They are really out exploring the garden now and we are starting to see lots of play fighting, sometimes with fierce growling and barking.
They are enjoying their toys, too, although really, sticks, leaves and old yoghurt pots also make great toys.
In the end though, they are just busy growing and being really, really cute!
This weekend the delighted puppy owners have visited their babies for the first time. They are lovely and were so pleased to meet their puppy. Decisions were made, taking account of the needs of owners, matching them to the best pup for them. This time round I have had a number of enquiries for girls, but not so many for boys. I therefore have one of these boys remaining – which one would you choose? Of course they are both beautiful – typical border collies! Bred for better temperament and health 🙂
This week has seen a significant change in the pups. They are now very definitely either asleep or awake and when they are awake they are already quite lively!
This photo was taken yesterday, can you see how much they’ve grown? 
How do you go from this…
to this, in one week? Simple, your mum feeds you, constantly. These puppies have easily doubled their birth weights, in one week, which is pretty impressive, isn’t it? Aura has been feeding, and feeding, and feeding.
Just let me know when you’d like to come? Obviously it can get pretty busy at times, so bear with me, but I’m sure there will be cuddles for everyone! See you soon 🙂
What could be more fantastic than producing a puppy who will give so much joy and pleasure to their family? Producing four of them, of course! (Well 31 of them altogether) The questions I am asked the most as a breeder are “How do you let them go?” and “Aren’t you sad when they leave?” The answers I always give are “Easily!” and “No!” Hopefully these pictures show why. As I said on the last pupdate, eight week-old Border Collie puppies are hard work, so that is one reason I am pleased to say goodbye. But the main reason is that it is just so lovely to see so much happiness on those faces and know that I have done the absolutely best job that I can.
Today I received confirmation that my Assured Breeder Assessment visit was deemed to be ‘Satisfactory’ (it’s the highest you can get – the Kennel Club are demonstrating evidence of all criteria, so it’s not possible for them to add value judgements). I am proud of the quality of my breeding work and I know that my puppies will be the best that they can be.
Two down, two to go! I was due to be away this weekend so I let the girls go at 7 weeks, because both homes have other collies and lots of experience (although I’m not sure they realised exactly what they were letting themselves in for!) They have both settled in really well and are obviously very popular 😀
I have the two boys until next weekend. They are hard work now, as they play for most of the day and can be very destructive, if they are not managed! Because they live in my house, not outside or in kennels, they have plenty of space to run around and of course they do get frequent cuddles and interaction. I am working through the Kennel Club’s Socialisation Plan, which suggests activities for the first 16 weeks (after which, according to the BBC2 programme “6 Puppies and Us” they are no longer able to learn anything! Don’t get me started :-/) so they have met people with beards, hats and high heels for example (and very fetching Jamie looked ;-))
Lovely to have so much sunshine at this time of year, so the pups are able to get into the garden to play – not so nice for my plants perhaps! They love charging about and playing hide and seek, chase and peepbo – all the games that babies love to play. They come tearing over when I call them, “Puppy puppies!” and they are even starting to learn their names.
This morning they went round the corner to the vet’s for their microchips and general check-over. They were as good as gold and extremely popular 🙂 Not much longer now..
These are terrible photos, sorry everyone, but they are much harder to photograph now! Especially since I don’t have an actual camera and have no clue what I’m doing. I’m also much busier now, as they are more demanding and we are having lots and lots of visitors! We had a party on Christmas Eve, just a few local friends and neighbours, but it was another new experience for them. They are now going outside several times a day and spending more and more time playing, with each other and with Luna and Busy, who are teaching them good dog manners.
