The pups are three weeks old now and doing great. They have outgrown their box and are busy exploring their new territory - the 10' x 10' enclosed kennel where they have been raised inside their box. A large proportion of their day is still spent eating and sleeping, but they have added a new favorite activity: wrestling. They are working out the pack order and play-fighting, complete with full sound effects, and it's pretty funny to watch them. My two year-old niece absolutely loves them, particularly when they bark, howl, and growl at each other, and she tries to give them instructions for life - such as, "Puppies, eat!" or "Puppies, go in!" (pointing into the doghouse.) She is quite gentle and careful when petting them (under supervision) and I'm happy for them to get the extra socialization, but she is a little disappointed that they are too young to follow her instructions. This morning I opened the back door of the kennel into the fenced puppy yard, but they weren't too impressed and decided to stay in the kennel. It won't be long before they are exploring the yard, too. Enjoy the pictures! Clove is currently the most alert and outgoing puppy in the bunch, and her tail is always ready to wag. She also likes to lick, but that is to be expected since both parents are lickers. She looks like she may have either blue or green eyes (probably green) but it's too early to tell, yet. Bo is fat, easy-going, and likes to sleep a lot. But as soon as Cleone comes into the kennel, he wakes right up and heads over for a meal (that's how he stays so fat!) He is the calmest and most laid-back of the puppies so far, but that may change later on. "Shoshone" is friendly and outgoing, like Clove. She won't put up with any nonsense from her siblings, and can pack a pretty mean growl for such a little pup. But even though she likes to scrap with them, she doesn't push matters too far and likes to snuggle in for a nap as soon as the play battle is over. "Navajo" is becoming a really affectionate, friendly little fella. Actually, he's not all that little, consistently holding first or second place for the litter heavyweight. He enjoys a good wrangle with his siblings, but he also really enjoys being scratched and petted. This afternoon he came and snuggled up against my foot, and there he stayed nearly the whole time I was in the kennel. While it's too early to tell for sure, I think he might end up with blue or partially blue eyes. We should be able to tell by about five weeks of age. Scout cracks me up. She has a shrill voice and she uses it readily. Anytime something doesn't go her way, she gets stuck, or she is startled, she yelps her displeasure. But she settles down fairly quickly and seems to be learning balance and calmness. She loves to sleep, eat, and wrestle, just like the others, and she is the biggest of the females. I look forward to helping her learn more about the world and people around her, and watching as she develops into the dog she will become.
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The puppies are two (and a half!) weeks old, and they are as fat and jolly as they can well be. I apologize that I didn’t get this update or sooner. I love doing updates, but the flu and my Etsy business have kept me away from the computer almost constantly of late. These pictures are from last Saturday, and the pups have grown some more since then, and they are more active, but I thought y’all would enjoy the pictures even though they are a few days old. And just as soon as I can, I will share some updated pictures and maybe a video. Keep an eye on the Facebook page, too. It’s much easier to post videos there, so I am more likely to post there first. And now, the pups. Bo “Navajo” Scout Clove “Shoshone”
Happy Monday, folks! The puppies are all doing great. They are starting to learn to sit before I feed them, though we still have some work to do on that before they get it down. They are so funny at this age. I love the way they fling themselves in unbounded ecstasy on me whenever I go into their kennel. (Well, maybe I should say, I usually love it. If they have made messes all over the floor, tramped around and gotten dirty in the messes, and come jump all over my ankles when I walk through the door, I am not thrilled about their ecstasy then.) One of their favorite activities is wrestling, complete with plenty of growling and snarling sound effects, but none of them are really bullies. Treasure is surprisingly aggressive with Winston, even though Winston is bigger and Treasure tends to be a bit shy. Winston Finn (was Auchinleck) hangs in there pretty well with the wrestling, three legs and all, and Gracie just bounces around, growling and wrestling with whichever brother she feels like biting. I had to reschedule the vet appointment, so I'm planning to take them down to see Dr. Harty tomorrow. Hopefully they will get their first round of shots and a clean bill of health, and be all ready to go next Monday. Enjoy the pictures - and maybe a glass of iced tea on this hot January day! Winston (AKA Teddy Bear) This big guy is full of affection, with a trace of his mama's goofiness. He has become very talented at running from the kennel door around to the gate of the run, and back to the kennel door again, depending on where I am, as he begs for me to come pet him, or let him out, or show him attention in any way. At picture time he always finds his way into my lap, which makes him one of the more difficult puppies to photograph. Today he thoroughly enjoyed chewing on my shoe while I took pictures of the other puppies - until