Overall, a VERY good weekend, and I'm absolutely thrilled with the temperaments and quality of this litter as a whole. More information tonight or tomorrow...but look how happy they were.
I have a very busy day at work and getting everyone settled from the weekend, but here are some candids from this weekend. Overall, a VERY good weekend, and I'm absolutely thrilled with the temperaments and quality of this litter as a whole. More information tonight or tomorrow...but look how happy they were.
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I was able to get some video of them going nuts for their ice cubes... and of Red girl making her happy noises with the ice (Green girl does the same thing). Enjoy! By the way, no 7-week pictures on their litter page, as the evaluation is this weekend, so I will post evaluation pictures on Monday. Hold tight. I personally don't mind having puppies in the winter months, but one drawback (other than the mess) is they don't get much time outside due to the weather. We have been fortunate enough this week for it to be warm enough (in the 50s) and not raining (although the ground is quite wet still), so we have had some outside adventures. I'll add more pictures tomorrow, as I hope to get some more of the puppies' pictures outside again today before I lose the light. Too bad this pesky thing called "work" gets in my way.
I've been separating them from the rest of the littermates now and then... to either walk around outside or walk around downstairs with River. It's good for them to explore on their own for confidence, and I really enjoy the one-on-one time. River still LOVES her puppies and would nurse them if I would let her, but one-on-one with them, she is really teaching them about boundaries, impulse control, and general manners. It's fascinating to observe. She is very gentle with them and enjoys playing with them, but she really won't hesitate to softly correct them with a nudge to back away or to roll them over. I couldn't ask for anything else in a wonderful mom! I really think I could quit my full time job (while I have puppies at least) and run a subscription webcam and a betting ring about these puppies. I'm only kidding, of course, but wow... they are entertaining and surprising. I promised one of my mentors that I would NOT write a blog about poop, so I won't even mention the mess having a litter of nine puppies in my living room creates - with only the occasional visit outside on a pretty day in the winter. Use your imagination. I have a special place in my heart for those that are very consistent on using the correct area.
Remember the blog post about trying to explain their personalities and their activity levels? Well... you can pretty much ignore all of that now. They aren't ALL completely different, but they have certainly changed. Don't say I didn't warn you that it could happen. I'm going to share some entertaining (for you at least) stories from the last week or so, so you can get an idea of why I used the title of "Puppies Gone Wild." 1. On an average night, I go to bed around 11-11:30 when I have puppies. It's mostly because I don't want to get out of the pen to go to bed... they are so much fun to cuddle and playing with them is my version of heaven. Right before bed, I clean the pen if anyone has conveniently forgotten the plan. I get up anywhere from 5:30-6:30 in the morning to let River and Easter out and to feed everyone breakfast. Understandably, the puppy pen is somewhat different from when I left it the previous night. The bedrooms in my house are on the second floor, and I can look down into the living room where the puppy pen is set up. I usually look down and tell them good morning, and they start their whining for food time. Well, the other morning (fortunately a weekend, so I wasn't late for work), I came out of my bedroom at 6:00 to start the morning routine. I looked down at the pen, and every single blanket was rearranged and disgusting, every toy was in the potty area (that was the one area without any poop), and all the puppies were sitting and looking at me with absolute innocence - which is the only reason I didn't vow to never have puppies again. They were adorable, but it took me almost an hour to clean the pen and all AROUND the pen, as I think they had poop flinging contests overnight. (Sorry... I promise it won't all be about poop). It took another 30-45 minutes to give everyone a quick sponge bath. Thankfully, those days are few and far between! 2. River is a very easy dog to live with - she's not demanding, and other than her need to bark at everyone when they first come in the door (including me - Tangent: I swear, I think she is trying to tell me about her day - "I slept on the couch in the morning, and then I moved to your chair, and then I drank some water, and then I teased Easter over the gate, and then I barked at the mailman when I heard him pull up, oh... and the lawn crew used the leaf blower today, and I barked for them not to forget the porch...."), she is pretty much my perfect dog. If you haven't spent much time around her, you wouldn't know that she's incredibly clever. She's learned to open the sliding glass door, she will occasionally break Easter out of her "kitchen jail," and she can find (and eat- even the peel or wrappers) a banana or a baked good ANYWHERE... and there is no evidence of her crime - she's very careful. BUT, I think she wants me to know that I didn't just think I had two bananas left because she will burp in or near my face - making sure I know she got them. Note: that's why I leave fruit and bread in my microwave Her latest plan completely backfired, and it was incredible! I really wish I had decided