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!  

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

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.

7 weeks old

The puppies turn 7 weeks old (already!?) and we get ready to say goodbye. I've half-jokingly told everyone to just come round one evening when we're out & help themselves. But no, we'll be here to wave them off as one by one they set out on the next adventure with their new families. But first, the 7 week update and lots more photos & videos before they leave over the next few days.

Minna (2 Toes)
































Kallio (2 Tone)

































Kesä (Grey Wolf)
































Usko (Dino)



























Piia/Jaana (Butterfly)

5 weeks old

I cannot believe we are at the 5-week mark already. After such a shaky first couple of weeks, it's been so much fun ever since. Not to mention so unexpectedly easy compared to my first litters of 7 and then 9. In fact, when the puppies were about 3 days old, Jay came into the puppy room, looked into the box containing 5 tiny wigglers and said, "Where's the rest of them?"

I've been determined not to teach these puppies to scream at people who enter the room. I really didn't want a repeat of the cacophony the last lot used to make each morning when I came downstairs. To date, they're staying pretty quiet when I first come downstairs and sort out the other dogs.

Of course, the litter of 9 constituted twice the lung-power, and it's still early days. However, we're working on ignoring the cutest thing in the room when we first enter. It's good for the puppies and a useful lesson to take home with the youngsters when they leave here. Puppies need to learn that the world doesn't actually revolve around them and that they are not the most important person in the household. Tricky, that one. I've yet to see a 8- or 10-week-old puppy who was not the most interesting thing in any household.

Anyway, so far so good.

And, so, to the 5-week photos. I have been informed by a member or two of the Facebook Lapphund community that Jay & I are not the only ones who struggle to take good photos of the puppies standing at this age. Reassuring! Nonetheless, this week we have managed to join the 'them' who display lovely standing photos. Ours are not as good as 'theirs', obviously, but we persevere.

The decisions have now been made as to which puppy is going where, so I'm also unveiling their new names (pending KC approval, that is) - ta da!

2Toes: Infindigo Tuisku Minna
Pet name 'Minna' - a girl's name































2Tone: Infindigo Tuisku Kallio
Pet name 'Kallio' - meaning 'rock'





































GreyWolf: Infindigo Tuisku Kesä
Pet name 'Kesä' - meaning 'summer'


































Dino: Infindigo Tuisku Usko
(How's that one for a tongue-twister?)
Pet name 'Usko' - meaning 'belief' or 'faith'





































Butterfly: Infindigo Tuisku Piia
Pet name 'Jaana' - a girl's name
(It's nice to have a puppy in the family called Jaana. Maija has a sister whose kennel name is Jaana, but she is called Sybil! Hence, Jaana's kennel name shall be Piia. Just don't ask how I will distinguish between Piia-Jaana and Jaana-Sybil in future blog posts...)