Day 43 - The Sun is out!

Today is going to be a beautiful day - I may just have to take the Fury out and run with her on the beach if the tides are willing to play along. What is this? Has my tone changed a bit? That's because, dear reader, your faithful blogette got a full six hours of uninterrupted sleep last night! Huzzah!

So last night I told Yishai about my blog entry (to my knowledge he doesn't read it) about Firma catching everyone's attention and being the way he is, he went straight to loving on all the under appreciated fellas. This includes making them into dog hats.

Chris dropped by a print of Fury and Daca from the white photo shoot on Friday. It is so amazing. I cannot wait for this week's shots. We haven't done it yet - most likely today sometime. The plan is to do kind of a noir-lit headshot.

I am also on to remembering little puppy tricks I used to employ, like putting tin foil in a sock (they love that sound), sticks, and ropes. Fury has a thing for cat-tracks, you know, the plastic circular thing with a ball in it? So all that stuff is starting to come out.

I am also heading to the dollar store today to get some collars and leashes. It's wrangling time! Should be fun.

Day 42 - SCREAM SCREAM SCREAM

Did. Not. Get. Much. Sleep. Basically my roommate came home late and the puppies were like, "Who dat? You fun? Food maybe?" So up I was. And then he got up and went to work with his big, clompy fire boots and they were like, "Ahoy, mate, food? Maybe let us out? Yeah, you want to!" Sometimes I sleep really good - all of hem sleep through the night, but you can fight external stimulation. And, normally in the morning I would just kick them out, but it was raining, so I didn't.

So, they spent the whole day inside. Nap, playtime, nap, playtime. Currently Fie is screaming to be let out again. We mustn't form bad habits, so I am dutifully ignoring her. i do like that they howl a bit when they ask to come out. We here in SLO like howlin' dogs.

I have a pet peeve I'd like to share - it seems like Firma has ended up the pick of the litter. EVERYONE wants her. Even Yishai, who is definite on keeping Optimus (and we have GOT to figure out a new name for her) keeps thinking that Firma likes her. People who want puppies all want her. Nobody's shown much interest in any other specific puppy. I did not expect that at all. I do have one home that asked specifically for Moto, but I am not sure if he's the best fit there and I have not heard from that person in a while. We'll see. Puppy home placement makes me nervous. Everyone that's on the list is reputable, involved, and awesome. But, dude, ALL the puppies are wonderful. I like Firma, too, but I also think there's good stuff in all of them.

I think if I were to pick one, I'd probably end up with Daca. She reminds me so much of the Fury without the reserve. She plays like a cat with her paws. Yishai can put his head down and she'll paddle the little guys all over him, giving him a head massage. She's impulsive and fun and licky and likes getting aaaaaaaaaaall up in your biznass. Also, her ears are starting to lift and I am quite sure that contrary to all the other puppies that appear to have traditional triangle-shaped ears, she's gonna have Fury's half-up ones. Which are totally correct and AWESOME.

Anyway, their little personalities are really starting to show and they are super fun, but a handful. I ordered vaccines so they should be getting shots soon for the first round before they leave the nest. I've been dutifully pinching them all so I don't expect much drama on that count.

But I am about ready to say goodbye to them. I love them, but six little dogs when you are not really equipped is a handful.

Day 41 - Rain, rain go away

Okay, so I really don't want the rain to go away when we look at the bigger picture of California being in a drought and all, but having puppies makes it more than a challenge. They all sat there in their pen this morning crying for me to come play with them as I walked back and forth from the kitchen to my room/office, etc.

I can deal with puppy whining no problem, but geez, give it a rest already.

So I really don't like how small their house pen is so after a while I decided to just kick them to the back yard and call it good, which I did. I knew rain was coming, so I set up a tarp for their pen, but it was interesting to see the ponds that resulted from the tarp dumping rain.

I have a feeling that very shortly, I will be bringing in damp puppies. At least it gives me a chance to really clean their space out. Otherwise, they run loose in the house and potty training goes all to heck.

Here's Fury, who dutifully lures them out with the promise of suckling, only to take it back, screaming "suckers!" when she jumps out of the pen. They are pretty close to weaned now. Only suck on Fury twice a day, and hopefully she's drying out without too much discomfort. I notice she eats a lot less these days, which is awesome. I would love her to maintain her post-baby svelteness.

Fury went on a prolonged adventure with us yesterday as we scouted for an adventure race.

When I came home (without Fury, long story short, but Yishai had to do an extra six miles and I figured since he was alone, he should have the dog), the puppies heard me start to shower and started bellowing and hollering so badly. A couple of them even howled (oh yeah, we here in SLO love it when they howl). When I was all cleaned up, I brought them inside and it was pile on Breedermom time! WOO!