Treasure tackled him. Gracie Gracie loves to run. She runs to meet me, runs to chase her brothers, runs to check out some imaginary something or other on the far side of the pen, and runs back to the kennel. She also loves to jump, loves to have her belly rubbed, and loves to lick. She's a loving little rascal! Treasure Remember how in last week's blog post I mentioned that Treasure was acting shy? Well, he still doesn't like my phone for some reason, so he evacuates whenever I try to take a video of him, but he has really come out of his shell this week. He's still not the outgoing, climb-all-over-while-licking-anyone-he-can-reach type puppy, but he is quietly cheerful and friendly, and he seems to enjoy putting both the Winstons and Gracie in their places. It has been fun to watch him grow up this week! Winston Finn (was Auchinleck)
One of the funny coincidences of this litter is that two of the pups ended up with the name Winston. I've always wondered whether I would have two pups with the same name, but I didn't expect it in the same litter - certainly not in a litter with only four puppies. So 50% of this litter is named Winston! Anyway, to get to the point... Winston Finn is doing very well. He's figured out how to walk and run on three legs quite nicely, and though he is still a bit less active than Winston and Gracie, he always comes to meet me and wags his tail nearly off to tell me how happy he is to see me. I'm so happy that he has found his family - and that he even will have a three-legged Border "sister." Happy New Year, everybody! I hope that you all had a great holiday season and that getting back into the normal routine isn't too much of a struggle. The puppies are doing great. We had a pretty big group of people over on New Year's day and the pups were a major attraction, especially for the younger girls. I have an appointment tentatively set with my vet for them to be checked over and have their first round of shots this Friday, but I have a couple of loose ends to check before confirming that appointment. The pups are getting big, all weighing in around 6 - 7 lbs, and they are playful and friendly - especially when I'm trying to take pictures and they all decide to climb on me at once. In many ways this is the most fun stage of raising puppies, but they are also more work, as they seem to constantly need to be fed, need their kennel cleaned every morning, need more one-on-one attention, etc. Basically, they are joyful little rascals! Treasure (was "Dalziel") is growing into a handsome, thoughtful, rather shy puppy. He always has tended to be shy and a bit timid, preferring to sit in the background and watch the others before venturing too close to visitors (myself included.) While he does enjoy being handled, I'm working on his confidence level. Hopefully he will learn that even though the world is a big, sometimes scary, place, he can face it with joy and confidence. Winston has a wonderful outgoing, yet fairly calm personality. When I'm taking pictures of the others, he will usually come climb into my lap and sit there, happy just to be close to me. While he is fairly dominant over the others, he's not a bully. All in all, he's a pretty cheerful and content little Border Collie. Gracie reminds me of her mother - she loves to run and she's always running hither and thither and yon. She is going to be a real handful, but oh, is she sweet. Everyone who meets her loves her, and almost everyone comments on her black ear. She's hilarious, loves to be petted and held, and has an outgoing, confident personality. "Auchinleck" remains my favorite puppy, both for his looks and for his temperament. If I was keeping a pup from this litter, it would probably be him, 3 legs and all. (But - I'm not keeping a pup from this litter, so he needs a home.) He usually hovers in the background, like Treasure, but once I touch him, his tail starts wagging like there's no tomorrow. He is a bit of a licker, and loves to climb and chew on me as much as I'll let him. He has the most interesting color I've ever seen - silvery blue with a hint of copper, and very little merling. I definitely want to keep breeding rights to him, and maybe someday I'll have some of his babies around here. We'll see. He's a special pup, still looking for a special home.
Here we are at the end of the year. Seems like the years go by faster and faster - but I guess that's just part of life, especially with all the technology and information constantly around us. The puppies are very mobile now. They like to wrestle, growl, bark, run, and climb in and out of their igloo. They are enjoying having access to the 2,000 sq. ft. run behind the kennel during most of the day now, though they still tend to huddle up together in the igloo when the weather is cool. Gracie is by far the most active. She reminds me a bit of her mother, running here and there. And she loves Flora! Winston is also very outgoing, like Gracie, but is not as hyper. He crawled into my lap this morning while I was taking the pictures, and he just sat there for a few minutes, content just to be with a person. Blue-eyed "Auchinleck" loves to be petted and scratched. He has a sweet, cheerful disposition in spite of his handicap, and his tail is usually going if I'm petting him. (He is still looking for just the right home. Contact me if you are interested.) "Dalziel" still doesn't like being held, but he does like attention. He is usually content to be in the background, and his disposition is gentle, slightly timid, and quiet - especially compared to Gracie's and Winston's exuberance.
