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!

Seeing these pictures and videos from the puppy families does my heart good…it restores every ounce of effort that was expended in nurturing them, and doing my very best to match them to their families. You end up hearing about the process a bit, but don’t really know that some applicants are just not the right fit and leave the mix early. Its like one of my children needs to go to a foreign country and someone else is going to be their family and look out for their needs, forever. I’m so happy that these people have come into my life, and I look forward to getting to know their growth with their new member. Its like with kids, pets can be a big catalyst to know ourselves in new ways!

Lets start with the travel home…the biggest concern was Leah, who is now Cider, getting to Alaska. Luckily it wasn’t boat, plane, and train, but a car ride and just a few bumper flights to a little known place outside of Juno called Douglas. Here she is, just snoozing through the whole thing, with fantastic dreams of her new home and everything she saw since 4:30 a.m. when she was sent off with the puppy express.

Once there, she met her half-sister Rosie from 2016.

Same mom, different dad…

And then we had Chewbacca, who is now Charlie,
who was the co-pilot to Bend.

Another pup with half-siblings in Bend was Padme, who is now Briar.

And her sister in Portland, Rey, who is now Sequoia Rey,
who will also be meeting a Portland half-sibling.

Cider looks warm and cozy compared to the snow, which I hear she loves!

And, Charlie looks ready for action!

Both Charlie and Briar both have trails close by in Bend!

With Rey hangin’ in a nice large Oregon yard…

Which she really loves…does she stop? These figure eights are very reminiscent of Breeze’s puppy hood.

Charlie is exploring and still has his cute bark!

Briar is another ball player!

And luckily Cider looooves the snow!

Many thanks to all of you for your encouragement and good energy during the evolution of this litter. It really ripples. It supports me in my work with Ancient Ways, in our music we share from Zimbabwe, and life on the farm in general, as well as fuels those random acts of kindness needed to keep the wheel of life moving.

Looking forward to 2022 with all of you in my life. Always feel free to reach out… The Very Best to you this holiday season!

The final days of week 8 have arrived. We do keep the puppies until the 8th week is finished and they have had all the time possible to spend with mom and siblings.

They are getting a bit more vocal!

Chewbacca had something to say!

Padme has a rather independent spirit which will take her far…she has been nicknamed Houdini! Maybe she is just intuitive! “my papa is coming!” She was the first of the females to really catch onto eating (competing with Chewbacca) and often is the first to step out on her own.

Houdini at Large!

So indeed Padme went home to Bend this a.m. Tomorrow morning Chewbacca will also be going to Bend. They have half-brothers there to catch up with and hang out, Fessik and Bascom to name two. Padme and Chewbacca will undoubtedly meet again, since both fellows in the new families are active hiking/biking types.

Inside and out they are a smart bunch!

Napping again…it won’t be long and I’ll be able to do that too!

The challenge is always catching them after they wake up but before they pee…because within a couple minutes of waking, they will relieve themselves. This litter has been super good about taking care of business outside, but the pee part hasn’t yet been mastered. When they go home, the families will be able to teach that pretty quickly.

Here again I’m premature!

The last two puppies will go home Sunday. The one going to near Juno Alaska, Leia, will also have a half-sibling, Rosie, with whom to play. Rosie and Leia actually look very similar with the clear sable and a dot on her head. Leia leaves the farm at 4:30 a.m. and the puppy express will take her to the Eugene airport where she will be met and can fly home under the seat with mom and without stress. There are three in this attentive working-at-home family to absorb her and share in the fun…North to Alaska!

The last puppy, Rey, will go to Portland where there are several half-siblings as well, Dickens being one. Rey, being the smallest of the group, has learned a great deal about holding her own and you really wouldn’t know that she was a half-pint not that long ago. Delightful puppy to a delightful family!

I have learned so much from this litter! Thank you all for your contribution to that!

Ahhh yes…soon now returning to “normal” life….

Oh my…things are moving very fast…I’ve had all the greatest intentions of posting but time eludes us.

