Revere - Approaching Adolescence and Surviving It

Puppy Adolescence = Rebellion!

Keep a puppy they said! It'll be fun they said!  Well yes, it truly is fun most of the time but thank goodness that I am familiar with the nuances of this breed and the various stages of development puppies go through.  Beginning from the day they are born the experiences and behaviors of a pup can be somewhat predictable and identified.  There are many books on the subject as it is deep and fascinating with many levels to fathom.

One of those developmental stages in a young puppy is comparable to the adolescent stage that children go through.  Adolescence, in humans, is described as:

1. the transitional period between puberty and adulthood in human development, extending mainly over the teen years and terminating legally when the age of majority is reached; youth.
2. the process or state of growing to maturity.
3. a period or stage of development, as of a society, preceding maturity. 

Sounds familiar doesn't it?! Dogs also go through an adolescent period during 'puppyhood'.  Although the age and time frame for each puppy is different typically they can be extremely challenging from about 4 - 10 months of age. Up until now I have believed I had the most perfect and obedient puppy. You see, Revere came when called, he seemed to have a basic understanding of bite inhibition as he mouthed and nibbled less, and was just sooooooo very very good! You may even remember if you regularly read my blog here what I wrote previously about Revere, the perfect puppy.

 Remember this nursery rhyme? "There was a little girl who had a little curl right in the middle of her forehead. When she was good she was very very good and when she was bad she was horrid." How I wish I were clever enough to put a spin on that rhyme and substitute Revere's name because these days indeed - 

WHEN HE IS GOOD HE IS VERY VERY GOOD 

AND WHEN HE IS BAD HE IS HORRID!

And I guess this naughty behavior is right on time!  He is so cute and smart, I love him to pieces.  I enjoy teaching him things because he grasps so much the first time around. But boy is he one fresh little guy right now. I have had to resort to tethering him by a leash to my belt loop when I am doing things around the house. When my back is turned Revere will bolt across the room, jump up and grab a magazine, run as fast as he can with a 'catch me if you can' look on his face.  If I'm trying to get dressed in the morning he thinks it is great fun to try to pull at my clothes or steal my socks. He is one busy boy.

We are experiencing the 'Puppy Tweens' here at All Things Brittany where all the previous learning up until now seems to have fallen by the wayside.  Where Revere had been recalling to the whistle, now he acts as if he is stone deaf.  Through clicker training he was pretty solid on sit, down, wait, up, and off but now he thinks it is great fun to play bow and bark at me, or jump up and paw at my hands.  When Revere is at his worst it is usually when he is very tired so I make it easy for him by having crate time as he will not give in himself.  He doesn't protest the crate at all and in some ways I think he is grateful to have time-outs. Basically what some consider normal  puppy behavior for the first few months has escalated to naughty puppy behavior. Revere is a puppy with attitude, an adolescent and just like a teenager what is said to him goes in one ear and out the other!

Fortunately this is not, as they say, my first rodeo. Rodeo is a good way to describe some days when Revere reminds me of a bucking bronco! He does get plenty of both structured exercise and free play. He loves to be outside and run with the big dogs. They're not putting up with his foolishness although I do have to intervene when it comes to how he unfairly taunts Treasure. When he's having an especially difficult time comprehending who IS the leader here I work hard to get his focus back and distract him from his misbehavior.  I will correct him in an appropriate way when needed, appropriate being the key word. (Let me interject - please do not do the so called alpha roll. Just don't.)

Fortunately Revere and I have signed up for obedience classes. And just in time.  I know that he will eventually outgrow this undesirable adolescent bratty horrid stage but he's going to get a lot of help along the way! Oh, I know it's normal.

The good outweighs the bad and when you look at the big picture it truly is hard not to laugh at some of the antics because he is so cute! The kind of cute when a very young child innocently uses a cuss word for the first time. You know you don't want them to swear but your reaction may betray that desire. Bad behavior shouldn't ever be overlooked because a dog or a kid looks cute doing it. As for the puppy, you should never let a puppy think it's okay to  do something that you would not want them to do when they are an adult. So this puppy who thought the sun rose and set by me, this sweet boy who could do nothing wrong and had such wonderful manners has turned into Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde.

In the meantime I will continue to expose him to new people, places, and things while giving him every opportunity to experience life to the fullest. Socialization is ongoing, it doesn't EVER stop. And training doesn't ever stop either. Morning to night, training on some level continues because I want Revere to learn what is and what is not acceptable behavior. In a couple of weeks, we'll begin more structured training together. For now, I look forward to what each new day brings. When he is good he is very very good, and when he is bad - well you know the story!

Let me back up though for a moment. Although he's so exasperating at times there is so much joy and love wrapped up in this little guy.  It's especially noticeable as I look to our senior Brittanys. Life passes by faster than any of us can imagine or even comprehend. This 'puppy tween' stage will pass all too quickly. It's sort of like what they say about childbirth, once it's over you forget the pain.  I totally forgot how difficult and challenging puppy adolescence can be but the journey is one I wouldn't miss for the world. The bonding, the discoveries, the journey, the joy and laughter and then  that precious moment when one tired little puppy snuggles up under my chin and falls asleep.

