Treasure and Gibbys pups - 7 week update

We hope you and your family had a nice Thanksgiving.   We enjoyed two dinners here as our daughter had to work on Thursday and she and her family were able to join us on Saturday.  Thanksgiving Day was spent with our son and his family.  During the week and over the weekend several families stopped by to see us and/or to visit pups.  It continues to be excessively busy for us and this week will be no exception.  I'm looking forward to Tuesday as friends will be here to evaluate the entire litter and I will be most likely to finalize my choice of pick pup.  There are days I feel I could put a blindfold on and simply select our keeper that way because honestly this is one great litter of Brittany pups.  Pups have their second visit to the vets this week and most of them will enjoy the first day of the rest of their lives next weekend as new owners come to bring their puppy home.  And yes, it will be difficult for me - it always is difficult.   As each pup is placed lovingly into the arms of it's new owners, I do hold back the tears... most of the time!   But it is the day we have been preparing the pups for since the beginning and we know that all the we pour into these little lives is so worth it.   Going into the 7th and 8th weeks is in some ways like the home stretch.  Every day, even from morning to night the pups continue to change and grow.  I have seen them go from being leery of climbing over the threshold onto the porch, to bounding down across the steps to chase a leaf.   They have emerged from the quietness and safety of a secure whelping nest, into the real world of people, sounds, dogs, and life to the fullest!  Treasure remains an important part of their lives.  They no longer are relying on her for food and warmth but she is there to playfully interact with her babies on a regular basis. Yesterday afternoon all 11 pups were running around the very windy yard and  Treasure was there in the midst of it all, getting them to run happily barking after her.   Quickly Treasure flips around and lays on her belly, for her puppies to approach and crawl all over her. With her nose she gently tosses them over and kisses them.  With her paws she holds them in one place briefly.  With her mouth she gently corrects them by the scruff of the neck and always follows with affection.   When I want them to return to me I simply clap my hands and call "PUPPY PUPPY PUPPY!"   These days are passing all too quickly.  There is always a feeling of wanting to do so much more with them. 

And amidst all of this my camera is now among the missing. Oh this has happened before and I'm sure it has to be somewhere.   I hope I find it soon!

As I type I am looking forward to the arrival of our good friend Julie who is bringing Pippin back home to us.  She brought Pippin along with Bullet Man to the shows in Fitchburg this weekend.   Pippin was basically a 'twit' the whole time but Bullet won another point towards his AKC Championship and went Winners Dog one day. He also won Best Opposite Sex in the Sweepstakes and the judge told Julie she'd have no problem finishing him.  That is so encouraging!  Pam (Gibbys owner) was there with pretty Paris too and she was happy the way Paris showed.  I enjoyed updates each night and really wished I could have been there.  It is always fun when we get together for a show weekend.  Another Maine owned dog  won a 5 point major at the  National Show..

Will end this now, and look forward to sharing more in this coming week as December begins.   Thank you again for your interest in our crew! God Bless you and yours, John, Ann and ATB.

Thanksgiving By Faith

We wish you and yours a very Happy Thanksgiving.  As we stop to count our many blessings and reasons to be thankful to God we include love and friendship from our family and friends. 

God Bless you always, John and Ann Short

Heroes of Faith by Edgar De Witt Jones

By faith the voyaging Mayflower embarked from Old England and

 found harbor off the bleak New England shores.

By faith the Pilgrim Fathers set up a government on a new continent dedicated to God and

inspired by a desire to do His will on earth as it is done in heaven.

By faith Thomas Jefferson was stirred to strike a blow for political independence and wrote the

thrilling document that declared that all men are created equal and

endowed with certain inalienable rights.

By faith he said, "Love your neighbor as yourself and your country more than yourself."

By faith George Washington left his spacious mansion at Mount Vernon

and espoused the cause of the tax-burdened colonists.

By faith he forsook ease and comfort, choosing rather to suffer hardship with his men at Valley

Forge than to enjoy the favor of a king.

By faith he became the President of the newly born republic and

endured as seeing Him who is invisible.

By faith Alexander Hamilton established the financial credit of the nation. In the eloquent words of Daniel Webster: "He touched the corpse of public credit and it sprang into life. He smote the rock of national resources and abundant streams of revenue flowed."

By faith James Madison gave richly of his scholarly mind to form the Federal Constitution.

By faith Andrew Jackson fought the battle of the impoverished and

underprivileged many against the privileged few.

By faith Abraham Lincoln bore the awful burden of four purgatorial

years seeking to preserve the Federal Union.

By faith he carried a dreadful war to its conclusion without hate in his heart, saying,

 "I have not only suffered for the South, I have suffered with the South."

