Pippin: Experience as a 1st Time Mother

Pippin & her beautiful puppies

Pippin's 9 day old puppies 'mew' contently in the background as we rest together on the cot in the whelping area. She turns an attentive ear to listen to their sounds and knows all is well with her new family of 6 Brittany pups.  She is happy to leave her 'nest' for some well deserved, all too brief moments of R&R.  Pippin has snuggled close and tight to me, casually offering her belly in hopes of a belly rub. I tell her she doesn't have to ask twice, "You've got it Pip", and she raises her head to rest it on my arm, closing her eyes.

Pippin's carefree, independent lifestyle has changed completely these past 9 days.  Without the benefit of maturity or experience and relying purely on instinct she is thrust into the cares and responsibilities of motherhood.  I have likened her approach to this as that of a young teenage mother. Really not quite ready to settle down and put the needs of another life first, they struggle between the reality of the situation and the deep love that in most cases is there within.  This analogy allowed me to react with patience and understanding as Pippin went through instinctive and reactive motions of motherhood such as nursing her pups and licking them. Any assistance in the early hours of her new role seemed to bring a reluctance on Pippin's part to further pursue the instincts that are leading, beckoning to her.  I recognized this and perceived it as being caught in a type of limbo, of not being really sure of what was going on at all while  uniquely in a place of transition from one season of life to the other. 

To know Pippin is to know a Brittany dog with spunk, attitude and strong will; all the very things we love about her!  She's extremely expressive and Pippin's eyes seem most often to communicate a general sense of annoyance that "All Things Brittany" does not mean "All Things Pippin."  A sweet, know it all Brittany who does not experientialy know diddly squat about motherhood.  Fortunately for the Pippinator - we do!

Pippins love and attentiveness towards her puppies was strong from the start despite how annoyed she seemed when "THEY" came out of "THERE"!!  From what Chevy's owner Doug said, Pippin was also quite 'annoyed' during the entire act of mating.  Due to her personality and perception that her life had been intruded upon Pippin and I shared a bit of a learning curve those first 36 hours.  If I was too closely involved with monitoring her pups it was as if she said "OK. YOU think you are so smart. YOU take care of them."  During labor Pippin insisted the pups would be born underneath the cot, something we never did see eye to eye on.  I could almost see her sticking her tongue out at me as she returned to this spot once the pups had been safely delivered in the whelping box.  Knowing Pippin, being under the cot meant she was invisible, tucked away in a place where she could command the whole world to go away. (SORRY PIP. AIN'T HAPPENIN'.)

It was clear we needed to establish a comfort level between the us, where we could totally trust her to properly care for her pups while also a place where she knew we'd intervene without a lot of fanfare when she lost her way, or just wasn't sure.  Exhaustion was setting in quickly for canine and humans alike.  Pippin reached a point of simply needing to shutdown and sleep.  (We felt the same way too!) John and I decided to keep the pups in the puppy basket over hot water bottles wrapped in a blanket and under the heat lamp, keeping close watch of the temperature while Pippin slept soundly. All the pups had found their way to nurse as they were born so each had the all important colostrum and they too were sleeping soundly.  We placed a couple of pups next to her for nursing and she happily sniffed them and nudged them but her heart still was not in it.  We weighed each pup frequently especially little Holly who was just 6.2 oz when born. Little ones like this are often rooted off of the nipple by larger litter mates.  Pippin did clean her pups but not as thoroughly as needed.  Still, at the same time we did not want to discourage her or cause her to simply dismiss it as being our job.  So when she was asleep we made sure the pups were cleaned and eliminating correctly.

