Tuc's Favorite Chew Items

The Tucmeister is doing just fine acclimating to our gang. I think we're officially "his" already (he's right at home, strutting his stuff, barking when he protests something, playing hard, sleeping just as hard, only whimpering a minute or two when we crate him, nearly housebroken, sleeping 7 hours at night now, etc.). He's even warmed up to Baxter, by whom he was completely intimidated when the Boos returned with Sarah and Chris yesterday. I suspect Baxter's size had something to do with it (poor little guy hid behind Kenya when Boos first came in). ;o)

And being a little Labby, Tuc loves to chew. Here are some of his favorite chew items right now:


Booda ropes, especially if they're in Pinot's or Kenya's mouths:



Nylabones of any kind:



Mom's shoelaces (anywhere, anytime, moving or still):



The camera strap:


The toys Grandma Teese (Theresa of Sundancer Labs in AZ) gave me:


And soft toys, rawhides, the other canine kids' collars and tags, the other kids' tails, and the edges of the water bowl. :o)

So far he's staying out of chewing trouble, sticking mostly with what he's supposed to chew on. And he responds excellently to "ah, ah, ah" and "leave it" if we catch him chewing on a no-no item.

What a pup! He fits right in, and the big kids have really taken to him (especially Kenya and Pinot). I couldn't have asked for a better transition.

So, okay then...when's the other foot going to fall?

'Til next,
Joan

Tuc Finds His Voice

In this video, Tuc protests the fact that Pinot won't share.



What a little pipsqueak he is!

'Til next time,
Joan

Settling In

Tuc is officially Kenya's and Pinot's littermate now.

This morning, he actually snagged the booda rope from the girls (they let him have it) and trotted away with it like he was God's Gift to Creation while the two of them followed making "play" attempts at getting the rope back from him.

Talk about hilarious. And his victory didn't last long (all of about 20 seconds). :o)

Kenya and Pinot are taking him in like he's a little bro.

Since Elsie is in heat (and due to mate with Ridge early next week), she's oblivious to it all. Ridge's attention is, of course, ELSE-where (hehe).

And, get this: Elsie is moving into prime heat over the next few days, and Pinot just started to drip this morning (yup, Pinot is in heat, too).

Pass the Benedryl, please. :o) (Our vet recommends Benedryl as a light sedative for Ridge when the girls are in heat).

Oh...I forgot...I have to be away next week to teach at a conference. Doggone it! Shucks. Too bad. I won't be here for all the excitement (and the all-night howling). ;o) Can you hear how disappointed I am?

Hehe.

Seriously, Don is taking next week off to be here with the kids (of all varieties). I'm away Monday through Thursday, then we help the newlyweds pack and load their trucks/vans/cars Thursday PM and Friday, after which they head off into the sunrise (Maine is east of us) for their new life together. Don is a master packer (one of his college jobs many years ago was working for North American Van Lines), so while he's puppy-sitting (Tuc), mating supervising (Ridge & Elsie), and chastity protecting (Pinot), he'll be helping Sarah and Chris get ready for their move.

And Baxter will be home with them all week, too (Sarah and Chris return from the cottage with Baxter today).

Teaching at the conference, normally exhausting, is starting to sound like a vacation to me.

:o)

As I write this, the little Tuc-meister is really into pounce-and-play (early morning and evening seem to be his super active times). :o) I guess that means he's feeling at home.

And that means next week's conference is looking even more like a vacation!

'Til next time,
Joan

P.S. Here's a sample romp-story in pictures (aka, Mornings at My House):


Pinot and Tuc tug the rope together:


Pinot decides to trot away with the rope with Tuc in tow:


Tuc lets go -- "Hey Pinot, wait up!"


Pinot stops, turns, and teases Tuc with the rope:



Ah, but the little guy manages to snag the rope, then runs behind the recliner with it. Poor Pinot. "Hey, Tuc...where'd'ya go?"


"Tuc, are you over here on this side?"


"There you are back on the other side! I think I'll just grab the rope and pull you right out over the magazine rack!"


"Let's do it again!"

Introducing Tuc (pronounced "Tuck")

We're all back safe and sound from the overnight to AZ to pick up the pupmeister, as well as from the emergency run to pick up my niece in NH (yup, it was 16.5 hours in the car yesterday). More on all that later (I'll get to that in another post).

We have really IMPORTANT stuff to get to :o)

Here he is: "Tuc" (official registered name: "Sundancer's Stoney Ridge Tucson," called "Tuc" for short and officially pronounced tuck ).


I took the following three pictures out in AZ where I picked the pup up two days ago. This first is of Tuc with his breeder, Theresa of Sundancer Labs. The other Lab in the picture is Tuc's cousin by adoption, our former Mr. Blue and Pinot's brother, now called Copper (from last fall's Elsie/Ridge litter) and newest member of the Sundancer gang:


Here's Tuc with his littermates (the black pup closest to the crate at the rear of the kennel):


And here's Tuc in his favorite sleeping position up against the crate in puppy-area inside Theresa's home:


The rest of the pictures are located here, at our place, all taken since my return very late Sunday night (well, 2 a.m. Monday morning, really).

