Fall Road Trip - First Stop: Pennsylvania!

Note: this is a catch up post!

8 weeks old and meG hits the road!  Along for the ride is sister Pearl, who is being delivered to Emily and Daniel.  Mommy Gem, Auntie Fen and Uncle Mirk are also loaded into the (crowded) truck for the long ride. Grandma Tap stayed home to help with the chores.

We stayed the night in a rest area.  What do you do with 3 dogs and 2 not yet housetrained puppies in a busy truck stop in the pouring rain? You put towels and puppy pads on EVERY surface in the camper, empty a bucket of toys and have puppy WWE!  After this, both meG and Pearl were sleepy enough to go back into their crate for a few hours shut eye. 

Next day on to Pennsylvania for hiking with a friend, a UKI agility trial with Fen, and a lesson with Jenny Damm.  I was supposed to go to the NEBCA Fall Foliage Championship (for which both Mirk and Fen were qualified and entered), but could not leave in time due to work projects.  I was disappointed, but will just have to work hard next year to qualify again.

Upon arriving at Val's, Gem was reunited with Han (aka Ffat, or Puppy #2) and you could almost see her think, "Oh, you live here now. That's cool." She played with him and disciplined him, just like old times.  meG and her brother had a good week, creating puppy Armageddon in Val's garden (sorry Val). 

Pearl was delivered safely to Emily, who drove up from Virginia to meet me.  She traveled well and is settling in fine with her Uncle Case and Aunt Tilly, although they apparently are not so impressed with having a new puppy in the house!

Pearl on her way to Virginia with Emily.

Pearl meets Creekside Tilly (2010 Tap x Chip) and Creekside Case (2008 Tap x Chip)

She sleeps!  (Pearl is all go go go!)

 meG and Han joined us on the big hikes.  I purchased a great backpack from PetEdge.  It has lots of vents, a firm floor mat and expands open to use as a soft crate.  Best purchase ever!  Here is a photo of Pearl modeling the new bag:

Han is carried like a bowling ball, in a gym bag...Or "Hanbag" to which it is now referred. 



Some photos from the hikes (all taken on my phone, so not great):

Fen in the foreground, meG and Han wrestling along the path.

meG and Han - face off.  Who will be the first to move?

meG

meG with Becky, a rescue Chihuahua x Cattle Dog (we think?) cross. 

Cute meG at 8.5 weeks old.

A game of fetch in a field along the way.

Fen looking on as Val shows Jenny the workings at an abandoned coal mine.  The slope was steep and slippery and the shaft went a looooong way down, so I stayed on top of the ridge with the dogs ;)

At the top - what a view!

Jenny going to look out over the cliff....

 

 

"Help!  She's gonna jump!"  Nah, optical illusion...not a cliff but a hill that slopes down quite sharply, but still only held the dogs' interest for a few minutes.

We snuck the dogs onto the front lawn of the Hershey Mansion.  (Just kidding, we had permission).  Also went to Chocolate World (just the people, lol) and that was a dangerous place ;)

 

Announcing.....!

Note: this is a catch up post!

Where has the time gone? 

The puppies have all gone to their new homes....

Announcing the newest additions to the Creekside Family:

Puppy #1 is now called "Creekside Pearl" and has gone to live with Emily and Daniel and hopefully grow up to be a sheepdog.  She will be helping Creekside Case (2008 Tap x Imp. Chip) and Creekside Tilly (2010 Tap x Imp. Chip) with managing 100+ ewes, pasture raised hogs and turkeys and whatever else needs to be done around the glorious, historic working farm at Tuckahoe Plantation  and Tuckahoe Lamb and Cattle Company in Virginia.  Pearl will also compete in sheepdog trials.


Pearl's last week at Creekside, learning to cross the stream when it's cold out!

Puppy #2 (aka Ffat) is now called "Creekside Han" (yes, for beloved Star Wars character, Han Solo) and has joined Val and Eric's pack of Becky, Creekside Just6 "Jus" (2004 Pat x Glen) and Creekside Freya (2010 Tap x Chip) for a busy and adventurous life filled with hiking, mountain biking, sailing, boating, skateboarding, tricks and competitive agility.  Han lives in PA.



Han at 8 weeks (Photo by Val Henry)



Puppy #3 is now called "Creekside Cass" and has gone to live in Massachusetts with Milton, where she is constant companion to mixed breed rescue "Musti" and Glen Highland Farm rescue "Luc".  Cass will enjoy a life of hiking, trail running and whatever else is thrown her way!  Cass is also the newest "supervisor" at Trimitsis Woodworking and goes to work with Milton, Musti and Luc everyday.

Cass at 8 weeks - photo by Milton Trimitsis.

Cass and her Frisbee!

GHF Luc and Cass walking in the huge park/cemetery near their home (and Cass walking on some graves, lol).

 

Cass working her charms on 14 year old Musti.



Puppy #4 is now called "Creekside meG" (yes, it is written intentionally with the capital at the end!) and will be staying here at Creekside Farm, where she will hopefully learn sheepdoggin' and agility.  No surprise here...meG was my favorite from the day she was born!  She is a sweet and easy pup so far, but ask me again when she hits about 5 months. ;) 

Creekside meG, 8 weeks.

I didn't get my traditional "last day at Creekside" video before Han and Cass left for their new homes, but made one starring meG and Pearl. 

Darn - needed my camera!

I need to remember to ALWAYS take my camera when taking the puppies out!

Today they "worked" the chickens...It was pretty cute. Chickens likely didn't think so!

