Life with Shetland Sheepdogs!

ALMOST ANOTHER MONTH, NOT BAD BUT NOT SO SOOD.

2026-02-18T19:38:00.000-05:00

WITH ALL THE SNOW PILING UP THERE HAS BEEN SO MUCH TO DO. SHOVELING SNOW ALONG THE INSIDE PERIMETER OF THE FENCE. SO THE DOGS DO NOT THINK ABOUT GOING OVER. I PUT SAVINGS OVER THE ICE IN THE SMALLER DOG YARD. IT HELPS THEM NOT TO SLIDE AROUND AND IT ALSO HELPS KEEP THEIR FEET WARM. KIT IS 31 DAYS ALONG AND ANOTHER 30 TO GO, IT IS SO HARD TO WAIT.SHE SLEEPS ALOT AND IS OFF HER FOOD. WHICH IS A VERY GOOD SIGN. SHE GETS TWO OR THREE NAPS A DAY AND SLEEPS SOUNDLY.I JUST HAVE TO BE PATIENT, BUT IT IS SO HARD. MAYBE IN ANOTHER WEEK SHE WILL BE LOOSING HER WAIST LINE. THAT WILL BE A WONDERFUL SIGN.

TOMORROW I WILL WORK ON THE TAXES, THAT WILL PASS THE DAY.EMMA NEEDS HER EARS SET AND A GOOD BRUSHING SO TOMORROW WILL BE A BUSY DAY. OF COURSE WITH SHAVINGS IN THE PEN I HAVE TO BRUSH EACH DOG TO GET THE SHAVINGS OFF. SHAVINGS STICK LIKE GLUE.THEN THEY GET ALL OVER THE HOUSE AND IT TAKES A COUPLE OF HOURS TO VACUUM THEM ALL UP. NEXT YEAR I NEED TO DO SOMETHING BETTER. MAYBE SOME DECKING PANELS. EASY TO SHOVEL AND KEEP THE ICE OFF.

I HAVE A BABY MONITOR FOR WHEN THE PUPS ARRIVE. IT WORKS REALLY WELL, YOU HEAR EVERY LITTLE SOUND. BUT THAT MEANS GETTING UP AT ALL HOURS OF THE NIGHT. BUT YOU HAVE TO BE SURE THAT EVERYONE IS EATING AND DOING WELL AND THE LITTLE ONES NOT PUSHED AWAY. PANDA THE CAT WAKES ME UP MOST MORNINGS AROUND 5 AM. I HAVE BEEN GETTING USED TO THESE EARLY HOURS. SOMETIMES 3:30 TO 4 AM.

I LOVE THE PUPS WHEN THEY START TO OPEN THEIR EYES AND EARS AND LISTEN TO ALL THE SOUNDS AND WHEN THEY FIRST LOOK YOU IN THE FACE.

I REALLY CAN'T WAIT TO SEE THEM.I WILL BE SURE TO POST PICTURES WHEN THEY ARE ONLY A WEEK OR SO OLD. IT IS AN EXCITING TME. HERE IS A PICTURE OF A PAST LITTER, SO LITTLE AND IT REALLY IS A MIRACLE. THE MIRACLE OF LIFE IS REALLY SOMETHING TO WATCH.

AN EXAMPLE OF TWO WEEK OLD PUPS

NOT QUITE A MONTH SO NOT TOO BAD

2026-01-21T14:31:00.002-05:00

This morning it was 10 below zero and the dogs sure hated to go out to potty. But they braved it and we came back in really quick. We will be making trips all day in and out quick.

We finally decided on how to breed Kit. She came into heat early and has gone to Conbrio Kennels in Vermont to be bred to one of their Champion dogs. This litter will be all sable and we are so looking forward to it. The tentative due date is March 20th.

We hope to breed Reva mid February and that would put her due date up to mid-April. All pups ready to go home in the good weather.

It has been more than a year since I have had a litter of pups and I am really looking forward to these puppies.

Lots of work but also lots of Joy.

I will post pictures when the pups are born.

KIT

ANSER

Here are the parents of the first litter.

I will post Revea when we decide how to breed her. She is our blue

blue merle girl.

AVA

2026-01-21T14:21:00.000-05:00

Ava has found a wonderful home and she is doing so well!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR, AND A RESOLUTION TO KEEP UP THE BLOG WEEKLY!! SURE HOPE I CAN!!

