Saying goodbye...

Andy saying goodbye to Ms. Green 

All the puppies have gone home by now and everyone is being kept very busy.  Some have started tracking, some have been doing bird work and going to hunt tests.  Most importantly the puppies are adjusting well with their new family of people and dogs and being exposed to all the things they will be doing in their lives over the next seven weeks.

Puppies brains grow for 16 weeks so we strive to do everything the puppies are going to be doing during the first 16 weeks of their lives.  That ranges from traveling and spending time hanging out in the car, waiting around at dog shows to being in hotel rooms, going to a kennel overnight, getting birds and retrieving, getting on agility equipment at full height (with a spotter for safety), going to the mall, train station, Home Depot to meet people and see cars and of course  tons of woods walks!  

When I get the photos together I will introduce each gamebird puppy with the new name and family.  

They're almost all in their new homes :(

Vicky Schmidt with the puppies before heading home with Mr. Orange

One of the puppies very comfortable on the bed last Friday

It's Sunday evening and we are waiting for Paul and his family to pick up Ms. Rainbow.   It is a little sad to see everyone leave but the puppies all need their own homes at this point.  No matter how much we do it cannot be enough.

So we say goodbye to each puppy knowing they are going to have a wonderful life.  We really hope each and every puppy buyer will keep in touch and let us know how they are all doing for years to come. 

Tomorrow I head home with Drake a/k/a  Mr. Red.  We'll start our new adventure together and get back to my regular life. There is no way to thank Gayle, Andy, Marcy and Jim for all they have done to help these puppies be the very best they can be.  Now it's up to you guys.....have a blast! There are a few more photos in the nine week section. Enjoy!

On the road again...

Gayle and Auntie Corey with the pups

The gamebirds have been traveling a lot recently. Yesterday they went to Albany for their heart and eye clearances. The puppies traveled well, but I will admit it was a bit noisy on the way up. Today Cindy Groveman brought Janet Bunce (of Wochica Goldens) to do a structural evaluation on the litter. We spent a number of hours stacking puppies on the table and watching them move on the kitchen floor.   Thank you,  Janet, for doing such a great job educating us!  What was really nice was having her tell us that it was an incredibly uniform litter.

The Pups on the shore of Lake Alice

Loki playing with the pups.

Later in the afternoon we packed up the puppies and all seven of the big dogs and took them to Lake Alice for a walk. As we started our walk Loki, from the Gaylan's Baseball litter, was walking with his owner Lars (who is also the property owner).  You should have seen the  look on his face seeing 18 dogs and puppies running at him. What a wonderful boy he is - playing with the puppies and running with all the big guys. The weather was lovely as we walked through the woods around the lake. Once we finished the walk we loaded the pups into the van and then took the big dogs to the lake to swim and clean off.    It was truly a glorious afternoon!

Check out the Week Nine Photos!

What A Wonderful Day!!!

Today was the puppy walk, and what a day it was.  Despite the rain, about 30 people got together to take the pups for a woods walk.   The pups got to romp in the woods while each puppy was assigned to a team of people who were asked to take notes about what their puppy did   All the people got an A+ for not calling their pups!!!!   We do not call the puppies, because we are imprinting the following behavior.  We want them to take responsibility to keep an eye on us rather than the other way around.  

When we got back we enjoyed a pot luck lunch and the puppy room was standing room only.  

After about four hours the crowd thinned out and we got to take the pups out to introduce them to birds.  What a delight to watch every puppy turn on to the pigeons. Bizzy took her last walk with her pups since she is going back to Canada with Donna tomorrow.   As Gayle, Marcy and I walked the pups Bizzy almost brought us to tears as we watched her truly enjoying her babies - play bowing, rolling on the ground as they climbed on her, and playing tug with the tree branches.  It's a memory we will never forget.   

Whew - a LONG Day!

Yesterday was the temperament test and everyone is exhausted!   We started at 8:30 and finished up by 5:00.  Pat McKinney did an incredibly good job testing the litter.  All the pups did a GREAT job showing us who they were.   Now comes the important part, fitting the puppy with the right owner.   Gayle excels at many things, but matching puppies to owners is one of her gifts!   

Today we are doing the puppy walk - hopefully it won't rain too hard.  Later tonight I will hopefully be able to post some pictures and video of the day.

  

We're getting ready!

Mr. Brown giving Marcy a kiss after his grooming session.

