Life if full of transitions. My summer is over and today I went back to work to plan for another school year. Sunday finalized the transition from carpet to hardwood floors in the main part of the house. No more smelly puppy pee carpet!!!! But now there is the transition of dusting everything off and putting it back in place, or deciding to donate much of it to Goodwill.
We are also making a transition in Dawgpatch. On Friday Blossom's puppies will be 8 weeks old and will begin leaving to go to their new families. Maggie will leave first Friday afternoon as she goes to live with the Farley family and Lizzy, the cocker they adopted from us a couple of years ago. Then on Saturday the Walden family will come down from Virginia to pick up Ribsy so he can go live with them and his very own older sister, Lula. My beautiful little sable girl will be waiting for her new mom to get back from her vacation and she'll be going to North Carolina on the 16th. That leaves the other 3 babies who will stay here and play and be with us until the right family comes along and decides to adopt them.
In the meantime, Emma has blessed us with 6 new baby English Toys. They are so tiny and fresh and warm, and again I marvel at how quickly they are growing and changing. Emma is a wonderful mom and turns her back on me every time I open the door to change the bed. She hates the disruption of her little family for the sake of cleanliness! But she forgives easily if I rub her head for a while and tell her how proud I am of her for producing these wonderful babies. Thank you, Emma!
Monday, August 4, 2008
Monday, July 7, 2008
Puppy Therapy
I just visited the blog of one of my puppy owners. I found her on Facebook and reconnected with her and realized that she is way more than a puppy owner! She's a scientist by day and studies and practices many different forms of meditation the rest of the time. All this in addition to being a wonderful parent to her pup. I left her blog and opened mine and suddenly felt very shallow! There's a part of me who wants to be very transcendental and philosophic. T
o live in Virginia Highlands, have a long gray braid and fresh complexion and only eat organic and herbal food. But then what would I do without chocolate? My newfound friend talks a lot about living in the now, and when I went to check on the puppies I realized that they are my way of living in the now as much as I seem to be able to do that. I don't spend a lot of time meditating or studying philosophy, but I do spend a lot of time smelling puppy breath and snuggling with soft little bodies: Laughing at babies wallowing in yogurt during their first few meals and watching them wear themselves out licking each other after these meals. During these times, the house goes to pot, the dishes pile up, the laundry basket overflows and I am totally oblivious of all of this until someone rings the doorbell. So maybe I will develop my own philosophy. I know I'm not the first, only, or last to lose myself in the joy of watching animals do their thing. But I've decided I won't feel guilty any more about the amount of time I spend with my puppies. It's my form of meditation, my therapy. And it's what Ilove to do.
o live in Virginia Highlands, have a long gray braid and fresh complexion and only eat organic and herbal food. But then what would I do without chocolate? My newfound friend talks a lot about living in the now, and when I went to check on the puppies I realized that they are my way of living in the now as much as I seem to be able to do that. I don't spend a lot of time meditating or studying philosophy, but I do spend a lot of time smelling puppy breath and snuggling with soft little bodies: Laughing at babies wallowing in yogurt during their first few meals and watching them wear themselves out licking each other after these meals. During these times, the house goes to pot, the dishes pile up, the laundry basket overflows and I am totally oblivious of all of this until someone rings the doorbell. So maybe I will develop my own philosophy. I know I'm not the first, only, or last to lose myself in the joy of watching animals do their thing. But I've decided I won't feel guilty any more about the amount of time I spend with my puppies. It's my form of meditation, my therapy. And it's what Ilove to do.
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Watching puppies
It always surprises me that in the few short months between litters of puppies, I can forget how amazing they are. Blossom's babies are 2 weeks old now and I could spend hours just sitting, watching, holding, snuggling and smelling them. Watching a puppy grow is watching nature and instinctive behavior at its best! At two weeks, these little guys can find the warmest, softest and most comfy spot in the bed. They know (smell) when
mom is even in the room. She can be outside for her break (she still has to check out every smell in they yard at least twice a day) and they are perfectly content to snuggle with each ot 
Then a couple of them are just like their Mom and they get all agitated when you pick them up. They can't be still long enough to enjoy the attention they're getting. Although their eyes are barely open, they are already playing with each, trying to bite each other's mouths (they don't have any teeth yet). They inevitably fall over they they stretch themselves to attack a brother or sister, but the intent is still there. what a wonderful way to spend a Sunday afternoon!
Saturday, June 21, 2008
MORE puppies!
It seems Emma and Atticus did some serious courting while we were in Ireland. From the reports I have gotten from Sandy, our sitter, and our other friends who used our pool while we were gone, we should be having little ET puppies the middle of August. Go, Emma!!!!