2025-12-30T20:11:00.000-05:00

Plans for the New Year are to hopefully have two litter of pups. One will be an all sable litter and the other litter will have blue, maybe tri and I hope bi black and maybe a sable. I am hoping for a couple of show quality pups and several pups that will be outstanding family companions. Or sport dogs that are willing to compete in any venue that you both will enjoy together.

Sure has been cold so far this winter, I wonder how January will do?

Thankfully the pups will be born in April and we won't have to worry about losing power and keeping pups super warm.

I will be wrapping up Sheltie Heart this winter. It has been a long time coming but I am ready for editing and for illustrations. I hope my grandson who is very talented will do the illustrations for me. I am shooting for the end of January to work with a self publisher. It is about the early Sheltie and how life was then, there are several short stories that you will enjoy. Some of the stories are about real Shelties and some are fictional. January will be a very busy month, editing and illustrating the book. But I am very hopeful that we can finish it by the end of the month. I know some of you have been waiting for years for this book. It has been a long process but it has been fun to write.

Some of the Sheltie stories are true stories about my Shelties and some of the Shelties are fictional. Shelties have a huge heart and I needed to write about them. They are smart and intuitive. They can amaze you at how they think and they do think things out. They can be therapy dogs, sport dogs, conformation show dogs, obedience and agility dogs and working farm dogs. Many have fantastic herding ability. I am going to do my best for it to be published in February.

Wishing you all a Happy New Year and give your Sheltie a big hug.

Life is good.

Once again I am late with my news.

2025-12-11T19:39:00.000-05:00

I am breeding two of my girls in February, hopefully. I am trying to decide on the sires. I will probably use Flash, my tri boy to my sable girl Kit. And since she is pure for sable the pups should all be sable.

And my blue girl Reva I will breed to a bi factored sable and we should have a variety of color. Hopefully I will have some very nice companion pups available. Hopefully the pups will be ready late April and early May. A good time of year for house-training pups.

I love having pups and watching them develop and helping them get used to becoming the wonderful companions.

The dogs really do not like the cold wind. It really is brutal!Out long enough to just go potty. Then we all run in.I think I am going to get a dog treadmill so they can exercise inside. It will be good for Reva as she needs to lose a little weight. Especially before she is bred. I don't need to stand in the cold while they play chase. They do love fresh snow. In love to watch them do zoomies in the snow. They are having a blast and go as fast as they can. I really should take a video of them zooming around.

Once again I will try to keep up the blog. At such a busy time of year it is hard.

Hope you all have a wonderful holiday and a happy and healthy new year.

TOO MANY MONTHS GONE BY

2025-11-06T10:40:00.000-05:00

I can't believe how long it has been since I opened my Blog. Hopefully with the coming holidays I will have more news for you.

The two girls that I was going to breed contracted Lyme disease and we had to put off breeding. So the girls will be ready to breed hopefully some time in February, or March. That will give us early spring puppies. Kit our sable is being bred to a lovely sable CH. And Reva our lovely blue girl will be bred to a tri factored sable so that we will have all the possible Sheltie colors. Both girls have wonderful, people loving temperaments. I will post here and on my website when I know that the girls are expecting. I don't take any deposits until we actually have pups. You are welcome to see the pups once they are 5 weeks of age. You will see personalities by then and they will be very mobile. Puppies of that age are so much fun to watch. I will have lots of pictures of them by that time.

Once we know that they are expecting I will start a list so that you will get a puppy. The order of being on the list is not the order of getting pups. I like to match puppies to people for personality and energy level. We will make your choice together. They change so quickly that sometimes it takes a couple of pups to find the right one for you.

Kit

REVA

I don't know who we are breeding kit to yet. But I think I have a picture of Charlie who is being bred to Reva.

Charlie is a very sweet and loving dog and nothing bothers him.

A BEAUTIFUL DAY TO GET ALL THE DOGS INT THE AGILITY AREA.

2025-07-21T07:24:00.000-04:00

It is going to be a lovely day today, very low humidity. Only in the mid 70's. Perfect for the dogs to get some exercise in the agility area. Exercise that they really need after all this hot and humid weather. They have so much pent up energy so maybe we can release some of it. This is the first year that I did not get all the agility equipment out. It was so hot, humid and wet that it was not possible. Maybe we will have a nice August without too much humidity.I sure hope so. The dogs all need a good brushing again. The heat has helped them blow coat and several of them are tufting. So have to start brushing and getting the tufts out. If I was ambitious I could start spinning their under coat that is coming out. I have done it in the past but it is not that easy,I do prefer sheep's wool. I used to shear my sheep and take their wool to the local fair. Most of it sold. It was a small town fair and had the most wonderful sheepdog trials. There are a few Shelties that compete along with the Border Collies. It was called the Sheep and wool festival. Like a very small fair. I don't believe that it is held any more but there is one held in Southern Maine. A nice pleasant country day, not too big, just lots of fun and wool products to see and buy. I have gotten away from the sheep and wool festivals. I have started going to dog shows and having my girl Kit show in conformation.

