happy birthday

Very happy birthday to the Tuisku puppies who are four years old today.  FOUR!  I can hardly believe it.

They're a lovely bunch of grownup Lapphunds at four years, but at four weeks they were positively adorable.  Although it is my tradition to post photos of puppies in corresponding months or weeks of age to their current years of age, for some reason I can't locate the 4-weeks-old photos this morning.  So you will just have to make do with these from the 5-6-week-old pile.

Minna, Kallio, Usko, Kesa, Lana

Minna, Lana, Kallio

Kallio, Usko, Minna, Lana

house full

When Kate & Jerome asked us to look after either Taika or Minna while they went on holiday for 2 weeks, we didn't hesitate to agree.  Neither of those girls is any trouble at all, and so we ended up with both of them.  After all, if neither is any trouble, then it's almost as easy to have 2 as only 1 of them.  With 4 dogs already in the family, an extra one inevitably means an extra walk if on-lead walks are the order of the day.  And it's just as easy to walk 6 as 5.  So down to Devon they came for their holiday.

Everything would be fine & dandy - even easy! - just so long as it didn't rain.  6 dogs in a relatively small house is no problem as long as they're not wet & muddy.  That's when things get tricky, even with 4.  Or 3.

They arrived one evening and the weather forecast for the next day was heavy rain and gale force winds.  Of course.  So having woken up early to see that it had not yet started raining, we decided to get a jump on the exercise and get them all out for a run while we could.  We bundled the gang of 6 into the car and they were racing around the fields before 7am.

Luckily they all have excellent recall (well, they do before breakfast, anyway), as an unsuspecting small dog ventured into the field and all 6 Lappies went racing over to say hello.  It was quite overwhelming for the small one, and she got scared and ran away from them.  All the older Lappies just wanted to say hello and so they then left her alone, but Tuuli, fired up by pack mentality, thought the little one was fair game and decided to give chase.  After all, when she runs she expects to get chased - that is the game, as far as she's concerned.  And she's quite accustomed to meeting up with dogs in these fields for impromptu games of chase.  Luckily, though, she quickly gave up and followed the others back to me, leaving the newcomer in peace.

Tuuli flying back.  It's a shame this is just a phone pic and too far away for a good resolution.

What a good bunch of dogs.
L-R: Minna, Keskiyo, Taika, Neka, Maija, Tuuli

Minna, Tuuli, Maija, Taika

Taika, Keskiyo

Minna with her little shadow Tuuli

Everyone loves Minna - Keskiyo with his favorite girl.



















Bunch of happy dogs on the way home and ready for breakfast.  Keskiyo is out of shot on the back seat.
L-R: Taika, Maija, Tuuli, Neka, Minna

chaos

Even with no puppies in the house, we've had a busy summer. Perhaps I should specify that we've had no new puppies in the house. We've had a few to visit.

The latest visitors are Taika & Minna who have been here almost 2 weeks and are going back home in a couple of days. That means that we have 5 dogs in total in the house at the moment. And if you wondered how many dogs is too many, then I think my limit is 5. Or possibly 4, actually.

Don't get me wrong - I have really enjoyed being over-run with canines. And these particular 2 are extremely well behaved, so they don't actually cause much more chaos than our normal daily amount. However, once you factor into the equation the fact that Jay has been almost completely incapacitated with a back problem for the whole time, you can see that I've had my work more than cut out for me.





I'm pretty sure there's still one missing... on the way back to the car, and still no Neka...












Quite apart from the walks (during which at least 2 need to be kept on lead for some reason or other), at this time of the year there is the post-walk daily dog de-seeding. It's only a small exaggeration to say that we have as many seeds in our bin as are left in the woods. What we really need at this time of the year is a dog-friendly beach nearby. No seeds.

In July BF (before seeds) we had Buddy for a week and before that Kesa came to stay for a few days.






Kesa & Maija mid-game

















An unlikely pair of bookends
















In between, the puppies and relatives went to a few dog shows. Apparently every photo we took of Keksi with her offspring at the National Working & Pastoral show was out of focus. Huh.














L-R: Kuura, Keksi, Ukko, Tippi

Yes, those ears, I know. I think the subject of ears deserves its own blog post.

meanwhile

While we were in Scotland there were yet more family members to meet up with. The Persikka puppies are almost 6 months old already and 2 of the littermates are yapping with a Scottish accent. After the show we all met up at the beach in Elie where Wendy & I went with Karhu during my last visit. Alas, the weather was rather different on this occasion than on that one.

But we didn't let the damp horizontal wind affect our spirits.















L-R: Siblings Sisu & Bo, uncle Karhu, granny Neka, auntie Taika & Minna
People: Kristiina, Rona & Jay

As with all photos like this one, there is plenty of chaos in trying to wrangle everyone into place.









Looks to me like Wendy might have been trying to get everyone's attention with sausages.







