Home Free!

For those of you who've followed this litter, you'll be happy to know that "Stowe" has a home. Barbara, who lives near Binghamton, NY, took her home this past week. Stowe is now "Jenny" and will be romping with six house cats, as well as Barbara's husband.

Now that we're down to one, it's fun to finally enjoy OUR puppy. Sedona, as we've named her, has rapidly integrated into the pack. She's much mellower now that she's not competing with other litter mates for attention and food. It makes us think of the other puppies, and we wonder how alike (or different) their experiences have been since going to their new homes three weeks ago. My how time flies!

It's a bit of a challenge feeding four dogs! However, Sedona has quickly learned to sit and stay while we put her food in front of her. She still has a tendency to leave her (still filled) bowl to try and grab from the others, but with a quick redirect from us she is learning to stay and finish her own portion before heading over to another's. And besides, she's usually met with a growl warning from the neighbors, who have no problem reminding her of the pecking order.

We're anticipating another litter in the Fall, this time from our black lab, Mingus. Inquiries are welcome. We have started a waiting list... contact us if you know of someone who has an interest.

My How They Grow!

Those of you who have followed this litter may remember the first picture taken on the day the pups were born. Little 'Mt. Snow' and his siblings were so small you could sit them INSIDE a coffee mug. Now nine weeks later, they tip the scales at about 12-14 lbs. and they can now DRINK the beverage. No stunting of growth here!

Alas! We have but two little ones left. Kevin picked up 'Haystack' on Monday. For a moment he thought about taking 'Stowe' instead but decided it was best to stick to his first choice. Stowe's almost a carbon copy of her sister. She's very personable--it will be tough to let her go!

Smuggler Stays Home

The cute little girl you see there is now called Sedona, after the beautiful red rock country of Sedona, Arizona. This pup was a real standout thanks to the vivid reddish tinge across her muzzle and across her back. She's a bit feisty but has already found her niche with the adult dogs. She'll find herself more at home with us after the last of the remaining pups go to their new homes. We're looking forward to her next two years as she transitions to an adult, and are wondering if she'll retain that striking red coloration.

And then there were four

Whew! What a difference a day makes. Saturday was filled with new puppy parents/families arriving to pick up their pet. It was exciting and a bit melancholy at the same time. Eager families scooped up their puppy and returned home for a night of fun, clean up, and occasional long nights next to the puppy crate.

When it was all over, we notice Bromley sitting next to her remaining family. She seemed a bit perplexed, and somewhat forlorn over the quick exodus. Still, she's got four girls to ease the transition, at least for the next few days.

Placing our dogs with their new owners is a rewarding experience. We love seeing happy and satisified puppy parents, and certainly enjoyed receiving emails the next day highlighting the first night's experience. Good luck to all!

Bedtime Snack

Yep, they still love their mother! It's almost Mother's Day and Bromley's gettin' 'em ready for bed. For fun, go back to some early photos (see http://homepage.mac.com/penkofflidbeck/Menu13.html) to see the before and after of just two months.

Snow's Homeward Bound

"We want to go home!" the pups seem to be saying. They turned eight weeks old on Thursday (05/05/05). It is TIME. The past three days the pups have found their comfort zone and feel free to wander away from the pack to explore. Once the puppies have reached this stage, they're ready to go to their new homes. There are always three or four who go into and through the woods (to grandmother's house???) and then down the hill; another couple have discovered our vegetable garden. More specifically, they've learned to feast on the compost. Indeed, we caught Stratton running around the back yard with a watermelon rind trophy. Wish we'd had the camera!

Everyone's favorite little male, Mt. Snow, was the first to leave, on Friday. No longer fitting in a tea cup Snow, along with his mates, is nearing 10 lbs. in weight. His new owners, Jim and Jennifer, gave him "Okemo" as his new name--what a great name for a dog! They liked the female by that name--this way they got a little of both... We wish them all the best!

Bromley and Caicos said their goodbyes with nuzzles, though Bromley seemed to be thinking more of food at the moment. Still, it will be interesting to see how Bromley does once the litter is pared down considerably...



The rest of the gang is awake much more, and play often, sometimes getting boisterous and a bit testy with one another. Then we know it's time to get them back outside where they have more room to run and energy to burn. Otherwise, king-of-the-cat-bed is a fun game.