Thought I would just mention that Tardy and Ava are half brother and sister. They both have the same sire. Their sire is Flash and he is about the smartest sheltie that I have ever own. I need to get busy with him.

My trainer is taking a break for August and boy I don't blame her. But hopefully August will be a little cooler and not so humid. It is easier to train without the humidity.

I am adding a picture of Flash the sire of Ava and Tardy.Enjoy this nice cooler day.

MEET AVA,LOVELY TRI 7 MONTH OLD SHELTIE FEMALE.

2025-07-20T07:51:00.000-04:00

I am looking for the perfect home for my Ava.I just love this puppy but she does not like living with a pack of dogs. I think she would be happy with one friend, maybe two but I am not sure about two.

She can be very good with dogs in the pack but gets riled up with all the activity. And sometimes when they play so hard a fight breaks out. Ava would do well with less dogs and more individual attention. She is very smart and would be a fun dog to train. I think she would be excellent in any dog sport. She can be sweet and loving and will come over and put her feet on your lap, looking for attention. I think with a lot of one on one she would be a wonderful companion dog.

This is a very hard decision for me as I love this girl. But I want her to have the best life possible. And I want her to be loved, safe and happy.

I have 8 dogs and it is very hard to divide my time among all of them.

So my decision to find Ava the perfect home for her.

If interested you can email me at dogsbarkboats@outlook.com

Meet Tardy, he is a lovely Shetland Sheepdog pup!!

2025-07-17T07:59:00.000-04:00

This is Tardy, he is a lovely boy who is looking for his special family. He is a little larger Sheltie, just over 5 months. This boy has an awesome temperament. He will be the best companion ever. He wants to please and will train so easily. He is so ready for his family. He is with his breeder, Caitlin. She can be reached at Wanderlustshetlandsheepdogs@gmail.com He is doing really well with house training, is leash and crate trained. All the hard work is done for you. This is Caitlins phone number 207-408-0500. Caitlin can tell you everything you need to know about this boy. Don't miss out on this lovely puppy.He could be such an awesome sports dog. He is ready for any venue you choose.

Traveler has a new family!!

2025-07-04T11:14:00.000-04:00

💗💗💗💗💗💗Traveler has a new family. We are so happy for him.

Maine Sheltie Rescue is bringing in some Shelties on Monday.

2025-07-04T07:32:00.000-04:00

Hi all I know it has been about a month since I have written but I wanted to let you know about Shelties coming to Maine Sheltie Rescue.Their contact info is below or go to MaineSheltieRescue.org At this time one foster home is needed for a double merle male with special needs. Other shelties will be available for adoption. Thank you for considering a rescue.

Thank you for your interest in Maine Sheltie Rescue

Please do contact Maine Sheltie Rescue (below) if you live in Maine , New Hampshire or Vermont and have a Sheltie or know of a Sheltie in need of a new home, or if you want to learn more about MSR and our events.

We delete all Advertisers and web designers.

If we cannot help you with whatever your Sheltie situation is, we can certainly help direct you to someone who can.

To adopt, click HERE.

To email us, fill in the blanks below or click HERE.

We will get back to you very soon… Thank you…

16 WEEK SHELTIE PUP AVAILABLE AWESOME TEMPERAMENT

2025-06-03T10:15:00.000-04:00

I have been away from the blog as my computer was hacked and my cell phone was completely wiped. The whole thing was a terrible experience. Scammers seem so professional. They can get you to believe any thing. I sure have learned alot and will never allow that to happen again. It took awhile to clear my mind, it always popped into my head when I first got up in the morning. It is behind me now and I am trying to forget the whole thing.

In the meantime I have been helping my friend Harriet sell her litter of Flash pups. Flash is my stud and a wonderfully smart boy. I love working with him as he picks up things so easily. The puppy is a 16 week old tri color boy. His temperament is out of this world. He is like his Dad and will have wonderful work ethic. He would be an awesome sports dog. He will be a little on the larger side but he is a pretty boy and loves everyone. He is ready for his next adventure with his new family. We hope to find a family who will really appreciate his people loving temperament and his thinking ability. There is a picture of him on the website and also a picture of Flash under our boys. The website is jopavistsheltieshop.com Harriet who is Travelers owner can be reached at 603-539-1603 He is really ready for a new loving family. He would be a good juniors dog for obedience and agility. His shots are up to date and he is guaranteed against any genetic defect. Flash is fully genetically tested and his eyes are certified. He will be having his hips x-rayed soon. Luna is clear by parentage and her eyes are certified. Luna, Travelers mothers loves agility and is a great agility dog.So Traveler has the genes for dog sports. But he also loves to get on the couch and cuddle. He is just a perfect all around Sheltie. He is pretty good with housetraining and knows how to use the dog door to go out and come in.

