The Journey Continues...

~Success is not a place at which one arrives but rather

the spirit with which one undertakes and continues the journey. ~

The photograph above was taken in October 2007 at the York County Kennel Club fall AKC Match.  Pam entered Gibson who was already well on his way to finishing his AKC championship title. I had entered 16 month old Treasure who had only started showing 3 months prior. When John took this picture of the four of us, Gibson and Treasure were both being considered for Best of Breed, which Gibson won.  Chrissy had also been shown in this match by a young friend of ours in Junior Competition and they did quite well.

I am always cautious when it comes to announcing the possibility of puppies.  In March 2009 we experienced the sadness of an empty whelping box as many of you reading this blog know.  There simply were no pups; either it was a "miss" or a "reabsorption" and although we'll never really know, in all liklihood it was a 'miss' and a pregnancy never did occur.  I am also cautious to announce the confirmation of a pregnancy, and likewise when pups are born.  But now it is time to begin to prepare for the long anticipated arrival of puppies!

If all goes well - and here are where your prayers come in - we expect to see puppies from Gibson and Treasure born here at All Things Brittany @ January 12th, 2011!  There is not very much to write about yet at this point but as the weeks go on, we will share important benchmarks as well as keep you up to date on what is going on in our lives.  And yes, we are very very excited!

We have a very full waiting list for these puppies which is always our goal before we even announce that a breeding has occured.  Those of you who have one of our pups or who are in the process of waiting for one already know we take this very seriously.  For every 1 person who lands on our waiting list, there are 10 who did not. 

Overall, we're very pleased with those who have confirmed their interest in a puppy from this planned litter. Once again, there is an overwhelming majority of hunting homes, and especially those who plan to test with NAVHDA.  January is an optimal time for hunting companions to be born.  It's possible to give them a head start with training and testing ongoing through spring, summer and into the fall.  By the time bird hunting season opens the pups are eager and ready!   I have also personally found that housetraining is accomplished quite quickly in the cooler months; pups get the message that when they are brought outside in chilly temperatures there is a specific job to do! 

"Required Reading" while waiting for the arrival of pups is "The Monks of New Skete - Art of Raising a Puppy' and 'Tarrant Trains Gun Dogs' for hunting families.  (Those with an interest in showing we recommend "Show Me by Pat Hastings" or "Raising A Champion". )  Art of Raising a Puppy is a requirement though for ALL new puppy owners - and people love it because they can follow right along in the book as pregnancy advances, signs of whelping, and each individual developmental stage of the pup - until it's time to go on. It also covers wonderful puppy training techniques.  Their approach and that of the other authors most reflect our methods of training and beliefs about training in most situations. 

We frown on adding excessive supplements to the mother to be's diet.  We begin to feed her puppy food which already contains all the necessary nutrition to carry her throughout her pregnancy.  But we make sure she gets plenty of yogurt, salmon oil, and a Tums daily.  With the benefit of my own father's journal and my own kept over the years, I can compare and adjust accordingly to prior experiences. 

So what will be the very first sign John and I look for?  We will expect at about 3 1/2 weeks to see a decrease in her appetite (usually temporary) and the clear signs of morning sickness. 

Miss Bailey

Although it is not our announcement to share officially, I'm sure it will be appropriate to announce that within the next few weeks Jack will become a grandfather !!!  His daughter Bailey was bred to Pippins father, Jac.  We are looking forward to these puppies and share the joy and anticipation with our friends Paul and Dawn Hill of Coventry Ct. who own Miss Bailey.  (Hills Brittanys is listed in our link list to the right). 

As always, take care and God Bless - and thank you for your interest! John, Ann, Treasure and All things Brittany