Update

I have been trying to get to this for a while. Or maybe it's more accurate to say that I have been avoiding it for a while. But I promised someone I would let her know and post an update about a certain puppy and so here it goes.

Shade. I love this puppy. But yet again I had to have a hard conversation with myself on the limitations of being a small scale breeder with a lot of other things on her plate.

A couple of weeks ago someone found me via the Breeder's Directory and asked if I had any available puppies. The more I talked with this person and learned about her family the more I realized I could provide a great home for my girl. Long story short, Michelle and Guy and their 3 young children have brought Shade home.

Her new name is Hero after the Shakespearean character in Much Ado About Nothing.


I am sooooo happy with this family. Shade... er, I mean Hero... is their first dog as a young family. And they're all getting along great from the sound of things. With the exception of one of their cats (not the one in the above photo) but hopefully he'll come around.
Hero will be an easy baby for them to learn on. The whole time I was at their home talking to them about how to teach her things she sat at my feet fully attentive to me, waiting for me to direct her. Very gentle with the children (ages 2, 4 and 6) but happy to be interacting with them too. Love, love, love!!! that gentle, confident demeanor!

Other puppy news:
Wilson (fka Boo) is well and happy with his momma Donna and buddy Rudy.

I will be saving this photo to show how you can tell a Pem from a Cardi without looking at their butts.

Moxie (fka Raven) is doing equally well.




All three of these kids really took after Panda, being athletic and snuggley clowns. They are making their families smile everyday.

Also wanted to pass on some history of the breed. Moxie's mom, Ruth, has been doing a lot of research and happened to fall upon the Norwegian Lundehund. She writes:
"One source suggested that though they have a lot of connections to the Spitzes, they are most closely descended from the "Norwegian Lundehund". (When I look at the different breeds, I could see more Spitz in the Pembroke and more of a Lundehund look to the Cardigan.)

When I looked up the Lundehund, I was quite fascinated by it's similarities to the Cardigans in particular.

They were bred for hunting Puffins in the mountains and are exceptionally agile.

They have 6 toes including an opposible thumb which makes them capable of grasping in a manner similar to humans, making them excellent climbers. They can leap in the air and grab things with their paws. They are the only dog that is capable of spreading it's forelegs straight out to the sides in the same manner as humans. (I checked and Moxie can do this very comfortably also - but not quite straight out.) They are extremely flexible and can fold themselves completely backwards - something I see Moxie doing frequently when sleeping and have wondered how she can possibly be comfortable. They can shut their ears completely to keep out water, etc - Moxie also puts her ears back and down in a similar fashion (though I don't know if the corgi ears are quite as efficient at keeping out water?). I have also noticed that Moxie takes like a mountain goat to climbing."
"Most sites I found feel that there's a connection with the Cardigan to the Lundehund and probably the Dachshunds and the Basset Hound early on and then, later, more Spitz, possibly Vallhund was added to the breed later, producing the Pembroke. Early Cardigans worked as herders in mountainous regions on rough terrain, so a Lundehund connection certainly makes a lot of sense. . .

Moxie closes her ears when she rushes to greet me or when she goes through high grass, and, when she does, she looks just like this Lundehund."

Note: I have started some classes this summer. Human Biology plus Lab for that course. And Human Genetics! It's only been a week but I'm having a blast. On top of gardening, kids and dogs I might be over the top busy for blogwriting!

Pupdates

Can you believe it? 9 weeks plus weeks have gone by. Puppies in winter and during holidays. Whew!!!

For those of you who haven't heard I'm growing the black boy on. Not for me so much but to finish him here in this country while he brushes up on his Polish. Yep, the Boo is eventually headed for Poland.

Grandma Kim fell in love with sweet, blue-eyed Fae and her new name is Sapphire or Sappho.

Momma Panda is on her way to live with Kim's dad in North Carolina. I miss that rascal imp of a dog.

The rest of the gang will be be announced as their new families pick them up.

And speaking of families two of them had homes that fell through a couple of weeks ago. What's nice is I'm not at all stressed about their fates. They can stay here until the right home or homes come along. I say home because I keep imagining someone will want the twins, Raven and Shade both (pictured above). They just look like they should stay together don't you think? And maybe they should be renamed Sugar and Spice. That should tell you what their personalities are like. Shade is the sugar and Raven is the spice. Email me if you have a serious interest in these beauties.

2 weeks (and a couple of days)

From left to right: Raven, Fae, Leila, Little Bit-Elysia, Boo-Boy, Cora, and Shade.

