Cleaning, Family, & Finally The Sun

The day started off rainy and dark. In fact, most of the day was like that. About 4:30 the skies stopped pouring rain and the sun began to peak out. I tossed the puppies out and started to clean their room. I could still smell puppy smell (not the good kind) and so I decided to take their bedding apart and wash it up. Tada! That did the trick.

In the later afternoon the people who are adopting Bogart, Denis and Alex, came for another puppy visit. I can just see that this is a good match and I am very excited for them. We were able to get all the pups outside and then there were four of us to chase them all around!

Here they are with their baby boy!
June 18 09 Alex and Denis

Once things began to wind down the pups actually noticed their nice freshly washed bedding and they started to settle in.

Here is Baron, all asleep in the puppy bed.

June 18 09 Baron

Little Ali, loves the fresh bed!

June 18 09 Ali


Baerbel and Bogart cuddled up!

June 18 09 003Baerbel and Bogart

Ali, Baron and Baerbel!

June 18 09 Ali Baron and Baerbel

Happily, after a busy day cleaning their room, they are all settled down and asleep and I have my legs up. The knees are a tad better, and I am hopeful that with another day of wrapping them and taking the anti-inflammatory I will be all set.

Funny

The pups were being pretty funny today. They were a little on the sleepy side since it was a terrible rainy day. I didn’t mind too much because at least they were quiet, and I got some great pictures.

They all curled up and cuddled closely together.

June 17 09 Bogey under, Ali, Baerbel and Baron

I counted heads and I started to worry that one of them was missing!

June 17 09 Bogey under, Ali, Baerbel and Baron

Then I saw him can you find him in the other pictures?

June 17 09 There's Bogey

Later Ali curled up with Baron, who smiled like a crazy man.

June 17 09 Baron and Ali

And then there was the beautiful Baerbel.

June 17 09 Baerbel

For me it was a busy day of cooking and cleaning and getting ready for company. I managed to get things done but only after a minor accident. I was feeding the puppies which required me to step over the puppy gate and I slid on the wet (newly mopped), floor and wrenched my knee. I am still hobbling tonight.

Our dinner came out well (stuffed cabbage and mashed potatoes) and we had a great time with our friends, but it is good that I can finally put up my knee and rest it. It is already swollen like a melon!

One More Time…

Today I was late in making my bed. Okay, it was 4 o’clock in the afternoon, but heck, I had a bad migraine and didn’t get around to it until then. Anyway, it was then that I saw the tell tale signs. Yes, Greta is now in heat!

Oct 5 002

Greta in her special panties!

I had suspected that it would happen soon, as she has been really showing major signs of PMS all week. Add to that the fact that Arnie has been more interested in her than is really legal for a mother and son, and it all was adding up!

On June 28 we will breed Greta and Bernie and around the 1st of September Greta should be having her litter of babies. Ah yes, the pitter patter of more little dackel feet!

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Today I finally got the paper work from Germany that I needed to register the puppies with the AKC! Yippee!!! There was this long snafu due to a language barrier, but today my friend and the Breed Warden for my German Dackel Club helped me out and we got it all taken care of. I should have their papers here next week and then I will fill out each document and submit them to register the litter witht their names.

Our Breed Warden should be coming up to tattoo the puppies in the next two weeks as well. Their right ear will be tattooed with my kennel number and their puppy number. All my pups have green tattoos as Greta came with a green one and I have carried on the tradition.

Today was a great day here in New Hapshire. Lovely! So the pups spent most of the day outside. Sometimes running me around the yard and sometimes in their pen. All in all, a good day!

Reconnaissance Mission

Today Hubby and I ventured out to get dog and puppy food, as well as people food. I went to Wal-mart to get the assorted food and I stood there loading the carriage with cans and a lady looked at me and said, “You must have a lot of dogs!” I smiled and replied, “Yes I have four adults and four puppies”. She looked really puzzled and then said, “Why would you get four puppies when you already had four dogs?”

Yes, she was blond!

