signs

It's an interminable wait when you're wondering if your bitch is pregnant. The mating happened a couple of weeks in the past, the scan isn't due until a couple of weeks in the future. You watch your bitch with a keen eye, looking for changes in appearance or behaviour, clues, any little sign that she might be a little different than usual, not her normal self, pregnant.

And so we are doing with Keksi now.  For Keksi's last litter, she was at home with Daniel & Jim at this stage and I kept getting reports that she didn't seem different to them.  By the time she came to me for her scan a month or so after mating, I was quite confident I saw a little sign - a little ruff of fur sticking out from her sides like a skirt.

At the moment Keksi is staying with us and I have my eyes peeled for that ruff of fur.  She is super-fit right now and with very little coat, and I don't know if those 2 elements will cancel each other out: she is slim & fit, so it will be easier to spot any little swelling of the belly, while on the other hand, she has no coat to speak of, so there is no fur to stick out.

Definitely no fur skirt here - check out the curve of her thigh.  But if we were looking for shoulder ruffs, we'd be in business.

One sure sign of pregnancy is a sudden voracious appetite.  (I'm pretty sure that's true in human females as well as bitches of other species, actually.)  Last time around, Daniel reported an astonishing bin raid while Keksi was left alone for 20 minutes.

That was about 20 or 25 days post-mating - approximately where we are now.  I certainly have not given her any opportunity to ransack the kitchen while unsupervised, as she has been known to do so even when not pregnant.  But for a few days now she has been grabbing every opportunity to frantically hoover up little twigs on her walks and she then proceeds to chew them up like they are gravy bones. 

Do I take this as a sign?  I'm trying really hard not to.  For all I know she is ordinarily a twig nibbler, so I'm keeping a lid on my expectations at this point.  From the anecdotes of others, it seems that matings don't work as often as they do, so there is a lot of disappointment involved.  It's frustrating not only for me, and people like me, who have spent a lot of time & money preparing for a litter of puppies who don't arrive, but imagine how crushing for those people waiting for their puppy.  It's really awful. 

So don't you get your hopes up, and I will try to control mine too.

In the meantime, should Keksi don a fur skirt, you'll be the first to know.

five great things about having a dog

Here is the first of what I intend to be a regular feature - a list of 5 light-hearted dog-related things.

Today's list comprises 5 great things about having a dog.

1. A dog is terrific company and having one means you need never be lonely
2. Having a dog makes sure you get exercise everyday
3. A dog is there for you without being the least critical or judgemental
4. Dogs are beautiful to look at (even those who are so-ugly-they're-cute)
5. When you have a dog you are pretty much guaranteed never to have the worst breath in your house

The perfect companion - Usko & Liz - photo by Ian Dean

one tiny resolution

I'm not usually one for new year's resolutions - I believe that if I want to make a change in my life, then I should just get on and do it.  However...

When I started this blog in 2008, it's main purpose was to document the development of my second litter of puppies.  I read - and still do read - a lot of blogs of all types, and I thought it would be a great way to help the puppies' new families feel part of their lives right from the beginning.  In addition, it has proven to be a great archive of the novice's experience of what's involved in breeding dogs.  Not to mention a perfect record of my puppies that I refer to again and again.

Since 2008 it has remained pretty much the same.  It has had an updated look now and again, but it has primarly been a place for daily posts when I have puppies and occasional posts when I don't.  The subject matter has strictly been Infindigo Finnish Lapphunds (and their friends).

For 2012 I have been considering a little resolution - a way to improve the blog.  My initial thought was to post only good quality photos.  I am inspired daily by the wonderful pictures featured in many of the blogs I like to read, like those Scott Gilmour takes for Thankfifi and Mattias Swenson takes for Fashion Squad.  (But I did not know before that he is a co-founder of Blog Lovin.  Cool. )  Regular visitors to this blog will know that high quality photos rarely feature here.  Just about every post does have a photo (or several), but if anything, I am unfortunately better known for grabbing whatever picture I am lucky enough to capture.  That is a shame, but I think is unlikely to change because I'm busy with the dogs & the writing & the et cetera and I do not have a Scott or Mattias who is so interested in photography to assist.  And everyone knows that animals are notoriously difficult to photograph.  Yes, they are.

So for 2012 I've decided to make a change I actually have some hope of achieving.  My aim will be to post 5 days a week, with or without puppies.  To that end, the scope of the thing will necessarily need to broaden somewhat to incorporate a wider range of dog-related stuff and not just be about breeding, puppies and the various members of the Infindigo Finnish Lapphund family.   After all, I've always tried to make my posts entertaining and I don't see the point in sacrificing quality for quantity.

