I am behind in my usual pup-date reports and for that I do apologize to everyone who has been anxiously awaiting news about the puppies and their latest accomplishments as they grow up.
Time just seems to slip by and their daily care has been my # 1 priority which leaves me with limited computer time so I hope that everyone understands my limitations.

The puppies were 5 weeks old this past Monday and they are growing rapidly and each day brings new observations about each newly developing personality. And though I begin now to see emerging traits that will very likely continue to be defined over the next few weeks, I also understand that they are changing daily as they attempt to find their place within their "pack". There are no hard and fast rules with regard to their overall personalities just yet. Observing them during play, as they eat and sometimes even as they sleep is an ongoing education.

It is most often why I explain to new owners the reasons why I feel each particular puppy is better suited to them and their families as well as their expectations for the activities they will enjoy with them. It is also why I do not allow myself to be pressured into choosing a particular puppy for a family even when some individuals try to indicate their preferences; sometimes subtlety and at other times rather strongly. Hopefully you have chosen me as your breeder for my expert knowledge of the breed,for the manner in which I raise these puppies, my honesty and straightforwardness and my good instincts when it comes to making the "right fit" for you and your family. I do not take any of this lightly and without a clear objective.

This litter has provided me with numerous individuals that will be well suited for great families who will love them and spoil them and enjoy their wonderful spirits for many, many years to come.

Picot ( I call her Little Lily) has rapidly taken on a personality much like her mother. She was rather quiet and somewhat reserved a few weeks ago but all of that has changed and she is now a very confident and out-going puppy. She is playful and always in the middle of any activity. She gives no grief.....nor does she take any. She has a "beauty spot" on her right cheek and a very distinctive face that just makes me smile when she looks at me. How fitting that Lily gave me a little clone of herself.

Cartier was very vocal at 2 weeks of age; always letting everyone know when something upset her apple cart. Now she is happy to just be a part of the pack and she enjoys playing and is a very middle-of-the- road individual. She is stable and affectionate and always....always happy. She has that "doll face" and is hard to resist when she sits patiently waiting to be hugged and cuddled.
She is all about strutting and letting me know that she is "all that and more".

Mercier is a happy and very content puppy. She is the most reserved and readily plays with her siblings but also quite happy to sit and watch as they play without her. She is my "thinker" and finds time to sit on the sidelines as she is ever observant and a quiet little soul. She loves to be held and loved and seems most appreciative that you choose to pay her attention. She is truly an easy puppy to love. Her little body is so pretty and her beautiful face and head are un-mistakable. She has the ability to roll her eyes and look at you as if to say " I only want your love and nothing more."

Longine has the tail wag down great. She wags and she wags and her entire fanny gyrates as she gets excited over just about everything from eating to playing. She is a happy puppy; very outgoing and a bit more dominant in nature than her sisters. She is still trying to find her place in the structure of the pack order and I foresee that she will eventually become one of the more dominant in nature.
That doesn't mean that she isn't a love bug but moreover it means that she has a great amount of self assurance and confidence and I doubt that she will ever lose those traits.

Movado is a handsome boy; the darkest in coloration right now. He is playful and currently a bit more low-key in nature. This could change easily over the next few weeks so I will be closely watching. He seems to be self assured, playful and eager to join in as everyone plays but he isn't the alpha puppy in his pack right now. And he seems to be quite content not to have that status. Numerous people seem to be drawn to him and I am not exactly certain why that is but sense that it is his color and markings. It isn't necessarily the best reason for liking a particular puppy but I do understand that we are drawn to certain puppies with our eyes only.

Rolex is Mr.Personality and has always enjoyed that title. He is very outgoing and very happy; always playful and entertaining. He first climbed out of his box at 2 weeks of age and he hasn't been anything but inquisitive and adventurous since. He is always aware of his surroundings, eager for affection and attention and he plays and interacts extremely well with all of his siblings. He has a lovely body for a puppy so young in that he appears that he will be a very stylish and handsome boy as he grows bigger. When he moves across his play area he is something to see.