When we arrived home (after Tuc spent 7 HOURS in his travel bag -- I'll post about our travel nightmare separately), we gave the little guy plenty of time to sniff around indoors and out, but we didn't introduce him to the other dogs at that time -- didn't want to overwhelm him. So he met Sarah and Chris and Don and got to explore his new digs. Then by 3 a.m. we were all ready for bed.

Tuc slept in his crate in the family room with me sleeping on the sofa cushions on the floor right next to him. And he slept a good 3.5 hours (and kept his crate dry!).

I suspect he would've slept longer, but my sister called at 6:45 a.m to tell us about her daughter getting sick in New Hampshire and her needing me to ride along to pick up my niece to bring her home to her doctors here (another story). The phone woke Tuc up, but I took him right outside where he potty'd well. :o)

Here he is in his crate just before his first "night" here:



After I left for NH, Don let Tuc meet and romp with the gang! Well, he met the gang he'll live with anyway. Baxter is up at the cottage with Sarah and Chris this week, so Tuc only met Kenya, Pinot, Elsie, and Ridge.

Here are Tuc and Kenya getting acquainted (these photos courtesy of Don):



Pinot, Tuc, and Kenya starting to play:


Here are Pinot and Tuc checking each other out:


Don tells me Tuc had a great day. I didn't get back from NH until 2:40 this morning, so I missed Tuc's first full day here. But today, he's doing fabulously.

He's also developed a few favorite spots in the house to hang out in, the #1 of which seems to be underneath the kitchen chairs beneath whichever person happens to be sitting at the table at the time. Don took a personal day today (in case I was too tired to make the complete 16.5 hour round trip yesterday and had to stay at a hotel). I made it back, but Don's being here worked well so I could sleep in this morning. Don just worked from home.

Tuc parked himself underneath Don while Don was on his telecons and handling e-mail.

Here he is, all stretched out, snoozing away:


So, we're all well and adjusting nicely. No potty accidents today (only one yesterday with Don). And the crate's been dry (Tuc made it through the night last night).

What a sweet, charming, secure, confident, affectionate, well-mannered pup he is! Theresa and Jeff (Theresa's DH) and Tabitha (their daughter) have done a wonderful job socializing and working with him. If you're interested in a Lab, I'd highly recommend them (Sundancer Labs): they are just fabulous (and knowledgeable) with their dogs. In fact, Theresa's been my mentor through our breeding endeavors here. Much of what I know I've learned from her. :o)

Tuc's a great pup. And I must admit, having Tuc will make the transition to life without Baxter a whole lot easier (though the Boos will always be my bud).

That's enough for now. I'll post more soon -- I just need a nap. The hours of traveling I've put in since Saturday have worn me out! ;o)

'Til next time,
Joan

We're Baaaaack!

We're back.

Nightmare plane ride (but the pupster was a trooper!).

And the pupster's official name is now "Sundancer's Stoney Ridge Tuscon" and we will call him Tuc (as in "Tuck") and "Tucker" for short.

Gotta run -- family emergency -- need to drive to NH (8 hours one way) for round trip pick up of my sick niece. So what's another 16 hours of travel in a day, eh?

Tucker is doing fine, and will be wonderfully watched by Sarah and Chris, the newlyweds for the day, then by Jon (youngest son), then by Don this evening.

Not the ideal for him, but he's met everyone and loves them all (full wiggle butts for each!).

Will post more with lots of pics tomorrow!

Ciao,

'til next time,
Joan

Our New Canine Kid Arrives Sunday

Here's Master Green as of the 4th of July! Many thanks, Theresa at Sundancer Labs in AZ (where we're getting Master Green), for the photo. Isn't he a happy boy!
























From what I hear, he's pretty mellow and low key, too (sound familiar? -- perhaps a bit like our big galloot of a couch potato mellow guy who's moving to Maine?) :o)

He apparently slept through his vet check, shots, and microchip insert. :o)

This is Master Green snoozing at the vet's last week (compliments again of Theresa at Sundancer):






















I fly to AZ tomorrow, will stay with my brother Saturday PM, then big bro will drive me out to Theresa's (Sundancer Labs) early Sunday morning where we'll pick up Master Green, and I'll get to see Copper, our former Mr. Blue puppy. Then big bro will drive me back to the airport where I catch the plane to fly home Sunday afternoon with the pup in tow in a specially designed, airline approved, puppy carry-on that will store under the seat in front of me. :o) I'll get home late Sunday PM EDT.

I'll post more when I get back :o).

In the meantime we down to deciding between TWO names: Calvin or Luther.

We, of course, have to see what his personality is like, but would anyone out there care to cast a vote?

'Til next time,
Joan

The Deed is Done!

The Sweet Sarah Girl Child is married! She and Chris tied the knot on the 28th, then honeymooned in Saint Lucia, then returned two days ago.