Four weeks old already - my, the time has flown! Well, at least, the weeks have been flying by for me... those of you who are anxiously awaiting the day when you can take your puppy home may find the days passing more slowly. Our house has been busy as we prepare for the holidays and spend time with friends, and today I went out with my sisters and father for our annual Christmas shopping expedition, so I didn’t have time to take good individual pictures of the puppies - sorry! The good news is that I did take a few pictures this morning and also a short video. They are getting big and active! Auchinleck is still available due to unexpected health circumstances in the family which was planning to take him, so if you are interested in him, let me know. He is going to be a special and handsome pup, missing leg and all, but he will need just the right home. Enjoy the pictures and video, and take time to sit back and think about what Christmas really is: a day set apart to remember the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ - the light of the world and the only Savior. Merry Christmas, everyone! The puppies are doing well. They have all found their voices and are starting to figure out how their legs work. I am supplementing their diet with raw goat milk formula, which means that they will be getting quite messy, since they always swim in their milk while drinking it. I am moving them out of their box and onto the floor of the kennel during the day, but they still have their heating pad and go back into the box at night. I'll let the pictures tell the rest of the story. The pups are fun to have around! "Auchinleck" This little guy has a sweet personality. He is having more balance issues than the other pups, but is figuring out how to walk. I expect him to be much more mobile next week. Gracie Gracie is very photogenic and also one of the most active pups. I think she will be a handful - a fun handful. "Dalziel" Sadly I didn't get very many pictures of him. He was worried to be all by himself for the pictures and I didn't want to keep him stressed out for too long. He's still vocal, but tolerates being held with more pleasure than he used to, and he's also growing nicely. "Lennox" Mr. Handsome was hard to photograph because he kept trying to leave the blanket - hence all the head-on pictures. He is getting this whole balance idea worked out pretty well, and he's just a jolly, strong puppy. Percy was very curious and sweet to the puppies. Of course, I kept a close eye on him, but he was amazingly gentle for his age. It was fun watching him interact with them. Well, folks, I'm afraid I have to start this blog post off with an apology. I think this is the first time I have missed doing a one week puppy update. Thanksgiving, family staying with us for a couple of weeks, and the orders which have poured in from my Etsy shop have all united to keep me from posting. The good news is that I have still been able to give the puppies quite a bit of attention - I just haven't had time to blog about it. Hopefully from now on things will be smoother. The puppies started opening their eyes around 11 days of age and now they are all open. They can't see much yet, but their vision is improving by the day. They are much more mobile and are standing up and wobbling around, instead of only "swimming" on their bellies. One of my younger sisters reported that they were growling at each other and trying to wrestle this morning. I will try to catch that on video and share here and on the SandSpur Ranch Facebook page. Willow has not been the greatest mother, but she is getting her act together and her puppies are strong and growing. One good point about Willow is that she has been an extremely clean mother. As you can see in the pictures, the puppies are very clean and in good condition. I did not clean them up at all before taking the pictures; Willow keeps them that way. In some other areas, she still needs more experience to be a stellar mother. Here are some individual pictures. Gracie (was Ainslie) This little girl has been strong right from the start. She has gained weight almost as fast as Lennox (the chub of the group) and she is pretty good at taking care of Number 1 when it is time for lunch. Her colors are gorgeous. She has this interesting reddish tinge to her coat, but her darker spots are black, which tells me that she is a blue merle, not a red. (She does carry red, though she is blue.) It is too early to know much about her temperament, but so far she has been very level. She likes to be held, but she is also fine to be down on the floor of the whelping box with her brothers. All around she has been a happy, low-maintenance puppy. "Dalziel" This little rascal reminds me a lot of his mother in build. He has long legs, his mama's markings, and a loud voice. He was the smallest of the pups and so I have tried to make sure that he gets a little extra nursing time, but he hasn't let his size slow him down. He would always yell whenever I picked him up, and it was not until yesterday that he started letting me hold him without trying to escape. Yesterday his new owners, Bill and Ellen, came out for a visit, and to my surprise, he settled right down with both of them and went to sleep in their hands. The other puppies would always do this, but he usually wanted to be put down. Not while they held him, though! He had a good long nap while they were here. When they put him