Sometimes another hurdle to overcome with a first time mother who is use to being princess of her domain is they will prefer their owners company over their need to care for their pups - in the beginning.  John is very good about reminding me of the need not to over nurture a new mother for this very reason.  Sometimes even the very sound of my voice can be distracting and interrupt a successful nursing session.  I moved slowly, deliberately, and quietly. We have learned not to be so anxious in taking a pup away from mom too soon after it is born.  Helping remove the sac and offering the umbilical cord to the mother in hopes she will sever it herself is one thing.  Whisking a neonatal, newborn pup still covered with the residual of placenta, afterbirth, and blood away from her is quite another thing. Discovering weight and gender really is not as important as encouraging the initial bonding between dam/pup. We hover nearby and take digital photos of each pup and worry later about matching time of birth, weight, gender, and identifying marks.  Unless a puppy is clearly in distress or in danger we will not intervene within those early moments of life. My concern is that mom "gets it" through the continual cleaning, licking of each pup. John and I are always sitting at the edge of the box ready to reach in and assist.  We know the warning signs, what to look for, what to listen for and will immediately pick a pup up to do whatever needs to be done to assure it's health, safety, and well being. Sometimes pups will inhale a little fluid during delivery and you can hear it when they first breath. We will aspirate gently and then slowly but firmly hold a little puppy head down and swing it in an arc to expel any liquids.  We're there to roughly dry it with a washcloth to simulate it's circulation and get it moving.  And no matter what is going on, we let mom keep that baby in her plain sight. 

In addition to those anticipated situations we were also ready to hold Pippin's hand for however long it took following the birth of her beautiful puppies.  And hold it we did.  It didn't take long. By the end of the second day, after we had been to the vets for dewclaw removal and tail docking, we were confident our new 'teenage mom' was putting the needs of her pups first. For me the real breakthrough came when Pippin did not rise up from nursing her pups to greet me.  I approached her calmly but spoke not a word.  I looked into her eyes which by now were bright and smiling.  My joy was complete when I saw that she was giving me a "happy tail", wagging it for all she was worth without budging an inch away from her family. 

At 9 days old the pups have doubled their birth weight. The litter weight average is 1.5 lbs.  I see little slits beginning to form where eyes will soon open. Already.  Last night John remarked that they are beginning to change their movement from a crawling/swimming motion to lifting themselves up on their teeny tiny unsteady but strong legs.  And as happy as Pip is to see me, her choice is to stay with her pups if they are nursing.Way to go Pippin! Welcome to motherhood - you're doing a great job.

Take care and God bless, John, Ann and ATB

Out of the Box! - New Brittany Video of 3 Week old Puppies

Remember to pause the Playlist to the right!

Here's a few glimpses of the Mega Litter as their world begins to enlarge! They are 3 weeks old tomorrow and so-o-o-o-o much fun!



NOTE: Since Rebekah, Deb, and several other have commented about the puppies howl... so speaking of genetics, it's worth a look back at this post from 2010 called "Brittanys & the Twilight Bark" and we'll discover who is responsible for this howl - then add to the fact that I always believed that Scooby's father, Timberdoodle REALLY was vocalizing  the words "Rye Ruff Rue" (hence Scooby's nickname). 

ATB: Brief

Pippin and Chevy have produced a lovely litter of 6 beautiful new Brittany pups, 4 boys and 2 girls.  We are still in post delivery 'mode' here which means 24 hour supervision so this will be very brief. John and I are taking turns and this is one of the first times I have had a chance to write more that a few words.  Just wanted to share the news as we're very happy!  Pippin was her typical 'self' full of attitude throughout the process.  Every litter and every mother is different and I wish they all could be as easy to care for as Treasure or Wish but, alas, they are not!  We will go to the vets tomorrow for litter eval, dew/tail removal, and exam for Pippin.

Molly and Scooby's pups (The MEGA Litter) are the most amazing puppies.  I can look at them and see Scooby's virtues and it simply makes me laugh!  Watching this litter interact with each other is like watching a situation comedy show - no kidding.  They are all characters with spunk.  Molly is such a good mom and she's been very tolerant of the new housekeeping arrangements.  I am enjoying true Brittany therapy due to the chunks of time I just take a break from the newborns and Pippin and go sit in the middle of the floor with the older babies. All eyes are open, hearing continues to develop, they are identifying and following movement, and they are not only walking but it seems as though they have some kind of marathon wrestling match going on. Very very content, quiet and good puppies. I think God knew we needed that particular quality considering the timing of all that's going on.

