Jovi

It's hard to believe Lindor had a yellow offspring as all of her pups were black or chocolate but this is her grand puppy from her chocolate daughter Eden and he's a blondie. Another of the sponsored pups from Loonies for Lindor has made it to Advanced training. Jersey, Java and Jovi were the 3 that were sponsored. I bet you can't guess who he was named after?

Lindor is 7!

My pesky, smart,  licky chocolate girl turned 7 today, hard to believe. She still has her moments of youthful exuberance but the white hairs on her chin are multiplying at a rapid rate. After having 2 litters of pups herself, her daughter Eden is now the mother of 2 litters, the A's and the J's.

Beautiful Eden

A chocolate from Eden's first litter... she looks exactly like her Grandma Lindor.

 

Amira

And the newest batch... another sweet chocolate....

Java

I'm proud of my Lindor, she's not the perfect dog but she's PERFECT to me!

Long Weekend

It was really nice to have an extra day this past weekend. I am getting lots done, there are many details to take care of for the upcoming charity Crop but its all starting to come together.
I was able to spend some time (like everyday) at the KW Kennel Club Dog Show at the Auditorium.

It was so interesting to see all the different breeds of dogs and it really opened my eyes up to the world of showing. It's especially nice when you know someone that is competing in the show. I was able to watch this cutie go through her paces on both Saturday and Sunday. Miss Libby; the chocolate girl did a great job in the ring. She is posing with her protege, a little yellow male from the States that was brought up as a prospective breeder. It (almost) makes me want another pup.

I am quite content though, with my Lindor. We are still going to Rally Obedience classes regularly, I have obtained her clearance to compete in Canadian Kennel Club so with a little more practise, we will be ready to go in the Fall.
Of course, there was plenty of yardwork and my faithful Doodle thought she would help out by laying on my newly seeded soil (and then coming into the house on my freshly washed floors) Oh well. Such is the life of a dog owner.

Happy Easter

This is Lindor's first set of grandpuppies from her daughter Eden born in Dec. There were labs of every colour but we are partial to the chocolates. Amira, you are adorable!

Oh Florida! How I would love to see you right now.

It's Canada. We know that we have winter here but this one is persistent. Still so cold. Minus 11C this morning when I took the dogs for a walk. The sidewalks are icy and one still has to wear winter boots, scarves, hats, mittens. I would love to put my runners on and have a nice stroll.

Lindor's pal, Libby,  sent us this pic of the beautiful beach down in Florida where they have escaped to for a few weeks. My, how we would love to join them. Isn't it gorgeous?

It Runs in the Family

Here's Lindor's beautiful sister Lady who has been matched with 2 Canadian Veterans for the last few years.

And her gorgeous son, Elvis who is also matched with a Canadian soldier....

Dogs can do amazing things for their human counterparts!

13 in 13 October Update

Where is the year going? It's flying by and I'm not keeping up with my targets but I'm having fun and accomplishing other things.
So how did I do? I managed to use the Cricut this weekend to do some lettering on a layout. I think? I signed up for Pinterest, more on that later. I missed my monthly From the Heart Challenge but I am working on a few cards. I completed 12 cards for a Card Swap, all of the same design but I haven't mailed a single one.
There are leaves to rake and dogs to walk and houses to clean. Sigh! But that's life.

On another note, here are two of Lindor's boys, one from the E litter and one from the K litter. Both working towards making life a little easier for their human companions.

                             Beautiful Elvis has become a Skilled Companion Service  Dog for PTSD.

Here Koby is learning to "visit" and work on other skills to also become a Skilled Companion Service Dog. They are beautiful and intelligent animals. Love the LABS!

Happy Hallowe'en from the doggies

I'm one of those statistics of people who spend a fortune dressing their pets up for Hallowe'en. We don't even actually go out and trick or treat but sometimes Lindor comes to work with me to show off her outfit.
This year she couldn't decide if she wanted to BE the horse or RIDE the horse. She looks adorable either way.

COWGIRL

 SECRETARIAT

 

Maya tried on the costumes as well but they always look too small on her long body and she was saying NO WAY to the cowgirl hat!

 

 





The Life of a Lab

 

This isn't Lindor but I think it looks just like her and she would certainly LOVE an ice cream cone in this tropical weather system that we are experiencing. Have been working on a few things but haven't had time to work on my posts. Stay tuned!

Elvis and Ellie

The last of Lindor's first batch of puppies; the E litter, born Oct. 2010 have gone to their placements.

Lovely Ellie, pictured below is a companion to a young man in Cambridge.

She looks just like her Mom in black.

Elvis is continuing his training to become a Post Traumatic Stress Service Dog for a War Vet. In the video he is having his first lesson that will eventually lead to him being sent into the home to secure it for his master and let him know that it is safe. What a blessing a dog like this will be for some individual who needs a friend. Elvis is a smarty pants, just like his Mom. He caught on extremely quickly to the lesson. You gotta love the Labrador Retrievers!

This is my first attempt to link up a video so I hope I did it correctly and you enjoy seeing these amazing dogs at work.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Thbd_fZcT6A&feature=player_embedded

The Dog Days of Summer

After they get a good walk in the morning, both dogs are content to sleep for several hours. Lindor loves her blankie. She also likes to have a fan blowing directly on her. Can you say pampered? I think dogs have the right idea of how to spend a hot, summer day.