The brother & sister Sisu & Bo had a wonderful time racing and playing on the beach. Karhu adopted a little more dignity and simply nicked Bo's tennis ball and played by himself at the water's edge. Later, when we were back on dry land, he gave it a toss to see if there were any takers amongst the younger family members.















Later still, the humans had a well deserved drink at the Ship Inn next to the beach. Karhu was his usual well-behaved self, snoozing under the table. It was Sisu's first time at the beach, and like most unsuspecting puppies, he drank rather more sea water than he should have done and we had rather a lot of mopping up to do on the pub floor when all the water came back up. Here he is looking a bit green around the gills. Poor puppy!




















In the meantime, Karhu & Bo look smugly on.




No, she's not actually bigger than Karhu, it's just the camera angle. But just look at the size of her paws! You can see they're related.

and on the way home

After a flying Scottish visit, we took off back down the motorway, pausing along the way to visit Minna's sister Lana who we haven't seen in the fur since she left home a year ago.






















Her family had only just returned from holiday the day before, so our timing could not be better. They might have had other ideas, I suppose, considering the 8-hour coach journey they described it taking to get home. Yeesh. So perhaps not exactly perfect timing for everyone, but I'm not complaining.

There was time and (almost enough) energy for a little stroll in the rain so that the family could all get re-acquainted. Even Lana's big sister Ellie liked everyone else, although you wouldn't necessarily guess so from this photo.














L-R: Ellie, Minna, Lana, Taika, Neka






The sisters together










You can see a family resemblance, for sure, although Lana looks more like her brother Kallio and other sister Kesa. However, most of all she looks just like her dad, Lapinlumon Albmi.
















After waving farewell to Lana and family, we scooted on down south to retrieve Maija and return Taika & Minna. But we couldn't come home empty handed of visitors, so you see there are yet more stories to come.

Minna & Taika head north

Last week Jay & I packed up the car and drove the 500 miles to Scotland with 3 dogs. Neka came with us, Keskiyo was at his hotel and we swapped Maija for Taika & Minna. Somehow I don't think Maija was complaining as she gets to sleep on the bed when she visits there.









3 generations of girls heading off in the back of the car
L-R: Minna, Taika, Neka












About two-thirds of the way we stopped at Penrith in Cumbria, a town I've never visited before. A more charming and beautiful town I have never seen. It's a place that seems to try really hard and it gets everything right. For one thing, the town centre is stuffed full of lovely buildings like this one.






















And there is nary a chain store in sight. No Boots, no New Look, no McDonalds. Just lots and lots of beautifully presented independent shops, restaurants and pubs. How refreshing! And I must say they were all looking rather wonderfully prosperous too.

Needless to say, while in the neighbourhood we also had a great walk in the sunshine and the wind - after all, Cumbria is nothing if not walking country. Unfortunately there were a few too many sheep around to let the dogs off lead, but they had a nice time anyway.


































Pause for a drink in the stream












When we finally made it all the way to Glasgow we stayed with Wendy & Scott and had a great visit. It was particularly good to finally see Karhu & his "twin" sister Taika together in the same room. As Wendy said, peas in a pod. Indeed they are.
















(Photo: Wendy Hunter Gilmour)

At the show, Karhu qualified for Crufts and Minna, at her first ever show, and barely comprehending the "stand" command, won her class and also qualified. Neka was just about as naughty in the ring as she ever has been - barking, jumping, playing the clown. She's 7 years old. That makes her a veteran in dog show parlance. Someone really ought to tell her.




Minna chilling before going into the ring at SKC...








(Many thanks to Evelyn Miekle for this photo)






... and chilling at the pub after her triumph.














This is a dog whose easy, relaxed character is matched only by that of her mother. And possibly her uncles & aunties as well. I must say I was surprised by how well behaved she was when she stayed with us the few days before we left for Scotland. At 14 months, she's still really quite a baby, but she just slotted right into the family routine and we didn't have a minute of trouble or concern with her.

Er, apart from the deep and abiding (and rather worrisome) mutual affection she shared with Keskiyo, that is. He even let her steal his toys.















When she got to Scotland, let's just say she wasn't quite so accommodating with Karhu. Lest her family think she's just a softie who can't stick up for herself, fear not - she had no trouble whatsoever keeping her uncle firmly under her paw. She claimed all his toys and even his window seat and kept him in line with a brief, simple bright white "smile".

family reunion

Yesterday we drove up to High Littleton in Somerset to meet a bunch of other Lappy folk for a walk in Greyfield Wood. We've been there before and yet somehow I always manage to get a little lost when trying to find it. I was amazed when the other people who came - and who had not been there before - all found it quite readily. Especially as the directions were wrong. Who wrote the directions? Uh huh.

Don't ask me what the moral of that story is.

Anyway, we had a fantastic turnout of 12 Lapphunds, at least twice that number of people, and one honorary Lapphund in the form of Toby. Missing from this photo is said honorary Lapphund and one ornery little madam off to the right who didn't squidge in close in time for this particular shot.











