PUPS GROW SO FAST.

 All of a sudden the pups eyes and ears are open, they have teeth and have learned to bark and growl. Seems like it was yesterday that they were just these little forms of life that looked like Guinea pigs. They are almost 5 weeks. Time to get some really good face photos, expression is showing and attitude is beginning to surface. The fun starts and the work. We are going into the messy stage, eating four times a day and cleaning the pen at least six or more times. Even with all this I love to watch the personalities develop. The little tails now wag a  mile a minute when I talk to them. They are searching out their toys now and when the first one squeaked that brought on a few little growls.

This litter was not far enough from my last litter to get a nice long break. That is coming up now. No pups until next year. I finally can get caught up on my sleep. I am still up between four thirty and five AM but at least no more interruptions during the night.  Pups will now be going into the kitchen to run and play. They will get out about four times a day and will experience many new things. 

I am anxiously awaiting the DNA results to see who their sire is. It has been a long process. I am hoping that the boy is Keepers as we lost Keeper way too soon. It would be nice to carry on with a son of his. The one boy is a lovely pup but is also the second largest and that could be a problem. Sometimes I wish that Shelties did not have a size disqualification but they do and we have to breed for that. 

I have a lovely 15 week old pup that is too big for her age already. She is going home with my sister and will become a performance dog. I am excited about her career. We are hoping for a natural herding instinct. My sister may even get some sheep so she can train to herd. I can't wait to see how she does.

I will finally have the time to work with Skye before she grows up on me.

I am being summoned for breakfast, they are not patient at all so have to go and get them fed.

Pictures of pups coming soon.

TOPAZ

ALWAYS SOMETHING TO LEARN

 Topaz came from a litter where there should not have been a tri color produced. Her mom was a trifactored sable and her dad was a double merle. I had sent her DNA to UC Davis school of veterinary medicine as they are very up to date on their genetic testing. I was assuming that the breeding Topaz came from she had to be a cryptic merle, which means she carried a gene for blue merle but did not express it, she was definitely a tri color. In her last two litters she never even produced a sable merle, which to me seemed strange. 

I did some more research and found that a cryptic merle, with the Mc gene could only express normal color and would breed as a normal solid color which she was, a tri color. So when she was bred to a sable she had all sable pups, not even a sable merle. So her litter now is all sable and tri factored sable. I am assuming that I could breed her to a blue merle but I still am not willing to try that. On the chance of getting a defective pup, it is not worth it. In breeding two blues you are taking a chance of producing a pup that could be defective in hearing and sight. Although many will be normal, but even one defective pup is one too many. 

Genetics is  fascinating to study, much of which I still don't understand,the basics yes but so much research has been done with the merle gene it boggles the mind. This is when I would love to call my friend Kathleen to see what she thinks. She and I would talk things like this over for hours. I sure do miss her.

I am taking a break from breeding for awhile, I want to see how I feel if I don't have pups around. I know that I will miss producing, quality, healthy companions for the people who love Shelties. I don't show anymore but I do still breed, looking for that one outstanding pup of show quality. I feel good knowing I can produce the quality and traits that I am looking for. Plus a very healthy companion that will be able to do any type of dog sport. Or just be an awesome companion!

I will spend time training my two young girls, this should be very rewarding. Maybe put some trick titles on them and just plain have fun. 

I will be keeping the little boy from this litter as long as he does not get too big. I have not kept a boy in a long time and I am looking forward to it. I would love to find a good handler for him  but I am jumping the gun. I need to see how he turns out first. Something to look forward too, that is what keeps you going with the dogs.  

BEST FRIENDS, GRANDAUGHTER AND WALTER!

DOGS DON'T FORGET

 This is about Quinn, a lovely blue Merle with a sweet temperament. When she was about a year old, she and one of her kennel mates came to visit for a few months while Kathleen went to Florida for the worst of the winter months. 

I spent many hours training Vanna, who seemed to really thrive on the training. I did not get as much training into Quinn. She just wanted to be close. I spent time grooming her and I kept her ears glued so they would have a nice tip to them. We would sit and watch TV in the evening and she would lie at my feet and just be so good.They were both learning to be house trained and were doing very well. They learned the stairs in no time as that meant house time. Something all the dogs loved.

My home is called a hillside cape and has a walkout daylight basement so a perfect place for my dog room and a fenced yard off the back door. Within a week they were running the stairs, up to the kitchen as fast as they could run. Too many good things happening there. Especially the treats, Quinn and Vanna loved them.

Those few months went by so fast. The girls were leash trained and ready to go home. Back to living in the kennel, which was a beautiful facility. I am sure they were happy to be home with their kennel mates.

On my next visit to Illusion Farm I went out to see Vanna, thinking that she would be so happy to see me after all the training and fun things she had accomplished. I stood at the fence and everyone came running over. Vanna was not especially interested in seeing me, I felt bad but you never know with the dogs. Quinn came running up from the back kennel and she was so excited and so happy to see me. I guess she really loved sitting at my feet and watching TV. I would have loved to have taken her home that day. Her happiness made me feel so good. I hoped that some day she might retire with me.

Unfortunately, my friend Kathleen passed from her cancer and many decisions had to be made for the dogs. Kathleen wanted Quinn to go home with me. It was bittersweet for sure. Quinn came home with me and settled right in, as if she had never left. Right now she is standing with her head on my knee as I type. I know she will make Kathleen proud with some beautiful babies.

