NOT MUCH TO REPORT WITH ALL THE HEAT, HUMIDITY AND RAIN.

It has been a pretty miserable summer for the dogs. They just do not do well with heat and humidiy. We have not been able to play agility with the humidity. The dogs really pant in the humidity and don't feel like running in the agility area. I started to get the equipment out one day and maybe got a third of it and it was just plain too hot to do anymore. I hope to have it all out by mid September and maybe we will be able to have a Sheltie play day in September. 

I have been having cataract surgery and will be all done by mid September. My Sheltie friends have been helping out with taking my puppies and one adult dog. The help is wonderful and I so appreciate it.The first procedure is done and it has been so nice to be able to see better. Next week the second procedure. It should go as well as the first. Then all done and no more worry about bending and lifting. 

I can't wait to start training again with Flash. He loved training so much and he is so smart. He just picked up so fast and remembered so well. We really had fun in his class. 

I don't travel much in the winter so I need to get to a class soon.

We did go to a dog show in June. It was fun and alot of work. Bathing and grooming Flash and packing up all the equipment to take to the show. Flash behaved really well and handled the environment really well. This was the first show he had ever been to. He was the only one in his class so he did get a ribbon but did not go further. I was really pleased with his behavior, he acted like he had been  showing for a long time. Actually the obedience training is much more fun. He really loves the obedience and I think that we will stick with that. We need to have fun together.

 

                                                  

•                                         FLASH

FOUR MONTHS SINCE I HAVE TOUCHED THE BLOG

 It sure has been a long time since I have written here. Just plain too busy. I had a litter of nine pups born in mid December and boy that was a lot of work. Two smaller pups needed to be hand fed which was very time consuming. I was going to keep one of the bi black boys but decided that I did not need another boy. 

I have a lovely sable female that came from Wanderlust Shetland Sheepdogs. She is 10 weeks and a little doll. We are starting to learn some tricks so when she is four months old she can earn her tricks title. House training is on going and she is catching on quite well. Lots of paying attention to what she is doing but I am catching her most of the time.Right now she is under the table. She is sound asleep and that might last for 20 minutes. I spend time lots of time with her but she is so smart and I don't want to lose any time with her

Flash is with a friend of mine to practice conformation show training. There are two shows that he will be entered in late June. Will be his first time in a conformation ring.  We are looking forward to the day. He also sired another litter with our blue girl Quinn. A friend of mine whelped her as I needed a break and she is handling the placement of the pups. There are two tri boys still available. She has a page on FB called Wanderlust Shetland Sheepdogs. There you will see some pictures of the tri boys and you can get an application for a puppy. She is Caitlin Foster, and the pups are with her. 

They are not ready to go for another 2 to3 weeks. They are so cute.

I have been taking Finn to class once a week and it is a good hours drive but it is so much fun and Finn is learning alot. Hopefully I will be able to keep this blog up only if a paragraph of what is going on here at Jopavist Shetland Sheepdogs. 

I hope to get some of the agility equipment set up this afternoon. 

It is time to start playing agility with the dogs again. They love it and it is so good for them.

All for now, hope to be back tomorrow.

Jody

 

                                                   FLASH 

                                             Sire of the pups.

A LITTLE LESS THAN A MONTH, NOT TOO BAD.

This has been a busy month, with the Holidays and new pups being born.  Now the pups are four and a half weeks old and are slowly being weaned. They are eating soft puppy food with a little baby cereal. Actually they have huge appetites and doing very well. Even little Pippi who I tube fed for the frist few days and then a bottle for a week. Now she is strong enough to get in there with her brothers and sister. And she really pushes her way through the whole bunch and gets a good place to nurse. She is so tough and now very strong. This little girl is not available as she still needs more time for catch up. She will be living with Beverly, the co-owner. We may have one or two pups available. I won't know for sure until people start making their choices. People are coming to see the pups and get an idea of what they like. They are now old enough for visitors. I hope to get current pictures this weekend. I am up one or two times a night to check on the pups and to let Maggie out to go potty. Trudy has been waking me up at 4:30 in the mornings to go out.I thought she might have a UTI and took a urine sample to the vet and that is the problem, So in about two weeks she should be clear and maybe sleeping longer. I sure hope so, as 4 to 4:30 in the morning is getting hard to live with. The miracle of life is so amazing. So is watching the pups grow and develop and personalities coming out soon. I am trying my best to not consider keeping a pup. I really have my hands full with a 5 month old and 6 month old pup. Lots of work there. This weather sure has not made it easy with the adult dogs, no one likes going out in downpours. Nor do I. Lots to do.Pups need cleaning after eating as they will walk through the food, stand in the middle of the bowl and sometimes lie in the bowl. So a little grooming after each meal but they get used to being handled and that is so good for them.

The time goes fast and before you know it they will be in homes with their loving families and bringing joy to the home. They will be your best friend for life. Such a fun time raising a puppy. 

Everyone take care with the Arctic blast that is coming our way. Don't leave the dogs out in the bitter cold. They need to be in with you. 

 

                          Maggies puppies, these are the boys!!

ONLY ONE MONTH BUT BUSY

No Excuses, just plain too busy. A litter due, a new blue puppy to join the family.Hopefully a second litter due the end of the month. Maggie's pups were born Dec. 14th. Whelping went well and pups are all doing good. Maggie had quite a litter, 9 pups, 6 girls and 3 boys. All Bi black and Tri color. Not what I was expecting for sure. They are all doing well, pretty much eat in shifts. It seems to work well. I am supplementing the smallest of the pups, there are three little ones , they nurse well but I am supplementing as a little extra nutrition will help.

