Terra-Josh Puppies

Granpdpa

2006-10-24T12:32:00.000-07:00

Ava formerly Pink girl met up with her grandfather, Rex at a doggie fun day in CT, USA last weekend. She was able to sit still long enough to allow Rex's breeder/owner and my dear friend, Leslie to get this great photo. They look a lot alike even as far as the "star" shaped chest marking. Rex will be 11 years next spring.

Growing up...

2006-10-10T04:46:00.000-07:00

Norm and I worked on the Bravepoint web site yesterday. It is now up to date with new photos of both Terra and the puppies. Terra is happy to return to doing the things she loves and getting back into her old routine. We have received many photos of the kids in their new homes. New photos are posted on the 2006 litters page. The photo above is Bodie who lives in beautiful British Columbia.

New homes

2006-09-05T05:16:00.000-07:00

The puppies have all gone off to their new homes. I hope to continue to post updates here as often as I can. The web site will also have the latest photos and news.

Just as an intro to their new lives...

Pink girl is now Ava. Green girl is Xena. Ticked girl is Holly. Yellow girl is Haagan. Blue boy is Blue. Red boy is Bodie. Ticked boy is Tanzer and White boy is Trigger.

Last days

2006-08-24T18:40:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe that 8 weeks has passed since we welcomed 8 little puppies into our lives and home. What a summer! They are all loving, cuddly GSPs. Each an individual with a unique personality. I know if I go in their room wearing pants, the ticked boy will have a hold of them. I don't even need to look down anymore. I say "Tanzer" in a stern tone and he lets go. When I see one little face watching out of the window to see what's happening outside, it's the ticked girl, always curious. When we bring out the puppy cookies, pink girl is always first in line. These are just a couple of examples. We did a lot together, playing, cuddling, swimming, bird exposure, some clicker training (not as much as I had hoped but some), lots of photo sessions and just spending time together. I feel sad at the thought of them all leaving and going their separate ways but I am happy with the homes that I have chosen. My puppies will be as far away as Whistler, BC and Regina, SK and Connecticut, USA but close as well in Embrun and Stittsville. They will be much loved, appreciated and probably spoiled too. I hope to stay in touch with everyone thru email, phone calls and photos.

Trip to the vet

2006-08-23T05:14:00.000-07:00

Braden and I loaded all the puppies into the van for their vet visit yesterday. They each received their initial vaccination and a thorough examination. The vet found them all to be very healthy. Blue boy was the friendliest, wagging his tail thru the whole process though he did cry when the needle went in. They were all well behaved. I also got their nails done while we were there. It saved me doing it later and I think the vet techs appreciated cuddling the puppies. We were a huge hit with all of the staff and the few other patients. Who can resist a Shorthair puppy?

How much is that doggie in the window?

2006-08-22T16:27:00.000-07:00

Here's the gang staring out the window at the front yard and driveway. When I get home and park my van right outside, I see all these little faces peering out to see who is about to come in. It's so cute!

7 weeks

2006-08-19T16:19:00.000-07:00

The puppies have been enjoying themselves in the outdoor run for several weeks now. Today, it was hot and humid again so we put the kiddie pool in. They had fun walking around in the pool to cool off. The puppies are really into playing with each other these past few days. They tear around their room aka my dining room as fast they can go. It's often the same pairs of puppies that play together, red boy and ticked girl, white and blue boys. Sometimes, 3 or 4 are involved in the game. I bought a new chew toy today, a red rubber ring. They all recognized it as being different. Red boy had it and started racing around with all 7 litter mates in hot pursuit, too funny!

Swimming

2006-08-18T04:40:00.000-07:00

It was a beautiful day yesterday, perfect for the puppies trip to a lake. We packed them up into 1 large crate and Terra into another for the 30 minute drive. Evan and Braden both came along to help. We didn't want to rush it so we took 2 puppies out at a time. Evan took the photos. Blue walked right off the beach and into the water. He just swam right out towards Braden with no hesitation. All of the puppies swam several times either with some coaxing or with us taking them out a bit deeper and carefully supervising their swim back to shore. It was a lot of fun! Terra loves the water and she had the best time of all. The whole hour that we were there, she retrieved her bumper over and over. The puppies felt much more confident in the water seeing Terra running around having a good time. Needless to say, everyone slept the whole way home.