Friday, June 20, 2008
Puppies!!
Blossom presented us with 6 beautiful babies last Friday the 13th. She has 3 boys and 3 girls and they are all perfect and beautiful! Well, they are as beautiful as newborn puppies can be. She did a wonderful job with the bi
rth and she's being a terrific mom. We almost have matching pairs- a black and white parti boy and girl, a black and tan boy and girl, a solid sable girl and a parti sable boy. I think they're all going to be stunning dogs! The little sable girl is already taken. She'll be going to North Carolina to be spoiled and loved and coddled. What a lucky little girl!
rth and she's being a terrific mom. We almost have matching pairs- a black and white parti boy and girl, a black and tan boy and girl, a solid sable girl and a parti sable boy. I think they're all going to be stunning dogs! The little sable girl is already taken. She'll be going to North Carolina to be spoiled and loved and coddled. What a lucky little girl!
The puppies have really helped me deal with my remorse for letting Bella and Louie go to new homes. Although I know that was probably the best decision for them, I have missed them terribly. I have had a short reprieve this week because I've been able to keep Bella (aka Rosie) and her new sister Belle, the lab. Their family is vacationing in Florida and so the girls are here at our doggie zoo playing ball and chewing on bones until they return. Next week they'll all be moving to Boston, so I won't 
be able to see little Bella for a very long time. I've also come to love sweet Belle. It's been fun to see how differently a big dog moves. She is a joy to watch when she's playing ball. She leaps for the ball in a way no short legged little cocker ever could. Toby will be SO glad when she goes home. She beats him to the ball every time! It's been wonderful having them visit with us this week. Rosie (Bella) has definitely bonded with Belle and they are best friends now. I'm thankful to the Rogers family for giving her such a wonderful home.
be able to see little Bella for a very long time. I've also come to love sweet Belle. It's been fun to see how differently a big dog moves. She is a joy to watch when she's playing ball. She leaps for the ball in a way no short legged little cocker ever could. Toby will be SO glad when she goes home. She beats him to the ball every time! It's been wonderful having them visit with us this week. Rosie (Bella) has definitely bonded with Belle and they are best friends now. I'm thankful to the Rogers family for giving her such a wonderful home.Louie is doing well, too. I heard from his new parents last week. They love him dearly, but then, how could you not love sweet Louie.
The last I heard, Kinzi was having her toenails painted blue and silver. She is enjoying being treated as the prima dona she is while her pal Maggie is spending her time enjoying having her very own tennis ball that no one else steals. It's good to know that all my babies are happy.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
The Land of the Leprechauns
Roy and I will be leaving Sunday for Ireland where we will roam around learning about the Emerald Isle for the next 2 weeks. The pups will be well cared for and loved by our sitter and various other friends who will enjoy their company and our pool. When we get back, we will be anxiously awaiting the birth of Blossom's new litter sometime around June 17.
Go gcastar ar a chéile arís muid
(Until we meet again)
Joan
Privacy and Fewer Distractions
The Dawgpatch residents are adjusting to a new change in our environment. We have almost completed a privacy fence which encloses the 2 street sides of our back yard. Now Blossom can concentrate on her ballgames without the constant distraction of people and dogs walking by, and the neighbors don't have to hear the hysteria that breaks out in the Cocker Castle when Sophie (the cocker across the street) or Riley (the golden retriever down the street) come to visit and sniff out the latest news. What a relief to know that our little terrorist, Blossom, is securely contained, and that Emma and Atticus are safe from the outside world!! And I can run around the back yard in my pajamas!! Life if good.
Monday, May 26, 2008
The New Dawgpatch
Dawgpatch definitely has a new look and feel these days. It's population has been cut in half as 5 of our pups have gone to new, happy homes. Although it's been tough for me, all of the new "puppy parents" have been wonderful about keeping me up to date on the wonderful adjustments all of the cockers are making to their new homes. I actually had a chance to visit Bella (now Bella Rosie Ella aka Rosie) yesterday. She is very happy and well loved with her family of 7 humans, one lab (Belle), and a cat (Tinker). She'll be moving to Boston in about 3 weeks, but we'll keep in touch as they all adjust to the new envionment. Thank you Cheryl, Ryleigh, Rain, Steve, Sharon, Gloria, Lori, Michelle, Dan, Jessie, Luke, Sam, Levi, and Hope for taking and loving my babies. Wow !!! they are some lucky dogs!!!!!
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Puppies!