We filled two baskets with dog and people food before we were done. I’d brought with us a cooler so we tossed the frozen and fridge stuff in there and stopped to have a Chinese food meal. That was so nice.

We came home and got the babies out in the sunshine. In fact it was a nice day from the start so the puppies spent most of the day outside. It’s nice to watch as Arnie, Anneliese, and Greta all teach the puppies about life.

Arnie and Bogart playing.

June 16 09 Arnie and Bogey18

They love it and so do I. By 6:30 they were totally exhausted and ready for their beds. I didn’t have to put them in them either. They climbed into their favorite spots in the puppy room and went to sleep.

Meanwhile the adults in my crew enjoyed looking out the windows at the birds and at Hubby mowing the lawn. Arnie and Anneliese just loved watching him and his feathery friends.

June 16 09 034

We’re all settled in now and getting ready for sleep. I so value that right now.

The Beginning Of A Wet Week

I woke at 7 AM and I pulled myself out of bed and went to clean the puppy room and serve them up their breakfast. When I opened the door of my bedroom, I was amazed to find that the little darlings were all still asleep! I might have been able to stay in my nice warm bed another half an hour if I had wanted to.

The puppies began their fussing as soon as they saw me and I went to pat each of them and to give them kisses. They were anxious to run around and since it wasn’t raining I opened the door and let them go outside in their little pen. They jumped around and played with their rope toys and balls and I closed them out so I could thoroughly clean the room.

I did that, went back into the kitchen to make their breakfast, and turned on the coffee. After I was done getting their canned dog food on the plate, I returned and saw them all lined up at the door, with the first droplets on rain falling on their little heads! Had I been more awake I would have gotten the camera to record that moment as they truly looked adorable!

They came in and I dried them off and they chowed down their breakfast, and then as I poured my first cup of coffee they returned to their bed to sleep.

The weather here today has been just terrible. Rainy and cold and just no good for taking the puppies out into the grass.

Ali, Bogey and Baron.

June 15 09 004 ali bogey baronm

I did manage a few brief runs in their pen, but now the rain is coming down again and I think they will be stuck inside for the rest of the day. They do not like that. These puppies just love being outside! They love the smell and the feel of the grass.

Baerbel.

June 15 09 Belle5

They do play in the puppy room, thankfully they have each other to keep themselves occupied. Sometimes I hear crazy barking from in there and stand up to catch them playing with each other. Little, sweet, puppy games.

Ali with Baron.

June 15 09 017 ali Baron

She loves to play this game and usually she wins!

June 15 09 019Bogey Ali Baron

She got Baron to come out. They all take turns attempting to hide under the mattress, and eventually one of them comes out. Or the other ones will all go under too.

They’ve had their dinner now and I’ve got them settled for the night. They are saying Tuesday will give us a little sunshine. I sure hope so, and so do the puppies!

After The Rain

Sunday morning I woke up at 7 AM! I was shocked that the puppies and Anneliese allowed me to sleep in. Could it have been the dark skies and pouring rain? Perhaps, but whatever the reason I was grateful.

Of course, cleaning up the puppy room and then feeding the little buggers proved to be a challenge. I got it down and by 7:30 was sitting having my first cup of coffee.

The kids arrived after breakfast to play with the pups, and we played taking picture after picture of the little darlings. I then began to reflect upon life. And that’s when I put together this short video.

The pups came in for a little nap and I was sitting enjoying a nice strong cup of coffee, when the kids came back and we took the puppies outside in the emerging sunshine. I wanted to work with them and the deer hide, so I was able to snap some more (and even cuter) pictures.

Baerbel, Baron and Ali (Birgit).

June 14 09 Belle baron ali34


They all got in the act!

June 14 09 022


Bogey, Ali and Baron.

June 14 09 Bogey Ali Baron21

The sun is setting and Grandma Greta and I have decided to call it a day. The special little creatures are bringing such joy into our lives.

Great Day

My day was a full one on Saturday. I felt loved. You see I had my wonderful Hubby, all 8 of the dackels around me, plus several of my friends came to visit.

