Puppies in their homes

And away! Off they go into their homes, hopefully where they will stay forever. I am thrilled with the homes for these boys and I am completely confident that they will be fantastic.

Although I will just say that nothing is forever and sometimes things change outwith our control. It is better for a dog to move from a loving home that is not best for that dog, at that time, than for them to stay put and the situation to deteriorate. I would never say that a dog must stay with its first owner, no matter what.

Puppy contract

All my owners must sign a contract when they collect their puppy. One of the points in this states: “In the event of difficulty, the Breeder requests that the animal be returned to the Breeder, who will be responsible for re-homing the said animal. There is no time limit on this request.”

Breeding endorsements

In addition, as a Kennel Club Assured Breeder, there are endorsements placed on the registration of the puppies. These state:

“Not eligible for an Export Pedigree and Progeny not eligible for registration” (this means that you may not register offspring from this Animal.) The breeding endorsement may be lifted if the dog displays suitable temperament and adult health checks have been conducted, including eye testing and healthy hip score.

These endorsements protect the future of the breed and in particular my ‘lines’, from careless or irresponsible breeding. That’s the theory, anyway. Read more about this here.

Settling in to their homes

Sending the pups off to their new homes is nerve-racking for me. People always say ‘how can you part with them’ and I always say ‘easily!’ because they are hard work. I had Buzz for a few extra days this time and that is when they need to start properly being toilet trained. They need to learn to come to their name and to go further afield.

Once they get to their new homes, it’s lovely to hear that they explore their new home confidently, that they eat well and best of all, that they sleep at night! I love my owners to share their experiences and challenges, especially when they are first time dog owners. So far, so good..

My puppy

In some ways, Murmur is the puppy I’ve been waiting for. She’s the third generation bred from Sunny, my dream dog. Murmur is my future, alongside Quin. I really hope they are the beautiful breeding pair I have planned them to be.

I should say that I had not planned to have six dogs. SIX! As you know, I had planned for my boy to live elsewhere, but that didn’t work out. I have no regrets about keeping Quin; he is a fantastic dog. We also thought Luna might not still be with us, as she is 12 years old, with diabetes. I am proud of the condition she is in at the moment and we celebrate life with her every day.

Crazy Dog Lady

Still, here we are, with six Border Collies. It will be a rollercoaster, I’m sure. Lots and lots of training to be done… I’m sure most of my money will go on them – equipment, food, training and of course vet’s bills. They are worth it though. I will write about Murmur’s Tales, going forward. Although I am still working through Quin’s story!

NB: THESE PUPPIES ALL HAVE GONE TO THEIR HOMES

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, by filling in your email address below?  Then you will receive an email when there is a new post.

NO PUPPIES AVAILABLE

NB: I am not a dog trainer, or a dog behaviourist, just a dog breeder and owner. I can only offer my opinion, based on my experience.

Ready for introducing

Eight weeks isn’t very long and goes by in a flash! This time it’s almost seemed like a non-event, as we’ve only had four pups and this is our 11th litter. Each litter is very different though and it is wonderful seeing the personalities of the pups grow and develop. Now they need introducing..

Paperwork

The last couple of weeks are pretty heavy on the admin – there is a lot of paperwork to sort out! Setting up the free insurance – all good breeders will provide at least 4 weeks’ free insurance. Transferring the microchips over to the new owners. Making sure the Kennel Club Breed Registration is there.

It’s official

As you know, each litter has a theme and the last few litters have had song titles as their pedigree names. I decided that this would be my PUNK litter and have chosen punk songs as their names.

So introducing:

• Dentbros Teenage Kicks – Bailey
• Dentbros Denis Denis – Dennis
• Dentbros Ever Fallen in Love – Buzz
• Dentbros Dear Prudence – Murmur

Pet names

I’m always thrilled if the new owners choose pet names that relate to the pedigree names and this time two of the owners have done just that. Dennis’ owners spent days thinking about names, but in the end couldn’t resist calling him Dennis.

