Brittanys and More Brittanys in Augusta

BIG yawn... very tired, 9 PM on Tuesday night. Lots to share about a wonderful weekend spent with Brittany friends Julie and Lisa, and of course with Bullet, IzzyBellie, and Pippin! We enjoyed Sunday in Augusta practicing conformation skills and handling, plus a type of mock dog show. HMPH... the Brittanys were not appreciated in the mock judging LOL! I have some pictures to share, but tomorrow or the next day. All the young ones did wonderful as we prepare for our next show. Julie will have Sassy in a Flyball tournament this weekend, and we're all anxiously awaiting her next Title! Woo hoo Sassy! And I do have a wonderful brag too, we're very proud to announce to you all that 6 month old Hill's Catch'n The Wind (BAILEY from Chris and Jack seen below in the honoring pix) won
3rd Place Amateur Puppy in the Southern New England Brittany Club Field Trial this past weekend !!!!!!! Congratulations to Paul, Dawn, and Bailey!

For those who have asked, Treasure is doing fine now, and we believe all things work together for those who love the Lord (Roman 8:28) She's enjoying hanging out in the house at the moment with Rosie, Jack, and Pippin. John has just started spring training with the bird dogs, most of the snow is gone and it's time for them to review what they know. As the finished gun dog that he is, Jack got the full gamut down in the muddy bird field but the rest were simply walked around the yard with a new unique whoa training tool. This is his area of expertise so I stood and watched from inside. I was so pleased to see how they each did. Rosie and Treasure happily obeyed John at each command of 'whoa'. They were both all business. Because Pippin is being trained for the ring and the field, it was incredible to see how she translates whoa and stay as being the same thing. John was able to gently lay her leash down and walk backwards away from her, circle her completely and then go back and work with her on some style. If all goes well, John and his friend Mal will get Pippin and his English Setter "Starr" out together to train on birds real soon. They are both the same age. Mal is looking forward to heading out to Michigan for a big field trial to run Starr in there, and we sure wish him great success when the time comes.

Speaking of Honor

The handsome Brittany shown here honoring the intense point of 6 month old Bailey (Jack/Chris pup) is Ch. Hill's Blazin Jac, Pippin's sire. Dawn sent us several beautiful photos of Bailey's recent training day and this is my favorite one. This picture is worth a thousand words. Jac is an outstanding bird dog with many birds shot over him over the past few years. His manners at honoring Bailey's point are to be commended. That comes from the excellent breeding program he is from, and the committment to training by his owners. Bailey in her own right comes from stellar lines as well, and her potential is clearly seen here. John and I are way at the other end of early spring training, with the introduction of a wooden cut out pointing dog, to help steady our Brits up while teaching them the importance of manners. This picture has taken my breath away!

Don't Ask....

In our household, it can be dangerous to send John out by himself. Afterall, that is exactly how our first Brittany "Cuddly Cricket" happened to join our family the summer of 1986. Some things never change...
Yesterday I enjoyed a long overdue breakfast at a local restaurant with our daughter in law. In the meantime, John took a long drive to New Hampshire to pick up our dog food. I've been battling a bit of a funky fly yuck thing this week and hit the couch when I came back home. John had taken both Treasure and Jack, and as the kennels had been powerwashed earlier, the chores were done. I decided to give in to the CPI Syndrom (couch potato syndrome) and promptly plopped down intending to spend the afternoon in front of the boob tube, a true luxury for me. No sooner had I gotten the tv tray situated, a cup of tea, and the throw all situated (sans fighting for a position on the couch with the bro/sis away)... the motley crew of Brits began to sing and announce Johns return. Treas' and Jack preceeded him into the house of course... but there is my husband with a sheepish grin on his face... I said "WHAT." And he told me he bought a Pointer puppy.......... left the room to go outside and bring 'it' in. My thoughts were not fit to publish here... I was in shock... what in the world was this man thinking??????? Thoughts and emotions ran the full gamut - is he insane, well he must have a good reason, what's wrong with him, we can work it out, maybe he wants to train it and sell it, maybe he found it somewhere, maybe I'll schedule an appointment with a psychiatrist my husband MUST be crazy.... Okay... I braced myself... Heard the door open and his footsteps crossed through the house, I could not bear to turn my head. There he stood. With his new prized possession and a grin on his face that testified he was so proud of himself, and happy he had pulled YET another practical joke on me... while he showed me the plywood cutout of a Pointing Dog - which we will now use to teach the BRITTANYS how to honor each others' point!!!! After 34 years - you'd think I'd get a clue!! It was a wonderful laugh.