Labs and Water

Last night around 11 o'clock both dogs got skunked. Not what you need late at night with few remedies on hand. Plus, I had to chase it with a broom to get it out of the yard. I figured it had already sprayed so I was safe. It was a baby skunk so I don't think they got the full brunt of the attack but it was pretty ripe for some time.
Oh well, these things happen when you're a dog owner.

 The Labs certainly love to play in the water. Lindor doesn't like to swim much but she sure enjoys getting sprayed with the hose and running through the sprinkler.

My God(dog)ter, Libby just came back from holidays where she was able to enjoy her first opportunity to swim in a lake. I think she's a natural. As dog owners, we really enjoy watching our pets have a good time.

Well, I'm off to burn some scented candles.

K pups are 3 months, 3 weeks old

I missed a couple puppies at the first class so I wanted to go see them again. They change so quickly at this age but they are still doing really well.

I snapped a picture of these two handsome fellas while I was there. Just because Lindor doesn't carry the yellow gene doesn't mean I don't like this colour too! Say hello to Bowie and Lennon.

Dog Show

Even though Lindor's big fundraiser is less then a week away and I have a few things still to do, I'm pretty organized and now its just down to the last minute details, baking and food prep. So I took some time off to go to the Labrador Owner's Dog Show in Cambridge. I've never been to a dog show before although I've always been interested in judging and conformation since I was in 4-H clubs way back when.

I met Linda from AppleMeadow Kennels and she told me many interesting things about showing and breeding top quality Labradors. It is a labour of love for these dedicated breeders who are only interested in producing the highest quality of animals in their lines. They take the time to make sure that the dogs are free from genetic problems and combine lines that will produce friendly and lovable companions to their owners for years to come.
Here she is showing Wellington, a chocolate male.

Of course, as you know, I'm partial to chocolates.

Isn't he beautiful?

I thought I would try picking my favourite in a class of 4. With only a few dogs entered, surely I had a chance of "guessing" the winner correctly. Unfortunately, my pick ended up 4th! I guess I have a lot to learn. It takes years to acquire the knowledge that these breeders have acquired and I really admire their passion for this wonderful breed of dogs. 

Still Sunny

It's still beautiful weather here in Ontario and the  babies are enjoying long days lounging on the patio.

They still like to stick together if its a little cool or if they are not feeling too brave.

They were so tired when I brought them in for the night, when I set them down in a row they never budged.

For some reason, one of their favourite ways to sleep is with their heads up in the corner.  Ms. Pink enjoys having a snooze after beating up on her siblings.

I hope this nice weather continues. Everyone is enjoying all the fresh air and sunshine.

Three Weeks, Four Days old

The puppies have been moved to their luxury accomodation but just for the afternoon.

It has a large play area and separate sleeping quarters that can be partitioned off. The problem is, Lindor still has to get in while making sure that the puppies don't get out. For now, they haven't figured out how to climb out so I can leave the little door open so Momma Lindor can get in and out. For the time being, they will sleep upstairs where we both can keep a close eye on them and its a bit warmer.

This is the first time, I have allowed visitors in with them. Everybody knows my rules. I'm very strict about wearing clean clothes, no outdoor shoes and hand sanitizing. While everyone wants to see the pups, they're still young and vulnerable and Mom still needs her rest so visitors are kept to a minimum. My friend Kathy's 2 girls have always helped me when I picked out my Big Girls and have attended many NSD events with me. Kate and Claire are very careful and gentle with my precious pups. In a week or two, everyone will be able to accomodate more traffic.

The pups just get the "walk-by" nursing now. The little rascals are getting teeth so Mom doesn't linger in the pen.

Meet Sunny! That's just his assumed name for the time being. I have little pet names for all of them until they get their official titles. Isn't he a cutey?  The larger pups are around 5 pounds. Its very tiring moving them in and out of their pen to clean and now they have to be carried down 6 stairs. Right now, I can do two at a time but pretty soon I will only be able to manage one.  That's when they'll get moved to the basement permanently unless, we get some nice weather over the Break and they can get some fresh air on my patio and then it will be up the stairs again... two by two.

Three Weeks, Three Days Old

They are starting to get the hang of the solid/mush food. Although it always looks like the tastiest morsel is on the other side of the dish and sometimes they climb right in to get to it.

Once they have their bellies full they just crash where ever they find a warm pillow.

Lindor is up a lot at night. She is a typical Lab, who never stays far away from where her "human" is. Now that she has pups, she is torn between the two which results in some sleepness nights for both of us. Here she tries to get a little shut eye up on the couch but she doesn't stay there long. She prefers to stretch out on the cold floor.

Three Weeks Old

The puppies celebrated their 3 week birthday by having their first taste of mush. Puppy chow soaked in hot water with some moist canned mixed in and pureed. Sounds yummy!

I just put a little bit in a pie plate so they could try it and not gorge themselves ending up with a stomach ache. Some pups are very reluctant to try something other then Mom but most of the pups got "into" it.

I have a special puppy bowl that kind of prevents them climbing in and having a swim.  Sometimes it works better then others. Once they figure it out, they stay a little cleaner.

They really enjoyed their first solid food and seem to be digesting it. So far, so good.
 All the pups eyes are open and they're pretty steady on their feet. This weekend, they will get moved to a larger playpen and play area.