Buzz’ owner is a musician and she got right on it – knowing that Ever Fallen in Love was by the Buzzcocks and therefore choosing Buzz as his name. Lovely!

Bailey has a middle name – Alfred, after the owner’s dad, which is lovely. And Murmur? Ah yes the complicated Dent naming strategy! It has to have a ‘u’ as the second letter and make a different sound to all the rest. It’s a great name to call..

I had hoped to have two girls, so I could have called one ‘Dentbros Sheena is’, but not this time. I loved Siouxsie Sioux though and of course it’s a Beatles song :).

Ready to go

So they are 8 weeks old today and two have gone already! I’ll put all the ‘going away’ pics in next week’s post, as Buzz is here until next week. Bailey and Dennis are settling in well so far.

NB: THESE PUPPIES ALL HAVE HOMES

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, by filling in your email address below?  Then you will receive an email when there is a new post.

NO PUPPIES AVAILABLE

NB: I am not a dog trainer, or a dog behaviourist, just a dog breeder and owner. I can only offer my opinion, based on my experience.

Going out in the van!

At six weeks of age, the puppies are ready to be microchipped and health tested. So they go out in the van – such an adventure! Travelling in a vehicle is a challenge for dogs; it’s hard for them to understand the process as we can’t explain where we are going.

Usually, the first few trips are quite traumatic for puppies. They are often sick, they usually cry and they may howl or cry the whole time. It’s fine. I know that they are safe and comfortable, so we just have to tough it out.

Microchips

Microchipping is a legal requirement for all dogs in the UK. Breeders have a responsibility to microchip puppies before they go to their new homes. Owners have a responsibility to keep the details up to date. So if you buy a puppy and it is not microchipped, you should be asking why not? No responsible breeder will fail to do this.

Eyes and ears

On Wednesday last week I took the puppies to have their eyes and hearing checked. More torture in the van! I have to go to the wonderful specialist vets, Davies, for this. They are given eye drops to dilate their pupils, then the eye is examined to ensure they are healthy. It was interesting to hear the vet’s views about eye colour – we aren’t sure the lilacs will keep their blue eyes and Dennis’ eyes are definitely darker.

Once the eyes have been checked, we have their hearing checked as well at the hearing clinic. They were so well behaved and ALL the staff came to have a look at them! The puppies starred in a video, showing their treatment; we look forward to seeing that in future.

Visiting school

As you know, I volunteer with the dogs in Heronsgate School, well supported by the wonderful charity Canine Concern. Luckily for me, the school LOVE the puppies (well why wouldn’t they!) So we are always able to take the litter into school for a visit.

It’s total chaos, but the school love it! Well, I love it as well, to be honest. It’s pretty special, being able to show the children the pups when they are still relatively young. Some children have never seen such a young dog. It’s a great opportunity to teach the children what puppies are really like.

I took Quin in to provide a bit of calm and Ounce to feed them, if required. Quin behaved impeccably, Ounce not so much!

NB: THESE PUPPIES ALL HAVE HOMES

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, by filling in your email address below?  Then you will receive an email when there is a new post.

NO PUPPIES AVAILABLE

NB: I am not a dog trainer, or a dog behaviourist, just a dog breeder and owner. I can only offer my opinion, based on my experience.

Exploring and running about outside

Once they get to six weeks old, Border Collie puppies are so much more lively! They really begin exploring and running about outside – they are so much more fun. At this age though, they are terrors as well. The puppies are not toilet trained, so I always say to visitors ‘Please keep your shoes ON; welcome to the world of wee!’

The puppies look so cute and fluffy, don’t they? Yes, they look lovely, but their teeth are like needles and their nails catch clothing and rip skin. They get under your feet and can easily go flying if you don’t watch your step.

Fluffy coats

Border Collies have ‘double coats’. This means they have a soft, fluffy undercoat and a long (usually), silky top coat. They were bred to work out on the hills in the border between England and Scotland. So they keep warm and water and mud just slides off. Onto my kitchen floor, but hey, nobody’s perfect.