I have so many photos and some video footage to share but it is all about finding the time to edit and upload.  Usually I carve out late evening hours for that kind of work - but those hours are simply non-existant.  Right now the most important photo work I have is to line up the photos of the newborn pups, with the timing I have written down, compare their markings, birthweight and consecutive weighings in the last 24 hours to record in our whelping journal. This information is vital and right now it's all in bits and pieces so I have to be sure that's done correctly.

Yes we're tired, we're beat, we're exhausted, we're sleep deprived and probably a little cranky with each other from time to time  (who, John and me?!)  But we've kind of fallen into a management plan which is working out well to be sure all of ATB has their needs met. This means that Bullet and Jack are now full time house dogs for the time being and that Treasure is in the dog house with the rest of our motley crew. But if she were here, she'd be racing, pacing, anxious, and running around like crazy as I make frequent trips back and forth. She would sit in the window gazing out for any glimpse of me.  She can still play "I SPY" but just without being so frantic. 

In closing we appreciate your prayers and inquiring into how we're doing. We're really doing great and so far so good with our new pups, and the Mega Litter is quite superb! 

I also want to mention we were notified that the AKC has welcomed John and I each into their new Breeder of Merit program, something we are very very proud of:
 "AKC’s Breeder of Merit Program “honors breeder/exhibitors’ dedication and hard work as they continue to produce dogs that are healthy, capable, and beautiful. The foundation of today’s AKC Breeders of Merit have the power to influence, guide, and teach future breeders, exhibitors, and all purebred dog owners.”

That would not be possible without the support of many of YOU! Thank you!
Take care and God bless and please be patient if you don't hear from us! Thanks, John, Ann and ATB 

Puppies Cometh

Pippin's temp has dropped, we are in early labor and no time to share much more.

Happy Mother's Day / Simple Things

Happy Mother's  Day!  The day began with the whine, bump, jump, run through the house and come back, whine, bump, jump again by Treasure. The room was filled with daylight so I knew it was going to be as early as 5:30 a.m. and I rolled over to verify my suspicions with the alarm clock. At the same time I was learning that it was actually 6:30 a.m. Pippin took advantage of my subtle movement and quickly filled the vacant space on the other side of me.  She's a total bed hog that one is.  In her very oh so pregnant big and uncomfortable state though I can't blame her for wanting to spread out.  The thing is - the girls had the entire bed to themselves last night with me. 

John is waking up this morning several states away, for the second day of AKC Hunt Tests. He had a great day yesterday there.  He handled Bullet on behalf of Julie to his 2nd set of qualifying scores towards his Junior Hunter title! Bullet is halfway there and will be tested again today in hopes of earning his 3rd leg.  John had decided to see if True and Jack might be ready for the Senior test level by entering them for one day. What a great decision!  True and Jack both earned their first qualifying score towards a Senior Hunter title. The scoring is a little different for Senior and Master. They are judges for additional skill such as retrieving to hand and honoring another dog.  John said they handled like champions yesterday, we are both so proud!  And for all of that, John literally slept in the dog house last night as the dog top camper affords ample room to convert the back of the pickup truck into a temporary sleeping space. (Oh, my aching back.) So John's away. Ann can't sleep in.

Treasure continues to do her best to demonstrate the gravity of this situation of needing to go out NOW...and Pippin's body begins to communicate that to her. Ok. Ok. I can do this, I will somehow get into a semi-prone position, balancing on the side of the bed, using my arms to steady me...oops.. it's not a pretty picture at all and kind of reminds me of the weeble wobbly thing.  One foot in front of the other. I'm on my way girls, honest I am... please don't pee before I get to the door!!!  And voila! Success! 

Mornings. I do not do mornings. I have never done mornings. And I probably never will. With the exception of having to go to school and/or  for working full time also all those years ago I have always slept until at least 7 and sometimes (often?) even later.  So I mumble to myself and say JUST GET OVER IT.  And I did as I quickly discovered it is an absolutely GORGEOUS morning!.