Birds

2006-08-15T05:03:00.000-07:00

Sunday afternoon, we had all hands on deck for the puppies first exposure to quail. Braden was in charge of the bird in harness on a fishing line. Norm was the official photographer. I was looking after the puppies. It was amazing to see their reactions. Most of them went over to investigate Norm, the tripod, camera, etc. He had it set up low at puppy level on the lawn and he was crouched down, a real target. Braden moved the quail, causing it to flap its wings which got the puppies attention. They were all interested in the bird, to varying degrees. Red boy didn't waste any time sightseeing but locked up on point right away. He was probably the most intense. We'll have a couple more bird sessions before the puppies start leaving next week.

6 weeks

2006-08-12T04:56:00.000-07:00

Norm and I spent a few hours yesterday afternoon taking puppy photos. We managed to get pretty good stacked and sitting photos of each puppy. It sure wasn't easy!These photos are all up on the web site under the 2006 Litters page.

The puppies are really getting into playing with each other. They chase each other around their room sliding across the newspaper that I have carefully laid out for them to use for their business. This usually causes them to grab the paper, run back to the dog bed and have a tugging match with another puppy over it. Needless to say, this game is a bit messy! The puppies love to play with their toys. I've been working clicker training towards a retrieve of a tiny tennis ball. They are all pretty receptive to this method since food is involved. I'm not sure if we'll have a full retrieve before they leave me but we're definitely on our way. Outside, the puppies are really playful in their run. We let them out a few at a time to explore the yard. I am picking up some birds today to try them on. Stay tuned for the update.....

Characters

2006-08-08T04:41:00.000-07:00

It's interesting how the puppies have become so in tune to their surroundings and the comings and goings in our busy household in the past week. They are in our dining room which is right next to the main entrance. We used to be able to come in and out of the front door and they would stay asleep on their dog bed. Now, every time the door opens, they all rush over to see who is coming in. I'll miss seeing them there when they start leaving in a few weeks. The windows in the dining room are low maybe 18" off the floor. The puppies are putting their paws on the sill so that they can see out of the windows into the yard. I need to get a photo of this but it could be tricky....

Every morning, they are frantic for their breakfast. I put the 3 dishes down and then try to clean up as much of the room as I can in the time that they're eating. Otherwise, the puppies are running thru the mess, jumping around and wanting to be picked up. Blue boy always leaves his breakfast and comes over to me wagging his tail for a quick kiss and a cuddle. Then, he goes back to eat with the others.

Pink girl seems to have the idea that she doesn't belong with the puppies but is much happier being out with the big dogs and me. She follows Terra not even trying to nurse. Evan was playing ball with her in the kitchen yesterday and she raced every time to get it. I wouldn't say that she is retrieving perfectly to hand but definitely on her way. My little ticked girl is not so little. She is probably the same size as Yellow and Green. Yellow is the biggest kisser always licking your face when someone picks her up. Green is really into the toys and likes to get the ball as well. All of the puppies are wagging their tails vigorously when I come into their room which is really cute.

5 weeks

2006-08-07T05:08:00.000-07:00

The puppies have had lots of visitors, old and young. Family visitors have been ranged from my niece, Robin (10 months) to my sons' grandmothers. Everyone gets the same enthusiastic greeting! Actually, it's more like a swarm of puppies. They all want to be picked up and cuddled.

We have had them out in the dog run several times a day for extended periods of time. They cry when Terra walks around the outside checking them over. Then, the puppies settle down and play with the toys, wrestle with each other and investigate the run. When they get tired, they fall asleep in a pile in the corner on the mat. We have been taking them in the kiddie pool with a bit more water. Some puppies are still a bit cautious but overall they are getting braver, walking around slowly. Green girl drank the pool water while she was in yesterday.