It's been a busy week. With the holidays and with what I know will be happening as the puppies get older and sleep less, well, just prepare yourselves for fewer posts than normally happens when there are puppies around here.

I spent some time lining them up for the above photo. Such a picture will be virtually impossible for someone with my level of patience as they become more mobile.

It's also deworming day. They really haven't had anything other than mother's milk. I think they found the caramel-flavored concoction rather tasty.

Other chores for the weekend include pedicures for momma Panda and all the babies. And a bedroom remodel! Yep, the puppies are figuring out the sibs don't appreciate being peed and pooped on and are getting up off the pile and finding a place away from them to take care of business. I also observed that mom no longer needs to be involved in their toileting, although she's a great mom and is still very industrious at her housekeeping chores. (In case you didn't know: Little newborn puppies need mom to stimulate things.) So it's time to introduce a litter box.
What you'll see in upcoming weeks is a box with shavings. It starts out right outside the whelping box and as the babies become more active and need more playroom the litter gets moved closer and closer to the door outside. I understand this mimics the den and how they learn to not poop where they eat and sleep.

All have their eyes opening now. A couple are only half open but it's amazing how they change in personality when they are able to see their picker-upper. And woofs and grrrrs are heard. They managed to get the whole pack upstairs going this morning.

Legend of Raven

Read here for the Legend of White and Black Raven.

Seems fitting that the one with the name Raven is the first one to open her eyes and let the light in. I guess it also means she might be a bit of a troublemaker. Oops. Careful what you name your kids.

Boo is nearly opening his eyes too. Below is him next to Fae and Little Bit. Isn't he huge?!!

Saturday's Squirmy Squeakers

No news is good news they say. Just getting fatter and fatter really.


Leila says "ppppppppthththth."

Sweet Little Bit o' puppy breath.

Cora's nose spotties. Beautiful symmetrical markings.


Fae's a beauty most judges would probably overlook. She has full pigment around both eyes and no white on her ears, but...
And just you watch she'll probably move like a dream.


Boo is such a neck nibbler!


And now he says, "I prefer Mom."

How to tell the two tan-pointed girls apart...
Little speck of white on the back of Shade's neck


Raven has a white bird-shape on the back of hers.

The best Monday...

...is when I can sit and watch puppies napping while sipping my coffee.



Fae says "thanks for the heating pad. It's awesome!"

Cora thinks Boo is a wonderful heating pad too.


And Raven shows off her tuxedo jacket. She's always going to be dressed in style.

Little Bit is up to 9 oz. Yay!!

Day 4

Cora lovin' what Momma Pan has for her. All are gaining and have fat, fat, fat bellies.


Elysia is doing well, still gaining and now 8 oz. I actually call her "Little Bit" most of the time. Little, mighty, and pretty in pink.


Brother Boo is the biggest and twice Little Bit Elysia's size. He's over a pound now. I love how their little tongues stick out.

Well, here they are. Sorry the last couple were blurry but they were very wiggly and Panda thinks "blogging, particularly the part about taking pictures of her babies for blogging, particularly when they need feeding, constant feeding, and why weigh them when you can tell they're doing fine by their vigor and fat bellies".... Ok, ok, Panda has all her babies back and she's much more content.

First one to arrive at 1:45 was this black girl who weighs 10.5 oz. I think I will call her Raven.

Then at 2:10 a blue girl. She weighs 11 oz. And her name will be Cora. Cora was the childhood name of Persephone, Queen of the Underworld.

Then at 2:25 another blue girl with a lot of white on her head. 9.5 oz. Her name is Fae. It means "fairy" and one gave her two blue kisses.

A bitty black girl came at 2:40 and struggled for a bit at first. A tiny star on the back of her neck. 7 oz. I would like to call her Shade.


This girl came next at 3pm. Weight 8 oz. Leila means "night beauty."

Then my itty-bitty blue girl at 3:50. She had a tough time at first but is holding on strong now even at just 6 oz. Downright feisty about her turn at the milkbar. Her name is Elysia which means struck by lightning. Elysia comes from the Greek Elysion (Latinized as 'Elysium'). Elysium was a part of the Greek underworld roughly equivalent to our idea of 'heaven'. Elysium is an obscure and mysterious name that evolved from a designation of a place or person struck by lightning.

And just when I thought all we'd get were girls along came a beautiful clear black boy at 4:10. (No visible points yet.) He's 12 oz. and I will name him Boo. I'm sure he's going to be full of surprises.