The Dackel Princess

This morning bright and early, Baron’s new Daddy came to call. I could tell how excited he was to finally meet Baron and hold him, as he arrived several hours earlier than we had thought! The moment he held Baron for the first time, I knew that it was the perfect match. It was as if Baron was saying to Mike, “I have been waiting for you all my life, what took you so long?”

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Of course Grandma, MB felt pangs of sadness when she held her baby boy, Baron for the last time. He was my biggest puppy this litter, and he was always the first one to do everything, from barking to eating regular food. Thus convincing me that he was conceived on the first day of breeding and not the second. Bogart, Baerbel and Ali were all conceived on the second mating day, I am sure.

In any case, I held my boy for one last moment. In that moment he was just mine, one last time, before I handed him over to his new forever Daddy.

Now we just have little Baerbel left. That’s tough. Tough for us, and tough for her. After Baron left, I took out the cardboard box and old bed, and all the stuffed toys and washed everything down. Then I put in Arnie’s big crate and some clean toys for her, and a small bed.

She cried at first, and so I took her outside and then after she had run around for a while, I brought her in and she crawled into her bed and fell asleep. She’ll be with us now until Thursday.

It’s quiet here without Baron, but I know he has gone to a great home and will be having a wonderful life!

This weekend Baron will be meeting his forever Daddy.

He will arrive Saturday afternoon, stay with us overnight and then head out early on Sunday with Baron to his new forever home in Michigan. We sure will miss Baron, but even more, I know Baerbel will miss him. She is our last puppy.

Baron

Baerbel will leave us in a few days. That’s when it gets hard for me. You see when they leave at the same time it is just one good-bye. But when one stays longer than the others then I start getting attached.  So it will be tough sledding next week when I have to say good-bye to my very last puppy.

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By the way, Greta is really showing symptoms of pregnancy. It’s amazing how much I remember from her last pregnancy. Just a week and a half away and we will know for sure.

Wednesday morning I went to Weight Watchers. I go each week, even though I haven’t written much about it lately. I did well, as I lost 1 and a half pounds. I gained a little this spring while Anneliese was pregnant. I guess I was being sympathetic with her weight gain.

On the way home Hubby called to tell me that all was well and he would get the mail for me. So I drove the rest of the way home and was greeted by all six pups. I opened the door to let the two little ones out into their pen, and then I picked up Baerbel and carried her out the other door to the garden. I wanted to see if my plants were doing anything. As I stood holding her I felt something on my foot and looked down and saw Baron! Now how did he get there?

At first I thought that Hubby was home and I called out to him, but no one answered. I walked back to the house and saw that the pen gate was OPEN! I was shocked and then I looked down at Baron and I realized that he hadn’t wandered off like many puppies would, he had tracked me down to the garden, all on his own! What an amazing dog!

Baerbel, me and Baron.

I played with them for a bit, fed them their lunch and then Makenna came by with a friend of her sister’s to see the pups.  Makenna is such a good sport and she took the pups out with me again and we ran them around the back yard.

Makenna and Baerbel.

I made lunch for Hubby and got a few things done around the house. Then I stopped to check my email and I got a note from Ali’s new family. She is doing great, is much loved and has a new little girl to play with. Her name is Faith and she is now Ali’s best friend! This photo was taken by Teresa, who is a professional photographer in Michigan.

Now don’t they look made for each other? I also learned that Ali’s new Daddy has already taken her out to learn tracking and that she is doing well with that. I am so happy for them, and this is why I breed. As hard as it is to say good-bye to my babies, knowing that they are going to loving homes, where they will be a big member of the family, makes it all worthwhile!

Bogart is also doing great with his new family, which includes a doggy brother named Basil. As you can see in this picture, taken by Bogey’s new Mom, Alexandra Daley-Clark. She is a professional photographer so please click on this link and check out her web site.

As you can see, Bogart is leading a very good life!

So, life is good and Baron and Baerbel will be leaving very soon. I’ll miss them, but it will give us about 6 weeks until Greta’s pups come. (Oh yes, we aren’t 100% sure yet, but I really do think she has biscuits in her oven!)

The last 11 weeks have zoomed by. I brought the pups in to our Vets for the last time today. They all were examined, all got Health Certificates and are ready to go. As I took their pictures and thought back, I realized how much each one of them has changed. From tiny, helpless, little babies to growing, running, jumping, wiggling puppies!

Here are a few pictures from our trip to the Vets.

Dr. K and Ali.

Baerbel.

These are the last pictures taken of me with all of my babies.

In the afternoon our little puppy kingdom began to change. I sat down with Anneliese and told her that it was time for two of her babies to leave and go to new homes. I could tell she was sad, but she was happy too. Happy because these little puppies would be loved and have wonderful lives, just like her Mommy had when Greta came here all the way from Germany.

Ali as a baby and today with her new Mom.

Yes, here she is with her forever Mom, Teresa. She arrived today and adopted our little Ali. I could just tell that it was a match made in heaven. Ali is now on her way to  Michigan to meet her Dad, Brad and her forever little girl, Faith! They’ve promised me lots of pictures!

Bogey also left to go to his new forever home. His Mom, Alex and Dad, Denis came and picked him up. They’ve been a few other times to visit because they don’t live too far away from us. It was wonderful to see them. Bogey knew them and settled right into Alex’s arms. Bogey will have a doggy brother named Basil and his Mommy also promised me plenty of pictures!

Tonight Anneliese keeps looking for Ali and Bogart. I didn’t think she would notice that much, but she has. I just take her in my arms and cuddle her and by tomorrow I think she will be all better.

Good-bye to my sweeties. Have a wonderful life!

2 down, 2 to go.

Sunday was supposed to be a quiet, catch up day, unfortunately I got going and before I knew it, I was really chugging along.

I wanted to type out the transfer papers for the puppies, I wanted to print out pictures of Anneliese and Isegrim for the new owners. I got all that done, as well as played with my precious babies.

It’s a funny feeling when you reach this point in their lives. You are ready for them to leave, as having 8 dogs is too much for any sane individual, but at the same time, you look at those beautiful individual faces and you realize how much you will miss them.

From the moment of their conception, their birth and then through the first weeks of their lives, I have been with them. Even though I refer to myself as their grand-mummy, in many ways I have been their mother. After Anneliese finished nursing them, I taught them to lap milk, to eat puppy gruel, to lap water, and to use newspaper!

Anneliese may have been the one to give birth to them, but these are my babies!!!

I read something recently and I realized that I am not a professional breeder. I am not in it for the money, and my dogs are all my pets. I am a breeder who breeds dogs for health, and sound temperaments, and I try to fill them with love so that when they do go to their forever homes they will be able to shower their new owners with love.

I think I am a responsible breeder and more than anything, I know I am breeding for the right reasons. I bet tomorrow when the two families arrive to pick up their babies, their hearts will be filled with love.

Isn’t that what it’s all about?