We are in the middle of our second snowstorm with significant accumulation.  Revere has been running around like a Tazmanian devil today thus earning yet another new nickname.  I should probably mention that "Taz" is a lot milder than some of the other superlatives which have escaped my mouth in recent days concerning my sweet puppy boy. Focused games, time-outs in the crate, brief excursions outdoors, and peanut butter filled bones all failed to settle Revere this afternoon.

As daylight began to fade I donned my winter coat, hat, gloves and boots,  opened the door and said "Let's Go!"  My entourage of multiple Brittanys jumped for joy and leaped down over the snow covered stairs.   I reached for my walking stick and set out with them all to explore our own little winter wonderland which is our yard. Together we tromped through the snow along the perimeter of the fence line. They raced, made snow angles, climbed snowbanks, buried their heads in the fluffy snow and had a blast. The best part of it was seeing this snowfall through the eyes of little Revere. I made myself stop right there in that one moment in time. He was exuberant, playful, happy, and joyous at this experience which is all new to him.  I think some of that was because I was there with him to enjoy it.  I glanced around me and saw the generations of Brittanys that I have known, loved, and yes lost. For a few moments it was almost surreal walking outside this snowy evening. And so, so special to be there with them, in that moment in time.

The silence of snow falling from the sky when you are in the woods is a beautiful sound. Peaceful.  One must stop in their tracks to enjoy it which is exactly what I did. Yes, I leaned my head back and let the soft snow fall on my face.  I heard and felt the soft and gentle crunch of snow under my feet  as I walked. I was reminded me of  early childhood and playing out in the snow for hours.  I watched Treasure romp. It made me so happy to see her "inner puppy"  surface as she kept pace with the rest of the pack of which I was their leader.  I allowed myself to anthropomorphize briefly.  I wondered if she too was reminiscing about her first winter and would Revere some day remember his?  These first experiences, these moments in time seamlessly stitched  together bringing  such joy to both young and old, canine and human.  Such was the sense of peace as dusk rapidly fell and we made our way back to the house. And I thanked the Lord for the unexpected blessing.

Clearly, Revere's energy level was depleted yet there was still one more burst of it waiting to surface and explode as he ran back into the house. I cautiously watched the return of Taz as he zoomed from couch to couch, from one of the house to another, running circles around the dining room table, and then jumped up to grab a dish towel from my hands to claim as his own. Just as I was about to intervene Revere simply plopped down on the floor next to my feet and fell fast asleep. He's so cute. Seriously, he is.

Cute little puppy jumped up and knocked the dog food over. 

Cute little puppy ran to his bed with my Croc in his mouth. I know they are ugly but I like them, Revere.

Whee! First snowfall

Winter Wonderland.

Tethering cute little puppy to my side while I eat dinner.

Cute little puppy tore cover off Dog Training For Dummies. No comment. 

Sweet dreams Treasure and Rever

Take care and God bless.  And may you and your family have a very special Thanksgiving.  Thanks for your interest in All Things Brittany - John and Ann and our canine crew.

J&A's - Revere at 4 months Old

On Sunday little pup-pup will be 16 weeks old. Born on July 8 in a litter of 10 to Holly and True, "Revere" is my keeper puppy.  I'm not sure I was thinking wisely when I decided "Awaken The Dawn" would be his AKC official name though.  Perhaps " Awake AT Dawn" might have been more appropriate! Even so, years ago I composed a worship song by the name Awaken The Dawn. The lyrics were based on the words found in Psalm 108:2.  I use to play it on my guitar. Here is the verse:

"My heart is steadfast, O God; I will sing and make music with all my being. 

 Awake, O harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn.  

I will praise You, O Lord, among the peoples; I will sing Your praises among the nations..." 

The past (almost)t 4 months have flown by.  Of course the first 8 weeks of his life John and I were busy nurturing all the puppies. I waited until after Revere turned 7 weeks old and we'd had the entire litter evaluated using Pat Volhardt's Puppy Aptitude Test  to decide which pup to keep. I was determined not to select our puppy based on gender, color, markings or even cuteness factor. The personality really matters in a young pup coming into an established pack of adult dogs. I knew that I didn't want a feisty, over the top, dominant pup but neither did I want one that was hesitant or insecure in any way.  I was screening each pup in the litter for the best home, and that included the most perfect fit for us! Being personally familiar with most of the dogs in the pedigree behind the pup I had the benefit of knowing what to expect. Some people think it's a crap shoot and maybe in some ways it is. But like most breeders, my hopes, dreams, and goals come into play regarding what the future will bring. It would be nice to go back about 20 years to be able to  physically pursue some of them based on what I now know, that I didn't know then.

In the meantime, every day is a new and fun adventure for Revere.  We're not taking anything for granted and getting the most out of life that is possible at this age.  The best puppy advice I ever was given is the same advice I pass along now.  Let the first year be all about fun, fun, and more fun! I like to play a little with a young pups natural hunting abilities at the youngest possible age though and that's exactly what's been going on with Revere.  There is plenty of time to polish a young Brittany's style and manners. Second only to the importance I place on the first 8 weeks of a pup's young life, I believe it is critical for the majority of early bird dog training be based on what we as owner/handlers/breeders observe in the most natural settings of their first experiences, what we expose them to.  This transfers over to preparing for the ring too as well as the field. Revere shows me moments of brilliance in both of those venues.

