Harrumph!

Poor Ridge.

Poor Baxter.

Poor Elsie.

Poor Kenya.

(Pinot's oblivious.)

Daddy Don is hunting again. But now it's deer season (last week it was bear).

And these poor dogs only know that Dad put on his hunting cap and left them behind!

You've got to get the context here.

See, Don's hunting cap looks an awful lot like the baseball cap he puts on when he takes the dogs into the woods or out for a hike on the dirt roads around our house or over to the hunt club.

To the four big dogs, baseball cap = ohboyohboyohboyohboyIgettogoplaywithDad!

Ah, but this time, and last week, nobody got to go.

They don't understand that Labs don't retrieve black bear or white-tail deer. They don't get that it wouldn't be safe for them, particularly our yellows, and in particular Ridge, to roam the woods when other hunters (some, perhaps, less than careful about what they shoot at) are gunning for venison.

All they know is Dad left us behind! Aghast! How could he??? Such betrayal!

Pinot, of course, is oblivious. She's just a happy girl, trit-trotting through life right now. She hasn't made the connection between Don's hats and adventure.

But Baxter, Elsie, Ridge, and Kenya have, and they are all depressed because they couldn't go.

Harrumph.

What they'll never understand is that not all activities are suited to Labs. Not all work, even in the field, is suited to retrievers.

The same goes for humans. It's a lesson I'm still learning.

But once learned, it's liberating.

For some time now (the last three years, actually), I've been working on retainer for a non-profit organization - a solid organization whose purpose, vision, and values I can absolutely support. The problem is, I've been doing things for them for which I'm really not well-suited (lots of admin, design, and IT stuff). And when I do write for them (I'm supposed to be their writer), I mostly put other people's ideas into words for them. I write their stuff, like a ghost-writer does. Not mine.

But I am a writer. And I've REALLY missed writing -- committing my ideas, my heart, my passion, my interests, to paper or computer screen in ways that are accessible and meaningful for my readers.

I'm also a speaker and teacher (something I curtailed to keep more time available for my retainer work), and I've missed speaking at conferences and retreats (though 2008 is filling up pretty quickly now that I'm back in the speaking arena again).

It may have taken a few years, but I've finally realized that I need to pursue work for which I was designed and created. I need to write.

Trying to do something that wasn't suited to me has been draining me dry, sucking the life from my soul. Like a Lab trying to retrieve a 300-pound black bear, I've been straining to do something I was never meant to do.

I may be dense, but the lightbulb finally switched on in my head. I need to do what I'm designed to do -- my gifts, my talents, my passions. I'll be miserable otherwise.

So I submitted my resignation just over a week ago, and as of December 7th, I'll be reentering full-time freelancing again.

I'm letting go of some good things (my retainer work) in order to pursue the best.

Now if only I could get the dogs to realize that birds, not bear or deer, are the best for them!

'Til next time,
Joan

Warmth in the Cold

It's finally getting cold outside. Over the past week, we've had nighttime temps in the 20s (daytime highs in the 40s).

It's still not cold enough to be my kind of weather, but it's chilly enough to warrant our starting the wood stove.

Elsie and Kenya couldn't be happier.

They love curling up in front of a blazing fire -- sometimes so close I think the radiating heat will singe their whiskers (but it never does).

There's just something about the fire that attracts them.

When it's cold outside, there's nothing like a warm fire or a steaming beverage to nudge the chill away. Kenya and Elsie know this.

We do, too.

But I think it's the same when we experience "cold" circumstances or "cold" relationships. If we're going to survive them, we need to draw close to other sources of warmth..

I'm thinking about a couple of things as I write this:

• a long-standing, trusted relationship (of decades) that's grown cold
  
• my old workplace (a place of function, productivity, and teamwork, but rarely genuine warmth)
• a church issue (again, a place of function and productivity, but again little warmth)
• misunderstandings and false accusations
• a really difficult family issue
  

If I'm going to survive these things, that is, if I'm going to remain healthy (relationally, emotionally, spiritually, psychologically), I need to draw near to those things that warm me.