By faith Woodrow Wilson in the dreadful heartbreak of a world war dreamed a dream of a war less world in which the nations should be leagued together to keep the peace.

By faith he glimpsed that promised land which, like Moses, he might not enter.

And what shall I more say?

For time would fail me if I should tell of that unnumbered host, the unnamed and obscure citizens

who bore unimagined burdens, sacrificed in silence and endured nobly, that

 a government of the people, for the people, and by the people might not perish from the earth...

6 Week Old Pictures

(oops!  upper right hand corner is ARNOLD!)

Yesterday Pam and Sam joined us for the day here at All Things Brittany. It was so exciting to me for them to see Gibson's pups again and I just couldn't wait for their reaction to them. It was to be a working day for us, and Pam would be initiated as our 3rd P.A.T. tester. As Pam was a 'stranger' to the pups it was the perfect opportunity to see how they reacted from the moment they were brought to her until later when we could have puppy playtime. Although the pups have spent time in the house with me, I kept the kitchen off limit knowing we'd use it for the PAT. We encircled the kitchen with 2 large x-pens, and as Julie has done before, Pam waited exectantly for John to bring each pup to her. One by one they entered and were tested, which of course includes an ample amount of cuddling and playing too. Sam and John watched while I kept track of the pups reactions. It really is a lot of work even with an average size litter but 11 isn't average~! We were very pleased with all the pups, basically they all love people, are not afraid of sudden noises, and are quite well balanced. The very minor differences are very revealing when it comes to the final placement. Our pups from this litter have been spoken for a long time and right now it does look as each one has a wonderful life awaiting them with our hand picked families. There may be one pup left but there is a couple interested in that one too! All but 1 will be in a hunting family and it doesn't get much better than that. John prepared a feast for us of pot roast and veggies, Brownies and home baked bread while Sam, Pam, and I enjoyed a more informal time in the dog house with the pups running wild and free. We ended the day sitting at the dinner table giving thanks for our friendship and for the great meal! Julie was going to come down but her plate is literally full. I will see her next weekend and look forward to that.

The above photos are very informal, not a serious attempt at a steady show stack but I was pleased that the pups did stand on the table for Pam to pose long enough to snap a quick photo. It's a nice way to get a better look at these babies who will go home in less than 2 weeks now. Life continues to be extremely full and busy here at ATB, and we're basically going to have two Thanksgiving dinners here - I imagine this week will fly!

Thank you again for your interest in All Things Brittany, we appreciate you and sure enjoy sharing our pictures with you. Take care and God Bless you, John, Ann and ATB

Video: Treasures Training Techniques

Birdy Pups

These beautiful photographs were taken by "Melanie and Jeff" today.  We brought out a pheasant wing on a fishing rod just for fun to see how the pups reacted.  Evidently the training that Treasure started with them yesterday was still fresh in their minds! We saw honoring, flash puppy points, scent tracking, strong prey drive, intensity, and more... needless to say we continue to be extremely pleased with these pups in every way. Most of the pups pictured here are intentionally the males (without colors).  I almost have the video of Treasures training done and it will be uploaded either tonight (Saturday) or sometime tomorrow.  And tomorrow - these puppies turn 6 weeks old!  WOW!  God bless you and yours always, John, Ann and ATB

Treasure - Expert Bird Dog Parent

Yesterday afternoon I witnessed something I have never seen before in 23 years of raising Brittany dogs.  I have seen mother dogs do some pretty amazing things with their pups with their pups in the past but Treasure has topped them all.  Recently she delivered  a live quail into the whelping box for her pups (ahem, some one I know and love left the quail pen open...).   Yesterday, she found the back section of feathers reamining from one of John and Jack's pheasants.  I saw her with them and typically she will ALWAYS bring an item to my hand with the command "Come, Give".   Not so.  It happened to be that the entire litter of 11 were out running freely in the backyard.   And fortunately I had my camera because I could not believe what I saw.  She went over to the first group of pups playing around our grandchildrens swingset and very methodically made sure that each and every puppy there saw what she had in her mouth.  She gently brushed their heads with the huge pheasant tailfeather section. (There is probably a term for this but dang if I know what it is.)  Several pups were still inside the opensided X-pen, so she went over to them and made sure they were exposed to the bird too. Of course by now she had piqued the curiousity of all her babies and they were all responding.  When she seemed satisified they had all been introduced to the bird in her mouth, she backed up slowly from the pups still following her, and lay down for them to come to her.  My camera is a very small point/shoot digital with minimal video capability so the quality of my videos is always a little rough.  Even so, I was able to capture these moments.  I'm writing about it here first because when I upload it to YouTube I want you to know it won't be the best quality. But I'd have a hard time believing a story like this if I'd not seen it happen. So just as soon as I can find a little more free time (WHAT IS THAT??!) I'll splice it together.... Once again, Treasure has shown me she is just that - a real treasure!

