road trip

The pups went for their eye tests yesterday and they are all fine. The test involves the nurse coming to the car to put drops in everyone's eyes to dilate the pupils then a few minutes later as many puppies as can be carried at once go into the vet's office and he looks in each eye using several different contraptions and lights. Then the big bill, of course. The puppies were all extremely well behaved and the surgery staff did much ooh-ing and aah-ing over them. Thanks again to Jo for her company on the drive and assistance in fetching and carrying puppies.

This was also the puppies' first car journey. They have all had a few minutes sitting in the parked car and a few minutes sitting in the parked car with the engine running, but this was the first time the car moved. Ideally the first journey should be short, ease them into it. But no, this is a 45-mile drive across Dartmoor to Tavistock taking about an hour, each way. There are only certain vets who are qualified to test under the BVA eye scheme, and the only other one in this part of the country is about 30 miles away in the other direction. However, I know and like the one in Tavistock, and it's a much nicer drive. For our trouble, we were rewarded with seeing a pony rolling around on her back in a field while 2 foals grazed nearby. Awwww...

The road is quite twisty in places, with too many roundabouts, which doesn't help. However, only 3 of the puppies were sick, and only 1 of them was sick going in both directions, so that's a good result. I think in the last litter, every single one of them vomited on this trip. So, I'm pleased with these guys. Once they were back in their garden pen, it was as if nothing had ever happened, so they clearly weren't too traumatised.

I didn't get a photo of them all tucked up in the car crate, but here are some of the attempts we have been making to get some pictures to submit for the 2009 SFLS calendar. You can see how difficult it is. Just to get something in focus is quite a feat! We persevere.


L-R: Sulo, Tarkka, Maija, Rauhan













Maija practicing flirting with Keskiyö
















Tarmo & Sulo:
















L-R: Rauhan, Sulo, Tarkka, Inko