I'm so excited! Blossom went to the vet yesterday for her ultrasound and she has at least 4 babies growing inside her! So we will be having babies sometime around June 18. Roy and I will be in Ireland for the 2 weeks prior to her delivery, so she'll have to stay in the kennel instead of inside, but she loves being out anyway, so that is probably her preference. We should be back in time for her to spend the last week before delivery inside in our maternity ward. We haven't had babies since our last ETs left us in March. Yea!!! Summer babies are the best!
Friday, May 9, 2008
It's Hard to Say Good-by
Breeding and raising dogs is a constant learning experience, filled with endless work, incredible joy and happiness, and grief. It took a long time for me to accept the fact that I couldn't save every newborn puppy. I've saved a lot of them and I have sat up many a night and even carried one little girl with me in a bag for six weeks so I could feed her every 2 hours and keep her warm. She went to work with me every day and on several weekend trips. She sat through inservices and meetings and no one ever knew she was there. After all that, we realized that she was hydrocephalic and had only a brain stem. I still found a loving home for her and she lived a very happy and productive 2 years with a loving family. This little girl taught me, however, that sometimes there's a reason a puppy won't suck, or it's mom pushes it away and that it is often kinder to let the little one go. So now I make every reasonable effort to save weak puppies, but I've pretty much cut out the heroics.
This year I've had to learn to accept a different kind of loss. I've finally reached the point of having to find homes for my older dogs outside of our family. The first dogs to retire went to family members and I still see them often. But now I have saturated the family and for the first time I'm letting my precious girls go to homes outside the family. The first to go was Chloe. Now Chloe has her issues. She's terrified of kids and she is a big time barker. She's also a bit of an ankle nipper. That sets some limits on where she can live and who will love her. We had her spayed a couple of years ago after her 5th litter, but had given up on finding her dream family. You see, my dogs only go to homes that are better for them than mine. It has to be a step up for them or they stay with me. Then, out of the blue, I received an email from a lady asking if she was still available. We talked back and forth and finally, in April, I took Chloe to visit Gloria and her family. The family thought she was absolutely beautiful and extremely well behaved (could this be MY Chloe they were talking about?) and she is incredibly happy with a stay at home mom, a chihahua friend named Bonnie, and an unlimited supply of Beggin Strips. Believe me, Chloe has no desire to come back to the Dawgpatch pack!! But I do miss her every time we all go out to play ball, and when I sit on the steps of the kennel. She would always lay down behind me and act as my backrest.
Tonight I faced my second trial of letting my girls go. I received a call from a lovely lady who lives in Alabama. Not only is she a life long cocker spaniel lover (like me), but she's a retired teacher (like I hope to be soon), and the grandmother of beautiful granddaughters (like me). She lost her 16 year old cocker, Maggie, and tried to fill her void with a two year old named Pebbles. The problem is she has 2 granddaughters she is raising and only one Pebbles, so the girls were constantly fighting over who Pebbles was going to sleep with. She needed another cocker who would like to be loved by a little girl. I told her about Maggie and Kinzi, who have each had 3 litters of puppies and really would rather not go through that again. She fell in love with Maggie's picture and made an appointment to come get her tonight. The family promptly drove in the driveway at 7:00 and all tumbled out of the car to see Maggie and Kinzi playing ball. They immediately went to Maggie, and of course, Kinzi pushed her way right in front of them and crawled in their laps. They immediately fell in love with her, too, and ended up taking both of them. Since Maggie and Kinzi are only 3 months apart and were raised together, that will be perfect for them. They pulled out of the driveway with both pups happily settled in someone's lap and not even as much as a wave for me!!! Oh, the people waved, but not the dogs! I have no doubt that this home will be perfect for them and that they will never find a family who will give them more love. I can't even imagine what it will be like tomorrow, though, when I go out to the kennel to let them run. There will be no Kinzi jumping up to sit in my lap, and no Maggie to lick my face. Of course, there will be 8 others to keep me company, but there will be 2 empty spots, just as there has been for Chloe.
I know in my heart that letting them go is the very best thing I can do for all the dogs. They'll have their own families and I'll have more time to give to the others. But saying good-by is difficult. We've played together and cuddled together and whelped puppies together. Kinzi drowned in our pool when she was 3 months old and we had to resuscitate h
er. She had her last litter of puppies on the couch in the den because she wanted to be in my lap and that was the only way I could get her to relax. They have both earned their retirement and as much love as they can find.
So good-by my beautiful ladies. Be good and make me proud. Enjoy your soft people beds and little girl hugs and kisses. Don't tinkle on the carpet or leave puppy piles in out of the way corners. Keep your ears out of the water dish and don't drip water all over the hardwood floors. Bring them as much joy as you brought me!
