8 1/2 weeks

Pups are doing great on their crate training. They may get a little wet once in a while but they tend to stay clean. Asia is doing the best over all. She has had a clean dry crate for the last 5 days. Zeus has done the best of the boys. Then Tony. Bauer and Moses are doing well also but they tend to have smaller bladders.

Two of the pups- Gilda and Maddison- are at their new home now. It is really different being down the two pups. You wouldn't think that it would make that much of a difference but it really does. Bauer is to leave this weekend and there is someone coming to look at Zeus on Saturday.

I really like Asia and I think that I am going to keep her. I tell myself NO, I have Cricket but....I really like Asia, not to mention she has picked me. She gets out of her crate and always comes over to me with her whole body wiggling and a happy whine. She is really something else.

Demi is looking for a home. She is being sold with a spay/not for breeding contract. She is a sweet girl. Quiet, a thinker. Melts into you when you hold her. She is quite agile, loves to climb, she plays fetch now for a little while. She really likes the balls. She is going to be a smaller female. Solid, but not real leggy.

Bailey is available. She would be a good performance prospect. VERY ornery. Takes correction well. Loves to tug. She is pretty fast, agile going to be moderate in size. She is put together well. Nice angulation, size. Nice amount of bone without overdoing it.

Tony, he would do great in a stock/performance home. High drive, lots of energy. Seems to be biddable. A very long attention span. Not overly dominant with the other pups but he is not the omega of the bunch either. I really like this guy. He is put together really well. Structurally he is the nicest IMO. Also best color, but I do favor the red merles. :-) Gonna have a nice ear set. He already has a nice head.

Raffi-available....she also would do great in a stock/performance home with someone who knows Aussies. Like Tony, she is not for a first time Aussie owner. I can see her growing up to be an Alpha as she likes to take charge now. She is very outgoing-as are all the pups.

Moses-available, he is a really nice boy. He seems to be a bit laid back until he has a job...he gets to playing and he gives it his all. He is a real sweetheart. He would do well in just about any home. So far he gets along with all dogs/pups. He has respect for the older dogs, he is good with his siblings. Not assertive but not going to be walked on either. I can see the "off" switch in him. He is going to be a lot of fun to work with as he matures.

April 03, 2010

We had a great day today. They got me up at 4:30 AM...not bad. Slept almost 5 hours. I was a little late getting up. Had one messy crate and three wet ones. Not to bad for their first night sleeping alone.

We found out that brown rice does not digest as easily as white rice...especially Minute Rice. I won't go into how I know just trust me on this. Go white, and go Minute Rice.

The pups had several visitors today. Even different men-which we don't have a lot of around here. They came and sat down on the cement and played with them. Had a couple ladies come play with them too. No kids this weekend but we have a play day next weekend for Saturday and Sunday, so the pups that are here will have some fun.

We also went for a walk out in the pasture today. First time for this big of an outing. I was originally only going to take a couple of the pups but I decided that everything is fenced, and Ebbie is a great babysitter so I let all 10 of them out and away we went. We walked down the hill, played and I got to thinking, "Dang, I wish I would have remembered my camera." So we walked back up the hill and as the pups got a drink I got my camera and back down we went. Boy did they have fun. Running, and discovering.....Sheep POOP!!! Oh yum.

Ebony did a great job babysitting. She is amazing with the pups. She acts all tough and grumpy but she is really just a big marshmallow. All bark no bite. They just followed her where ever she went. It was very cute.

7 1/2 weeks

Boy have the pups been growing like crazy. Been hard to write here taking care of them and life in general. Anyway, on Tuesday I put the pups on sheep for the first time. All did pretty good. Asia was very impressive. None of the pups were overly shy or scared of them. They all did well going to and from the barn. Even with the wind blowing and tarps flapping they were unflappable. I have pics of the pups up on my facebook account of their time on sheep.

Today we went in our own crates. Yes, we started the crate training. I took two pups at a time to the garage to gather up puppy crates. Everyone did well except Maddison, she was a bit worried. I did coax her and she came but she was the only one that I had to coax everyone else was right with me. I did get them all switched around, the girls are back in their room and I have 10 puppies in the front room and I am listening to Tony scream as everyone else is asleep. They all got a bit stressed after spending a couple hours in their crate and it gave them soft stools so I made turkey and rice and added a bit of puppy food to it. Figure give them something a bit bland today and tomorrow. Everyone is asleep except Tony.....how long can a puppy cry. Almost afraid to go to bed tonight.