Pups will be going to their new homes in two weeks!  This is the busiest and most hectic time of all for us with so much more to do with them and PAT evals tomorrow with Pam and Sam.  Intros to leash and collars coming up and Treasure seems to have taken care of the early bird training for us.  I am busy morning to night with the pups, reached the point of pure exhaustion, Thanksgiving is upon us, a dog show to prepare for, and enjoying life in general and looking forward to more puppy visits.  It is times like this that I value precious moments spent with family and friends, and appreciate quite moments of prayer and reflection.  It is true and it is written that the Joy of the Lord is My Strength, and that times of refreshing are found in His Presence... When I am not even aware of the need to be strengthened and refreshed for whatever reason, I can always be still, and KNOW that He is God!  We all have much to be thankful for each and every day of our lives if we will but take the time to realize it.  Thanksgiving is but one day of the year when we make it a point to remember it deliberately and intentionally.  As we approach this holiday, our prayer is that you and yours have an especially meaningful time - however you choose to celebrate and to give thanks.  God Bless, John, Ann and ATB

Puppy's First Christmas, by Susan Ewing, Paperback

Barnes & Noble.com - Image Viewer: Puppy's First Christmas, by Susan Ewing, Paperback: "Puppy's First Christmas by Susan Ewing"
I saw this on the stands in PetSmart the other day and would like to HIGHLY recommend this to those of you whose pups will be experiencing their first Christmas with you this year! Thumbing through the pages this book I felt that this would be a valuable addition to your library!

And they're off!!

I give up!  I have tried to get some very nice 'still shots' of each of the pups, to show off how perfect they are in every way but it is totally and absolutely IMPOSSIBLE!  The only time it is even remotely likely to get a group shot these days is when they are all sleeping - maybe possible that is if they happen to fall asleep together - NOT anymore!  I've been faithful to photograph them on the scale each week but now they don't fit on the puppy scale any longer and forget about trying to get them to remain still long enough anyway.  I can show you what I mean but I only was able to get a few photos!  We did get the weight recorded though and I'm very pleased at the average overall weight gain of the entire litter, which has been a pound a week.  There is some variance of course but I'm delighted with the growth and development of these pups.  The pictures to the left are very blurry because the pups would not stay still which is why I didn't upload a series like I usually do. This weekend however Pam, Sam, Julie and maybe Jim too will be down.  We're going to take time to get some very nice photos of these pups as well as do the Puppy ptitude Tests.  We'll be doing some grooming together as well.  I'm really looking forward to their visit which will of course include lots of time for playing with puppies and new pictures. 

This afternoon I left the pups inside playing for just a couple of moments.  I returned to find them having a free for all with a roll of blue puppy poop bags!  I had the roll tucked into the cabinet drawer so that I could pull one out at a time as needed in their pen.  I'm not sure exactly which little Houdini did it - but one of them had to jump up pretty high to grab hold of the end of the bags.  Who ever did it ran the full length of the room which of course engaged the rest of the co-sonspirators in a full fledged game of tug of war.  Just picture a toilet paper roll being unraveled from one end of the house to the other and you'll know what it was like.  Of course I laughed myself silly as I watched their antics.  Suffice to say naptimes for puppies are becoming shorter, and awake times becoming longer, poops are more plentiful and of significant size... ahhhh so you know what I mean?!!! Those precious early weeks of solitude, bliss, and reflections - are a thing of the past!  We now have 11 thriving, active, funloving, healthy, adventurous, curious, bold, Brittany pups who are discovered there is a whole lot more to life than the inside of a whelping box!  Wouldn't have it any other way though... not in a million years.  Course I look in the mirror at the end of the day and say YIKES!!!! I went through the day looking like that?!!!!   And tonight I have to rummage through my closet in hopes of finding a suitable outfit to wear to the State House tomorrow... it will be my first official meeting as a member on the Maine Animal Welfare Advisory Council, representing licensed municipal kennel owners.  A governor appointed position, I'm very proud to serve in this capacity in hopes of working towards making the needs and concerns of responsible owners of multiple dogs who are not a breeding kennel heard.  All too often breeders of purebred dogs are looked upon with disdain in this moment in time and viewed with suspicioun, heavily regulated and licensed.  I have a very strong code of ethics regarding responsible dog ownership and breeding, but I am against animal rights.  So anyway, I am looking forward to the meeting tomorrow, John will be here at ATB, and I'll be moving out of my comfort zone !  Well thanks for listening to my rambling, heading right back down to see the pups and continue to work on my grooming of Miss Pippin for the upcoming show season!  She's lookin' some beautiful!  Take care and God Bless, John, Ann and ATB

The Snuggles Factor

This is the beautiful grandaughter of Gwenn and Gary, pictured with Toffee (Ch Triumphant Magic Voodoo Man x Birch Springs Charly's Promise).  We had a wonderful reunion with Toffee and her very special owners this past summer at the Summer Field N Fun Day here in Acton.  She's a lovely 4 year old Brittany who is pampered, spoiled and gives back just as much love that is lavished upon her!  (Do Brittanys and babies mix?  I'd say the picture above tells it all!)