Spring Training Has Begun

Meet Bullet and Julie! Bullet is a 6 month old pup out of Chris and Jack's September litter. Julie and Jim also own Sassy, who has the title of Flydog Champion Gold! Julie is getting the Bullet Man in shape for his dog show debut next month. His sister, Bailey is expected to debut in the ring, and their big half sister Pippin - will be there too! We're all looking forward to this and personally - I cannot WAIT ! Going to shows with good friends is so enjoyable. It's great fun for the dogs too. (I must confess though, our dogs may do well and win but I am losing the Best Mother In Law of the Year award. Our wonderful son-in-law will be celebrating his 30th birthday in style and very special plans have been made for the same date that I had already planned to be away. The fact of the matter is - we have the best son in law anyone could ever have, and he's also a terrific father to the 3 children he and our daughter have. I will be there for his actual birthday, but not for the party. I have expressed my sincere apologies while trying to explain that the Brittanys really are not our first priority...)
It will be a great weekend all the way around though, and I'm looking forward to going. Pippin is looking so beautiful too, I can hardly believe it. I can't wait for Dawn to see her again, she will be proud. A year ago we were anxiously awaiting Chrissys whelping date. J & A's Heartfelt Legend of Acton arrived April 5, 2008.
Pippins 'countdown to the show' preparations have begun! And I'm so excited, I can hardly stand it. JULIE AND JIM - THANK YOU!!!!!!!! love and God Bless you all, John, Ann and All things Brittany

ATB Family Quiz!

It was love at first site when the family interested in "Whitey" who is now "Wylee" came to meet him for the first time at 4 weeks of age. Wylee is brother to Starr, Nellie, Tops, and Mickey! Their mother is our Wish and their father AFC/FC Coos Rylee. So, who knows our dogs well enough to figure out who else they are related to, and how?!

Leader of The Pack

A great book - Leader of the Pack, by Nancy Baer and Steve Duno. Yesiree... "How to take control of your relationship with your dog." "Give your dog a new leash on life - when you learn how to be boss." Hmmm.
What's wrong with this picture?!!?? I like to re-read certain books. With it being springtime, I am thinking about different training exercises to try with each dog and "Leader of the Pack" caught my eye in the bookcase. This was mandatory reading for the Treasure's first class she ever went to at 4 months old. I learned so much! We even graduated from that class and have a certificate to prove it! Here's what is inside the cover: Who's Leading Who? The owner of a dog must become the leader of the pack, in the dogs' mind. To do this, he or she must mimic the actions and attitudes of a leader and require the dog to recognize and conform to this. All areas of interaction must be choreographed by the owner, from when to pet the dog, to where the dog sleeps, to who greets visitors or strangers first. When a dog feels leadership coming from you it will eventually:
Be relieved to be free of the responsibility of controlling everything
Feel more secure
Develop more confidence
Worry less about strangers
Be more likely to interact happily with family and friends
Be more obedient
Show no aggression
That sure works for me! Now I look on the back of the book where it asks:
When you're on a walk does your dog pull you? Do you serve your dog dinner before you eat your own? Does your dog sleep in bed with you? Does your dog steal possessions and then play keep away?
If you answer "YES" to any of these questions, you have unknowingly handed over the title of "Leader of the Pack" to your dog and it's time to take it back.

Now I have to say I loved this book in 2006, and I still do. I want each of our dogs to be confident, know it's place in our family "pack", and be well behaved and responsive to my commands. By the looks of the picture above it's time for a refresher in all of the above! On a serious note, the basic leadership principles listed below really are worth the effort and obviously, they need review from time to time!
1. Eat before "Bobo"
2. Sleep higher than "Bobo"
3. Initiate and control interactions
4. Go first, not last
5. Control all space in the home
6. Maintain a dominant/right posture
7. Begin and end play
8.Be fair, calm, and confident
9. Be a good provider and protector

Do note Rosie's postion on the couch behind me, and think about the office photo. I do think we have a bit of control issue there, don't you? LOL! We NEVER allowed our dogs on the couch in the past... hmm.. Well, they do have to have permission to come up and if they haven't gained it, we order them off for a few minutes and then invite one. At a time?!! Well, as you can see - this picture really is behind the scenes at All Things Brittany - as Molly, Chris, Treasure and Rosie enjoy being couch potatoes along with me!
Love and Blessings always, John, Ann and the rest of us!