It has been three years since Quinn first lived with me and acts like she has been here all her life. She is such a loving girl.

QUINN

BACK TO NORMAL, MAYBE????

 Things are beginning to settle down a bit. I am adjusting to the loss of my good friend and my wonderful sheltie Keeper. 

The pups are really getting the idea of house training.This sure makes things a little easier. Callie is growing and I can now take her out to the small pen with Skye to go potty. They are not 100% but really close. 

Topaz's pups are growing like weeds, now if she just would sleep through the night. I guess she just needs to know that I am there. I come down to her at least three times during the night and each time I go back up she is good for a couple hours or so without having to see me. Sometimes she needs to go potty but mostly wants to see me. When she is not with her babies she is with me. She is one of the most bonded dogs here. 

So I spend a couple of hours in the morning with the dogs. I have my coffee and they get a few cookies. They are really good and just find a favorite place to lie down. The minute I stand up it is chaos, they all jump up, thinking we are going somewhere. Just time for breakfast and I better get it in a hurry. They all know the word wait but they are not very patient.  They are ready to eat and right now. After breakfast the young dogs go out to the large fenced yard and spend the rest of the morning outside. It is good to get the fresh air and sunshine. The girls particularly need the sunshine to help keep their reproductive system working properly. Mother nature really knows what is needed.

Even though it gets chaotic at times the dogs really keep me sane and active. They do keep me young, I can't imagine being retired and not having these kids to keep me going. Especially when times are hard. 

Quinn was given to me by my friend Kathleen and everytime I look at Quinn I think of Kathleen. Quinn is a pretty blue merle girl and very attached already. I will do a story of Quinn another time. 

Well, it really is time for their breakfast, and their clocks are starting to remind them. 7:30 in the morning they need to eat.

 BEAUTIFUL BABIES, GOOD MOTHER!!

TAKE THE PUPS OUT, BRING THE PUPS IN

 If you want to get some good exercise all you need are two pups to house train. And they don't have to be real close in age. I kept the little tri female, who I had hand raised from Bonnie's litter. She is a smart one and was doing so well with house training, really catching on. Then I was left an 8 week old pup when my friend Kathleen passed. This little girl needs constant watching and taking out to potty. Thankfully I have two dog yards, one is fairly small and right off the kitchen, the other is much larger and out the back door. We have a walkout basement so have to go down a flight of stairs to get out.I tried taking both pups to the small area as I did not have to do the stairs. Well that did not work, all they wanted to do is play, no way would they concentrate on what they were supposed to do .And Skye who was almost five months and just about totally trained made it impossible for Callie to concentrate and learn the words "go potty". They had to be separated so I had to do the stairs. Callie finally learned the words without Skye to bug her. Now that Callie knows what is expected maybe I can put them together again, Skye says" no way, she is my toy and I am going to play with her." So the stairs are part of the routine. I have lost three pounds which is great and the exercise is actually good for me. So thanks to Skye I am getting into shape. House training two pups is not fun, but we are getting there.Once Callie grows a little more she will be able to hold her own when out with Skye. It seems like pups take a long time to grow and develop, but not really. Looking back the time actually goes quickly and before you know it you have a gangling teenager with no hair. But it sure feels good to have pups that get all excited when you ask them to go out and potty.

Do as much training as you can at this young age. Their little brains are like sponges and absorb everything so quickly. What you train now they will remember the rest of their lives.It is so rewarding seeing them learn so fast and remember everything. Puppies are so much fun.

 CALLIE AND SKYE

SO MUCH LOSS

 It has been a hard month, the loss of Keeper and then the loss of my best friend Kathleen. She lost her three year battle to cancer. She is so missed!  Her daughters have split up the Shelties and Alicia has taken the largest group to her home in W Virginia. . There she is continuing with her mothers passion, the breeding and raising of quality Shelties. The younger daughter also has 6 Shelties and will continue on in Fryeburg, Maine. The girls will work hard to keep their mothers passion going. 

Kathleen left me an eight week old pup. I certainly could not refuse such a gift. She has become best friends with Skye! The two of them keep each other going most of the day. House breaking two young pups sure is a challenge. Although Skye is almost trained and about ninety percent reliable. 

Topaz is keeping me in suspense as she did with her previous litter. I keep saying any day now. She is ruling my life. I can't leave her alone for any length of time. She is getting me up at least once during the night, hopefully we will have strong healthy pups and everyone will sleep during the night. I am so ready, these four thirty am mornings are getting very hard to handle. 

Once Topaz's pups have left, and I do plan to keep one this time, I plan to take a year off and see how I feel about breeding. I am ready for a very long break. 

Our Sheltie club has been in existence sine 1982. A long time and most of us who are still members are getting older. We need some new faces and new ideas to keep the club going on into the future. We would love some new people who are interested in learning more about the breed. We have programs for everyone's interest. We have educational events, fun events, some of the members show in conformation and obedience. Many are involved in agility and just having fun with their Shelties.  First and foremost they are our pets and friends. 

Everyone is welcome to attend the meetings and most meetings our Sheltie friends can also attend.

I hope to be more active with the blog. I am happy to answer any Sheltie related questions. If you need help with something, don't hesitate to ask.