I  fixed the girls' breakfast and made a pot of coffee for me.  Why did I make such a large pot?  I'll never drink it all.  Opening the sliding door I greet those in the crew who remained home this weekend and do a quick headcount.  Good morning Piper! Good morning Rose! Good morning Scooby! I'm sure the neighbors think I'm a bit strange. Okay where is Rose. ROSE! ROSE! And she obliges me by simply poking her head out through the swinging dog door with a glare that reminds me Rose likes to sleep in too.  Sorry Rose. The aroma of fresh brewing coffee fills the house and the the bright rays of the sun coming through the windows brings warmth to a slightly chilly kitchen. 

The monitor indicates Molly is up and about nursing pups.  Time to round up the girls.  TREASURE! PIPPIN! Pip comes right away.  Treasure not so much and not in sight.  Knowing we are fully fenced in calms my soul but still, where is she?  After a few minutes she appears happy and is soaking ringing wet.  An early morning dip in the pond by the looks of things.  Time to crate the girls with their breakfast in hopes of paws wet with morning dew will quickly dry off.  And time to check on our precious babies.


I carefully unlocked and slowly opened the door which protects our Molly and her family.  Usually she hears me coming and will run to happily approach me.  But not today. Today is different. Today is Mother's Day.

The low lighting in the room complimented the beauty of the scene I was privledged to behold.  The luminous glow from the heat lamp hovering above cast a spotlight upon the subjects of this precious sight. Molly raised her head in proud acknowledgement while her puppies continued to calmly nurse. Molly did not stir, although I could see every fiber in her body challenging her to rise and greet me. Very softly I spoke, telling her good girl....stay there Moll, it's okay... good girl.  And Molly stayed right there, nurturing and caring for her puppies who were safe and secure, surrounded by their mother and her love.

Such a simple thing to bring such joy to me this morning. A sight to be imprinted on my mind forever. I have seen this sight many times before but  because this is Mother's Day I am led to believe God found a way to speak to my heart.  He gives us so many gifts throughout our life, gifts created for special moments in time.  They are as gold nuggets created for those with eyes to see and hearts to feel.  I think most of the time we're all too busy and caught up with life in general to easily recognize them. 

I am reminded of my own mother's love for me, demonstrated first through her loving arms around me as an innocent baby.  Her love, like God's love, poured out upon me each and every day of my life although there were days I know I was very unaware of it.  I miss my mum but she rests peacefully next to my father and is in God's care until that day. Missing her is not a sad thing although it may bring tears.  But tears of thankfulness for the richness of our relationship. 

My mom not only chose to pass along the gift of life to me, but she passed along the opportunity to receive the gift of God's love. I chose to give the gift of life to my two children, and offered them the same opportunity to choose the gift of God's love. (And they in turn have made John and I grandparents!)

Mother's Day.  It can be a joyous occassion or it can be a very difficult day.  Some of us end up with great moms. Others not so much, not even close.  Some of us have large families, others do not have any for one reason or another.   But I believe most women, at some point in their life 'mothers.'  Bringing up a child with care, love, and affection is to mother - whether you gave birth to that child or not. The art of mothering is to look after someone, kindly and protectively. Most of us have our own personal association with the word mother.

This morning, God simply showed me a perfect example.  A Brittany dog.  Lying in a whelping box. Nursing a litter of puppies. Somehow God has found a way through the beauty of this scene to remind me to put troubles and cares in perspective, stop overthinking and stressing out, and enjoy this life, this short time we all have on earth. It's the simple things that simply 'are'.  We need to simply 'be'. 

Because in the end, afterall - God can use the simple things to confound the wise. (1 Corinthians 1:27) He can use simple things to confrim in the hearts of those who believe in Him of His love for us. I do love the ways of God most of the time but I sure don't understand them all. I can't answer for myself let alone for others "why" things happen the way they do. But I do know that I love Him and trust Him completely with my entire life. It's really quite simple.  Only believe.

God Bless You and Happy Mother's Day from John, Ann, and All Things Brittany

PS The revealing of simple, special gifts which are not only seen by the eyes, but felt within the heart continued after I finished writing this post...  I have been watching with awe the flight of a beautiful eagle as it soars high above, circling above the garage. 