Border Collie puppies have thick fluffy coats for the first few months of life. Perfect for being outside, exploring and running about. I really like them to have plenty of space to do this, knowing that they are really safe and secure. Ideally, the door stays open, so they can be in or out.

Playing safely

We are fortunate to have enough space for a dedicated puppy run, with patio that can be cleaned and swept, artificial grass to land on by the door and real grass, (or mud), to use as a toilet. There is step to jump on and off, a chimney pot to run through, places to hide behind.

Puppies are good gardeners!

If you have any weeding you want doing, a litter of puppies will clear it all for you! They love to eat plants. Puppies will dig as well of course, given the chance. It’s up to you to manage their access to the garden.

Managing the space

I keep the run up until after the puppies have gone. If I am keeping a puppy, it stays up for a lot longer. My garden is more or less secure for dogs, not so much for puppies. I have lots of plants I am fond of in the main garden, but also a wall that can be jumped off. I don’t want little puppies doing that.

They will go out into the main garden, but only under supervision. Similarly, they spend lots of time in the kitchen and dining area, when we are around to make sure they are OK. They love exploring and running about in the house! We wouldn’t leave them alone with the older dogs, who can be a bit grumpy when being jumped on by puppies.

Beginning to toilet train

Part of the challenge of managing the puppies at this age is managing the toileting. When they wake up after a sleep I take them outside. I usually feed them outside, so that they can go to the toilet out there. They will choose to do this, on the whole. Running around playing is a different matter however. You can’t expect a puppy of this age to choose to go outside to toilet, can you?

It’s fine, they just keep on changing and in just a few more weeks they will toilet less often and start to have increased awareness and control. You just need to be realistic and patient! Meanwhile, let the play begin!

NB: THESE PUPPIES ALL HAVE HOMES

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, by filling in your email address below?  Then you will receive an email when there is a new post.

NO PUPPIES AVAILABLE

NB: I am not a dog trainer, or a dog behaviourist, just a dog breeder and owner. I can only offer my opinion, based on my experience.

Finding the right puppy homes

Sorting out which puppy goes to which home is a complete nightmare. It is by far the most stressful part of breeding. You are producing family members, something that will be so loved and so treasured. Getting it right is therefore a massive challenge.

I haven’t advertised my litters for years. These days, my litters are such a closely guarded secret, even my existing puppy owners don’t know they are coming until they have arrived. Which means if they forget to tell me they want another one – tough! They will have to wait another year or two.

What makes a good owner?

Someone recently asked me what I look for in a good owner. I think the main thing I want is commitment. Ideally, I want a home that taken the trouble to do lots of research and think hard about what they want. They should have a clear idea of what a Border Collie will look like in their home and know exactly why this is the right dog for them.

I don’t really have many other specific requirements, other than wanting a ‘pet’ rather than a ‘working’ home. I want people to care about the dog they get and to expect the healthiest possible dog, with the best temperament. Please read the FAQs on the Breeder info page for more details

What do I NOT want in a puppy home?

Frustratingly for many people, rescue centres have very strict criteria for their homes. No children under 12, for example. Not working full time. No other pets. A good-sized garden, with over 6ft fences.

I am able to be much more flexible about criteria and really consider each potential home individually. It is lovely sending pups off to family homes, often as their first dog. Border Collies are definitely NOT recommended as a first dog.

I would always say ‘start with a Labrador‘. But many people have grown up with a collie and although this is very different from owning one as an adult, at least you will have more realistic expectations. :p Having said that, very young children are a real challenge alongside a puppy and you need to be pretty dog savvy to manage this.

Which puppy goes where?

“We chose the one that came to us.” If I had a pound for every time I’ve heard someone say that… It’s not really that simple. As I have become more and more experienced as a breeder, so my confidence in sorting out homes has improved.

