SUMMIT DALMATIANS

WE'RE GETTIN' BIG!

2011-10-22T20:38:00.000-07:00

For your viewing pleasure, here is a couple of videos of puppies, at just over 7 weeks.

Enjoy! :)

THE SCARY STAIRS!

OUTDOORS!

OUR BIG ADVENTURE!

2011-10-07T13:24:00.000-07:00

We're eating healthy!

We know we just posted yesterday, about our life, but....we added a new chapter to it today. The lady took all nine of us outside! We heard lots of flying things up in the blue sky, but we couldn't see them, cause there was something really bright in our eyes. Our really smart sister, Taylor, said it was a big "ball of fire", that hung up there, and made things warm. She said she's heard it called "the sun". Anyway, she told us not to look at it, cause it would make us blind! She really gives us an education about things!
It was scary at first, being outside, but little brother, Rocket, lead the way, followed by Boomer. When they had checked it out, to make sure it was safe for the rest of us, we all followed. There was some soft green stuff, not far away, that Taylor showed us how to eat. She said it was a "green salad". Anyway, we enjoyed munching on it. There were also lots of smelly, colorful things, that tickled our noses.
When the BIG dogs, as in our Mom-Mazie, Dad-Ely, Gr'ma Bailey and sister Taylor, barked, we would all run as fast as we could, back to our blanket. It was our "home" spot. and we felt safe on there, plus the lady kept a watchful eye on us. She kept counting us, as if one of us would get lost......how silly! We were pretty much sticking together!
Hopefully we'll get to go outside again, real soon!

SUMMIT DALMATIANS

THE BIG ADVENTURE OUTSIDE

Casey and Rocket

Spangles

Rocket

Boomer, Sparkles, Spangles, Harley, and Rocket

Boomer

Dyna

Sparkles and Spangles

Pyro

Sparkles

Pyro

Casey

Libby

Spangles

Taylor and Sparkles

Boomer

Spangles, Sparkles and Harley

Sparkles

Libby, trying to go to the next level......

and she made it!

Rocket-dog!

Libby

LIFE IS RRRUUFFFF! (week 5)

2011-10-06T21:08:00.000-07:00


9 puppies, get pretty hungry!

EAT, PLAY, SLEEP, EAT, PLAY, SLEEP....OR SLEEP, PLAY, EAT, SLEEP, PLAY, EAT.....anyway we spell it, life is fun!
We have such a great time messing up our pen. Sometimes, we have a contest to see who can be the messiest. I think we've all won at least twice! Even Spangles, who likes to be neat and prissy, can mess it up pretty good. It's tons of fun shredding the paper, and doing our business and then stepping on it! The lady doesn't let it stay messy for long though. She locks us in our cage, and then takes up all the old reading material, and puts down clean new ones. Then her and the man, come and sit in our pen and we try our best to chew them up! Sometimes...we even make them say "ouch!"

We've been getting lots of strangers coming to visit. Some of them aren't much bigger than we are! We're growing fast, so we'll probably be bigger than them little "critters" soon!

Our mommy doesn't really like us to get milk from her anymore. I think it's because Boomer, Rocket and the rest of us, bite her. She growls and gets after us. We don't like getting into trouble, so we try not to be tempted, even though it's hard.

The lady told us, that lots of new people are coming on Sunday, to look at us. They're going to take pictures of us looking like little "show dogs" from every angle. I think I heard someone use the word, "assessments". It sounds like fun, as we'll get to eat some new treats, that we've never tasted before! Yummy!

All puppies, except one, have homes, whether show or pet. One of the black/white boys, (will know more about which one, after assessments) is still looking for a "show" home. If seriously interested, in an outright or a co-ownership, contact me at, rmonty@summitdalmatians.com

Sparkles, blk/wht girl

Spangles, blk/wht girl

Harley, blk/wht boy

Casey, blk/wht boy

Rocket, blk/wht boy

Pyro, liver/wht boy

Libby, liver/wht girl

Dyna, liver/wht girl

Boomer, liver/wht boy

Waiting for food!

Libby and Dyna

WE HAVE NEW DIGGS!

2011-09-29T21:12:00.000-07:00

Dyna, Rocket, and Libby

Our pen got a remodel, late this afternoon. Papa Dru brought home a bigger, better vinyl floor, and we got our very own dog crate to make a BIG puppy pile in. It came complete with a very soft blanket, that had dalmatians on it. Our smart, big sister Taylor, told us to take very good care of it, cause our mommy won it a couple of years ago at a very big dog show. Sometimes big sis Taylor gets a little bossy!

Libby (green girl) was the first to check it out, then Boomer (yellow boy) and then Rocket (ear patch boy). Eventually we all went in. WE LOVE IT, plus it's nice and warm. Hopefully no one will pee in it, but there's always usually one or two that do!