2 weeks old - New Brittany Pictures Worth a Thousand Words

If I say that there is a collection of new photos at the bottom of the post you won't read what I've written!  Even so, tonight I thought I'd simply upload the photographs I took a couple of hours ago. The puppies turn 2 weeks old tomorrow. Eyes are opening and legs are working well so we are leaving the 1st Stage of Puppy Devlopment and entering the 2nd one.  The 'neo-natal' stage is coming to an end.  Although the pups are still entirely dependent upon Molly Rose, they are very slowly becoming independent. As I observed them tonight I noticed a new interaction with each other.  The two orange and white girls were actually kissing each other.  And one of of those girls has also responded directly to me when I gently rubbed under her chin. Her little paw went up in exactly the same way her big sister Rosie would do when being pet that way. I also intentionally moved their 'puppy pile' around, added a new crochet blanket and put the small carpet pad in. It was interesting to see how different the reactions were to these as compared to the carpet pad the other day which they clearly did not like. Tonight they definitely preferred Aunt Julies handmade crochet puppy blanket to any surface in their whelping box, Molly being the exception of course!  I don't leave anything lose in with them until they are older but if I'm in the room or in the box with them that's different. I believe that their little ear canals are beginning to open now too. They cannot actually 'hear' the sounds yet but they can 'feel' the sound waves.  This is when it's really important to have the soft, quiet music playing and to shield the new Brittany pups from direct sunlight. It could appear to the casual obsever that not too much was going on in the whelping box other than sleeping, eating, and eliminating.  Most of the time all you see is a pile of pups sleeping or nursing and occassionally moving about. But there is a lot going on.  Adding to the noticable progression of development of today was the added stimulus from moving into the new area.  Technically I guess you could now say we have a whelping room and a nursery in consideration of Miss Pippins approaching due date.  (John had flexibility and mobility in mind when he first designed the puppy room last year, I just didn't know to what extent. But as is usually the case - he had a plan all along, a very good plan and I've learned not to stress about these things, completely trusting in his judgement.)

Speaking of Pippin, she continues to pop!  I learned from Dawn that Pips' grandmother was like that too when she was pregnant and I know it was always hard to tell from Chris, Pippin's mother.  We began to chart her temperature at Day 53 to be ready for the first due date from her first breeding.  May 12 is our first target date.

I have some video footage to edit from this evening too which clearly shows the advanced walking going on in the whelping box.  Those first wobbly steps usually result in flipping head over heels as the pups sense of balance stabilizes.  Then they become more surefooted which then results in what I call the drunken sailor walk!  Too funny!  I am looking forward to the breakthrough with the pups when the connection they have made with me is not only certain, but clearly demonstrated through their behavior.  And I get to fall in love over and over and over again.

This next stage of development we will see many rapid and significant changes in a very short time in our little puppies here.  Not quite a transitional period, but a period where they are maturing mentally.  It is as if they are literally coming out of the darkness and into the marvelous light of the world around them.  Their bodys are not yet able to regulate temperature so they still need not only the warmth from Molly but from the heat lamp which shines above.  There are small fans which I can use to circulate the air above for Molly and we will open the windows if she is uncomfortable. We have had pups born in mid-July before yet still need the warmth of the heatlamp!  This too shall pass though because their beautiful coats are going to become efficient as well.

We hope you enjoy these photographs taken on the eve of the pups 2 week birthday.  Take care and God Bless! John, Ann and ATB

New Brittany Pups - 10 Days Old

Molly & Scooby's beautiful 6 new Brittany puppies - all are doing well.

Spending time this evening with the puppies and Molly offered some of those wonderful, special and oh so intimate moments that are so rare and fleeting.  It wasn't planned but it was longed for in my heart.  Each litter is different and that's why I can take the time to find something unique about not only each litter we plan for, but with each Brittany itself - regardless of the age.  10 day old pups are no exception. 

Molly's day begins with John and ends with me.  Somewhere in the middle there are multiple visits, outings, snacks, belly rubs and special times in addition to making sure her incision stays dry, temperature remains normal, and appetite and thirst are also normal. Everything has gone perfect.  Her stitches will come out soon.  And Molly is a wonderful mother with an abundant supply of milk which only continues to increase. I have been asked by several people if having a c-section and a spay would effect her milk supply or her ability to nurse.  I'm sure it 'could' have, but it didn't.  I like to think good pre and post natal care added to an extremely healthy and well conditioned Brittany has a lot to do with it.  I think too that the constant supply of nursing mother's pudding that we feed her and the extra pedialyte has helped. All I know is I'm very happy to have my Miss Molly girl doing so well, being such a great mother, and enjoying her pups while spending time with us.  Talk about fair and balanced!