Revere appears to be a very serious, deep thinking dog.  He retains so much of what he is shown.  I am relying on clicker training in short bursts for informal obedience training. I've discovered that ongoing crate training throughout the day sets him up to succeed and that following the Day In The Life schedule still works for him.  Revere is most apt to become an uncontrollable, naughty pup when he has played hard, is very tired, or if I have not spent that all important one on one time with him. Although he loves to initiate play with the older dogs he can't handle the resultant overstimulation. At regular intervals throughout the day he enjoys time-outs in the privacy and quiet of his crate with a Kong stuffed toy or bone.

We all know that Ann is not a morning person 😏, right?!  Unfortunately, Revere hasn't grasped that fact completely but he is doing much better.  I went against my own advice and put his crate in the bedroom.  It works though as the location is convenient for quick early morning outings.  When he comes back in I simply toss a handful of kibble in and he's happy to 'go back to bed.'  In recent days Revere has been allowed up on the bed to lay down with me as I teach him the art of sleeping in, much to Treasure and Pippin's chagrin.

One thing anyone with more than one dog has to learn is not to rely on the other dog(s) to become the pups leader or greatest influence. At times it's easier to let them all out together and you know pup will get exercise and activity with them as they play, inside and out. But if the pup doesn't have the one on one time with their owner it can be a challenge to teach them to respect and obey all humans. I'm a fan of using a spray bottle to interrupt any unacceptable behavior from Revere.  I simply keep the bottle out of his sight but if a situation requires intervention, I yell NO (or LEAVE IT) and spray a steady stream directly at him.  He then is startled suddenly which is all it takes to change his focus to redirect his attention to what I am asking of him. ( By the way, I never allow any play between two dogs to physically escalate to where they are both standing on their hind legs, biting at each other's neck. They can enter into a dangerous zone of no-return where they are no longer playing.)

Training, socialization, and learning is ongoing especially for Revere at 4 months old.  It requires lots of patience as this is a very busy time in his life. Here's a glimpse:

Exposed to wild birds as well as pen raised

Finds birds and holds a point until they are flushe

Carries a dead bird

Retrieves

Loves the water

Pointed his first grouse

Understands sit, down, wait

Comes fairly reliably when off leash

Learning leash manners

Introduced to show lead and accepting it

No issues with nail clipping, baths, or light grooming on table

Understands and reacts to "Kennel Up" by running to crate

Does a nice free stack

Enjoys outings to local mall, sidewalk, stores accepting dogs

Rides for several hours without any problem crated in car

Introduced to many different dogs and strangers

Doing well with housebreaking (no poop ever, peeing different story, working on it)

Accepts new experiences with confidence and boldness most of the time

Even when wary of something, he will return to investigate and not run off

Was a proper houseguest in two new home situations for a weekend and for a week

I always love hearing from our ATB family.  The photos that are shared on Facebook or via email mean the world to me.  Staying in touch with families who love our Brittanys is total enjoyment but I won't intrude or pester. Some of you are faithful with an annual check in which is okay. There are a handful of folks though who don't seem to understand the importance and while that is definitely not okay, I have learned many lessons through those occasional situations. The very best part though is sharing the journey beginning to end with the majority of you in the ATB family for you are amazing friends and family now. I get busy too though and don't stay in touch as you may like but it doesn't mean I care any less! In the meantime, I hope you enjoy hearing about Revere as much as I enjoy hearing about your Brittany(s). And don't you think it's time to share some new hunting photos with me?! 

As always take care and God bless you and yours - John, Ann, and our wonderful canine crew

J&A's Bird Camp Recap

John relaxing at bird camp with Charlie and Holly Beth.

We're back from a fall getaway up to the 'County'.  Our vacation was originally planned for the first two weeks in October which has been the best time for us to go with all the dogs.  Unbeknown to John however I had accepted a judging assignment for Penobscot Kennel Club for their fall match show thus we left later in the middle of the month. I did enjoy my judging assignment tremendously but especially loved having a couple of days with Julie as she'd invited me stay with her.  It was the first time we'd seen each other since our girl's untimely passing last month. This blogpost wasn't intended to be about that but as it appears to be on my mind I'll share.