I am hopeful that he will meet his new family soon. A fenced yard or area would be good for his safety. He is a pretty pup and the fact that he loves everyone is such a plus.

I hope to keep the blog up now that I have a new computer, new phone and am ready to write about my Shelties.

TRAVELER

ONLY A MONTH

2025-03-14T19:24:00.000-04:00

Time just fly's by so fast. My new little girl Ava, is doing just wonderfully. She is so smart and sweet. Very demanding little girl as she knows her own mind. But she is so much fun. She will chase the little ball as long as you want to throw it. And she is so good to bring it back and drop it right in front of you. She loves to tug with you too.Anything to keep you playing. Cutting her nails is not so easy but she will learn to be still. Maybe! She loves to cuddle but every muscle is moving and her legs are all over the place. Cutting nails without help will just not work. Ava is growing so fast, I just hope that she will not get too big. She is such a lovely puppy with an awesome temperament. Hopefully some day she ill give me pups that are just as happy as she is.

I call her the fireplace puppy. She just loves being in there. I have now put a small bed in there for her as she loves to nap there. They sure find funny places where they like to sleep. I have a corner in the kitchen and all the dogs love it. They often take turns using the corner. It is very cozy for all of them and they often take turns too. I have another little pup coming to stay with us. I will post pictures once she is here.

I CAN'T BELIEVE HOW LONG I HAVE LET THIS BLOG GO.

2025-02-13T09:47:00.000-05:00

I really can't believe how long I have let this go and not posted anything. I would think about it and then just let it go. I did get a new puppy in the spring and took her to puppy class in August. Now that winter has hit I don't drive down to classes. But we will go back for the spring. My boy Dodger visited with a friend for a couple of weeks late august when I had my cataract surgery. I worried about that alot. But actually it was not bad and not painful. The day after I had to see the surgeon so he could check out my eyes and all was well. A couple of weeks of no heavy lifting was easy to do. I had hoped to have pups early winter but Quinn did not have a heat again. She was ready to retire. She went to a friend of mine and living a wonderful life too. Unfortunately Zoe had weird heats and could not be bred. She is with another friend of mine and having a blast. She gets to go to the beach and retrieve her ball which she loves, if you let her she would play ball all day. She is living a really good life and now I can concentrate on growing out a couple of female pups. My young sable girl is almost a year old and will probably have pups sometime in August. I have a little tri girl that is growing out here and I will have a pretty bi black girl here also. My boy Flash has been busy visiting some girls of friends of mine. I hope to get a son of his. It is almost like starting over.

I am not ready to give up yet. I still want to produce, quality, healthy pups with awesome temperaments and with these girls I will be able to preserve the sheltie and breed to the standard to keep the Sheltie breed up to what it should be. Quality,happy, healthy pups to be excellent family companions. I know for awhile I was considering not breeding any longer but I could not give up my dream of producing happy,healthy, quality pups with awesome temperaments. So as long as I can care for my dogs and give them what they need I will continue to produce awesome family companions.

There should be lots going on this summer so I need to keep up the blog to let you all know how Jopavist Shetland Sheepdogs are doing.

I am hoping for an early spring. Stay safe and warm in this so cold winter.

Our new tri girl, Ava

NOT MUCH TO REPORT WITH ALL THE HEAT, HUMIDITY AND RAIN.

2024-08-28T15:35:00.000-04:00

It has been a pretty miserable summer for the dogs. They just do not do well with heat and humidiy. We have not been able to play agility with the humidity. The dogs really pant in the humidity and don't feel like running in the agility area. I started to get the equipment out one day and maybe got a third of it and it was just plain too hot to do anymore. I hope to have it all out by mid September and maybe we will be able to have a Sheltie play day in September.

I have been having cataract surgery and will be all done by mid September. My Sheltie friends have been helping out with taking my puppies and one adult dog. The help is wonderful and I so appreciate it.The first procedure is done and it has been so nice to be able to see better. Next week the second procedure. It should go as well as the first. Then all done and no more worry about bending and lifting.

