Category Archives: Litter 4 – Jan 14

Reunion: Puppies meeting up!

Reunion no 2 – meeting up with the pups!

Yesterday we had our second reunion this year.  It was lovely!  Well it could have been lovelier, if I’m honest, for a number of reasons:

  • it rained really hard
  • we had it later in the day because we were busy in the morning
  • people travelled from far and wide, in horrible traffic
  • I lost Sunny (she wasn’t lost, she was having a great time!)
  • I missed seeing Lenny – he went one way, I went another.  He saw his rellies, but only in passing, such a shame
  • The café was closed at 4.15pm due to the weather
  • Ounce was in season, so couldn’t play with everyone
  • some of the boys didn’t get on.  No actual fights, but a few disagreements.

Apart from all that, it was great!  Lol.  I am so grateful to everyone who came.  We saw:

reunionToggle, from Sunny’s second litter.  Brother to Symi and Lyra, amongst others.

reunionPixie and Dexter, from Sunny’s third litter.  Busy’s siblings.

reunionChip and Pudding, from Luna’s second litter.  Bea and Wispa’s brothers, the chocolate boys!

reunionThornton from Aura’s litter.  I had hoped to see Flynn and Charlie, but they weren’t able to make it.

reunionPixie from  Busy’s litter, Ounce’s sister.  Lenny was nearly there!

Reunion photos

It is quite a challenge to photograph a bunch of collies!  Especially when they don’t know each other.  Plus the rain, making it extra tricky.  Never mind, it was lovely to see them.

reunionWe went for a walk around the woods, which might have been nice in better weather.  It would have been good to have sat on the benches outside for a chat, or even to have gone into the café for a nice cup of tea and a slice of cake.  Sadly the café was shut.  Shame on you Rushmere Country Park.

reunion

Family likenesses?

Can you see how much Toggle looks like his mum, Sunny?

reunion

Who is this?  Looks like Luna doesn’t it?  It’s her son, Chip.  Gorgeous boy.

reunion

And who is this?  Is it Busy?  No, it’s her daughter.reunion

 

Finally, look at Pudding.  Doesn’t he remind you of his nephew, Charlie?

reunion

Next year’s reunion?

I absolutely LOVE seeing my puppies.  I love catching up with their families and hearing how they are getting on.  Are they going to training and having fun with that?  Are they behaving themselves?  Any problems or issues?  Most of all, I love seeing how amazingly well they have turned out and how much pleasure they bring to their families.

reunionWill we get together next year?  That will depend on the puppy owners… I hope so.

Ask for help?

You are very welcome to CONTACT ME to ask for my advice.  I can help you with a variety of issues and problems around getting a dog and suggestions for tackling training issues.

Remember..

Please CONTACT ME if you want to know more about me and my dogs?  And feel free to COMMENT if you want to tell me what you think.  If you want to know more, why not FOLLOW ME?  Then you will receive an email when there is a new post.

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Reunion: Puppy Party time!

Reunion: What do you call a collection of collies?

A family of course!  I was thrilled yesterday to see at least one puppy from each of my 7 litters at our Puppy Reunion party.   One of my puppy owners had asked if he could come and visit, so I tentatively asked if anyone else would like to come along.  Many of them said yes and we ended up with 10 of my puppies, (plus Sunny of course).  Oh and Blake and Maya came too, along with all the families.

puppy reunion
Running around – it’s a pack!

We started off by having a bit of a run around.  Then a dip in the lake.  Followed by a discussion with some swans – yes that was you Charlie!

puppy reunion
The most handsomest Charlie Brown
puppy reunion
Symi the water dog!

Symi is used to the water, as he goes out on mum and dad’s boat, as well as up in their plane – he’s a well travelled dog.

puppy reunion
Which way do we look?

Photo shoot

We started trying to get a group photo.  I think a collection of collies is actually called a ‘chaos’ – what do you think?  How many can you see in these pictures?  Not quite everyone made it…

puppy reunion
So many cameras!

Can you spot Blake?  He has the same dad as Luna, the amazing Wizard, who is also great-granddad to Ounce.  so family from another dad.  He’s Charlie’s big brother now, lucky boy.

puppy reunion
Bea and Charlie – aunt and nephew

These two were great buddies.  Bea is from the Beatrix Potter Litter and Charlie is from the A-Z Litterpuppy reunion

Roxi and Symi – niece and uncle

Black and whites

Roxi is Ounce’s sister.   At just 11 months, I can easily see that she is exactly like her mum, Busy.  Not just in looks – slight and petite, but also incredibly like her in temperament.  Roxi was quiet and unassuming, happy to stick to big sister Maya and her mum and dad.  But she loved having fuss from the children and you could see that just like her mum, she would be a brilliant therapy dog.

