Today ,Sunday, we are “at home alone” with our extended family.Pony has completely dried up now and is looking and feeling so much better. Great Granny Kite just wants to play, she is the granny they all treat as a play mate .Molly, grandmother, is a little stricter she tells them off, so they have learnt to treat her with respect, such good grounding for them all. They have turned into proper Munsters, bog snorkelling in the ditch .Tennis balls are a great hit as are cardboard boxes . They haven’t been swimming yet ,I’m glad about that its turned so cold.

They are all off on their adventures new next week and blimy they need to ,keeping tabs on 12 is horrendous. Its time for individual attention .Chris and I are so proud of them all .I always think of myself as the architect and the new owners as builders . The11 excited families are counting their sleeps until they receive their new family member. Such fun filled and exasperating times ahead for you all .

xxx

Pony and Eds offspring are amazing little people ,so full of energy . Wish the same could be said for Chris and I. They are so confident and fun loving into every nook and cranny of the front field .

Pony is so much more back to her old self ,on her walk yesterday she hunted some pheasant at full tilt , so lovely to see . Her milk has more or less dried up now ,thankfully .

They still sleep through the night without a peep until they hear Chris get up .10.00pm is supper time then out they go for wees and poos .After a last mooch around outside they go to their ” bedroom ” with a few treats and lights off then for sleepy bye byes !

They truly are gorgeous .

Bit better day weather wise today, mainly dry and mild. Pups have been out lots and are loving their adventure playground with full time supervision. Its exhausting but so rewarding.

The little monkeys are now going outside after every meal so there have been less poos indoors to clear. They are braver every day, scampering around the garden and the top field. I’m not so sure about their gardening expertise I am relieved in the knowledge 11 will go on to landscaping careers elsewhere !

Recall is coming on in leaps and bounds, a shake of a tub of little biscuits and a call of “pup,pup,pup ” and they come running rewarded with a few tasty treats .They learn so quickly. xxx

Gosh its been tricky, blooming weather has not been conducive to puppies forays into the world. Poor poppets have shivered after a few minutes and had to go back indoors .The upside is they have got used to muddy paw wipes and towel rub-dubs.

Fingers crossed for a few more dry days .

The intrepid explorers have been out and about , bit cold for them but they love it .

They go out for 10 minutes after every meal and have taken to doing their ablutions outdoors well. The weather has not been terribly helpful so they have experienced gusty winds and rain. Who knows, we may have snow ! Gardening seems to be a favourite hobby, luckily no damage can be done at this time of year.

Chris and I were thrilled to welcome Ed with his owners Ron and Margo. They drove from Holland to come and see Pony and Eds’ litter.

This boy totally stole my heart when I went looking for stud dogs in Holland, he did not disappoint.

It was like Ed had been here so many times, such a laid back person who loved his puppies and was incredibly gentle with them. He settled with my girls, Pony looked a bit concerned to see him, after all look what happened last time they met! Kite flirted without shame and Molly told him off when he tried to be too familiar which he duly took note of and gave her space. They soon settled together and Ed quickly slotted into life at Catherton.

I would have happily stolen him but Ron and Margo sadly took him home. He genuinely is a star.

Thank you Ron and Margo for making the effort to allow us to make such amazing memories.

The pups have had an exciting day ,they have ventured into their daytime accommodation for the first time .A new velour bed seemed to go down well ,heaven knows how long that will last . There is a pot belly wood burning stove in the conservatory, which was bought into life so it was toasty warm in there.

The down side of the day was they were all wormed this evening first dose of 3 consecutive days .Then they returned to their sleeping quarters for supper .

I have also registered the litter with the Kennel Club today .The theme for this litter being Dutch names .

Tomorrow they are 4 weeks old so first individual photos will be taken .More excitement for the little munchkins .

The puppies are thriving. They have had their first toy and every day are interacting and playing more. Today we prepared their “day room” in the conservatory so all being well they will go on their first trip away from their whelping area in the next couple of days.

The munchkins are growing so quickly .The lapping has gone well they love evaporated milk, 3 parts milk 1 part water and they are definitely getting the hang of coming to us for meals and not covering themselves in it .

Pony is producing lots of milk but it has taken a lot out of her and Chris and I need to step up to the plate ! Which we are more than happy to do .

They have recently been given their extended area and are already coming out to wee and poo .A second nail clip has been done ,the next job will be worming ,bless them .

Enjoy !

Huge steps for Pony’s family. Extension of the whelping area and first attempts at lapping their milk.

Very messy process but really satisfying as all of them took to the task with relish!

Evaporated milk was everywhere but hey-ho they loved it.

Mum, granny and great granny love the task of cleaning up, puppies and bowls!

Eyes are all open now and they are up on their feet, although a bit wobbly. We have had our first escapee, Wren made a break for freedom, she must have used one of her siblings to give her a leg up, no doubt the first of many.

Granny Molly is proving to be the perfect grandmother helping Pony with cleaning duties, bless her.

Puppies continue to thrive. Had their first nail trim today. Pony is coping well with them all and managing to feed them with a little bit of supplementary feed from us. We weigh them every day to check they are all progressing well.

From left to right meet the boys. Raisin, Raj, Badger & Walnut.

And now the Girls, from top to bottom, Stevie, Bubbles, Meg, Clover, Wren, Scallop, Hazel & Gee-Gee.

Quick resume of why their names came about –

Warned you it was tenuous.

Happy searching!

Pony and her brood are doing well . She seems to be coping with feeding them all and we are supplementing with a bottle. So far their weight gain is really good Chris and I cannot believe last Tuesday they were all in her tummy .

Pony and here family of 12, 4 boys, 8 girls, are all doing well. She has taken to motherhood brilliantly.

First few photos ,enjoy !