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? 

J&A's Brittanys - 1st Day Photos (Patriotic Litter)

And then there were...

10 happy families with smiling faces with their puppies who are more than ready
to leave at 8 weeks old! Perfect.

John and Kim with "Silas" formerly Franklin.  An experienced Brittany family, there are a lot of great plans in place for the handsome full liver colored Silas.  He's marked very similar to grandmother Treasure. As an added blessing for me personally, I have a new sister in Christ. God does weave our lives together through Him using ATB. I appreciated knowing where the referral came for John and Kim to contact us and look forward to what the future will bring for our friendship as well as for Radaph Silas! (Radaph has to do with the way Gods goodness and mercy you.)  Welcome to the ATB family!

You all know who this is!  Congratulations to our daughter and granddaughter on breeding their first litter ever.  The family had Sokka (pronounced like Soccah) formerly Hamilton picked out from the day he was born. If you're familiar with the AVATAR series (I'm not LOL) his name coincides with their Brittany "Zuko" and also "Toph" , mother of the pups, with additional AVATAR names. He's going to have the time of this life with his active experienced Brittany family which will include paddle boarding, hiking, hunting, hunt test (NAVHDA and AKC), trials, and more!  Love you Sokka!

Jeff and Marisa are at such a great place in their life to add a puppy to their home. I've appreciated their diligence in their long term planning to welcome a Brittany into their heart and home.  Working with friends of ours who are also Brittany breeders, there was to be no pregnancy so they were referred to us. At that point they were well prepared and quite excited as were John and I as we began to get to know them.  They have named their puppy Rocko and he was formerly "Sam". Looking forward to seeing them around at hunt tests, field trials, and of course bird hunting! 

Welcome to the ATB family!

John and Linda are no stranger to Brittanys, their daughter owns one now and besides that, their prior Brittany lived into her senior years and was related back a few generations to this litter with a pup from our friends at Hills Brittanys. As things worked out, Miss Betsy, who will now be called Queso (Spanish for cheese!) already has a training table waiting at home for her as well as a quail pen, plans are to train her to hunt both upland game and waterfowl. I mentioned to John that she is a little spitfire and he said no problem they are ready for her with a wonderful active life. Welcome to All Things Brittany family of close working gundogs!

One thing I have learned about Tracy and Steve as I've enjoyed getting to know them is that they absolute LOVE to camp and they LOVE the water!  They know where to go and where is the best campsites. They're very active and also have shared their heart and home previously with a special Brittany who they said goodbye to last fall.  I was happy when they contacted us and learned their story and happier still when things worked out for them to have a puppy. We're going to help them discover how fun introducing birds and field training is! Their puppy was Banner in the litter and is now "Drake"!  Welcome to the ATB family! 

Here's another way God works things altogether for good.  Dee and Linda had 2 Brittanys from us.  One is Becca (Molly/Jack daughter pictured here) and the other was Durgin (Molly/Smoke).  Sadly, they recently lost their heart dog Durgin and I know that the pain of such a loss is unbearable at times.  Dee reached out to me to know when we might be having another litter of pups, assuming all of ours were spoken for.  As it was, I was intentionally holding back a pup until my mind was made up who I wanted to keep, if any.  Things worked out and the ever sweet Spangles, who will now be known as Coburn, has gone to bring some smiles to not only John and Linda but to Becca as well.  Their Brittanys have an awesome life in the great North woods of Maine. It was AWESOME to see Becca, a perfect combination of her parents.

When Paul and Sylvia reached out to us again there was no question about availability for them for a puppy from Toph and True.  This lovely girl here is Tripper and she is a True/Piper daughter so now she's going to be a true big sister!  This is Patriot who will now be called Obi (as in Obi-wan).  I admire this active couple who, since we first met them, have retired and built a beautiful dream home in Maine.  They also have done a lot of traveling and thoroughly enjoy the great outdoors together. And of course indeed, grouse hunting with a close working gundog in the fall.  

Thank you both for giving Tripper such a great life, nice to see you again.