Some of the gang hanging out on their outdoor bed.

Today we were busy with woods walks, cleaning pens, Dremeling nails, weighing and brushing puppies. The puppies and adult dogs are all pretty tired tonight, as are the rest of us.

Tomorrow is a big day, as Donna LaHaise (Bizzy's mom) is coming from Ontario, Canada with our friend and fellow Gaylan's dog owner Pam Martin. Pat Swallows is also arriving after driving in from Michigan. We are very excited that even though they are not getting one of the pups, they each made the trip to meet the puppies, watch the Positive Puppy Preview (a/k/a temperament test) and join us for the puppy walk. Over the next two days some of the puppy buyers will be joining us for the festivities as well.

As you can imagine, things around here will be very hectic, but we will do our best to post something to the blog each day. There are more photos in the eight week photos section - enjoy!

Happy Birthday Dreamer!!!

Tomorrow is Dreamer's first birthday and the Game Bird puppies wanted to be sure to be the first to wish Auntie Dreamer a very Happy Birthday!!!! As you can see from the above picture, she is THE BEST Aunt in the world!!!!!

Wow, these rock walls are fun!!!

Miss Pink trying out for the cutest puppy contest!

It is hard to believe that seven weeks ago these pups were born. The time flies by so quickly! They are really enjoying life in Cold Spring. They had a long walk and short walk today and had two visitors, Helen Sherman and Cindy Groveman. This morning after a long walk in the cold breeze they came home to a warm breakfast, which we give them on cold days to prevent them from being chilled through and through after eating food right out of the fridge. Later in the day, even though it was 43 degrees and quite breezy, the gang chose to spend 90% of the time playing outside or huddled on the elevated bed rather than inside. Here is a video taken around lunchtime of them playing in the puppy yard.




Enjoy the video - take a look at the photos and video in the eight week photo section and stay tuned.

Hope you didn't give up...

We're still here, but everyone has been so busy nobody has taken many photos of us. Seriously, the puppies are doing well, going on regular woods walks and playing in the yard. They love being outside and if it's raining they just ignore it and continue to play in it.  They are doing very well with their potty training.   We just got back from our night walk before putting them in the guest house to go to bed.  They have caught on and don't willingly come into the house - we've got to catch them. This was after two woods walks totaling two hours and forty five minutes!  I was away for a weekend of baseball (I was invited to see the Met's play their first game at Citifield - not a bad way to see your very first baseball game) and agility and they have grown into little dogs in the last three days. I promise to get more photos and video up tomorrow. There are a few more photos uploaded to whet your appetite for now. Sorry about the VERY dark video...

Bizzy nursing at 10:30 p.m. during last walk of the night

Gayle and Corey walking ahead with a few puppies on their second woods walk

We love it here!

Marcy and I arrived with the puppies on Wednesday, April 1st (no foolin') and got unpacked. They slept almost the entire way with only a whimper once in a while. When they got here and hit they ground running. They went for a walk with Marcy while Gayle and I finished getting things set up. They settled right into their new home and figured out the dog door very quickly. They went to the vet for microchips and blood draw for PRA testing. By the time they got back into the pen we were all exhausted!

This morning Gayle and I took them for a woods walk with Bizzy and Corey. They are great followers! They followed Corey over the ridge (which is quite steep) and down to the stream. Gayle and I looked at each other thinking we'd have to get down there to get them. But first we'd try to get them back.... Gayle called Corey and I called "puppy, puppy, puppy" and they came up over the ridge. I was amazed that everyone handled it so well. When we got back they had breakfast and a morning nap.   It was such a beautiful day I spent the afternoon with the puppies - Gayle joined me when she finished some of the work she needed to do. We sat in the pen and watched puppies and introduced them to Dreamer and let Corey in the pen, too. Dreamer was just fabulous with them! She is aware of her size and loves to engage them. You'll see when you see the photos of the big dog with the puppies. Then we decided to take the puppies, Bizzy, Dreamer and Corey out and down the front lawn to the stream. They had a BLAST! I've put up photos and video of different parts of the day - enjoy!

Puppies heading down the path to their pen (on the left)

Gayle enjoying an afternoon with the puppies

These are not comedians but they sure are fun!

Dart playing with the puppies!   

She loves puppies more than anything.  She wanted to get in the whelping box when they were born but Bizzy would have none of it back then.

