Congrats to two Elmingo kids.
Elmingo's Prime Suspect (Prime x Darbi) got a Reserve JAM in the Qualifying in Louisiana. This was Meg's first US Qualifying.
and
Elmingo's Little Man (Shaq x Miikka) got a third in the Derby in his first Derby, also in Louisiana. Zink is only 15 months old (Libby's littermate) and has all summer and fall to run Derbies.
Way to go kids!!
March 26, 2011
March 25, 2011
Sleepy Heads
Busy day for the wee ones.
I think they'll sleep soundly tonight.
They love their new Sponge Bob digs and are fully "potty box" trained.
March 22, 2011
Website!
My website is down.
I need to renew my domain. Whoops. One has to renew every few years and I just forgot.
I'm on it...I promise.
I need to renew my domain. Whoops. One has to renew every few years and I just forgot.
I'm on it...I promise.
Random pictures
I love frog legs. It is even cuter on puppies.
The babies are loving training! We make sure they are comfortable and in the shade in the heat. We let them out to play a couple of times a day and they entertain the whole training group.
Here is little Stanley checking out the pups.
Speaking of Stanley...I thought I should introduce him. He is a 12 week old pup I bought out of California. His sire is FC AFC Wood River's Franchise (same sire as Libby) and his mother is the very nice AFC Flyway's Ruby B Gonia. I am very excited about this pup. Here he is shown chasing his first live duck.
And he had no problem with it.
And oh ya...Kenny and I got married yesterday.
:-)
March 20, 2011
Miss Libby
Libby was going to run her first derby next week-end in Louisiana.
She came into season last week.
Oh well, she could use more training.
She's coming along real nice and looks like she's going to be a fun dog for me.
Unfortunately Libby is going to have to be spayed. She will not pass an eye CERF. I wanted to let her have one heat cycle and we're going to spay her as soon as it's convenient.
She's one of the reasons why I'm a little leery about getting puppy eye CERFs. Her condition should have been caught at her eye CERF at 7 weeks old, but it wasn't. It happens. CERF vets are humans too, and the puppy's eyes are changing so much at that age. I've always gotten puppy eye CERFs and probably always will though.
A bit heartbreaking for me as she's the first pup I've kept out of one of my breedings. But, she marks great and can see fine. I'll have a nice trial dog where I won't have to worry about heat cycles after this one.
I wouldn't trade her for the world.
She came into season last week.
Oh well, she could use more training.
She's coming along real nice and looks like she's going to be a fun dog for me.
Unfortunately Libby is going to have to be spayed. She will not pass an eye CERF. I wanted to let her have one heat cycle and we're going to spay her as soon as it's convenient.
She's one of the reasons why I'm a little leery about getting puppy eye CERFs. Her condition should have been caught at her eye CERF at 7 weeks old, but it wasn't. It happens. CERF vets are humans too, and the puppy's eyes are changing so much at that age. I've always gotten puppy eye CERFs and probably always will though.
A bit heartbreaking for me as she's the first pup I've kept out of one of my breedings. But, she marks great and can see fine. I'll have a nice trial dog where I won't have to worry about heat cycles after this one.
I wouldn't trade her for the world.
March 18, 2011
March 17, 2011
Training days
I'll post more pics/videos soon...I promise!!
Pups have come to training with us for 2 days now. They stay in an x-pen and have a blast. They are obviously becoming well socialized to gun shots, 4-wheelers, dogs barking, etc. etc. They haven't turned a hair with this all going on.
And the pups have moved in to their new digs as well. I use a "potty box" with my litters and they learn to go potty in one area and play/sleep in another. This litter is catching on to the potty box concept faster than any other litter I've had. It's a win/win as they learn to stay clean and I have an easy job of cleaning up after them.
I'll post pics and/or a video tomorrow.
Darbi is still nursing, but only once a day now. She stills hangs out with the puppies more often then that, as I put a t-shirt on her at the other times. This lets her spend time with her brood without being chased around relentlessly. Another win/win.
Pups are always fun, and I think it's because of the beautiful weather and the ability to have them outside all the time, but this litter is just so easy.
Pups have come to training with us for 2 days now. They stay in an x-pen and have a blast. They are obviously becoming well socialized to gun shots, 4-wheelers, dogs barking, etc. etc. They haven't turned a hair with this all going on.
And the pups have moved in to their new digs as well. I use a "potty box" with my litters and they learn to go potty in one area and play/sleep in another. This litter is catching on to the potty box concept faster than any other litter I've had. It's a win/win as they learn to stay clean and I have an easy job of cleaning up after them.
I'll post pics and/or a video tomorrow.
Darbi is still nursing, but only once a day now. She stills hangs out with the puppies more often then that, as I put a t-shirt on her at the other times. This lets her spend time with her brood without being chased around relentlessly. Another win/win.
Pups are always fun, and I think it's because of the beautiful weather and the ability to have them outside all the time, but this litter is just so easy.