Raffi, Moses, Gilda and Tony are all looking for homes. Tony and Raffi need an experienced Aussie person as they are both a bit over the top and assertive. They know what they want and they go for it. Moses is the most laid back pup in the bunch. He is just a really sweet guy. Gilda is a bit on the mellow side too. She is a blast to play with. She can be going wild, you pick her up and she melts on you. Zeus is a great little guy. He is going to be a blast. Demi is a sweety, she is small but boy is she mighty. If someone pics on her she is the one to role them. Pretty funny. Asia is really blossoming, she is becoming a wild missy. She goes crazy in the house. She and Raffi love to run laps around the couch. They go behind it, into the kitchen around the couch and back again. It is so funny. She is a hoot. Bailey is a great pup. She is a bit ornery but she was the first pup to fall asleep in her crate. She is ruthless when she starts grabbing the pants. If she has a hold and lift your leg you will lift her off the ground. Wicked little pup. Maddison is a quiet girl. Sweet and quiet. The kind I like!!

WOW we are 6 weeks old!!

They are growing like weeds. Personalities are blossoming I can now start to tell what time of homes would be best for each of them.

Maddison, she is spoken for already. Going to a cattle operation in OK. She is a quiet thinker. She is a bit bigger I figure she will be about the same size as her mom when she matures out. She has a nice head, two blue eyes. She is a quiet girl. Doesn't bark much, not a whiner. Very sweet. She is pretty much a middle of the road pup.

Demi-she is available. She has one blue and one brown eye. She is the pup that tends to sit back and watch things. When I come to the pen she tends to sit in the back and wait for a few of the other pups to leave or me to call her over before she leaves her post. She doesn't appear to be overly shy or reserved, but very paitent. Tho' at meal time she is one of the first pups to the bowls. She likes to be brushed and held. LOVES the belly rub. She is the smallest of all the females....almost all the pups but Zeus weighs less. She has a finer build and smaller feet.

Gilda-available. She is going to be a cool pup. She is one of the bigger girls. She has a nice head. She is pretty out going, very friendly. Likes to tug on the pants. A very happy puppy. Personality she is on the upper end of middle. She is learning her sits/downs (as are the rest of them). She is smart as a whip. She would do well in a performance home. She likes to climb up things, investigate new places. Wrestle with the other dogs. She likes to play with the big dogs.

Moses-available. He is a medium size pup. Not going to be as big as Tony, nor as small as Zeus. He is a lot like Maddison personality wise. He is a middle pup, not the one to cause a rucus but won't back down either. He is pretty brave, likes to explore. He can be a bit tentitive at first but once he is comfortable watch out he will run all over the place. Amanda likes him a lot. She spends a lot of time with him and Zeus. Moses does tend to get a wild hair and pick on the small guy.

Raffi-available...she is going to be a handful. She will need someone with Aussie experience. She can be a bit over the top at this age. You will think that she is a little meek thing but trust me it is a con. She is the first to go after pants, shirt sleaves, firngers/hands, shoes/socks. The first to get focused on attacking you and it is hard to refocus her onto something else. She has a pretty long attention span. I really like this pup. She is going to be a handufl but I do think she is going to be fairly biddable. She has a lot of heart and grit, even at this age.

Zeus the Moose-available. I like this pup. He has a huge heart, lots of grit and fight in him. Totally fearless. He gets picked on, sometimes two or three on one and he keeps coming back for more...and he gets even. He can bowl over the big pups without a problem. Yesterday while I was taking pics of the pups he walked to the edge of the couch, looked at me and leaped. Landed on his face. :-) I picked him back up and put him back on the couch this time he walked to where he was across from my leg and tried it again. I caught him this time but it was quite smart of him to figure out that my leg was closer to the couch so not as far to jump to get in my lap. He is the clown, the one that makes you laugh all the time. Does crazy things when he plays with you. He is also the snuggler and loves to come sleep on the couch with you. If I needed another male he would make the grade. He has the BEST personality.

Bailey-spoken for, going to a cattle operation. She is very full of herself. Think of my Cricket in a black suit. Very outgoing. VERY ornery. Very independant. Really nice girl. She is a lot of fun to play with cus she really gets into it and has a fairly long attention span. Loves to tug, if their is a squeak going on it is usually her and a toy. She loves to play the toys.

Bauer-spoken for. He is a fairly calm boy. He is going to be biddable. If he chews on you and you growl at him he stops. He is sensitive to the point that he wants to please but not so sensitive that he pouts. He does something where you praise him he keeps it up. He really wants to be a buddy. He loves to play with the big girls. He gets excited when Mona is out at the same time. I don't know why he picked her to be his buddy but he has. He has two blue eyes also. He reminds me of Skip...has his head and ear set.