So while my posts might get a little shorter, I'm going to make a concerted effort to make them more regular too. 

And, from the archives, here is today's photo of a couple of adorable puppies at the age of about 5 weeks who missed out on being blogged as babies, as the blog didn't exist in 2007 when they were born.

Taito (left) & his brother Karhu (right)

splat

I'm very lucky that I have a phone with a calendar that will ring an alarm to remind me of everything that is meant to be happening in my life. I'm very sensible in that I (usually) record important events in that calendar. Because without it I would remember to do very little, apparently.

On a number of occasions over the holidays my alarm-ing calendar saved me from social disgrace by warning me of a forgotten event in good time to get there. One such event was driving to Bristol to collect Keksi who has come to stay for a little holiday and, in due course, to be scanned for evidence of pregnancy.

Monday morning I was lazing in bed nursing my head cold & feeling miserable when beep went the phone. What now? I thought. Oh. Yes. Another forgotten urgent thing I needed to do. I had just enough time to wash & dress & get my aching bones to Leigh Woods.

I did try to contact some people who live within spitting distance of the area to see if they wanted to meet for a walk, but in my haste I was only partially successful. I did manage to catch Jane & Mark with Mika who live only about 10 minutes from there. By now they may regret that I did catch them just as they were leaving the house for their walk - or at least Jane might.

Leigh Woods is a good place for dog walks and, being conveniently located, we often meet there with various friends & their dogs. I think I'm safe in stating that I have never, ever seen it quite so muddy there.

The weather was not helping.

Daniel & Jim couldn't stop for long, but while we stood under a tree & chatted briefly we were subjected to torrential rain, gale force wind, hail, thunder & lightning and wet snow. Nice. Not. They very sensibly carried on their way and the rest of us set off for a walk.

We soldiered rather valiantly but didn't exactly have a marathon before retiring to Jane & Mark's to warm up over coffee and cake before heading back home. As we slopped, skid and slipped up one path, Jane suggested we take a bet on who would be the first to fall into the mud. She barely had the words out of her mouth when she landed - splat!

And to think that Jane had been concerned that she had not had time to put on lipstick before leaving the house.

There are no photos of the dogs or us or even Jane's event. I did bring the camera with me, but in that weather it remained safely tucked up in the car. I did, however, manage to get a quick phone pic of Kuura on the snowy day I collected Keksi on the way to Shropshire last month.

Kuura 12 months

Britain's Next Top Canine Model

And while I'm on the subject of models...

Karhu, a very fine 4½-year-old brown & tan gent from Neka's first litter, stars in his very own fashion blog.  With his pal and writer, Wendy, he features under his stage name "Mr K" in wonderful photos taken by Scott on (just about) every weekday.  Occasionally he lets Wendy have posts all to herself because that's just the sort of generous guy that he is.

 

Shamelessly lifted from www.thankfifi.com

We are very excited that Karhu's blog* has been long-listed by Marie Claire magazine for their Best Fashion Blog award, and now they need lots of votes from supporters of affordable fashion, intelligent, witty writing & dogs.  So, please go vote for Thankfifi and make Karhu the star he deserves to be.

Vote here:

VOTE NOW! Best Fashion Blog and Twitter feed

*The small print:  Ok, so you knew it was actually Wendy's blog, right?

modelling

Lapphunds have appeared as models and/or stars in a few places. Early on in their history in the UK, Neka's and Keskiyo's granny Echo graced the bag of Purina dog food. A few Lappies have appeared on television in one thing or another. Now a Lappy has become the face of a brewery.  That's right, I said a brewery - and, not only that, but he's had a drink named for him as well.

During my trip to Shropshire with Keksi I spent some time with Liz, Ian & Usko, although we did take some care to keep Usko & Keksi apart, for obvious reasons. On my departure, they very kindly gifted me with a jar of Liz's wonderful chutney and a couple of bottles of "Usko's Nog", dark ale brewed by The Laughing Lappy Brewery (otherwise known as Ian). The Laughing Lappy Brewery label features a very fetching photo of Usko, the quintessential laughing Lappy.

I don't partake of such things, but it did smell very nice and Jay assures me it was quite delicious. A worthy ale to be promoted by a Lapphund, we say.




















