Merry Christmas!

The Disney litter are all in their new homes.  Vicki and Bob, our co-breeders, are driving south to visit family for the holidays.  I've submitted all the paperwork, cleaned toys and equipment, and organized all the puppy gear in preparation for a short winter's nap and so my dogs can get some training when the snow arrives.

I've finally uploaded the photos and videos from the last few weeks, including the Puppy Walk, Going Home photos, day-to-day activities and a very special trip some of the pups took.

Before they went home, we took two pups to Newtown, CT to offer some puppy love to the families, friends and first responders involved with the Sandy Hook tragedy.  Miss Green and Miss Lavender accompanied Una and did an amazing job loving all the people they met during our visit.  Whether it was healing or simply a moment of joy in the midst of such sadness, it was striking to see how these puppies changed the atmosphere in the town.  We were honored to hold their leashes.

After that, we scrambled to get the pups ready to go home.  Gathering and organizing the many gifts the new owners received, along with the more serious stuff like the hefty 3" binder I send home with each pup, took us a few days and nights.  We did the final days of training--crate training, sit and down, some leash breaking, Sherpa training for the pups that were flying, toe nails, baths and of course, woods walks.  Whew, it was a busy week.

But we made it through and congratulate the new owners of the Disney litter!  What fabulous pups they turned out to be.  Three went to present Gaylan's owners and three pups brought new friends into the family. 

• Miss Raspberry is now Gaylan's Bird and the Hound, "Brier." She is heading to Chicago (Barrington), IL where she will live and hunt with the Koertners and Shafer from the Wine litter.

• Miss Pink is now Gaylan's Moon-Spinners, "Hayley." Lucky Hayley is staying with her mom, Ivy and Vicki and Bob. They are on their way back to Southern CA after vacationing in GA/FL to recover from the litter.

• Miss Lavender is now Gaylan's Just Around the River Bend, "Willow." Willow headed to MA with the Conners where she will do pet-assisted therapy and possibly some other activities.

• Miss Yellow is now Gaylan's Gonna Be a Wild Ride, "Thrill."  She moved to CT with Chris and Mike Marinelli, Tux from the Fire litter, and their other dogs. Thrill will be doing field and agility with Chris.

• Miss Green is now Gaylan's Gotta Kick It Up!, "Kix." Kix will be living in PA with Dianne Posteraro.  They will be doing obedience and tracking.

• Finally, Mr Blue will be known as "Scout," Gaylan's Rescuers Down Under. Scout is off to Northern California with the Delmenicos to become a Search and Rescue dog in CARDA and possibly do agility and hunt tests.

Where did your favorite go?

My, Oh My!

Despite evidence to the contrary, we have not forgotten about you.  I have worked for days to get new photos and videos uploaded so you can follow the Disney crew.  After buying a brand new router, an external hard drive and two flash drives, we are underway again.  Raising puppies is NOTHING compared to fixing technology.  Hopefully, my computer headache will go away before next week.

Luckily, I have these wonderful puppies to make me smile.  As you know, Bob, Vicki, Ivy, Darcy, Baggins (the cat) and the pups arrived November 21.  The pups immediately settled into the puppy area and have been exploring and playing ever since.  They have had trips outside when the weather allows it and lots of fun inside.  They are having regular visitors and enjoying all the attention.

We set up two areas for them since our main focus at this age is housebreaking and introducing new things for them to explore.  They have a main sleeping area with some toys and play things and a really big potty box.  That's where they spend most of their time when we can't be with them.  Then they have AdventureLand, with jungle gyms, tunnels, slides, pools and a small potty box.  They get to play there when we can watch them to help them make good decisions re: peeing.


 

The pups also started eating solid food over the weekend. We start pups off with the same thing their mom eats, Bravo Raw Diet, specifically ground chicken meat and bones with a little chicken organs and of course, vegetables. We don't use pablum or human baby food and just go straight to meat now that they have their teeth. The pups didn't miss a beat, they just started eating. Ivy didn't even need to clean them up, they did so well.  

New photos and videos are up.  Check them out using the links to the right.  Enjoy!

Ivy's Babies Are Here!!

Ivy and Red's new babies were born right on time.  We had predicted they would arrive Oct 23 and sure enough, around 8 PM, they did.  We have five girls and one boy.  They are, in birth order:

1. Miss Raspberry, born at 8:36 pm, weighing 9.5 oz
2. Miss Pink, born at 8:52 pm, weighing 10.1 oz
3. Miss Lavender, born at 9:04 pm, weighing 10.0 oz
4. Miss Yellow, born at 10:19 pm, weighing 11.9 oz
5. Miss Green, born at 10:25 pm, weighing 8.3 oz
6. Mr Blue, born at 11:26 pm, weighing 11.1 oz

Like everything in her life, Ivy took motherhood in stride.  When Miss Raspberry arrived, Ivy went to work cleaning her up.  Within a minute or two, Raz was nursing and Miss Pink was on her way.  Although Vicki, Bob, Marcy and I were close at hand in case we were needed, Ivy did it all on her own.  I am always awed and humbled when I watch dogs like Ivy become mothers before my eyes.  She is handling the pups easily, retrieving them when they get too far away, as well as keeping them spotless, warm and well fed.  