It's simple for Elsie and Kenya; a burning wood-stove provides their seasonal warmth. What provides warmth for me when circumstances or people grow cold?

• playing with my canine kids (of course! -- would you expect anything else?)
• relaxing with my husband
• giggling with my human kids
  
• hanging out with warm, caring friends
• curling up with a hot cup of tea and a good book
• doing those things I know I'm good at or feel good about
• re-reading saved notes of encouragement others have sent me over the years (I have something called a "joy box" where I keep notes like these)
• inhaling nature
• writing entries for my blogs
• interacting with you all
  

Life's been pretty cold here lately. But your interaction with me (via comments) and the other things on my list above keep my relational heart beating strong.

I have a warm, steady life pulse even now, despite recent icy blasts.

And I will. But only as long as I remember to come in from the cold and warm myself by the fire.

Thanks for being a source of warmth for me.

'Til next time,
Joan

She's One of Us!

Pinot is definitely one of us these days (apples don't fall far from their trees):

• She comes and sits at the sound of the ice maker (my guys love ice cubes).
• She sits and waits patiently for treats and food (notice the new photo under the blog title in the left margin at the top of this page. I just had to update the official photo, you know!).
• She loves being outdoors, sometimes just sitting and watching (the way Elsie does).
• She thoroughly enjoys snoozing in the sunshine.
• She loves to work (we're still just doing basic training for only about 5 minutes at a time).
• She loves to romp with the big dogs.
• She alerts immediately to any kind of bird sounds (even if they're on TV).

And....

She's a lap dog (go figure)!

Her favorite lap seems to be DH's, of course (you'll get no argument from me - hehe). But she's content with other laps, too.

Here she is on Thanksgiving:










































And yesterday morning with Don while he was trying to work from home (hehe):























And yesterday afternoon, sound asleep on DD's lap:









































Well, that is, until Mama Elsie decided she wanted Sarah's lap (notice Ridge far right on the couch - it's musical laps for dogs!):






















And she is, as are the rest, a snuggler:





















Some hunting-dog folks would tell us we're ruining the dogs -- softening them too much.

But I disagree.

I don't think dogs can ever be too people-oriented. The mutual affection between human and canine only strengthens the bond between master and working dog, and therefore strengthens their ability to work effectively together. Yes, Don is the task-master around here (firmer with the dogs than I -- he's the primary trainer), but he's also the primary snuggler.

And it shows. The dogs do what he asks them to do. And they vie for his lap. :o)

No, we're not softening our dogs in undesirable ways; we're socializing them. We're encouraging them to be even more people-friendly then their Lab genes alone would allow them to be.

And that, truth be told, makes them even more responsive in the field.

I'd say it's a win-win. :o)

Now we just need a bigger sofa (or more human laps!).

'Til next time,
Joan

Pinot's Pillows

Ahhh...the life of a puppy!

Eat. Sleep.
Play. Sleep.
Pee and poo. Sleep
Romp with big dogs. Sleep.
"Work" all of about 5 minutes, a couple times a day (basic manners training). Sleep.
Observe the world. Sleep.
Run. Sleep.
Scavenge crumbs off the dishwasher door. Sleep.
Hang out on the hammock. Sleep.
Chew. Sleep.
Crate. Sleep.
Yawn. Sleep.
Then sleep some more.

So, in tribute to a puppy's need for sleep, here are the many pillows of Pinot:

The sofa cushion:

Grandma's Lap:

The Hammock:

Ridge:

Baxter (especially Baxter's butt):

Kenya (who then uses Elsie -- the domino effect!):

Mom (Elsie):

Sofa + air (this can't be comfortable!):

Puppies can sleep just about anywhere in just about any position.

I wish we could say the same for humans.

'Til next time,

Joan (whose drug-induced sleep on a 757 during a 9-hour flight still wasn't restful!)

Home Again!

We're back from Copenhagen. :o) And we had a wonderful trip. Poor hubby had to work most of the time. I had to work only one day, then spent the rest of the week bopping around the city on my own. What fun.

I saw surprisingly few dogs during my wanderings. Two of the four I saw during the week were Labs, which made me miss home, of course.