It is always difficult to see someone the first time following a deep, deep loss.  You want to be strong for them and do your best but in this case, I have also been grieving Thistle's death.  Seeing Julie was what I needed along with spending time with her remaining three Brittanys; Sassy, Bullet, and Quincy.  Like Thistle, I was there when they each took their first breath and in fact it is Sassy who indirectly brought Jim and Julie into our lives over 12 years ago.  And, as far as friendship goes, as they say the rest is history. Thistle was named to honor the special bond that Julie and I share as sisters of the heart. Needless to say many tears were shed as we hugged each other close. Once I unpacked and got Revere settled Julie asked me if I 'wanted to see Thistle'.  My mind was screaming no! no! no! I do not want to see her because I knew exactly what that meant.  But my heart was begging yes! yes! yes! I do want to 'see' Thistle because I knew that I had not yet accepted her death. Julie brought me into her living room and pointed to a beautiful, cozy corner with a rocking chair, a portrait of her Rosie, and a shelf.  Resting on Julie's shelf was a beautiful wooden box and I could see that Thistle's name was inscribed on the top of it.  Next to this box was an empty collar. I looked away towards Julie and then I looked back to the corner and walked towards the shelf, reaching for the box.  With tears flowing and sobs overtaking me I tightly held that little box with Thistle's cremains close to my heart with a sense of acceptance mixed with complete denial.  It seemed like I held her forever but within a few moments I gently set the little box back on the shelf.  There were three other Brittanys there who were curiously watching me and without hesitation I reassured them how much I love them and how happy I was to see them!  It was a great weekend, I enjoyed the match and especially the time with Julie. There's never enough time for that. Revere was very happy to meet and play with his own extended Brittany family who were very gracious and welcoming to him.

John drove up to Julies and picked Revere and me up.  The truck was loaded and the dog topper full as the entire ATB crew was on board.  Julie has an awesome play yard for the dogs so they all had a chance to get out and stretch their legs.  Our special needs girl, Rosie still has issues as she goes on 14.  And then there is Treasure who at 12 and a half her canine cognitive dysfunction continues to progress.  Everyone else is doing well although I lovingly refer to them as our geriatric ward of Brittanys because of their ages with the exception of Hemi, Holly, and of course Revere.

Once we arrived at our little home away from home at Higgins Brook Cabins in Oakfield, Maine we let all of the dogs out to run.  The proprietors there are just wonderful folks who allow us to stay at the close of the season. There's just three cabins there, off of the road and very private. At first Revere was a little overwhelmed but soon he was running with all the big dogs.  We have our dog topper for some of the dogs who are used to sleeping there. We brought groceries from home to stock the shelves and refrigerator with. The cabin is fully furnished, we only have to bring our own linens etc.

John is an early riser and I am not. We worked into a schedule of a leisurely breakfast and then headed out by mid morning. The foliage was just at peak when we arrived and was breathtaking as only autumn in Maine can be.  Each day more leaves fell and by the time we left to come back home the colors were a muted, rust color although still pretty when the sun hit them just right.

The ruffed grouse really were plentiful but we did not run into one woodcock.  Evidently the flight birds were not in.  But the dogs had a blast hunting as each one hit the ground running!  Revere actually pointed his first grouse (with a little help from his friends).  We did not shoot over him although he was exposed to the sound of John's shotgun.  No reaction as he was sitting in the truck being offered a treat at the same time of the gunfire.  At the end of the week when everything was said and done the final score is GROUSE - 7,  J&A's - 1.

I didn't get a lot of great pictures.  For one, I used my cell phone for most of them just because it ended up being more convenient. And another reason is that my Canon camera was set to record the date and time.  A pet peeve for me is seeing that date stamp on an otherwise nice photo.  Unless puppies are involved. Then I like it. So now you know. I did have my camera at the ready though on the day we took off looking for moose.  We never spotted one! The photos that I have could never reflect the mutual joy shared between the dogs, John, and me.  The are happy when we are happy and it shows.  I took pictures of Revere and True (his father) running happily up a hill together but they look like ants in the photograph!  There's pictures of Rosie on her

many long walks on the check cord with either John or me.  Like Treasure, Rosie can no longer be off leash in situations where they once loved to simply follow wherever the scent would take them. I do think they feel more secure though, accepting a gentle pull of resistance to guide them back in the opposite direction.

I think of the years we have spent bird hunting with our canine crew.  With those thoughts are the memories of being with beloved Brittanys no longer with us. How quickly time passes until one day all you have are photographs and memories.  Indeed, we never know what life will bring us from one day to the next. It can change in the blink of an eye as we listen for the whisper on the wind that at times leads us to believe they are still near. As they age so are we made aware of our own physical shortcomings. We work to accommodate them as they navigate through their own changes.  But perhaps they are actually the ones who accommodate us! (I only have to think about showing Hemi

to his AKC championship bench title when my knees were at my worse. That little bugger adjusted his perfect gait and movement to match my gimping around the ring. He pulled it off and I proudly handled him to the finish.)

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Uh oh.... those of you who are faithful readers know what just happened! I just glanced at the time, it's almost 11:30 and almost a full month to the day since I last wrote.  The World Series is on but I'm so tired from our trip north I can't fight it anymore. Red Sox lookin' goodsssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss  oh no there it happened again and you can't make this stuff up.  It's a wrap.  Take care and God bless and as always, thank you for your interest in All Things Brittany!

 s

J&A's Our Heart Aches

Really something special. 

A favorite toy, Julie kept an extra bunny-bun here at our house for Thistle to enjoy when she was visiting. 

GCH CH J&A's SISTERS OF THE HEART JH, FD

"Thistle"

May 10, 2011 - September 21, 2018

It was the same kind of phone call that I'd received on May 2, 2007 when the specialist called to tell me 2 year old Timberdoodle had died on the operating table.  Surreal was the only word that comes to mind. On that day I dropped to my knees in my kitchen floor as the words were uttered and sounds of sobbing came from me that I couldn't even recognize. 