This litter will be our Disney litter so their new owners will have fun coming up with their registered names.  I can't wait to see what everyone picks.  They will also have a bicoastal childhood, starting their lives in Southern California and then making the trip to New York when they are three weeks old.  What an adventure they (and Vicki and Bob) will have!  

As always, photos and videos are up so use the links to the right to check them out and please leave a comment below

Finally ...

I always feel guilty during the last two weeks of raising pups because it is so hard for me to keep up with the blog, and I know how much everyone enjoys following the pups.   Rather than giving you all the reasons, if you were not here at any time during the last two weeks I will ask you to use your imagination with respect to what it was like around here with 13 8-week-old puppies, doing all the tests and training, as well as having Gayle's family in for her brother's wedding, her other brother's 50th birthday party and her mom's visiting for those events as well as her late husband's 60th reunion from West Point.  Let's just say there was never a dull moment!

Despite all the work, Gayle, Lise and I are proud to introduce 13 new members of the Gaylan's family!   So without further adieu, introducing the Country Music and Heart owners:     

The Country Music Litter (Goose x Scoop) 

Joyce and Caper

Gaylan's You Had Me From Hello - "Caper," born Miss Purple, is in California with Joyce and Paul Davis. Joyce and Caper will be doing field and obedience.

Chris, Hobby and Samra

Gaylan's Time Well Wasted - "Hobby", born Mr Red, is in Maryland with Dr. Chris Zink and Samra Zelman to do field, agility, obedience and tracking.

Sionag and Jive

Gaylan's Dancing Away With My Heart - "Jive", aka Mr Brown, is living in Wisconsin with Sionag (Sheena) Black and will be doing field, agility and perhaps more.

Phyllis, Ace, Rookie and Phil

Gaylan's New Kid in Town - "Rookie," formerly Mr Blue, went to Long Island with Phyllis and Phil Covino and Gambling Ace.  They will be doing field, agility and obedience.

Suzanne and Tui

Gaylan's Almost Like a Song - "Tui," born Mr Yellow, flew to Washington state with Suzanne Bolwell to do field, obedience and perhaps more.

Mary, Jag and Brian

Gaylan Jagger's Far Away Eyes - "Jag," formely Mr Green, stayed relatively nearby in Connecticut with Mary Cotter and Brian Patenaude.  They'll be focusing on agility but may also do some other sports.

The Heart Litter (Striker x Chex)

Phoebe and Kindle

Gaylan's Hearts Afire - "Kindle," aka Miss Black, stayed nearby in New Jersey with Phoebe Teramoto, Gambling Bette and Diva.  They will be doing agility, field, and perhaps more.

Nina, Olive and Mike

Gaylan's Heart and Soul -  "Olive," born Miss Olive, also stayed nearby in New York with Drs. Nina Shoulberg and Michael Schilsky.  They'll be doing agility and perhaps some other sports.

Todd, Molly and Alison

Gaylan's Groove Is In The Heart - "Molly," aka Miss Plum, moved to Pennsylvania with Alison and Todd Krisak to get started in dog sports.

Joe, Vicki and Keeva

Gaylan's Caoimhe of My Heart - "Keeva," formerly Miss Rainbow, headed to North Carolina with Vicki and Joe Dury to also get started in dog sports.

Mary, Trek and Steven

Gaylan's Heart of the Journey - "Trek," formerly Mr Cream, headed to Long Island with Steven Paulich.  They are going to do some hunting together, as well as compete in hunt tests and agility.

Melissa and Scout

Gaylan's Clear Eyes Full Heart - "Scout," born Miss Pink, is off to Virginia with Melissa Landriau to do agility.

"Grandpa" John and Jade

Gaylan's Stolen My Heart - "Jade," aka Mr Teal, flew to Oklahoma where he will meet up with his new owner, Emily Russell who will eventually take him back to Colorado while she finishes up school.  They will be doing agility, obedience and more.

Congratulations, everyone!   I know we all look forward to hearing about all the wonderful things you and your new partners are going to do in all the dog sport venues!   

Quick Update

As you can imagine, life has been beyond hectic around here with the temperament tests and puppy walk.    I have fallen down in the photography department, which I know is hard on those of you who are far away - I am so sorry.    

