ATB: 4 1/2 Week Old Brittany Puppies

The Nemo litter is growing up! They are also keeping us very busy here so I have not had a chance to leisurely sit and blog about all their activities. It's very hard to believe they are going to be 5 weeks old this weekend. WOW. Time is just flying.  The pups have enjoyed meeting some new people recently. The grandchildren were their first official visitors of course, along with our daughter who loves pups. Actually she had a chance to visit with them today before the two of us went out to lunch together, a rare treat.

Pups enjoyed a visit from our neighbors!

Two of our neighbors stopped in to meet the pups on Monday. I love the smiles on their faces! Not sure who enjoyed the visit most, the puppies or our neighbors.  Tuesday was a really special day, as one of the families who are patiently awaiting the first day of the rest of their new pup's life drove up for a nice visit. What is neat is how Piper is closely related to their previous Brittany, a well loved member of their family who is no longer with them. Evidently Piper resembles their Brittany a little bit. We were surprised and blessed with a very thoughtful gift basket that included some things for the dogs as well as for John and I!   

Piper appreciates the extra attention.

Speaking of Piper she is helping us with the weaning of her puppies. We have been feeding them puppy mash daily and they've still been nursing from their mother. Piper has started to "communicate" with them quite clearly that it is time for solid food to replace her mother's milk. She's still very attentive to her little family. We believe strongly that even beyond weaning the mother should remain reasonably involved in her pups development. No one can teach respect and bit inhibition like a momma dog! We've had the puppies playing with bird wings and it's the cutest thing to watch. It's not so much that this is triggering anything at this age as it is giving them an early opportunity to try to figure out what's up with these feathers!  If they learn at an early age it's fun to pick them up and carry them in their mouth it's possible that teaching them to retrieve to hand will come a little easier. Not a big fan of certain methods of forced retrieve training although it does have it's place in a training program. I guess maybe we've been spoiled because the majority of J&A's Brittanys all have very strong natural retrieving ability and instincts. (I suppose I could stretch things a bit and say it's because we introduce them to the wings at such an early age!) Along with the wings the puppies have been discovering how fun it is to play with toys. Little games of tug-a-war break out among them, they woof and bark, jump and tumble and are an overall delight to observe.  The best part is when they all begin to get tuckered out and are ready for a time of snuggling. As I sit with them, they come around and flop over my legs, cuddle up into my lap, or I'll pick a couple of them up, lean back and just let them settle down while resting upon me.  These days are numbered and I want to enjoy each of them to the fullest.

We've been playing the sound effects CD for them at feeding time and other spontaneous times in the day. It does not phase them. It's fun to watch their reaction though, and John and I are pleased because they're very confident and outgoing. Their conformation is really very nice which comes as no surprise to us. Both parents are beautiful and adhere to the AKC breed standard and they also are well balanced, sound, and are proven bird dogs. Although we are not field trialers nor do we breed field trial dogs, they each have field trial placements. Piper is not quite finished as an AKC Junior Hunter. True is of course JH titled and just needs one more leg to finish his AKC Senior Hunter title. True and Piper grew up together as I've shared before and have been frequently hunted with each other for several hunting seasons now on grouse, woodcock, and of course pheasant. There's no guesswork involved when it comes to the true hunting ability of these puppies. It's there within them. These are not only True and Pipers puppies - but remember, they are Jack and Treasure's grandpups, not to mention Wish' great grandpups!  This means we now have bred (twice) our third generation of bird dogs, the first being Treasure and Bullet's beautiful litter. They will be 1 year old next month.

Well speaking of conformation, on with the show! This weekend there are two back to back Brittany Specialty shows in Massachusetts in which our dogs will be shown. Showing is not my thing but I know our beautiful hunting dogs deserve to be shown, seen, and win under judges who agree. We're closing in our 4th champion within a year that we bred ourselves. The line on the pedigrees are of two generations of J&A's Brittanys. I like it. Speaking of those shows, time to call tomorrow, today for it is 12:01 a.m. I look around and there are some of the crew who have already gone to bed, and then there are the two waiting on the couch, watching for my next move to indicate I'm heading to bed! 

Thanks for your interest in ATB ! Take care and God bless, John, Ann and our awesome canine crew.