tired through the whole process but when they started looking

like pups I loved it.

I am ready for a year off, to get back into training Bonnie and Walter and having some fun with the others and I know

that they are ready too.

Found a couple of ticks today so be careful, they are out in full force!

THANKFUL FOR MY HOMES

I know it has been a long time since I have written but want to get caught up a little. First of all

I am very thankful that I had two litters of very healthy pups. Secondly I am very thankful for all the

wonderful homes that I have found for the pups. People came from all the New England states during

these very unsure and strange times. Everyone wanted their pups so much to come out and make the

drive during these times. I am truly blessed.

It has been a very busy eight weeks. Making sure everyone was getting their share of mothers milk

and not being pushed away. Topaz got me up every night anywhere from midnight to 4 am. Needless

to say my sleep was very interrupted. As the pups grew I made sure that they had 4 hours of playtime

in the kitchen every day. Not being able to have people in and my granddaughter who always helped

socialize pups I had to be sure that they all had the time and handling to help them become the

pups that I wanted them to be. I think that they all turned out well. A few little problems but now all

are in their homes and doing very well.

I love everyone of them, each has a special personality and will bring much joy to many families.

Hopefully I will do better with keeping the blog up.

Be safe and stay well.

SCARY WORLD

I have been so busy with the puppies I did not realize how much time has gone by since I have written any thing. The pups are graduating to baby cereal and soon to mushy puppy food. They grow so fast. They are starting to cut teeth and the moms are not too thrilled with that. Topaz is a much better mom this time than when she had her first litter and it seems as the pups get older the more concerned a mother she becomes. Other than needing to to out in the middle of the night every night she has been good.We have that as a new routine and it sure affects your sleep. 
I have decided at this point to not have visitors to see the pups. They are still young and I want everyone safe including my self. I need to stay well in order to care for all these pups and adults that I have here. I stocked up on food so am good for about three weeks. I have plenty of dog food and puppy food. 
Very strange and scary world for sure.  The pups are developing personalities now, little bit by bit. They respond to my voice and are starting to wag their tails. The large girl in Topaz's litter really has a great tail wag, as soon as I talk to her it starts. They will be 4 weeks this weekend so only 4 more weeks they will be ready for their new homes. 
Hopefully things will not be quite so crazy in four more weeks. I will continue to take as many photos as I can, it is not easy to get good shots alone but I am doing the best that I can. 
Hope you are all careful and stay well. All for now!

A BUSY TIME

A busy time for sure. Topaz and Bonnie had their pups three days a part. So both litters are now 1 week 4 days and one week one day. Thankfully there were a few days between. Not much time for rest the past couple of weeks, up several times during the night to check on the girls. Topaz went into labor during the night and the first pup was born about 7:30 in the morning. It was an easy whelping which I was very happy with.
Bonnie started her labor on Saturday night and started delivery about noon time.Unfortunately this puppy was stuck, he was a big boy and breech. It took us awhile to work him out and it was rough for Bonnie. Finally he came into this world and was still living, we were not sure if he would make that birth. But he is just fine. Big and beautiful.
So Topaz has 2 boys and 2 girls, all sables, their eyes just opened today. Bonnie gave us 7 beautiful pups, such a surprise as she is such a little girl. She has 2 sable girls, 2 blue girls and 3 sable merle boys. Quite the rainbow. 
I spend a lot of time with Topaz and her babies, she is not thrilled with motherhood. She takes care of her babies but with much persuasion. I do not believe that she will have pups again. She just wants to be with me and be a pet, she is always at my feet. So some thought to her future.  But not until she has raised and litter and after much thinking about what is best for her. 
Bonnie developed diarrhea so I put her on baby rice cereal with boiled chicken  and yogurt and she loves this. Also got some really good pre and pro biotics from the vet to get her cleared up as quickly as possible.She and the pups are doing well and the diarrhea is subsiding thankfully, as there is enough drain on her with 7 nursing pups. 
I still get up at night to check on the girls and the pups. Topaz's babies are getting on their feet already, not even two weeks yet and their eyes are open, so cute to welcome them to the world. Their ears are still closed and will soon open and watching them hear things is really precious. It is amazing the difference in development that three days make. 
I am exhausted from all the lack of sleep, so try to get an hour nap in the afternoon.
That helps some.Once the pups are a little more mobile I won't worry so much.
I know it has been a couple of weeks since I wrote anything so wanted to announce the birth of the pups.
Will post pictures as they grow.
By the way I have lovely homes for all the pups. 