The first thing we did after our return and a stock-up run to the grocery store was pick up Pinot. She had great fun playing with her sister, Dakota, all week. I was delighted to see she recognized us and recognized her home after a week away.

That was Sunday PM, and the rest of the canine kids couldn't be picked up from the kennels until Monday, so we had full evening of enjoying Pinot to ourselves. What a snuggle bear!

It was the first time, however, that she'd ever been without a canine companion. Since birth, her litter mates or our gang have been around for her to play with. The poor little girl roamed around whimpering and looking for her buds off and on all evening.

She was fine as long as we were near. But she didn't like being left alone.

Until it was time for bed, that is. Then she quite happily entered her crate and settled down to sleep -- something that took me completely by surprise. I fully expected a night of her crying. But she seemed secure, even content, there. If that's not a plug for crate-training, I don't know what is.

Monday, I picked up the other four dogs. And Pinot could barely contain her excitement or her enthusiasm (same went for the gang).


Once they had the wiggles out of their systems, they all settled back into a normal routine, while Pinot took great advantage of the hammocks we've now moved indoors, claiming them as her own. :o)

She's a happy girl now -- glad to be with Elsie, Baxter, Ridge, and Kenya, and she doesn't seem to miss her litter mates anymore. In fact, Kenya has turned out to be her new playmate; she's a wonderful "aunt" to Pinot. I'll post more about that later this weekend.

So, we're back. And the gang is back in their routine. We're no longer in litter-mode (the other pups are gone, everything is all cleaned up, and we have our house back again -- it's actually a relief at this point, and just in time for the holidays). And we're all doing well.

It's good to be home.

'Til next time,
Joan

AWAY message - So You Won't Worry

I'll be away (in Denmark) with Dear Hubby for the next week.

We've got neighbors watching the house, and he human kids dropping by now and then to check on things here as they can.

The canine kids, at least the four older ones, are playing at the kennels all week.

And Pinot gets to go play at her sister's house (formerly Miss Pink, now "Dakota") since Dakota's mom is a pet sitter and takes pet boarders. :o)

So Pinot can play with Dakota all week, which is good timing. It will help her get over her Copper and Killian leaving over this past weekend.

And the rest of our crew can hang out with each other!

And we'll be back on the weekend.

I just thought I'd give you all the heads up so you don't worry if I don't post for the next 8 or 9 days.

We're all fine (us, human kids, and canine kids included)!

Have a great week! I'll check in after we get the gang home again.

'Til next time,
Joan

Just Pinot - The Update

Poor little Pinot girl is missing her litter mates, especially the two brothers with which she's been playing for the past two weeks. It's just been the three of them, so Copper's and Killian's leavings have been hard on her.



Not to worry, though. Pinot is getting boatloads of snuggles with us, though, and boatloads of time with our gang -- even crating now and then with Kenya, which they both thoroughly enjoy, so she'll adjust in time, I'm sure.



She also likes sleeping with Baxter or Kenya on the couch or with Elsie on the hammock. She likes playing with Ridge and Kenya best it seems. :o)




She just went in for her 10-week check-up at the vet's and...the GREAT NEWS is this: Pinot's heart murmur is GONE -- no sign of it at all! It must have been a puppy anomaly. Yay!!!!!

She's a little sweetie pie; even more of a peanut head than Kenya. And she's doing fabulously with crate training (all night, no problem, and no indoor accidents at all in the last three days -- almost housebroken!).

And she's responding well to "here" "sit" "wait" "no bite" "leave it" and "ah-ah-ah" (what I use instead of "no"). She's a smart little one.

And she's up to a whopping 22 pounds!!! (Everybody else is at about 25 pounds or more). She still, however, looks underweight to me.

That's our little girl! And she's a whopping 10 weeks old now!

My, where did those weeks go????

'Til next time,
Joan

Mr. Green and Mr. Blue go Home!