Our Full Time Secretary

Thought you may like to see our full time secretary here at J & A's Brittanys. This is 3 year old J & A's Ever Ready Rose of Acton. Rosie as you may remember is out of Molly and Tunk and full cousin to our legendary "Hunter". This picture is dated by a few months, but basically this is the morning scene here. We have to be careful with the placement of coffee mugs of course. She will stay off if I line up some obstacles on the edge of the computer table. Rosie is proficient at many tasks, her primary purpose of course is to keep a smile on my face and when there is not one there, she is quick to get up close and personal with a sweet dog kiss. (I for one am NOT opposed to them, but the 5 second rule more than applies depending on where their mouths were last seen.) Rosie is also helpful with laundry, packing for field trials, snowblowing, likes to sunbath in lawn chairs, read AKC rules books, watch baseball games with the remote and other non traditional tasks. Although one would think she is a true couch potato - Rosie is indeed a very serious hunting girl. who transforms her entire being into bird dog extrodinairre when in the woods. She locks up solid on point quite naturally. When she was still in the whelping box, she stood out from among the rest of the litter with her deeply intelligent eyes. Never one to go with the flow, Rose always has marched to a different drummer. The reason we named her "ever - ready' is because she is like the 'ever-ready@ Rabbit' and keeps going, and going, and going. She's "our little Rose - BUD"!

Thank you Cooper, Nash, Starr and Families

The phone rang earlier this morning, asking if someone would be home for a floral delivery. I said sure, we were here and would have the dogs under control. John was down in the woods on snowshoes so I couldn't ask him if he had ordered flowers (our anniversary is coming up, one never knows!) As soon as he came back a knock came to the door and a woman was standing there bearing gifts! Oh my Gosh! I began to cry because the first thing I saw was a box of dog treats. The pictures below express it all... we have been so blessed this morning by the expression of love ("for the love of the dog(s) both given and received" has new meaning today). A beautiful arrangement of lovely, fragrant flowers was sent from "Sir Cooper" (thank you Nancy P.). And an equually wonderful basketful of fruit, candies, crackers, sausage, heese, CHOCOLATE-YES, was given to us from "Nash" (Treasure's nephew), "Starr" (Treasures's half sister), and their owners Steve and Steph P. Well, John and I both had tears in our eyes and can not really find the words to adequately express how we feel - except to say that these gifts, along with the phone calls and expressions of understanding that have come our way this week have blessed us more than you can know. Treasure is quite appreciative of the dog snacks sent to her and she has indeed, already shared with Jack and Rose this morning. She is caught on camera sneaking one off the table...silly girl! Thank you from the bottom of our hearts and God Bless you mightily! Love, John, Ann, Treasure and All Things Brittany

Caring, Compassionate Friends

Treasure investigates several special deliveries that came today,
including some with her name.  God bless each of you for doing this....

All Things Brittany - Can you feel the love?

Tip: Find the music player and stop the music before starting the video!