In the pool

2006-08-02T04:45:00.000-07:00

We have been having very hot, humid weather lately. Yesterday was the hottest yet, 48 C with the Humidex. It seemed like the perfect opportunity to take the puppies for a little dip in the kiddie pool. There was just an inch or so of water. They didn't seem to mind probably because they have all walked thru deeper water than that in their water dish. After being in the dog run for about 20 minutes and in the pool, the puppies were totally exhausted when we brought them back inside. It gave me the chance to trim their nails. I've been doing it once a week so that they're used to it when they go to their new homes. I have to say that the boys are the best especially Red. He doesn't fuss at all. Pink girl always has to shriek at least once as if I'm killing her. I think it's more the fact that I'm holding her paw firmly rather than the nails being done.

The individual personalities are starting to come out. I still can't say who is "top dog". Sometimes, the little ticked girl takes out the bigger, tougher puppies. We have heard some horrible puppy noises sounding like feral cats, Norm says. Terra always comes running when she hears these sounds. I have been taking the puppies out of their room on their own and taking them to other rooms in the house. They are cautious and very curious about their surroundings when in a new place. Terra is starting to play with them when they are not in the full group. She still gets swarmed when the whole litter sees her. It's still a bit much for the puppy but we keep Terra in check.

4 weeks

2006-07-30T10:39:00.000-07:00

It's getting harder to find the time to write.... The puppies are a busy group, playing with their toys and each other. Whenever they have human visitors, they all try to climb up on their laps for a cuddle. I tend to get swarmed whenever I go in their room. Not quite as bad as poor Terra but almost! She is only nursing them very briefly after each of their meals when she's allowed in to clean the dishes. The puppies hang off her which has caused a few scrapes on her nipples. Terra is still very concerned if any of her babies yelp loudly or make too much noise. She'll stand peering over the baby gate to make sure all is well.

The puppies look forward to their 4 feedings a day. They dive into the dishes jostling for position. They still end up wearing some of the food but they either clean it off each other or let momma, Terra do it when she comes in.

Most of them enjoy carrying toys around. Everything gets played with for a short time especially the squeaky, stuffed toys. They tend to shake them just like the big dogs do.

Outside, the puppies are getting much braver, wandering off from the group to explore the big world. It takes both Braden and I to keep an eye on them to make sure no puppy goes under the deck or thru the wrought iron fence.

Playing

2006-07-25T17:23:00.000-07:00

When Braden rolled out of bed at 10am, I said to him "The puppies are even cuter today than they were yesterday". His reply " Is that possible?"

The puppies are getting very in tune to their surroundings. They have started playing with the toys. The ticked boy picked up the teeny tennis ball this morning and carried it around. Green girl chewed on the mini Kong. Red boy dragged the stuffed toy with the squeaky to the dog bed. It was so funny as the toy isn't much smaller then him. Like kids the favourite toy is the cardboard paper towel rolls! We're going thru lots of rolls mopping up puddles....

Outside, they are venturing farther. I feel like a mother hen with my little chicks following when we go out in the front yard. Terra stays inside much to her disappointment. I know the puppies would focus totally on her and nursing if she came out.

Update: White boy is over 4lbs or 1.8 kg!

Big Day

2006-07-23T14:27:00.000-07:00

We decided to take out the whelping box this afternoon. The puppies could get out but not back in which was very noisy in the middle of the night. I ended up pushing the box over against the wall to block the doorway at 4am. It worked! No escapees. The puppies now have the entire dining room minus the furniture. I have installed my extra large Vari Kennel for them to go in and for me to put them in when I need to clean up. They prefer the dog bed which has Terra's scent on it.