I can't wait to start training again with Flash. He loved training so much and he is so smart. He just picked up so fast and remembered so well. We really had fun in his class.

I don't travel much in the winter so I need to get to a class soon.

We did go to a dog show in June. It was fun and alot of work. Bathing and grooming Flash and packing up all the equipment to take to the show. Flash behaved really well and handled the environment really well. This was the first show he had ever been to. He was the only one in his class so he did get a ribbon but did not go further. I was really pleased with his behavior, he acted like he had been showing for a long time. Actually the obedience training is much more fun. He really loves the obedience and I think that we will stick with that. We need to have fun together.

FLASH

FOUR MONTHS SINCE I HAVE TOUCHED THE BLOG

2024-06-08T11:41:00.000-04:00

It sure has been a long time since I have written here. Just plain too busy. I had a litter of nine pups born in mid December and boy that was a lot of work. Two smaller pups needed to be hand fed which was very time consuming. I was going to keep one of the bi black boys but decided that I did not need another boy.

I have a lovely sable female that came from Wanderlust Shetland Sheepdogs. She is 10 weeks and a little doll. We are starting to learn some tricks so when she is four months old she can earn her tricks title. House training is on going and she is catching on quite well. Lots of paying attention to what she is doing but I am catching her most of the time.Right now she is under the table. She is sound asleep and that might last for 20 minutes. I spend time lots of time with her but she is so smart and I don't want to lose any time with her

Flash is with a friend of mine to practice conformation show training. There are two shows that he will be entered in late June. Will be his first time in a conformation ring. We are looking forward to the day. He also sired another litter with our blue girl Quinn. A friend of mine whelped her as I needed a break and she is handling the placement of the pups. There are two tri boys still available. She has a page on FB called Wanderlust Shetland Sheepdogs. There you will see some pictures of the tri boys and you can get an application for a puppy. She is Caitlin Foster, and the pups are with her.

They are not ready to go for another 2 to3 weeks. They are so cute.

I have been taking Finn to class once a week and it is a good hours drive but it is so much fun and Finn is learning alot. Hopefully I will be able to keep this blog up only if a paragraph of what is going on here at Jopavist Shetland Sheepdogs.

I hope to get some of the agility equipment set up this afternoon.

It is time to start playing agility with the dogs again. They love it and it is so good for them.

All for now, hope to be back tomorrow.

Jody

FLASH

Sire of the pups.

A LITTLE LESS THAN A MONTH, NOT TOO BAD.

2024-01-14T09:18:00.000-05:00

This has been a busy month, with the Holidays and new pups being born. Now the pups are four and a half weeks old and are slowly being weaned. They are eating soft puppy food with a little baby cereal. Actually they have huge appetites and doing very well. Even little Pippi who I tube fed for the frist few days and then a bottle for a week. Now she is strong enough to get in there with her brothers and sister. And she really pushes her way through the whole bunch and gets a good place to nurse. She is so tough and now very strong. This little girl is not available as she still needs more time for catch up. She will be living with Beverly, the co-owner. We may have one or two pups available. I won't know for sure until people start making their choices. People are coming to see the pups and get an idea of what they like. They are now old enough for visitors. I hope to get current pictures this weekend. I am up one or two times a night to check on the pups and to let Maggie out to go potty. Trudy has been waking me up at 4:30 in the mornings to go out.I thought she might have a UTI and took a urine sample to the vet and that is the problem, So in about two weeks she should be clear and maybe sleeping longer. I sure hope so, as 4 to 4:30 in the morning is getting hard to live with. The miracle of life is so amazing. So is watching the pups grow and develop and personalities coming out soon. I am trying my best to not consider keeping a pup. I really have my hands full with a 5 month old and 6 month old pup. Lots of work there. This weather sure has not made it easy with the adult dogs, no one likes going out in downpours. Nor do I. Lots to do.Pups need cleaning after eating as they will walk through the food, stand in the middle of the bowl and sometimes lie in the bowl. So a little grooming after each meal but they get used to being handled and that is so good for them.

The time goes fast and before you know it they will be in homes with their loving families and bringing joy to the home. They will be your best friend for life. Such a fun time raising a puppy.

Everyone take care with the Arctic blast that is coming our way. Don't leave the dogs out in the bitter cold. They need to be in with you.

Maggies puppies, these are the boys!!