Jeff said one reason he wanted a male Brittany was because he feels a little outnumbered!  I loved meeting not only two of his daughters when they came to visit, but also seeing our niece Lori and her daughter come with them.  He knew he was interested in a liver and white boy but thought that Rocket was already spoken for.  After the temperament testing it was clear Rocket was going to be an exceptional choice for a first time Brittany owner who is also an active sportsman including bird hunting.  Rocket is now going to be called 'Franklin" in keeping with the original patriotic theme.  We live close enough to them so that it's going to be possible to do some field training together, giving us an opportunity to all get together more. Lori and Jeff attending a Brittany field trial in Maine a few years ago, walked some braces and enjoyed that so who knows! The genetics are there in these pups that is for sure.  Welcome to the All Things Brittany family!!!

Oh the wonderful friendships we form!  Linda and Stan are holding Hope who will now be called Dixie Cup (Love it) and Miss Ellie.  Ellie is out of Pippin and Wilson consequently she and Dixie are closely related.  They also share their home with a senior Brittany, a sweet girl named Pepper.  I have so enjoyed getting to know Linda and Stan, especially Linda as a special friendship has grown and flourished.  I appreciate the home that Ellie has who is now an AKC Junior Hunter.  Ellie as Pippin's daughter is sweet and spunky.  I think that Dixie Cup has a measure of that spunk too. 

Thank you guys for everything. 

I did not make my decision on what pup to keep (if any) until just a few days ago, after Polly left. We  still don't have his AKC name picked out!  But we did decide to keep his litter nickname which is Revere (after Paul Revere but also I like the definition of revere which means to be in awe of.  Well, I don't mean to be in awe of this puppy exactly although he is really pretty cute, sweet, smart, and wonderful.  But it reminds me to be in awe of God, to stand in awe of Him, of all that He has done, is doing, and will continue to do.  Having said that, my dreams are going to continue for our breeding program. We're not getting any younger but this breed does demand you remain active.  John and I are happy to welcome REVERE to our own personal family pack of close working gundogs. Stay tuned.

J&A's Brittanys - 1st Day Photos (Timeless Treasures Litter)

The beautiful puppies of Bullet & Holly Beth are now in the loving homes of their new families.  These are the photos taken on the 'first day of the rest of their lives.'  I am humble, thankful, and grateful for how God works to weave lives together.  Here are their 'first day' photos. 

Here is Star (now Monroe) on the morning he went home on a live quail. 

He's staying in Maine and will be an experienced Brittany bird hunting home, and trained

also for hunt tests, NAVHDA and more!  Loved by Dan, Lisa, and family.

We didn't get their picture with him we were too focused on showing him work a bird!

Dude (now Charlie) with his happy new family Chris, Cathy, and Kayla.  He'll be on the Cape loving his active

outdoor family and also will be seen at hunt tests next year. We  met Cathy and some of her family at a spring hunt test when they were first beginning their search for a new puppy.  No strangers to the sporting breed, they have had Vizslas in the past.  Welcome to the ATB family! 

Polly was our keeper puppy from this litter until we decided who was staying here. Can't keep them all but knew we needed a very special home for her where she will be kept active. Timing was perfect for our friends and part of the ATB family, Apple & Linda who have been hurting from the passing of their 13 year old Brittany (Jack's sister).  Polly will be hunted, be seen in hunt tests, and even introduced to dock diving in this experienced Brittany family. 

We'll be involved in her training and her name will remain Polly.

Here's Beth who is now Bailey!  Speaking of Bailey, this is Dakota who is Bullet AND Bailey's full sister and littermate. She'll be hunted in the fall and enjoy being an active family companion and hanging with her aunt Dakota in CT.and

greatly  loved by John and Cherie who have been in the ATB family since 2008.

  When they got Dakota 10 years ago their kids were so young - now they are both in college! 

Dolly is seen with her very happy new owner, Sarah.  Her new name is Sage and she's going to live a wonderful life in New Brunswick with her very active farm family.  Sarah and Jason lost a beloved Brittany that they got from us in past years so Miss Sage is bringing Brittany joy back into tall their lives.  When we met this special couple they had no children. 