The puppies are now "eating" 4 meals of mushy food a day. There is still a lot of food on them but they are eating it too. Terra comes in to lick the food up and will sometimes let them nurse. They have lots of teeth, top and bottom. I don't imagine it can be too pleasant to have a bunch of puppies hanging off of you trying to nurse while you're walking around. She's pretty good about it. We don't leave her with them too long. Last night, Terra slept all night in the basket by the bed just like old times.

Today, we took the puppies outside for the first time. They weren't too sure about grass and being in a different place. 4 of 8 had poops when we were outside, good puppies!

Day 20

2006-07-20T11:26:00.000-07:00

The puppies started on "solid" food today at lunch. What a mess! The sound of smacking was so funny. There was more food on the puppies than in their tummies. They licked themselves and each other. We had red boy sit in the food. Green girl and blue boy walking in it. Braden helped wash the puppies and dry them after the meal was done. Terra enjoyed cleaning up the dishes. She was leaning so far into the whelping box that both of her back legs were off the ground. I tried to get the camera but not in time. We'll try to get meal time photos this weekend.

Update @ 2pm: The ticked boy tumbled out of the whelping box!

Two weeks old

2006-07-15T04:50:00.000-07:00

Amazing changes in the past 2 days! The puppies can walk around the perimeter of the whelping box without toppling over. Eyes are mostly open. They have discovered their voices. We were awakened by barking this morning at 6am. Terra was watching them weaving in and out of her legs in surprise yesterday.

Yellow girl and I were having a cuddle and she was staring intently at me. I made a chirping noise and her ears went up. She's very alert. Green girl is also very alert, watching Terra go in and out of the box. Pink girl is the most stable when she walks. The little ticked girl is still much smaller than the others but is always right in there when it's feeding time. Her ticking is really starting to come in. The boys are all getting big and strong. Blue and red are really cuddly. White boy is not quite as flashy as he was as his legs are starting to get ticked. The ticked boy is everyone's favourite. Don't worry Sean and Erin. I tell them he's taken!

Soon the puppies will be able to climb out of the whelping box and then the fun really starts.

Day 10

2006-07-10T05:49:00.000-07:00

The first week has passed and all of the puppies continue to thrive. Weight gains have been huge, in most cases doubling their birth weights. They are almost up on their legs walking. Some are able to take a few steps before toppling over. Yellow girl is the most stable. Ticked boy is getting darker as are the ticked paws of the liver puppies. Ticked girl is going to be bright ticked like her father, Josh while her brother will be dark like his grandma, Avery. White and pink tried to bark today. The noise was more like a sneeze but I think it was an attempt at a bark.

This morning, I attempted to trim all of the puppies nails by myself. You know you're getting old when.... you have to find the 1.25 magnification glasses to do teeny, tiny nails. Terra had never seen me wear them before (probably because I haven't had to yet) so was sniffing and licking the glasses. She wasn't much help! Red boy was the easiest, sleeping through the first 3 paws. Green girl was the only one that got a nail cut too short. She has the least amount of white on her toes so has more dark nails.

Terra continues to be a very attentive mother though she has been leaving her babies for slightly longer periods of time. She's been out for a few walks and even hanging out in the back yard with Moka and Avery. When she comes inside, Terra always rushes to the whelping box to make sure the puppies are all present and accounted for.

Day 6

2006-07-06T05:36:00.000-07:00

It's amazing how much individual personalities are already evident in the puppies. Evan always picks up yellow girl, given a choice. She just fits into the palm of his hand, curls up and sleeps peacefully, a real cuddler. Pink girl is the tank. She is the biggest puppy even outweighing the boys. When it's feeding time, she plows under the others in her quest for a place. This makes everyone squeal and squirm but Pink is oblivious. The ticked girl is quite small compared to the others. She doesn't let that get in her way. What she doesn't have in size, she makes up for in attitude! Green girl is right in the middle along with her brother, Blue. Ticked and white boys are both outgoing and not afraid to voice their disapproval with Terra's grooming. Red boy is the next biggest besides Pink. He's almost as laid back as Yellow, another cuddler. I know that we will discover much more over the weeks to come and initial observations may change. They are an active, hungry bunch of puppies!