ONLY ONE MONTH BUT BUSY

2023-12-19T08:53:00.000-05:00

No Excuses, just plain too busy. A litter due, a new blue puppy to join the family.Hopefully a second litter due the end of the month. Maggie's pups were born Dec. 14th. Whelping went well and pups are all doing good. Maggie had quite a litter, 9 pups, 6 girls and 3 boys. All Bi black and Tri color. Not what I was expecting for sure. They are all doing well, pretty much eat in shifts. It seems to work well. I am supplementing the smallest of the pups, there are three little ones , they nurse well but I am supplementing as a little extra nutrition will help.

I am up a minimum of three times a night to check. I have the baby monitor on so I hear every thing.I will be glad when my sleep is no longer interrupted. When my other dogs come in I take Maggie out of her whelping box as she tends to just jump up when the other dogs come into the house. But they have to have their house time and time with me.

Now Christmas is almost here and I have so much to catch up with. Mostly wrapping which is not especially fun.But I have to get it done. I spend some time just sitting and watching this little miracle. Maggie is doing well, she makes sure that they get fed at regular times. She is such a good mom. I just wish she would sleep through the night. The puppies have grown some already. It is amazing to see. In a couple of weeks they will hear and start to see a little, the whole process really is a miracle.

Hope you all have a very Happy Holiday season and a Healthy New Year.

I know it just looks like a pile of puppies and that is exactly what they are. I call it pig piling, they all get together for comfort and warmth. They love to feel close to one another.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

WELL I SURE DID GET BEHIND AND TOTALLY DID NOT POST FOR TWO MONTHS. BUSY,BUSY,BUSY

2023-11-18T10:17:00.000-05:00

I did classes with Dodger all summer and it was fun and busy with training outside of class. I brought home Trudy a Sam daughter and a pedigree I wanted to add to my breeding program. I try to schedule all my own appointments before winter and I had a few of those this summer. I don't like driving in the snow so I get as much done as possible. As it is I have two appointments early December and hope the weather is good.

I am having the Thanksgiving day with my sons in laws. First time since my husband passed. It will be nice to be with family again.

I bred Maggie and she is due to have pups mid December. I did breed Zoe too but I can't tell if she is expecting. I have several people waiting so I hope I will have enough pups for everyone. I won't know until the pups actually arrive.

I had a couple of Sheltie gatherings at my house, one in the summer with dogs and one this fall without dogs. We are having one more before winter settles in. All the agility equipment is put away in the garage and the A frame is covered. Ready for winter. The dogs can still run and play and run they do. Dodger and Flash are pretty equal in speed. And when Owen comes to visit he and Dodger are usually neck to neck with their speed. They have so much fun.

Much more to do for winter, clean the furnaces and have the septic pumped. Thankfully I have appointments for both.

The dog yard is empty of the crab grass and ready for snow. But I am not, last thing I need is snow. Dodger was so funny with the first little snow we had a couple of weeks ago. He is just 9 months and had never seen snow. He stood there and barked at it, when it did not move he barked at it again, He was so funny, yet when he walked the snow disappeared. Finally he just trotted away in the snow and stopped barking. A strange reaction to a first snow. Most of the dogs would just bite at it and then run as if it was chasing them. Too funny!!

Now I have to get ready for the babies that will be coming. I am looking forward to that. I have to set up the heat lamps, gather all the towels needed for the whelping, set up the incubator so we have a warm place for the pups when another one is arriving.

It is a very busy time but it is exciting to see all the new little lives. It is such a miracle. In the meantime I have two pups to leash train. Trudy 4 and 1/2 months old and has started leash training and doing well. Finn the newest family member only 13 weeks. He has started and knows what is going on. He is a blue merle boy and as cute as a button. He is a Sam son and that makes the family complete.

TRYING TO KEEP UP.

2023-09-07T11:37:00.000-04:00

Well I have been catching up on emails so it is a good time to catch up here on the blog. I brought my new little girl home. She fits right in with everyone and she thinks that she can be the boss. And they all let her except for Dodger, he is very jealous. Every time I pick her up and hug her Dodger has to have some love too. He will snarl and wait for me to pet him. I have been taking him to agility class so I think that he thinks I belong to him. We are starting up class again on Saturday and hopefully with that attention he won't be so jealous. Trudy does not care about his snarling, she takes it all in stride. She has a wonderful temperament and she is quite smart. She is tough for sure. I bought Trudy, aside from being so pretty, she is Sam's granddaughter. Sam was mine a couple of years ago and I let him go and truly wish that I had not done that but he has been in a wonderful breeding home and doing very well.So this is why Trudy is here and she does remind me of Sam. She absolutely loves to play ball. She will go and go..I really did not need another Sheltie but she is easy and I am enjoying her and she will be my last puppy.So I want to do as much with her as possible. And maybe next spring I may show her in the Maine spring shows. Of course she has lots of growing up and maturing to do. It is going to be fun to watch her grow and develop into the dog that we think that she can be.