This year I've had to learn to accept a different kind of loss. I've finally reached the point of having to find homes for my older dogs outside of our family. The first dogs to retire went to family members and I still see them often. But now I have saturated the family and for the first time I'm letting my precious girls go to homes outside the family. The first to go was Chloe. Now Chloe has her issues. She's terrified of kids and she is a big time barker. She's also a bit of an ankle nipper. That sets some limits on where she can live and who will love her. We had her spayed a couple of years ago after her 5th litter, but had given up on finding her dream family. You see, my dogs only go to homes that are better for them than mine. It has to be a step up for them or they stay with me. Then, out of the blue, I received an email from a lady asking if she was still available. We talked back and forth and finally, in April, I took Chloe to visit Gloria and her family. The family thought she was absolutely beautiful and extremely well behaved (could this be MY Chloe they were talking about?) and she is incredibly happy with a stay at home mom, a chihahua friend named Bonnie, and an unlimited supply of Beggin Strips. Believe me, Chloe has no desire to come back to the Dawgpatch pack!! But I do miss her every time we all go out to play ball, and when I sit on the steps of the kennel. She would always lay down behind me and act as my backrest.
Tonight I faced my second trial of letting my girls go. I received a call from a lovely lady who lives in Alabama. Not only is she a life long cocker spaniel lover (like me), but she's a retired teacher (like I hope to be soon), and the grandmother of beautiful granddaughters (like me). She lost her 16 year old cocker, Maggie, and tried to fill her void with a two year old named Pebbles. The problem is she has 2 granddaughters she is raising and only one Pebbles, so the girls were constantly fighting over who Pebbles was going to sleep with. She needed another cocker who would like to be loved by a little girl. I told her about Maggie and Kinzi, who have each had 3 litters of puppies and really would rather not go through that again. She fell in love with Maggie's picture and made an appointment to come get her tonight. The family promptly drove in the driveway at 7:00 and all tumbled out of the car to see Maggie and Kinzi playing ball. They immediately went to Maggie, and of course, Kinzi pushed her way right in front of them and crawled in their laps. They immediately fell in love with her, too, and ended up taking both of them. Since Maggie and Kinzi are only 3 months apart and were raised together, that will be perfect for them. They pulled out of the driveway with both pups happily settled in someone's lap and not even as much as a wave for me!!! Oh, the people waved, but not the dogs! I have no doubt that this home will be perfect for them and that they will never find a family who will give them more love. I can't even imagine what it will be like tomorrow, though, when I go out to the kennel to let them run. There will be no Kinzi jumping up to sit in my lap, and no Maggie to lick my face. Of course, there will be 8 others to keep me company, but there will be 2 empty spots, just as there has been for Chloe.
I know in my heart that letting them go is the very best thing I can do for all the dogs. They'll have their own families and I'll have more time to give to the others. But saying good-by is difficult. We've played together and cuddled together and whelped puppies together. Kinzi drowned in our pool when she was 3 months old and we had to resuscitate h
er. She had her last litter of puppies on the couch in the den because she wanted to be in my lap and that was the only way I could get her to relax. They have both earned their retirement and as much love as they can find.So good-by my beautiful ladies. Be good and make me proud. Enjoy your soft people beds and little girl hugs and kisses. Don't tinkle on the carpet or leave puppy piles in out of the way corners. Keep your ears out of the water dish and don't drip water all over the hardwood floors. Bring them as much joy as you brought me!
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Blossom and Toby
Blossom and Toby have once again decided to have a serious relationship and they should be expecting a litter of puppies sometime around June 17. Poor Toby spent a miserable night alone last night with Blossom hidden away in the laundry room. He paced and panted and drooled and whimpered all night. But he has spent the afternoon with her today and is happy as happy can be. Hopefully, we will all sleep better tonight!!!!
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Getting Started
I am the proud owner/mother/pack leader of 8 beautiful Cocker Spaniels and 2 adorable English Toy Spaniels (ET's). Needless to say, they keep me very busy and keep my pitching arm in good shape since I am forever throwing tennis balls for them to fetch. You can meet my entire pack by going to http://www.dawgpatch.org/ and browsing the website. I have 6 girls who bless me with puppies every year or so and we work very hard to find the perfect home and family for each one. Right now the nursery is empty so this is a good time for me to learn how to blog and to catch up with old friends who have taken one or more of our precious babies into their families. Please feel free to post any comments, announcements, or news about your cockers or ETs that have come from us.
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