The puppies on this page are from our litter born in December 2012. We are so pleased with the homes they have. We have rehomed 2 of our puppies and think the arrangements have worked out so well.
Week 8--Bittersweet!
New homes for my precious puppies. It's already Tuesday and I usually posted new pictures on Friday on the week's birthday but no time for that with all of the guests coming to Door County to pick up puppies. What fun we have all had playing with the babies this week. I was so delighted with the reactions of everyone as they came to meet their new family members! And is it any wonder--look at the final pictures!
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A big hug for Stuart!
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Week 7--A really busy time
The puppies are now really busy, sleep less and play more so need more activity. The bad thing is that it has been extremely cold this week so though we have run the puppies in and out for pottying, they haven't had much time to play out. It is a little warmer today so I plan to get them out for about 15 minutes to run off some of that energy--kind of reminds me of my preschool teaching experience! Puppies will begin going home next weekend to their forever homes. I think they are ready and Bruce and I are ready to slow down but glad we won't be going "cold turkey"! A couple of the puppies will stay with us for another week or two.
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Saturday morning, Kathy Enquist our local dog trainer and groomer came over to visit the puppies and administer the Vollhard Puppy Aptitude test to observe their social behavior, retrieving interest, acceptance at being put on their backs, etc. The ideal age to administer the test is seven weeks so the timing worked out very well. To read more about this test see the following website. http://www.volhard.com/pages/pat.php
In addition to the health reports from Dr. Greer and from the opinions of Otterhound breeders, Betsy Conway and Donna Emery on conformation, I will use this feedback to help determine placements for each puppy home. |
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Six weeks old on 1/25. How I love these little darlings!
Puppies at six weeks are especially fun. They are starting to be big puppies and spend more time playing and wrestling with one another. This is a normal stage of their development and helps them learn how to interact with other dogs. This is important as they learn what is play and what is too rough as deemed by their littermates.
Stonewall
Lincoln and Grant together!
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Puppies are 5 weeks old on 1/18/2013
At 5 weeks, the puppies are gaining weight rapidly and changing everyday. We are pleased to see that all of them seem confident and enjoy new experiences. Today I put a cot for them to climb on in their pen. So I could see them climbing up and then climbing down over and over as they practiced. Another experience we gave them today was to have a visit to our dog room where the big dogs go in and out, have their baths, enjoy a nap and are groomed. We have 2 big kennels in the room, a bathtub, a grooming table and a couple of crates. There are some nice large windows in the room. The puppies spent time in one of the runs while we gave a thorough cleaning to their pen. Then they had their lunch in the room, all the while using their potties, exploring the entire room. Some of them nursed. It was funny to find one of the puppies resting on Jack's bed just as if he were a big dog!
Davis
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Getting to know the puppies.As a breeder, it is important to get to know each of the puppies and their temperament so their placements will be a good fit. Putting them into a variety of situations to see their reactions is an important part of this. On Wednesday, 1/16 we brought Davis upstairs to give him the opportunity to spend time with us, without his siblings or mom. He had a chance to walk around on the floor as well as explore the couch. He met Uncle Jack and had a taste of some yummy dried chicken. Davis was very confident and happy even in this unknown environment. He found interesting smells and was unconcerned about Uncle Jack checking him out.
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Oh, my gosh! Where is the time going? Puppies are 4 weeks old on 1/11/12! Wow! Now they are eating real puppy food!
They eat a mixture of Proplan puppy food, canned proplan puppy food and yummy goat's milk! They love it!
Longstreet
Lee
Stuart
Civil War Remembered Litter Age 3 Weeks.
Click on photos to see a larger view.See names on each photo when you click on them. They are eating puppy mousse and drinking mother's milk but are up walking around, beginning to play with toys and engaging each other.
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Lincoln
Harrison
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Lincoln
Happy New Year from Baby General Lee!
Caught a few snaps of this baby while he was out on the blanket after mom deserted him to go outside. Already they have great noses and can find Mom anytime she is in their vacinity. They wake quickly and begin to call our for her.
Opposite is a photo of 4 of the gang in a "puppy pile" which they do to cuddle up and keep warm. If one of them gets up to potty in another part of the box, he will call out to the others until he gets back to the pile and gets settled in again. |
Three weeks old.
Two weeks old
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Puppies are two weeks old today 12/28/2012
Puppies are opening their eyes right now. It's a surprise each time we pick up puppies to see who has their eyes open. Melanie (one of the smallest) was first. Makes such a difference in their expression!
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3 Brown Puppies
Grant (left) Harriet on top, Lincoln on the bottom. Grant is one of the biggest puppies, Lincoln is longest (like his namesake and Harriet is one of the smallest. It's been fun watching them grow and develop.
Even resting on their backs, these puppies can find a way to fill their bellies, nursing lustily!
Wicket and her Twelve Babies
After an exciting birth day on December 14, Wicket and her puppies have begun to settle in to a pleasant and comfortable routine. Helping her with twelve babies will be a new challenge for Bruce and me but in spite of staying alert to them 24/7, we are beginning to get to know and admire each puppy. Our daughter Emily returned home last night after being away on business and Wicket was pleased to allow her to meet and greet the puppies. Over the coming weeks we will be providing recommended mild stressors for the puppies to help them in their development. For those anticipating getting a puppy from us, I recommend reviewing materials about puppy socialization and critical periods. http://www.diamondsintheruff.com/DevelopmentalStages.html
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Harriet (Beecher Stowe!)
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A couple of the puppies are now approaching 1.5 pounds! Lee and Grant lead the way!
Harrison
Grant