Reflections of an Empty Whelping Box

Color me blue...
But color me thankful to know that Treasure's life is not at risk nor those of any pups she could have had due to any variety of circumstances. Disappointment floods all of our hearts. There is something so wonderful and exciting to look forward to when pups are on the way, a promise of new beginnings and potential, new lives to bring and receive love, and so much more. But it is sad today to look at a well prepared whelping box, and know it will remain empty this time for Treasure. The whelping box is like a cradle, that is passed from one generation to the next, although in this case used much more frequently. The 'cradle' pictured above has at one time or another kept each one of our Brittanys safe from harm. It is where Treasure was born. Each time it is used John and I carefully sand it down, bleach it, put new carpeting and paper in, and introduce the mom to be to it in plenty of time. Now we will carefully return it to storage until it is needed at a future point in time. I thought it was sad last spring to look at one lone singleton pup in it. But nothing could compare to the way the whelping cradle appears today. As the Bible says, weeping may endure for a night and joy will come in the morning. I am allowing myself these brief reflections for tonight only. There is much more to be thankful for afterall, and the evidence of that lays next to me with her head on my leg. Treasure senses all that has gone on, she is afterall - more than "JUST" a dog - she is a Brittany! And she is one of the special ones. (Oh they are all special to me - who am I kidding?!) Some may say suck it up Ann, there will be other pups, other times. All things do happen for a reason. I know that. But it's still sad in my heart tonight. Sad for Lili's family, for Nancy and Charles, sad for Laurie and Jim, and also for Lorrie, John, and I. I'm thankful to be able to share this with those of you who really do care about All Things Brittany. God does work in mysterious ways. Tomorrow, I won't let the sun catch me crying... but then if it's cloudy or rainy, I won't have to worry will I. Love to all, from
Ann and John, and especially Treasure

This week or next?

Now I've entered the time of self-doubt, concern, worry. All those things that cause me to second guess breeding dates, ovulation and heat cycles. One day I feel movement, the next day nothing at all. Another day Treasure is full and wide, and the other as lean as ever. I'm ready! But then, it doesn't really matter does it... what matters is Treasure...

She's uncomfortable, a little anxious, and when I pet her gently she reacts in a new way. But she sure does want to be close to me. Her appetite is very good! Even so, these are the days when I wonder if I should have been so blatently positive and hopeful about her pregnancy. In reading the blog archives of the past though, I can see where this is really nothing new. Time alone will tell. And we have at least one more week to wait.

We have been offline again, due to the FairPoint conversion process, a very negative one at that. Since Feb 19th, we have only had internet about 5 days total. Today a new modem arrived in the mail, so far so good.

I created a new video which I'll either upload here or put onto YouTube. I will update Treasure's page next..

This weekend there are dog shows in Fitchburg, MA. Good friends of ours will be there with their Brittanys hoping to do well. Saturday is the Central New England Specialty Show. Pippin missed the deadline, although we did have offers for people to bring her down there on our behalf. She looks so beautiful - she's coming into her own.

I've loved hearing from everyone through the blog and email! Cherie - you wrote something very special from your heart I really needed to hear; what your son Eric said means a lot. Be sure to get in touch with Dawn - two of Dakotas littermates will have their show debuts soon!

Well I'm catching up on 94 emails but felt this was important to touch base with everyone about Treasure. We will continue to watch and keep updates coming!

God Bless you and yours ! Watch for the new video - there are some new 'stars' in it... Stephanie - you'll want to wait for the very end. Love, John and Ann and ATB

Saturday Morning, March 7, 2009

Okay so I couldn't do it... Couldn't leave her quite yet in her whelping quarters overnight. Maybe tonight... She was settled in nicely for most of the day yesterday, and John was in and out working. Speaking of which, I was so pleasantly surprised at the thoughtful touches he made yesterday. I knew he was working on a few special projects to ensure everything is just perfect for the pups arrival. Important things like making sure the new digital TV converter works in the 'dog house', new overhead florescent lighting, and preparing the white board for recording all the necessary information. Treasure and I rested together on the 'love seat' for awhile. By the way that couch seems to have gotten smaller (not that I have put weight on LOL!). I'll look up the canvas cot and chaise lounge today, that makes it more comfortable for all! We start our temperature watch today, average for dogs is @ 101.3. I'll take her temp a.m. and p.m. to get a good average. Then as her whelping date approaches I will look for a drop to 100, that is consistent. Sometimes temps bounce around. The sure sign that labor is approaching is when the temp drops below 100. Even the slightest drop is a big deal when it stays at 99 or lower. We looked over our supply list, and there are only a few more things we need. (Last year, Steve and Steph kept us supplied with towels and absorbent pads. Jim and Julie generously provide rolls of unprinted newspaper ends, and Julie crochet's beautiful puppy blankets now for all our babies. She has made two already for this litter! Everyone really is so helpful and thoughtful and we have discovered many of our puppy customers are great cooks too!) Our vet is aware that pups are due.

