Adventures in puppy sitting /our week at the ranch/Crickets NEW ears!

For the longest time Cricket had one ear or the other that would stand up, and one that would hang down pointed forward. So what a suprise last week all of a sudden we had a new ear set, and I have a feeling this one is here to stay???? It is very cute on her, the ears sort of stay straight and point out sideways, a flying nun look, but it looks adorable on her. It has stayed that way all week.


Well, we were gone puppy sitting from Monday-Friday at the Contact Point Ranch. Fame had pups by Batman we were puppysitting-Batman is a litter mater to Zing who some of you know and he is a litter mate to my Breezie-and half brother. Batman is owned and does agility with Kristie Netzer. They have four gorgeous puppies that were super easy to take care of. Fame is a super good mama. Euro was expecting pups by planned csection so I got to take care of getting her there and taking care of her youngsters the first few days. Euro was such a trooper and did terrific and delivered 5 girls by Csection on Wednesday afternoon. The pups are from Euro/Zing cross, Zing is a littermate to Breezie and Batman, and is Breezes half brother. Zing is owned and does agility with Gabrielle Blackburn. Should be really interesting to see how these pups turn out. Euro is a real live wire, a really tiny girl, and Zing is gorgeous and a tug monster and a wonderful agility dog.

Karen has let me hang around during the birth of a few of her litters the last few months-being a labor and delivery nurse for the human type newborns I find that all very interesting, and Karen has really taught me a lot about taking care of moms/pups, so it was fun to fly solo and put what I have learned to work, LOL. The part that made me the most nervous was keeping the pup cam up and running. I would forget it was going and would be cleaning the whelping box and I am sure stuck my butt in the camera more times then anyone could count, so if anyone saw that, I am truly sorry to put something so scary out on the internet.

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Mama and pups right after the csection when they brought in the first batch of pups to get started nursing.





We got to do some herding practice at the ranch while we were there. This is the path to the herding pen.

First you go past the milk goat and this sheep on your left



Then you go down this path. How could someone not feel peaceful walking down this path?



Duck pen on the right



some more orange trees on the left



The garden and then you see the round pen where Liz/Breeze practice herding





The sheep-there are lots of little lambs right now




This particular morning it was raining-I put Liz and Breeze into one crate that was full of water, whoops, and I told them they needed to cowgirl up and be tough, if they want to be sheep herding dogs they have to be tough, LOL.




I put all the dogs in some big pretty yards with trees and toys, in some smaller kennels, where ever they went Breeze and Liz just wanted to sit at the door waiting for me to come and get them. Poor Cricket kept trying to get them to run around and play, but when they wouldn't she would end up sitting by the door for hours staring. You can tell my dogs are not used to being kenneled, at all! By the last day Liz was HORRIBLE, she barked constantly no matter what I did or where I tried to put her. She was AWEFUL, and I am sure everyone on the ranch was happy to see her go, LOL.



Cricket spent some time playing with 2 pups that are 2 months older then her, but it was puppy play power. Fleur is a Nel/Zing pup and Glee is a Reddy/Bluff pup.