Now this ATB family has  two sons aged 10 and 4. 

Sage will hunt  upland game, waterfowl, and also ice fish, snowmobile, camp and more!

Momma Holly Beth joined in for the family photo! You  can tell everyone is very happy about Sophie. Already part of the ATB family,  Dan, Kristie and boys have great plans for their new puppy including introducing her to her half brother Boltie who is also her uncle.  Go figure that out LOL!  Bolt is out of Treasure and Bullet.

An active hunting family, showing may be in Sophies future too.    

Ended up that the day L.J. went home it was also this young ladies birthday!  We hadn't planned it that way but how cool is that?!  Already part of the  ATB family Suzanne and Stratis also brought Charlie with them. He is Holly Beth's full brother out of the same litter of Treasure and Hemi.  L.J. is now named Basil and he's going to be a hunting dog like his uncle. An added note, Basil will most likely have some get togethers with littermate Mo (Hardy) who lives nearby.  

 John and Patty already share their home with Miss Mojo (Bullet x Treasure) pictured here.  Legend who is now Moxie will live nearby and I expect we will be in the field training together from time to time.  We're blessed by the friendship of this special couple but also appreciate that John is a respected longtime veterinarian in the area who now has 2 J&A's Brittanys.

I have really enjoyed getting to know this young couple who have welcomed "Mo" into their lives as Hardy.  He's already made himself at home in Joe and Melissa's lives and also their hearts. An extremely active, outdoorsy couple, Hardy is going to love all the opportunities he'll have to enjoy life to the fullest!  Field training will begin shortly and Joe is an experienced bird hunter. Hardy will most likely spend some time with his brother Basil. Welcome to the ATB family!

Another photo of Star (Monroe).  I loved this pup, I loved them all but if I were going to keep a boy from this litter, he is the one who could have most persuaded me. I say this because his personality so reminded me of his grandfather, JackDog.  I don't have pictures of him with Dan and Lisa  on the day he went home. We enjoyed playing with the quail though!  John and I were happily surprised to learn Lisa is the daughter of a friend we haven't seen in years. Welcome to the ATB family!

J&A's Brittanys - As Time Goes By II

From ATB Archives:  2009, True is the puppy with spot on his head❤

This morning one of our vets made an official house call. We are blessed that he offers this service and it makes things a lot easier for us.  True and Toph's pups had their pre-health exam and were microchipped. They did great!  Next week they'll have their final health exams and receive first puppy shots (DA2PP). They too will have their P.A.T. evals.  Puppy selections will be determined. They will be 8 weeks old by next weekend and we will kiss them goodbye as the first day of the rest of their lives begin. We have had great reports on all of Holly and Bullet's pups in their new homes. I mentioned this to our vet. He complimented us, saying that all to prepare our puppies assures that the new owners will have a well adjusted puppy ready who will succeed from day one. He was also happy because his own new puppy has slept through the night and that housebreaking is going well. 

"Time is a gift, given to you,
given to give you the time you need,
the time you need to have the time of your life." N. Juster

I like that quote. Each day we are all given the same number of hours and each day we make use of them to the best of our ability.  It's different if you are retired, I get that.  But we are just as busy if not busier than we ever were before.  Especially at the moment.  My philosophy is that if I cannot give 110% to breeding, caring for the mother properly throughout pregnancy, thoroughly preparing for whelping, and devote myself for 8 weeks to rearing a litter of pups and screening for the absolute best families and homes - then if I cannot do that I should not be a purebred dog breeder. 

John, being the morning person that he is, often has his entire planned and has worked through most of it while I barely make it through my first cup of coffee.  On the other end of the day, I am at my best with the most energy happening in the evening and sometimes even into the next morning. It's crazy but it works and for the most part we can deal with each other's differences.  We're going on 44 years of marriage so that testifies to being able to work things out.