And, speaking of models, Keskiyo - who is never one to willingly miss out on anything, least of all a photo session - was wondering why I was bothering to photograph boring old bottles when he was available and a more than willing subject.

happy muddy new year

Will it ever stop raining?

It's a struggle to keep the dog towels & beds dry these days. Forget clean. And my floor? Well, let's just say if I hadn't been suffering from such a miserable cold, I would have had the energy to be quite mortified after our new year's day Lappy walk when the group came in for a coffee.

But when you share your house with dogs, you get accustomed to a bit of mud in your life.

Our walk was a small but dedicated group! It was the morning after the night before, after all. I was mighty impressed that the Cornish contingent made it, considering they hadn't got to bed until 3am. Well done! The various others who were thinking they would maybe, just perhaps, come on the walk, ended up staying in bed (the sensible people...?) The rest who were definitely coming all had cancelled for one reason or another, the most dramatic being a backed-up sewage system in their new house. Oh dear, is what I have to say to that. Happy s****y new year indeed.

Our group consisted of myself & Jay with Neka, Keskiyo & Maija; Maria & Mark from Cornwall with Marja; and their houseguests Dee & Patrick from Derbyshire with Karri & Tuula.

Many thanks to Mark Gregory for all the photos.





The least muddy of the paths - but Marja's legs tell the story, & that's after she had cleaned off in the river.

L-R: Patrick, Karri, Tuula, Marja









And before Marja had had a paddle in the river - the blackest of legs on the whitest of Lappies!

L-R: Tuula, Karri, Jay, Marja, Patrick, Neka, Maria, Keskiyo, me, Dee

At this, the halfway point of the walk, just before the river, Maija had already set off on her own customary route straight up the mountain for a quick recce before joining us at the river.






Having a paddle.

L-R: Tuula cleaning her feet under protest, Dee, Maija, Keskiyo, me, Marja full speed just for a change, Neka begging sweets from Maria

Love the gorgeous old stone bridge here! And I've never brought our good camera up here to get a decent shot of it, so I'm even more grateful to Mark & his camera.






A bit cleaner underfoot most of the way back out. This is the meadow full of snowdrops in February & bluebells in May.

Sad to see that the beautiful old dead tree (left) has come down in the storms.

and... repeat

On a number of occasions I have commented on what an amazing mother Keksi was to her puppies last year. We were all so proud of how well she did - the actual whelping, the nursing, the cleaning, the general care, the calm demeanor. The girl definitely done good. Not to mention the fact that the puppies turned out to be a pretty sweet natured & gorgeous bunch, as well.

So when I casually broached the subject with Daniel & Jim that they might be willing to allow Keksi to have one more go, they were as enthusiastic as I. Can't say how grateful I am to them for their continuing support & help - not to mention the loan of their sweet girl and the breaking up of their canine family for weeks on end. Oh, yes, and having to endure bitches in season combined with a certain teenage male dog...

And so the crucial moment came around again and this time our rendezvous was with a local boy who lives conveniently just a few hours up the M5 from me. But travelling for mating purposes is never that simple for me, somehow, as you will be aware from my past exploits as reported on this blog. On this occasion I wasn't plagued by strikes like last time, and we weren't under threat of the worst snow storms in absolutely years like I was with Taika's mating trip. However, as I drove north to meet with Jim & collect Keksi, it did indeed start to snow, and it got heavier & heavier. I had visions of a repeat of the awful weather we endured getting to and from France wtih Taika, but luckily the busy little flurry ended and the accumulated snow started to melt pretty much immediately as I waited in the car park of the Air Balloon pub for Jim & Keksi.



















Whilst on the subject, I recommend this pub. It's pleasingly picturesque inside & out, it has a very friendly & welcoming landlord, and it's conveniently situated a few minutes off the M5, just south of Cheltenham, more or less on the edge of the Cotswolds. And although we didn't stop to eat, the menu looked very nice too.

So off Keksi & I went to deepest Shropshire to visit Liz, Ian & Usko in between visits to Glenchess & Elaine & Steve Short's delectable Ilolas.





Looking very pleased with himself. And quite right, too.















Having a scamper around.















As a puppy himself, taken in April 2011.














I have been in love with Ilo since first laying eyes on him as a young puppy. Not only is he a beautiful dog with a wonderful coat, color, head & expression, but he has one of those fabulous sweet natures that I so admire.

And no wonder, considering who his parents are. His father is the top winning Danish dog Multi Champion Lapinlumon Elämänilo. His mother is another little Lappy I have liked since first seeing her in Helsinki when Elaine was collecting her. Her name is Terhakan Uunu Leenu, and she's still a little beauty.
