My parents dropped by on the way down to see my brother and his kids. As usual, they loved the puppies. Mom can't believe I am not keeping Dactyl - she is in every way, looks, behavior, a mini-Fury. "Don't you want one for in case Fury dies?" Creepy. Nothing like a mini-Fury to make life easier on you. Actually, if I were keeping one for myself, she's probably the one I would keep. I really like her go-for-it attitude. It's a fun thing to train with. It's also high maintenance to live with . . . at least for the first three years. :) Her ears are starting to get lift to them - once again, I am quite sure she will have Fury's ears, too.

Ordered vaccines online today, need to go to the dollar store and pick up some collars/leashes for training. Tracey sent Fury home with a set and I still have the leash. I thought it was cool.

Now I just have to figure out how to get cheap crates - it looks like the majority of puppies will be taking flights to their new homes. And what sizes? I guess I can always just ask the homes what size they want (puppy or adult) - after all, they're paying that cost.

Day 40 - No big updates

We're still having fun, but Yishai and I are off to scout for an adventure race and then my parents are here for a day to see the puppies. Have a good one.

Day 39 - Bathtime!

So the puppies had an extraordinarily busy day yesterday. They were sticky and stinky and they needed some good ol' fashioned dog-washin'. Yishai, proving himself yet again to be an incredible partner, was eager to come over to help with the project. "So," I said,"How should we do this?" I had this vision of dumping puppies in soapy water and using the other sink to rinse them. "Nooooooooooooo, we need to make sure they love it." Yishai gets what he wants. I am very, "You'll take it and learn to accept it." And he is very nurturing/coddling. Good for puppies, I think. So he took the washing duties, and i took the drying duties.

First up was Moto.

Moto very firmly was not a fan of the running water, but . ..

He got over it.

Dripping wet Fie.

Firma, trying to get out.
Daca, getting the towel treatment.
Firma, trying to get out while dry.
Daca waiting for me to come over and "shake" her (since they can't shake themselves off in the sink) and squeegee her paws before the towel.
Reid watches as Daca prepares for the inevitable.
Optimus tries to forgive.
Reid.
Don't worry, BreederDad, I still love you.

The puppies were spectacular. After all, they did get dumped in water and toweled off when they were little guys, if you remember. Nobody cried, everyone took the washing fine. No shivering.They all tolerated toweling, and then, as Aussie puppies were wont to do - they became little gremlins and tore around the house for an hour.

And this photo is totally from week 4, but Chris took a while in getting it to me. But I just thought I would pay homage to the world's greatest BreederDad. I have thought about putting his name on the paperwork as a co-breeder, but decided not to let him risk getting sued or somesuch nonsense. This litter probably would not have existed if not for him. He's always supported my foolhardy dog stuff, and when I cried a little at contemplating shipping Fury to Wisconsin, he reminded me I'd wanted to do this for a long time. He was there dropping her off, picking her up; he was there assisting the whelping while I tried to get the webcam up, he's always helping clean up after them, trying to help me get sleep, and he's promised to be there to help me ship them off, but has not promised not to cry at the airport. :)

And then it was playdate time. The puppies got a four-hour nap and then it was kid-socialization time again!

This is Alex, our favorite six year-old. The puppies loved her, and she loved the puppies.
Alex's mom, Julie.
So Julie and Alex took off, and not an hour later, we had our second shift: Josh and Karen. They hadn't seen them since they were a few days old. Sadly they also weren't as fun because they'd already had a heck of a day.

Sweet dreams!

And again, who wants bonus videos??? I DO!

Day 38 - Playtime videos!

Kids are outgrowing the crate . . .

So the real thing that's on my mind these days is how cool the puppies are all getting. In the morning, I usually use Fury to lure them all outside and put them in their pen for the day, setting out food and water, and that is that. It's awesome to watching them bop around the yard - going through their metal tubes, chewing on the puppy toys, etc.

Those of you who watch the puppy cam will note that at night they usually get to roam the house. This used to be a safe proposition but I am waiting for the moment when their exploration and mouthing turns into destructive chewing. I think we're almost there - and that will not be a fun day. No more free runs for you, little guys - too much to get electrocuted on!

Fie helps Yishai cook dinner.

I love watching Fury play with her puppies. Sometimes it's straight playing, other times it's "do not nurse on me."

Fury was shedding all over the house so I decided to brush her out - and then I got a whole dog out of her. Ahh, the post litter coat-blow. :(

I'm letting them make mistakes - last night I had Moto out on my bed and he felt the need to puppy cliff dive, and handled it like a man. Given that Moto is the puppy that cries when I genlty correct him (same with Fury), I am proud of him. Maybe he is getting over his boy-sensitivity.

So yesterday I hosted my friend Pancho and his friends for puppy time. Pancho, upon finding out that I was breeding Fury was all about that and spent most of the time trying to convince me that he was puppy-worthy. I always feel bad about this - I want perfect homes for my dogs, and here's someone that will love his puppy to death, but I am also not sure that what I've bred is the best for a guy in college who's never had an Aussie before. I get inquiries like that all the time.