Before he retired 10 years ago all things whelping, breeding, training, cleaning and other responsibilities pretty much were left up to me as I was home full time at that point.  You develop your own way of doing things.  John was often so exhausted after often working 60+ hours a week plus the commute he had little left to give at the end of the day and understandably so.  As for me, this was before severe osteoarthritis reared it's ugly head, before the knee replacements and other things happened.  I remember it always seemed that pups came when John was at work and we kept the telephone lines open between us - there was no texting, messaging or Facebook.  I would also enjoy a daily training routine with Rosie, Jack, Molly, Scooby, Wish, and Promise.  Each morning I would bring them to the stake out chain in the front yard and one by one bring each dog out to work on a focused skill I was working with. They were fascinated to observe and behaved so well, each one waiting for their turn.  I did this morning and night.  On alternate days I would make trips down the road to the grounds that we ran dogs on.  My training methods were pretty much text book and I enjoyed seeing each individual Brittany work.  I learned so much from the dogs that we had at the time and felt a good foundation had been laid.

When John retired he hooked up with several other pointing breed owners involved with field trailing and gundog training, one being a trainer themselves.  They would frequently train together early in the morning, helping each other out.  It was a whole new schedule and as anyone knows, retirement brings with it new adjustments!  I continued to devote myself to other aspects of dog training such as basic obedience training, handling classes, and began to learn about showing dogs.  I focused now on learning more about the best breeding practices, the importance of proper puppy rearing and overall kennel management.

Fast forward to today and where we are now, we have become a team in regards to the Brittanys we love and live with.  Field training is ongoing for the crew. Not that they are all involved with competitive venues but they all thrive with their daily opportunities to run, exercise, and frequent exposure to birds and shot guns.  It is truly line up on line, precept upon precept. 

I'm seeing this teamwork especially with the busy-ness of the past year as we prepared and planned for the first litter of pups in 4 years.  And in doing so time has truly flown by, thus the quote above if you were wondering what the point was in posting that.  I cannot believe that September is a week away!  I can't believe that this season of rearing puppies is winding down.  Side by side, John and I have worked diligently to assure the best possible start for our puppies.  We have devoted ourselves without hesitation to their well being while working closely with our veterinarian(s).   We have also worked things out so there is no neglecting of those dogs with seniority so when I am with the puppies, John is with the older dogs. They swim, play, relax and also get to the field.  This summer I'm very happy to see Hemi coming along with his retrieving.  Especially happy to see how well Charlie has come along since coming home, he's a great bird dog, just like his father Jack was. My old girls are pretty accepting of the puppies.  Rosie did give us a scare this summer, she's going on 14  and we thought she was telling us it was time to make the journey to Rainbow Bridge. Our vet checked her out and miraculously she made a comeback, remaining happily now in her own little world.  It's getting so senior dogs are in the majority resulting in a geriatric crew!

I am tired but for all the right reasons.  I am not going to say "oh I will be so happy when all the puppies are gone".  Because that's not how I feel.  Tons of work, lots of puppy food, many bills, poop and more poop, and so on and so forth. I wouldn't miss this for the world though. My body aches, exhaustion has become the norm but by the Grace of God and those prayers that many of you say on our behalf, this puppy season has been full of joy, laughter, happiness and lots of love. It's how I spent my summer vacation.

Take care and God bless. Hope you've enjoyed the live videos on Facebook and the many photos I have shared.  John, Ann, and All Things Brittanys

J&A's Brittanys - And Then There Were...

Several of the beautiful crocheted puppy blankets that "Aunt Julie" has lovingly made.

One goes home with every puppy carrying the scent of momma and littermates. We

are so appreciative of Julie's unending devotion to help us to assure the best homecoming

ever as the puppies begin the first day of the rest of their lives.  Thank you Julie!!!

Sometimes it is just so hard to express in writing what the heart is feeling, what the heart wants to share. Tonight is one of those times.  

I just 'tucked in' the most sweetest, beautiful Brittany puppies for the night!  By the time I turned and walked quietly away they were all snuggling up together in a cozy, warm puppy pile.  The same puppy pile that I have been blessed to be a part of while sitting with them on the floor, on the ground, or on a blanket in the puppy playground we made.  One of the puppy piles has become increasingly smaller over the past few days. It will continue to do so until only one remains. 

