farewell to the Lintu puppies

And they're off!

7 weeks and 8 weeks came eventually and with those milestones came 7 clear vet checks, 7 microchips, 7 clear eye tests, 7 wormers, 7 flea treatments and 6 sets of testicles present & correct.  One by one they set off for their new homes - more or less quietly (not mentioning any names....)

The first one out the door was Lumi who set off in the wee hours of the morning to Berkshire with Tammy & James. 

 

 Hot on his heels went Joki to Somerset with Emma and Ben.

Next up, Valo off to Cheshire with Christie & Ryan and Miika to Oxfordshire with Claire & Andy - not forgetting Madi by Facetime from Turkey.  They all came and went at the same time. 

Then today, the final day, the last 3 went:  first up, Henkka to Bath with Matt & Emma then Wilson to West Sussex with Vicki & Matt.

The first out the door this morning was Nukka who will be the 3rd Lapphund for the Wilsons in Somerset.   Here she is leaving today followed by the shot of number 2, Minna, leaving 7 years ago with number 1, Taika.  

and they're off

Over the weekend the puppies set off on the next leg of their big adventure - one to Cornwall, one to Plymouth and one all the way to West Sussex.  Before they went, they had 3 clear vet checks, 3 microchips and 3 clear eye tests.  There was not one episode of vomiting in all that - and not even any drooling!  Natural-born travellers, these puppies.

And also before going, there was the opportunity for a few last cuddles with mama.

Karhu having mama cuddles all by himself

Considering how much Tuuli has enjoyed spending time and playing with her puppies, you might think that she was distressed to see them go.  But no, she was quite content to see them go off one by one with their new owners and when she wagged the last one off, she promptly hopped up onto the sofa, flipped onto her back with her feet in the air and had the best, deepest snooze she has had for 2 months.  As with all things puppy-related, Tuuli knew exactly when the time was right for them to go.

After Anni and Karhu had left, Arvo was left briefly on his own.  Luckily I had borrowed Ulla for the weekend to take her to a show, so she was on hand to keep him well occupied and tire him out for the drive to West Sussex.  When you think how roughly she plays with Loki, it's amazing how gentle she was with Arvo.  And she did a pretty good job of teaching him all the funny play-faces.

And so to the home pics.  Arvo was the last to go and Karhu was first, followed by Anni shortly thereafter.  I couldn't resist including a photo of the same family members leaving with Rauhan EIGHT years ago.  I don't know if they can believe it was that long ago, but I sure can't.

Karhu off with Kirsty & Luke

Arvo heading off with Adele & Wesley

Anni with Katy, Hattie & Emma

The same family 8 years earlier with Rauhan

8 weeks old & leaving home

The puppies are 8 weeks old and only one is left here, although we are sadly packing his little bag in preparation for his new family to pick him up on the weekend.

It's always a mixture of sad and happy to see the puppies go off to their new homes.  You have to be happy for them to be starting out on their big adventures, and happy for their new families.  But I'm always a little sad to see them go and there is always a tear or two shed.

It's even more difficult when there is only one who stays behind longer than the rest.  I have spent time training and socialising him and bonded with him even more than I had when the whole litter was here.  Hopefully his family won't mind if I just tie him to the gate post for them to collect so I don't have to watch him leave.

Here are Tito's 8-week-update photos.

And now that I have my laptop fully functioning again, here are the belated farewell photos for the rest of the gang.  I particularly like the photo of Fiia leaving - which just goes to show that sometimes the outtakes make the best captures.

Kai the first to leave with Holly & James

Kaito off with Phil, Rae & William

Talvi setting off with Liz & Ian to meet Usko at home

Angela & Jonny with Fiia refusing to look at the camera

book review - the perfect puppy *

When I'm getting ready to send some puppies off into the world with their new families, I always recommend a few books to get people going with the training and socialisation.  Near the top of my list is this book.