On Friday September 21, 2018 it was that kind of call again.  Only this time it was coming from the one who is truly my sister of my heart and John was the one who'd answered the phone.  I saw him coming around the corner of the porch outside.  His face was one of shock and he was in tears. I KNEW something was terribly wrong. He reached to me and I drew closer and in his initial grief he was innocently giving me wrong information, information which was bad enough in itself. Information which caused me to begin to cry uncontrollably as well.  That's how it is when what you have loved deeply suddenly is ripped from you. Human or animal - grief is grief. 

I listened closely trying to make out the actual conversation on the other end from Julie. And suddenly I realized what she was saying. Which was much worse than what I 'thought' I'd heard, although that, as I said before, was certainly bad enough.

John passed the phone to me and I crumbled on the front porch steps, sobbing, howling, crying and the tears fell fiercely and uncontrollably. Pippin was drawing near to me in a manner in which she had never done before.  Could she know? How could she POSSIBLY know? It was her daughter, her beautiful amazing bouncy fun-loving unpredictable intelligent athletic gentle sweet daughter, her Thistle that Julie was telling me about.  And as I reacted to the awful news then Hemi who is Thistle's twin, came and sat next to his mother on the step that I had fallen upon.  John held me as I cried, we listened to Julie and then he had to walk away it was so hard to believe.  I was left on the steps with Pippin and Hemi; Julie and I were sobbing into the phone incoherently. I don't remember what we said if we said anything.  Together our hearts were breaking, they were shattering into a million pieces and our minds were trying so hard to grasp the reality of the news she had received, the news that Julie nor I could have anticipated hearing. 

There is more to say.  I just have no ability to put what I'm feeling now or what I have been feeling into words since Friday.  John and I had to leave for a field trial in Connecticut where he was judging and running Holly (Thistle's niece). The dogs were all loaded.  So while I physically was traveling to a destination we'd planned well for, my heart was longing to travel to be with Julie, my sister of the heart. (Thistle's registered AKC name reflects the friendship we share, a friendship birthed through the mutual love of God and of Brittanys.  A friendship that has grown stronger through several personal life changing experiences including the death of Julie's husband and our friend, Jim.)

Thistle lived with and was loved, cared for by Julie.  I'm co-owner in name only but I am her breeder. I held her first, I was with her when she took her first breath of air, I nourished her, I raised her and I decided that the best person in the world to have this little gift of a Brittany should be Julie. And the best way to describe my reasoning will be to read this blog written by Julie called "How a Brittany Named Thistle Saved My Life." Thistle lived her life to the fullest and I was one of her biggest fans! It was only a couple of weekends ago that Thistle was here and her eyes were bright, she was playful, and oh so very, very happy! So healthy and vibrant. So, so THISTLE!

I spent 3 days in Connecticut at Flaherty Field Trial Grounds with John and most of our Brittanys. Including my puppy Revere. There were a few in the Brittany community who had heard what happened to Thistle and I was VERY appreciative of their support and understanding.  We also had a wonderful visit with several of our ATB family including those who brought along Revere's littermate.  Then I was so happy to see Dawn who brought Miss Bailey (Pippin's half sister).  I was thankful for the genuine love and friendship extended from them all. John was very busy all weekend which was a good thing. And when I wasn't visiting or walking a dog, my grief overwhelmed me. I spent a lot of the time texting about Thistle and thinking of Julie who was up to her camp. Then we had a very good friend who fell off a horse at the field trial who had to go to the hospital. I was worried about her but thankful her injuries were not worse than they were. 

Today Julie and I have touched base a little bit. My heart aches for what she is going through. I feel it too, I feel for her and I feel our own sense of loss here.  Even though Thistle did not live with me, she was always part of me.  She was special from the very beginning. There's a video out there somewhere that I made and I'm singing a song to her when she's like 5 weeks old saying how special she was. Thistle spent plenty of time here with us.  We both absolutely adored her and we both enjoyed every moment with her. 

I could share a lot about Miss Thistle the Pistol.  A gazillion photographs are at my fingertips.  Here's a favorite taken at the dog show where Julie had her on the grooming table and I walked over for a sweet Thistle kiss. There's one where Thistle and Hemi cooperated along with Treasure to dig a humongous hole in the banking here. Videos featuring Thistle in many notable moments, and some hilariously funny! When I think of Thistle the memory is going to bring a smile to my face, eventually anyway. Like when she earned her nickname swirling dervish by launching herself across the room at Julie and I while we were drinking red wine which ended up splattered across the wall. 

Fast forward to this moment in time.  The pain in my heart is almost unbearable. I don't have anything inspirational to share. Please pray for Julie, for John, for me.  

On Behalf of Thistle is a blogpost that shares a little bit more and also includes links. 

A sad bunny-bun...

(See the unedited video of THISTLES CHAMPIONSHIP JOURNEY)

Revere - J&A's New Bird Dog!