Naturally, I take into account whether people want a boy or a girl, as this is pretty fundamental. If a home wants a particular colour, I will try to consider that, although the homes wanting black and whites are disappointed this time! Ultimately, though, I take account of the hundreds of hours I spend around the puppies to decide who will cope with a busy household and who will prefer a one-to-one relationship.

Waiting lists for puppy homes

It would be great if I just had to wait for nice people to come along and then offer them a puppy. Unfortunately, there are hundreds of amazing homes and I receive an enquiry MOST DAYS. 🙁 It’s so hard, because I don’t really know what to say to all these lovely people.

I always recommend people look at the list of Assured Breeders on the KC website and also contact the breeders on the Champdogs website. There are more thoughts on finding the right homes on the blog from the last litter. I currently have homes for the next litter…

NB: THESE PUPPIES ALL HAVE HOMES

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, by filling in your email address below?  Then you will receive an email when there is a new post.

NO PUPPIES AVAILABLE

NB: I am not a dog trainer, or a dog behaviourist, just a dog breeder and owner. I can only offer my opinion, based on my experience.

Puppies eating real food

Finally, I gave Ounce a break and started feeding the puppies real food! They got on really well, eating enthusiastically. Initially, I am quite cautious, giving them a bit of soaked puppy kibble, only after Ounce has already fed them. I start off feeding them once or twice a day. This quickly increased though, so that within a week they are eating four or five times a day.

I feed my dogs Royal Canin, because it suits them. Border Collies can have quite sensitive digestive systems and can be a bit fussy. There are a wide range of views of on what is the right way to feed our dogs, just as we all eat different foods. I’m not joining that argument. I feed what works for my dogs. They like it and they have the right levels of energy for the life they live.

Table manners!

I start off the puppies eating from a shallow dish, that is big enough for them all to eat from. Unfortunately it is also big enough for them to climb into! They do soon get the hang of it and soon the puppies are eating efficiently, without making too much mess.

Toileting

Once I start feeding them, Ounce stops clearing up after them. I have to do it all now! Fortunately, their poos are still small and are now a bit firmer (too much information, I know!) They try to poo as far away from their beds as possible. Once the weather improves they will start to go outside. Then they will only poo out there, if they can.

After each meal, they start playing for a few minutes, but they soon go back to sleep. It’s such hard work!

Playing with toys

As they are now up and about a bit more, I start to introduce toys. These are smaller than normal dog toys and designed to be safe for puppies. There are toys that move, toys to chew, toys that make a noise and toys to snuggle up to.

I put a crate into their run, so that they have different spaces to explore. They can also get used to being in a crate, which will be great when they go off to their new homes.

Uncle Quin

For the first time ever, I have a young male dog in the house alongside the puppies. Quin has been interested in them from day one. Ounce has now allowed him into the run to start engaging with them. Hopefully this will ensure that they are super friendly with other dogs, once they start going out into the world.

NB: THESE PUPPIES ALL HAVE HOMES

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, by filling in your email address below?  Then you will receive an email when there is a new post.

NO PUPPIES AVAILABLE

NB: I am not a dog trainer, or a dog behaviourist, just a dog breeder and owner. I can only offer my opinion, based on my experience.

Puppies moving and interacting

This is quite a small litter for Border Collies, who average around six puppies per litter. So I haven’t felt in any rush to introduce solid food this time, as Ounce has managed perfectly well feeding them. They are such fatties! Now their eyes are open though, the puppies can get moving.

Moving rooms – again!

As you know, I moved them out of my bedroom into another bedroom, where I thought they would stay for a couple of weeks. I forgot we had family coming, so they had to move again. It’s great having them in the kitchen anyway, as then they become part of family life!

Family fun!

Having my nephews here was lovely, because they are expert cuddlers! They have grown up seeing my puppies and are always really fantastic at just hanging out with them. Aura absolutely adores them.