The Perfect Puppy *

 

Author: Gwen Bailey

Publisher: Hamlyn, London, 2008

ISBN: 978-0-600-61722-8

Pages: 208

Price: £12.99

Classic Quote

“Planning in advance and getting things right first time around are quicker, in the long run, than having to sort out problems later.”

About the Author

Gwen Bailey is a canine behaviourist and founder of Puppy School, based in Oxfordshire. The first edition of this book, published in 1995, was the UK’s best-selling puppy book until the publication of this, the second edition.

Structure of the Book

The book is divided into 16 chapters with sections at the end for further reading, a suggested socialisation programme, and a few contact addresses such as the Kennel Club and the author’s own Puppy School. The chapters cover the full range of puppy ownership:

Chapter 1 - The raw material

Chapter 2 - A puppy’s view of the world

Chapter 3 - The new family

Chapter 4 - Developmental stages

Chapter 5 - Life with a new puppy

Chapter 6 - Socialization

Chapter 7 - House training

Chapter 8 - Behaviour control and leadership

Chapter 9 - Toys and games

Chapter 10 - Preventing biting and aggression

Chapter 11 - Chewing

Chapter 12 - Handling and grooming

Chapter 13 - Good manners

Chapter 14 - Learning to be alone

Chapter 15 - Training your puppy

Chapter 16 - Adolescence and beyond

What is Great About This Book

This is possibly the best illustrated puppy book I’ve ever seen. There are large, full-colour photos on just about every page and each photo shows the topic being discussed. This is particularly useful in the sections on body language in chapters 2 and 10 where the photos clearly show what a “shy” puppy looks like and what “stiff tail” means when ”nervous” dogs are greeting each other.

The book definitely covers everything you need to know about training your puppy and it doesn’t gloss over some of the more challenging topics such as being the pack leader and controlling the behaviour of more ambitious puppies who try to take charge. This is the major difference between this edition and the original book. Chapter 10 on preventing biting and aggression is particularly good, explaining not only how to deal with puppy biting but also why the puppy bites in the first place and how aggression can develop, hence how to avoid it. This chapter also covers dominance and food or toy guarding.

The best thing about this book is that at every stage the author is thinking about how the puppy will fit into the family unit, especially including children. There is not one discrete part of the book labelled ‘puppies and children’, rather this relationship is woven throughout each topic, from the best way to introduce the puppy to children to the appropriate (and inappropriate) way for them to play together.

What’s Not So Great

There’s very little I have to criticise in this book. The weaknesses in the original edition have been addressed in this new edition, and it really does cover the whole puppy experience from how to choose a puppy to how to survive the adolescent phase that comes at the end of puppyhood.

The only thing I would say is that although it’s well written and divided into sensible chapters and sections, the layout is entirely conversational, flowing paragraph by paragraph. I prefer the style that includes at least some lists of things to do, and in what order, rather than endless descriptive text. This layout and writing style does make it somewhat difficult to browse the book or pick it up and dip in. It is designed to be read cover to cover or not at all. Having said that, there is an index at the back to aid navigation.

Worth Reading?

Yes, especially if you like looking at lots of photos of cute puppies. I judge all puppy books against Dunbar’s Before and After Getting Your Puppy, which to me is the ultimate. I always say that if you’re going to have only one puppy book, then that is the one to have. However, I also think that it’s helpful to read at least two or three for the different styles and approaches that may appeal to different individuals and work with individual puppies. After all, the more varying ways you have to come at a problem, the more likely you are to achieve a solution. While it does not surpass Dunbar’s book, The Perfect Puppy does sit alongside it very nicely.

Summary

Round Up:  Beautifully illustrated how-to book covering the whole puppy experience

Best For:  Everyone, especially families with children

Woofs:  4/5

 * This is an edited version of a review I originally wrote for Lappy Tails, the newsletter of the Southern Finnish Lapphund Society.