to grab the phone to video instead of just laughing hysterically, so I will try to explain what I saw. I had just fed the puppies their lunch, and River and Easter get a handful of food at lunch as well. While the puppies were eating, I ran upstairs to start another load of laundry. (More on laundry another time!). I got distracted and did a few more things before going back downstairs. I had heard some clanging, but I figured it was the food pans against the metal pen or River/Easter trying to get the stray kibble the puppies missed - they are amazing to watch... no thumbs, but they can somehow get it through the pen! When I looked over the banister, River was standing on the couch, and 7 of the 9 puppies were out of their pen - trying to get to River with their little paws on the edge of the couch. The other two puppies were following Easter in circles around the pen... much to Easter's enjoyment. River looked like she was trying to stay away from hot lava (or needle teeth, which is true), and she had this panicked look on her face - desperate for my help. I imagine in her desperation to clean up the food pans and get those stray morsels, she thought it would be much easier to open the latches (two of them) to get the pen gate open. What she didn't plan for was letting the puppies loose - and unleashing the addiction to the milk bar they had been missing. I'm pleased to report she has not let them out of the pen since then! 3. Shortly after the puppies have arrived in their new homes, I usually receive some inquiries from the owners that go something like this: "What's with the ice?" I'll warn you now... my dogs are obsessed with ice - known as "water biscuits" in our house. When they are around 5 weeks old, I start giving them a couple cubes of ice - it's great for sensation (cold and wet), they like to play with it/push it around, it's not as messy as water, and it melts slowly as they suck/chew on it. And, they are Mountain Dogs... they should experience ice, right? My older dogs will come running at the sound of the ice dispenser on my freezer. For people visiting, they are usually a little bit taken aback when two sets of eyes are staring them down when they just wanted some ice to cool their beverages. Ice and bananas are like dog crack in my house, and ice is always available and cheaper, so they get a handful of ice cubes a couple times of day... bonus - no calories if you need to watch their diet in the future. These puppies are already completely conditioned to the sound of the ice dispenser. They will be playing or fast asleep, and BAM! Ice!!!! They love it. A couple of them even make these little happy sounds - I will try to video it for you. Green girl especially - she almost coos when she has her ice cube in her paws. Flipping adorable. Lots of firsts this week (which is where the betting part comes in) - - First to rip up grass on a trip outside - Red girl - First to potty outside - Naked girl - First to run into the potty area on command - Teal girl - First to roll a ball intentionally - Blue boy - First to look up and watch a plane - Hunter boy (I would have taken that bet any day!) - First somewhat of a "Baroo" - Pink girl We had our first warm, dry day since they have been old enough to go outside, and I'll post some pictures later. They all loved the sunshine, and while not all of them immediately liked the wet grass on their feet, everyone was trotting around within 15-30 seconds. I couldn't have planned it any better... a plan flew overhead, several cars drove by, and there was an ambulance siren in the distance. I'm hoping for more opportunities to have them outside over the next 10 days before they start heading for their homes. For those of you who haven't been through the process of getting a puppy from me or someone similar, I thought it might be nice to explain what will happen next weekend. A week from yesterday, I will be heading to SC with the nine bundles of cuteness. The goal is to determine which puppy is best suited for each home through both a temperament test and a conformation evaluation. They are explained further below: Temperament TestingWhile there are many different methods for evaluating temperament in puppies, I use the Volhard Puppy Aptitude Test. Click the name to read all about it. These are the testing steps, and it's important to note that the evaluator is someone who has never met the puppies and it is a new environment to the puppies: The tests are as follows: 1. Social Attraction - degree of social attraction to people, confidence or dependence. 2. Following - willingness to follow a person. 3. Restraint - degree of dominant or submissive tendency, and ease of handling in difficult situations. 4. Social Dominance - degree of acceptance of social dominance by a person. 5. Elevation - degree of accepting dominance while in a position of no control, such as at the veterinarian or groomer. 6. Retrieving - degree of willingness to do something for you. Together with Social Attraction and Following a key indicator for ease or difficulty in training. 7. Touch Sensitivity - degree of sensitivity to touch and a key indicator to the type of training equipment required. 8. Sound Sensitivity - degree of sensitivity to sound, such as loud noises or thunderstorms. 9. Sight Sensitivity - degree of response to a moving object, such as chasing bicycles, children or squirrels. 10. Stability - degree of startle response to a strange object. Each puppy will be evaluated individually, and I'll discuss the results with the evaluators. I know these puppies better than anyone, but it's always a good idea to have an independent person assess their natural reactions to situations in a new environment. The results are very helpful for me to have another piece of information to help assess which puppy would do best in which home, and the results help the new owners know what to expect with training. Conformation EvaluationThe evaluation is focused on structure and movement - identifying the strengths and weaknesses of each puppy. Several of us examine each puppy and discuss what we see and feel - scoring each part of the puppy from its head to its tail and everywhere in between. Why do we do this? A few different reasons:
