Category: Pilgrim’s Litter 2022

Its been a long stretch since I’ve posted! Now, with Signal private messenger and group texts available, I was posting there, often multiple times a day. Its just so easy and so fast! We all got to know each other a bit, watching the pups over those 2 months, and its been an incredible journey. Many thanks to the text group: friends, families, and lovers of pups!

The wonderful warm homes who became the recipients of this fantastic litter, were carefully chosen and I am so grateful that they found us, because connecting the pups with “their tribe” or “their clan” is a critical component of litter making for me. Some deposits were taken long before I even bred Katie. Hearing the family resonance and feeling into the best homes is always just a matter of time. I am so very happy to know that all of the puppies are now enjoying their families and that they are growing together….since that is certainly a two-way street. Its not just the dog that grows…we, as the humans, have to stay on the front edge of the beat! They are moving forward at lightening speed ;*))

All six puppers went home before Thanksgiving, and so we enjoyed a thankfully quiet holiday, kind of like when the kids or grandkids leave the nest – wonderful memories, while also the stillness and silence of pins dropping, are like gifts from heaven. Two pups lodged an extra few days. This video was one of many fun ones…here they are, (Ullr and Odin), using the new doggie door:

Following are some pictures, most taken close to their departure dates from 11-16 to 11-23-22 (listed alphabetically by their Norse god litter name, with their new name in parens):

BRAGI (Cooper) – male living in Wenatchee WA

FREYA (Riley) – female living in McMinnville OR

FREYR (Hygge) – male living in Yakima WA

Odin (still Odin) – male living in Simi Valley CA

Thor (Bowie) – male living in Tacoma WA

Ullr (Frank) – male living in Ojai CA

What a joy to be part of this process….many thanks to everyone involved for making this adventure a real treasure! Very glad to be receiving updates from the families about well-adjusting pups!

By the time Katie rests up and a spring/summer litter is possible, it may be 2024 (i.e. fall/winter will not be my preference – 4 out of 5 litters have been tough weather here in Oregon). We shall see what life brings and what the dogs want to do! Much is up to them!

Stay in touch if you are interested in her next litter!

Young and old alike are taking great pleasure in cuddling, snuggling, and otherwise nuzzling the softest furs in the world…nothing like puppies! We all get to enjoy this particular softness for 4 to 6 months.

M, studio tenant here since 2018, has helped raise Katie & inspires the frisbee and ball play! Here is Katie’s favorite type of frisbee, although if she decides to chew, they can get torn up easily. Racquet balls work well for the ball play, light, bouncy, and chewy.

The Conways are new to our circle. Scott has been helping out on the farm here, and the family has visited a couple of times. Its great to meet new local like-minded people. We are all happy to be sharing in the puppy love!

In the last couple of days, we have enjoyed multiple visitors, not all getting their photo shoot with the puppers though.  Katie has been doing super well with the children. For an 8-week-old puppy that came to me at the beginning of Covid, I wasn’t really able to give her the exposure that I think a dog deserves.  We did attend a short training at Canine Adventures, but the normal socializing with little ones was rather deprived as we continued to deal prudently. I had no idea how she would do with people around her litter, since I’ve heard stories about the female’s protective nature, and particularly with children close into her space. 

She’s actually an amazing mama, and has been open and trusting of everyone.  Learning a little more tolerance is coming, particularly when the wee ones use their super high voices and quick movements …it’s like a banshee jumping out of nowhere…even for me…ha…I’m just clearly not used to it. It is pure and genuine glee, spontaneously pouring out with innocence through heaven’s gates!

Graham

Sarah and Linnea

This is the Munson’s second visit…we are super happy they find this a good outing! I like hearing them say, “can we come back again so soon?” … Yes! They, including dad Travis, have lived next door since before Graham’s birth.

Yesterday the pups were 2 weeks old.  We weighed and did their first worming.  Thank goodness the milky solution tastes really good! It seems odd to be attempting the squirt from the side but I’m overly careful about going straight into their lungs. I can be a zealot about things, so tread lightly with these tender creatures.

Overview of the puppers’ growth:

• The weight spread between them was 5 ounces on 9/26 and this week on 10/4 it was 8 ounces.
• Freya and Freyr and still neck-in-neck within an ounce of each other.
• Odin leads the pack at 3 lb. 7 ounces, followed by Freya, then Freyr.
• Thor, Bragi and Ullr bring up the other end, just like last time, with the smallest being Ullr at 2 lb. 15 ounces.
• The average being 3 and ¼ pounds for week 2 seems like a robust litter!

Silly picture to share, but in case you are interested…

Paraphernalia for the Worming Station

We also trimmed nails this last week and everyone was half-asleep (me included?) so they were very relaxed and willing to let me play with their toes.