We also got a much BIGGER pen! It's so big, that we can run really fast and play in it. There are newspapers all over the floor, for us to do our " business" on. We can't read, or we'd be able to learn lot's, just by reading the floor!

We had lot's of pictures taken of us today, plus we got some new bright colored ribbons around our necks, so everyone would be able to tell who is who. They are really itchy though, and make us want to scratch. The nice lady thinks it's really cute when we do that!

Here's the run-down on our new colors.
Orange-Harley, black/white boy
Purple-Casey, Black/white boy
Dark Blue-Pyro, Liver/white ear tip patch boy
Pink-Spangles Black/white girl (formerly dk. blue)
Lt. Blue,Sparkles- Black/white girl
Green-Libby, liver/white girl
Yellow-Boomer, liver/white boy
Eye patch liver girl, Dyna, no ribbon
Black left ear patch boy, Rocket-no ribbon

(I have one black/white boy left, that is looking for a great "show home". Remember, his full brother Woodrow, was BEST SENIOR IN SWEEPS, and half sister Ava, was RESERVE WINNERS BITCH, at DCA 2011. We are doing assessments, this coming Sunday, the 9th. Stacked photo's will be posted next week.)

NEW 4 WEEK VIDEO

ANOTHER 4 WEEK VIDEO

Dyna, Rocket, and Sparkles

Casey, black white boy

Pyro says, "this thingy really itches, really it does!"

Harley, Blk/wht boy, checks out the crate

Spangles, checking out the new pen

Harley, (in the crate) keeps an eye on Rocket

Spangles says "I can't move, I ate to much!"

Rocket, trying to do a take down on Pyro.


Harley, what an innocent looking face

OUR LIFE BEHIND BARS!

2011-09-26T09:42:00.000-07:00

Life's not so bad, here in "the pen". We get meals, three times-a-day, served by the nice Warden Lady, and warm milk whenever our Mother visits, plus a nice soft bed, that we all puppy pile in. There are also clean toilet facilities, that are taken care of several times a day, by the Janitor, who looks and smells a lot like the Warden Lady. We can't imagine that life could be any better, in the outside world.......
However...there are moments, when the window in the outer room is opened, and we get strange and sweet smells that drift through our "cell", making us have an urge to go check them out. Every now and then, we also hear other dogs or puppies barking in the "outside world".They must be in another puppy jail somewhere, longing for food or company. When we get out, we'll rescue them if we can.
We've been getting lots of visitors in here, so life isn't at all lonely. They pick us up, cuddle and kiss on us, bring us toys, and then place us back on the inside. Maybe one of these days, we'll get to stay out, and explore the bigger world out there.

In the mean time, some of my brothers and sisters, are plotting an "escape" by going over the outer wall. Big brother Boomer (yellow boy), is already checking it out, as well as Casey (gray boy and Harley (orange boy).
We sure hope there's food on the outside, as we get really hungry, ALOT!
When our half sister Taylor comes to visit, she tells us stories of "greener pastures", where there are "brown furry creatures", that run along the top of something called a fence, to chase! She also says that there are Unidentified flying things, that swoop down and land in the green pasture, and it's our job to keep the world safe from them. She says it's more fun to chase and stalk things, than a "barrel of monkeys"..... whatever that means! She's really smart and knows everything!
Anyway, we better go for now, BIG PLANS in the works.......sshhhhh....don't tell anybody, and for your own good, forget we had this conversation!

Mazely Puppy Video, day 26

15 DALMATIANS AT SUMMIT!

2011-09-22T20:33:00.000-07:00


Libby and Boomer

We'll, we've almost got our DALMATIAN PLANTATION, here at SUMMIT! Monday evening, Becky Shallanberger, dropped off Wilson and Appy, for us to "dog sit" for about 8 days.So, with those 2, plus our 4, plus 9 puppies....YIKES!

It's pretty hectic juggling 6 adult, (I use that term loosely with Taylor, lol ) dalmatians around, making sure that Ely and Wilson, don't come face to face. Ely is pretty possessive of his girls, when other "intact" boys are in HIS house. So far, there hasn't even been so much as a grumble from either one of them. Taylor is ecstatic, and thinks that Wilson is her newest BFF, and that he requires her undivided attention. He's a really good sport about it, and loves to play with her. They are both pretty worn out when evening comes.....Did I mention that Wilson is a full brother to this litter? He will be 2 years old, on January 29.

The Mazelys are 3 weeks old today. They have teeth! Poor Mazie! It seems impossible, but they are getting cuter and cuter everyday. Their puppy play is getting quite comical! One prospective owner, of one of the girls, calls them "little drunken sailors." Pretty much nails it!