 After enjoying his weekend at the Central Maine Brittany Club Field Trial our puppy Revere was introduced to his own chukar partridge and this time it was alive! Originally I wanted to bring him to the field trial grounds to see if he could find any of the quail who often covey following a trial but the weather didn't cooperate in the morning. Later in the afternoon however Revere and I joined John on a trip to the field we train in to feed and water the birds.  Another first for pup-pup as he rode in the front seat of the truck with us.  He settled nicely in between us but when he is a little older he'll be introduced to the dog topper.  The video is pretty self explanatory and a joy to watch, I promise!

He's really a nice little boy.  I strictly adhere to the schedule "A Day In The Life of an 8 Week Old Puppy" which is a handout that all our new puppy owners get.  I created it in 2005 when Timberdoodle came into our life and have followed it with every pup that has come into our house since. It works!  Right now a good part of Revere's day is spent resting or napping.  He has his periods of activity, exercise, and training.  I am learning so much about him as I step back and observe him.  Perhaps the biggest challenge right now is getting his bladder under control or reading his signs a whole lot better.  No poops in the house at all ever, but the little puddles are created occasionally.  I know eventually he'll get the hang of it. It's hard to understand how he can go 8 hours in his crate without an accident at night and then during the day a trip outside once every half hour is necessary.  

Revere apparently is a natural retriever which makes me very happy! It doesn't matter what it is that I throw out for him he always runs after it and picks it up and runs back.  Maybe not quite giving it to me or bringing it directly to my hand but usually it is close enough to warrant a whole lot of excitement from me which he really likes. Every other day I have been tossing a frozen gamebird carcass for him to retrieve and carry around. 

In the evening Revere has started to have those crazy puppy spurts otherwise known as the zoomies! He gets super feisty, runs around and around the dining room table with a toy, then jumps into one of the dog beds. (I am reminded of how I use to feel at the end of the day when our children were but toddlers and I was thankful bedtime was approaching!) The timing of the zoomies seems to be anytime after 6 p.m. when he's been fed, exercised, and enjoying some free supervised time.  Sometimes, if Revere settles down enough I'll hold him in my arms until he falls asleep but that doesn't happen a lot! Usually I just say "Kennel! Bedtime!" and with a stuffed Kong handy I walk over to his crate and toss it inside and he happily follows. His crate is in my bedroom which yes, goes against my own advice but it makes it easier in the morning when John gets up and heads out with the rest of the dogs.  Sometimes Revere will need another trip outside when it's my bedtime but I am grateful that 8 p.m. is when his body clock says time to sleep!

Revere was briefly introduced to the show lead that I bought for him a couple of weeks ago at the Summer Specialty show in West Springfield. Gosh that was a fun weekend with two of my granddaughters! Anyway, Revere is getting use to the whole concept of being 'led' around by a leash of sometime and of course the placement of the show collar is slightly different than his regular one.  He protested a little bit but seriously, in just a few moments it felt like power steering with him at the end of the lead!  Knowing full well that reaction is not the norm I only pranced him around for the briefest of minutes and ended on a happy note.  

Every day I do a little manipulating of his legs, feet, mouth, tail and boy parts just to get him use to being handled because I do want him to be shown.  He does so well on the grooming table that I decided it was time to introduce stacking blocks. I've always wanted to try these for show training a young puppy so thanks to John's ability to literally put feet to my ideas I have a set of four.  Never having used them before I wasn't quite sure the best way to start off with them. It's hard enough to get a young puppy to stand still for a "free stack" never mind getting them to stand on stacking blocks! I shouldn't have been surprised to discover that in just a couple of tries at this Mr. Revere seems to grasp what is being expected.  We'll be working on this.

We were enjoying trips down to the farm pond up until midweek.  I had Revere on the 15' lead in the back yard when a huge Tom Turkey appeared on the far side of the pond fence. This turkey was frantically running back and forth and suddenly the reason why became extremely clear as a red fox jumped up from behind him!  I yelled at the fox and he stopped, turned, and looked my way then disappeared. I picked pup-pup up and ran into the house to get John. The turkey eventually got away or at least we hope and there was no sign of the fox again. Revere and I will look for another place nearby for water work training.

Holly and Treasure are great with the little pipsqueak and the games they play with him are appreciated. Pippin is coming around and so is Hemi. Charlie likes to pretend the puppy is invisible. Revere likes to accompany me on kennel chores and enjoys interacting with the rest of the crew. Especially Rosie. She always was a good surrogate sister. It's always been important to me to do my best to give every dog one on one time so they don't seem to mind my little tag along.

It was fun for Revere to be reunited with his cousin "Polly" at the CMBC hunt test.  He was there to cheer on his Aunt Skye who earned her AKC SENIOR HUNTER title.  Skye is loved and owned by our friends at Merrymeeting Brittanys, Bo & Christine Longley, and is from Hemi and Luna's second litter. She's full sister to Toph. We were also happy that our Charlie earned his third leg towards his AKC JUNIOR HUNTER title! Next spring should be a lot of fun when pups from Toph and Holly's litter begin to get involved with hunt tests and even trials.

J&A's Brittanys - Revere's First Week

Revere sitting next to me on the porch step.