Keksi mainly enjoyed her daily trips to Wyre Forest, rain or shine.


















Not to mention being the centre of attention with no competition for cuddles.


















And so now we wait. We hope.

another Bo show

Not so long ago, Bo and Sisu attended their very first dog show. And they were both quite naughty, as you might expect from puppies at their very first show.

Then Bo attended a few ringcraft sessions with Alan's dad, John, and that made all the difference. By the time of her second show, she wasn't exactly perfect, as such, nor was she standing rock-solid for the judge. However, the contrast was remarkable. I must say that I'm pretty impressed with John for venturing into the sometimes mystifying world of ringcraft, not to mention his coolness under the pressure of his very first show too. A top performance by both of them.

The show in question was the Working and Pastoral Breeds of Scotland show a couple of weeks ago where Karhu was Reserve Best Dog and Bo was Reserve Best Bitch and Best Puppy, in an unfortunately small entry. Here's is Bo & her new pro handler in action.

another day ...

... another beach

Not that I'm obsessed or anything.

On Sunday a bunch us within reasonable(ish) distance of Weston-Super-Mare met up for a beach walk. Apparently (but unbeknownst to me until I got home & started sorting photos) I have a bit of a thing for this location at this time of the year, as we did the very same thing last year in November.

My but it was a lot colder then than now! My blog last November is full of frost but we haven't had the least twinkle yet this year. In fact, my brand new winter tires almost melted in Weston on the weekend in the 17 degree weather. We even sat jacketless outside the pub after the walk. Remarkable.

There were a few regulars missing, but it's a busy time of year. We still managed to have 6 or 8 car loads of people & dogs. Many thanks to Mark Treasure for getting some photos (they are the ones which are not iPhone quality).





Looks like Maija has had a mouthful of saltwater. Or just didn't want her photo taken perhaps.

















Maija (right) doing her gargoyle impression with her sister Kaija.













You can see what a great day & place it was for a walk, even though we kept having to wrangle the dogs up because of cars on the beach. What's with that, anyway?

Taito & Buddy in background begging for sweets. Maija's brother Rauhan in foreground.










Taito, who (unusually) had no siblings present, on a mission.




















Usko taking a break before heading for the hills - or, in this case, the sand dunes - looking for adventure & ending up back on his lead.














Usko's sister Kesa on her own adventure.







There were no family group photos this year but a few group play shots. Although the dogs spend most of their time running together & bundling up in furry balls of game, it's hard to get a useful photo of these activities. Here are a couple.




Not sure who this gang is, but Maija on right. The other 2 probably Buddy (left) & Kaija (middle).











Buddy (left) and an unidentified (but very familiar) someone (right). Perhaps Kaija looking very much like her mum but with better tail!

win

Way-hey, whaddeya know - I won a competition. I won a very stylish and cool Duck and Cover Kirkham jacket. To be precise, this stylish & cool jacket. Okay, so it will neither suit nor fit me, but I know a certain someone in need of a stylish jacket who it will both fit & suit... I dare say... We'll make it work.

Yes, you're not wrong - this is indeed a dog blog. So why am I announcing my big win? Well, for one thing it's worth shouting about if only because I don't think I have ever once in my life won something by chance. Truly. The other reason is actually dog-related. No, really. You see, that jacket was being given away by my super-stylish friend and fashion blogger Wendy at thankfifi. And her blog guest stars none other than Karhu, aka Mr K. After all, what's a fashion blog without a fashionably adorable dog?

Considering I've never won a first-out-of-the-hat type competition before, do you suppose my win wasn't absolutely entirely left to chance? For, you see, Karhu actually chose the winning entry. And after umm-ing and ahh-ing a bit, he chose my entry - what a clever dog! Don't miss the cute video of him choosing the winning bone.

beach

I never yet met a dog who didn't like going to the beach. For our bunch, it's their favorite place to be, and that's something I have in common with them. It's natural for me, perhaps, as I grew up on an island. Granted, where I grew up it was more breakers crashing onto rocks than waves gently lapping golden sand. However, for me there's something about the quality of air at the coast that just can't be bettered by any mountain, plain, desert or wooded valley. When I'm on the beach, I can think more clearly and I can just breathe better.

A month ago we visited this beach in Fuerteventura. Here it is at dawn. Sigh! I loved the golden light, the pale sky in shades of lavender & blue and the 25º C temperature at 7 am.