Vet Visit

2006-07-04T12:10:00.000-07:00

Tails and dew claws were done today! I loaded everyone up into the van. The puppies were in a small crate all cozied up together. Terra was in her crate beside them. I felt that I should take her as Braden was the only one home and I didn't want him to have to deal with Terra if she flipped out. Rachel met me at the clinic and kept Terra company while I took the puppies in. We took Terra for a walk down at Petrie Island which was almost under water after the big storm and torrential downpour last night. Braden had instructions to change the bedding in the whelping box while I had all of the puppies out. He helped me unload everyone when we got home. Terra was quite concerned with the crying of her brood. I let her lick them making sure she didn't chew off the glue on their tails. They all settled down to be comforted and nursed by their mom. Dr Dunning thought the puppies looked healthy and active. Diane trimmed all of the nails as well for me. What a lot of nails, 16 per pup x 8 = 128! It'll be my weekly job from now on.

Terra is getting back to her thinner self pretty quickly. Her appetite is good. She actually left the puppies long enough this morning to stare at me eating my breakfast in the hopes of a morsel. Grandma Avery loves puppies and has been dying for a peek. Terra let her see the gang but didn't want her too close. Avery watched them over the side of the whelping box, tailing wagging and crying. She can't wait to be allowed to help out with the grooming of the grandpups!

Day 3

2006-07-03T07:20:00.000-07:00

The puppies are all doing well. Pink girl is the biggest and everyone else gets bowled over if she wants to eat. The ticked girl is the smallest so we are making sure she gets lots of opportunities to nurse. The puppies are weighed daily right now so we know that they are all gaining weight.

Terra was born with only 7 nipples. In the middle of June, she started to develop and 8th one... Norm said half jokingly that she must be going to have 8 puppies. The vet had never seen such a thing when I showed her last week. We never thought it would be functional. Well, the 8th nipple appears to work just fine and is producing milk. No waiting for any of the puppies!

We are going to be using Dr. Carmen Battaglia's "Bio Sensor method" with this litter. This is an early neurological stimulation program.For details, check out this link: http://www.breedingbetterdogs.com/achiever.html
We started today and will continue til Day 16.

The puppies are only handled by myself, Norm, Evan and Braden in these early days. Terra is very watchful when we handle her babies and does not like to hear them fuss. Tomorrow is a big day, tails and dewclaws will be done.

Puppies are here!

2006-07-01T06:45:00.000-07:00

After a long week of watching Terra and anticipating the "big" day.... the puppies arrived Friday afternoon, June 30. Terra's temperature dropped Thursday indicating that labour should start within 24 hours. When nothing had happened Friday morning, I took her in to the vet. We did an Xray which showed 8 or 9 puppies as there was a lot of overlap of spines and pelvises. Her vitals were all OK so Dr. Cliche felt things would start happening later that day.

At 1:20pm, Terra's water broke. Norm and Braden had just left for the Robbie soccer tournament in Toronto but when I called, they came home to help. Thank goodness that they did! The first puppy started coming out at 1:40pm but it wasn't making any progress even with Terra pushing hard. After over 20 minutes of pushing, Norm carried her to the van and we drove to the vet. Dr. Cliche was able to pry the puppy out and then things went relativley quickly. We stayed at the clinic and delivered 8 healthy puppies. There are 4 boys, 3 solid liver and 1 ticked and 4 girls, 3 solid liver and 1 ticked.

The new family has settled nicely into the whelping box in our dining room. Terra is an attentive mother. I have to coax her to go outside to the bathroom. She is constantly feeding and cleaning her new puppies. Evan and I have color coded the puppies with rick rack so that everyone can follow their progress and know which one we are referring to. We have pink, green and yellow girls. The boys are blue, white and red. The ticked puppies are easy to pick out in photos and I'll refer to them as ticked boy or girl when describing them here.