Tonight Dolly seemed to understand that she will be somewhere else tomorrow night, in a family where she will be their one and only.  A family who deeply loves Brittanys and a family who sustained a great loss just about a year ago when their beloved Brittany passed.  Their visit back here to us from New Brunswick was bittersweet, this I know. But when they contacted me about a puppy my heart leapt for joy. 

They were one of the first families to come meet the puppies. I was so disappointed that it was a rainy day because that meant we'd have to stay inside but still the atmosphere was warm and cozy.  Coming down from Canada they had made a weekend of it and found a campground to stay at the night before. I could barely contain my joy at seeing them again!

The last time I saw Sarah and Jason they had not been married all that long nor had they started a family yet.  I had the pleasure of being introduced to two fine young gentleman; their 4 year old and 10 year old son. Very polite and sweet boys, they have been brought up around farm animals for that is what their family has always done for generations.  They understood the importance of moving slowly, not over handling, and being very gentle with the young pups.  Sarah and Jason are clearly wonderful parents raising responsible children.  (The same could be said for several other returning ATB families - and you DO know who you are, each one of you 💖 ) 

The decision as to what puppy will go home with what family resides within John and I.  He usually defers to me but this time we really collaborated together. When a family or a couple visit us we give them three colored collars.  (I know I've shared this before but I just had a birthday so now I repeat myself, it's expected, right?)  Before they leave we have them place a color on 3 pups that they like.  We also tell everyone to fall in love with the entire litter and not just base a preference on gender, color, or from looking at a photo. We do ask for preferences on the application but make no guarantees.  I then keep an index card with everyone's top three choices.  After the Puppy Aptitude Testing and other evaluations I review the questionnaires, the applications, and our various conversations through email and chatting.  I may have a few questions but usually the puppy ends up being one of their top choices, if not THE top choice. 

I knew exactly what Sarah and Jason were looking for and why. And it went way beyond  their bird/waterfowl hunting needs.  As they sat down with the puppies and their boys the young Brittanys clamored over to where they were.  Waves of emotion flooded over me and they flooded over them as well. This was understandable. The youngest boy noticed a magnet  of a Brittany head that ironically looked very much like the one they lost.  He asked why did I have a picture of his Brittany on my door. I almost lost it. 

As I observed and listened, letting things happen naturally I did pay attention to the Brittany who was most interested in them. The pups were just a little over 4 weeks old which was a good age for them to visit with younger children.  The pups had not yet turned into the clever litter piranhas that nibble on toes, shoelaces, and fingers like they are at 5 weeks of age! 

While I chose not to reveal the particulars about which pups are whose lists there are always going to be those stand out alpha puppies and stand out omega puppies.  Some people are drawn to the alpha and vice versa. But that doesn't mean it's always the best fit which, to me, is one of the most important things of all.  So while you could ideally put a blindfold on, choose a pup and absolutely end up with a top notch bird hunting dog you may not end up with the personality best suited for you and your family. Let's just say it makes life easier when you do. I realize not every breeder looks at it this way but we do. 

Shortly after the P.A.T.s and unless we are selecting a show quality pup for someone, our decisions are communicated to each family who has been patiently waiting for the exciting news!  Occasionally I will note something extra special in a particular puppy that would be just perfect for one family but not for another. With Sarah and Jason I wanted to be especially sensitive to the gender and color preference for obvious reasons. There were several more conversations between us. In the end the choice was theirs to make based on my suggestions and comparisons.

The other thing I want to mention because we were also leaving the final outcome up to the Lord.  Sarah and Jason too are Christians and we share a likeminded faith.  Prayer was involved as we all were trusting God for the outcome. And He did not disappoint as He worked to guide and direct us. He worked it all out in what I believe is His purpose and plan.  