John and I have been trying to come up with potential nicknames for our anticipated pups. Taking into consideration both Treasure and Cliff's names, the time of year, our list includes: Diamond, Sparkles, Little Star, Lily, Twinkle, Flight, Bud, Muddy, Skye, Little Cliff, Dilly, Tulip, April, and Spring! NO-O-O-O we are not anticipating that many pups LOL!!! But we want to have a good selection of nicknames to use in tracking the development of the puppies. In the end, they are all called PUPPY PUPPY PUPPY anyway! It does make it easier in the early days to have some nicks that go along with their markings and IDs!

With the warmer temps today comes the mud. Not much we can do about that. John's done a great job with keeping the snowpiles out from in front of the outside runs and the runoff drain under the concrete is working double time. We have a few more bags of wood pellets to transport down there before the mud gets so bad he'll sink out of site.

The whole crew has been enjoying longer romps but that also means muddy wet dogs - that smell that way! Speaking of which - there is a great shampoo "Lamberts Fresh and Clean" which leaves dogs smelling fresh and clean for weeks. This is what I use on the dogs that we don't show. I also have some great ideas for whitening their coats.

Well I am avoiding doing some window washing and vacuuming... let's see if I can get out of it all day LOL!
Take care and God Bless, John, Ann and All things Brittany

What lies ahead?

I love this photo of Treasure taken yesterday. She is standing on the edge of a snowbank in the front yard, watching her mother and her brothers romp in the snow with Pippin, Chris, and Rose. They were all engaged in a serious game of "Keep Away" involving a frozen bath towel previously stolen by one of them in warmer weather. Typically, Treasure would have been smack dab in the middle of such antics, but that was not the case yesterday. For awhile, she ran and played but it was clear she was not comfortable. Treasure began to draw away until finally she was standing on the sidelines. I have photos of the rest of the crew romping and having a blast. But this photo really captures for me, the essence of the moment as Treasures whelping date approaches. I am sure every inch of her being wanted to be leader in the tug of war, running way ahead of the others - as only Treasure does - taunting, teasing, playing. Yet something deeper, more primal and instinctive is at work within this girl. If you look closely, you can see the widening that has occurred throughout her ribs, and see her abdomen slightly lower than is typical. Instincts, genetics, science and the mystery and reality of reproduction will guide Treasure from now on. We are blessed to share in this with her, and know that we are ultimately responsible for all that concerns her, under the watchful eye of God.

All Things Treasure

Thursday, March 5
Today we prepared the whelping area for Treasure. I say "we", in reality it was John. As he carried in the whelping box, he lovingly spoke to Rosie who was watching and said "that's your cradle, Rose, you were the first one born in it!" He's right. That was 4 years ago on April 2, 2005. Our first litter in 15 years! Treasure watched John and I getting things ready, and she was quite interested. When we brought down the 'puppy basket', she sniffed it inside and out... she knows what that is for, and now it will be used for her babies. I put her blanket in the carpeted whelping box and tossed a few treats inside. Treasure happily went in, found the treats, then scooped the blanket up under her chest, went round and round in a circle, and lay down. We moved Wish in with son Scooby, Pippin in with mother Chris and of course - Rose and Molly are together. The rotation of housedogs will continue once Molly's heat is finished. No Jack for you Molly, LOL!

We have the surveillance camera/monitor hooked up now so when we're in the house, we can see the girl. This is going to be harder for me than Treasure... She doesn't mind being in the 'dog house' - after all it's heated with the pellet stove, has music playing, and is very warm and cozy. But I mind not having her by my side. Yet what matters now is that Treasure's natural, animal and maternal instincts come into play. We'll be there nearby a lot, on the couch, watching t.v., working, and/or listening to music. As the day draws closer, when signs begin to be clear, I will move my sleeping bag and pillow in, using the cot, spend nights with her as needed.

The next few weeks are all about Treasure and her pups. PERIOD. We have been to Augusta, testified, lobbied and worked hard the past few months. But now... the world of politics will just go on without us, as we settle into what it most important... There's a key bill coming up in the legislature which scares the daylights out of me. I will have to trust that our best interests as a responsible dog owner with multiple dogs, and as hobby breeders - there will be those who we can trust to protect our rights.

Above all, we do know God is in control. Always and forever, this is true. And we thank Him for our lives, our family, our friends, and of course, for all Things Brittany.