Pancho and the puppies.

On that note, as I have said on my website, when I bred these puppies, I was aware that I might have some temperament issues that I wanted to be careful of. So far, I am totally thrilled. None of the puppies are showing the kind of reserve with strangers that Fury did at their age when I came to pick her up. I would contend that your dog's basic essence is intact, even at a young age and so far, everyone's basic essence is what I would like it to be - a "little" reserve with strangers at first, and then everybody pile on!

It's really very exciting to allow myself to develop a special relationship with our "keeper puppy" at this point. Of course I still spend even time with everyone, but to give my heart over to one, it feels wonderful. I feel a little guilty when some of the other puppies, who I would venture to say have also picked me, are not going to stay, but then I think about the awesome dog lives they're going to have working for their new owners, and it will be okay. :) I'm also excited to start actually figuring out which puppy goes to whom.

In other news, the puppies got themselves nasty (they track urine, play in it, etc) - they will be enjoying their first bath this morning. Wish me luck.

Anyway, on that note, I should warn you that my computer's power supply is broken, and paired with a broken LCD screen, it wants to be replaced. I do not not know if I will be able to post updates or the puppy cam in between computers. Sorry.

Fury plays "Do not nurse on me."

Firma acts like a nut.

Yeah, paper bag!

Hard core playtime

Day 37 - Clovers and personalities

I am basically just going to cut and paste my website today. I think it's a decent entry, since everyone's been asking about personalities. I think their personalities are getting very, very clear. I'm excited about this because I want nothing more than to place my puppies at this point and be happy about where they're going. :)

Oh, and announcement: Yishai came home yesterday after a couple days away and . . . Optimus Prime is definitely staying here. :)
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Optimus Prime

Optimus is staying with us here at Tara.

She is, despite a loud-mouth start, one of the more quiet puppies in both vocalizations and activity levels, but has a presence about her. She appears to have very solid structure and takes after her sire's good looks. She is very friendly and people-oriented, but is very content to entertain herself, always checking out the puzzle toys and one of the first to potty-train herself.

Week 1 Photo

Week 2 Photo

Week 3 Photo

Week 4 Photo

Red Bi female, Brown eyes

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Tara Moto

This is another favorite of ours - he may be spoken for, but it depends on how he turns out. I think he would also make a lovely versatility dog for the right home. He's got some awesome bone, a killer head, and one heck of a beautiful neck so far. He's our explorer puppy - he'll leave the safety of his pack or location and take off to see what's around the next corner. He's also very sweet - makes a lovely lap dog during quiet times. Is a little soft when corrected, may be a good starter puppy for a new stock handler or an easy trainer.

Week 1 Photo

Week 2 Photo

Week 3 Photo

Week 4 Photo

Red merle c/w - male, marbled eyes

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Tara Dactyl

Daca is a fun little dog. She is always up for a fiesty, vocal play session and she's very busy. Huge play drive, she is usually the longest lasting of all the puppies when play sessions start and end. Life's too short to sleep! She's very impulse-oriented, like her mother, she will probably have tons of instinct and use every bit of it. Not so good for a new stockdog handler, but maybe a dynamite agility/competition dog. She is also very, very social and loves to come out and say hello to visitors.

Week 1

Week 2

Week 3

Week 4

Red merle c/w - female, mostly blue eyes

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Tara Firma

Firma is also a busy little gal, usually playing with Fie; she's an alpha female in our little pack at this point. You'll find her on top of whomever she's challenging. She's sweet and cuddly, but is also very focused and active. She's consistently showing stockdog savvy in her play patterns - wide working, watching eyes, even heeling. I am excited to see how she keeps turning out. She should be a major handful.

Week 1

Week 2

Week 3

Week 4

Red merle c/w - female, mostly brown eyes

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Tara Fie

One of the other girls that is always playing, she's the physically active one. Climbing, jumping, running, there she is, always. Sweet and people-centered, she also enjoys hanging out with the other dogs. Just a well-rounded little beastie. I will be excited to send her to a stockdog home.

Week 1

Week 2

Week 3

Week 4

Red merle c/w - female, mostly blue eyes

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Tara Reid

Reid tends to be everyone's favorite when you meet him. The sitting photo is classic - this is how you'll usually find him: sitting there, taking it all in. He's very sweet, very much a thinker. He likes handling a great deal - wouldn't mind being with people all day long if you let him. Very tough little guy, too, very consistently "buffs" at me in the mornings and new people if he's not expecting them to show up - a natural guardian, but not inappropriate - just a few and then he goes, "Oh, you." Just carries himself like a mature man-dog. Might be a nice stockdog for a beginner with that thinking attitude (I wish I'd started with one like that!)

Week 1

Week 2

Week 3

Week 4

Red bi - male, brown eyes