Normally I restrict children coming to visit until the puppies are over three weeks of age, but Ned and Will are the perfect introduction to children! Dogs and children are great fun together, but it is important to manage their interactions.

Stop moving!

I try taking photos and videos every day, so that we have a record of their development. Taking ‘proper’ photos like this one is really hard, even when they are still so small. They just don’t stop moving!

NB: These puppies all have homes.

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, by filling in your email address below?  Then you will receive an email when there is a new post.

NO PUPPIES AVAILABLE

NB: I am not a dog trainer, or a dog behaviourist, just a dog breeder and owner. I can only offer my opinion, based on my experience.

Puppies growing steadily

During their second week of life, things in the puppy palace are still quite quiet. Feeding settles down and there are longer gaps between feeds. But they’re still not moving around much and there’s not much to see. Which doesn’t stop me from spending pretty much all my time sitting beside the box, watching the puppies growing.

I usually do move them out of my bedroom at some point during their second week – it’s quite hard to sleep. Poor Ounce is still stuck with them, but she’s good at sleeping and feeding. A great multi-tasker!

It’s nice to have a few visitors during this time, but I’ve learnt that people can’t really be bothered to come at this time as they are boring. (Not sure if I mean the people or the puppies :p) Actually, the puppies aren’t that good at being cuddled, as they can wriggle and squeak when picked up at this age.

Fortunately, Adam and Maggie are on hand to help them practise being handled and cuddled. And my sister came to see them (well she told us she wanted to see us, but we know the real reason she came)! We love having visitors – friends and family are always welcome.

Moving around

They do start to get up onto their feet by the end of the second week. What is absolutely amazing is that the puppies start to move off the vetbed and onto the newspaper to wee. I find this incredible, considering they cannot yet see or hear. They stagger about, often falling over. Clever puppies!

Eyes opening

Towards the end of the second week, they begin to open their eyes. They start with little openings in the corners of the their eyes. Then gradually, over the course of a few days, they all open their eyes fully. I think it takes a while for them to start to use their eyesight to navigate, but they manage so well without vision, it’s hard to tell.

NB: ALL THESE PUPPIES HAVE HOMES.

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, by filling in your email address below?  Then you will receive an email when there is a new post.

NO PUPPIES AVAILABLE

NB: I am not a dog trainer, or a dog behaviourist, just a dog breeder and owner. I can only offer my opinion, based on my experience.

Nothing much happening here

The first week is pretty quiet, all they do is DOUBLE in weight! And the rest – that was by Sunday, just 5 days after they arrived. They spend all their time just eating and sleeping, but they do that very efficiently!

Ounce is a fantastically efficient mum – she feeds them and toilets them at the same time, clearing up after them so their bedding only needs changing once or twice a day.

I sleep in the same room as them for at least a week, so that I know they are robust enough not to get squashed. Actually these pups have been tough from birth, so have never even been slightly in trouble. If the mother has had a difficult birth, she may be too exhausted to mind out of their way, but Ounce is young, fit and healthy, so that has never been an issue.

When they are born, their noses are pink. They gain their colour over the first few weeks, although they can take a bit longer. These puppies will have grey, or ‘slate’ noses. Their toes are also pink – so sweet!

Care required

During the first few weeks of a puppy’s life, they do not need much from the breeder. Dogs bred on farms are often left to get on with it, being kept in runs or barns outside. Not me.

First of all, I take a great deal of care of my mums. I make sure they are fed regularly, around six or seven times a day. I feed them a good quality food, with a mix of dry and wet food. They have goat’s milk and/or natural yogurt, to ensure good milk supply and bone growth. My mummy dogs do not generally lose weight while nursing.

I keep my dogs company. They aren’t left alone much and am generally around. I sit and watch the puppies, sleeping and squeaking (well you would, wouldn’t you?)

Giving cuddles

I think being handled regularly right from birth ensures that my puppies are monitored and assessed. They are used to the feel and smell of people and this makes them super friendly towards people as adult dogs. A good breeder cares how their dogs turn out as adults and wants the best for the dog and its family.