They also had a fun session playing in the creek. At first #1 thought she could walk on water, and was disgusted that she couldn't.  #4 was a wild for a bit but then Mirk stepped on her (accidental, so he says!) and she curled up in the relative safety of between my shoes.  #3 splashed around and barked at her mother...

And she sounded uncannily like Gem from this video:



 

Tonight our pigs came back from Freezer Camp, so the puppies got their first pork RMBs.  I don't expect them to get through all of it, but they are sure having a good Jawrobics session!

 

#4

#3 and #4 sharing...for now!

#1

Mirk says, "Where's my dinner?"

Fen also looking hopeful

Ffat would have approved of the adult-sized portions.  Here is an updated photo from his first day in his new home, on a hike, in his bag.  Taking a short nap.

 



Catching up...7 weeks old

September seems like it just began and now it is almost over!  Busy work projects then 8 days of house guests and agility seminars with Jenny Damm from Sweden, which were a big success!  Lots of changes with the puppies the last couple of weeks. 

They are learning to potty outside.  It is still hit or miss, but they are very good at going immediately when put outside. 

They are doing daily short field walks, which they enjoy immensely.  Below is a video of their very first walk at 5.5 weeks.  They get picked up for their "Elephant Ride" when they tire.  (We call it that because of the way the puppies' heads bob forward and back when being carried under an arm).

They have been to the vet to have their health checks and Health Certificates.  There was much exploring and some chewing of inappropriate things.

They had a ton of socialization during the agility seminars - lots of strange people and dogs about the place, strange and loud noises (when Jenny yells "RUN!" through the microphone, for instance).   Each one had some time ringside watching from the safety of someone's arms...They were handled by so many people!  They are not afraid of anything it seems!

The house is quiet now, all the guests gone, and #2 (aka Ffat already gone to his new home).  I desperately need sleep, and peace and quiet.  So, what better time to begin crate training?  I'd better go and buy a pair of earplugs.  One week until they will all be in their new homes...And I will then be on a marathon road trip in the camper with the gang plus "meG"....

Hmm....I'd better buy LOTS of earplugs!

Thanks to Val Henry and her new Go Pro camera for the footage of puppies first walk!

 

Busy Busy!

Had a really busy couple of weeks with work so got very behind on the blog!
The Gummie Bears are 5 weeks old now, and I can really see personalities developing. 

#1 is so sweet and cute...but don't let her small size fool you.  Pushover she ain't!  Feisty and does everything 150%, including sleeping - when she's passed out, she is really out!

#1



Ffat is "The man".  Some days he is practising his WWE wresting moves, some days he is at the bottom of the pile up. He just kind of rolls with whatever.  His curiosity so far has not gotten him into *too* much trouble ;)

Ffat



#3 is John's favorite.  Brave and playful and super cuddly.  She will lie on her back in your lap while you scratch her belly.  She is also very inquisitive, and has learned very quickly through the "School of Hard Knocks" about biting Mirk's toes while he is sleeping.

Busy #3



#4 remains the "thinker" and is often off by herself contemplating something. She is definitely a "look before you leap" type of gal!

 

#4



All the pups are eating really well now, they pretty much polish off whatever is put down in front of them.  I did begin feeding them in individual bowls as Ffat and piggy #3 were taking more than their portion from the flying saucer dish!  They are really grinding through the little bones in the chicken and duck necks now, though I am still smashing them up. 

Yesterday, they hung out in the yard while John chain-sawed and hammered fence posts, then later got underfoot as my new A-frame was assembled (finally!).  #1 tested out the rubber surface.  She found it difficult to eat ;) .

Gem is almost too tolerant with her kids, almost never disciplining them (she is such a doting Princess mother!)  But Mirk, Tap and Fen are happy to oblige, ha ha. The pups have a healthy respect for grumbly adult dogs and know when to back off!

Getting harder to even find Gem under her pile of puppies!

Such a great mom!



Photos and video from our time outdoors today - before the rain!

#4, #1, #3 and Ffat

Rainy Indoor Day

It's been raining all day - well, it actually waited until I returned form a great 3 hour hike this morning - but the puppies couldn't stay outside.  We did manage several short play sessions outside in the wet grass in between the downpours, but mostly, I ran around behind them with a bucket and my Benefect.  The new paint on the dog room floor is so far doing a good job of hiding dried mud!

When they were not playing, or peeing, they slept the sound, uninterrupted sleep that puppies do....Resting up for the next round of play, pee, play, pee, play....

Napping in the shoes again.  #3 actually is asleep with her nose in my smelly running shoe!

John's stinky boots are also a big draw.  This is #4.

Ffat chose the Big Kid hammock bed.



#1 and Ffat on the comfy, well padded big kids bed under the stairs.  Ffat's big head is the only thing that prevented him from falling off.  YES, he is fast asleep!

Reminds me of another, upside down puppy....

This is Creekside Fen back in May, 2008 - 8 weeks old,.  She is also fast asleep!
(photo taken by Tracy Carter)



 

Today is their fourth day of eating solid food, so I added a new protein. I am going slowly so I don't upset their tummies.  So far, so good!  Plus they still have unlimited Milk Bar access, although I have begun to gradually cut back on Gem's food to try and balance it out. 

 

Anyway, for dinner tonight they had chicken necks from our own chickens (chopped small and smashed flat).  Each pup got a small portion, maybe a tablespoon, and they had to really work at it, putting their new teeth to good use, beginning to grind and break the chunks and small bones.  There was a fair bit of regurgitation from #1, who was so excited, she ate too fast. 

 

Making sure there is nothing left!

#1 really enjoyed her meal and licked and licked the board trying to get every last morsel.

#1...Still at it!

I am guessing she is a fan of chicken necks.