Haircut

Due to the constant wet weather we are having at the moment, I took the decision to take Dime's coat off today. Keeping both her and Spirit in full coat was becoming increasingly hard work, both were taking about 3 hours work twice a week to maintain which was getting harder and harder to fit in, especially with the others also requiring regular, shorter, grooming sessions. However I can't bring myself to take Spirit's coat off yet, when I see her freshly groomed, running with her coat flowing I just have to admire her, and she gives the best fluffy cuddles :-)

 

Sioux has now had his vaccination and can go out and about, he is terrific on the lead and happily walks through the town centre and alongside the heaviest traffic, he marches along proud as punch with his tail held at a very jaunty angle, however, trips in the car are a completely different ballgame. He suffers from really bad car sickness. Today I wanted to take him to a local park, about a mile and a half away. I decided to break the journey by grabbing a quick bit of shopping at the local supermarket, half a mile away, he was salivating heavily by the time we got to the shop supermarket and was sitting in a pool of drool. I left him with the doors open and Spirit in the pen next to him whilst I went in the shop for about 10 mins, he was still dribbly when I came back to him. We then went on to the park, took less than 5 minutes but he had been sick be the time we got there :-(

He had a great time in the park, we were there for about half and hour (just mooching about, not walking round as I have to careful with his exercise levels at this age), by which time he was fully recovered. Back in the van to go home and the drool started straight away and he had been sick again by the time we got home. I feel we are going to have to do a lot of journeys to get him over this. On the plus side, it does mean he is getting very used to having baths!

The kittens are continuing to gain weight, they are slowly becoming more alert and Emily is making sure that they are getting plenty of cuddles, with her attention these kittens are going to be real cuddle monsters and totally bombproof!She has named the blue and white boy Sid and the black boy Diego (guess who's an ice age fan)

Growing Fast

It will probably come as no surprise, as there are only two kittens in Miss T's litter, that they are fat as pigs and growing fast. They have both had their eyes open for a few days now, but other than that there is not much to add at the moment, they eat and sleep:-)

 Despite Manuel's very best chat up lines, Sybil is still not pregnant. So once again she has gone to Dorset to visit Jack (her last litter was fathered by him), fingers crossed he can work his magic on her!

I have decided that I will be breeding from Audrey and Spirit next year. I am very excited about both these matings and am really looking forward to having some puppies about the place again. I also plan to try Dorothy again when she next comes into season, hopefully in a couple of months time. Dollar will have her final litter towards the end of 2013 or beginning of 2014.

It was my intention to bring in another toy poodle girl this year, as Betty has now been spayed, but I feel that with Spirit, Sioux and Dime all being very young dogs, now is not the time, as I couldn't give it the individual attention it would need. Perhaps next year.

Here at last

Miss Tibb's had her kittens last night, she has decided on quality not quantity this time and has produced two big healthy boys. She has one black smoke and one blue and white. I have posted a couple of pictures taken whilst they were still wet last night and will take some more later today (when I feel less like zombie, having waited up with her until 2:30am and then checking her again at 4am).

Still waiting

Just a very quick update, as I have several enquiries about Miss T's litter, she is still holding on, though, as can be seen from the picture, she has a very full tummy. I can't believe she will be much longer, she has been restless and clingy for the last couple of days.

I will post as soon as the kittens arrive.

First Babies at Itzapromise in 2012 are.......

Chicks! I had two of my chickens go broody, I don't own a boy so I gave them some duck eggs to hatch (I have a drake to go with my ducks) but unfortunately, although they started to hatch, none managed to get out of the egg. I then bought some orpington eggs from a 'well known auction site' and put 3 eggs under each girl and yesterday each hen had 2 eggs hatch, so I now have 2 very happy mummies.

It has been a much quieter year here, with regard to pups and kittens, and whilst I do miss the babies and find myself getting increasingly broody, it has given me a chance to do much more with the girls. Audrey and Spirit are coming on very nicely with their agility training, I am now starting to feel that we may be able to think about doing some shows in the next year or so :-) Dime has started a clicker trick training class, after just two weeks she now reliably touches a target stick and will give a paw.
Sioux is too young for a formal training class, but we have introduced him to the clicker and within a few days he has learned sit, down and give a paw, he also waits outside the kitchen while I get his dinner ready and is starting to understand that he has to do a sit/wait for his meal. I really feel that I am renewing bonds with all my girls which is fantastic. I hope to get some agility pictures in the next few weeks.

We are at last expecting some kittens, not Sybil who still refuses to co operate!. More details and pictures will follow once they have arrived, hopefully in the next couple of days.