Another flight booked

Well it looks as though the green light is ahead for another visitor to Oregon. Unfortunately it STILL isn't me, but I am planning on driving out to Black Sheep Gathering in June to see the west coast sheep breeder friends, and maybe even pry a few of my Cardigan friends from their homes to come visit me as well!! But I digress.....

Ell will be making a trip to Oregon to meet her suitor. I decided very last minute to go ahead and breed her this cycle as she has only had three heat cycles and they haven't been very regular. I am home during the winter months, and can devote entire weeks to the whelping and rearing and socializing of puppies, much more than I can in the hot, sticky, extremely busy summer months. So instead of waiting for her to cycle again in the summer months I am going to try for a litter now. Ell has all health tests accounted for, and prelim hips/elbows were good/normal so I feel confident in this decision. I had originally wanted to do her official 2 year old hip xrays when she was supposed to come in, back the first part of October but I grew weary of waiting for to cycle. And I obviously couldn't do her hips for the next few months now that she is in season and then more waiting. So its decided :)

For more information on the litter and suitor you'll have to go to my website though......

www.ebonwald.com

Go to the 'upcoming litters' page to find out who the lucky boy is!

Weekly Cute Photos

OK I"M SLACKING!!

Mitcham below says MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE! SEE YOU IN SAINT PAUL!

Crockett protecting his litter sister Ava.

My most adorable nephew ever...Chase...playing with Alamo! He's the future ringer so watch out!

Zoe cleaning one of her girls...she's such a good momma!

OH...maybe I spoke too soon...Zoe and Janey having a moment.....

All is well....babes and Momma relaxing and enjoying the quiet :)

Babies 2nd meal (ground turkey and cottage cheese)

Play fighting begins! Boys vs. Girls

Hmm the boys must be like me, more lovers than fighters :)

Face Photos for Sarah (and a daily cute too!)

I admit. I've been having WAY TOO MUCH FUN watching and playing with and holding the puppies. Tonight was the first night of them playing with each other. I did a tiny video but I'm sure it will take 100 hours like Sarah said to upload, and its not in the best of lighting :) SO, for today, here are the photos......

Below are Janey and Alamo cuddling. Alamo I captured yawning :)

Crockett

Ava

Alamo

Janey

I think this is one of my favorite photos so far. The joys of puppies! Alamo looks so happy :)


And this is the puppies biggest fan! ELL has taken to these puppies like a duck to water. She is so inquisitive, and when I allow her to, she jumps into the box with them, sniffs them all and tries to get them to play. She is such a love and is SO good with the puppies. Zoe just can't be in the room as she is VERY protective yet of the puppise from everyone...except Sadie....who she allows in the xpen and doesn't growl at her....must be because Sadie is Alpha....

Family Photo 19 days old

I can't imagine SEVEN huge puppies nursing on her. Collectively they appear to be as big as her now. Poor Zoe :) She doesn't seem to mind in the least! All eyes have been open for a few days now, and they are standing and crawling around the box. I moved them to the living room today so they can start getting used to more noises and such. Crockett is quickly stealing my heart when I got to hold the pups every morning and night.....I don't want to keep a boy :D

I don't know where they get it.........

These puppies are always laying on their backs....

Sometimes under the hog rail.....
next to mom or on the heating pad......
morning or night....
For the life of me I can't understand why they do that....




I mean its not like my other dogs do it.....




Gosh I wonder where they get it from?? When I figure it out, I'll let you know!

Photos of pups at 2 weeks - edited!

tedFresh Bedding makes for better photos :) Zoe hasn't been pictured much because usually when I take pictures there is a lot of discharge or stains in the photos. I don't think they make for appetizing photos. Then again most people are demanding (and threatening) new puppy photos.....so assumed Zoe didn't need the limelight :)

Here is Zo-Momma enjoying some supper. The babies are really crawling all over the box now. Its hard to keep them still!
Here is Calamity Jane the half mask girl. She is still the biggest pup by 6 ounces!
Two photos of the blue faced girl. I'm still thinking of a puppy name....and it may end up being her call name...so I want it to be an "A" name. I'm thinking Ava, although Gypsy came to mind today and its NOT an A name obviously! I also like the name Zola or Zoila or Zora (as in Mask of Zora due to her black spot over one eye...butI think that that is too close to Zoe and her registered name wouldn't be a thankful/blessed name if I used mask of Zora or whatever). Again not an A.

The boys, Crockett and "Alamo" (thanks for the name Penni :) ). Crockett looks much bigger in the photo, but i think he has just more substance, they weigh almost the same.
More photos coming after chores....so check back :)

Over the shoulder supervisor

I had the hair on my neck stand up as I felt someone breathing on my neck. I kind of s.l.o.w.l.y. turned to see what/who it was and here was what I found:




Yup. Its Sadie. The smart one. Directly behind my desk is now the grooming table (to be close to the PC when new email comes in and I'm grooming. Hey don't laugh...you are addicted too). The table it butted up against one of the couches. I typically have the dogs laying around my feet to be by me, but apparently Sadie wanted to know what was going on.......

