More March Break Madness

The pups have caught a bug that they are passing back and forth so I never got a chance to finish my posting of the nephew's visit. Plus, I HAD to go down to see the youngest hockey star competing in his first game of the OMHA hockey finals in his division. It was a very exciting first game but unfortunately they lost this one. Better luck today.

So back to the puppies.....

Lindor is getting tired of feeding puppies especially with their sharp teeth but she's a good Mom and she soldiers on.

We also got a chance to bake and ice some sugar cookies when they were down. Over the Christmas Break, I was only able to get one nephew for a sleepover and make some cookies so we HAVE to keep things even and each have a turn at decorating cookies. They subscribe to the "more is more" philosophy. I made this delicious sugar cookies into dog bones for last year's Crop.

It's another beautiful day in Ontario so I'm off to take the pups outside. More posts to follow.

Sunny Days, Five Weeks Old

The weather has been so nice here in Ontario for our March Break. Everyone is happy to get outside and enjoy some fresh air. I was really happy that my sister-in-law was able to bring my nephews over for a visit. They had not been feeling well and have super busy hockey schedules and live about an hour away so I don't get to see them as much as I would like these days. The puppies are five weeks old.

                                   That's number one Giants fan doing a great job helping Aunt Dinny.

                                           And there's the A man giving some lovin' to a pup.

The big girls decided that they would catch a few rays also.

The pups really enjoy the fresh air and more space to stretch their legs.

They also just "found" their barks so they like to practise that too, but not so much. Only when its time for chow.

There was a cool breeze so we made a little shelter and everyone was happy to curl up inside it and fall asleep until it was time to go inside.

I'm really glad my family was able to visit and they brought lunch too. Thanks, Lisa.

Meet the Gang!

The pups went outside yesterday briefly and I was able to get some good individual pics with the help of my friend Anne Marie. Unfortunately, when I downloaded them I found I had missed Miss White so I didn't want to post until I had them all. These are the pups at 4 weeks and 4 days of age.

Mr. Blue aka Boo Boo

Mr. Red aka Lil' Red

Mr. Green aka Rocky

Miss Lilac aka Violet

Miss Yellow aka Precious

Mr. Gold aka Sunny

Mr. Aqua aka AquaMan

Miss Pink aka Pink

Miss White aka Beauty

Aren't they gorgeous?



Puppy expenses

NSD supplies dog food and basic vet expenses but there are many more costs associated with raising strong healthy potential service dogs.

I like to supplement with a really good quality holistic dogfood and also with a lot of these....

Then you always have to have a few more of these to keep the "gang" entertained.....

Of course, Lindor thinks I bought them for her.

And then there is a lot of this.....

Since these are basically winter pups, they are inside exclusively for the first few weeks. With the nice weather expected in the next few days, they will be able to go outside but only on the concrete patio. As all you dog owners know, this is a nasty time of year for mud and rain and ground thawing which translates into soupy backyards; especially heavily shaded ones like mine. I also like to use re-useable puppy pads; better for the environment, easier to pick up off of, less slippery for the pups, but it results in a LOT of laundry. Which reminds me, it's time for another load to go in. Cheaper hydro on the weekend don't you know.

The Cake Raffle

                                         

                                      Wouldn't you like a piece of this right now?

                                                    Or maybe a piece of this?

      

                          

Both of these cakes were made by very talented bakers

and donated to the Cake Raffle at last year's crop. I think such a popular

part of the fundraiser needs to be repeated, don't you.

If cake isn't your thing, you can always pick up some delicious baking at the Bake Sale after sampling the offerings at the lunch buffet so you can pick out your favourites ahead of time. 

                  

When I'm not taking care of 11 dogs, I like to do a lot of baking so maybe I'll share a few of my recipes as I try out some new ones and some old favourites for this year's fundraiser.

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.