Happiness Abounds!!

Last week was a busy week.  The Puppy Walk was on Saturday, structural evaluations and birds were on Sunday, and then the Avidog Puppy Evaluation Test was on Monday.   The day we do the APET is always a busy day, but we had two special guests from Canada, Deborah and Anthony Garland, who were Avidog's very first VIP guests.  We hope they enjoyed the experience as much as we enjoyed having them!   We also had a film crew there who captured it all on tape for Avidog.  

Pups resting and warming up after their swim on the Puppy Walk.

Then the matching starts.  Three things happen during this time.  New owners check their email every five minutes or excitedly answer their phones for the next two days, as they await news about which pup is coming home with them.   On our end, it is when Lise, Gayle and I look at each pup's strengths and weaknesses as well as the information we have from each of the new owners in order to make the best match so that the pups can thrive.  

Six of the seven pups have gone to their new homes.   Al and Irene were in Fort Worth, TX this weekend supplying the equipment for the 2013 IFCS Continental Championship of the Americas, so while Al makes his way home with the rig, Irene flew home so she can pick up both Peach and Pit tomorrow.

Mr. Blue now "Pit" says, "Hi, Mom and Dad!"

Below are six out of seven of the Max pups and their new owners.     So without further adieu, here they are:

The first pup to leave was Miss Purple, who has gone to Long Island with Mary and Stephen Paulich.   She will be known as Gaylan's Living Life To The Max, "Bliss."   Mary will be doing agility and field, and perhaps some obedience and tracking with her.

Mary, Bliss and Stephen

Miss Rust has gone to Georgia to live with Paula Duggan and Chester Sokolowski and their son Chaz.   She will be their second family dog, along with big brother Huggy Bear from the 4th of July litter.    She is now Gaylan's Maximum Georgia Peach,  "Peaches."    

Chester, Peaches and Paula

Miss Green went to Wisconsin to live with Dana and John Bourassa and is now Gaylan's Maximum Heart Of Gold, "Glori."  She has two sisters, Dana and John's other older golden Mysti and Journey, who, like Glori's mom Peach, is from the Ice Cream litter.  Dana plans on doing agility and perhaps a little obedience with her.

Dana, Glori and John

John Runnels made a one-day round trip from Baton Rouge, LA to pick up his new little girl Gaylan's Maxwell's Demon, "KT."  KT's big sister Khayenne, from the Derby litter, and John's wife Karen and their kids Emily and Erik were all very excited to meet the newest member of their family.  Well, maybe not Khay, but we know KT will steal her heart as she has everyone else's!   John plans to do obedience, agility and tracking with KT.

John and KT

Mr. Black has gone to Connecticut with the McCall family.   He will be their family dog as well as Brian's hunting companion.   He is now Gaylan's Maximum High Tide Sandy,  "Cody."

Sue, Brian, Cody and Tim

Miss Raspberry has moved to Pennsylvania to do agility and perhaps some field with Debbie Johnston.   Her name is Gaylan's TJ Maxxinista and Debbie is calling her Tommee, after her dad.

Debbie and Tommee

A big welcome to Debbie Johnston and the McCalls, the newest members of the Gaylan's family! 

Puppy Walk Day!

We have been cleaning and organizing all morning in preparation for today's Puppy Walk!  If you can't join us, I just uploaded a dozen or so videos from this week in Week 7 folder.  You'll find them toward the end.  Enjoy!

On Our Own Tonight

Marcy and Lise are back on Long Island so Peach, Andy and I are in charge of the Pits!  It was a gorgeous spring day so the pups got a walk this morning and spent the afternoon outside learning agility.  Peach and Corey played and played with them, taught them how to dig and showed them the tunnel and a-frame.  My mom and I learned how to use FaceTime so she could "visit" with the pups from NC.  What fun that was!  The pups were drawn to her voice and the phone so she got lots of "kisses" and a few nibbles.

Hopefully this video of Peach's a-frame lesson will come through.  Don't worry, by now the pups are very aware of heights and edges.  And of course, I was near at hand to spot anyone who might have gotten shoved off.