Asia....available.....if I needed another female she would be the one I kept. I know that Raffi is the pic but she is going to be special. She has the old soul eyes. She loves me. She is the first one to come to me each time I go to them. If there are other people she still comes to me first. Then she will go so "HI" to the others. In new places she is a bit reserved but once she becomes accustomed to the area she is a wild woman. She is sweet, yet you can see a little orneryness in the eyes. She has a fair attention span. She will play with a toy with you. She likes to wrestle. Loves the belly scratch. Really loves to rest with her head on your shoulder. She loves her Aunty Ruby.

Tony-available. he will need a person who is used to strong willed Aussies. He has an ornery streak the size of TX. He gets focused on you pant leg and NOTHING can get him off the scent. You can hold him and rub his belly...put him down and he goes for your pants. Pick him up start playing with a toy, put him down he goes for your pants. A very focused pup. He knows what he wants and he keeps an eye on the prize. I really like him. He is going to be a handful and a lot of fun with the right person. He would do well in a stock/performance home. He will need a job and someone to keep his mind busy.

Last Saturday the pups had a play date. A couple kids came over and loved, and wrestled and wore them out. The girls had fun, the pups loved the company and extra attention that they recieved. Both girls loved Zeus as he is the smallest pup and easiest to carry around. They spent about an hour with the pups. It is so good for the pups to be around children.

Day 37

Tony............................................Demi

Zeus.............................................Maddison

The pups are really growing. Personalities are blossoming. I have been putting put them outside for a couple hours a day. The first day most didn't venture to far from the door. By today they are all wandering to every corner. They are getting semi solids three times a day. I just add a little warm water and let it sit for about 5 minutes before I give it to them. They do like it.

Raffi..............................Bailey, Maddison and Aunt Mona

Maddison.....................................Aunt Ruby and the gang

Ivy is no longer sleeping with them. If she is with them for more than 30 minutes or so she gets cranky towards them. I don't want her to be ornery towards them after I go to bed so she is away. Then they get their food before her.

Asia and Moses...............................Tony

Demi & Moses............................Bailey

Zeus and Bailey

Day 33

The pups had a very busy day today. They got to go out of the box to play and explore while the box was being cleaned. That was fun! They also got to see the vacuum today. When they was in the whelping box they got to hear the vacuum but couldn't see it today it was up close and personal. It was really interesting to see how each pup reacted to the vacuum. For the most part their reaction was typical...startled! I was VERY impressed with Asia. She was fearless with it. Followed the vacuum as I sucked up the chips. I even sucked the wood chips off of her feet and legs and it didn't bother her at all. One of the other pups...can't remember who at the moment....also watched intently but left when I lifted it up and started sucking at the x-pen.

The pups had their first play date with a child today. She was 5, they have "Patch" who is from the first cross. The pups-that were awake-enjoyed playing with her, climbing and chewing. Plus it is always good to have little people around them. Good for the kids and the pups.

A few of the pups-Asia, Raffi, Zeus, Tony and Bauer-had their first outing away from their house. They got to go upstairs and visit with Lissy and her friend from school. Lissy said that they did good and didn't pee on her bed. :-) Always a good thing!

They are getting fed three times a day. Eating about 2 1/2-3 cups a feeding. What they don't eat Ivy gets and Ivy likes. I bought chew toys for them yesterday and gave them those to chew on. Raffi and Bailey really got into chewing on the them. I also put some small bones in there that the big dogs have chewed/broken. I was going to throw them out as I felt they was a bit small for the adults but they are perfect size for the pups. I just have to remember to pick them up before I put Ivy in there...she goes for the bones.

Day 31

Demi................................................Maddison

Growing little weeds they are. Personalities are starting to blossom and grow. The play drive is really showing. They are tugging on toys, squeaking the soft ones. Grabbing pant legs, chewing on my crocs, tugging on my sleeves. Amanda and Alisa help give each pup some one on one in the front room.

Moses................................Gilda

They are doing a great job in there new area. They still piddle on the paper but for the most part they poo in the wood chips. There is one pup who will go on the paper but I haven't figured out who it is yet. They don't do it all the time. Only once since I changed the paper this afternoon. They are so funny when they hear the door jingle. I can go in the room and they look up at me but the latch jingles and they are up and ready to try to escape. LOL Funny little guys. I worked on sits with a few of the puppies. It was funny watching them try to figure out the treats. Sniffing, trying to eat them, the little tails wiggling.

Raffi...............................................Zeus

As for hair, some of the pups are really fluffy...I think that they are going to have a coat more like Skips, and then the others are a little shorter, straighter-more like Ivy and Ebony. They are fat little butterballs.

Bailey...........................................Asia

Tony..................................................Bauer