It's been a whirlwind of a week here for a multitude of reasons and one of those reasons goes by the name of Revere.  Also known as puppy puppy PUPP-EEEEEEEE!! He's a good pup and very smart. I do think that the honeymoon of perfection is about to morph into the reality of day to day life. That's not a bad thing. It shows that our relationship truly is bonding, solidifying while Revere's understanding and exposure of the world is expanding. Thanks to the ongoing correspondence between the majority of our puppy people from Holly and also Toph's litters I am persuaded that we're all on the same page. As long as Revere doesn't jump up and literally rip a page out of what I happen to be reading! He's quite the imp and I must confess his appearance of complete innocence regarding life in general almost fooled me.  Revere cracks me up and he makes me smile.  A good part of the time I simply stand  back and observe this 9 week old Brittany puppy as he explores and tries to figure everything out. He's just so cool!

Just for fun or, preview of coming attractions?! 

This past weekend was the Central Maine Brittany Club's fall field trial.  John judged on Saturday and then ran Holly on Sunday. Julie came to stay with us which is always enjoyable although we didn't get much time to visit there was so much going on. I'm proud to say that Holly Beth earned her 4th adult gundog placement which is awesome considering not too long ago she was a full time momma dog.  She won 4th place out of 18, not too shabby!  True, sire of Toph's pups earned a placement in Walking Hunting Dog handled by grandson Ayden.  Charlie, who we kept from the two dogs returned to us last fall and just love to pieces, had a try at Walking Hunting Dog too with Alana handling. Hemi and Revere also were at the trial just for the fun of being there. I shared some of the other photos on Facebook.

Sokka, Revere, Franklin were good good puppies at the trial!

Two of Revere's littermates and brothers came to the trial too.  I had my x-pen set up and all three of the pups enjoyed playing together in it all day. Reunited again for the day were Revere, Sokka, and Franklin. All three of these boys will probably be trained together as far as going to the bird field goes. I know that Franklin begins puppy classes this week. On a very informal basis I am working with Revere here at home.  He has gone from picking up a wing and sometimes bringing it to me, to proudly walking around the yard head held high with a gamebird in his mouth. To me, this is an important part of early introduction to birds.  Not every adult dog is happy to pick up a bird that has been shot, they may not like the feather in their mouth believe it or not.  Another reason an adult dog may back away from picking up the bird is if when they were very young a planted bird took flight or was launched very close to them. My thinking is that if we start right off with lots of excitement about fetching the bird when pup-pup is young a positive foundation is laid.  I don't grab the bird out of his mouth either at this mouth at this point either. Instead, I let Revere own that bird and in doing so, I learn more about my puppy. When I start right off with text book training or using methods that have worked for every other dog up until now then I quite possibly could be setting Revere up to fail!  We have all the time in the world to get this right. Take a look at this Mike Gaddis quote again

“The desire in an exceptional pup is like a rare young wine, kegged from a proven vineyard. 

Nurture it slowly to perfection and it will pleasure the years. 

Tap it prematurely, and you will squander it’s bouquet in infancy”.

The "proven vineyard" is found through  my knowledge of the inherent abilities in the genetics that Revere possesses. His great-grandmother Pippin surprised me the other day when she found and delivered to my hand a quail at the exact moment I was doing some yard work with Revere. (Later we found out something  had ripped wire off the quail pen in an attempt to have supper!) So I did seize this incident as a teaching moment.  I'd been throwing a rope toy to Revere and he was enthusiastically running back to me with it.  I tossed the quail in the same manner and sure enough, he was happy to run towards me with it which was just amazing to me.  Instead of reaching to take it away and risk a premature mistake I wondered if I could see what kind of prey drive he had when it came to the real thing. He did not disappoint! At one point grandmother Treasure had picked up the quail and walked over to Revere with it letting him take it from her. He did bring it right to my hand when that happened!  Later on after the bird had been properly taken care of Revere actively was tracking scent that lingered behind. A similar situation took place today with a chukar and Revere's desire was even stronger.  So we truly are off to an impressive start. 

John has more than a few projects going on that need to get completed before winter.  The sooner the better! He worked on one of them today inside the house.  This meant Revere was exposed to the loud noises and sounds that various power tools make.  I wondered how he'd react to it all as he had been sleeping in the x-pen nearby. Revere did wake up abruptly and was a bit startled of course. He did react by walking in the direction of the noise and watching to see where it came from.   Revere didn't freak out, withdraw, or act afraid. When pups leave here they are practically bombproof.  I calmly filled his dish with puppy food, added a bit of chicken to it then set it down in the x-pen for him. The noises continued and Revere just kept on enjoying his food like a good, good pup-pup. 

Tonight was a good night and a special night as far as Revere goes. Usually when he has finished playing hard he'll get very antsy and quite bitey too. It's almost like he just doesn't know what to do with himself.  At this point in the day I stuff a Kong toy with something good like cheese or peanut butter and put him in his crate.  Revere loves his crate and does not complain at all, it's where he goes to relax and fall asleep. Instead, tonight I kept him in my lap and massaged his neck and ears in between his attempts to mouth my hands.  It relaxed him to the point where he simply lay back in my arms and fell asleep.  This was a first and I just loved the fact that he did it. I do have a picture on my phone of him asleep in my arms.  It's very cute but at the moment Pippin is letting me know it is time to go to bed. Sorry Pippin, you're right!  It's after midnight.  Take care, God bless and thank you for your interest in All Things Brittany!

