12-week check in

At the time of writing the Sisko girls are just about 12 weeks old.  They are deep into training, socialisation and ... swimming.  At least one is a skilled escape artist like her dad, at least one other is super-clever like her great-great-granny, at least another is a very good girl like her mama.   But they are all, without exception, loving the water like their maternal grandpa.  Actually, come to think of it, he was a pretty good escapologist himself, so I guess these puppies don't stand a chance.  Or, should I say, their families don't.

Big thanks to their families for frequent updates and some photos.  I'm still waiting for the swimming video, but hopefully that will be along too in due course.

Suvi

At home in her new garden

Got the paddling pool sorted

A day at work

Insta-famous at Pets at Home

Piia

Mid-game with new big brother, Bergen

Being a good girl

Growing up pup

Also got the paddling pool sorted

Kukka

who is now also called Nukka

"I'm allowed on the table, right?"

Getting sleepy

Playing tug with Mr Fox

Another sweet wet pup

sisko girls head out

I'm a bit late catching up, but the puppies had their microchips, clear vet checks and clear eye tests.  

They endured a bit less than the normal amount of in-town socialising that Infindigo puppies usually get because it was so very hot in the weeks leading up to the leaving dates.  But there was plenty of noise acclimatisation, a few car trips and only a small amount of vomit.  

Eventually they set off on their big adventures to their new homes.  They were all surprisingly lucky with cooler days for their long car journeys.  And as with every puppy who has left here for the past 10 years, we collected going home pics of the Sisko girls.  

First it was Suvi (Patty) & Kukka (Maxene), followed a bit later by Piia (LaVerne).  They are all settled in now and I hope to have some great photos to share in the coming days of the girls in their new homes with all the new cat and dog siblings.

Suvi (Patty) 

Off with Anna and John all the way to Manchester

Kukka (Maxene)

Heading up the road to Dartmoor with Naomi & Mark

Piia (LaVerne)

The longest trip of all - about 18 hours door-to-door to Northern Ireland with

Beverley, Gareth & Kristen.  Officially the best-travelled 9-week-old Infindigo puppy ever.

Good luck pups and new families!  

milestone

What's so funny???

Happy 10th birthday to the puppy blog!

And, of course, that means it's also happy 10th birthday to the Monta puppies who were the inspiration for starting the blog in the first place.  There were 9 of them - still the biggest litter of Finnish Lapphunds born in the UK to date - and we had several weeks of very hard, noisy work ahead of us.

All of Monta puppies - the Devon Nine!

Their mum, my beloved Neka, popped them out unbelievably quickly... except for the last two, who arrived after I had gone for a much-needed shower after being up all night with the mama and babies.  With so many of them - almost twice as many as my first litter the year before - we had to dash out and buy two of everything.  There was another indoor pen, another outdoor pen, several more vet beds for the whelping box, and more food.  Lots more food.

Then there were the towels.  Many of our good, human-grade towels went to the Monta puppies because as I recall, it rained every single day of the 7 or 8 weeks they were with us.  No sooner would we put them into the outdoor pen to quickly clean the indoor pen when the sky would open up again and drench all nine of them.  To say that we were quickly exhausted doesn't even begin to cover it.

Viivi & Inko - soaking wet AGAIN

We had our ups and we had our downs with the Devon Nine, and, boy, did I learn a lot.

So, happy birthday to my blog that has given me so much pleasure for 10 years and an irreplaceable record of 11 of the 12 litters born here.  And wishing the very happiest of birthdays to the Monta puppies who grew into 9 of the noisiest, most beautiful and sweetest natured Finnish Lapphund dogs you could ever hope to meet.  Special then and special now.

Here are some of my favorite photos of each one of them at various ages.  In some cases, they are some of my only photos.  If anyone has some great updated pics to share with me, please feel free and I'll happily update this page.

Infindigo Monta Jaana - Sybi

Sybi 7 weeks - photo by Joanna Bradshaw

Sybi with a "few" toys - age 9

Infindigo Monta Tarmo - Tarmo

Tarmo 6 weeks

Tarmo 5 years

Infindigo Monta Maija - Maija 

Baby Maija with Lenny

Maija 10 Years

Infindigo Monta Viivi - Viivi

Viivi 12 weeks with big bro Jaska

Viivi age 9

Infindigo Monta Tarkka - Tarkka

Tarkka 8 weeks - photo Joanne Bradshaw

Tarkka 9 years - photo Joanne Bradshaw

Infindigo Monta Aurinko - Inko  

Sand baby 9 weeks

Inko 9 years

We have lost some of the Monta puppies - taken far too early.  So we are remembering them today at the rainbow bridge.  Gone from us but never forgotten.

Infindigo Monta Jaska - Jaska

Jaska 7 weeks

Jaska 1 year

Infindigo Monta Sulo - Kaija

Kaija 7 weeks

Kaija 2010

Infindigo Monta Rauhan - Rauhan

Rauhan 7 weeks - photo Joanne Bradshaw

Rauhan handsome showdog

7 weeks old

Phew!  The photos are a very mixed bag this week.  But between the virus (mine), the hospital visit and operation (not mine), working, the big dogs and the puppies, I wasn't sure I would get any photos at all.  But here and there I still did manage to get some.  As they are - i.e. mainly amusing and/or blurry.

And we have some names to reveal this week, all newly minted by the Kennel Club.

Infindigo Sisko Suvi

was Patty

Infindigo Sisko Piia

was LaVerne

Infindigo Sisko Kukka

was Maxene

6 weeks old

It wasn't easy getting photos today.  For one thing, it's always hard!  I know, I make it look easy, right?  Riiiight...

Leggo of my tail!

But, as you see, it's not easy, not ever.  Well, almost not ever.  Puppies run, wiggle, jump, bite and generally mess about.  Posing safely on a table?  That's definitely not in their standard repertoire.

For another thing, it was 27°C this afternoon when we were trying to get these shots.  What do you suppose Finnish Lapphund puppies think about that kind of temperature?  Even when they're in the shade and there is a nice breeze?  And remembering that these puppies' absolute favorite thing ever is the frozen water bottle.  Exactly.

But we persevered, as we do on a weekly basis, dedicated as we are.  I was wishing I had put my shorts on before starting, though.  Luckily there are only 3 of them to contend with, so it all took only about one and a half hours 30 minutes.  Ish.

Patty

Is this my good side?

LaVerne

If I flap my ears, do you suppose I'll fly?

Maxene

It's not so bad, this bottom brushing

Their ears are all going up already.  In fact, LaVerne looks like hers will be almost completely up before she even leaves here.  Such cooperative ears are not completely unheard of in this house, but it is still a bit of a novelty.

Next week they will have their new names and be getting ready for the next big adventure.  Assuming I find the time to get the puppy packs together in the next fortnight, that is.