Dart played with the puppies  for a long time and when they left she went and play bowed to them to get another game going.  Dart is the mother of the Comedy litter, born last June.

Mr. Red strutting his stuff

The puppies are growing so fast! They love being outside to romp and explore the entire yard! They spent a beautiful afternoon with Bizzy, Goose and Dart and lots of toys to play with. It always amazes me that they can find the one new toy that is brought in every time - just like kids.

More photos are being uploaded to Smugmug. We're heading to Gayle's in the morning so I will do the best I can to post to the blog over the next few days.

Busy, Busy, Busy

 

Today the puppies used the wobble board for the first time. They also got to be out in the rain for a while and then finally they had their first thunderstorm. When the storm hit I got Bizzy in the box and when the thunder sounded cookies rained from the sky. The puppies liked the cookies but Bizzy thought it was awesome! We had lots of company today - friends stopped by for a visit. It was a quiet day hanging out with puppies and enjoying old friends.



We decided today that we're going to take the litter to Gayle's on Wednesday. They need more stimulation than we can give them right now. So, we'll head up early and begin our long woods walks. I have uploaded more photos, unedited, so enjoy.

We must be cute....

..... everyone keeps coming to visit us.


Today we had 14 visitors! We played outside for almost four hours with only a few short naps. Judy came back with Emily and brought Ben this time. Patti brought her family by too. Paul, Maureen and Danny Stusalitus came from Connecticut to see the puppies. A lucky boy will be going home with them.

Danny Stusalitus playing with Mr. Purple - introducing him to hoods

Erin Gutzeit playing tug with Mr. Brown

Mr. Red trotting across the yard

We spend a lot of time just moving puppies from place to place introducing them to as many sights, sounds and textures as possible. They have met 60 different people as of today. Yesterday they went for their first woods walk. Yes, Marcy and Jim took all eleven puppies into the woods and turned them loose to walk over branches, leaves, stumps and down trails. They said they did really well negotiating the terrain.The puppies' following instinct has kicked in so they are right on your heels when you are in any new places.

I have put many new photos on Smugmug but I warn you I have not edited out the poor quality photos. There is a cute video of Bizzy in the kitchen playing with the puppies. I ran out of disk space, but you'll see what a GREAT mom she is!

This looks like fun!

Miss Black showing on the way to the boat.

Miss Green considering the options

The puppies kept me running today! I got them out early because it was going to rain so by 8:00 a.m. we were outside. They found the toys and they love to play on the step. You'll see in some photos some cheap dog beds to break the fall so they are safe. The newest toy for them is my Poke Boat. The boat is a lightweight boat I use for field training. It was up against the fence and I didn't want it to fall over on the puppies so I layed it down and put bricks under it so it could not rock. Well, they thought it was pretty cool! There is a video of their first time with the boat. By the time we went inside everyone was jumping into the boat on their own. There are lots of photos today, but I have not edited much - just no time!

We NEED more toys!

Can you think of a better way to spend your vacation from school? Puppies and Grandma Judy for the afternoon. Emily brought toys for everyone and we spent the afternoon playing in the kitchen with the puppies.

Emily and Judy enjoying the puppies

Marcy and Michelle enjoying the puppies and beautiful day

They had energy to play even after a visit outside from our friend Michelle Foster earlier in the day. They are loving all the solid food they get but continue to nurse well. Bizzy is regurgiitating her food for them at least once a day, Ms. Raspberry picked up a huge toy that she wanted on the bed. She could not lift it up high enough so she backed around the other side of the bed and pulled it up. It was such fun to watch her figure it out. At this point we let them solve their own problems to help them be thinking dogs. Instinct when you see something struggling is to help - resist the urge! More photos are up - but not as good as yesterday's portrait, sorry ;(

"Cheese"

We decided to try and get a group shot of the litter. Thanks to Sue Johnson for her unending patience. This was quite a feat! My friend Cindy, Marcy and I chased puppies and did everything we could to get a decent shot of the litter. We had a great time, laughing, watching Cindy make a fool of herself trying to get a good photo and trying to keep the pups from killing themselves as they dove toward the noise. Usually pups freeze for a moment when they hear a loud noise, but these guys did not give us that luxury. We had a blast and I think Sue did an amazing job. It was also a big day for the game birds because they had their first solid food and just loved it. No problems figuring out food with this crew! We will feed them on different types of dishes in different places to help them adjust to eating anywhere, anytime.

