The final week for the Tomatos

Bandit/Hank and Granny Stoker

 Saturday will mark the departure of the last tomato in the garden of puppies, with Jasper heading off with his family who have been away on vacation.  Hank has come back to visit for a few days while Stevie is on vacation, so you will see both pups in the photos I took in the yard today while I was home for lunch.

Ironically both Jasper and Hank have been named "Bandit" by their new families, which makes it easy when calling them both in from the yard, but tough when trying to distinguish between the two.

Bandit/Jasper

Bandit/Jasper is going to keep his new family busy, we think.  Being a true water dog, he thinks the water in his water bowl is as much to play with as it is to drink and delights in making a lake on our kitchen floor.  Last night, I ate my dinner on the patio and went back in the house, leaving my plate on the patio table.  I heard my plate rattle and looked out to see that Jasper had climbed onto the seat of the Adirondack chair, then from there to the arm of the chair and up onto the table.  He was standing entirely on the table when I spotted him!  I quickly swooped him off the table so he would not fall or jump and hurt himself and then moved the chair away from the table to prevent the little brat from accessing the table again.

Mama Ecko patrolling the yard.

Ecko guarding the yard.

Ecko and Bandit/Hank check out some good smells.

Pocket in the boat on Flathead Lake

Pocket boating with his family.

Pocket is one of Ecko's pups from her litter last spring (so Delta's brother).  He is such a lucky fellow and belongs to a wonderful family who take him on their adventures.  He got to go on a trip to Flathead Lake in Montana recently.   Mike reported that every morning Pocket would run down to take a dip in the lake.

Thanks for the pictures Mike.  Seeing how much enjoyment the pups bring in their new homes makes parting with them a little easier.

Jasper relaxing with one of his favorite toys.

 Jasper is still with us for another week (going home next weekend).  It is good that he is going home soon, as we are getting very attached to the little guy.  He is a very good swimmer and has been to the lake or river several times.

We will be a bit sorry to see him go BUT we are looking forward to a night of uninterrupted sleep and getting up just a bit later in the mornings than we have been!

Jasper hanging out on the steps with Delta.

Zander with his new friend Logan.

Zander

 We got a report and some pictures of Zander (was Fargo) from Carolyn.  Zander has had a vet visit and got some loving from the staff, met some of Carolyn's co-workers and started Puppy Kindergarten class this week.  His new pal Logan is very patient but lets Zander know if he gone a little too far with the biting.  They like to play tug.

And then there was one...

Capri (now Madge) went home with her new human Laura.  Laura has a young male PWD named Oliver.  Oliver has been a bit melancholy since losing his PWD housemate a few months ago and we are sure that Madge will take his mind off his troubles.  Watch your tail Oliver, these puppies think they are fun to play with!

Jasper in the back yard.

Laura flew in from Idaho yesterday and we had a nice, if brief, visit before she hopped a plane with Madge.  She called from the airport to let me know that the first part of the trip home went well. 

Jasper has a few more weeks to spend with us before leaving for his new home.  We are a bit sorry we said we would hold on to him for that long (his family is on vacation), as we are getting more and more attached to the little guy.  He doesn't seem to miss his siblings, has been enjoying time romping in the back yard with Delta and Ecko and slept nicely in his crate in our bedroom last night.

Weekend Pupdate

The weekend started off with the departure of Hank on Friday evening.  Hank is going to live with a new PWD friend, Bojangles, and his owner Stevie.  Stevie and Bo run agility and hopefully Hank will some day too.  He and Bo took to each other right away and Hank checked out some of Stevie's agility equipment when he got home and went to hang out at an agility trial on Sunday.

Hank visits with Stevie and Bo before heading home.

On Saturday afternoon, we decided that Cabot and Capri needed an outing, so we took them to the river near our house.  They were a bit overwhelmed by all the new sounds and sights at first (small waves on the shore, other dogs, ducks, scary cars driving by...), but quickly got more confident.  Capri went for a little swim, and Cabot went for a really deep wade.

Cabot and Capri check out the river.

On Sunday morning, the Maxin family came by to pick up Cabot and head home with him.  Look at those smiling faces!  We think Cabot will be very well loved.

Maxin family before departing with Cabot

And then there were two...Capri and Cabot.