Dogs, L-R: Marja, Keskiyo, Maija, Neka, Kaija, Usko, Taika, Minna, Ben, Seppo, Miika

What was particularly nice for us was that, in addition to our own 3 dogs, of the 12 Lappies were at least one member of every litter of puppies we've ever had. Later at the pub (which, needless to say, we had no trouble finding), We tried to get a few family shots but had to make do with just a couple.

You might remember Marja who was the Marilyn of the last litter. She's 5 months old now, still platinum blonde, very little and super sweet. She wasn't too sure about getting out of her car when she first arrived at the walk. I don't suppose she has seen so many dogs in one place at once time - let alone 11 Lapphunds all in one place. Then granny Neka spotted her and started to bark with excitement. When Marja heard her and recognised her, that was it - she was off and utterly fearless from that moment on.






Trying to keep up with the big dogs














Scrambling up the water fall


















Pause for a treat or two









It's pretty tiring stuff for puppies, but there was plenty of time for recovering at the pub later.

















Marja's sister Tippi is coming to stay next week and I can't wait to get the 2 girls together for a play date. Check back - there should be plenty of news over the next couple of weeks.

In the meantime, here is Taika and a selection of her kids.












L-R: Kesä, Taika, Minna, Usko

growing up puppies

In only a week the Tuisku puppies will be one year old and no longer puppies at all. I've had some updates here and there - and it is perhaps needless to say that we got to see one or two of them when the last bunch were receiving visitors.





Minna and Taika just a tad muddy after a walk during their visit.
















Usko also came to visit and we had a bit of a challenge to get him calm enough for a photo as he was rather excited to be here seeing us & his granny Neka.













Kallio had his first ever bath.












Lana went skiing in Scotland with sis Ellie & the rest of the family.







"You can't catch me!"







While Kesa enjoyed the snow down south.

slap

I have had just the right number of admonishments on my recent lack of attention to this, my beloved blog, to get me back to the keyboard. So, not an actual slap. More the metaphorical kind.

The puppies are just about 11 weeks old now and all well and truly settled into their new homes. That's true even of Marja (The Puppy Formerly Known as Marilyn), who didn't go to her new home until she was almost 10 weeks old and her family returned from their holiday.

This is where I would normally post a photo of her with her new family as they set off from here. But for the first time in all the puppies who have left here, I don't have a photo. I distinctly remember taking some but apparently I accidentally deleted them from the camera at some point. Don't ask me how, because I have no idea. Put it down to the puppy-parting trauma. Instead, here's Mark being taken on a tour of the new garden for the first time.















We have kept puppies for a couple of extra weeks before - in fact, this has usually been to accommodate previously planned family holidays - but it always worked out a bit easier to manage in the past. It is one thing to say goodbye to the puppies when they are one of a bunch, going off to their new homes one after the other. It's not easy, as such, but it's normal, expected, part of the natural order of things. It's another thing entirely to keep one longer than everyone else, have her slot into your routine and start going for walks with the big dogs and all that. A completely different story.

Taito from our first litter, stayed until he was 9 weeks old and then as he was leaving, his brother Torvi returned for a week, having been in his new home a fortnight already. So there was plenty of distraction to keep us from getting to attached to one or the other. Emma tells me that Rauhan stayed a bit longer than his littermates too, but I have no recollection of that - I dare say I was rather befuddled by the raising of the litter of 9. At any rate, we kept Maija from that litter, so again she provided a welcome distraction from all the goodbyes. From Taika's litter, Minna was the last to go, but she went only a couple of days after Usko, so it was just routine farewells somewhat extended. Parting with Marja was very difficult. Very. I really don't recommend it.

In the week before she left we had a play date with her brother Ukko.













And now she's very happy being spoiled by Maria & Mark. Well, spoiled by Mark and properly trained by Maria. Here she is spreading her toys around, taking over her new house.













I do have plenty of updates on everyone and will get to another post with them just as soon as ... well, let's just say that I still have a lot on my plate even with the puppies away.

pupdate

The puppies are 17 weeks old today. Is that all? Doesn't sound like much, does it? Around 4 or 5 months of age Lappies tend to go through a gangly stage. They have a growth spurt... of ears, muzzle and legs, anyway, and the coat can't keep up. They tend to be, um, cute-challenged. Not these puppies, they're cute all the way. (Um, mostly. So far.)

Note the fuzzy tufts of lighter fur behind the ears - a classic feature of the wolf sable puppy as the coat colour changes.

No new pics of Usko, but he's coming to visit in a couple of days, so stay tuned.

Jaana has been on holiday in Cumbria.




"Where'd they go?"













A perfect seat for two... Lapphunds.










Minna has also been on holiday - camping with the relatives! I've been assured she was a complete angel the whole time. No, really!







Snoozing with auntie Kaija in the foreground.







Kesä illustrating the play-bow. And looking very much like Kallio.







Kallio looking quite grown up... well, sorta.








He hasn't yet learned you can't out-stare a cat.






And, finally, in honour of Jay's recent birthday, Inko sent this greeting: