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.