Tomorrow Miss Dolly will become Miss Sage.  She will kiss the faces of two little boys and their parents and I suspect kiss some happy tears away too.  Perhaps there will be a few nibbles as well. John and I will release this sweet girl from our home but never our hearts. And thus the first day of the rest of another pup's life will begin.  God who is the same today, yesterday and tomorrow will be there every step of the way into long life.  Memories will be made and I shall look forward once again to the exploits of this special family who will share them with their pup.  This pup will not be left at home when the family goes camping, ice fishing, snowmobiling, to the beach or on vacation.  She will be there by their side in the ice shack, on the sleds, and in the water. A new puppy that will not ever take the place of who came before her, but a new puppy who will be happy to receive all the love that is poured out up on her. She'll be trained, she'll be smart, she'll be amazing. This I am certain of.  And for this I thank God for.

By the way, I have heard from all the owners of the pups who have already left!  I'm so happy. Most ride homes were uneventful, gratefully so.  Schedules are being adjusted to accommodate the new family member. First nights spent in their new crates with their familiar Aunt Julie puppy blanket and special toy have not too unbearable.  A few protests.  I have heard some pups are already showing their owners signs that they want to go out to "do their business".  I have seen a picture of one of the puppies already starting their puppy gundog training on a live bird and establishing a lovely puppy point!  They all were on birds by the time they left. I do have a few on video.  We have taken photos of most of the new families with their new puppies before leaving here and I'll share those at a later date. I hope you've caught the videos though that I have been sharing on my personal Facebook page as well as the ATB page.  Which reminds me - there has been a request for a more private Facebook page just for actual ATB family, especially Toph and Holly's pups. Or at least to exchange emails or FB names. I approve!

J&A's 8 Week Pictures Bullet x Holly Pups

The Timeless Treasures Litter at 8 Weeks

Sire: CH J&A's High Caliber Harris Special SH - "BULLET"

Dam: J&A's Carry the Dream of Acton JH, NA 110 Prize 1 - "HOLLY BETH"

Photo credit: Maryann Day 

Unedited pictures.  Missing Beth in a pose as she was too silly on the table!

DUDETTE (Sophie)

MO - (Hardy)

Silly Puppy

L.J. (BASILE)

Polly (now LOTTIE)

Legend (now MOXIE)

Star - (Now MONROE)

Dude (Now CHARLIE)

Dolly (Now SAGE)

J&A's You Say Hello, I say Goodbye

Bittersweet, melancholy, joyous, excited, thankful, proud, grateful - how many superlatives may one use?  These are just a few of the feelings, of the emotions which I have been and continue to experience as puppies begin the first day of the rest of their life.

I sat on the floor of the puppy room at midnight a few nights ago with nine, eight week old Brittany puppies.  They gleefully jumped upon me for attention each wanting  a gentle hug and to hear a soft 'goooood puppy' spoken.  Several attempts were made to untie and demolish my shoestrings and a few of the playful and teething mouths wanted to help with body piercings.  Thus my loving piranha pit!

There's always music playing when pups are involved and at nighttime they listen to classical, instrumental, relaxing ambiance type music thanks to Pandora.  I tune in to the 'Relaxation Channel' and they listen to the likes of Kevin Kearn, Tim Janis, Danny Wright, Lorie Line and others. Music without words that can tug at the heartsrings.

No photos tonight here although I have a gazillion.  I'm still trying to figure out the most efficient and effective way to load, edit, share photos and quite honestly I'm very frustrated to have to start from scratch.  My cell phone pictures and videos are okay for a quick fix. Hoping to rectify this situation sooner than later.  When I have time.  Ha, that was a joke!

In the past 72 hours I have kissed goodbye and blessed 5 of Holly and Bullet's beautiful puppies. In that time there have been some awesome reunions with ATB family some of whom brought their older J&A's Brittany with them. Oh my heart. I also could not be happier for those who are getting their first puppy from us and I thank God that in His ultimate and mysterious ways has led them to us in their search for a bird dog puppy :) And tonight there are 4 pups remaining who will soon be in their new homes too.