back into the whelping box, he woke up and started to complain. It was neat to see how he enjoyed them handling him! (Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. K. for providing him with such a great home!) "Auchinleck" Auchinleck is the special puppy of this litter. Poor Willow fooled me into thinking that she wasn't going to have her puppies for another day or so, and I missed the first few births. Apparently while she was cleaning them up, she bit off his right hind leg. It has taken quite some time to heal up, but it's finally looking pretty good (under the circumstances) and he is gaining weight. Because he has only three legs, the other pups can shove him out of the way at the milk bar a little more easily, so it has been harder to put weight on him, but he weighs about 1 1/2 pounds now, comparable to his siblings, so I'm happy. When I start supplementing with raw goat's milk formula, I expect him to have a growth spurt. His colors are gorgeous, at least, I think so. He has the most interesting light reddish blue coat. Auchinleck has the sweetest temperament. Of course, it's still early to be seeing much of his personality, but he is the kind of puppy to just melt the heart. I think he will have a special bond with people since he has gotten extra care since birth. He is a determined pup, too! Even though he only has three legs, he can scoot around almost as fast as his brothers and sister. All around, this little guy is a special pup! "Lennox"
So far, Lennox has been the gentle giant of the litter. He is quiet and peaceable - unless you get in his way at lunchtime! This puppy LOVES to eat, and it shows. When he's not eating, he is usually asleep with his brothers and sister. He is very level-headed so far and seems to enjoy being held. While it is early to see much personality yet, I think that he is going to continue to be level-headed, friendly, and big. He's just all around a sweet, teddy bear sort of pup. This is the kind of post I have wanted to put off writing for quite some time, but I feel it is time to share. This information, in one form or another, has already been made public, via private email to all my puppy buyers, mass email to my notification list, and Facebook. The text below is copied from the private email I sent. Echo went to live with one of her brothers in Naples. She is doing great in her new home. Sadly, one of the dogs with an epilepsy diagnosis had to be put down. His owners did everything they reasonably could for him, but in the end, it was best for him to be peacefully put to sleep. This was a heartbreaking situation for his owners and for me, too, because I care about every single one of my puppies. BUT - Duncan went to live with them and help them heal from Tommy's loss. Duncan has settled in very well. They love him and he loves them, so we are all happy. Briefly stated, it has recently come to my attention that several of Dandie Duncan's puppies have had apparently epileptic seizures. The intensity of these seizures has ranged from trembling, drooling, and disorientation, to severe seizures and short-term behavioral changes. Two puppies have had minor seizures (one of which is our Flossie) and two have had severe seizures. Of these dogs, only one is on medication to control the seizures, to the best of my knowledge. Flossie has never had a recurrence of the tremors/ drooling/ discoordination incident as far as I know. At the time of occurrence, my vet and I thought it was possibly an ivermectin overdose, but I have since come to believe it was most likely a minor epileptic seizure.
I am retiring Duncan from all breeding immediately as I cannot risk producing more puppies with epilepsy. There is no genetic test for epilepsy at this time. This means that the only way to detect whether a dog is a possible carrier of epilepsy is to see whether there are reported cases of epilepsy in his pedigree and family, or if he produces puppies with epilepsy. There are two websites (the Border Collie Epilepsy Database) where owners of epileptic Border collies can report their cases and upload pedigree information. This is the first go-to for anyone checking a pedigree for incidents of epilepsy. The problem is that not everyone reports epilepsy to the database, so the information, although better than nothing, is incomplete. The other major problem with epilepsy is that it can "hide" for one or more generations. In other words, dogs may be carriers of this disorder and yet never be affected by it, but because they are carriers, they can produce affected offspring. Because of the fact that a carrier is outwardly healthy, it may not become apparent that this dog carries epilepsy until after affected puppies are produced (as seems to be the case with Duncan.) I have searched the BC Epilepsy Database for all the names in Duncan's and Cleone's pedigrees (since 3 of the four pups are from both of them.) Cleone's search turned up absolutely nothing. Several dog' 'names matched names on Duncan's pedigree, but they were imported dogs and the ABCA and ISDS (two different registries) numbers could not be matched. So there is a slight possibility that it came through this line, since these dogs may have had two different registration numbers, but until the site is functioning back at its full potential, I cannot check this. I am so sorry to have to be the bearer of bad news, as I know that an epilepsy diagnosis on a dog belonging to any one of