See You Next Time!

The puppies have all gone to their new homes! All seem to be settling in just fine in their new homes. Follow their agility and sheepdoggin' careers on the Creekside Border Collies website.

Puppy #1 (Creekside Expo) with his housemate, Finn.

Puppy #2 (Creekside Freya) getting a bath from Val in the Creekside dog room sink before she heads off to Michigan with Uncle Jus and housemates Becky and Ray.

Puppy #3 (Creekside Zen) settling in nicely with housemate Zephyr.

Puppy #4 (Creekside VanGo "Vince") is enjoying life near Montreal with housemates Fellow and Finni.

Puppy #5 (Creekside Chase) is shown in the previous post with Nancy and has settled in wonderfully with his new housemate, Lilly.

Puppy #6 (Creekside Tilly) is settled into her new home with Lynn and her daddy Chip.

Well this brings another puppy blog to an end....I will miss the little puppers, but am happy to see them all getting on in their new homes. See you in 2011 or 2012!!

Catch up posts!

The traditional "Last Day at Creekside" video....Except it wasn't everyone's last day, and Puppy#5 had already gone to his new home.

Puppy #5 "Creekside Chase" at 7.5 weeks old with his new furmom, Nancy.

Please excuse the shaky camera...Very difficult to walk and shoot video with puppies underfoot!

(Music by Beirut)

The Fun Uncle

Creekside Click is the Fun Uncle

(all photos by Grace Smith)

Creekside Remy...The Indifferent Uncle :)

Tap...You don't need to anymore.....

Oh! Stop the cuteness!

And then there were five...

Sorry for my sad lack of posts! I have an excuse! We hosted 6 days of Kevin Evans clinics and lessons at our farm, and I just took him to the airport yesterday. Now I am playing catch up!

In a nutshell, the puppies are now almost 8 weeks and it's time to fly the nest! In the last couple of weeks, they have:

• Slept all night in individual crates (well, not sure about the actual sleeping part!)
• Met LOADS of different people
• Met their uncles' Click and Remy (Grace was here last weekend with Click, Remy and her camera in tow....Her beautiful puppy shots are up on facebook.
• Been to the vet for check ups and microchipping - all fine and healthy!
  

Today, #5 has gone home with his new owner, Nancy to live on 150 acres near Plattsburgh, NY where he will be learning agility. He was very sleepy when she loaded him into his traveling crate so I hope he sleeps soundly until they get home!

All of the following photos were taken by Grace Smith.

#1 will be leaving next Tuesday to live with John and family (also near Plattsburgh) and be a little bro' to Border Collie Finn.

#2 now known as "Creekside Freya" will be going to live in Michigan with Val and Eric and uncle Jus, along with housemates Becky and Ray. Freya will be learning agility.

#3 will be leaving next Sunday to live in Niagara with Erin and family, and BC housemate Zephyr, where she will be learning agility.


"Creekside VanGo" (aka "Vince") will be living near Montreal with Ann and family to join their BC housemates in herding and agility fun!

Here's more of #5...He reminds me so much of Click as a pup, but less wild :)

#6 will be living in Maine with Lynn and daddy Chip and several BC housemates where she will hopefully learn to be a great sheepdog.

( Sorry, #6 got "stolen" during the clinic and taken down to watch the sheep, so not a lot of pics of her!)

My vet, Dre. Anne-Marie Gagnon and Vince:

I will try and do the "traditional" last day video...But so many chores to do! Congrats to all the new puppy parents!

Ruh Roh!

Crate training has begun....Tonight - for a couple of hours only. Oh the horror!

Lots of screaming for about 10 minutes, then all settled!

Six weeks old!

Time flies when you're having fun...Or something. No, really...I have been thoroughly enjoying the pups, despite the work!

Yesterday, a friend of mine with a lot of knowledge and experience came over to evaluate the puppies' structure. Because they are all going to working or performance homes, it is always nice to know what you have to work with physically.

Here is what she said (in evaluation order):

Vince: Bite is fine! (despite appearing a teensy bit skewed); slightly more angulation in hindquarters than in front; tiny bit Easty Westy (feet) in front (NOTE: for running this is not a bad thing - easier on dog than toes in); lovely straight croup. Nothing extreme, square appearance.