This morning after finishing chores in the Dog House, I took a few moments to rest among All Things Brittany upon the little couch.  Yes it is actually a love seat, and when I sleep down there I revert to a fullsize cot, but the love seat works well for snuggling with all the Brittanys.  With unprinted newspaper spread from one end of the dog house to another, the puppy pen gates open, it was basically a free for all for Treasure and Gibsons 11 puppies.  I realized I so often write about their development, training, socializing etc. that you don't really get to hear so much about the "Snuggles Factor".   This hit home this morning as I sat waiting and watching to see which puppies would figure out how to scale the foot stool and use that to climb up to the couch where I was laying.  I was very quiet and still, just observing.  And one by one, they discovered just how to get to me - LITERALLY!  As their little heads popped up with eyes wide and looking to see what lay just out of their reach, suddenly there were little woofs and squeals as they focused on me.  It was like an alarm went off among them as the others that were across the room quickly investigated to see what their littermates had discovered!  Talk about feeling like a celebrity!  I was greeted with such enthusiasm and puppy kisses as each one found their way up on top of me, climbed on my head, squeezed in back of my neck, ran down behind my back and ran back and forth.  And before I knew it, all 11 of those babies were right there in my face - death by suffocation of a litter of puppies nearly occurred! I started to laugh and laugh which made the babies happier still.  Some were content that they had made it to the top and ho - hum, they went back to what they were doing before down on the floor.  But those who stayed with me snuggled in as close as close could be and I just hugged and kissed and snuggled with all of them.  And I realized in that moment - that's one of those moments of pure joy in life, when a grown woman who is way over 50 something can simply become a little girl again who loves puppies with all her heart.  Being one who believes every moment in their development is opportunity for learning and growing, I also realized those puppies learned one of their most important lessons today - and that is how much happiness they bring to the humans who love them.  We can train our animals, breed them, show them, hunt and compete with them, we can feed them, teach them, care for and clean up after them.  But what is all of that without being motivated by our love for them?  Truly, as I captured these moments this morning with my heart and mind, I can say anew it really is all about the love of the dog, both given and received.   I must just thank God for giving me the ability to appreciate the most simplest of things in life and for sharing all of this together with John!  Take care and God Bless you and Yours, John, Ann and All Things Brittany

Discovering the World Outside

Just a quick blog tonight.  Enough to say we had a great time this afternoon with introducing the pups to their mother's outside pen.  Placed their puppy food saucers outside, hitched the swinging door open, and called them out.  Have some video footage of it which is so cute. Just when you think you have the cast of characters figured out though they change roles!  This is a real turning point for them as they reach 5 weeks of age and we're going to be extra busy with these little rascals each and every day from now on.  No rest for the weary as they say but I am not complaining.  Had some more company today for the pups to meet and greet and they showed such confidence, we were so pleased. They have also had some early opportunities with some of the other crew here.  Scooby is especially gentle with young pups and he enjoys laying on the floor letting them crawl over him, or observing them from a point of safety perched on the dog house couch.  Pippin is very interested in the pups - just a mere young one herself.  She is always so playful and understands the need to be gentle with the babies.  Treasure has shown no sign of concern with the other dogs being nearby but these kinds of things are always done with close supervision of course.  She is being very stern with her puppies if they try to nurse and she does not want them to. Rarely does she submit to their demands for food from her, only to relieve herself a little bit and then teaches them ENOUGH!  They are now eating 3 meals a day of puppy food. Treasure stays with them at nightime but is with us most of the day.  Next weekend the PAT will take place and we are also making plans for the whole litter evaluation (more for breeders than anything).  Right now there are actually 3 pups I am personally interested in so I am anxious to get other breeders opinions.  Pam is also pretty much interested in the same ones that I have my eye on.   We are looking with a much more critical eye because of this being the first litter with Treasaure and Gibson. We both know what we were hoping to get and we are definitely not disappointed at all.   Today was a gorgeous day here in Southern Maine, and we enjoyed it to the fullest but now I'm exhausted, Treasure is ready for her time with her puppies, and I would have to admit so am I! 