you would be potentially devastating news. I have retired Duncan from breeding and will not use him or Echo in my breeding program. As I search for a new stud for SandSpur Ranch Border Collies, I will be extremely careful and check pedigrees thoroughly for epilepsy, as well as other disorders. Please understand that it is extremely difficult or even impossible to conclusively determine whether a dog is a non-carrier for epilepsy, especially as some researchers believe this is a polygenic (controlled by multiple genes) disorder. This discovery has been terribly disappointing to me in several ways, especially since I cannot in good conscience breed Echo, whom I retained from a previous litter. This discovery and subsequent research has also led me to a better understanding of Border collie health challenges and good breeding practices. Hopefully a new and even better stud than Duncan will help mold my strain of Border collies into better, healthier dogs. I hope that the cases reported to me by their owners are the only cases of epilepsy in this bloodline, and I am thankful that most or all of Duncan's offspring are spayed/ neutered, or soon to be, so that it will not spread any further from him. I would also encourage any of you who end up with an affected dog to please let me know of any incidents, and also to upload information to the Database. By sharing information openly, we can help to breed out epilepsy in Border collies. Special thanks to Ms. Susan F. and Mr. Dean C. for informing me of their pups' seizures in a timely, open, and understanding manner. I greatly appreciate your understanding, appreciation of my dogs and me, and your concern for both my dogs and my reputation. For further reading about epilepsy in Border collies, visit this article: https://www.ufaw.org.uk/dogs/border-collie-idiopathic-epilepsy I miss Duncan and Echo, but I am happy that they are in good homes, and I look forward to improving my Border collie line in the future. For years I have dreamed of dog sledding, but since I live in Florida, that has never seemed very probable. Now, since I am always on the lookout for more activities for my dogs, I recently began playing with the idea of teaching them to pull, even though we don't have snow for sledding. I plan to teach them to pull me on a bicycle - a sport known as bikejoring. Maybe someday I will be able to take them to the snow and really sled, but for now, they can help around the farm. This should be a fun sport to keep them busy from time to time, and also provide a new activity for children visiting our farm, who would love to take a ride in the wagon behind a team of Border collies. Right now, our cows are in a neighbor's pasture, which means that I have to drive or hike over there, toting feed, cleaning supplies, and milk buckets. The dogs always help me put the cows and goats where I need them, and this morning, I decided that they could help me even more. Willow has taken the most naturally to pulling, so far. She is the one who tends to be hyperactive, anyway, so more exercise is a major benefit to her. She pulled the wagon through the woods, up the hill, and a short distance down the road with a great attitude. She is even learning left and right. It's beginning to look like she may be my lead dog. Flora tagged along, little knowing what was in store... She wasn't as enthusiastic as Willow when I hitched her up, but she just laid down in the shade and bided her time while I loaded the milk into the wagon. The cow milk (almost a gallon) was in a tote with a tight-fitting lid, but the goat milk (about a pint) was just in the bucket. I carefully wedged it in with the other buckets. Flora tagged along, little knowing what was in store... She wasn't as enthusiastic as Willow when I hitched her up, but she just laid down in the shade and bided her time while I loaded the milk into the wagon. The cow milk (almost a gallon) was in a tote with a tight-fitting lid, but the goat milk (about a pint) was just in the bucket. I carefully wedged it in with the other buckets and hoped it wouldn't tip over. Off we went. All went well as she trotted down the paved road with the wagon, until she turned onto the trail downhill through the woods. Willow was going the wrong way, so I called her back, stopping on the paved road while Flora pulled the wagon down the trail. Next thing I knew, I heard this loud, ominous rattling and realized that Flora was dashing full speed down the trail, with the wagon careening wildly behind her. I yelled, "Whoa!" and took off after her. A few paces further on, she stopped and lay down, looking back at me with a mischievous, tired grin. This is what I found in the wagon... Yep, my bucket-wedging job couldn't handle that wild ride through the woods. I decided not to cry over spilt milk, got Flora up, and headed down trail again. She wasn't too enthusiastic, even when we got to the driveway, but she pulled the wagon right up to the deck. They both did a good job. I look forward to this new learning adventure!
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AuthorMy name is Alayna Feldman. I have been greatly blessed and am thankful, first and foremost, to the Lord Jesus Christ, Who has saved me. I am also deeply thankful to my parents, who have raised me in a stable, safe, loving home and taught me about what is most important in life. Archives
February 2022
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