It's important to keep the tiny little toenails of Molly's pups short. They need to be trimmed at a minimum of once a week and often more frequently.  If allowed to grow they become razor sharp and will scratch the delicate skin surrounding a nursing mother's teats.  In Molly's case, where she had to be shaved prior to surgery, it is even more important.  We have discovered that kitten nail clippers work the best for the toenails of our young Brittany puppies.  I wait for them to nurse and then to fall asleep.  This is when they are least likely to be resistant.  Using one of our handmade crochet blankets I gently cradle the pupy in my arms and one foot at a time manipulate their toes so that I can gently make the clip.  Just like with adults it's important to watch how close you're cutting - there is not much (if any) 'quick' to see so cutting a little bit at a time works best.  The kitten clippers are so small and easy to use so that if the puppy decides to be a wiggly little doodle I can still keep a good, gentle hold on them.  This method of clipping a puppys toenails also falls right in line with introducing additional stimulation and a very small level of stress - although a sleeping puppy is not likely to be very stressed.

This took about an hour and a half, or exactly as long as American Idol was tonight. (I'd vote for Lauren.) The actual time to clip the nails of one puppy is not very long, and certainly not long enough to notice one pups's uniqueness.  If this were purely utilitarian I'd put one pup down and pick another one up just as quick as I could to get it over with. NOT quite. This is an important time to spend stroking each little baby, feeling their muscles, their joints, checking to see the healing results after dewclaw removal and tail docking, and above all to hold their teeny tiny sweet little faces right up next to mine.  Sometimes that will stimulate a puppy to open their mouth and begin to lick at my cheek - I will admit - here is when I get my first awesome 'hits' of PUPPY BREATH!!!! AHHH!! Nothing like it. They snuggle under my chin(s).  And the love affair, which so far is one sided, continues to blossom.  I can't explain it, but I really do feel something happening in those precious moments.  And it's really now or never that the all important human/animal bond will develop and grow.  It is between the mother dog and her babies but it most certainly includes their breeders. 

Tonight I noticed subtle changes.  Like how the pink skin on the muzzle area has changed to a beautiful soft, downy velvetlike feel as the first strands of hair begin to grow.  Like how the nose is beginning to take on a shape of it's own while the muzzle develops. The ears are losing their rubbery look, are flapping up and down.  Little tiny slits define where the eyes will open within a week or so.  Softness, gentleness, innosence, sweetness.  These pups are going to be very early walkers. And they are going to be all we could have ever hoped for and more.  One of the pups has one I call a 'liver kiss' on their muzzle. It is where the liver color on a liver/white Brittany dog looks like someone had put liver color lipstick (ugh) and kissed them on the lips!  Treasure sort of has that. But Timberdoodle, the grandsire - he had that.  And it's cute to see it on these pups.  They may be the first (and only) pups between Scooby and Molly but I recognize the family behind them.  I see many specific things including behavior that make me think of our Rosie who we named 'Ever Ready' for a reason, I notice the beauty of Sassy, and I see Molly's head and Scooby's head. Some of the pups will have a coat like Molly, and others will have a coat like Scooby. They are strong and active puppies, with a mission in life. I can remember when our first child, our son,  was placed into my arms shortly after birth and looking into that sweet beautiful face and feeling so much love. Not only did I feel the love but I recognized family in his little features. Not to equate the two births, for animals are not humans - but to try to explain this - as a breeder it's just so neat to me to be able to see the results of consistency, even in such early early days.  And I know without a doubt each of these pups will simply enhance what is present in their sire and dam, things that we have been blessed to know first hand.

Speaking of being blessed - we were very proud today to be asked to contribute our experiences as gundog breeders for a writer who is working on a piece about gundogs in Maine. I won't give it away until it's time for the publication though!