Oh, and by the way, did I mention that you can follow my blog with Bloglovin

pup tip - start as you mean to go on

Right from the first day in his new home, a puppy should be exposed to the normal daily routine he will be expected to abide by for the future.  I always recommend that people take some time off work when they bring their new puppy home.  You need time to sort out the house training, do some bonding, spend a few hours puppy-worshipping, get him sleeping all night, do lots of short and fun training sessions, and prepare your puppy to spend time alone.

First Night

A puppy's first night or two away from his mum & littermates will probably be absolutely awful for him - and for his new owners.  He will cry and howl and be quite pitiful.  There are other methods, but I recommend the tough love approach - keep him awake in the evening so that he's really tired, put him to bed with a few bits of food and some safe toys, and then turn out the lights and go to bed.  And put in your earplugs.  And don't return to him no matter how heartbreaking his cries.

Ukko at home in his crate during his first week home.











 
Because you know what happens if you return to him and give in, right?  Yes.  He will throw a tantrum everytime he wants something, secure in the knowledge that if he barks and howls for long enough, he will eventually get his own way.  And he will do the same thing every single night when he goes to bed...

It usually only takes a couple of nights for him to give up and go to sleep.  Then once he is happy sleeping at night, if he then wakes up and calls, he almost certainly needs to wee and/or poo.  In the interest of his house training, it's then a good idea to drag yourself out of bed and take him out to do his business so he's not forced to do it in his sleeping area.  He would rather not soil his bed, but if he has no choice, then he will do so and will thereby learn that it is acceptable to do so in the future.

Alone Time

The other routine your new puppy must learn is to spend time alone.  Again, being alone will be all new to him.  Each of my puppies gets to spend a few minutes alone as part of my socialisation programme, but that's very different from learning to stay at home while you go to work for a couple of hours.

So, whatever you do, don't wait until the day before you go back to work to start worrying about leaving him.  Start the alone routine straightaway on his first morning with you.  You take him out for his morning ablutions, give him his breakfast, take him out for more wees & poos, do some playing, more house training, and then when he's tired, put him in his crate with some toys and leave him alone.  Get him started on what is going to be his normal morning routine.

Even if you don't work and you plan to spend most of your time with the puppy, he will still need to learn to be left alone, so it's a worthwhile exercise regardless.

Furniture, Chewing, Upstairs

Finally, you need to decide what your adult dog is going to be allowed to do and what he is not going to be allowed to do and then apply those rules to the tiny, adorable puppy.  If you don't want your big galoot of a wet dog to lie on the sofa, then don't let the irresistible 8-week-old ball of fluff on the sofa either.

Neka wasn't allowed on the furniture, so she would sleep with her head on our feet.  So cute!

And then we decided that having the animals on the furniture was actually ok with us.  Just as well.










If you don't want your dog jumping on people, then don't let the tiny puppy jump up either.  The same goes for letting the tiny puppy chew your fingers.  At first it's quite cute.  Then it really isn't.   In fact, the same goes for chewing anything.  Decide what your puppy is allowed to chew, which rooms he is allowed to use, whether or not he is permitted upstairs, and then enforce the rules rigidly.  Rigidly.  Don't make exceptions - ever.

Why not?  Because the important thing with all matters of successful dog training and raising a well-mannered, well-behaved adult dog is consistency.  Do the same thing everytime and demand the same behaviour of your dog all the time and at all occasions.  The bottom line is this: your dog will do whatever you teach him to do, and whatever you allow him to do.  If you allow him to do something once, he will think he can do it forever.  So be careful to only ever let your puppy learn what you want your adult dog to be.  

Sounds, easy, doesn't it.  Uh huh.

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.

seven, six, five, four

The inevitable has happened. The puppies are almost 8 weeks old and one by one are setting off on their new adventures, going to their new homes in time to spend the weekend with their excited new families.

The first to go was Bo (Budgie) in the wee small hours of the morning for her trek to Scotland with Alan and his dad. Rona played it smart and waited at home for the puppy to be delivered. Smart!





















And here she is settling right into her new favorite spot.










Then Ukko (Kuusi) set off for the short trip up the road to Exeter with Becca and her mum. I did tell him before he left that his new home was furnished with white (white!) sofas. You should have heard him laugh.





