I am up a minimum of three times a night to check. I have the baby monitor on so I hear every thing.I will be glad when my sleep is no longer interrupted. When my other dogs come in I take Maggie out of her whelping box as she tends to just jump up when the other dogs come into the house. But they have to have their house time and time with me.

Now Christmas is almost here and I have so much to catch up with. Mostly wrapping which is not especially fun.But I have to get it done. I spend some time just sitting and watching this little miracle. Maggie is doing well, she makes sure that they get fed at regular times. She is such a good mom. I just wish she would sleep through the night. The puppies have grown some already. It is amazing to see. In a couple of weeks they will hear and start to see a little, the whole process really is a miracle.

Hope you all have a very Happy Holiday season and a Healthy New Year.

I know it just looks like a pile of puppies and that is exactly what they are. I call it pig piling, they all get together for comfort and warmth. They love to feel close to one another.

 

 

                                    MERRY CHRISTMAS

WELL I SURE DID GET BEHIND AND TOTALLY DID NOT POST FOR TWO MONTHS. BUSY,BUSY,BUSY

 I did classes with Dodger all summer and it was fun and busy with training outside of class. I brought home Trudy a Sam daughter and a pedigree I wanted to add to my breeding program. I try to schedule all my own appointments before winter and I had a few of those this summer. I don't like driving in the snow so I get as much done as possible. As it is I have two appointments early December and hope the weather is good. 

I am having the Thanksgiving day with my sons in laws. First time since my husband passed. It will be nice to be with family again.

I bred Maggie and she is due to have pups mid December. I did breed Zoe too but I can't tell if she is expecting. I have several people waiting so I hope I will have enough pups for everyone. I won't know until the pups actually arrive.  

I had a couple of Sheltie gatherings at  my house, one in the summer with dogs and one this fall without dogs. We are having one more before winter settles in. All the agility equipment is put away in the garage and the A frame is covered. Ready for winter. The dogs can still run and play and run they do. Dodger and Flash are pretty equal in speed. And when Owen comes to visit he and Dodger are usually neck to neck with their speed. They have so much fun. 

Much more to do for winter, clean the furnaces and have the septic pumped. Thankfully I have appointments for both.

The dog yard is empty of the crab grass and ready for snow. But I am not, last thing I need is snow. Dodger was so funny with the first little snow we had a couple of weeks ago. He is just 9 months and had never seen snow. He stood there and barked at it, when it did not move he barked at it again, He was so funny, yet when he walked the snow disappeared. Finally he just trotted away in the snow and stopped barking. A strange reaction to a first snow. Most of the dogs would just bite at it and then run as if it was chasing them. Too funny!!

Now I have to get ready for the babies that will be coming. I am looking forward to that. I have to set up the heat lamps, gather all the towels needed for the whelping, set up the incubator so we have a warm place for the pups when another one is arriving. 

It is a very busy time but it is exciting to see all the new little lives. It is such a miracle. In the meantime I have two pups to leash train. Trudy 4 and 1/2 months old and has started leash training and doing well. Finn the newest family member only 13 weeks. He has started and knows what is going on. He is a blue merle boy and as cute as a button. He is a Sam son and that makes the family complete.

                                                    

TRYING TO KEEP UP.

 Well  I have been catching up on emails so it is a good time to catch up here on the blog. I brought my new little girl home. She fits right in with everyone and she thinks that she can be the boss. And they all let her except for Dodger, he is very jealous. Every time I pick her up and hug her Dodger has to have some love too. He will snarl and wait for me to pet him. I have been taking him to agility class so I think that he thinks I belong to him. We are starting up class again on Saturday and hopefully with that attention he won't be so jealous. Trudy does not care about his snarling, she takes it all in stride. She has a wonderful temperament and she is quite smart. She is tough for sure. I bought Trudy, aside from being so pretty, she is Sam's granddaughter. Sam was mine a couple of years ago and I let him go and truly wish that I had not done that but he has been in a wonderful breeding home and doing very well.So this is why Trudy is here and she does remind me of Sam. She absolutely loves to play ball. She will go and go..I really did not need another Sheltie but she is easy and I am enjoying her and she will be my last puppy.So I want to do as much with her as possible. And maybe next spring I may show her in the Maine spring shows. Of course she has lots of growing up and maturing to do. It is going to be fun to watch her grow and develop into the dog that we think that she can be. 

This humidity has been rough on all of us. The dogs especially do not like it. They love the AC as much as I do.They come in and they all curl around on the floor where they can feel the cool air. Just a couple more to brush out and then they will all be comfortable. This has been the hardest year for shedding. I get them brushed out and they start all over again. I have never seen so much loose hair. Two to brush out this afternoon. Then I will be done until they start all over again. I am so ready for fall and some cooler days and nights.

                                                 TRUDY

FOUND THIS ON FACEBOOK, IT IS SO TRUE!

 

This is so perfect, something to remember and live by. I Love looking out the back window and watch my beautiful Dodger trot across the yard. He has such a stunning gait. And only 7 months old. Maybe he will hit the show ring some day too.

I love whelping my puppies and wonder what they will be like when they are three or four weeks and then again at 8 weeks. It is a miracle and joy to watch the birth of these special babies. 

Another joy is my new little girl Trudy, she is so  sweet and loving and smart.

                                                               Trudy