I'll post whatever shots I have on smugmug - enjoy!

A much better day :)

Today was a much better day for me - no mishaps but lots of fun showing off the babies. We had seven visitors today. Our first vistors, Sue and Dan, helped me get the puppies outside where they roamed the yard and chased mom for a snack. I got a blanket for the old lady (me) to sit on and we just sat and enjoyed the beautiful day with the babies.

Sue Johnson schmoozing with Mr. Red

Not long after Sherry arrived with her daughter Maddy and her friend Casey. Sherry asked how long they had to visit and I told her I had to leave in two and a half hours. She laughed.... yet two and a half hours later they were still enjoying the pups.

Casey (left) and Maddy (right) playing with the puppies.

(They get an A+ for socializing the puppies today)

Then Kerry arrived and my friend Ann surprised me with a visit. I had to count puppies when Ann left because she was going to steal one of the girls thinking I might not notice :) Good thing she can't have a puppy right now or I'd have to frisk her at the door. They are all sleeping right now and it is quiet. Quiet is not an adjective I'd use for this litter very often.
I'm going to take advantage of the time.... Enjoy the photos I've posted recently.
BTW, Ms. Rainbow is 100% She gave the rest of the pups a run for their money today :)

Ms. Rainbow had quite a day...

We had lots of company today. Pat (who is getting a puppy from the litter) and her friend Deb came to visit from New Jersey. They arrived while Sandy Washburn was visiting and then two good friends of mine arrived. When all the puppies were awake we took them outside. They loved it! It was much warmer than it was yesterday morning so they got to stay out and play for a bit. While we were outside Ms. Rainbow was accidentally stepped on. So Ms. Rainbow got her first car ride, vet visit and x-ray. She is just fine as you can see from the photos below. She is trying to get Mr. Brown to play - notice the foot in the air :)
She loved all the attention and everyone in the emergency clinic fell in love with her! Sandy called to check on us and told me that Bizzy is looking for the missing puppy - you'd think ten was enough ;) When Rainbow got home she got a long private nursing session and then went to sleep with her brothers and sisters.

Ms. Rainbow playing with Mr. Brown

Ms. Rainbow with her tug toy!

Not much time for photos today but there are a few up from tonight - mostly of Rainbow, I think.

The big outdoors...

Mr. Blue finds a toy in the straw

Marcy, Jim and I took the puppies outside this morning and they did well with their adventure. They loved the straw I have in the yard to control the mud. They followed mom to get a snack and then explored a bit. Ms. Pink followed mom across the yard to a big bush. Bizzy kept pushing her around with her nose as if she wanted to keep her away from it. Pink ignored her and climbed around in the bush until we went to get her. When they began to get cold we brought them back into their box and they slept for quite a while! We took some photos of the outing.

OMG, what a difference two days makes!

Phoebe and Mr. Red getting acquainted!

Marcy and I have been away in Massachusetts playing agility with a few other Gaylan folks for the last two days and Marcy's husband Jim has been home with Bizzy and the pups.   We got home around 11 pm tonight.  The first thought I had was whose puppies are these?   In two days they have changed dramatically!    They recognize people as soon as they come into the room and rush to the edge of the pen tails wagging.  They have found out they can make their brothers and sisters scream by applying some mouth pressure on their body parts!   They pick up toys and RUN across the pen with them.  And the best part, they have at least an 80% success rate in the litter box!!!

This picture was taken last Saturday when Phoebe Teramoto and Helen Sherman were visiting.  Sorry there are no pictures or video, but we promise to have some great shots for you tomorrow!!!!  

They keep putting us in here...

What is this stuff?  (Ms. Black is actually sleeping)

Our focus right now is potty training.   Whenever they wake up I try to get in the pen and put them in the litter pan to do their business.  The idea is to get all the smells  in the pan and the pen is kept as clean as possible so they begin to understand where to do business.  It is a process, but amazing when you see them "get it".  By no means are they perfect but they are going into the litter pan on their own.  

Ms. Green sleeping on the purple bunny

Is it difficult to get photos of them playing because the pen is small for potty training and there are so many puppies. I've finally gotten the photos/video off the camera from the weekend and am uploading them now. Enjoy!

We love our new digs....

Can you find me in here?

