Puppies have started going to their new homes. By the end of this week, four puppies will be with their new families. We have been busy getting things ready. Puppy packs are almost finished, little blankets have the smells of mum and other puppies on them. The puppies have all started lead training and are doing very well. This is always a bitter-sweet time for us as we say goodbye.
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It has taken a week for us to work out how, or even whether to share this news with you. Early last week, one of our gorgeous little puppies passed away after a freak accident. We take such care of these precious little ones, and with all the training we do with them, we bond strongly with them all. She was a happy, confident little girl and the 'keeper' in this litter. We are shattered and are still coming to terms with our loss. She was two days short of 8 weeks old. We would like to thank all of those who have offered us support and comfort following our loss.
With the puppies providing lots of entertainment here at the moment, it would be really easy to forget about the others. The Adelaide Royal is fast approaching and shelties will be competing on the 7th of September. Toby will be there, competing in the puppy dog class. We've been getting out and about in the last couple of weeks, including going to some dog shows to get practice before the royal show. Toby is maturing beautifully and had lots of positive comments on the weekend about how lovely he is looking. We think so too. This is a photo of him on the move last weekend. He keeps a level topline on the move and has lovely reach and drive with correct foot placement.
Today the puppies went on a long car drive to see the reproduction vets north of the city. It was a very long round trip - over 3 hours. Here they had their first vaccinations and their health certificates done. They all came through with flying colours. Of course, when they got home, they really wanted to be fed and have a good fun play time. The puppies have had a few big adventures this week. They've been to the vet to be microchipped and also took advantage of a sunny, mild afternoon to spend some time outside. Lots of new sights and sounds. They took the vet visit in their stride and were very calm during it all. We are very pleased with how these puppies are coming along.
Puppies grow and change really quickly at this age. They are like little sponges, taking in everything around them. We have been exposing the puppies to lots of new and novel experiences (something new every day). This can be as simple as a new toy, or a different surface to walk on, or a new room to be in. They have also been given little problems to solve each day as well - such as having to go around a small barrier to get to their food. They have started on solids and we will begin clicker training with them soon.
We have had a number of inquiries for this litter and are currently in the process of meeting potential puppy owners to see if they are suitable. The plan always was to let both girls have a litter this year - we just weren't expecting them to have them only a week apart! The girls certainly didn't stick to the plan, that is for sure. But Molly's babies are also growing well. This is an earlier photo of them at 10 days of age.
It has been a busy 10 days! We have a beautiful litter of 4 puppies and they are doing very well. We aren't sure we enjoyed the 4am visit to the vet for a cesarean though. We have begun Early Neurological Stimulation with them and their eyes are starting to open. We will be using Puppy Culture protocols to raise this litter, which will give them the best opportunity to be well socialised, well rounded, confident puppies. We have contacted those who have expressed interest in a Jaemist puppy. If you are also interested in a puppy, email us at [email protected]
On the same weekend, little "Toby" (Jaemist Soli Deo Gloria), gained his Herding Instinct Certificate. This is the very first step on the herding ladder. Jaemist shelties enjoy doing what shelties were bred to do and as you can see in this photo - Toby is no exception. The judges both commented on his potential and his happiness to work.
Welcome to our blog page. This is something new for us and we are hoping to use this to communicate not only our latest news, but also some of the fun stories and progress of our shelties.
At the moment we have our fingers crossed that there will be the pitter patter of puppy paws in a couple of months. We will keep you posted on what is happening. |
AuthorReflections and news on what is happening at Jaemist Shelties Archives
April 2022
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