But I did want to let you know that the Country Musicians all did well on their temperament tests.    Everyone, including the visitors, seemed to have a great time at the puppy walk!   The weather was perfect, the food was great and it was so nice to meet so many Cold Spring people!  There were a few Gaylan folk who showed up and it was great to see Maddy Mason, her husband Tom and of course Spring from the Dancing litter.

I have to run to get ready for the Heart litter temperament test!   I am confident that each one of them will also do a good job showing us who they are.   I hope you new owners are getting lots of rest, as you are going to need it.   These little guys are going to keep you really busy!!!

It Has Begun

So what is "it"?   Crate training, of course.   And the pups did well!   Of course we were smart enough to do the training when they were a bit tired.  We also had another table session and a woods walk.  It has been quite busy!
Below are some photos from my cell phone.   I have not taken my good camera on the woods walks because then I focus on the photos and not on the puppies.  So here are a few shots and video from the cell phone during Sunday's woods walk - more are in the Week 6 section.

Those Moments ...

It has been incredibly busy around here, but yesterday Gayle, Lise and I took some time to  sit in the pen and enjoy the pups.   After a little while Corey was dying to join us, so we let her in.   Mr. Red was in love and spent a long time trying to engage her, climbing on her, jumping up and licking her face.  Corey was really eating it up.   Truly one of those moments that warms your heart.

Thursday night we had quite a thunderstorm.   By the time I got over to the pups Gayle had already been down with them and found all of them were unfazed by the storm.  They did enjoy their unexpected treats, though!

Friday morning Gayle, Lise and I get up early to get the pups fed and then load the Heart litter into the van for an early morning appointment for their first vaccinations, health check and microchip.   We did not take all of the pups on this trip because we know that the Country Music litter pups are still protected through Scoop's immunity.    The pups handled the trip with aplomb and of course won the hearts of everyone in the office.

Their woods walks are getting longer and more challenging and they are doing great.   They have been such a pleasure to take on walks, and Chex has been wonderful with them.    Chex tore a nail and is not allowed to run with the other dogs, so this is her time to play, and although she would rather be running for the whole time, she enjoys what she is allowed to do.   And as you will see in the video, the pups do their best to keep up.   Today they had their first rock wall and they all figured it out.   By the time they got back they were quite happy, dirty and tired!

We have had quite a number of visitors, who have really enjoyed the pups!   We start crate training soon, and I am keeping up with their nails, which is no trivial task.

Each night I go to bed wondering where the day went - lots of work, but so worth it!   I cannot wait for each of the new owners to be able meet the pups in person.  Be forewarned, wear laceless shoes - but no sandals (if you value your toes)!!!   There are some more photos and videos up in Week 7 - enjoy!!

Litter Photos

It was a very busy day doing the litter photos with Barry Rosen.  What a patient man!    I look forward to seeing the pictures, as I am sure you guys will be, too.   We will let you know when they are available for viewing and then for those who want to purchase them, we will give you details on how to do that.

This will be a short blog - just too tired to write much.  I am putting photos and video up in the new Week 7 section.   Here is a video of classical conditioning at its finest.

Pups are doing great on their walks, they are eating well, playing and sleeping hard.   To watch their development is simply amazing!!!  

Enjoy the photos - I promise there will be more over the next few days!!

The First Few Days

Suffice it to say, things have been very busy around here.   The pups are fully enjoying their play yard!    They have had two walks already.  For those who have been here,  the first walk was down toward the stream and the other almost to the rock bridge.  We did not go further because we did not want them to get wet as it was quite windy here today.   As five-plus-week-old pups, they did quite well.

Right now the pups are doing quite a bit of screaming - they are just learning that they are causing it to happen.   One pup bites another pup's ear - the one being bitten screams and the one biting has no idea s/he is causing the noise.    Ahh, the beginning of bite inhibition!

We had a few visitors this weekend who enjoyed watching the pups go through their antics.  It really is hard to believe how much time one can spend with the pups - they are just delicious!   Below is a photo of their outdoor play yard and a couple of candids.    There are hundreds of new photos up on the 6-week site.   Enjoy!! 

Miss Rainbow Grabbing Her Tail.

Unidentified Cuteness!

Mr. Blue Practicing The Bottle Return 

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The End Of A Very Long Day

Today we packed up the house, loaded the van, and headed up to Gayle and Andy's for the big move.   We took a few photos with our phones, as the cameras were packed.

For perspective, the van you are looking at is a full-size GMC Savannah.   As you can imagine, it took us a while to get on the road.   Lise drove up in the Savannah while I drove up in my van with Chex, Scoop and the pups.  I fully expected the pups to be quite noisy on the ride, but I am happy to say we had two pups cry for less than two minutes, and that was it!   