A couple of days before that, and at 12 or 14º cooler much more to the dogs' taste, we went to this place - the dog end of Exmouth beach, right here at home in Devon. What you can't tell from the photo is just how windy and chill the weather was, nor how ferocious the surf. But a quite fabulous beach in any weather. The looming red cliffs at this end are spectacular and it makes the whole experience very relaxing as there is no danger whatsoever of the dogs running up onto the road.



























Maija having a dig in the sand.











Yesterday we went back again on a very different sort of day, weather-wise. It was unseasonably warm but grey with low mist hanging over the cliffs. Unfortunately none of the photos I took with my phone really worked, but I did get a couple of videos of the dogs having fun.

Maija is always speedy, but Neka gains a few kph and loses a few years at every visit to the beach. There's little I love more than seeing them run flat out across the sand.



Meanwhile, Keskiyo likes to paddle in the waves (dragging me with him) and to hunt down treasures like driftwood, shells and - the greatest prize of all - great flaps of seaweed.

Edit: I had a video of Keskiyo playing with said flap of seaweed, but I could not seem to kill the sound on it and I was way too noisy! In fact, I had no idea my phone recorded audio on the videos. Note to self - shut up when filming.

So what could be better than the beach? I think the only thing that generates as much excitement and joy - in fact, more - is snow. Snow is truly the pinnacle of wonderfulness. For the dogs, that is.

All the long-range forecasts say that they will be in luck this year. SIGH.

finnish lapphund calendar 2012

The winning photos to feature in next year's SFLS Lappy calendar have been announced and you can see all the photos as well as order your copy here. The front cover of the calendar will feature none other than our sweet Marja, as her photo, taken by me when she was barely 4 weeks old, won the most votes overall.

We were thrilled to win the coveted cover spot! Especially as the calendar gets so many wonderful photos from all over the world entered for the public to vote on. So all the hard work trying to get that photo was worth it in the end.

Last xmas we put up a tree and I kept it there long past it's best-before date until well into the new year. In fact, it only left the premises just in the nick of time to make the last local tree recycling day. While it's true that I love having a fragrant evergreen in the house, my motives for waiting so long were a little more specific. I was determined to get some cute xmas puppy photos. I took hundreds. No really, hundreds. And of the hundreds, approximately two were calendar worthy. Who am I kidding - there was no 'approximately' about it - the calendar worthy numbered actually two. Both photos were of Marja (who was Marilyn in those days) contemplating the tree at close proximity. Here are the 2, with the calendar version top:




























You might think that Marja was the only puppy I even attempted to photograph with or near the tree. But no, everyone had a go. One or two puppies could not be trusted to stay securely on the stool without trying to leap off, so there are very few photos of, for instance, Buddy. Or Sisu.

However, here are a few outtakes for your amusement.

There were set problems with poorly chosen background colours.






Sisu & Tippi (both still for once!)








Problems with lighting all round - what's atmospheric about a decorated and twinkly-lighted tree in broad daylight? Yet, the vast majority of photos are as well-lit as an operating theatre. Oops.






Ukko








Then there was the issue of getting the puppies to pose. Or just behave. Or even keep still for 2 seconds.





Bo, Marja, Kuura













Ukko, Tippi, Kuura













Buddy, Marja, Kuura








You can see I was going for a multi-coloured selection for most shots.

Is it time to start planning a photo or two to submit for the 2013 calendar? No? Phew!

teeth

If there's one thing that puppies often struggle with when they're learning show craft, it's letting the judge look at their teeth. Judges examine every part of a dog - including teeth, legs, tails & even boy-bits. So puppies have to be trained & trained & trained to stand quietly and let the judge do so. But it's never that easy.

For one thing, during all that training the puppies will be teething and have very sore mouths. Not a good time to be sticking one's fingers in there, really. Also, it is a big ask for a puppy to stand quietly while a stranger's hands descend onto it's face and fiddles about.

So it's often difficult, and so it has certainly been for the Persikka puppies. Remember Tippi not letting the judge look at her teeth a few weeks ago? Well, Kuura also wouldn't at the last show. Daniel has been putting the work in, though, and here he is proving that it can be done. Sometimes, anyway.

I particularly like Kuura's model stare to camera at the end.

naughty show puppies

Egad, did I manage to publish a blog post without a photo last time? Huh, sorry about that. I'm sure you all tune in for my entertaining prose rather than photos of cute dogs, but still...

