Peace at last!

But probably not for long. All Rhondas babies have now found wonderful new homes(except for Audrey, the girl who is staying with us), the last boy is due to leave on Thursday. They have been a lovely litter to have around the place and I shall miss them, I'll have to start watching telly in the evenings again as they were my entertainment over the last few weeks. Although I have to admit that their games had begun to get more and more energetic and vocal so I will be glad of a bit of quiet time again. Thank you to everyone who has given me updates on their new family member, it is much appreciated. I have recently had updates on two of Purdies pups now 1 year old, lovely to know they are wonderful, happy, much loved pets.

Having said that, Bettys babies are now 2 1/2 weeks old and are coming on well and it won't be long before they are out and about, though I hope they will be a little easier than 10 Std puppies. I have never seen such fat pups, Betty is still nursing them 24hours a day, I can't see them being intersted in solid food in the near future. Betty has proved to be an extreemly protective mum, she and the pups are in a pen which is supposed to keep them safe from accidents with the big dogs, in reality it is keeping the big dogs safe from Betty the "rottweiler".

Double trouble

Just a few shots of the remaining two boys having fun in the sun.

Just the two of us

Title applies twice over, we have just two gorgeous boys still waiting for the right homes and Betty now has two tiny pups.

It is such a shame the two boys are still here, they are the most affectionate little lads and desparatly want a home where they can be centre af attention. They are almost housetrained now and will be going for their first vaccinations at the end of this week.

Betty had her pups on 11.04.09. She has had a pale apricot girl and a jet black boy. As expected they are both very small (but incredibly fat) as Betty is only 8" tall and Alfie is 10". Both were booked before they were born but as so often is the case, the gentleman who wanted the boy couldn't wait and found another pup but didn't have the manners to let me know! I can understand people changing their mind and at this early stage it isn't an issue for me but I do get fed up with people not telling me. It is the same when I get email enquiries, I spend the time to reply with as much information as possible and they can't even manage a thanks but no thanks, very frustrating.

Anyway, mum and pups are doing very well, pups are 24hr eating machines! They are not very easy to photograph at the moment as; a- the black one doesnt show up very well and b- Betty is very protctive of them and wraps herself around them, but I have got a couple of shots even if they are not great,

Wash and brush up

Most of the pups have now had a bit of a spruce up. They are all bathed before they leave here and most have their face and feet clipped as well. But Ronnies new family wanted him to keep his fuz, so I have put a couple of pictures to show how different they can look- a sort of before and after! I have to admit that letting Ronnie go was harder than normal, he was my favourite boy( not that I have favourites of course). He was the one that always wanted that extra bit of attention.
Unfortunatly due to personal circumstances of her new owners, one of the bitch puppies has become re available, I did take the number of a lady that wanted a girl, but have mislaid it, so if anyone would like more details on this little girl, or her 2 remainig brothers, please give me a ring.
Thank you to those who have already collected their pups and have left comments on here, it is great to know that they are doing well and I am checking out "Charley's World" on a regular basis to follow his progress.

Leaving Home

Well the first two have left home, both have gone to very nice couples which makes the parting easier for me. They both had their first bath and clip today so left looking and smelling very fresh, if a little shellshocked by the experience.
Three more are due to go next week, so it should start to get a bit easier getting from A to B now as there will be less ankle biters doing their best to hang on and trip me up everytime I move. Hopefully the last couple of boys will find their new homes very soon as, much as I love them, they need to start getting that one to one bond with their new owners.

Puppies 6 & 1/2 Weeks

After a lot of trial and error Rosie has eventualy managed to get me some video! There is an HD version on YouTube but we couldn't transfer it unfortunatly.

Please excuse the state of the garden, not only does it have a multitude of dogs/pups/cats and chickens wrecking it, but we have also got building work in progress!. Having said that, it does mean that the pups have got free rein in it (as there is nothing left to ruin).

Why?

Just a little rant really. Why are people paying silly money for crossbreeds? I have spoken to several people who own these dogs recently and the only reason I have been able to establish is they want a dog that doesn't shed, is intelligent but doesn't have the image of the show poodle. It seems to me that most of these crosses have been bred to give a puppy with a coat that won't shed. A lady that I spoke to has a labradoodle F1b(3/4 poodle), to me it looks like a poor quality poodle, it requires the same coat care, grooming, bathing, clipping as a poodle the only difference being that it sheds hair! The reason she paid nearly £1000 last year was because her husband didn't want a 'poofy' poodle. She is a very nice lady and the dog is a nice dog but I feel that this reason for purchasing a poodle cross is quite simply down to ignorance about the poodle and failing to do your homework on these crosses. Also I think people should bear in mind that these crosses are not likely to come from the best examples of the parent breeds as most breeders of top quality stock are very protective of their chosen breed, carry out the relevant health tests and don't want their dogs used on different breeds. Many of these crosses will shed, but unfortuntly this is often not apparent until the dog is over 1 year old and by then it is a loved member of your family, so what do you do if a member of your family develops an allergy once it sheds? A poodle will not shed. Poodles are very intelligent. They come in sizes from 8" to over 24". They can be kept in a short practiacl clip( no poms). Now I realise they are not for everyone, and that some crosses are bred with a purpose in mind, ie my best friend Rosie has several poodle/collie crosses that are fantastic working dogs competing in obedience and agility and also are very cute to look and have appeared on TV frequently, but I would ask that anyone considering a poodle cross does their homework and doesn't write of a pedigree poodle because of a perceived image.

Rant over, I feel better for that.

Next post will be back to my fantastic, health tested parents, non shedding, intelligent, loving pedigree poodle puppies. Hopefully with some video.