Well, we're down to just our Pinot now (formerly Miss Black). Mr. Green, now called "Killian," left us yesterday afternoon for his new home. Here he is with his new forever family:



And Mr. Blue flew to AZ with his new "mom" Theresa on Friday. Here are a few shots of him (now called "Copper") with his new forever family at his new home:






I think Copper and Killian are going to have a ball in their new homes. We're tickled with their placements and, again, couldn't be more pleased.

Knowing the pups have all gone to such great new families makes it so much easier to part with them. I will admit, however, that it's been bittersweet to let them go.

I just thought you'd all like to know!

'Til next time,
Joan

Lessons from Puppies - the Lighter Side

Okay, so I had my moment of pontificating yesterday.

Now that that's out of my system, here are a few more lessons from life with puppies, from the lighter side of the lesson coin:

1. Always, always wear shoes outside. Always. Unless you enjoy the feeling of nice warm mud oozing between your toes only to realize it's not mud.

2. The more you try to avoid poo piles, the more likely it is you'll step in them. It must be the same principle at work here that makes dieting so impossible.

3. When you enter the arena of life (or the puppy pen), wear shin guards. You know, like they wear in hockey....the ones that cover your knees, shins, ankles, and feet. This is particularly true once the pups get their razor teeth, sickle-like toenails, and can stand on their hind legs (velociraptors anyone?). In fact, maybe an entire professional-ice-hockey-goalie's uniform would be a good idea. Nah...then you'd never feel the warmth of puppy kisses or the delicious aroma of puppy breath. :o) Shin guards will have to do.

4. Selective hearing (or a deaf ear) is a good thing (except in husbands, kids, or aging parents). This comes in handy during the first few nights of crate training. Oh my... how melodramatic pups can be: poor forlorn pups cruelly abandoned by their mean masters in those awful crates with those awful sheepskin beddings! Can't you just hear their wailing and gnashing of teeth?

5. Nap while the napping is good. I learned this lesson twenty years ago when my human kids were babies -- I slept when the babies slept, especially since I was getting up with them at night. But I forgot this lesson somewhere along the line (probably somewhere in my I am Woman Hear Me Roar! thirties). Now I'm older. And now I need about 9 hours sleep a night to function well (and now, in my Who Gives a Rip? forties, I find no shame in admitting my limitations or need for sleep). But puppy bladders don't go nine hours without having to empty themselves. So we put them to bed at 11 p.m. and get them up and out at 5:30a.m., which is only 6.5 hours. And in my twenties, 6.5 hours would have been plenty of sleep. But not in my later forties. So I nap while the napping is good.

More to come...

'Til next time,
Joan

Lessons for Me from Puppy Raising

It's been a while since I've posted much of anything you could call "reflective." The last two months have been so filled with puppy chronicles that I really haven't had time to capture my thought process through it all.

Don't get me wrong; the puppy chronicles are important and satisfying in and of themselves (let alone invaluable for me later for reference when we breed Kenya next year -- yes, we will have another litter in 2008 to chronicle!).

But Regular Reader knows this isn't just a photo blog or fact blog. This is a place of observation, too. And it's about time I get back to an observation or two.

So here goes.

Puppy-Raising: What it's Taught Me So Far (Five Quick Lessons)

Lesson One: Though I've learned much, I have far more yet to learn. Man, you'd think we'd catch a break here. With this breeding adventure, I've been reading and studying and talking to older/wisers and watching training videos and practicing what I'm learning. But where I land after all that effort is that I have so much more to learn.

Frankly, I didn't realize how little I knew until I started to know something. How's that for an enigma?! Isn't that the way of it with most things, though? Isn't that the way of it with life?

Lesson Two: There has to be grace to NOT be perfect. We're all in process, myself included. And we're all learning and growing together. Sometimes we WILL make mistakes. Sometimes we'll say or do the wrong thing. Sometimes we'll think we're doing the best thing when, in hindsight, we discover something else may have been the better choice.

Like on my feeding instructions for the new owners: I put that the pups were receiving 1.5 - 2 cups of food 3x daily. What I should have said was that they were receiving 1.5 - 2 cups daily spread out over three meals (that means 0.5 to 0.75 cups per meal -quite a difference). BUT I did tell everyone to feed according to the pup, not the ranges on the back of the food bag (as in, if the pup is gaining too much weight, cut back, or if the pup is looking underweight, increase the amount). It certainly won't hurt the dogs, and their vets will let them know better, but I feel stupid having put the feeding instructions out there incorrectly.