Eating real dog food is going well, and thank heaven, no diarrhea from any of them. Just nice firm little "puppy logs"! They are extremely messy little eaters though, and some of them like to stand in the trough. Mazie is very happy to clean up any leftovers in the food bowl, and on them. She's also, very conscientious, about keeping the puppy pen clean, which helps keep the puppies cleaner. I still change the bedding and newspapers, about 3-4 times a day. Laundry is never ending!

I still haven't decided on names yet for Dark blue and Light blue girls, or Orange boy. I'm thinking of Sizzle, Flair, Sparkles, Ember, Belle or something along those lines for the two girls. For the boy, Sparky, Smoke, Freedom.....if anyone has any ideas, please let me know. Remember, I'm keeping with a 4th of July/Patriotic name theme.

New pics and new video below :)

I would encourage any of you that are planning on getting a puppy, to try and make it down, for a puppy fix. Just call and we'll set up a time.

THE MAZELYS, 3 WEEKS OLD

Orange boy, heading for the food trough


Dark blue girl, trying to get Indy (gray boy) to play, but his belly's full, and he'd rather sleep


What cuties!

REAL FOOD!

2011-09-20T21:27:00.000-07:00

Libby and Dyna

Today, on day 20, the Mazelys started eating puppy food, in the form of Gruel. It is finely ground puppy food, with warm water, goats milk, and plain yogurt added to it. They'll get fed this, 3 times a day, in addition to nursing on Momma Mazie. I always whistle the same tune, when it's feeding time, which is "Camptown Ladies". Not sure if that's the real title, but that's the only one I can think of for it. Eventually, and it doesn't take long, when they hear this tune, they'll wake up from a deep sleep, or come running from wherever they are, because they associate it with feeding time. Then it'll be a race to the feed bowl!
All of them are curious about it, and have tried it. Some longer than others. As a few more days go by, they'll all become more aggressive with eating.

Rocket thinks this stuff is much easier to get to!

All eyes are now open fully, and I see no blue eyes in the bunch! I don't think Ely has ever thrown a blue eye before, so wasn't really expecting any.
Pigment on their spots, is starting to get darker, and their haircoats are beginning thicken up, which helps them lose the "pink" appearance. There's still a couple of the smaller pups, whose coats aren't quite as thick as the bigger pups, but they'll get there shortly.

Boomer, really got into it, literally!

I've put a few names to some of the puppies. Of course these by no means need to be their permanent names, unless their new homes think it fits the puppy. We are going with a July 4th/Patriotic theme, since that is the day of the one and only breeding.

Here's what we have so far;
Left ear Patch boy-ROCKET
Yellow ribbon boy-BOOMER
Eye Patch girl-DYNA(short for Dynamite)
Green Girl- LIBBY (short for Liberty)
Gray boy is-INDY (short for Independence)
Ear tip Patch boy - PYRO (Pyrotechnics)

I have some names in mind for the remaining 3, just haven't totally decided who will be who yet!

I tried uploading a new video, but the upload failed. I'll try again tomorrow.

Add caption

Rocket, Libby and Indy

Indy, testing the temperature before he eats!

Yum.....this stuff's pretty tasty!

Rocket, really getting into his food

Rocket and Orange boy, chowing down.

Libby, being quite the neat little lady, while eating.

2 WEEKS OLD!

2011-09-15T19:58:00.000-07:00

Green Girl (liver)

The Mazely's are broadening their horizons! Most of their eyes are wide open. There is a couple of them, that don't have theirs open all the way yet, but by tomorrow, I suspect they will be. At this point in time, though, even with eyes open, all they see are shadowy movement. They will see more clearly as the days go by.

I had a nice surprise, when I came home from work this afternoon. All the Mazely's were asleep in their puppy pen. I clapped my hands really loud, and 9 heads popped up! Yea! It's still to early, to tell who will be bi-lateral, and who might be uni-lateral hearing. As a few more weeks go by, I can usually tell, although, I have been fooled before.

Green Girl (L) and Orange boy

At 7 weeks, I will take them in for their official Baer hearing test, and micro-chips. With the permanent ID in them, along with their AKC registration number, the results will be sent into OFA, which stands for Orthopedic Foundation For Animals.

All of the Mazely's

Mazie and Ely, both have their CHIC numbers, meaning, they have had all the necessary health clearances, to qualify for their CHIC numbers. The goals of the Canine Health Information Center, are;

CHIC Goals

To work with parent clubs in the identification of health issues for which a central information system should be established.
To establish and maintain a central health information system in a manner that will support research into canine disease and provide health information to owners and breeders.
To establish scientifically valid diagnostic criteria for the acceptance of information into the database.
To base the availability of information on individually identified dogs at the consent of the owner.

Any conscientious, reputable breeder, will have had the sire and dam's health clearances, well in advance of any breeding.