The puppies have adapted well to their new home. Bizzy has been feeding them well with all of them having nice weight gains last night. They are playing with each other and the toys that are in the pen. We have put litter pans in the pen to begin their housebreaking and tonight Mr. Purple went in by himself.... we have liftoff!

Post-surgical mom with Mr. Red making her smile :)

My mother has been living with me after her total knee replacement. She's had a rough time but Mr. Red did his thing making her feel better. I think he's earned his TDI tonight!

I've posted a few photos but the video is on a card that won't load so you'll have to check back tomorrow.

We have video - 23 days old!

YouTube decided to let me upload tonight!

Although I say it is March 9th, it really was taken today, March 11th.

Enjoy the video.

We're almost at 30 ...

... visitors, that is. This afternoon Renee and Stefanie Rainer stopped by for a visit and got to watch them play. Their teeth are coming in and they are mouthing everything!! Mr. Purple was pulling one of the toys across the pen. Tonight Phyllis Covino stopped by and stole some kisses on her way to obedience class. They had just fallen asleep, so she did not get to see much other than pure cuteness.

Renee and Stefanie Rainer with Ms. Rainbow and the gang.

What a set of mugs!!

I have not had a lot of success with YouTube, so I have not been able to put up any video.  If I have success, I will put up another blog entry.   In the meantime, check out the week four photos section to see new photos and video there.

Three weeks already!

I cannot believe the puppies are three weeks old already. Seven of the puppies are over three pounds (our goal) with the other four just a few ounces behind. They are marching around the box, interacting with toys and really playing with each other. They had their youngest visitor today. Kerry brought Michaela (18 months) to visit and I had great shots of them but I'm having a problem with my computer and I lost a bunch of photos so I'll have to add the photos I still have tomorrow but will put a few that I got downloaded on the blog so you can get your puppy fix tonight - for anyone who is still up!

This is hard work...

Enjoying a snack

Mr. Purple pulling on the toy

Nothing really new...

All the pups are doing well. It's been a day of hanging out with my mom and dad while they enjoy the puppies. Bizzy is enjoying the extra attention, too! They are getting quite good at nursing standing up. There are a few more photos in the week three photos - notice how crowded the laundry basket is - Mr. Purple actually climbed out this evening!

Bizzy brought breakfast for the kids...

I let all the dogs out this morning (that's seven adults between Bizzy, Marcy's and my dogs) and after a few minutes I look outside my filthy sliding door and see Bizzy sitting there with live breakfast and a big grin on her face. All the dogs want this thing and it's a comedy trying to get the other dogs in without Bizzy bringing it into the house. She dissapears to bury it while I grab a bag. When I get there it is not in the hole. I assumed it was OK (the dogs are trained on birds so why not squirrels??)
So I let the dogs out again and Bizzy arrived again with the squirrel. I grabbed the bag and put it around the squirrel and told her to give. She gently dropped it in the bag. Nice to have a trained dog! Thank you - Donna :)



The puppies are entertaining my mom who just moved in for a while after having a knee replacement done. Nothing like puppies to make the day brighter. We did their nails with a dremel today and most of them were very good about it. We've had to get a bigger box to weigh them in as they begin to approach three pounds. Marcy took some video that won't upload to youtube so you'll need to look at it through smugmug, instead. It's a few minutes long of them nursing - be sure to listen, too. Enjoy!

Photo Op

How's this for relaxing?

The pups have become drunken sailors, moving around the box with purpose but they are not efficient. Now that they can hear they love to hear themselves sing. I will try my best to videotape it. The comedians (the last litter I raised) also liked to sing, but nobody ever heard them but me so I will leave the camera ready to tape the first note. I've added a few photos to the album.
Check back tomorrow for some video clips.

A New Stage

Tonight we did the last set of bio-sensor exercises using a pheasant for their novel scent.  When I got home tonight I put Bizzy back in the box after pottying and feeding her.  The puppies woke up and wanted to eat, but Bizzy was going to clean the pen first.  In the Week Three Photos section you will see the puppies trying very hard to nurse standing up.   It is not unusual for people to want to help the puppies, but figuring out how to get the food is a important part of their development - so you just watch them struggle and admire their "stick-to-it-tiveness," as my grandfather used to say.

A lot of people have asked me which puppy I am keeping - the answer is, the one I'm holding at the time. We so love spending time watching them grow each day. We hope you enjoy it as well through this blog.