But...there's grace. I have to remember that.

I would do well to remember that with others, too (and not be too quick to judge when others make mistakes). After all, we're only human.

Lesson Three: Learning is easier when it's fun.
The pups are great for this. Clicker training is great for this. As long as we tap their enthusiasm, love for food (hehe), and natural desire to please, the pups will learn quickly and readily. We're seeing that already. We make learning to come, (using "here") a game, and the pups come to us readily. Same with crate training (they always, always, always, get a treat when we crate them, so going in the crate is fun!). They go into the crates easily now (though they don't always like to stay there, but that's a different issue).

When I teach or speak (and I do teach and speak regularly), I find the same holds true for humans. People engage and participate when I make it fun. Why is it that our adult learning system (business world, trainings, conferences, etc.) seems to think that since we're grown-ups, we must enjoy grown-up lectures? Nothing could be farther from the truth. Fun = engagement = learning. We people-trainers would do well to learn from puppy-handlers.

Which brings me to...

Lesson Four: Positive reinforcement goes so much further in motivating change than correction or punishment.

I know that's true with puppy training (especially clicker training). But it goes for people, too: kids, parents, older adults, younger adults, employees, co-workers, team members -- you name it. I knew this with my kids as they were growing up (they are all in the twenties now).

But I didn't really think about it in working with other adults until recently. I mean, how often do we affirm those we interact with regularly (yet, how often are we quick to correct, confront, or complain about them?)?

Encouragement, in whatever form (thanks, affirmation, compliments, etc.) begets positive actions, whether it's canines or humans involved.

Lesson Five: Good outcomes require sacrifice.
That may seem obvious, but it's a good reminder for me. Raising puppies from birth (even caring for Elsie during her pregnancy) DID require sacrifice: we sacrificed time, sleep, money, sleep, vacations, sleep, job performance, sleep, availability for other things (like kayaking or gardening), oh, and did I mention sleep? To say "yes" to puppy-rearing necessarily implied saying "no" to something else. But that was only if we wanted to raise puppies well, ensuring better outcomes.

We could, of course, have blown the puppies off, slept more, and done all the other things we like doing. But the outcome of sound, healthy, well-socialized pups would never have been realized.

And so it goes with other things. If I want to produce good writing, I have to say "no" to countless other distractions that would keep me from developing a solid manuscript. If I want a good marriage or good relationships with my kids, I need to say "yes" to being available to them -- say "yes" to late night conversations when I'm tired, "yes" to watching sport venues when I'm not really a sports fan, "yes" to long phone conversations despite work deadlines, "yes" to stopping what I'm doing to focus on their needs (whatever they are at the time), "yes" to evenings home with hubby or movie nights with home-for-a-visit kids -- and "no" to all those other things that could get in the way.

I'm thankful our pups turned out so well, but there were sacrifices along the way (you should see my more-trashed-than-usual house).

But again, that seems to be the way of it. As a friend once told me, and I recall to mind often, sometimes you have to say "no" to very good things (sacrifice) in order to say "yes" to the best.


So those are a few of the lessons I'm learning from this puppy-rearing adventure. I'm sure there will be more to come.

But that's enough pontificating for now. It's time for the pups to potty!

'Til next time,
Joan

Canine Socialization

Now that the pups are bigger, all weighing somewhere between 16 and 21 pounds, we're letting them romp a bit with the "big" kids (as in Baxter, Kenya, and Ridge). They get to romp with Mom (Elsie), too, but man-o-man, she's really tough on them. It's that canine socialization thing, and Elsie is still being a responsible mother to her pups.

We're told, and have read, that this is a good thing -- this canine socialization. It's necessary for them to learn how to interact with other dogs, whether in their new families or at the park or when involved in shows or competitions. It's just hard for me to watch Elsie pin these guys sometimes (to the point of their yipping and tail-tucking).