Take care and God Bless you and yours, as always thank you for your interest in ATB! John, Ann, and the crew

The Great Outdoors

I've heard it said that this handsome young male Brittany above is the BEST BRITTANY in the entire world! I was also told that he has exceeded the owners greatest expectations when it came to hunting and companionship for the entire family.   He is none other than "Remi", proudly owned and greatly loved by the Poulin family, and is a Jack/Chris puppy 14 months old! 

PUPPY UPDATE:

Several of the pups had their first outdoors experience this afternoon!  No pictures yet to share that documents it as my 'focus' was on the pups reaction. It was so fun though!  I brought some of the more confident pups out two by two, sat on the ground with them with Treasure nearby and watched.  They loved it!  Each of them reacted differently.  There was one who followed me everywhere I went, another that ran down to the front of the kennel and walked back and forth in front of the outside runs, one pup followed mom everywhere, and another found it's way inside the x-pen I had set up with the indoor/outdoor carpet.  I was so pleased that not one puppy was inhibited with the new experience and of course in the days and weeks ahead we will begin to spend a lot of time outside with fun puppy games of one kind or another.  They all come running to me when I say "PUPPY PUPPY PUPPY" so I build on that basic lesson.  When I bring the puppy food into them I hold it up high and say "Cookie Cookie cookie"...this is also laying a foundation for all future training.  To get them to come to the sound of a humans voice and then to follow where that sound is coming from will cross over into recall and focus training - i.e. instead of saying puppy puppy puppy - it will eventualy be pups name, and COME... and instead of saying cookie cookie cookie - it can become 'WATCH ME"..... It is possible to train an entire litter of pups to sit before eating - but I am more interested in trying to get them to stand for me before I put the dish down... TRYING being the key word, and timing is everything.  At this age their attention span is nearly non-existent but their little brains from this point on are like sponges, and able to soak in as much as you can pour out for them, within reason and in short time spans. I'll do things like play hide and seek with the pups, continue to make loud noises, and trek a little further into the woods edge through the crispy leaves.  Weaning is going very well, and I know Treasure is ready to call that quits...but she needs to remain with them as much as possible without nursing them...so I'll now begin to focus on 'drying" her up.... Speaking of Treasure she is just so amazing!  She finds her toys and brings them to her babies when it's play time.  Today when she saw they were outside on the grass she came running towards them and laid down so they could crawl all over her and she flipped them over and played with them, it was cute.  She even went and brought them a tennis ball and nudged it in front of them.  (As I'm sitting typing I am listening to the sound effect CD playing over the intercom... distracted and laughing I am because there is the sound of hoofbeats, followed by barnyard sounds...).

I've got to thank you all for the notes and messages sent to me about my brother.  I was surprised how many others have experienced similar situations and appreciate the kind words of support and encouragement.  I do have peace about this, and I believe he is finally at peace too.

I'll have more photos of course in the days ahead, and looking forward to sharing the puppies outdoor experiences.  Cannot believe we're approaching 5 weeks of age - WOW!  Time has flown by!  In just 3 more weeks we will be saying goodbye to these little babies... well, that is to most of them..... VERY BIG GRIN!  (Grin not due to pups leaving... grin due to....well.... um....pup(s) staying?~!)

Have a wonderful weekend, take care and God Bless you and yours!  As always, John, Ann and ATB

All Things Bright And Beautiful

Treasure and Gibsons pups are now 4 1/2 weeks old.  Daily I notice immense changes in their appearance, personality and movement.  The differences can even be noticed from morning until night.  The pups who at first were not as bold and confident as some of the others have quickly caught up in their development. There is quite a range of personalities but all of them are loving and affectionate.  I manage the activities of my day around their eating/sleeping/playing.  (I get to play too though, I am a big fan of Farmville and Cafe World on Facebook so watch and listen over the monitor while tending crops and cooking meals!!)  Treasure's time with her puppies is so important now, she will teach them about manners and respect.  It may sound really funny to say this but I feel like she understands I am there to help her out, but letting her call the shots.  Today I was sitting on my little stool inside the puppy pen and the pups were playing with Treasure who was also in there. All of a sudden she came over to me and gave me a great big kiss on the cheek and wagged her tail. Her way I suppose of saying thank you?!  There are things that she does with the pups that are done when no one is around so I enjoy the privledge of some of those moments by just sitting quietly by.  This afternoon I would have given anything to have had my camera but as the song says "Leave a Tender Moment Alone".   She was lying on her side with several sleeping pups nearby. They were not nursing, they just wanted to be near momma.  J.R. who is the sweetest marshmallow of a puppy crawled up onto her head and just cuddled in between her ears.  Then Digger who is a mellow fellow crawled up next to his brother and curled up on J.R.  Treasure was sound asleep.  I just sat there listening to the music playing and embraced this precious moment of intimacy shared with these animals.  I'll tell you why it was so special to me... because I've had a few rough days lately...