And all went well -- far beyond our hopes and expectations (and theirs, too, I think). I couldn't have asked for more.

:o)

This shot is from the rehearsal dinner (a wonderful event hosted by Chris's family).















The next few are from the wedding (the delay in my blogging has been my wait to get some real photos!):





































Here's the new couple making their grand entrance at the reception. The sunglasses were a hit! The entire bridal party wore them for their entrances.




















Oh, and have I ever introduced you to my three original human kids? Together? Here they are: l to r: Jon (20), Sarah (21, almost 22), Dan (24)

























Since the wedding I now have four human kids (welcome, Chris!). We're not into that "in-law" thing. Chris is just another member of the family now. Yay! ;o)

And we still have our canine kids, too, who have been seriously requesting more attention from us with all the attention we've given the human kids over the last few weeks. (Sorry, Lab-kids, but sometimes the human kids have to take precedence!)

Geez... even canines do the sibling rivalry thing!

Baxter, Elsie, Ridge, Kenya, and Pinot are, of course, delighted that home life is returning to normal. They love hanging out in the kitchen when we're cooking (or making fruit salad as Don is below):


























And we're back to doing more training and playing and exercising and such with them now that the big event is over with (more on that in another post to come).

In two very short weeks, however, we'll be "losing" Baxter, Sarah, and Chris to Maine. A Royal Bummer :o( for us, but TERRIFIC for them (honestly -- we're delighted for them).

And we can always visit (Maine is beautiful).

But in just two days we'll have ANOTHER addition to the family (Master Green from AZ) to distract us. I'm flying out Saturday to pick him up and will return Sunday. I'll post his most recent pictures separately.

So... the deed is done. We're all tickled, exhausted, relieved, and looking forward to this next season of life. We're gradually reclaiming a new normalcy.

God-willing, and hopefully, this next season will be filled with good things and life and joy (unlike the last season).

We're looking at Sarah's and Chris's wedding and the arrival of Master Green as the start of all things good for a while -- a change of tide, if you will. We're due, I think.

In any case we really needed this joyous, fun event. It's done us all good.

And congrats, Sarah and Chris! We love you both and wish you all the joy your new life together can hold!

'Til next time,
Joan

Our Getting-Married Daughter's Life with Our Labs

This is my all-time favorite picture of Sarah, our Sweet Girl Child, and Baxter:


And in seven short days the wedding bells will ring for her. As you might expect, we're neck-deep in last-minute details and all the little things we now realize we forgot to do.

One of those was to pull old pictures to scan for the PowerPoint loop we're displaying at the reception. The loop will include photos of Sarah's growing-up years co-mingled with photos of Chris's (her fiance's) growing-up years, followed by more recent photos of the two of them together.

So DH and I spent hours yesterday pouring through boxes and boxes of photos and albums we haven't seen in years (I never was good about organizing my photos, and don't even ask me about scrap-booking!). We had great fun (and surprisingly few tears) reminiscing about our human kids' childhoods.

In the process, I found old photos we've taken of our Labs -- a great reminder of just how integral they've been to our lives (DH's and mine) and those of our children.

Permit me, if you will then, to indulge in a few memories as a tribute to the gift we have in our human and canine kids alike. I think the following photos will warm you heart nearly as much as they do mine.

This first batch is specifically a tribute to our Sarah Girl, whose huge heart, tenderness toward all things living, and exuberance for life enrich all who know and love her (more than she knows). She and our Labs have been buds for a long, long time:

In the last two years with Kenya as a pup, Mamma Elsie, and Elsie's newborns:



With the Baxter Boos and Ridge!


With the Elsie pup back in 2005:


With Baxter, as a little squirt, back in 2003


And what's really fun, is that our soon-to-be son-in-law shares Sarah's heart (love, tenderness, etc.) for living things (I suspect that's why he's starting med school). He and Sarah were a great help in socializing the pups from Elsie's last litter:





And with helping Kenya with her transition to our family two years ago:



All of our kids have loved all of our Labs through the years (and our Labs have loved them). I wish I could post photos from when they were young, but my scanner is giving me fits. So this first batch will have to do.

We're thoroughly tickled about the wedding, and we love Chris to pieces. Of course, any suitor wanting to marry our daughter had to pass the Lab test and the Cottage test (he had to love both, and the Labs had to love him), and Chris "passed" with flying colors. :o)

We couldn't be more pleased. :o) :o)

So join me, won't you, in wishing them well as they start their new life together! Med school is no picnic, especially as newlyweds and on top of an out-of-state move, but they'll have the Baxter Boos with them in Maine to smooth rough edges along the way (we'll miss you, big time, Boos!).


If you feel like inundating them with well wishes (that would be fun), feel free to e-mail them or send e-cards to Sarah (sarah.esherick@gmail.com) or Chris (cjwatras@gmail.com). Be sure to tell them your from LabTails. :o)

They're great kids starting a good life together; I'm glad one of our Labs can join them along the way. :o)

Thanks for indulging me. It's a bitter-sweet time.

'Til next time,
Joan