- As a breeder, I want to know what traits are coming through from the parents, so I can make informed decisions on future breedings. - I always learn something from puppy evaluations - and it's fantastic to discuss puppies with other people with experience and a love for the breed. - I also identify my show prospects - only placing the best puppies in homes that want to show the puppy. Often, I will have more show quality puppies than show homes, and I have no problems placing puppies in pet homes - either to let me show the puppy or if the owners don't have any interest in being involved with showing, the puppy will be a great pet. Admittedly, we have a lot of fun getting together - we're all good friends, and we get to play with adorable puppies all weekend! Between next weekend and the weekend of January 31st, I will be doing my best with matching the results of the temperament test and the conformation evaluation to the information I know about the future owners - based on their applications and our conversations over the last several months (or more). I want every puppy to be in the best home for them, and for every family to be insanely happy with their special puppy. I get a lot of questions about personalities, activity levels, etc. from future owners. I was the same way when I was waiting for my two Swissys from my breeder, Judy Fletcher, who is the co-breeder of this litter with me. These are my observations, and I just posted the 5-week-old pictures on their litter page for those of you refreshing the page every hour (I know who you are... hahaha). I hope to have a bunch of new pictures and maybe even some video after this weekend, as we're having a very special visitor flying in to spend the weekend with us - well... them. I'm just there because it's my house. Back to my observations (in order of collar color - not personal favorites): Black Girl - When the puppies are wrestling and playing rough, she's usually the antagonist. She's in the middle of every tussle, but she spends as much time on her back getting the body slam as she hands them out. Her best playmates are Teal and Pink. When I hold her, she is sweet and lets me hold her on her back without any fuss. If there's a leader of the bunch, she's probably it, but there isn't a clear leader. She's somewhat vocal - reminds me of her mother this way. She's about 50/50 on using the shavings for the potty area, and she's the most likely to take a toy into the shavings area. Ugh. Blue Boy - He's very sweet and cuddly, but he's not as outgoing as some of the others, especially his only brother. He is patient and waits his turn, and usually avoids all of the rougher play. He's quiet/non-vocal and probably the most laid back of the litter - until it's food time. Then, get out of his way! He's pretty clever when it comes to finding the best way to get the most food, but he's not very motivated by toys or play time. He's not shy at all - he just isn't pushy. He's happy sleeping next to me, being in my lap, or being held. He's not loving the new "use the shavings for the potty area" policy I have introduced. Bright Green Girl - I must admit, she often gets overlooked, as she's very much a "middle of the road puppy" when it comes to interactions because she doesn't have a WIDE OPEN personality like some of the other girls. Last night while most of them were sleeping, we spent some good time together. She fell asleep on her back in my arm. She's very sweet when I'm available (i.e. not getting swarmed by the others), but she's also comfortable being on her own. She doesn't play with toys on her own, but she will play with me and chase the toys. She's not a demanding puppy, and she's the best of the girls about using the shavings area, which I fully appreciate! Hunter Boy - "Oh, Hunter!" is probably what he hears most from me. He's my little buddy of the bunch - always up for anything. He's the one who pops up when I walk by - while everyone else is sleeping. I will often let him out of the pen and have him follow me around while the rest are sleeping. He's EXTREMELY observant and really looks people in the eye. When the TV is on, he will sometimes sit and watch if he's not in my lap or playing with one of the toys. Nothing bothers Hunter. He's brave and stoic, and seems to be highly engaged and intelligent. He almost always uses the shavings area. He really reminds me of Jake from my first litter. Jake was also Hunter Green boy... hmmm. Naked/No Collar Girl - She totally pulls off not having a collar color. She is something special. Naked girl is very sweet and wants to be with me the whole time I'm in the pen - sometimes whining or taking a flying leap to get in my lap if the others have already laid claims. She enjoys the more gentle play with some of the others, and she tends to stay near Blue Boy and Red Girl. She has the sweetest expression, and she was the first puppy to sit and trot in the whelping box. She likes to use the softer toys as pillows or to cuddle. She's not loving the new shavings policy, either, but it's getting better. Pink Girl - I consider Pink girl to be somewhere in between Hunter Boy and Black Girl. She's very outgoing, and