Symi is from the Poker Litter and to me he looks so much like his mum, Sunny.  He has lived a life of such adventure and is a lovely boy.

puppy reunion
Dexter – Busy’s brother

Love those eyes!

Dexter is Busy’s brother, from the Fairytale Litter – can you see that he has the same eyes as Busy?  His older brother Copper (Symi’s full brother) is the same.  Dexter seemed to me very much like his brother Jumble, whom I see on a regular basis.  Hopefully we can get them together in the future.

puppy reunion
Chester and Ellie – the blue boy

Last but not least, we have Chester, Ounce and Roxi’s brother from the Rainbow Litter  He is the only blue and white I have bred (so far) and he is looking super.  He and Roxi were hard to capture on film, as they are young and busy.  They both have some growing up to do, so it will be really interesting to see how they mature.

puppy reunion
The whole gang – spot the odd one out!

Yes I do realise it is a terrible photo – you can’t see Busy and Ounce is looking at her sister.  Have you ever tried to photograph 13 dogs?  But there we have it, from left to right, Symi, Bea, Chester (with Ellie), Dexter, Charlie, Busy, Aura, Luna, Ounce, Sunny, Roxi, Blake and Maya.

Next time…

How many collies can we gather together if we really try?  I have produced 42 pups so far, with all but two still alive.   I’m already excited to see what we can achieve at the next reunion.  And a big thank you to everyone who made it yesterday.  I am so very proud to have bred these fantastic dogs.

I just want to finish by saying that if you are planning a get together in Milton Keynes, I recommend the The Caldecotte as a venue.  There is plenty of parking, easy access to walks in all directions.  Plenty of seating outside, a play area for the children.  The food is not haute cuisine but the chips ordered yesterday looked pretty tasty.

Ask for help?

You are very welcome to contact me to ask for my advice.  I can help you with a variety of issues and problems around getting a dog and suggestions for tackling training issues.  Go to the What Dog? page for more information on my new service.

Please let me know if you have found this post helpful?

Remember..

Please CONTACT ME if you want to know more about me and my dogs?  And feel free to COMMENT if you want to tell me what you think.  If you want to know more, why not FOLLOW ME?  Then you will receive an email when there is a new post.

Away They Go…

Bye bye Pixie
Bye bye Pixie
Bye bye Boots
Bye bye Boots

Finally the big day arrived when the new families came to collect the babies.  Everyone was SO excited!  They had all their equipment ready and set up and plenty of toys waiting.

Bye bye Jumble
Bye bye Jumble
Bye bye Tia
Bye bye Tia

All the homes have been chosen carefully to provide loving, caring environments, with the right amount of stimulation and space.  Most of these homes already have a border collie (or two), so they know what to expect!

Bye bye Otto
Bye bye Otto

I am sure they will keep in touch and let me know how their puppies grow and develop.  Of course if they have any problems they know they can call on me for help.

Bye bye Dexter
Bye bye Dexter
Lovely babies!
Lovely babies!

I wish these puppies all the very best life with their new families.  I know that they will be loved and well cared for and bring a great deal of happiness.  What a fairytale ending to the first part of their lives!

The Dentbros family
The Dentbros family

PS: We kept one!  Busy stole our hearts from the minute she was born – we think she is rather special.  Our last chance to have a daughter from our wonderful Sunny.  Breeders always say that the hardest part of breeding is finding the homes and parting with them.  I had not planned on having another puppy now, but it seems she just decided to stay.

Introducing..

Otto
Otto

They look like proper dogs now don’t they?  Isn’t it amazing how quickly they transform from guinea pigs?  They can do stuff now – they wake up and run outside to do a wee (mostly) and they come in and out when they’re called (mostly).   They are eating regularly now and sometimes practise eating on their own.

Busy
Busy
Dexter
Dexter

They have had their microchips done.  Their hearing and sight were tested – all clear, which is good news.

Pixie
Pixie

All that is left for me to do now is get them ready for their new homes, making sure I’ve done all the paperwork and packed up their bits.  Oh and I need to have a few more cuddles…

Tia
Tia
Boots
Boots
Jumble
Jumble

The Great Outdoors

And the winner of the Cute Award goes to...Tia!
The winner of the Cute Award goes to…Tia!

And they’re off!  Finally we have some nicer weather and they can play in the garden.  Mind you, they need strict supervision, if I want any of my new shrubs to remain in one piece 😉  They are helpful if you need any holes dug for planting, or really any tidying up done.

Yeah grass at last!
Yeah grass at last!

Last weekend all their owners visited again. They are getting really excited about bringing their new family member home and most of them had been shopping for toys and other equipment.

Pretty as a Pixie
Pretty as a Pixie

It’s been fantastic having so many visitors to see these puppies – I reckon around a hundred people have been into the puppy palace over the past six weeks and most of those have been more than once!  I believe that this makes sure that these puppies will grow up to be people loving, friendly, confident and outgoing dogs.