TOPAZ

Now time to watch and wait for Topaz. The good thing though is that she is very pregnant. I am thankful for that. She has been getting me up between three and three thirty am every day. She needs to go out as she just can't hold things for very long. It is actually good that she lets me know. She is one of my most house trained girls, she does not want to have an accident and will go stand at the door to let me know that she needs out.
The baby monitor is now set up near her whelping box. The watching and waiting is hard as I am ready for her to get started and have an easy whelping. Her temperature continues to drop which is a good sign. I am waiting for the time that she refuses food as that is a sign that whelping will be soon. She is as comfortable as she can be, eating and drinking so all is going well. Walter is the sire and he has sired four litters which have been very pretty but this is the first litter by Walter that we will have here. I think that they will be very pretty. They compliment each other and the pedigrees do also. 
I am sure that people on my list are tired of the wait also. It will be nice for them to know if there will be a puppy for them. I choose homes that will be the best match for the puppies. I want my pups and puppy people to have a good experience and be successful!  My pups are vet checked, receive a health certificate and first shots and are guaranteed.
It is so hard to make the best decisions but I have to do what is best for the pup as it is a lifetime commitment.
I am getting pretty good at learning patience. Glory tried my patience for sure. But not her fault, things just went wrong, I know she was pregnant at the beginning and maybe she did not have enough progesterone to hold the pregnancy. When the girls get to 6 years of age or so hormones change and it is harder for them to get pregnant and to stay pregnant. I don't know if we will try again with Glory or retire her from breeding. I am sure she would love that. She loves being a full time house dog and is very happy. She house trained very quickly and is very good with no accidents at all. She is such a sweet girl and so easy to love.
I will post as soon as the pups arrive. It will be such a relief when they are here and I know they are all doing well.
So on to more waiting!! 

WALTER AND TOPAZ

GLORY, GLORY??

I am still waiting on Glory. If she is having a false pregnancy it sure is fooling me. Early this  morning she was doing a little nesting. But it is possible she would nest even if a false pregnancy.  I truly hope it is not but I am so baffled. Her temperature is going down, as it should, but she still has a huge appetite, usually the day they whelp they do not want to eat but so far she has been chowing down. When Rosie had her false pregnancy, two times, she had all the signs but never stopped eating. All I can do is continue to wait and be patient, she is not in any discomfort or distress so it is safe to wait. I could take her for an x-ray but that is expensive and I will know soon enough if there are pups or not. I did think that I felt a pup last night. Glory is testing me for sure. She is sleeping in the whelping pen in the kitchen and everything is all set up. I have the baby monitor running at night and I can hear her every movement. This morning I did hear her digging at her blankets which she has not done so far, so maybe we are still heading in the right direction. Topaz is due the 13th so there will be puppies soon. She is definitely bred. Glory is a big girl so it is easy for her hide her pregnancy. Her waist line did expand but it is amazing how even in a false pregnancy this can happen. I will continue to get Topaz all set up and soon Bonnie who is definitely expecting too.
Being patient is very hard for me but I have no choice and I am learning.
Living with Shelties there is something new everyday. Definitely a learning experience.

PATIENCE PATIENCE PATIENCE!!!!!!!

I am pretty much ready for pups but Glory is not obliging yet. She has all the signs of pregnancy and is still very clingy. Next due date is February 6. I am sleeping Glory in the puppy pen in the kitchen and I have the baby monitor set up so I can hear everything at night. My imagination runs wild when I have to wait so long. Well I have decided that if she is not pregnant it is not the end of the world. I still have Topaz and Bonnie who are definitely expecting, but I am jumping to conclusions. Time to think positive.
On a really positive note Finn has been in his new home for three weeks and is doing so well. A little rough with developing a new potty routine but he has it now. He is also attending obedience class and doing really well. I knew he would as he is such a smart pup and loved to learn. He was a joy to work with. I could have not asked for a better home for Finn. It is perfect and I am thrilled.
My home is looking like a nursery, and I know I am going to be very busy soon. A big responsibility getting new pups off to a good start. But being busy is a good thing and a good thing for me. 
The dogs are pretty mellow this morning and that is really nice, of course when I get up to get my second cup of coffee, the chaos will start again. Topaz is my coffee thief, she loves coffee. I have to be careful to keep my cup away from the edge of the table. She loves to lap out of my cup. She is a paper thief also, any loose piece of paper she can grab she will and she will try to chew it up. She is usually successful as I am not fast enough to catch her before it is gone. I would not have it any other way. My Shelties keep me going and that is exactly what I need. They help to fill the void which is a big part of my life.
I will be sure to post pictures of the pups when they arrive.
Have a wonderful Sheltied day.