Looking pretty tiny in his new crate.









Next was Sisu (Vee), following his sister alllll the way up to Scotland with Kristiina and Eric. They haven't even arrived home yet, so we'll have to wait for pics of him settling in.
















Sisu will have a new name as well because apparently "Sisu" is a kennel name somewhere so it was refused by the Kennel Club. Second choice is Saimaa, so hopefully we'll be luckier with that one. He'll still be called Sisu, though.

next adventure

It's a very quiet, puppyless house we have today. And a very happy bunch of new Finnish Lapphund owners trying to come to terms with those early mornings. They don't last forever, I promise.

Kallio was the first to go and I've already had some photos of him chilling in his own garden (with grass!) and meeting new friends. Here he is setting off with Nicole & Charlie. I worked very hard to keep him awake all morning so he would sleep all the way home. As you can see, he was more interested in snoozing than posing.













Jaana was another who had a long journey, and she also left with Paul & friends bright and early for the long drive. Both puppies had a good trip - no problems, no sickness. Phew! Also in the news, Jaana's kennel name is no longer Tuisku Piia - it's Tuisku Jonna, which I thought was conveniently similar in pronounciation to Jaana. I don't think she's particularly bothered either way.















Kesä was next out the door. Vicky & Gary came alone to collect her and left some very excited children at home waiting for them to get back. I hear they've been keeping her busy and tired - the formula for happy puppies and owners. And she's even sleeping through the night. I expected it of the others, but not necessarily Kesä, so that's very good news.














Usko had a very long drive home with Liz & Ian thanks to the seemingly ever-present problems on the M5. But, as expected, he was good as gold. I can't wait to see photos of him in his new paddock that Ian has worked so hard to set up.
















Minna was the last to go back home to mummy Taika, Kate & Jerome and children Isabelle & Jamie. She stayed a week after Taika's departure because we wanted to give Taika a chance to be the centre of attention back at home for a while and settle back into her usual routines before disrupting the whole household again with a puppy's arrival. Kate reported that it was as though Taika had never left and there was a joyous reunion with Tino the cat involving much mutual face licking.

Of all the puppies, Minna was the only one I was a tiny bit concerned about going home, as she is quite timid - who could have predicted that the ruler of the whelping box would be the one to be shy and, unfortunately, car sick. However, within minutes of their arrival, Minna was chasing Jamie all over the lounge, so I don't think she'll have too many problems. Much socialising is on the cards and that ought to sort her out in no time.

And she made it home with nothing more troublesome than copious drooling.















Taika looks as though she's not overly impressed to see her puppy join the family, doesn't she? But I can assure you she was thrilled to see her when they arrived. Taika came straight into the house and jumped into the pen to greet Minna.

I really should have had the video camera ready. Sadly I did not, but I do have some cute footage of granny Neka playing with the last 2 puppies to go that I'll post in due course.

Hopefully there will be some puppies-in-their-new-homes pics next.

farewell to the puppies

How nice that the sun was shining as all the remaining puppies (but one, of course) left home over the last 2 days. I will admit that a tear or 2 was shed, but look how happy all the new families are. That makes it all worthwhile. What, all that noise and work? Hmm, maybe...

Tarkka off to Plymouth with Jo, George and the very excited Josh:




















LMI (Little Miss Inko) goes off with Paula & Adam (at last!) Don't miss her continuing adventures on her very own blog Living with a Lappy.

















Jaana was the next to go, bright and early with Mike & Sarah. They had a long drive back to Brighton where Jaana discovered her new big brother Basil. Check back for photos of her settling in.




















The last pup to leave home was Rauhan. Here he is with the Hollisters, minus dad Adrian who was detained temporarily at home in Berkshire and had to zoom down separately to collect his family, including the new little addition. I wonder what new big sis Sukka will think of him?

and 1 makes 5

This is a tough weekend. By tomorrow afternoon we will be left with only one puppy! Where did the 8 weeks go?