Helping Mama with Puppy Nails – Soon it will be very uncomfortable as they push on her to get the milk to flow, if their nails aren’t trimmed….she might get a bit of an attitude. But also, when the puppies go home, it will be so simple for the families to trim, with the right tool (here is the one I have, but a local farm store has them). I can almost do it with my eyes closed (maybe I was asleep…) since the nail has a hook on the end of it, and the trimmer catches the hook, and that’s all you clip…nothing to be afraid of! Teaching them to enjoy the toe play by doing it when they are sleeping makes all the difference.

One male puppy continues to wait for the right family to find him ;*))

We had a little naming ceremony as we weighed each of the puppies today. It was great fun having picked the theme of the Norse gods and goddess. A son from the puppy family in Ojai CA was the inspiration when he saw a lightening bolt on the back of one of the sables….hence, Thor was named.

We did our best at birth to get a weight as soon as possible, but I don’t like to separate them from the mom, for even a minute. The first three were 14.5 oz. The second three were 12.5 oz. Today on day 6, we had a range from 1 lb, 9 oz up to 1 lb 14 oz. Now that they are named we’ll be able to track them better during the next few weeks.

There were 8 deposits. We currently have five of the six sold, as two families received refunds for the females we didn’t have, and one family decided to wait for the next litter in 2023. Most puppy homes are from the west coast: Wenachee, Yakima, and Tacoma, WA, Ojai, CA, and McMinnville OR, so far for this litter. We have had people come from Colorado and New Hampshire as well as way up to the northern part of Canada, in previous litters.

Feel free to share with those you know that there is one male pup who is waiting for their family to reach out! We don’t match puppies to their families until week 7 when the personalities really define themselves further. We are looking for the absolute best homes who earnestly want a new family member.

How, you might ask, can I tell the difference between the last two tri-colors on the right? Actually, I wouldn’t be able to, but moments later, Bragi, known for a little more noise here and there (poetry and music) as well as being a character, was found sliding around and down on mom’s leg.

Here you can barely see the white mark on his rump…

that makes him easy to spot!

Oh yes, don’t panic! Its organic!
What better way to contain the wiggling…

actually they were super calm with full bellies!

Odin, Currently the largest at 1 lb 14 oz, tri-color male
“supreme, all father of the clan, all inspired with knowledge”

Freya, 1 lb 13 oz, our token female, tri-color
“love, beauty and fertility“

Freyr, 1 lb,12.5 oz Freya’s twin, tri-color
“fertility, prosperity, pleasant weather“

Thor, 1 lb and 12 oz sable male, more on the tan spectrum

“Protector of humanity – bravery – strength”

Bragi, 1 lb 11 oz, tri-color male
“poet, musician, bard, eloquence”

Ullr, sable male, more on the gold spectrum, 1 lb 9 oz
“athlete, handsome, thriving, hunter“

Good kind friends brought me a mesh door cover, and put it up today so that I can leave the door open 24/7 for Katie to go in and out. As it gets colder we may have another situation, but for now it represents treasured time with the sand man, which I’ve been a bit deprived. Stay tuned as we continue to get more sleep!

It was a delight to be part of Katie’s first litter. She made it very easy for us. First, she let me have my coffee, and think nothing was going on, and next thing I knew two puppies were there. Each one came in a reasonably short time and with great relaxation on everyone’s part. None of the middle-of-the-night whelping for her! Several things in her first two-and-a-half years had been unexpected little bumps on the road and so I was prepared for the unexpected. And ironically, with all of my fretting, every thing was serene and so sweet! She has been a huge teacher for me, and here we are again, and I’m the grasshopper.

Late in the day today, are the six pups as they had grouped themselves interestingly enough into matching bunches of sable and tri-color. One of the tri-colors is a female, all the rest are males. They initially will look black and white and then their tan coloring will come out as they mature.

I really like the little folding hamster screens that keep the puppies from going through the 1.5″ kennel walls. The pups will be small enough to accidentally push through for a couple of weeks yet. In the beginning we used cardboard to block the opening, then wood, now a friendly hamster screen.

Feel free to email or call with questions – we are happy to share about our process and English Shepherds in general!

We have been waiting quite some time to share this news! We bred Katie to Pilgrim in late July…she is due around 9-21-22. Read more about Pilgrim here.

With Covid being what its been, the tech time in my life was reduced, and gradually I’m getting a few more things done. This blog is one of them!

Katie comes from a line of English Shepherds developed by a breeder in Montana, Debbie Richardson. Its been great getting to know her and getting some of the insider information about Katie’s parents. The most recent conversation revealed that Katie’s mother’s first litter was one of 10, then 11, and then 13. So, I’m preparing for that larger possibility. My primary experience is with Breeze, who started at 7, jumped to 12, 10, then 4. We shall see!

Katie is an active but very settled, smart-as-a-whip, biddable and super affectionate female who loves to play! This picture was less than 6 months ago…her body has really matured over that time.

We are still accepting applications at this point and are delighted to share more about Miss Katie and her predilections. If you would like to set up a phone call or zoom, please use this app – https://app.simplymeet.me/jaiaen – I’m happy to explore the possibility of Katie and one of her pup’s becoming part of your family!