Worn out
Worn out

Those of you following me on Facebook (Pen Dent) will know that the puppies love sleeping under our kitchen unit and one day last week I had one pup in the run and six under the unit – I thought I’d lost them!  I leave them safely in the run when I’m out, but they love to come out and roar around the kitchen.

Photo bombing
Photo bombing

So we have two weeks left.  This is the time for them to play with each other and with the older dogs, understanding what makes a good game and when to respect the other dog.  We also start to teach them that their teeth are sharp and can be painful.

this obviously needs a prune
this obviously needs a prune
Hello, I'm Aura, what's your name?
Hello, I’m Aura, what’s your name?

They also start to learn that there are preferred places for toileting, so hopefully that process is easier when they get to their new homes.  During the next couple of weeks they will be microchipped and have their hearing and sight tests at the Animal Health Trust in Newmarket.

Expanding horizons

 

snuggling
snuggling

Five weeks old today and they are growing fast.  They are moving around confidently and can even run about, although they often fall over or crash into each other.

sun at last
sun at last

Going outside is becoming more of an adventure and less of a terrifying experience – it won’t be long now before they start helping with the gardening 😉

They have become more playful, with each other and with toys.  They are also starting to learn that not all big dogs supply food and that some are not as friendly as others.  It is important that they learn to be polite to other dogs at an early age.

Tuggies are great
Tuggies are great
balls are fun too
balls are fun too

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sometimes though, they just need a bit of time with their mummy.  They are tucking into plenty of real food, but they still love milk, if they can get it!

a special moment with mummy
a special moment with mummy
bundle!
bundle!

What are puppies for?

waving hello
waving hello

Answer: For cuddling and making people happy!  What could be nicer than a snuggle with a bundle of fluff?  I am so lucky that I know people with children who come round when the pups are at this stage, as it really makes a difference to how well they behave as adult dogs.

selfie - Boots
selfie – Boots

This week they have been having a pretty exciting time.  They are properly up and about and much more active.  They are playing with each other (lots of growling) and having a go with some of their toys.

Investigating the toys
Investigating the toys
hello big dogs, want to play?
hello big dogs, want to play?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

They have even been outside!  They didn’t like it though, it was much too cold, so they huddled together after a few minutes, waiting to be let back in 😉 I think the puppy palace is a bit warm and I need to toughen them up a bit – well maybe later..

 

 

cuddling!
cuddling!
gosh this is a hard life
gosh this is a hard life

Most of the time they still just eat and sleep, being well cared for by Sunny (and me).  See you next week!

 

First Meal

Hey this is good
Hey this is good

This week we have started the weaning process and they are certainly enjoying it!  It is amazing to watch them grow.  They are just beginning to find their way around and to play.  They make plenty of noise, squeaking, but also growling and barking!  If it ever stops raining they can go outside…

Hello son
Hello son

Domini brought Taboo over on Saturday so that he could meet the other owners when they came to see their babies.  Sunny was surprisingly fine with him being there and he was intrigued to meet his sons and daughters.

Piling in
Piling in
Very pleased to meet you
Very pleased to meet you

This weekend Chris and I are hoping for a bit of quiet time, but if that is the only time you can come then do ask!  Next week is half term and I am hoping we will have plenty of children popping in for cuddles and play – they need that experience.

Dexter
Dexter
What do you taste like, brother?
What do you taste like, brother?

First steps

Well they’re starting to look a bit more like dogs and less like guinea pigs.  Their eyes are just beginning to open and they are up on their feet, staggering around, drunk from all that milk they keep guzzling (especially Goblin, he just keeps gobblin’ 😉

The best news is that they all have homes!  I am so delighted with my seven prospective families – they are coming to meet their puppies this weekend, so hopefully we shall be all sorted.  This means that we can all relax and just enjoy them.  We’ve had over 30 people through the house in the first fortnight, many of them staying, so they’ve had lots of interest and cuddles so far.  I expect this to continue – visitors are always welcome, just do please contact me first as we may well be booked up already?

Peeping out
Peeping out
Which way is up?
Which way is up?
It's an elf!
It’s an elf!
Chocolates
Chocolates
Merles
Merles

First week

There were seven in a bed
There were seven in a bed

This week, all they’ve done is feed, sleep, squeak, wriggle and of course, be cuddled and admired.  They’ve had quite a few visitors and already have a hefty fan club.  Sunny has continued to be a perfect mother, despite being completely exhausted at times.  She has now started to see a few gaps in between feeds, so has time for a short walk and a bit of playtime with her toys!

Imp - she's like a real dog, only teeny weeny
Imp – she’s like a real dog, only teeny weeny

 

We're growing, it's exhausting

Hello Sprite
Hello Sprite
It's a pixie!
It’s a pixie!