We forgot to take a going home photo of Karen and Lilly (was Pixie), so they stopped by for their picture and a quick visit.  Karen says Lilly is doing really well and is a very confident little girl.  I think in the photo Karen may be saying "No, you can't have her back!".

Karen and Lilly

 Sunday afternoon was pretty relaxing, with the pups alternately playing and napping.

Jasper waking up after a nap in the Adirondack chair.

Capri has the cutest face.

Another pup sets sail...

Max (was Gordo) left for his new home with Bruce yesterday.  Max is in great hands with Bruce and, since Bruce's daughter Jennifer is a vet at the clinic we take the dogs to, we are pretty sure he will get excellent veterinary care too.

When we give the pups chicken wings at breakfast now, they eat almost the entire thing.  Only the largest pieces of bone are left.  It is pretty amazing to hear their little teeth crunching up the bones and makes you realized how strong their jaws are even at this tender age.

We've been adding photos to the Week 9 set on Flickr: http://flic.kr/s/aHsjH2noiX

Leaving the nest

Three of the pups departed for their new homes on Friday.  It is usually a tradition to take "going home" photos, but Karen and Pixie (now Lilly) will have to come back for a visit because we forgot to take their picture.

I was gone for the weekend at a water trial with Stoker and Delta, so didn't get as many photos as usual.  I got some of everyone except for Gordo (now Max) and Hank tonight.  I will have to try to get some of them tomorrow.

Carolyn going home with Fargo (now Zander)

Kate before leaving for Canada with Ranger (now Ripley)

Cabot is pretty relaxed.

Cabot

Capri

Jasper

Sweet dreams

Hank and Cabot

Ranger and Jasper

Going a million miles an hour one minute and sleeping sweetly the next....that's how puppies roll...

Week 8 photos

I started a set of photos for week 8 and will continue to add photos throughout the week: 
http://flic.kr/s/aHsjGSgVK8

Time flies! Now we are 8 (weeks).

Cabot gives kisses.

Holy mackerel, where did the last week go?  It was a whirlwind of trying to keep up with the 8 little Tasmanian Devils, getting paperwork and goody bags pulled together in preparation for their departure over the next 2 weeks and still fitting in work and some time for the adult dogs in the house.  They are terribly cute, but we will need a vacation once they depart!

This weekend, all the pups got their nails trimmed again.  This time around, they also got the hair trimmed from the bottom of their feet and on their faces and several of them got the worst of their cowlicks tamed.

Kass and her son came to visit on Saturday, along with Linda and Karen.  Our good friend Dick and Ginny, who own Ecko's brother Reef, came on Saturday and stayed overnight.

Fargo

Tomorrow the pups go in for their first vet visit and will get vaccinated and micro-chipped.  On Thursday, the pups go to the eye specialist for an eye exam.   On Friday, the plan is for Ranger to hop a plane to Canada to head to his new home there.  Friday afternoon, Pixie and Fargo will head out with their new families.  Stoker, Delta and I are headed north a few hours for a water trial this weekend, leaving Jan to hold down the fort at home with the remaining puppies.  Several more of the pups are schedule to depart over the following week.

Tummy rubs for Jasper.

Kass with a puppy.

May we come out now?

Now we are 7 (weeks)

It was an uneventful weekend, though we did have a few visitors.

Amazing the entertainment value of a rope and a milk jug - Ranger

Here are some pics from the weekend:

http://flic.kr/s/aHsjGGevGx

The pups are very active and noisy in the mornings.  After the babies ate breakfast this morning, we lobbed a couple of raw turkey necks into the pen with them.  It has been an hour and they are entertaining themselves quietly by gnawing away on them.  Ahhhhh, silence!

The "Rule of Sevens"

Pat Hastings, AKC judge and author of The Puppy Puzzle offers these hints for socializing very young puppies.
By the time a puppy is 7 weeks old it should have:

• Been on 7 different surfaces, such as: carpet, concrete, wood, vinyl, grass, dirt, gravel, wood chips, newspaper, etc. 
• Played with 7 different types of objects, such as: big balls, small balls, soft fabric toys, fuzzy balls, squeaky toys, metal items, wooden items, paper/cardboard items, milk/soda jugs, etc.
• Been in 7 different locations, including: front yard, backyard, basement, kitchen, car, garage, laundry room, bathroom, crate, kennel, etc.
• Been exposed to 7 challenges, such as: climbed a box, climbed off a box, gone through a tunnel, climbed up steps, climbed down steps, climbed over obstacles, played hide and seek, gone in and out of a doorway with a step, etc.
• Eaten from 7 different containers: metal, plastic, cardboard, paper, china, pie plate, frying pan, etc.
• Eaten in 7 different locations: crate, yard, kitchen, basement, laundry room, bedroom, x-pen, etc.
• Met and played with 7 new people, including children and the elderly.