Our family learned the other day that my brother passed away in Arizona.  He was 66.  One of those big brothers that you idolize as a child and who, no matter what they really were all about - you still loved them deeply.  I won't go into details but suffice to say he lived his life exactly the way he wanted to.  I think we'd actually said our goodbyes a long time ago, but there is something about knowing someone is still living in the same world as you even if not a part of  your daily life.  And then suddenly - you get that call, and you realize they are gone.  He was a music lover and an animal lover. Somewhat of a loner by his own choice. This little sister found little fault with her big brother even when others did, even when she should have. Until I grew up.  But no matter what - I loved him and I do know he knew that.  So... today, once again music and animals came together and touched my heart as I sat with Treasure and her pups, listening to a song, think it was by the Stylistics..."You Are Everything, and Everything Is You".... And yup... tears fell.  I can't explain how I feel.  I think people expect me to act a certain way.  But I know how it was with my brother and I, and I know how he felt, and he knew how I felt.  Physically he left all of our lives years and years ago.  It was his choice.  I didn't even know how to reach him when our mother died and it was several months later that he was finally told.  So... I guess the beauty of a blog is the author can use it as a journal in a variety of ways... and I'm choosing to bring the love of God, the love our Brittanys, and the love of my brother together in this place...just for now.... I will be the one who writes an obituary for him, and I will probably be the one to plan a private memorial for him in the future.  I am not sure what is going on in Arizona...  Please don't be sad for me.  As I said we told each other goodbye a long time ago, but his death brings closure to that for both of us. Which is what he would have wanted too....

All things bright and beautiful, All creatures great and small,

All things wise and wonderful: The Lord God made them all.
Each little flower that opens, Each little bird that sings,
He made their glowing colors, He made their tiny wings.
The rich man in his castle, The poor man at his gate,
He made them, high or lowly, And ordered their estate.
The purple headed mountains, The river running by,
The sunset and the morning that brightens up the sky.
The cold wind in the winter, The pleasant summer sun,
The ripe fruits in the garden, He made them every one.
The tall trees in the greenwood, The meadows where we play,
The rushes by the water, To gather every day.
He gave us eyes to see them, And lips that we might tell
How great is God Almighty, Who has made all things well.

Reading, Training, and 4 week old Pups

It's no secret that one of my favorite books regarding raising pups is the Monks of New Skete "Art of Raising A Puppy."  In fact, it is required reading for people who buy a Brittany pup from us and written in our policies.  For those who are going to bird hunt with their Brittany, the above book is also required.  It is not that each training technique from both of the books must be implmented, it is the humane methods and common sense approach to working with young pups that is important.  There are many many methods of training a dog as we all know.  But it is important to realize what works for one dog may not work for another.  So in between updating this blog about our puppies I wanted to once more promote this book. It is available through a variety of sources at different price ranges.  I think there is a book review on Amazon about Tarrants book, and it also gives a list of the chapters, index, and a preview of the first chapter. I hope you'll take the time to look it up.

All is well here, a bit of a quiet day so far.  Pups are doing well and we have started some early sound desensitivation training.  This is simply replacing the gentle and calming music that plays continually for the puppies and playing talk radio briefly, making exagerated sounds with pails and buckets while feeding the dogs, and even the sound of the power washer.  Yesterday I played a CD of various sound effects while they were eating. With the volume turned low, the pups listened to  the sounds of crowds, cheering, cats, trucks, gunshot, music, laughter, babies, and more.  It was interesting that while they were eating there was little reaction but when they finished their meal the pups responded.  A couple of them simply walked back over to their bed and lay down.  Some pups barked and jumped playfully.  One or two sat listening intently, and a few others approached the sidewall where the sounds were coming from.  We've also started to leave the gate open inside whenever we're there so they can hop in and out.  I am learning the best way to work with the pups is in small groups based on their level of receptiveness and maturity at this early age.  There are those pups who need a little more coaxing at this age regarding new things, pups who will tackle anything head on, and those who are in the middle of the road.  By the time they are 8 weeks however they will be so well socialized and happy that these minor differences at 4 weeks will be forgotten.  I love working up to each significant "first" - including those we have already accomplished - planned or otherwise! I have all I can do to tear myself away from the pups but it is still so important that Treasure spends time with them as well.  Yet I so love to plant myself smack dab in the middle of all those Brittany pups! We have reduced the use of the overhead heat lamp significantly and on days like today the dog house is warm without running the pellet stove.  Decided to give up trying to contain the pups in the whelping box at night and used reverse psychology (DOH!).  They cannot climb back into it however Treasure can go into the whelping box and escape. It works out nicely for all concerned. The pups are very interested in the outside opening that leads to Treasures pen.  I am not quite ready for them to move that freely yet though!!! When we are ready her pen will be converted to a puppy play area and weather permitting, a new experience.  Along the way of course will be extended periods of time in the house with us as we set the X-pens up in the kitchen.  There is introduction to birds to look forward to, a romp through the leaves, and just so much more.  But one day at a time in the life of All Things Brittany!  God Bless you and yours, Ann and John and our canine crew!

