J & A's Brittanys ATB Blog

John got out of work early today so we could go to our vets together with Shiloh (George) and Moxie (Martha) for their second and final examination before leaving for their new homes in just a couple of days. They were good as gold and didn't put up a fuss about being put in a crate for the ride over. It was also the first day they have had their puppy collars on. I was so proud to walk them into the vets on a double leash (thanks Julie, it worked great for them) and everyone ooohed and ahhhed.... One woman was there with her own litter of 8 week old Cocker Spaniels and she commented on how well Shiloh and Moxie were doing. The clients at the animal hospital all get an 'A' from me for correctly identifying our pups as Brittanys!

Usually a stool sample is required from the pups before a health certificate can be issued for a puppy. Of course I forgot. We hoped that they would go in the office there but no such luck. So we had to try something a little different which did result in the necessary sample - it did leave Miss Moxie quite indignant though and she hid under the chair in the examination room. Shiloh, who I would have thought would be most upset about the something a little different took it all in stride. I have been working with the pups on a table, getting them to stand still (the earlier the better) so they were very well behaved for 8 week old pups when it was time to administer their puppy shots. Nary a whimper. Both pups were found to be in excellent health and great condition (no surprise on my part) and our vet was very pleased with them. The staff knows us well and whenever John and I bring our dogs there we are treated like royalty, and the vet techs go out of their way to accommodate us - just so they can spend time with our Brittanys. We are very fortunate to have such a wonderful animal hospital nearby. We also utilize a smaller practice nearby and they are just great to us as well. In fact - Mr. Shiloh is going to be a neighbor of one of our vets - brownie points for his new owners!

So-o-o yes... this is a bittersweet time for All Things Brittany. Each day my heart and hands embrace these beautifully, amazing, fun loving, intelligent puppies even more fully than the day before. And how can I help it?! Today for instance, Shiloh was sitting down watching the world go by and enjoying the moment. I softly spoke his name and when I did, his gaze rested upon me and he cocked his little head to the side as if to listen better. Tonight when we were heading across the yard with the pups Moxie had fallen behind (intentionally I'm sure). Shiloh was nearby but I couldn't see his sister. I headed back around the corner and sure enough, there she was and she was running full speed ahead towards me. I bent over and held my hands out for her as she jumped right up into my arms!

I have done an informal evaluation on the pups and have been especially pleased with the results. Using the Vohardt aptitude test, these pups tested exactly where they should be. We also have the Puppy Puzzle DVD which takes into consideration the evaluation of their physical conformation. The result is that these pups are perfect in every way, but of course!

But speaking of perfect... that is something I most definitely am not and in fact, I just nodded off for a brief moment! I do have additional pictures to share once I unpack my camera from last weekends time away at the shows. NOD! SNAP! That's it. My head is behaving like one of those bobble head dolls and I''m going to wind down now before I tip over and fall out of my chair here! Good night and God Bless you from All Things Brittany,
Ann