NB: THESE PUPPIES ALL HAVE HOMES

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, by filling in your email address below?  Then you will receive an email when there is a new post.

NO PUPPIES AVAILABLE

NB: I am not a dog trainer, or a dog behaviourist, just a dog breeder and owner. I can only offer my opinion, based on my experience.

Welcome to the Punk Litter

I am delighted to announce the safe arrival of Ounce’s second litter – the Punk Litter! A bit of a contrast to the Lovely Litter; I think we are in a different place now. On Tuesday 8th February, between 8.30 and midday, Ounce gave birth to 4 beautiful puppies! The dad is Mikared Vega Thorium at Leberkind (Bodie), who is a beautiful boy with a sweet nature.

Labouring away

Whelping, or giving birth to puppies, is an exciting time! But it can be quite a challenge. It takes just 63 days to make puppies, although the dates are not exact, as there is usually more than one mating and delivery can be a few days early or late.

Dogs start by being restless and fidgety, but also reluctant to leave your side. They can just lie beside you all day, or take themselves off into a corner. Then they start panting. This may last all day and night and can be a testing time. I usually set aside the time to sit quietly with my girl, being with her without demands.

It can be hard to see your dog uncomfortable and it’s easy to panic that things are not moving quickly enough. It’s very tempting to ring the vet and jump in the car, but patience is required. In the end, things start moving and after around forty minutes of contractions, the first puppy arrived. I find it so exhilarating! It is thrilling to have the puppy in your hands when it takes its first breath. To be the first person to see that dog, hoping it will go on to live such a long and happy life.

Choosing colours

For Ounce’s last litter, many different colours were possible. This time I wanted something a bit different. I really, really wanted a girl I could keep and have puppies from in the future. The Lovely Litter girls have become fabulous dogs, but they are just not quite me. You know how much I love purple!

I have talked often about the reason for having a pedigree dog – it should mean you have the same as every other dog of that pedigree. The fact that you know what you are getting and can plan for it. You know the temperament fits your lifestyle and the health of the dog is what you want.

At the same time, it is interesting to have something a bit different, isn’t it? There is nothing wrong with that, as long as health is not compromised. Border Collies should NOT be bred merle to merle as this is almost guaranteed to cause birth defects, including deafness and blindness. This is true of other breeds as well.

I always check colour combinations likely to appear in my litters, using the brilliant Anadune Border Collie Database. This helps me ensure that I am breeding the healthiest dogs with sensible amounts of family lines in common.

What did we get?

With this mating, I was guaranteed to get only lilacs and blues, with a supposed 75% chance of blues. Ounce produced five puppies last time, so that was the likely number of puppies. Bodie produced seven boys and one girl in his first litter, so I knew I would get mainly boys.

We have three lilacs and one blue. Three boys and one lilac girl. Lucky me! And they are all absolutely perfectly marked, just like their mum. Very exciting!

At birth, the puppies weigh 200-300g. They gained 10% of their birth weight within 24 hours. I weigh them every day to start with, to check they are all feeding well. Once they are well established I don’t tend to worry too much.

NB: All have homes

I do have homes for ALL of these puppies, subject to confirmation. I look for a loving homes, suitable for a Border Collie. Read more about the breed if you are interested. Or read about what it is like to own one.

Visitors required

If you have known me a while, you will know that I like to have lots of visitors to see my puppies! I invite close friends and family (no children) for the first three weeks. After that, I like to see a wide variety of people I know, including children.

The last couple of weeks are often quite busy, so don’t leave it too late. They will be gone all too soon.

NB: Visits are by appointment only. There is someone here at all times.

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, by filling in your email address below?  Then you will receive an email when there is a new post.

NO PUPPIES AVAILABLE

NB: I am not a dog trainer, or a dog behaviourist, just a dog breeder and owner. I can only offer my opinion, based on my experience.