Lucky us!  One more week-end with the pups before they are off to new homes.  I was busy a good portion of the time helping the 4H kids at the Fair.  Skip got to puppy sit!  As you can tell...he really enjoyed being chief puppy sitter.

Exploration Adventure

For safety reasons, the pups usually hang out in the temporary play yard made up of 3 exercise pens, some netting, and sheets for shade.  They have great fun in the tunnel and hitting the ball around.  It is amazing to see such little dogs bat around such a big ball.  There are lots of exciting toys in the grass to discover.  Our fenced area is too big to allow exploration when it is just me and the pups.  The skies need to be monitored for hawks and eagles as well as the possibility of loosing track of a pup in the large yard.

This morning Skip and I were both out in the yard.  So Bonny, Zinger and the four pups got to explore.   What a wonderful adventure it was.  The pups played with the adults (well...Zinger is 9 months now), checked out the chickens, climbed the pile of bark in the yard, ran and played!

Temporary "play yard" with netting & shade covers.

Shoelaces, leather sandal straps and toes!  Yum.

June is pretty ferocious with that shade sheet!

Bonny teaches "show the teeth" border terrier play!

Always time for kisses!

So...those are what?  Don't act like border terriers.

"Come on. You can do it!"

Dodge is "King of the Mountain"!

Zinger gives "tug" lessons.

Probably the last week-end visit for the Birthday Bunch!

The puppies are 8 weeks old!  Going on 9!  My how time flies. It has been a great experience for Skip and I.  As our adopted girls will be bred again, it is a good thing.  We will be doing this again.

My observation: Puppies are made to be "oh so cute" so that the pups will all be wanted and adopted by good caring humans.  Puppies are made so that living with a litter becomes challenging at the end.  "Mama dog" looses interest in the care part of the puppies.  After all, those puppy teeth hurt!  From then on, the humans end up spending a good deal of time keeping them watered, fed, exercised appropriately and CLEAN!  The first portion is no big deal and really fun. Keeping them clean is a full time job.  I guess that is why there is no such thing as a "poop-free" puppy!  It makes puppy raisers happy to find good homes for these little darlings you can't help but to love after raising them from birth.  I always did wonder how Charlotte could raise such smart, adorable puppies and then let them go.

Here are some close-ups of the Birthday Bunch.  Notice some name changes - as per their new adoptive parents.

Cake or Cupcake

June Bug:  "Hi Zinger"

Char-latte renamed Genie

June Bug

Fos - Renamed Dodge

 Though Bonny is aware of what they are up to and where they are, she is only interested in playing with them now. She and Zinger both enjoy the play!

24 Hour BUSY Visit!

Charlotte was off to Canada this last week-end.  As Skip had a wisdom tooth removed on Friday AND we moved out of the house so the floors could be refinished as well - living in the cabin for a week - we only had the pups for 24 hours!  They got to "go camping" so to speak.  However, their social calendar was so busy, we really didn't get to stop and just enjoy them.  It was great however to see how much they grew in a week and to see how much stronger and busy they are! 


Kathleen, Charlotte's daughter, met me at the training center and we transferred puppies and Mama Bonny.  There is a workshop going on and Zinger and I were scheduled to participate for an hour.  This was late in the day, but we did have the evening to become re-acquainted. 


The next morning the pups had a date to visit the waitresses in a b'fast place we go to regularly.  Following that, they were scheduled to go and meet 16 students in the workshop at Legacy.  Lucky pups.  Loving and more loving. 

Active little "show-offs" - won everyone's hearts.

Meeting a new adult dog that doesn't look like a Border Terrier!

Play session terminated with LOTS of love.

Fos demonstrated a new behavior: running around with a ball in his mouth.  I had not seen any of the pups do that yet. Bonny's Dad - Juan - was a real ball crazy guy! In the genes? Hmmmm.

Following this experience, the pups came back to the cabin.  We were home a short time before some perspective, people parents came by to visit.  Those little guys still had energy to charm more humans.   What a terrific pups - this Birthday Bunch!!

The Birthday Bunch are Back for a Visit!

Charlotte had to go out of town this week-end.  Too bad for her!  Lucky us!  We get to puppy-sit and have Bonny back home again.  Makes us all happy. 

We cannot believe what a difference one week makes.  They are bigger and stonger and their personalities are blossoming. They definitely need play space, so Charlotte's is the best home for them now.  However, they have a pretty good playspace set up here.  And we take them out for "grass" play visits, so we are good for a short term "puppy summer camp"!



The Indoor puppy play-yard.

Outside on the grass, it took a little while for Bonny to allow the "kids" to wander and play.  Zinger was definitely ready for some romping.  After Bonny relaxed, Zinger got to get acquainted.

Puppies getting to know Zinger - definitely not equipped like Mom! That didn't keep the pups from trying.

Fos getting to know Zinger



Hey Kids..You can do it - follow me!

"OK Mom, we CAN do this!"



June exploring...



Fos exploring...



They have mastered this indoor tunnel.



Indoor play - King of the Mountain!

Hungry pups eat one way - or another!

Time for some shut eye!!!

Growing Up

The Birthday Bunch is outgrowing their "crate".  As an alternative, this playground was created with a couple of exercise pens. Play is how they learn (just like children) and they needed more room and things to explore.  This week-end, Bonny and the pups will go to Charlotte's to enlarge their world even more.  As a dog breeder, her home has many excellent spaces for puppies (and dogs) - all with exploration in mind.  We are sad to see them go but... the good news...they will be back for week-end visits when Charlotte is out of town. 



Zinger gets to know Char-latte!



20 minutes of nonstop exploration follwed by a group nap!



Sometimes...the play spaces are also great nap spots!

Puppy play....

This great, crinkly, cat tunnel has been a part of the puppies "play time" for a few days. It's a perfect size for them right now. This morning, June (the explorer) ventured forth and was the first to go in one end and out the other!  Smart little girl acted as if she has done this her entire life.  (She'll be four weeks old in 3 days.) Wasn't long and the entire "Birthday Bunch" was enjoying the tunnel. They will make outstanding agility dogs, don't you think?  Check it out...

Zinger came home after a week-end away with Charlotte winning points at a show.  The puppies are much more active now and Zinger is ready to play.  They are interested in Zinger as well.

Cute and cuter ....

Char-latte with June in background.



Playful combat - with growling even!





Cake - I think.  If not, it is Foster.



Where oh where????!!!

A "lost" little wanderer...manages to find her litter mates.

Puppies on the go!

During the week the "Birthday Bunch" have found out that they do have legs and can stand up on them!  Not only that - there is a world to explore.  It is also fun to see them begin to behave with some of the grown up dog Border Terrier mannerisms. 

So...this is grass!

A perfect day for the 4th of July!  Skip and I rounded up the Birthday Bunch and took them out for some play in the grass.  Mama Bonny came along to be certain all puppies were safe.  Zinger had a little crate time as we are not quite ready to add her to the mix. Today is the first day the pups are up on all four feet walking - not just crawling.  Amazing!

This fringe stuff is interesting!

Yup!  All here.

 

Under Mama's watchful eye...

Look at Char-latte stepping out!

Come on, you guys.  Grass is really sort of neat.

June is the explorer!



Good things happen in the grass!