Unique Example of Crate Training

Christmas With a Capital "C"

I had to share this... The new Christmas Song!

Keeps Getting Better!

I watched Bert puppy climb up onto the side rails, jimmy up using his paws by holding onto the chain link, then balanced himself as you can see here in the pictures. This is on our Facebook page but I know not everyone subscribes to that, and this picture shows just what we are in for with these pups!  Intelligence plus!  This pail was full of Treasures dry dog food, and suspended about 10" off the floor or more.  It's all moved around now of course.  It's important to realize that we have now transformed the whelping area no less than 6 times by the age of 4 weeks due to the undeniable intelligence and agility of this amazing litter of Brittanys.  They are developing and maturing so quickly although they are still an average of 3.5 pounds each.  Daily, it is if another little puppy "turns on" and suddenly becomes so much more aware of their environment. This weekend we saw amazing changes in their interaction with us - it was like suddenly they fell in love with people !!  Each pup does have its own personality and I just love love love experiencing the reality of getting to know them uniquely.  It's pretty hard to believe that we are halfway through to when these pups can go home as today, they turn 4 weeks old.  Treasure is doing so well, she is still quite attentive to her puppies but spends more time away from them now - which is as it should be. She is close enough to hear their cries and quickly runs to see how they are.   Because of the fact the pups can crawl up, over, in, and out Treasure spends the night inside the shared area with them. They start off in the whelping box, and usually by morning just a couple of crawled out to where she is.  Treasure seems to enjoy the pups one or two at a time and will lovingly kiss them as they crawl over her head and body.  Nursing the pups is quite a job now so she usually will remain standing.  The pups in turn will stand on their back legs to suckle.  The pups are on their 4th day of weaning and were introduced to moistened puppy food which they really enjoyed.  They are now getting this twice a day, and tomorrow will be the beginning of 3 full meals of moistened puppy chow a day.  Treasure seems to understand that we are working together, which doesn't surprise me.  She's teaching her babies that they can have time together playing which doesn't always mean she's their meal ticket.  What the puppies learn from their mother in the next 4 weeks will be very important for them as far as respect goes.  As they establish a pack heirarchy, Treasure will always intervene when things get rough as will John or I.  In the coming days and weeks we will soon be able to identify certain 'characters' in the litter.  I really hope we get some more days like today as it's going to be fun to introduce them to the outdoors.  We've had young pups born in January before who we briefly let experience snow etc.  These are afterall Brittanys! 

I do have to share that last night we enjoyed a wonderful time with our daughter and her family to celebrate our youngest grandsons first birthday!  Something that made it even more special was to be able to bring our other three grandaughters with us to celebrate too.  6 out of 7 of the grandkids were there, our nieces, friends and neighbors.  On the way home we were laughing and giggling and talking about how nice it was to spend time together.  This "Gramie" was asked what was most important in her life... and I answered "It goes like this.... God first, family next, friends follow, and then our dogs"... I do think they thought I'd say dogs first!!!  The fact of the matter is - God has marvelously found a way to intertwine all that matters to us - and All Things Brittanys is a part of that.  Spending time with our family means a lot to me, and being with and communicating with friends does too.  More pictures and updates soon, didn't weigh or take photos today.   Take care and God Bless you and yours, John, Ann and ATB

Weaning and Puppy Bedtime Prayers

The pups are changing quite significantly as you can see!  Weaning is underway and today was the third day in a row that they enjoyed themselves trying to slurp a mixture of warm Esbilac and Gerber Baby Rice Cereal.  They actually are doing quite well. Day One consisted of holding each puppy in my lap, dipping my fingers into the mixture, and offering to pup.  Once the puppy showed an interest I gently held her steady in front of the puppy saucer pan and dipped her head down slightly.  As several hours had passed intentionally since nursing from Treasure, they were quite eager to try this.  That first time out some were interested, and others could care less but all enjoyed lapping each others faces.  Yesterday they were more certain of what was going on and most pups approached the pan with litte hesitation.  They would lap some and then go off an play a few minutes, to return back to the pan.  Today John wanted to see how they were doing and he couldn't believe they were doing so well!  Treasure was enjoying time up in the people house with her brother Jack, otherwise Momma Dog would have been right in the middle of everything.  When the pups had finished eating, we brought her back to her babies and she was happy to clean the plate for them.  They had all crawled over to Treasures' bed and blanket and curled up together.  Of course when Momma's scent was picked up they quickly responded.  Having been somewhat satisfied from the cereal though they were not as frantic and demanding.  Treasure is so patient as she takes each pup individually and lovingly cleans and cares for them.  I enjoyed seeing her just kicking back with all 11 pups, only a couple were nursing and the others were content to simply be by her side.  And of course, being that we so deeply believe in the Power of Prayer, it is not a surprise that Treasures pups would also be faithful to say their bedtime prayers too!!! Take care and God Bless, John, Ann and ATB