COMING SOON!!

WHERE DOES THE TIME GO??

I can't believe that it has been 15 days since I wrote here. I know where it went, I have had a visiting girl here for two weeks, and the boys were off the wall and it was a job keeping them sane. She was here for breeding and now has gone home. Things are a little more peaceful now that she is gone. During this time Finn has been in his new home and adjusting well.
Now I am getting everything ready for puppies. The girls are all expecting. Glory possibly this weekend, Topaz a week after Glory and Bonnie the week after Topaz. So I need to get my whelping pens together, and all the things I will need, heating pads, small towels to help dry the pups, thread for tying off umbilical cords. Plenty of clean bedding for the pens once they are all cleaned after whelping. Once we get to this stage I am really ready for the pups to come. It is nerve wracking and I feel so much better when each pup is delivered and doing well. I pray for strong healthy pups. The girls are all doing well and everything is going well. Just the waiting and I am not a very patient person.
During this wait time I will be cleaning ears, gluing ears on the young dogs and trimming every ones nails. Especially the seniors, their nails seem to grow so fast. 
The dogs have been getting me up at 5:30 lately and that sure is early, by noon time I feel like I have already put in an 8 hour day. I truly  hope that the pups arrive during the day. So much easier than staying up all night. But so often they like to have pups in the quiet of the night. Mother Nature is now in charge. We just wait and see what she has in store for us. 

This is Sammy, the sire of Glorys pups and Bonnies pups

THEY SURE HATE THE RAIN

It rained here yesterday like I have never seen before. Not one of the dogs wanted to go out, especially Brooke who can't stand to get her feet wet and Keeper who does not want any part of him wet. As I took him out he was looking so depressed and down, it was almost funny. He has been with me more than a year now and he just loves being a house dog and that includes not going out if he does not feel like it. I have the new kennel covering out back but even with that it was just too wet, I put everyone out as little as possible. Even when the sun came out later in the afternoon they still did not want to walk through huge puddles that buried their feet.
Can't say that I blame them, I had to put on boots to clean the yard and usually never have to do that unless we have lots of snow.
My peace is gone for another week. We have a girl in here for breeding and I was so ready to be done with that, all my girls are out of heat and the boys were behaving. So another week or so before we get back to peace again. I am keeping our visitor in the kitchen and she is not running with the pack so that helps some.
Good news is that Glory is expecting, she has had two  misses in a row so this is really exciting. The pups should be arriving early February. Glory has been my shadow for some time now and I figured that she probably was expecting, she just felt better being close. Topaz may be pregnant also but no definite signs yet and Bonnie no signs at all, as active and barky as ever.
In the next week or so I need to set up Glory's whelping and puppy pen. I will put her in the kitchen so she will be close all the time. The other two girls will go in the front room, it is a living room, no TV, and I rarely use it so Topaz and Bonnie can share the room if they both are having pups.
Finn is adjusting well in his new home and I am happy with that. It has been  bit of a challenge but he is doing well and it has only been a week. I always worry when I place a dog that is not a young puppy, so many adjustments to make and one big one is not living with other dogs. Thankfully all is going well and that is because he has a wonderful, understanding and patient family. He could not be in a better place.
Found this little poem on Face Book and I love it. Kind of explains about how I feel about my Shelties.

Because I loved them first...
I didn’t sleep
When I did it was in a whelping pen
Because I loved them first
I did all the health testing I could
I did pre and post whelping care
Because I loved them first

I miss life events, family gatherings, work, sleep and wouldn't have it any other way
My dogs come first that’s why all the questions
Because I loved them first

I cried over a still born I did cpr on for 20 min
I worried and cried and prayed over the weak and tiny ones fighting for them
I bottle fed and clean a million linens
Because I loved them first

I was the first to trim their nails
I was first to give them a bath
I gave them confidence and encouragement
Because I loved them first

I will always take them back into my home
Because I loved them first
I worry and have sleepless nights even when they go to your home
Because I loved them first

When you call me with issues
Do not feel as thou I do not care because remember
I LOVED THEM FIRST

Well Rosie is demanding breakfast, so I will get going for now and maybe write more later. When Rosie wants something she does not stop until she gets her way.