Early socialization, including stimulation from a variety of sources, is important and can go a long way toward producing an outgoing, confident adult.

Week 6 pics and update

I hope everyone had a fun and safe 4th of July Celebration.  Things were pretty low-key at our house.  Jan golfed in the morning and I took Stoker and Delta for a quick water training session near the house.   Julie and Cooper (Ecko's brother) joined us at the water and came to visit the pups afterward.

We are fortunate that none of our dogs are bothered in the least by the noise of the fireworks.  The pups did not seem to notice them either, and hopefully they will be equally calm about them next year when they are off in their new homes.

Ecko sporting her patriotic bandanna.

Here is a link to an album with some pics from week six:

http://flic.kr/s/aHsjGBj45M

Now we are six (weeks)...

A hot and busy weekend!

Jan power washed the entire patio, so the pups now have the run of the whole thing.  We added a wading pool and raised board for them to investigate.

On Saturday Mike, Cheryl, Zakary and Sage Dallner came to vist.  The Dallner's own a pup from our litter last spring and wanted to come visit this year's crew.  Linda Ericson came to visit.  Linda owns three PWDs of her own.  Val Tangen drove 3-1/2 hours to visit with her two grand-daughters.   Venita (my awesone agility instructor!) came to visit with her grand-daughter Riley.  Karen came to visit.  Lots of awesome socialization for the pups with both adult and youth visitors.  I was bad and did not take photos of visitors, as I was too busy socializing.

On Sunday Jessie came to visit with the pups and trimmed all their toenails and also helped get photos of them.  Jessie owns Stoker's cousin Rebel and has helped with all our litters over the years.    

Photos from Thursday (6/27):

Granny Stoker cleans Pixie

Gordo retrieves

Hank learns about respect

Pixie plays

Jasper & Ranger checkin' out their reflections

 Photos from Sunday (6/30):

Ranger was terribly stressed by his nail trim.

Capri attacks toes.  Payback for puppy nail trims?

Ranger, Capri and Jasper scope out the wading pool.

Delta on the tippy board with her chew bone, surrounded by puppies.

Week-day Pupdate

The pups had some weekday visitors this week.  On Monday afternoon, Debbie Tubbs came for a visit, followed by Mary Ruth and her son Jonas.

Once they switch out of watch dog mode, the "big dogs" are enjoying the visits as much as the puppies.  Chili never fails to bring a toy to solicit people to throw it for her and Delta climbed right into Mary Ruth's lap several times for some extra lovin'!

Last night was pretty warm and dry, so the pups stayed out on the patio for a few hours and even ate their dinner there. 

Checking out the tippy board - (l to r) Cabot, Fargo, Capri, Gordo and Hank

Capri was the first through the tunnel (everyone else was sleepy!)

Good place for a quick nap.

The big dogs mugging Debbie for attention.

Here is a link to some more of the pics Jan took  on the patio last night.

http://flic.kr/s/aHsjGq3QSy

Weekend update

Fargo napping in the leg of Antony's shorts!

The pups turned 5 weeks old today.

They had lots of visitors on Saturday.  Carolyn came by on her way to the coast, Karen returned for her second visit, and the Maxin family drove down and visited for a few hours on Saturday afternoon and then again briefly on Sunday.  The weather cooperated on Saturday and we spent several hours playing with puppies, chatting and enjoying the sunshine on the patio.

The pups really enjoy exploring anything new that comes into their environment right now and we've been trying to add new things frequently.  Although this week is supposed to be a bit cool and rainy, next weekend is supposed to be nice and we need to get some of the puppies patio toys out for them to climb around on.

Gordo with Michael

I sat in the pen with them for a while this PM and found I needed to keep my feet tucked away already, as those pups with teeth are starting to bite on unprotected toes.

I've been updating the blog to the sounds of fireworks, screaming children and the baaing of sheep in the background.  Life is never dull or predictable when there are puppies in the house!

Capri and Karen

Cabot and Nina

Cabot takes down Ranger

Gordo