I’m always touched by hearing from puppy owners. Sometimes they are just incredible stories. This one just in… he says, “She broke her ankle hiking off trail in Montana in July and Cody sought our friends looking for her and led them to her ( I was gone fishing). What a smart, empathic member of our family.”

Doesn’t that just make your day!?

Here are the puppers enjoying the puppy yard.

We are very grateful for all the visitors! Plenty of puppy love to go around…

Oh yeah … the routine stuff…sleeping and eating…

Week 7 is just around the corner. We’ll be doing the innoculations and Renee, Breeze’s breeder, will be helping me to look at structure and such to help with the best placements for the puppies…always looking forward to that. The pup’s personalities can change quite a bit in week 7, so that is an interesting process to watch unfold.

Yesterday we weighed the pups again. From the last week, they added from 13 oz to 1 pound. Rey increased the most, by the entire pound. Leia and Chewbacca tied at 15 oz. And, Padme added 13 oz. That is kind of normalizing the sizes a little.

After nap time we checked out the new-new digs…that of the back porch, proudly put together by Ryane and Phil. The door skin is protecting the deck from the many uncontrollable deposits over the next month, so that was a grateful addition.

Lets take this a step at a time…

We really have been wanting to get these little ones outside but the rain has been pretty unrelenting. Today was a wonderful break and so the adventure was perfect, and timing was even better.

They really need to be “hardened off” like seedlings coming out of the greenhouse to tackle the weather they will live in, and so from now on, its every day, no matter how much rain or wind or sleet or snow….we will be going to school (outside).

I wanted their first experience to be non-threatening and just a curiosity seeking. Breeze has been through this a few times and it feels like she really “gets” the drill. Of course, getting them back in the house is an entirely different conversation…its all coming back to me now…

Puppy buyers…please remember to send me your stinky undershirt for your pup to sleep with the last night or two, plus a sock tied in a knot that will not only smell like their litter mates, but also is a great teaching tool for which socks to play with as you work with them on that issue (only the knotted one is okay).

You can also send a small toy that the litter can play with and also smells like their first home….but we can’t promise they won’t tear it up.

Thanks for tuning in…

Just a quick note to keep you in the “litter loop”!

We just made the move to the living room from the office whelping room. It all went well. The new den is larger and easily accessible to the outside…check it out here. We are planning on having some outside adventures really soon.

Of course I’m looking at the pouring rain and am aghast at the possibility, but have to remember that dogs have a higher temperature than humans. And we want them to be able to transition to the colder temps of Alaska and Bend!

This week also was a worming week and nail trimming. I can always tell I must get those nails done because Breeze lets me know. I can’t imagine why evolution would have puppies with such sharp little claws as it only causes earlier weaning, but maybe they could defend themselves from a predator?

I don’t know, but as a domestic pup we want them to be really easy about nail trimming time, so we start them in their sleep, and work up to wide awake work. Luckily their little claws are like an eagle beak and easy to to hook with the trimmer :*)) making it far less stressful than one would imagine.

Before worming I reweighed them, even though I had weighed them just a couple days before, since the meds are measured by the ml to ounces. The weight change in 2 days was fascinating. Leia increased by 12 ounces, as did Chewbacca. Rey increased by 9 ounces and Padme by 10.

The other thing about this week was they really started playing with each other…what fun! Check it out…

And yes, I quickly found a solution…I hope it works through the night and there are no surprises when I awake. I had something that I had purchased and stuck in the back of the closet. Its a tiny fence for hamsters of all things. I added it around the baby gate. The puppers never cease to amaze me and keep me guessing ;*))

Thanks for listening…Until next time…

p.s. OH! I almost forgot…due to unforeseen circumstances, one of the puppy buyers had to make a change, so we do have one puppy left for placement. Call to set up a chat!

Sunday gave us a wonderful visit from our next door neighbors! These visits are one of my favorite parts of having puppies! People come out of the woodwork who love animals!

We’ve watched these little ones (2 years old and 5) grow up over the last several years, 6 to be precise, and originally met because they heard our Zimbabwe marimba classes playing over the field grasses and through the trees. They were kind enough to let me video their visit today in two parts, so all of you who can’t come can still have some fun!

Thanks for checking in!