Peugeot looks more like his father, Sparks, than any other puppy in the litter. He is quiet mannered and yet always playful and happy. His personality right now seems to be very balanced and he is not at all the most dominant figure within his litter but he seems to be confident in a more quiet manner.
It is as if he doesn't feel the need to be assertive. I have watched as he takes the lead and initiates play but never appears to play a leading role. He seems to be very comfortable "in his own skin" and that is always a good thing to see. Peugeot is very handsome and structurally I am very drawn to his "style".

Inghram is a standout puppy; always strutting about his pen and always focused on attention and interacting with me. He has a quiet manner and while he doesn't ever appear to be bossy or over-bearing with the other puppies, he is definitely in control - at least for the time being. As all things are subject to change, this could as well. But my suspicion right now is that he will continue to be a very stylish, standout puppy who would easily catch a judge's eye. He is happy and always pleasant and he is a pretty, pretty fella. His structure is wonderful.

Corum is a puppy who loves attention. He is patient to wait until it is his turn and always willing to jump into my arms for a cuddle. He, like Inghram, is confident and he seems to be intent on placing himself somewhere in higher pack order, though as I cannot stress enough - that behavior can change within a day. Corum is a total package in that he is very stylish even at 5 weeks and he has a great personality to go with his looks. He too plays very well with his brothers and sisters and he instantly responds to anyone who reaches down to acknowledge his presence.

And so as the weeks ahead are bound to provide me with a much broader look into their world and I am eager to watch these beautiful spirits emerge as they surely will. I have already begun to see that this litter has wonderful shorthair characteristics and breed traits that will serve them well in their lives with their families. For now they eat, they play and they sleep; typically in that order but not always.
They keep me laughing with their antics and amazed at their development day by day. Mother Nature never ceases to cause me to stop and be in wonder at how she programs these babies to know just what they are to do and when they are to do it. Life is a great adventure and theirs is just beginning.
I am honored and humbled to be able to share these first weeks with such lovely and totally innocent creatures that I love so very, very much.

Labels: lily-sparks

February 3, 2009

The puppies are growing by leaps and bounds and they now have a "yard" that they are using enthusiastically. This new enclosure allows them much more freedom and also gives them a place to eliminate as they much prefer not to soil their bedding. It is amazing to watch how quickly they adjust to having this additional space and they freely stroll about the yard to stretch and play with their siblings that are now a part of their playtime.

Lily spends more and more time out of the box now but is never far and reacts quickly to a puppy's vocalization. She is ever observant and always attentive to their needs and she has easily been one of the best mothers that any breeder could hope to have. She is quiet and seems to enjoy her puppies as they crowd around her and walk underneath her measured steps; never bumping or stepping on anyone. She cleans them endlessly and lays in their midst as they crawl over and around her like a jungle gym. I watch her face and her expression as she watches each puppy and she seems to totally enjoy having them all around her. Most shorthairs make wonderful mothers in every sense of the word but there are some that are truly exceptional in every respect and that's our sweet Lily.

Last evening as they became 3 weeks old, I introduced them to puppy gruel. It's always an experience as I carefully watch them dip their noses into the warm liquid food for the first time. I do this individually for a few days to ensure that no puppy accidentally ingests food into their lungs through their nose. Once I'm sure that they know how to eat successfully, they will be introduced to the group feeding pan. That's always hysterical as they slip, slide and roll their way through the warm liquid; all the while managing to fill their bellies to satisfaction. It all culminates with a "group cleaning" session and mother is more than happy to help in the process. Mmmmm.....tasty goop that sticks to their fur like wallpaper paste but it does provide a good 15 minutes of mutual admiration and spontaneous licking. Steve and I laughed as they all just collapsed and slept for hours without moving as their tiny tummies were full satisfied.

We have watched them in these past days begin to "get their legs" and they are mobile beyond belief for only 3 weeks of age. Still just a bit wobbly but amazingly co-ordinated for being so small and so young, it is gratifying to watch them develop. Family members who visit often comment that they would never get anything done other than watch them as they are just great entertainment and cute beyond description. I have the luxury of being able to look into the box or their play yard throughout the day as I try to keep on schedule with other household obligations. Once they move into the kitchen at 5 weeks, life will not be the same for the next 3 weeks and so I take these short weeks to enjoy their antics and also the fact that their territory is somewhat regulated with an enclosure.

