Birth

Having been a biological sciences major, there really isn't much that grosses me out. Except maybe eyeballs. And fat off of meat. But bodily functions and blood and guts - I am completely okay with.

For weeks I had been looking forward to the puppies coming. This was the mom's first litter and I was going to be able to watch the birth! I wanted to see what it is like, since I may do this in the future. We got the text late one night - she was in labor.

The next morning, we got to watch 3 of the 6 puppies being born. And it was an experience. She was a great first time mom, setting to clean the puppies off and chew the ambilical cord off right away [that thing is made of some thick stuff]. Her teeth would get so close the the puppies that you thought for sure she would accidently gnaw off one of the tiny legs in the process. However, she knew what to do. She would lick up all the blood and fluid and even the placenta [I did gag at one point watching her eat it up. Still makes me gag a little]. It was completley amazing to think that a few hours earlier, she had no idea that little puppies would appear from her behind and now she was carefully taking care of them.

Those little puppies can sure make some noise though. One was loud enough, but as more and more came the crying and whining got to be pretty obnoxious. Finally, the puppies latched on to their mom for sustainance and the noise was gone.

I took some videos of our experience. In this first one, the mom is cleaning up her two puppies. Then I pan down so you can see the blood still oozing from her behind.

In this one, the mom moves her little pup back to the warmth of her body. You can't really tell, but she picks them up in her mouth very gently, considering she has very sharp teeth.

And here is the actual birth of one of the puppies.

And here she is doing her phenomenal clean-up job on the just-born pup. The licking also stimulates the puppy to breath and move.



Life with the black-hair-shedder

A friend recently asked me for pictures of our dog. Can you believe that Ransom is going to be on the wall of their nursery? I am so honored that our pooch made a [positive] impact on someone's life.

Ok, well it is more like their nursery is dog-themed and they knew we love our dog [too much] and would have a plethora of pictures handy. But, it was kinda fun clicking threw pictures over the last 18 months with Ransom.

So, for those of you who check-out when I post pictures of the pups, you may stop reading now.

This was our first meeting with Ransom. I wasn't immediately attached at this point. It was the second visit when I knew I would not walk out of that shelter without him.

The first month was a challenge [on our marriage]; and there were serious thoughts of taking him back. Which pretty much made me cry just thinking about it. But finding him at 4:30 in the morning like this, was more humorous than anything.

There was also the skunk incident at 4:30 in the morning.

But we kept going and he soon made himself at home [fyi - this is a big fat no-no]. We learned that he loves laying on anything soft and comfy.

The metal crate saved the day [and Ransom's life in our home]. With the right amount of conditioning, he now contentedly calls his crate home while we are away.

Our mission for each day became: wear Ransom out. As an energetic 1-year-old, this was a challenge. We took trips to the dog park, long walks each morning, and runs with Hubs. We filled a backpack with 10-pounds and even forced this "water dog" into the water.

Soon, we found ourselves doing anything for those sad eyes.

Frequently, he causes us to laugh, and I'm not sure what we talked about before he arrived.

But, I do know that he is worth every single piece of black hair that sheds from his body all over my clean house. And I can't wait to have another!

Lately...

...It's been true Kansas weather. Sweltering heat last week, cool 60s today. I began thinking about pumpkin spice lattes and long sleeves. Then I saw the forecast for next week - sweltering again.

...I've learned to read upside-down and sdrawkcab. My phone is dying a very slow death. When the screen is not upside-down and backwards, it is completely black. My MIL sent me her old phone (THANK YOU!), so soon (read: when I have an hour to spend at Verizon)I will be back in the world of communication via text. I will admit, it has been nice to be out-of-touch.

...I stumbled upon a very cute used bookstore (old books = excitement; old books + strong coffee = a perfect day). It is a little hole-in-the wall, one-room place with lots of character and a very nice owner. A new way to spend my day off.

...I've fallen in love with this puppy:

Hubs doesn't make it any easier. He sends me emails with the subject line of "AWWWWWW" and attaches adorable photos, videos and facts about this animal. His motive may or may not be to keep my mind off of real children, but it doesn't matter. I. want. this. puppy.