she's excited about attention and enjoys rough-housing with both me and the other puppies. She reacts to squeaky toys and comes running. She enjoys interacting with River the most right now - often playing a game of chewy face or "bat mom on the face and see what she does." She's a fun puppy who is up for anything, but she usually calms easily when picked up. She's a forgiving puppy - I accidently stepped on her tail, and as soon as I picked her up, she kissed my nose, and didn't pout once I put her down. She's about 50/50 on using the shavings area. Purple Girl - Two words: Teddy Bear. She's always waiting for her turn and so extremely happy when she's held and cuddled. She usually rolls over on her back for a belly rub, and she wants to curl up by my neck when I hold her. She's also the fuzziest of the puppies, so it helps her "teddy bear" qualities. She's not interested in toys until they can be chased - then she's pretty happy to trot after a tug toy. Purple girl gets her feelings hurt pretty easily, and she will stay off to the side and pout for a while before joining in again. She's more of a sensitive puppy than the others at this point. She's very good about using the shavings most of the time and prefers to leave by going over the side rather than out the entrance. Red Girl - Although I try not to have favorites, she is definitely one of the puppies I am always drawn to. For some reason, she doesn't usually photograph very well - I think she's trying to keep her awesomeness on the down-low - but in person, she's adorable. She's a little more demanding than some of the others, but she's not a handful like Pink and Hunter can be. She interacts a lot with the toys.. especially toys that make noises like the soda bottle with pennies in it, the crinkle toy, and she will come running for a squeaky toy as well... although she hasn't figured out how to make it squeak herself. She's not thrilled about being on her back, but she will settle after 15-20 seconds. She prefers to use the shavings that have come out of the shavings area, so can I hold that against her? Teal Girl - She can usually be found rough housing with Black or Pink. She's a lovely puppy and pretty outgoing, but I have noticed she is more sound sensitive than the others - although she recovers quickly. For example, she doesn't like it when I bang into the pen and make a noise, but if I call her over, she'll come pretty quickly. She reacted in a similar way to the vacuum cleaner - initially worried, but recovered and came over after only a few seconds. After several shakes of the soda bottle with pennies in it, she now looks at me as if to say "so what?!" She's a good balance of interested and wanting to be with people and being comfortable on her own. She was the first puppy to use the shavings without being picked up and placed there, but she's about 50/50 on using the area now. Temperament testing will be completed on Friday, January 23rd - a couple days after they turn 7 weeks old, but it should be close enough. I'm very curious how much they change between now and then... and if they will be the same in an environment where they have never been with people they have never met (although one of the two evaluators met them at 3 days old, but it shouldn't have any impact). I try not to compare puppies to dogs I have had in the past, but I was asked to share who reminded me the most of my other dogs. Since it's too soon to say much about their structure, I'll just talk about personalities so far: At this point, Pink girl is probably the closest in personality to my Grainger boy, who recently passed away. He was "bomb-proof" and loved everyone and was always ready to work, but he was quiet in the house. He was a higher energy puppy until about age 3, and he was the PERFECT dog by age 4. I don't think any of them remind me closely of River, but some of them definitely have many of her traits - River was the leader of her litter, and she was (and still is) a sassy girl, but she's very submissive to me, gets along with all other dogs, and is very affectionate with people she knows. So, I'd say Black and Teal are probably the most like River right now. If you've met River, she's very vocal, so I see some of that in some of the puppies. Blue Boy reminds me the most of Jasper - he's the more laid back puppy like Jasper was and still is. Jasper is also pretty sensitive and can get his feelings hurt easily, so I see that in Purple girl. Barrett, the father of this litter, is very much the same way. Very laid back, but can get his feelings hurt easily. Hunter reminds me of Jake, as I said earlier. I think he'll make an awesome working dog - as he's up for anything and he's a thinker/very observant. I do expect him to be a little bit higher energy than some of the others. He won't be a couch potato if this trend continues. Naked girl reminds me of her cousin Easter... VERY MUCH in overall looks and sweetness and naturally a bit of a show off, but Easter is a little bit more sassy like Bright Green and Red girls. Purple girl's personality reminds me the most of Barrett, her father. She's a softer puppy, but she's confident and not easily scared, but she's more submissive to other dogs and people. I hope this helps and please keep in mind, the ideal time to assess a puppy's temperament is around 7 weeks old, so there could definitely be some changes over the next two weeks. Here'a s picture taken of most of the gang on Wednesday night for their weekly pictures. Can you name each puppy in the picture? And more pictures from the wonderful visitors last week and some pictures of the puppies in their new pen - they were upgraded over the weekend and have taken to it like champs!