The Taylor family (minus dad - we can't all play with puppies, someone has to do some work - or so I keep telling Jay) drove 250-ish miles from Lancashire yesterday. After some puppy time we all went out for a quick bite to eat (Madelaine where did you put that enormous ice cream?) Then they were off bright and early this morning. Here they are with a very sleepy Jaska who I kept waking up to make sure he would good and tired for the long drive to his new home.



















Keep checking back to see photos of him with his new big sister, Kia.

Tonight we'll be waving goodbye to Tarkka and Inko.

do as I say...

... not as I do.

I preach the cold turkey method of first-night puppy training - i.e. put 'em to bed and let 'em howl. Very quickly they learn to sleep through the night, safely in their crate. Well, sleep through until nature calls them out to water the grass, at any rate. And, more importantly, they don't learn to kick up a big enough racket to get you to come running.

With Tarmo, Kaija (Sulo) and Viivi off into the big world, I can report that they've all settled right in and are doing wonderfully. Best news of all, lo and behold, they have been sleeping extremely well at night - or at least those all-important first couple of nights. That leaves me hopeful for the rest of the pups as they go too.

In fact, I was so reassured by this news that Maija's crate went up on Monday night and in she went with her stuffed Kong to keep her occupied. Brilliant idea, I thought, to get her accustomed to sleeping in her crate before her brothers and sisters leave her all alone. Well, who knows, she might have been ok in there set up right next to the puppy pen but it didn't take long for the others to start howling and yapping. I gave it 20 minutes and went back down. Cleaned up the mess Maija had made in her new crate, shushed everyone, and went back to bed. I don't think I lasted 20 minutes the next time before sticking Maija back into the pen with the rest. Instant peace.

I guess Maija (and we) will just have to go cold turkey on Saturday night after the last of her siblings leave. I dread to think what cacophony she will come up with that night after getting me to run to her rescue TWICE on Monday night. **sigh** My only defense is that we have already had more than our fare share of puppy noise in this household. Not to mention our neighbours. Saturday night will be interesting, I'm sure.

Back to the 3 adventurers who have already left. I've had great reports about them all. They're very popular in their new homes and towns, needless to say. I hear they're getting plenty visitors to keep them occupied and on the road towards Ian Dunbar's recommended 100 strangers by 12 weeks old - or was that 200 strangers? Either way, it's not a difficult target to reach when you have a Lappy puppy.

For that matter, each of the pups must have met at least their first 10 on their trip up the high street with me before ever leaving home. There are not many people you pass who don't want to have a quick stroke. And if the high street is unusually quiet, there's always the pet shop and the post office. All great places for cuddles with complete strangers.

The last puppy to have his walk up the high street was Jaska today. I had to wait for a moment when Jay could come with me because the puppies are getting so big and heavy now. And Jaska, adorable little chunk that he is, is just too heavy for me to carry for very long. None of the puppies were overly worried by the noise and commotion of the high street. Maija fell asleep on the post office counter and Inko and Rauhan both had to withstand an enormous noisy lorry and roadworks. Of all the puppies, though, Jaska and Jaana were the least concerned. Jaska took it completely in his stride, not even wriggling when lorries drove past. Jaana didn't bat an eye when she was cuddled by Debbie, the owner of the pet shop, and she was most intrigued by Debbie's 2 parrots who kept calling out "bye bye!"

Until I have some more photos of puppies leaving home - or photos of puppies in their new homes - here are a couple of videos. The first was taken a couple of weeks ago when their ears were all still folded down and when we still had 9. The second was taken this morning.

Puppies, come!




Puppies, do shush, please!

what the morning brought

Well, I must say the pen was an absolute doddle to clean this morning! And the puppies slept until 7am to boot. I think it's becoming clear who the noisy, messy ones have been...

Ha ha, just kidding. The reason the puppies slept in and the pen was so unusually clean was down to the 2 - count them - TWO middle-of-the-night cleanups. Not the puppies' fault, it has to be said.