From OUTSIDE of the Whelping Box - 3 weeks old

Indeed! 3 weeks old and hardly time to keep the blog updated - life is very busy here, but that is a good thing! (Lori, as Nancy will sometimes do - thoughtfully reminded me I needed to catch up here so I'll do my best).

Well, the most notable accomplishment is that early Saturday evening, all 11 pups scaled the side of the whelping box, escaped into their mother's small rest area, and eventually most of them also ventured out of the pen itself - much to Treasure's chagrin!  She took it all in stride however, simply rolled over and they all made their way over to Momma who happily fed her sweet little babies.  This of course meant moving up the transitioning from whelping 'box' to puppy pen!  While pictures will soon be following to mark their 3rd week growth, suffice to say we are spending the morning (we as in John) doing some construction work! Just went down and saw what John has done, it is very nice - he's of course added another board to the top of the sides of the whelping box to contain the puppies until the next escape is possible, opened up the entire pen where Treasure is giving her even more room to herself, and preparing for when the pups will need a safe, contained area to play an explore.  For the time being I will use shredded paper now in the whelping box, along with the indoor/outdoor carpet which we change regulary, and eventually the entire inside puppy pen will be filled with shavings.  This pen will open into the outdoor pen when it is appropriate, and we'll add the balls, culverts, and other fun things that all Brittany pups enjoy.  As they get older, they will spend more time in the house, in an exercise pen set up in the kitchen.  Today there are a few pups who are protesting loudly about the new changes - they are so aware of their surroundings now and notice when someone comes in the room where they are.  Treasure spent about an hour up in the house with me but could hear the pups over the intercom.  She let me know when it was time for her return. She's such a great mom.

The pups have had a few visitors recently and responded very well.  All of our grandchildren have had supervised visits with the puppies, something enjoyed by all! Pam and Sam had the pleasure of meeting Gibsons pups on Friday and are as much in love with them as we are.  They are very pleased with the entire litter.  Saturday we met "Sarah", who came with some of her family from Canada. What a nice time we had together. She and her husband will be one of the new puppy owners.  As the pups continue to get older more visits will be upcoming and we just can't wait.

Today I will deworm the pups for the first time and on Monday or Tuesday they will be introduced to Gerber Rice Cereal as we begin the weaning process.  This litter of pups is advanced by about 1 week in their development all the way around so we have our work cut out for us - but it is all a labor of love.

The pups are all now quite recognizable as Brittany puppies, they do stand and sit quite intentionally and their movements are much more confident and sure.  Daily we increase the amount of handling they are getting. The other day we gave them their first sponge bath as they do tend to get poop on them for obvious reasons and I hate to have smelly, soiled puppies.  They didn't seem to mind the experience too much, and we also cleaned their ears and trimmed their nails again. They have had nails clipped 3 times now, and getting use to the experience.  We are mindful of Treasures tummy and the eagerness in which her babies nurse.  Soon little teeth will emerge, and she will be less tolerant of their nursing as weaning progressing. One thing I noticed last week which was in my opinion very early is that some of the pups would actually try to nurse from her while standing up. You see this in older pups but not so much with younger ones at 2 weeks old. 

I'm trying to keep tabs on which pup does what and when because that's all important to us as the breeder in the overall scheme of things.  What is interesting is this litter is fairly consistent in their development. There are a couple of leaders - but what they do one day, the others will do the next and vice versa.  I am mesmerized in watching their development.

And sweet beautiful Treasure is doing just great! Could not ask for a better first time mother.  There will be some more pictures soon, I have so many and just need to go through them to see which ones to post.  We have received several awesome hunting photos from other owners of J & A's Brittanys most notably the recent ones from Bailey's first hunting trip (Jack/Chris pup) and also the ones from Woody (Molly/Smoke pup).  Our Brittanys with hunting families are all enjoying the season and having great success - and that's the way we like it!

Well, I've taken long enough to write this and must run back to the kennel.  Look forward to more updates and if you're on Facebook I'll send pictures there too.  Just use our email address to look me up there, it's a lot easier. Take care and God Bless, Happy November!  John, Ann, and All Things Brittany