She was just sitting there all happy as can be, and honestly doing the 'elevator' look up and down the desk to see if there was something in/on there for her to get at (she loves fly swatters and Swiffer Duster handles for example).

She apparently jumped UP on to the couch and then UP on to the back of the couch, which is nearly the same height as the grooming table. Since this happened, Oliver has also learned this new trick and they both sit on the table behind me...watching me type and surf the web. Kind of scary....almost feels like I'm being watched...or judged....

Or they want to see the CWCCA website too! :D

Sleigh Ride

I was over at "Grandma's" house today with some of the 'babies' and my nephew Chase was there too! My mom aka Grandma to Chase and my fur kids has a small wooden sleigh in her living room. Chase thought it was a new toy for him and repeatedly got in and out of the sleigh. Mom thought it would be a cute photo for Sadie to join him. While it wasn't really big enough to fit a LONG dog in it, I thought it was cute nonetheless :)

Still getting cuter...

I just couldn't resist these photos this morning....



And I found the blue faced girl under a blankie..so I moved her in to the photo :)
the half masked girl is either Big Bertha or Calamity Jane....because she IS always so dramatic and causing a stir. These are of course just puppy names. I want to think of better call names depending on who i keep. Registered names are still being thought up.

I wanted to go with a "thankful" theme as it was over the Thanksgiving weekend AND I am very thankful for the four puppies I have and thankful that Zoe is being such a wonderful mom.

I have a couple of ideas but can't find my list, so if you think of any, do let me know.

Some that came to mind were Ebonwalds Smthng 2 B thnkfl 4, Ebonwalds Blessed Be, Ebonwalds Count your Blessings (or count your lucky stars). etc etc.

MItcham !

Yes the big hairy beast is still here!!

I've been a little gun shy about showing photos....I've been lacking in the grooming department. Between a broken foot, work 'til I drop, and puppies its been a little...well....ok no excuses.

This past week I've spent about 3 hours (a nice long 2hr movie and a full 1 hr CD listening) each day with Mitcham and we are in the home stretch now! He may just be ready for St Paul! :)

Isn't he just turning out to be GORGEOUS! I love my big goofy boy!

Don't say I never gave you anything (cute photos!)

Daily cutes...Just from today! I should sit and watch my puppies ALL the time :D

Below...Crockett getting nose pigment.......
Mr. Mismark tucked himself in cute here. I refuse to name him Tub...sorry! I have a Toller in my agility class (well ok SADIE'S agility class) named Tub or Tubbers and he kind of wrecked the name for me :)
Blue faced girl sleeping (perhaps doing the Macarena here?)

I can't believe the pups are already a week old! The sassy alpha pup (half mask blue girl) is the hog at the milk bar, and has grown the most. she has gained 13 ounces, doubling her size in a week! OINK! The other three are growing between 1-2 ounces a day, so most have gained 10 ounces, giver or take. Is there any correlation between fastest growning puppy and being the first to mature or largest dog at maturing? Since this is the first litter I've whelped (contrary to some people's accusations) I have not had any data to follow through with from any litter previous. Call me a man of numbers and data but things like birth weight, average daily gain, weaning weight etc are all very telling traits in my sheep and cattle. I would find it interesting to see if dogs have any correlation between those things in the future, i.e. if they also pass these fast growing/gaining, or birth weight sizes to their pups, and if its as genetic with them, as with livestock.

ok ok more photos....

This one is family photo at day 8
A very cute photo of Zoe-Momma and the blue faced girl.

Too cute - Crockett

Hal Poe, who owns Justice's mom Molly, made a comment about the black/white boy's blaze marking in that it looked like a coon skin hat like Davey Crockett would wear. The name totally stuck and here is Crockett perfecting the on the back sleeping position. One of the blue girls was TOTALLY too cute this morning with the same pose and her paws up against her body. I so wish I had the camera for that. I guess I need to just keep it next to the whelping box :)

Day 2 - Individual shots

Here is the first girl, Pup #2. Half mask. Left side first, then right side.

Below is the mismark male. Cute little black spots on the base of each ear ;)
Next two photos are of the black and white male, Pup #1.

Below is the blue girl, pup #5 (numbered in order of whelp). She is a very light/clear blue with a black patch over her left cheek.


All pups have gained about an ounce per day, are Zo-Momma is being a stellar mom. Aside from the squeeling in the middle of the night when Zoe moves, or they are nursing, they are not doing much....except breaking up my sleep....and of course I have to go and check when I hear one make a peep. I should know better, but its so hard :D