But in the past 72 hours I have also prayed for and with others in our Brittany family on behalf of their beloved dogs. We went to visit with the  owners of a young dog recently diagnosed with cancer of the spleen and are believing for a miracle despite what the doctors say.  There was ongoing prayer for a senior Brittany in the ATB family whose owner had thought there had been a stroke in the middle of the night but praise God, prayers for healing were answered!   And last but not least, the owner of another deeply loved Brittany contacted me with news hard to share.  This morning they lay on the floor with their senior as he passed away.  Recently, our Rosie who is going on 14 gave us a scare a few weeks ago. Our vet agreed it was 'her time'.  By the time he returned to help her 'to the bridge' she had a full recovery, well as full as one could be for our special needs Brittany. She's slowing down and has her own issues that are typical of a rapidly aging Brittany. I was amazed that she actually lasted a year after her mother Molly passed. But Rosie is happy in Rosie's world and we are happy about that. Last but not least Bullet (sire of Holly's puppies) had surgery to remove what turned out to be an ingrown toenail of all things. He's recovering nicely but still has a lot of pain.

All for the love of the dog, both given and received. That's what we say.  That's what we mean. A Brittany puppy will give you one of the happiest days of your life!  And one of the very, very saddest. Tonight I choose joy yet I realize people I care about are experiencing the very, very saddest. It's not always all about the dogs, we all know that.  I have a dear friend who is experiencing the greatest loss of the love of her life. I have a close relative who is battling cancer. Another whose marriage of many years is falling apart. Lord, have mercy.

Tonight I sat in the middle of the 6 week old puppies pile.  I held them close and looked into each of their eyes.  There is such joy and life within them.  I watched as my precious 12 year old Treasure played happily with her grand puppies, reigniting a spark in her rarely seen these days due to canine dementia. The choice to keep a puppy resides with me. She has been my one concern.  Having puppies to care for definitely encroaches on the time one wants to spend with the seniors, our sweet geriatric crew, which are in the majority at the moment.

The point here that I'm trying to make is a simple one. And a response to a post I made tonight on Facebook resonates with me. It is perfect and applicable for the way I am feeling right now about the many things that want to occupy my mind.. I like to keep things simple so let me leave you with this verse as I ramble my way to bed.  Actually before midnight tonight. And all is well.

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9

J&A's 6 Week Patriotic Puppy Photos

THE PATRIOTIC LITTER

Sire: J&A's Keeper of the Stars of Acton SH - "TRUE"

Dam: J&A's Birch Spring Breaking New Ground JH, NA 107 Prize 1 - "TOPH"

Just a quick update!  Maryann and Alana were here to help take the all important puppy photos. Alana kept track of each puppy who had already had their photo taken and ran them back and forth to their puppy pen.  Maryann took oodles of photos for me to review later on. As anyone knows stacking (posing) very young pups is not always easy and you don't always get the desired result but we sure tried to do our best and overall, I think they look very, very nice.  Not that I am biased or anything.  We also took 8 week photos of the puppies of Bullet & Holly Beth which I'll upload in a separate post.  It's taking me so much longer with the new laptop to manage photos and videos. I always relied on the super simple free photo app called "Picasa" but unfortunately it's no longer available. Not to mention that I haven't had the time to do much of anything else but love and care for puppies.  Tough job but someone has to do it❤😉.  The pups below have all been visited by the prospective families. At the end of their respective visits they selected their top 3 favorite pups by putting on a colored (temporary) collar. In turn, I have an index card of each families choices written down next to the color of the color they chose.  Puppy Aptitude Tests will be next Tuesday with our friend Paige as evaluator. As before, based on the results of the tests, the preferences of our puppy people, and the lifestyle etc. of each potential home John and I will assure each pup and family are a perfect fit!  Speaking of which, Holly Beth and Bullet puppies started to leave this weekend and I'll share more about that soon.

Hamilton - 6 Weeks 

Banner - 6 weeks

Patriot - 6 weeks

Betsy - 6 weeks

Rocket - 6 weeks

Hope - 6 weeks

Revere - 6 weeks

Spangle - 6 weeks

Sam - 6 weeks

Franklin - 6 weeks