First my dear friend Alice came over from the great state of Vermont to visit me and the puppies. We had a great lunch, lots of puppy snuggles and enjoyed a lovely day. Here is a short montage from our time together.

Then just as Alice left another friend, who teaches in India, arrived with her pal and two of her kids. They were amazed at the dackels. Makenna and her sister came by, another neighborhood child, Jacqui and then my friend Dori and her boyfriend Bob came for dinner.

I was so busy, that I didn’t dwell on the fact that 24 years ago my life changed forever. Twenty four years ago, I had the worst day of my life, but lived to tell about it. You can read about it here.

No, today I lived. Happily and healthfully. Life was good.

The End Of A Long Week

The day started out cold, rainy and even though I was up at 5 AM with the pups, I had a lot of trouble convincing the other four dogs to go outside in the horrible weather to do their business. Eventually I got them all out, with the exception of the puppies, and then set about cleaning the puppy room, feeding my babies and then settling in to have my first cup of coffee. Oh what joy!

I am truly enjoying the new laptop and I have it just about set up for every day use. I love the machine. It is faster, and many of the new features make it easier to use.

Eventually the rain stopped and the sun came out and I was able to get the puppies out for a run. And run they do. They are all so darn quick! Here is Baron just before he kicked into high gear and got me running to catch up with him!

Jone 11 09 012 baron

The great thing is that I have Arnie and Greta as well as Mama Anneliese to help teach the puppies about doggy life. Today Greta gave Ali a little, gentle lesson on how to behave with ones elders. I was a little nervous, but was amazed at how gentle she was with her grandchildren. Here she is with Ali.

Jone 11 09 011 Ali and Greta

The kids come over every day now to play with the puppies and they’re a big help. These little guys are so fast and keep me on my toes. They are also getting to know what grass is for and I follow them with little shovels!

Time for this Granny to put up her feet. Happy Saturday!

Big Day

It was a big day all around today. It started early because we all know that my little darlings get me up at 5 AM, and after my second cup of coffee, I was awake and watching the TV. I checked my email, but no one is writing me anymore because since my laptop died, I have been a terrible correspondent. I appologize to you all, especially my cousin, Janet!

After I had breakfast with Hubby and fed the pups and walked them, off I went to the fountain of youth for my monthly visit. I came back feeling like a new woman!

As Hubby and I sat having our lunch, Mr. UPS Man arrived with my NEW LAPTOP COMPUTER!!! I forced myself to finish my salad, do the dishes and then walk the puppies again before I even opened the box. Slowly I unsealed the packing tape and slid the inner box out. Then I opened that box, and with trembling fingers pulled the laptop from it’s sleeve! Yes, I am in total heaven!

After I’d been loading things on to it for a while, the puppies woke and we took them outside. One by one we introduced them to Deer Hyde.

Jone 11 09 023

The dog who tracked it the fastest was Belle, she just knew right where it was. The others found it too, and enjoyed the game. Here is a video of the event.

You all know that I breed with the hopes that my pups will not only find loving homes, but can be used by hunters to help locate wounded game. All four of these dogs have shown me a good nose. I hope that they will continue to progress in their new homes.

After dinner and another outing with the pups,

Jone 11 09 016

I settled in to download programs onto the laptop. Slowly but surely the machine will get set up and I will be back in business!

Now as the day is closing I need to do a little scanning for Hubby before I call it a night, but I am so happy and so excited to have my new machine! (And 4 little deer loving puppies!)

Big Doggies Now

On Wednesday I rearranged the puppy room. After all they are getting to be big doggies now.I opened the whelping box, placed Fritzi’s old dog bed in there, and spread the newspapers. It’s all working out quite well. The puppies seem to understand that the newspapers are the place to go to do their business, and so aside from picking up newspapers and washing my hands constantly, this works out well for all concerned.

Here is a picture of the room now that I have rearranged things.

June 10 09 002

I can still open the door to the outside pen, and they can watch me in the kitchen when I am cooking or cleaning up a meal.

June 10 09 001

Best of all, I can capture these little moments when all the puppies are asleep and snuggled up. Just too darn cute!