I first posted this in my blog for soon to be owners of Oakley's second litter - from an owner of one of her puppies from the first litter. I just love it, so I am copying it here, too. I've only changed the names, as they apply just the same to this litter:
This is from Jasper's (Oakley x Keygan) owner. He put together a Top 10 Tips list for those of you getting puppies from me. From L. Koontz: I don't know if they'll be useful to anyone else, but it was nice reflecting after my first year with Jazz. 10. They'll change your perception on size. - Other dogs won't seem as big as they used to, and a Swissy won't seem large after a while. Also, don't ever let their size interfere with your willingness to take them places. People may look at you crazy when you're hauling a Swissy through a bank drive thru but don't worry. They're just jealous. 9. Temperament matters more than you know. - Everyone talks about how sweet Laura's dogs are, and if anything they're underestimating it. My Swissy rarely barks, has never growled, doesn't destroy things and loves every dog he meets. 8. Housebreaking is probably worse than you've read. Prepare to ruin some carpet and invest heavily in Nature's Miracle. 7. Get ready for everyone to stop you and ask what kind of dog that is, make some comment about how big they are/how much they eat, and how pretty your dog is. This part never gets old. 6. Dog shows can be fun. - If you have the chance to get your dog involved with showing, it's recommended. They'll love it and ribbons look good on anyone's wall. It's an added plus when Laura shows your dog, and all you have to do is root for your dog ringside. But, she will fuss at you if you don't keep their nails short, so keep their nails short - especially if you're going to show. 5. These dogs are funny. - Every day they will do something that will crack you up. 4. Don't yell at them. - I've never seen another breed that takes things as personal as a Swissy when you get frustrated at them. Just take a deep breath and focus on positive re-enforcement. Screaming at them for peeing on the rug won't help. Giving them hot dogs when they pee outside will help. 3. Get pet insurance. - It's pricey, but in only a year it's paid for itself. Unless your dog has broken something or is bleeding, call Laura first. She knows a hell of a lot, and will give you great advice before you freak out and rush to the emergency vet. 2. They're big but not invincible. - Become well versed in skin problems, bloat symptoms, and vaccines. A good vet will help with these, but again, call Laura. She's a big help and a great resource. 1. You've already made the right decision. - I wanted a Swissy, did my homework, met another breeder, got scared, and almost backed out. Then I met Laura's Swissys and realized that it all comes down to breeding philosophies and specific breedings. Her girls make good puppies. Don't change your mind. I'm glad I didn't. Puppy Videos - warning: contains excessive cuteness. Watch at your own risk.River's an amazingly patient mom...At midnight on New Years Eve, I was exactly where I wanted to be... sitting in the whelping box covered in nine beautiful Swissy puppies. Each one of these puppies is incredibly special to me. 2014 was a very, very tough year for me, but it ended very well with the birth of this litter!
I have thought a LOT about the right theme for this litter's registered names. My other two litters have been based on my favorite things - my favorite actor (the Robert Redford litter) and my favorite TV show (Seinfeld One-Liners). Keeping with that overall idea, the theme of this litter is my favorite song - Van Morrison's "Into the Mystic" - it is very personal for me. Since this litter is co-bred with my dear friend Judy Fletcher from Sawmill GSMDs (Judy bred River's mother, Oakley), every puppy will also have Sawmill at the end of their names. Here are the registered names - with a couple alternates in case people really don't like what I have chosen: Fireside's Born Before the Wind v Sawmill - this name is already reserved Fireside's Bonnie Boat v Sawmill Fireside's Smell The Sea v Sawmill Fireside's Feel the Sky v Sawmill Fireside's Let Your Soul and Spirit Fly v Sawmill - this name is already reserved Fireside's Sail into the Mysic v Sawmill - this name is already reserved Fireside's When That Foghorn Blows v Sawmill - this name is already reserved Fireside's Rock Your Gypsy Soul v Sawmill Fireside's Back in the Days of Old v Sawmill Alternates: Fireside's Coming Home v Sawmill Fireside's Younger than the Sun v Sawmill The puppy homes I have chosen have all been notified. Unfortunately, there are a lot of great people who won't be getting a puppy this time. I'll decide where each puppy is going after the temperament test and conformation evaluation the weekend of January 24th. Puppies will be going to their homes between January 31 and February 8. As of right now, they will be spread across the east coast, as I always prefer to have them stay nearby, selfishly. A few will be in New England near Kristin, Mark, and Sally (Barrett's owners). Here are some pictures from this week - we had some very special visitors this week, and we're going to have some more this weekend. They are all very graciously putting up with my germ-prevention protocol, so thank you! |
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