This humidity has been rough on all of us. The dogs especially do not like it. They love the AC as much as I do.They come in and they all curl around on the floor where they can feel the cool air. Just a couple more to brush out and then they will all be comfortable. This has been the hardest year for shedding. I get them brushed out and they start all over again. I have never seen so much loose hair. Two to brush out this afternoon. Then I will be done until they start all over again. I am so ready for fall and some cooler days and nights.

TRUDY

FOUND THIS ON FACEBOOK, IT IS SO TRUE!

2023-09-02T20:04:00.001-04:00

This is so perfect, something to remember and live by. I Love looking out the back window and watch my beautiful Dodger trot across the yard. He has such a stunning gait. And only 7 months old. Maybe he will hit the show ring some day too.

I love whelping my puppies and wonder what they will be like when they are three or four weeks and then again at 8 weeks. It is a miracle and joy to watch the birth of these special babies.

Another joy is my new little girl Trudy, she is so sweet and loving and smart.

Trudy

NEW FAMILY MEMBER COMING TOMORROW

2023-08-25T15:40:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow Trudy is joining our family. She is the granddaughter of Illusions Living the Dream, known as Sammy. We are excited to have a Sammy granddaughter living with us. She is a lovely girl and will add much to our breeding program. She is a lovely tri factored sable.If she develops into the potential she has, she will get me into the show ring again. I am looking forward to that. It has been almost 6 years since I have shown the dogs. I will need to practice and show train Trudy. I also need to exercise more so that I will be able to run in the ring with her. Not fast but steady. Hopefully I will be able to manage. I will start training Trudy as soon as she settles in. I will need to update my grooming skills for sure. I am excited to see just what I can do.

Tomorrow three friends are going with me to pick her up and to see the other puppies.We will have a picnic lunch and make a nice day of it.Hopefully there will not be as much rain as there is today. Although we will deal with it. Nothing is as exciting as seeing a litter of puppies. Bonnie is barking at me like crazy. It is 3:30 and they normally eat dinner between 3:30 and 4. And they do know the time. Their clocks work very well. I can't put feeding off for too long. It would be chaos for sure.

I may not write tomorrow but I will get some good pictures of Trudy and post those.

Hopefully we can all stay dry.

TRUDY

CAN't SEEM TO KEEP UP, MUST BE THE PUPPIES.

2023-08-23T09:56:00.000-04:00

I can't believe that I missed the whole month of July and half of August.I guess that I have to blame having puppies. Quinn had three beautiful babies..Also keeping the pups parasite free was a big job. Looking back it is hard to remember what took my time. Seeing my granddaughter was a big part of my time. I also had a get together with some Sheltie friends in July. We had a picnic lunch and let the dogs play. Of course that took time and planning and everyone wanted to see the pups. And Walter came back for a visit. Just for the day but he and Kaelyn had a nice visit and enjoyed seeing each other. One of the pups did not go home when his litter mates left. So I spent alot of time working with some basic training and he did so well. I called him Buddy after my old boy Buddy who I hand fed for 13 years due to a cleft pallet. Unfortunately I got very attached to the puppy but he really needed his own people and home. I finally found the perfect home for him. He is there now and I really miss him. But he is doing so well and very loved so I know I made the right choice for him. I hear often how he is doing and I know that he is in a wonderful home. But it was one of the hardest things I have had to do in a while. We both were so bonded. Then Dodger had his rear dewclaw surgery and it was a pretty major surgery. He has to wear an E Cone and he really hates it but he is being so good for me.But I can't trust him to leave his leg alone so he needs to wear the cone until his stitching comes out. He has been on Antibiotics for 7 days which messed up his digestive system. He has had an occasional accident and he usually does not.He is 6 months and a very active puppy. Keeping him in the cone and away from his foot has been a challenge. I can't wait for the next 7 days to go by and then he will be free of the cone and he will be able to get some exercise. He needs a good run in the worst way.This is keeping so wound up. Almost like a rubber band ready to snap. With patience we will get through the next 7 days.

We hope to have a litter late fall or early winter but the girls are very slow with coming into heat. So I really don't know for sure when we will have pups. It is hard as there are so many inquiries and I can't give more details until mother nature brings the girls into heat.

We do have a new puppy coming this Saturday. A pretty little girl who is a Sammy granddaughter. Sammy used to be ours and I do miss him. So something to look forward to.