Meanwhile, I still love our happy, playful, lover-of-food pups. And, he has once again proved his smarts to us. No matter what, he always remembers where he put his ball. So, when we ask him to "Get your ball," and we see half his body disappear under our bed, we now realize that there really is a reason behind his crazy behavior.

...I've been marveling at what God has been teaching me about myself. My weak areas. What my life is to display and pursue. And though I still have moments of "why am I here Lord!" I rest content knowing that He knows.

Going through the breeds, part 2

This time I am going to introduce you to a few of my favorite possibilities. Actually, one of the following breeds I love so much, that I am ready to buy my first one today and start my business! Can you guess which one?

Look at this cute puppy:

This isn't a golden retriever, although it is just as cute as one. This is a Hovawart. It looks like a golden retriever with a lab's head. But, it comes in black, blond, or black and gold. They are "determined, obedient and affectionate, especially toward their master. Loyal to the family. Excellent with children..."

It's not bad looking, but that is one ginormous tail! Cute head; but, the tail ruins it.


This little fluff ball IS a golden retriever. An English Creme Golden Retriever

How could anyone pass up this little guy? That snow-white fur and black nose and eyes. This is a gorgeous dog and the breeding of them is a lot more selective than that of regular goldens. These are the creme-of-the-crop.

A golden retriever is always a good choice of dog - so loyal and gentle and playful. I would be delighted to breeding them for families!


Now, take a deep breath before gazing into these sweet eyes:

Floppy ears? Check!
Cute? Check! Check!

The Greater Swiss Mountain Dog, is "a happy, jovial breed with an enthusiastic nature and strong affinity to people and children. They are strongly dependant on people and crave attention and physical contact."


Um, can we say perfect.

Stoic...yet, playful.

I think I may have found the breed I was looking for.

But, since it is so fun to learn about other breeds, I'll keep looking. Just for fun.

Going through the breeds, part 1

Many of you know that I have gone through a multitude of career options. At some point in my life I have wanted to be almost every occupation - well, not quite, but it sure seems like it. I never dreamed I would not finish my bachelor's degree, or continue to even more school after that.

But, "a man's heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps."

It turns out, I am pretty good at administrative tasks and it turns out that may come in handy one day as a dentist's wife. God has given me great work experience that will, hopefully, allow me to help Hubs with his career. And, I have learned to be content where I am at. But, there is still a dream I have and still am pursuing.

Someday, I hope to own my own dog breeding business. You can't be surprised. From the moment I first laid my eyes on a dog, I have been attached. And, they seem to like me back. I hope to breed wonderful, affordable family pets.

Knowing my administrative mindset, I have in my head, the packet of information I will give out to all my customers. I have thought about my return policy and how the facility will look. I am just giddy thinking about the information that I am going to include. It just excites me to no end.

The most important detail, however, is still yet to be determined. What type of dog to breed?

Surprisingly, I am not interested in breeding labradors. Although, they could very well be considered my favorite, I believe that they are overbred and not bred wisely. There are so many labs and lab-mixes out there that I really don't think we need more. Contact me if you want more information on that soap-box.

They are such a great looking dog, though, and will surely forever have a special place in my heart.

So, in the search of my breed, I have some qualifications. I tend to go for larger dogs, so it will be. The usual temperament of the breed should be one that fits well with a family, like I said, I want people to enjoy  the fun and love of having a dog as part of their home. And, of course I melt when I see floppy ears, so I assume the rest of the world will as well.

In my research, I have found some fun and interesting possibilities:

This one may be a tad TOO big and slobbery. But, oh my, what an adorable photo. I probably will not go for a Saint Bernard:

This is too many wrinkles for my taste and do those paws belong to a lion? This giant Spanish Mastiff will not be my final choice:

I like the stately look of the Rhodesian Ridgeback, but the puppies aren't quite as good-looking as the adults. Plus, I'm not sure that the personality is what I am going for. 

I will post more of the dogs that I find. It is fun researching the MANY dogs God has created!