As I watch the moments ticking away it would seem that blogging at the stroke of midnight is becoming a habit for me.  But it's a good time to write. The house is somewhat quiet with exception of faithful snoring from afar.  And just because I'm up, there is usually a need to let the dogs out.  Speaking of other beautiful Brittanys (they ALL are you know) Pippin is huge.  It's like all of a sudden she has popped!  Pippin is also very uncomfortable and her mood has not improved a bit. Poor Pippin seems so indignant. 

Let's remember our friends and fellow Brittany breeders Paul and Dawn Hill tonight. Her lovely Morgen had 7 pups yesterday.  All are doing well but there are 2 puppies who Dawn is helping  out by supplementing them by bottle feeding.  Their weight is not where she would like it to be.  Thanks.

Take care and God bless - and by the way - it's now Thursday and this is the National Day of Prayer.  A good day to pray for this country, especially in light of all that is going on around the world tonight.  As always, John, Ann, and All things Brittany!!

Treat Me Like a Dog - Video

This is Casper, a daughter of Treasure and Gibson (2009). She takes versatile to a whole new level as she helps her owners with the laundry. Casper reminds me SO much of Treasure in behavior and in appearance - she is also a really great bird dog. ENJOY! (Don't forget to pause the ATB Playlist to the right.)

Tuesday Afternoon

It was a good day yesterday !  Thanks to John all of our property is now fenced in.  Not that our dogs couldn't jump over the fence but they don't seem especially interested in running away from us.  I think of it as more of a deterrant to running off and they're never outside without supervision anyway. When all of the crew here runs around there is always a need for a playground monitor. And after serving as playground monitor there is always a need for a change of clothes. It was no exception yesterday.  With the warmer days the dogs love to enjoy the pond and our kennel guest the Bullet Man loves it more than any of the others! He can entice them all to spend more time in the water as he swims from side to side, looking back and forth as if to say "come on in, the water's grand!"  We are trying to decide if it is to be a field trial weekend or a hunt test weekend for Bullet, True, and Jack.   I'm leaning toward the HT myself but it will depend on how many entries in the Maine Bird Dog Club's trial and right now it's not looking that great. Anyway a good part of yesterday included much needed special time between Scooby and me.  On the 4th anniversary of losing his sire, we just spent a lot of time reminding each other of how much we love each other. Sounds funny maybe. But it's true.  It is absolutely possible to give each Brittany here a special part of our day and sometimes it's just necessary to give one dog a whole lot more.  And so it was with Scooby - only it wasn't the dog who needed the company and attention, it was me.  He knew it too.  And happily obliged me by stretching out on the couch and snuggling under my chin.  Kind of cool, Treasure and Pippin acknowledged somehow what was going on - and accomodated me by getting soaking wet in the pond and in need of crate time drying off in their blankets. This left the afternoon to Scooby - in between time spent with Molly and babies.  Before I go any further, I want to be sure to confess that what we have going on here is in no means fancy or grand. I always worry that someone reading our blogs and then coming to meet us for the first time will be gravely disappointed to discover how simple things really are here.  And sometimes how muddy and wet too, not to mention the dog hair.  Yesterday, there was dog hair flying everywhere because it was Scooby who was 'furminated.'  We could have outfitted a whole new dog as a matter of fact.

I shared with the pups owners in a recent email about introducing them to their second (or is it their third) new surface.  "...I'm happy with the weight of these pups, very nice sizes - not too big and not too small. They are perfectly delightful and beginning to respond to my touch more each day. Today I took a small carpet pad made of a little rougher material and placed it in a far corner. Then when I returned each pup from weighing, placed them on the opposite side of this pad, in the corner. They could choose several directions to find their way back to the 'puppy' pile on the other side of their box. It was fun to watch them. Some used the parameter of the box itself to scoot around to the other side. Others crawled right over the mat without issue as if on a mission. Still others wanted nothing to do with the pad but did use the outside edge of it to navigate. This is just one of the many things I will do with them in the weeks to come. Mostly the are loving the cuddling the handling; it's funny to feel the difference in the strength of each pup; some want to simply snuggle up in your hand, then another will squirm and wiggle and want to be on the go. Others are in the middle but ALL are showing me how smart they are!"