Somehow, while the Lapphunds miraculously (and unusually) avoided it, Anniebear - the dignified old Akita who rarely sticks her nose in where she shouldn't and would rather starve than eat anything disgusting and who is never ill - managed to pick up some kind of stomach bug yesterday and had the squits all night. The first one was in her crate and the rest were outside and, at some point after 3:30 am, one was on (and near...) the newspaper left for the purpose. Poor old bear.

Of course, while Jay was worrying about Annie, Neka, supermum that she is (or just disgusting little gannet, you decide) nipped into Annie's crate and cleaned everything right up. Cue the most disgusting vomit imaginable. Remember this? Well, last night was similar, but without the terrible worry. Some consolation. I guess.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is one of the very good reasons for crate training your dog and having them sleep in it at night. No, not so that any night-time accidents are contained (although that's not a bad reason either) but so that the well behaved dog who isn't usually locked up at night, doesn't get into any trouble when you least expect it. And at hours when you are least able to deal with it. Keskiyö? Safely tucked up in his crate snoozing away. No problem.

So, while Jay was downstairs with Annie he gave the pups a quick cleanup. Then when I went down 20 minutes later to take Neka out a dozen or so times, I gave them another mini-clearout.

Result: tired puppies & a relatively clean pen. Not bad for a night's work.

And if you were wondering what the puppies' little bags consist of as they leave home, here is a puppy pack:

The box on the left contains food, an info leaflet about the food, a measuring cup, a bag of bedtime treats which, in this case, are Markies, a little Nylabone and the particular puppy's favorite toy from the selection they have all been playing with.

The folder contains all the paperwork - contract, feeding schedule, pedigree, insurance, breed info, etc.

The plastic bag contains a piece of rolled up vet bed which has spent a few hours in the puppy pen. So, it has been stomped all over with smelly, muddy paws, been chewed, dragged about and, yes, probably weed on (at least). To a puppy setting off to its new home, it's a little piece of familiarity to snuggle into at night and it smells wonderful.

Well, it smells nice to the puppy at least. The family will probably want to put it through the washing machine before very many days pass. Vet bed is great stuff, though. You can often buy it from rolls so you get made-to-measure sizes. Liquid goes right through leaving the surface fairly dry and you can just chuck it into the washing machine and tumble dryer and it lasts a very long time. I think I still have a piece or two from when Neka was a puppy, so there you go.

... and 5 to go

Viivi must have known that today was going to be a big day for her because she woke everyone up at something after 5 am.

Here are Sherralee and David, thrilled to be setting off with Viivi to her new home (yes, Surrey again - big county, that, ain't it). I'll bet Viivi's new big brother Jaska can't wait to meet her too - not her litter brother Jaska, but another one entirely. He won't know what hit him when Viivi lands!




















Farewell Viivi, have fun with your fab new brother, and I'm so looking forward to the photos. Since Jay's parents are conveniently located in Surrey, we expect to see lots more of these puppies in the future. Lucky us!

* * * *

And on a completely different topic, you might have thought that cleaning out the pen would have been a slightly easier job this morning with 2 fewer puppies. Wouldn't you? I did. Huh, was I wrong. Let's see what tomorrow morning brings (well, ok, I know what it will bring, but let's see how much of it arrives.)

nine, eight, seven... and counting

Well the Devon Nine have been whittled down to 7 today as Tarmo and Sulo left with their little bags packed and headed off to their new homes. A few tears have been shed, but frankly the puppies really have reached a stage now where they need one-on-one attention that they just don't get in a pack of 9. So on that basis, it's nice to see them embarking on their next adventure and their big jobs making new families happy.

There will be another one off tomorrow and then I'll have some more work preparing the next 5 to leave at the end of the week.

Tarmo was the first to go. Here he is with Stacey & Shane, shortly before his trip back to the ancestral home (Surrey, of course):


















Sulo was close behind. She is now called Kaija and tonight will be settling in at her home near Bristol with the Collins family:



















Good luck puppies! Adios & see you again soon.