So what follows are a few clips of canine socialization, the gentler versions. You'll see that the pups are really little individuals now. Pinot is, by far, the most submissive with the big dogs, but she's also very playful with them. Copper submits pretty readily, but is confident and independent. Mr. Green... well ... he's just Mr. Green (hehe).

Here's Pinot (uploaded at YouTube because Blogger was giving me fits!):



Here's Mr. Green (it's funny how Elsie and Kenya just wait him out later in the video -- they'd been playing with the pups for a while when I shot this, so I think they're tuckered out!):



And here's Mr. Blue (again, at YouTube, since Blogger video processing is still giving me fits!):



They sure are growing up fast!

'Til next time,
Joan

Miss Pink is "Dakota" and Her Family Blogs, too!

I didn't know when I posted earlier this evening that Miss Pink's family had decided on a name: she's now officially "Dakota."

AND, Dakota's family blogs, too (just like Nala's -- aka White's --family does).

You can check out Dakota's homecoming by clicking here (this will take you to Dakota's family's blog)

I think she's loved! And she's surrounded by animal friends. :o)

How cool is that!

'Til next time,
Joan

The Three Who Remain

Well, Black (Pinot), Blue (Copper), and Green (in photo above from left to right it's Black, Green, and Blue) are all doing remarkably well despite the absence of their littermates.

The did seem a little disrupted this weekend when we had so many people coming and going between puppy visits, puppy pick-ups, our human kids dropping in from their various colleges, and one birthday dinner for youngest said human kid (who turned 20, so DH & I are now officially parents of all twenty-somethings! How weird is that!).

But since the revolving door has slowed, they seem very much at home again.

And, GET THIS....

We started crate training all three (yes, this is absolutely nuts), and last night we went the whole night without any accidents!

And today, we made it through the whole day with only one small pee puddle (Mr. Green, I'm afraid), and that's because I was gone too long this morning (I teach a class on Tuesday mornings, and I was gone nearly four hours -- pups this age can really only go about 2 hours during the day between potties). And I didn't crate them since I knew I'd be gone (just left them in the indoor pen attached to their crates).

As soon as I got home, though, I whisked them each out one at a time, and poor Mr. Green was last to go out -- he just couldn't wait, poor guy.

And I've been taking them out one at a time for pottying all day, and everybody is doing what they're supposed to do! We use the command "get busy" when they are actually peeing and pooing (as in actually in the act), so they get the idea in time that when we say "get busy" it's time to get down to business.

So far so good.

But housebreaking three pups simultaneously is a bit nuts. I'll concede that. Especially when there's only one of me during the day. We just didn't want to wait (this is an ideal age to housebreak pups). Hopefully Mr. Green's new folks and Mr. Blue's Sundancer gang won't mind. ;o)

So...I think we have our hands full for the next two weeks.

Would you agree?

'Til next time,
Joan

Miss Pink's New Family

Well, Miss Pink (or Pinky, as we sometimes called her) is now officially with her new forever family. Here they are:


Andy, the dad, is a bird hunter and plans to train Miss Pink (who showed promising retrieving and training instincts) to be his retriever in the field. Jada and Drew, the kids, are pet socializers extraodinnaire (they've been helping us socialize the pups for a couple weeks now)!!! Jamie, the mom, is a pet setter, and an excellent one at that. In fact, she'll be sitting for our Pinot (Miss Black) for six days in November while DH and I head over to Copenhagen (Denmark) where he's teaching at a conference (we'll kennel the rest of our crew, but Pinot is too young for kenneling, so she's boarding with Jamie). It will be fun for Pinot and Miss Pink to have a few days together, and good timing, too: our trip occurs literally the day after Mr. Green leaves and two days after Copper (Mr. Blue) flies with his new mom to AZ.

Again, we couldn't ask for a better placement for Miss Pink. Thanks, Andy, Jamie, Jada, and Drew for providing a wonderful home for Pinky ("Dakota" or "Zara" or wherever you land with her name).

Knowing the pups have such fabulous forever homes makes it so much easier to let go!

And then there were three...