#2: Tiny bit Easty Westy on right forefoot, nothing extreme (ie, most people won't notice when she's an adult, and it *may* straighten in the next couple of weeks); Balanced front and back angulation, not straight, not overangled; lovely short hocks; slightly longer back (all through ribs, loin is nice and short) and is in proportion to her long legs, neck slightly shorter than Vince's. Husky girl - broad through chest. (I asked her to "nitpick" #2, so don't be alarmed! #2 looks the "most different" of all the pups, with her shorter coat and longer back and legs - that was why)

#1: Squarer than #2, good moderate angles in front and rear. Lovely front. Tiny bit shorter in neck than Vince, but not too short. Sweet, soft expression.

#5: Nice square appearance; slightly more angulation in front and rear than #1, but well balanced; again the shorter neck (a family trait?) but not extreme.

#3: Nice and square; slightly more angulated in rear than front but not extreme (Note: Think Fen :); neck is longer than #2, #5 and #1; slighter appearance, more feminine, but still nice bone.

#6: shorter back; slightly longer in the hocks than the others; well-balanced; neck is good length; "the nicest structure overall".

Conclusion: Nothing extreme in any of the pups, shorter neck in some of them, lots of bone and room for lungs, heart etc.


And now for this weekend's video. Sorry for the start, I was sitting in the screen porch (it was cold and windy) watching the pups and lambs, and grabbed my camera to film Fen and #3...

Nursing Home Visit

Today the pups went on their first car ride down to the village of North Hatley to the Connaught Home. I must say what a pleasure these pups were to travel with. Not a peep, no mess...



They were a little nervous in the new surroundings at first, what with all the beeping, call alarms etc., but they have yet to meet a stranger! They rode the elevator and visited the residents on all floors, including the Alzheimer's unit. You may recognize a few faces from the last litter's visit!

#1 and Mrs. Beaulieu

#5

#2

#1

#2

#2

Vince

#1

#1

Sorry for missing #6 and #3...We split into two groups and I had the camera! But both girls were apparently well received and one resident even asked if she could keep them - BOTH of them!

After a busy afternoon (with only ONE accident, which I quickly cleaned with my Benefect spray) the pups all pottied like big kids out on the front lawn, watching the big cement trucks grumble by on their way to the construction site. Vince was on a mission - determined to cross the parking lot and we had to trot after him on several occasions!

"It's hot in here!"

#1

#1

There's #3!

Puppies on the prowl....

Pooped puppies loaded for the short ride home.

Many thanks to Tabby, Joy and staff of the home for arranging this wonderful visit!

Time for you all to say "Awwwwwwww..."

#5 and Gem

The next three are of Puppy #1...

And here are three of Puppy #2...

Next are, you guessed it...Puppy #3 - reminds me a bit of puppy Cait (2004 Pat x Glen)

And Vince!

Sweet little man #5...

"I haz Coz!"

And the beauty...#6

All the pups are doing well - eating with gusto and still enjoying the milk bar (drive thru version). Yesterday was the first day they followed me and the other dogs out for morning potty. Good puppies all went outside like big kids! They are beginning to follow me around more so I think by next week they will be able to cross the bridge to walk up the field a little ways! I will definitely get video of that!!!

I am beginning to match pups with their people in my head..Of course they change from day to day at this age but I have a pretty good idea...No! Not telling! But curious to see whether anybody really gives a hoot about puppy testing at 7 weeks. It has been my experience that the tests only confirm my thoughts and honestly, these pups don't bat an eyelash at much! They've met chickens, sheep, lambs, adult dogs (ours only so far), cats, lots of people (kids and nursing home visit next week)...Heard/saw the tractor, chainsaw and every machine that functions around the farm and house. I've vacuumed around their little toes....They've been handled and manhandled...I've handled them while they're eating.

Puppy testing is a great idea for a litter of pups that may not have seen the light of day until 8 weeks, or for family pet homes....But you all are experienced dog owners. So, what do you think? Happy to do it...You'll just wait longer to know!!!! I bet you all had yours picked since day 1 anyway, right? :)