Molly is getting into her own little routine here too, which is quite different than Treasure's was earlier this year.   Her schedule includes an early morning bathroom outing with a quick trip to find where I am.  Today she ran through the house and discovered me on the couch with Pippin and Treasure.  Those two suddenly jumped off in unison when they saw Molly as if to yield right of way and then, plop!  Molly landed right on my chest and lay there grinning (remember I said she smiles) down on me. John fixed Miss Molly Rose her special breakfast and enticed her to join him back where her pups where.

The Brittany mobile has come out of storage from the winter.  I keep going back and forth about whether or not I want to sell it or not.  It's been so much fun to have to travel to the dog shows and also have ABC meetings in. Great times with not only John but with our friends and their dogs too at field trials and at dog shows.  Anyway, today John repaired the vent over the bathroom.  Somehow it got broken the last time it was used.  Trying to think back to when that was... probably at a fall field trial in 2010, and maybe someone forgot to close it before heading out of the grounds, and maybe it could have hit on a pine tree branch that was hanging low along the road out of the grounds.. but I really don't know for sure. I'm just glad John discovered it before the snow fell.  I love the Brittany mobile, we can fit up to 6 crated dogs in it - that doesn't leave room for very many people though to visit and enjoy snacks and beverages. But then if you have friends who also bring their campers along, and invite you to their camper it all works out...  So I'm smiling because I really think we should keep the Brittany mobile - don't you?  But if we sold it... we could spend money on hotels and entry feels for the events we do want to participate in. Although now with the truck and the dog campertop, we can fit more people and more dogs.  I have forgotten what it was like to vacation without our 4 footed friends. I am not complaining.  Over the years John and I have enjoyed vacations with and without our children that included a Mexican Riviera Carnival Cruise (I won it!), several week long vacations in Florida on the beach and also at Disneyworld, Canada trips, England, Kentucky, and then I went to Israel while he's been out of the country on caribou trips and then I would travel with friends to various conferences across the country. This was was all in between our first and our second litter of Brittanys, which spans 15 years.  But as I've said - now we live in the middle of 13 lakes and each weekend we see folks going by with their boats (we've had those before too) motorcycles, campers, etc. headed to camp and we look at each other. Look at the dogs. Look at the vacationers. Look at the dogs. Look at the lakes. Look at the boaters.  I look at my canoe though, then we look at each other, smile and say - we're very okay with our lives. Very okay indeed! And that's all she wrote this fine day.

Take care and God Bless you always, John, Ann and ATB

PS Morgen has had her puppies - Dawn called and left a very tired message.

Stay For Awhile - Brittany Puppy Video

(Remember to 'PAUSE' the music playing
on the ATB Playlist to the right of your screen before viewing!)

Long time since I've seen your smile,
But when I close my eyes,
I remember
You were no more than a child,
But then so was I,
Young and tender.

Time carries on;
I guess it always will,
But deep inside my heart
Time stands still.

Stay for awhile.
Well, it's good to see your smile,
And I love your company.
Stay for awhile.
And remember the days gone by;
For a moment it can seem
Just the way it used to be.

Snowfalls, phone calls, broken hearts,
Clear summer days,
Warm and lazy;
Long walks, long talks, after dark;
We vowed we'd never forget.
Now it's hazy.

Time takes its toll,
And time alters our view.
It would be nice to
Spend some time with you.

Oh, stay for awhile.
Well, it's good to see your smile,
And I love your company.
(Oohhh) Stay for awhile.
And remember the days gone by;
For a moment it can seem
Just the way it used to be.

Stay....

Stay for awhile.
Well, it's good to see your smile,
And I love your company.
 Stay for awhile.
And remember the days gone by;
Just the way it used to be.

Stay for awhile.
Oh, it's good to see your smile,
And I love your company.
Won't you stay with me for awhile,
And remember the days gone by;
For a moment it can seem
Just the way it used to be.
Words & Music by Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith, Wayne Kirkpatrick
Performed by Amy Grant