'Til next time,
Joan

A Different Perspective

Okay, we may be a little sad about the puppies leaving (tickled with their placements, just missing them a bit), but as far as Miss Pink is concerned, it's just more room on the hammock for her! :o)

Saying Puppy Goodbyes

With each placement it's getting harder to say goodbye to the pups.

DH Don, shown below saying a few final words to Mr. Blue&White (now "Midas") before he left with his new forever family, found it to be a bit tougher than I think either of us expected.

There was such a flurry of activity for us immediately before Pink-&-White (now "Luba") and White (now "Nala") left, that we barely had time to think, let alone feel. After Midas and Mandy left, however, was a different story.

It's not that we were any more or less attached to any of the pups (we'd become attached to all of them). I think it was more that we had a lull between the Midas/Mandy pickup yesterday and Pinky's pick-up later today (this evening).

And we're down to only four (Pinky, Green, Blue/"Copper", and Black/"Pinot"), so each absence becomes more noticeable.

After this evening it will just be three, and then we'll have all three for the next two weeks.

Then it will just be Black...our little Pinot.

We already have a growing notify list for people interested in our next litters (we're planning two in 2008), so I guess we must doing something right. All I can say is that I'm tickled with how the pups turned out, and am delighted with their new homes across the board.

Now it's time to get busy with clicker training and real house-breaking (any tips for housebreaking 3 pups at one time? Yikes!).

'Til next time,
Joan

Midas (formerly Blue&White) and Mandy (formerly Scarlet)

Here's the new forever family for Mr. Blue&White (now called "Midas") and Miss Scarlet (now called "Mandy). Ann and Suzanne, the new owners, are experienced "dog people" with loads of love, energy, and attention to shower on their new, precious pups.

And, yes, they know what they're getting into!

Shown here with their friend Nancy, this mother-daughter team is sure to provide a wonderful, solid home for these two bundles of joy. Midas and Mandy are destined to be loved to pieces and spoiled rotten! :o)

Miss White's (now "Nala") New Forever Family

As it happens, Miss White's (now officially "Nala") new owner is a photographer and a blogger. That means we can see how she's progressing in her new environment in ways we probably can't with the other pups.

:o)

Check out these fabulous shots of "Nala" in her new home (the link will take you to the new owner's blog).

We couldn't have asked for a better placement for her!

Thanks, Russ and gang, for the fine home and love you're providing for Nala! She looks great!

'Til next time
Joan

Playing, Grandpa with Hose, & Magic Hammock

We have six left; two more go tomorrow. Since it's a gorgeous afternoon here (60s and windy), we have all six romping together outside in the pen on the deck.

LOL...I can't help but smile to see what healthy, fine pups our Ridge-Elsie litter has produced.

So here they are in full romp, today at 8 weeks old:





And here's the magical, moving hammock that barks (hehe):




:o)

Ain't it grand!

'Til next time,
Joan

Officially 8 Weeks Old! (a report from the pups)

Here we are at 8 weeks old!


Grandma took our picture this morning while we were waiting for Miss White's new humans to come for her. Pink-&-White left us yesterday. We miss her, but we're still having fun. :o)

Miss White and Pink-&-White are really lucky. Just look at them with their new humans.

Here's Pink-&-White (now "Luba") with her new master (minus the Mrs.):














And here's White (maybe "Nala" or "Dakota") with her new family (minus the oldest daughter):












We think they're going to be really really happy in their new homes.

Grandma and Grandpa tell us we're going to be loved just as much as P&W and White will be. But it's a little scary. P&W and White were really brave, though, and they seemed really happy with their people; it was like they forgot about us already. So we think we'll be okay, too.

Tomorrow Miss Scarlet (Red) and Mr. PSU (Blue-&-White) get to go together to their new home. Then Pink leaves Monday, but Pink is local, so we'll get to see her now and then (those of us who are left here).

Then it will just be the three of us: Pinot (Miss Black), Copper (Mr. Blue), and Mr. Green for the next two weeks.

So don't tune out yet...we still have puppy tales to tell! But thanks for rootin' for us. :o)

Big wet sloppy kisses from,
The Elsie-Ridge puppies :o)