JUST CLASSIC

While I've been down with a cold. Harold has been taking care of the dogs.

 During my first few dog training classes, my training would scold me for "having conversations with Sophie". Harold would have a ball reminding me at home while practicing with her. All I would her from his mouth, "remember what Ted says, one word commands. Stop having a conversation with Sophie. She doesn't understand you." So on and so forth. 

Well, pay backs a bitch! Not only is Harold having a full on conversation with Sophie, he's even asking her questions! Being the person that I am and the great relationship we have. I took great joy in reminding him, hmmm making fun of him, for having such conversations with the dog!

SOPHIE'S BABIES ARE TWO TODAY

THEN

It's hard to believe two years have past since they were born.

NOW

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

BEHR

MALU

SCHATZI

TONKA

FOR JENNY, MY SWEET, SWEET JENNY...................A LITTLE PIECE OF MY HEART DIED LAST NIGHT

I should have written this story a while ago. As usual, life got in the way and now I must write it in past tense.

Jenny was half German Shepherd/Half Golden Retriever. Every one thought she was a black lab. I'm sad to say after almost 14 great years together, she passed away in my arms last night.  Here is her story.

My beautiful Jenny

Jenny was a one of a kind dog. I got her in 1999 right before Christmas. She was the cutest puppy I had ever seen. Okay, so I say this about all my dogs. What can I say, I'm a sucker for puppies, but what dog lover isn't?

They say animals reflect their humans, well I guess it's true. When I got Jenny, I was very needy and having a flair up with lupus. Therefore, Jenny became a needy dog who had horrible separation anxiety. 

I thought I could write this story tonight but I just can't. My heart hurts too much. Instead, I'll share my favorite pictures of her and our other animals.

Jenny, Butch and Sophie

Jenny and Butch the day we tore down the porch. They were so depressed.

Ginger, Jenny and Butch.

I believe this is the last picture I took of her.

In most of the above pictures Jenny is smiling. RIP my sweet girl.

IT'S RAINING CATS AND DOGS

I really wanted to get back to training with Sophie this week but alas, it is raining. It has been raining for at least a week straight. 

I guess it is all for the best. Her paw has healed but she still limps. Hopefully the rain will stop by next weekend.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BEHR, MALU, SCHATZI AND TONKA

This is a long story, but well worth it!

  

 

 It's hard to believe these four were born one year ago today. Especially since I didn't think Sophie was pregnant.

  This picture was taken on December 10, 2011. She did not look pregnant to me.

Here she is 6 days before the puppies were born. She still didn't look pregnant to me. I thought one maybe two puppies at the most.

 Now that I look at this picture again, she does look a little pregnant.














It all started at 9:00p.m. on December 26, 2011. Sophie was in labor for quite some time. She was very uncomfortable. Changing positions constantly and panting heavily. Then at 2:03a.m. she gave birth to Behr. He was the biggest of them all and the puppy who cried the most.

 My favorite picture of Sophie and Behr














At 2:11 Malu was born . He was the quietest of them all.

Add caption

 I sat with Sophie till four in the morning. Convinced she was not going to have any more puppies, off to bed I went. Later that day my family came to visit. Needless to say we were all disappointed she only had two puppies.










Then at 8:00p.m., I heard a puppy crying, to my surprise she had another one. Scahtzi the only girl was born. I new the minute I saw her she was going to be a saddle back Shepherd. She was the only one who came out with definite markings.

Seventeen minutes later Tonka was born. He was the tiniest of the bunch. I was very worried about him. I woke up every two hours for the next two weeks to make sure he got his fair share of food. 

 One of my favorite pictures of mommy with her babies.

Feeding time. Sorry about the squealing noise in the back ground. Our dryer was breaking.


And then they grew

My favorite picture of Schatzi and Malu

I've said it so many times but it's so true. Sophie just loves to pose for pictures. The puppies are three weeks old in the picture to the right. They just kept getting bigger and bigger.

Here they had their first meal









 And grew!
 

 Sophie was one of the best mom's I have seen. Not once did she snap at them, even when they were too big to be drinking milk from her

 One day she jumped in the puppy pen to get away from them. She put up with a lot.

This picture was taken I believe the week before they went to their new homes. I have no idea how I managed to hold them all.
Behr:

 As I said before, Behr was the biggest puppy and the biggest baby. He grew the fastest of them all.
He was the one puppy who really didn't need a collar. I always knew who he was, he didn't have eyebrows.



Below is the day we took him to Oahu to live with his new family. My sister fell in love with him and wanted to keep him. He was such a sweetheart.

Look at that paw.

At home with his new family

He is such a beautiful dog.  To me, he looks the most like his mom.

The day we visited with him on Oahu

MALU: From the time he was born he was such a mellow dog. I think out of all of them he was the one who didn't bite at my knees.
                                                                                                                                                          

Above Malu and Bear



His favorite spot under the stairs

My favorite picture of him

My favorite picture of Sophie and Malu

The day we visited him, he was six months old.

Malu a few months ago.

All grown up!


Schatzi.......she was the devil of the bunch her partner in crime was Tonka

 Her first day in the yard

  


Playing with one of her brothers

 

Trying to get milk from her mommy while smashing one of her brothers in the process.






Above she is posing like her Mom

  


One of her favorite spots.

 At her home with her new family

 Her other favorite spot.

 Mommy and Schatzi checking out her favorite. Schatzi visits once in a while to play with her mommy.

All grown up! I knew she was going to be what they call a saddle back Shepherd


Tonka:He was the smartest puppy of them all. He was the only one who would get out of the whelping box. The others would just wait till I came to get them.

My favorite picture of Tonka.

 Pretty sure this is Tonka and Schatzi playing tug of war.

 

 His Favorite spot, along with the rose bush

At home with his new family. Sorry the picture is blurry

When we visited him in September on Oahu.

 Tonka's Mom made this picture album for his birthday.

















 To me Behr looks just like Sophie. Tonka and Malu look very much alike. And Schatzi, she looks a lot like her mom,  she just has more red. She also has her mommy's attitude.

We are very lucky to be able to visit all of our puppies at one time or another. We will always be able to visit with Schatzi as she lives right up the street from us. We probably won't see Tonka again except in pictures, as he has moved to Germany.

If you haven't read my previous post, Tonka and his brother Radar lived with us for a month and a half. Please go and read those post. It was an interesting experience one I will never forget or regret. We miss Tonka and Radar. Sophie especially missed him for quite some time. She would run around looking for him everywhere. It was quite sad.