Finally...Some New Photos!

March is an in between month, when wintry winds are high. 

But milder days remind us all, Spring's coming by and by.  

~Author unknown 

My husband, Lynn,  and I had conflicting schedules last week. I was away at a workshop and returned home the afternoon of the morning he left for an out-of-state conference. Since he is the photographer, puppy photos did not get taken until early this week.

Sunday the puppies had their first experience with a bath and a blow dryer. Cherry was the loudest protester of the six. By the time her bath was over, I was almost as wet as she was! This is a week of firsts: later today they will have their first experience in a travel crate, their first car ride, their first appointment for checkups at All Pets, and their first vaccinations. They'll be tired by the time we get home, and perhaps will settle down and take naps for a while.

They are wonderful puppies - lovely, lively, and smart. Like a swarm of two-year-olds, they are curious and into everything. Last night, for example, they discovered that tugging on the phone cord resulted in the phone falling on the floor, a loud bang that shocked and scared them. But a minute later, they were back at it. I suppose they wanted to find out if they'd get the same result!

Our family room and utility room have changed appearance as the puppies have extended their investigations. There are gates up everywhere, creating barriers for not only the puppies but also for Lynn and me. Life is a challenge with six lively, curious puppies dogging your every step.

A friend stated in a recent email, "You must be busy with all those puppies." Yes, I am. I love them though, in spite of the fact that they are constantly trying to trip me as I walk across the floor. They've made up a game called "Who Can Get Out of the Gate Before Mom Closes It?" The girls are the winners so far.

Speaking of games, the fun of shredding piddle pads and tearing up newspapers has been discovered. Sometimes their room looks like a disaster area -- but they are having fun! They are happy puppies and entertain themselves, stopping by to check in with me now and then, as long as I am in sight.  

I am vigilant. We recently remodeled our family room, and I have horrible visions of the new baseboards being chewed on as the puppies begin to teethe.

So  here are the recent photos...

Archie and Josh, 7.5 weeks

Tyler and Bandit, 7.5 weeks

Cherry and Sassy, 7.5 weeks

Next time I post, I'll put up photos of Maggie's babies. We have not taken any since they were born. They will be two weeks old tomorrow and should have eyes open soon and be more photogenic. Four of the five are plump. The fifth is our "runt" and, hopefully, like the little duckling Ruby in the children's book Ruby In Her Own Time, will do things her way and eventually catch up to her larger siblings.

In this day and age being a dog breeder is difficult because animal rights groups tend to paint us with an unflattering brush. They also try to "guilt" people who want to buy a purebred into instead adopting a dog from the shelter. I've had a couple of puppy buyers tell me that their friends gave them a hard time about buying a purebred. Recently, Michelle Gonsalves' article, "Neither of My Dogs Killed A Shelter Dog," was published in Show Sight. She makes some excellent points, and I hope you take time to read her article.

I had good news from my friend, Marsha. She wrote, "Twist and I got the job done today and finished that Open Standard Agility title!  He is now officially CH MLS Desiderata Twist RN OA NAJ." Congratulations, Marsha and Twist! Twist is dear to my heart. He lived with me for a few months when he bred our Secret.  One of results from that breeding was my Ch. Joyslyn MLS Dakota Playboy at Heart ("Zach").

Mary emailed  this week and told me she and Belle have one leg toward Belle's Rally Advanced title and were working on some foundation agility. Mary sent these photos of Belle, taken at the fun run agility trial.  Belle is indeed a beauty!

Life is better when you have a Lhasa to love you!

Joyce