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When we got to Gayle's the pups hit the ground running.  They played in the yard for a while  while we set up the indoor area and then we just enjoyed watching all their explorations.   Corey, Dreamer and Glee were beside themselves with excitement over the new pups' arrival.   Una had a here-we-go-again look on her face.  No doubt she will come around with all the attention she will get from the visitors!

 Below is a photo of their indoor area, which you will see is back to being compact.   We are looking for success with the potty box!  But outside looks like adventureland where the pups are sure to learn many lessons over the next four weeks!

Here the pups are sacked out after their big adventure.  

After we got settled we were treated by one of Andy's great meals!  (The true hidden gift of co-breeding with Gayle!   Andy is a FABULOUS chef!!)   So the next chapter has started.  I will do my best to post to the blog as things get busier.  No new pictures, but I wanted to let you all know how things went.

Getting Ready To Say Good-Bye

... to Long Island, that is.   The van is packed except for the things we need overnight and in the morning.   Tomorrow will be the pups' first car ride.   For those of you not familiar with the New York metropolitan area, the trip is 90 miles.   It should take an hour and 45 minutes or it could take four hours.   I pray that tomorrow it is quick and uneventful.

Today I sat in the yard with the pups and had fun with my camera.   The photos are uploading to the Week 6 section - enjoy!

Mr. McCreamy Checking Out The New Toy

Mr. Yellow Heading Out Of The Tunnel

Mr. Red Checking Out The Funnel

Rainy Days and Sundays

We were expecting a lot of much-needed rain today so I reset the pen to give them more room once their late morning kitchen romp with our visitors was over.   

 As you can see, the wedge has now had three other pieces added to it and the pups loved climbing on and falling off of it!

Another first for today was marrow bones.  Can you spell L-O-V-E?  The pups loved, loved, loved the bones - and the best part was every one of the pups hit the potty box afterwards!! 

Check out the end of the Week 5 photos/video for more puppy joy!  

And Away They Go ...

And I am not just talking about the puppies.   It was an early morning as we headed to the airport to drop off Lise and Gayle who are off on one of Gayle's infamous stud dog trips.   They are down in Oklahoma meeting  NDC NMFR RockErin Red River Ruckus *** OS "Red," who is Striker's father and also the sire for Ivy's upcoming litter.   While they are there they will be visiting with Vicky Schmidt and Remy (from the Game Bird litter).

Lemme Bite Your Nose!!

Hugo Playing With Mr. Green

Ayla Holding Four Pups At Once   
(Sorry if I misspelled your name!)

Back at the ranch, so to speak, today was a day filled with visitors for the pups.   It was a beautiful day and the pups had a blast outside again.  There was one perosn missing, though, and that was Hugo and Ayla's brother Miles.  Mr. Red was wondering where his favorite admirer was!!!   Our last visitor, Mary Paulich, helped us put them back inside.  Once inside they crashed in their pen from all the fresh air and interaction.     Again, I have put up lots of photos in the Week 5 section, so enjoy!

Speaking of enjoyment, Jim and I got to have dinner with Al Lamphere, who owns Scoop's sister Peach.   He is on Long Island for an agility trial and we worked it out so that we could get together for dinner.  Good food - GREAT company!!!   When we got home we found the pups fast asleep in their pen - not an accident to be found.  What good puppies!!!

Our Noses Were Busy Today!!

It was a gorgeous day here on Long Island, and our friends Tricia and Alyssa stopped by to visit the pups so we decided to take them outside.    We brought them out, let them nurse and then explore.   Their noses were really busy checking out all the new scents.

Our First Day Outside

First We Eat

Then We Play 

Then We Sleep

I put up more photos in the Week 4 section and have added a Week 5 section also with lots of photos.   Enjoy!!

A Great Weekend!!!

The pups had a great weekend, with lots of new toys added to their pen.  They all love to interact with each other and the new toys.   Just like new babies, they put everything in their mouths, including their littermates' mouths, legs, tails, etc.   Their teeth have come in, though not fully.   We enlarged the potty box because when they have to go it is usually all around the same time and there was not enough room in the other box.  We got about 80% success today with the box - good puppies!!!!   Truly amazing to watch pups in the middle of play or nursing walk away, get in the box, do their business and then get back to the group.    All it takes is setting the box up in a way to get the behavior.

As you can see, the pups were not the only cute things in the box this weekend!

This is my friend's granddaughter Emily holding Miss Pink.    

Here is Miss Black checking out the new rotating flower!

Tomorrow if it is nice enough we will take them outside for their first experience.  Check out the Country Music-Heart - Week 4 for new photos and video.