To make up for it, I have permission to publish a video that Alan recorded of Sisu & Bo at their very first outing at the Scottish Kennel Club show in Edinburgh a couple of weeks ago. Bo is in front being handled by Wendy (of Wendy & Karhu fame) and Sisu is behind her being handled by Kristiina who I must say is looking very able at her own very first show.

From this video you get to see 2 very adorable & funny puppies who are just a bit distracted by all the excitement and just a little eager to get to each other for a game. You get to see just how difficult it can be to show a puppy. You can train & train & train and still this is what happens. Even for the veteran dog show folk, it can be a test. Just ask Wendy.

In this instance Sisu won Best Puppy, but the judge said that she also loved Bo and that she would have placed very well indeed in this competition if only she had allowed the judge to examine her... when you've seen how her siblings act for judges in the ring, it's easy to tell they're all related.

(A small word of warning: turn the volume down! Someone standing near Alan as he recorded the video was enjoying the sound of his or her own voice.)



So this erratic behaviour is something they will grow out of with time & practice. Or at least that's the theory, anyway. I'll get back to you on that.

to qualify or not to qualify

At the Welsh Kennel Club show a couple of weeks ago, I took both Tippi and Kuura into the ring in an attempt to startle them into distraction by taking them away from their owners and perhaps get them to behave themselves for the judge. That way maybe - just maybe - they might qualify for Crufts 2012.

At their previous shows they were both equally wiggly and uninclined to allow the judge too close. And as for looking at their teeth? Forget it. By taking normally naughty dogs away from their normal handlers, you can often get them to behave well just through the sheer novelty as they are too busy wondering what's going on to play naughty games.

That's how it works in theory, anyway. In practice, it didn't exactly go like that for me at WKC. Tippi moved quite beautifully away from the judge. Alas, that was only because she was determined to leave the ring altogether and go find her brother Tarkka and the rest of the family. As you might imagine, that made returning to the judge just a tad trickier.

She was more or less ok about the judge going over her, though, and did manage to qualify for Crufts by placing 3rd in Puppy Bitch and 2nd in Junior Bitch.

Kuura's turn was somewhat different. He was more than happy to trot around the ring, and he was fine with the judge going over him - even the boy bits. He took exception to showing his teeth - the traditional stumbling block for so many puppies as they venture into the show ring. But the thing that got him disqualified altogether.... that's right, I said disqualified.... was the fact that he had a slight limp.

It was something I didn't notice before going into the ring and once in the ring I blamed his slightly rocky gait on the uneven ground under our feet, as it was quite rough. However, it was obvious to everyone watching that he was actually limping and, indeed, it was obvious to me once I took him out of the ring and saw his movement on flat ground.

The absolute crunch requirement for show dogs is that they are "sound" - i.e. healthy and not limping, dagnabbit, so that was that.

The reason for the limp? He had taken a joyous flying leap from a little height while playing in a garden the day before. This is the reason why breeders bleat on about no stairs, no jumping, no leaping until Lappies are 12 months old. They are heavy for their size and as puppies, before their joints and muscles are fully developed, they can easily hurt themselves. Stopping a Lappy leaping is another matter altogether, of course.

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.

devon nine turn 3

A very happy birthday to the Devon Nine, who are 3 years old today. Little did I know that quiet morning 3 years ago what a lot of hard work I had ahead of me keeping up with 9 little black puppies who all looked pretty much identical. They were the inspiration for this blog and they were pretty cute too!

Here's how they looked at 6 weeks:






L-R: Kaija, Tarkka, Jaska, Maija














L-R: Maija, Tarkka, Rauhan, Sybil, Inko









And at 5 weeks:





L-R Back: Rauhan, Inko
Front: Viivi, Tarkka, Sybil, Tarmo, Maija









Looking at these photos brings it all back - oh how it rained for the whole 8 weeks they lived here!

Buddy's visit

The one puppy from Keksi's litter that we hadn't seen since he left us was Buddy (Infindigo Persikka Sonni). A couple of weeks ago he came to visit for a few days and we had fun getting reacquainted with him. He seemed to have a pretty good time, too.







Being a good boy in the house

















Running in the woods with granny Neka (left)



















Doing a bit of fishing












I was hoping he would get to see his brother Ukko and possibly sister Marja while he was here, but the timing didn't work out that way. Here he is having a game with his uncle Taito instead, who for games is the next best thing to sibling puppies.




















In our house, with so many dogs, the play has to be slightly more restrained. But there was plenty of it.