Well I guess that is all the news good and bad. Once again I will try to keep up with the blog. I do get busy and the dogs do need a lot of attention and time

DODGER

THUNDERSTORMS

2023-06-26T07:27:00.000-04:00

We had quite the storm last night. Thunder and lightning and torrential down pours. It was like the storm you would see in haunted house stories. About 1:30 in the morning every one was barking and carrying on. Quinn mother of the pups was so scared. The pups were fine and even though they can hear now the noise did not seem to bother them.Quinn was jumping at the gate and just wanted a place where she could hide. Chanel, my visitor was barking and jumping at the gate in the kitchen. I was surprised that she was so upset. She is a calm and easygoing dog. But this storm was pretty scary. The rain was hitting the house so hard you wondered if it would stand up to all that rain. This house was built in 1753 and I am sure that it has withstood many storms. I came down and spent time with the dogs. Finally it was not so bad sounding out there that I gave everyone a treat and went back to bed. Sleep was not to be. With every boom of thunder everyone barked and carried on. I could not take them out to potty as the rain was coming down way too hard. Even my cats jumped on the bed and got a close to me as they could. They were bothered but not the way the dogs were. Even Panda my old tomcat was a little rattled and just nothing ever bothers him. This storm did upset him. He got as close to my back as he possibly could.Things finally settled down about 2 am. Things must have calmed down a little as it was quiet enough to sleep. More barking a little after 4 so I got up and took every one out. The thunder and lightning was done but it was still pouring. They did go potty and came right back in. Now while I am writing everyone is in their favorite spot and sleeping.I will hold off on breakfast for a little while and let them all sleep,I am not quite ready to get this day going. All I have to do is stand up and they are immediately ready to go. They get so excited to do anything when I stand up, even breakfast. Once we get breakfast done and everyone out again for a bit and then back in we can actually start the day. I will miss my walk with Zoe as we both are trying to lose weight. I pick up her leash and she gets so excited. She loves the walks. I used to be able to walk three or four dogs at a time but I am not up for that now.It is a lot to keep everyone going straight and not changing sides or wrapping around the back of me. So one dog at a time is the safest way to walk. I could probably manage two and be safe. So I go out into the large fenced yard and play ball and other games with them. They will be in and out a lot today due to the weather. They are happy and don't complain as long as we can be together. They keep me moving. They are my family and are so loved. I would be lost without them.

Quinn and her babies!!

Eyes and Ears are open, so cute !!

2023-06-21T10:09:00.002-04:00

The pups grow so fast. They are cuter by the day. Trying to stand but not quiet ready. Their expressions are so cute when they hear something they have never heard. Soon they will recognize my voice and in another week or so will be jumping up to greet me. These are the best weeks coming up. The best time to socialize since everything is so new and their brains are developing so quickly. What they learn at 6,7 and 8 weeks they will remember for their whole lives. When you start training at 8 weeks it is so easy as they learn so quickly.I just love this age and probably too much time is spent with them. Every bit of time and handling is so good for them. They learn to trust me and they are always happy to see me. Considering the trauma of their birth they are doing so well, growing and gaining so fast. Of course with only three pups there is plenty of food to go around. I won't start weaning the pups until they are in their fourth week. Today is their first worming with nemex for round worms, whip worms and hook worms. We worm them once a week for two weeks in a row.

I look for the best possible homes for my pups. I want a home where someone will be home with them through their first young weeks. An 8 week old pup cannot be alone for 8 or 9 hours a day, it is too long without human contact and they are eating 3 times a day. They would be lost if alone all day long. Next I do like people with Sheltie experience. It is not essential but a good idea to research the breed if it is your first Sheltie.Retired people are great as they usually are home during the day and the pup will have plenty of company. Mainly I want people who will love and care for the puppy and do some basic training with them. Feed them a healthy diet and stay current with their vet. They should not be off leash unless in a fenced area.I have put lots of time and love into my pups and they deserve the same from their new owners. I am always available for questions and help.

Here are pictures of mom and dad!

Quinn

Quinn is a super sweet girl, she loves everyone and is very gentle. She is a little reserved with new people but warms up soon.

Flash is a sweet boy, full of energy and vinegar. He is a fun dog and loves being with you. Flash is a little reserved with new people at first but warms up soon. Initial reserve is normal for a sheltie. They like to make friends on their own terms.

Flash

Tri boy with white collar on back of neck

Tri boy

Bi Black female, almost no white on neck.She does have a white chest and 4 white feet.