Steve and I are terribly happy with this litter and with their structure and conformation overall. They are beautiful puppies and though you always hope that the best traits of both parents will come through when you plan every breeding, sometimes even we are pleasantly surprised. This has been the case with this litter as we look at these puppies and know that they are so far above "average".... that most breeders would be thrilled to have even one or two of this quality in a litter. And here we have 9 absolutely fabulous puppies with wonderful shorthair traits and characteristics.

My sincere hope is that everyone who will be lucky enough to have one of these puppies share their life and their home will have a true appreciation for their quality and their beauty. Our goals in breeding any litter is to produce exceptional quality and the traits that make German Shorthairs such great family companions and to be remarkably beautiful to the eyes as they meet the breed standard. Even we feel that this litter has far surpassed our goals and hopefully a few will be afforded the opportunity to represent "Shomberg" in the conformation ring where their exceptional quality will be recognized and rewarded.

Stay tuned for my next installment at week # 4

Labels: lily-sparks

The puppies have been eating and sleeping most of their days as I continually monitor them.
I have set up "camp" only feet from their box as I spend my nights on Steve's trusty cot.
This allows me to watch them through the night as well as allow Lily some outside potty time due to the huge amount of food and water she is ingesting to feed them. She obviously has very good, very rich milk because they are fat, roly-poly little ones with what seem to be insatiable appetites.

Laundry is a never-ending chore though I must say that Lily is exceptionally clean and their bedding has been spotless. It is now becoming a bit more of a challenge as they now begin to eliminate on their own and that creates some wet spots. Very soon I will be assembling their yard directly off of their box so that they will quickly learn to use it rather than soil their bedding. Their eyes have been closed so that wasn't an option until recently.

Eyes began to open this past Sunday and when you look into those little faces and see them looking back at you......well, there just isn't anything in this world that can compare to it. Their eyes are blue right now, just as a newborn human baby, and they will begin to change over in coloration to what I typically call an "army green" for just a short period. This is the transition from blue to their eventual color - a dark brown. Each puppy's eyes open at varying times so all are now open. Life begins to get interesting once they can focus and see their siblings and the world around them.

They are vocal when hungry and quiet when bellies are full. To hear a "bark" is comical in that it is more like a very small squeak as opposed to what we might recognize as a true bark. But.....bark they do and they are quick to voice their displeasure when Lily leaves the box before they are prepared for her to exit. She now spends more time outside of the box; sometimes observing them perched on my sleeping cot and at other times far across the room on her pile of blankets. This is how she begins to get them on her own feeding schedule which is now not nearly so continual. It's very interesting to see how Mother Nature programs these dogs to know exactly what to do in raising their young and how it all plays out.

They are also moving around their box and they began this long before their eyes were open.
They are strong and push themselves upward on short legs that allow them to navigate, albeit a bit wobbly right now. But motor around they do and in only a very short time that mobility will turn into play and behavior that gives them a real sense of independence. It is an amazing process to watch and I never tire of it. Their motor skills develop quite fast given their new life and limited world for now. Rolex has managed to come over the edge on the box on several occasions only to find himself a bit frazzled as to how he got there. Lily stands over him and then looks at me to place him back inside, which I do lovingly. Soon........his brothers and sisters will be escape artists as well.

The week ahead promises more activity and they will begin to travel back and forth into their "yard" to eliminate on their own and exercise. Small, soft toys will soon be introduced and in a very short time the play and social interaction among them will become much more apparent and sometimes just too funny for words. It is a blessing that I have to be able to watch them grow and find out about the very stimulating and interesting world around them. Watching them develop and become boisterous shorthair puppies will be my greatest pleasure.

Stay tuned for more adventures coming soon !!

Labels: lily-sparks

Labels: lily-sparks