J&A's Brittanys Perfect Puppy

Wow! Just... wow.  How can it be September 5th already?  How could the summer have come and gone so quickly?  

On June 24th  I walked out into the early morning darkness, looked up into the sky feeling the warmth of a summer breeze upon my skin and took a deep, deep breath while tears of gratitude streamed from my eyes. I lifted my eyes up towards the heavens and raised my hands to the God of all creation, and whispered words of thanksgiving to Him.  Holly had given birth to her first litter of puppies.  They were beautiful, healthy, strong and thriving as their brand new mother gently nurtured, nursed, and cleaned them.  The summer night was turning into summer morning and it was good.  

Then exactly two weeks later Maryann, Alana, John and I were there with Toph as she labored to bring forth her first puppy.  Our daughter's first litter, we all waited together through the first strong, natural contractions and all the way until it was clear the final pup had been born.  It was a special experience for me to share this with our daughter and granddaughter. llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllI lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll

Ha!  Those of you who follow my blog understand what just happened 🤣

I guess basically what I'm trying to say is that THIS SUMMER FLEW BY!  I have joked and tagged a lot of my photos on Facebook as "How I Spent My Summer Vacation".  But it's true and I knew that one day it would be the first day of summer and the next thing it would be Labor Day weekend.  I sort of was reminded of similar feelings in the past when pups were born in the winter months and by the time they go home it's springtime! 

You might think that now because  all the puppies are in their new homes I'd be catching up on some sleep and getting back into a normal routine.  Normal is over-rated anyway. Especially in regards to  8 week old Brittany puppies.

Like everyone else, I have a copy of "A Day In The Life of An 8 Week Old Puppy" posted on my refrigerator door.  I have made extras just so that every day I can write on it the specific times that my puppy does what.  I did mention I kept a puppy, right?! 

In the middle of the kitchen is an x-pen.  In my bedroom is a crate.  Being a multiple dog family and also because John is a morning person and I never have been or will be one - it made sense to bring the crate into the bedroom.  I can let my puppy out without disturbing the other crew, and they in turn can join John first thing in the morning.  So far so good and I think I have the perfect puppy.

On Sunday "Revere" slept through the night from 11 p.m. to 5. a.m. in his crate.  He had his beautiful blanket Aunt Julie made and a Kong toy stuffed with treats and peanut butter there.  At 5, I attached his 15' lead to him and brought him outside. At that point he hadn't mastered the stairs but that's no problem now! Outside, he did his business and I quickly brought him right back in, replenished his Kong toy and closed the crate door behind him.  And I went back to bed.  Not a sound from him. 

I'm compromising on my new wake up time.  Maybe if I MAKE myself go to bed earlier it will be easier in the morning.  Anyway, I gave him breakfast at 7, he played and went outside for awhile.  Brought him back in and put him in the x-pen with blanket, toys, water at about 9 a.m. and he was content until about 11.  He'd napped but otherwise, was just happy to watch what was going on around him.  That was Monday morning (DAY ONE) I had a slice of cold, leftover pizza for breakfast and finally got back to my coffee which by then of course was cold.  I drank it anyway.

At 11 he went outside for awhile then came back in to play with supervision in the living room. We are getting mixed reaction from the rest of the canine crew but it's all good and as they say, it's not our first rodeo!  So then I fed him again, we repeated a lot of the above but this time I decided to use the wooden end table crate in my living room. Figured that way I could get some work done and he'd be right there by my side. I expected a huge protest but I didn't get it.  Instead, he complained just a little bit and then quickly settled down. Laying on his back, belly up with the fan blowing on him. 

So on and so forth for the rest of the day.  Bedtime is being established as 7 p.m. with a quick outside a few hours later.  

He's a very serious puppy, very sweet and interested in things all around him.  It's been a joy to watch him as his world as he knew it has completely changed. He's taking it all in stride with such confidence.  The adult dogs are helpful to a point.  My training is done when it is just he and I.  So far he's bringing a canvas dummy back to me a few times for the fun of it.  He's been to the lake as well as our small farm pond.  He will go into the water and he has swam a few times too! This matters a lot to me as I'd really love  to test him in NAVHDA's Natural Ability and swimming is a requirement for the NA title. 

Okay, I guess I'm going to have to finish this exciting story tomorrow. I just deleted all the text and replaced it with rows and rows of the letter s. But the other thing I wanted to say is that along with retrieving the bumper for me, he's also been bringing back the quail wing that I toss out. I don't keep doing it for repetition sake. I want to instill within him joy and delight at pleasing me at an early age.  Focused obedience will wait for when he's much older. His first year is going to be a fun one. We have all the time in the world. He's coming when called most of the time. I won't repeat his name over and over and over nor will I use an unnatural tone of voice. He's getting it. 

In the meantime I'm going to focus on catching up on some sleep. Take care, God bless, Good night!  

PS Did I mention I have a perfect puppy?