March 14, 2011
Didn't take long
Darbi went in to nurse this evening and jumped out when they latched on. And it happened twice more.
Then she gave me the stink eye.
I got it loud and clear...full steam ahead with the weaning.
On a cute note, yellow jumped out of the whelping box (more like crawled and strained) just to poop on my carpet. She was trying to be clean. It was precious (other than the poop part). So pups will be moved to their new digs where they will have a "potty" box in the next day or so. It teaches them to be clean and are much easier to housebreak that way.
Then she gave me the stink eye.
I got it loud and clear...full steam ahead with the weaning.
On a cute note, yellow jumped out of the whelping box (more like crawled and strained) just to poop on my carpet. She was trying to be clean. It was precious (other than the poop part). So pups will be moved to their new digs where they will have a "potty" box in the next day or so. It teaches them to be clean and are much easier to housebreak that way.
March 13, 2011
Weaning
The puppies are in the process of weaning.
Sort of.
Usually at about 3 1/2 to 4 weeks, I introduce the pups to moistened puppy kibble. I wait until their mother hasn't nursed them for awhile and then present it to them. Sometimes they take right to it, and sometimes they sit in it, play in it and basically do everything except eat it for a few days. During this time, the mom has as much access to the pups as she wants. I continue these once or twice daily feedings until momma looks at me and says "they are yours now". And thus, we would begin full fledged weaning.
This particular litter took right to the puppy kibble. First day, they ate it all up. And so I started feeding them every day, twice a day. The moms usually back off at this point and I pick up the slack with feedings. Darbi hasn't backed off much yet. She hasn't regurgitated any food for them (normal for my two girls) and is still spending time in the whelping box and letting them nurse regularly.
I believe in gradual weaning and doing it at mom's pace. It seems Darbi isn't ready to start full-fledged weaning yet, so I will continue with our schedule of daily kibble feedings to get them used to the food. She will tell me when she's ready by throwing up some food for them, or letting them nurse for only short periods before jumping away (those sharp puppy teeth!). She still goes in and lays down and falls asleep with them.
I can't say enough what a great mom she is and raising pups out of her is just too easy.
She'll be ready soon enough though...it's almost time.
Sort of.
Usually at about 3 1/2 to 4 weeks, I introduce the pups to moistened puppy kibble. I wait until their mother hasn't nursed them for awhile and then present it to them. Sometimes they take right to it, and sometimes they sit in it, play in it and basically do everything except eat it for a few days. During this time, the mom has as much access to the pups as she wants. I continue these once or twice daily feedings until momma looks at me and says "they are yours now". And thus, we would begin full fledged weaning.
This particular litter took right to the puppy kibble. First day, they ate it all up. And so I started feeding them every day, twice a day. The moms usually back off at this point and I pick up the slack with feedings. Darbi hasn't backed off much yet. She hasn't regurgitated any food for them (normal for my two girls) and is still spending time in the whelping box and letting them nurse regularly.
I believe in gradual weaning and doing it at mom's pace. It seems Darbi isn't ready to start full-fledged weaning yet, so I will continue with our schedule of daily kibble feedings to get them used to the food. She will tell me when she's ready by throwing up some food for them, or letting them nurse for only short periods before jumping away (those sharp puppy teeth!). She still goes in and lays down and falls asleep with them.
I can't say enough what a great mom she is and raising pups out of her is just too easy.
She'll be ready soon enough though...it's almost time.
March 12, 2011
Outside Playtime
Puppies are starting to go outside a few times a day now.
I'll tell you, it's different for me to have a litter NOT in the middle of winter. This is a first for me. In the past, I've had to plop them in a snowbank for 5 minutes at a time to introduce them to the great outdoors. they were not happy campers.
It was 28 degrees C today and they were outside several times. Once for a couple hours...when it cooled down to 22C. What a treat!!
They were initially overwhelmed by being outside their whelping box at first, but now they seem to enjoy their time in the sun. I can't wait to take them for little adventure walks and puddle jumps in the coming weeks.
March 8, 2011
Bright and Early
First thing in the morning is one of the most active times of the day for the puppies.
So, I took this video as soon as I got out of bed. The whelping box hadn't been cleaned (excuse the mess), and I most certainly hadn't had my first cup of coffee yet.
I wanted to share what I wake up to every morning. It is SO much fun.
March 5, 2011
Chicken
While Darbi is well over her chicken fetish...I still don't have the heart to take it out of the box.
March 4, 2011
More Video
The little guys are becoming more active every day.
And Darbi is spending less time with them every day.
March 2, 2011
Unsteady Gait
The puppies are starting to walk short distances, although on wobbly feet.
They still sleep most all of the time, but in about a week, they will start becoming very fun and active.
March 1, 2011
A Prime daughter
I got this picture of "Harper". She is a Prime x Darbi daughter and has a fabulous life in Alaska.
Harper is on the right in the photo and is pictured hunting with her buddy Skeeter.
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