More tonight!

Good News From Albany!!

Look At All Those Cars!!!

Today we took the Max litter up to the Upstate Veterinary Specialists in Albany for their eye and heart checks.   They not only aced their tests, but they had some great experiences watching the cars go by on the road, being examined by two different doctors in two different locations, pottying in the rain and then taking another two-plus-hour ride home.    

We're Coming!!

When we got home we took a woods walk with Peach, Grandma Chex and Aunt Scoop.It was the first time they all went together and everyone did very well.  

I am heading home for 24 hours to take care of some last-minute things for the house.   But before I head out tomorrow we are going to do some crate training, some puppy push-ups and a woods walk.   

Whew, tired just writing it - so I will say good night!

Oh yeah, the Week Seven folder is up and filled with photos!

The Max Pups in Cold Spring

It's 1:00 in the morning and I am heading off to bed after a long day with the pups, but I just realized that I have not written to the blog in a very long time.   We have been really busy here in Cold Spring.

The Max pups meet their first big log!

The pups are doing their woods walks, playing in their indoor play area, and learning how to climb on, over and through things.  They continue to do well with their potty training and all the crates are set up to start their crate training tomorrow.   

We also have a big day tomorrow with eye and heart exams in Latham, NY.   We love taking the pups to Upstate Veterinary Specialists because we get to see Dr. Aaron Wey - a heart doctor who truly LOVES puppies!!!   

So I am going to say good night, but wanted to let you know more pictures are in the six week folder and I will add week seven shortly.

Enjoy the photos - they are getting cuter by the day!!

Finally The Great Outdoors!!

It has finally been warm enough to take the pups outside!!   At the height of the afternoon sun Lise, Jim and I took Peach and the seven pits out to the backyard for their first outdoor experience.   I was not sure how long they would last, but even it they were out for ten minutes, we thought it would be a great experience for them!   Well, never underestimate the power of da mama!   Those pups followed her all over the backyard, investigated the bushes, the grass, the hole that their mom wanted to give birth in as well as all the toys we brought outside.   An hour later they finally crashed and we brought them back in.  Today they had more visitors and they got to go out again.   They really love it outside!

Here is a shot of each puppy enjoying the great outdoors!

I have put up a lot of photos in the Week Six folder - enjoy!!
  

Mr. Black 

Mr. Blue

Miss Green

Miss Rust

Miss Red

Miss Raspberry

Miss Purple

A Week Of Firsts

So much has happened over this past week.  Most importantly, all the pups are healthy and growing like weeds.    Last Saturday Peach’s dad, Al Lamphere came for a visit and fell in love.  When I asked which one he said, “All of them.”   I think he was shocked at how much time you can spend just watching them.

Al and Miss Red 

If I Just Pull Hard Enough

This first big change this week was that we moved the pups from their box into a pen with 2 potty boxes and lots of toys.  I am happy to report that potty training is at 95% for poop and about 85% for pee!!   It is amazing to watch the pups leave what they are doing and head for the box.   Visitors cannot believe pups this young can learn to use the potty boxes, but they sure can!

We have also added what we call the Adventure Box, since they have lots of adventures tugging on and running through the things attached to it.  

Here is a video of a couple of them playing with it the first day.

Another big first this week came on Tuesday.   Monday night Lise said she thought we might want to start them on solid food.  We decided to wait another day.    Tuesday morning Peach ate her breakfast, went into the box and regurgitated her breakfast for the puppies.   They scoffed it down in no time.   They are good eaters, but still nursing quite a bit.   Many people have asked me if we are feeding them why they still nurse.   We believe they still need the nutrition mother’s milk offers them, and also have found that the dams are quite capable of deciding when to turn off the milk bar.

Some of Saturday's Visitors

This week they also had a few other firsts, like being stacked on the table, playing in another room, and chewing on marrow bones.

Tomorrow Irene, Al’s wife, will be on Long Island and is spending the night with the pups.   We are looking forward to seeing her, but I am sure not as much as she is looking forward to seeing the pups!!

There are lots of photos and videos that have been added over the last couple of days.  Enjoy!