Pictures below, of the Mazely kids, at day 13 and 14. It doesn't seem possible, but....they are getting cuter every day.....and......I'M SMELLING PUPPY BREATH!

Nap time.....AGAIN!

Light blue girl, and Green girl (L)

Someone's missing! (in the pic) I "think" it's the Eye Patch Girl.

Sweet, cuddly, Yellow boy

Well, okay, he's not THAT little, BUT he's still sweet, and cuddly.....and, he does know how to eat!

Here's the Gray boy!

PUPPY LIFE AT DAY 10!

2011-09-11T20:32:00.000-07:00

Left ear patch boy

Life is good here in MAZELY LAND, especially if you're a puppy!

They are testing their strength, by experimenting with all 4 wobbly legs, and trying to walk. Not a whole lot of success with it yet, but they'll get there. Eyes could start opening at anytime, from day 10 up until day 18. Hearing usually comes in just shortly after the eyes start opening.

Personalities, haven't started emerging quite yet. They are mostly led by their appetites, and then they wear themselves out, jockeying for pole positions at the Milk Bar. Sometimes that gets a little comical to watch. Still....life for these puppies is mostly, eat, sleep, eat, sleep.

I still marvel at how pretty their little faces are, even at this age.

Can't smell puppy breath yet, but it's not far off!

Gray boy

I've posted lot's of pictures, taken at day 9 and 10, plus a video shot today, at the afternoon "Milk Bar", that has a thriving business, here at
SUMMIT DALMATIANS

I don't think I put a face shot of every puppy up, but I did quite a few of them for now....ENJOY!

PUPPY VIDEO, DAY 10

Dark blue girl

Ear tip patch boy

Orange boy

Yellow boy

The puppies and their TWO mommies, Mazie and Taylor

Mazie doesn't mind if Taylor comes into the puppy pen, but she won't let Ely even come into the room!

Puppy pile

Left ear patch boy, getting his bottle supplementation. He's growing by leaps and bounds now!

He knows how to work it!

As you can see, he's about to catch up. He's only a couple of ounces behind the smallest girl

Life is good -being a puppy

Spooning!

Eye patch girl and left ear patch boy

Someone always have to be different!

"If I lay on my back, maybe it will just drain into my mouth!"

They are so cute, and getting cuter every day. Wish you all could see them in person!

The Mazely's at 1 week

2011-09-07T15:56:00.000-07:00

What a busy week we've had here at Summit. Pups are growing, and all of them have doubled their birth weight, some have more than doubled. The little left ear patch boy, who has doubled his weight, has not gained as much weight as I would like, so he is being supplemented with a bottle. The rest of the puppies are well over 1#. They are little pigs, and thankfully, Mazie has ton's of milk! Spotting is visible, under their hair coat. They look to be nicely marked, and trim is coming in good on the eyes, and their noses. The liver's tend to come in slower. The green girl, the eye patch girl, the yellow boy, and the right ear tip patch boy, are all liver/white....yea!
I can tell already, that they are going to have very pretty faces, just like Mazie and Ely.

Dru and I have already done their little nails a couple of times, with finger clippers. It makes it nice for Mazie, so they aren't clawing her quite as bad when they're nursing.

Here' a few pictures, from this morning.

The liver gang-Green girl, eye patch girl, yellow boy and ear tip patch boy.

Gray boy, and Green girl (liver)

Orange boy, and Green girl (liver)

Eye patch girl (liver), Right ear patch boy, and Yellow boy (liver)

Light blue girl

Left ear patch boy

Light blue girl and Yellow boy (liver)

Orange boy, and Right ear patch boy.

THE "MAZELY" PUPPIES, DAY 3

2011-09-03T11:27:00.000-07:00

I'm following a trend, started by some show-dal friends, of combining the sire and dam's names, to come up with a litter name. As you can see by the title, they are now called, the "Mazely" puppies.

Day three has begun, and they are all thriving and gaining weight. We weigh them twice a day, and chart their progress each time. Trim is looking good on several of the pups. Liver trim, seems to come in a little slower, and is harder to see. That's why I think little "green" girl, and "yellow" boy, might be liver and white. The cute eye patch girl, is definitely liver and white. It also took me well over a day to determine that, as her pigment is such a deep color of liver.

Yesterday, they all had their dew claws removed. The vet always makes a joke about removing the tails, when he brings the pups back out......NOT FUNNY! He thinks it's hysterical! They took the procedure in stride, and were all snug as a bug, cuddled up together when they were brought out from the surgery room. I didn't hear a peep out of them on the drive home. Mazie was also checked out, and everything was in working order with her. She received a shot of Oxytocin, to help in milk production. She seems to have plenty.

Tonight we will start the Puppy Bio Stimulation
Dru and I sit up in the puppy room, several hours a day, just watching. We are in puppy heaven!

Enjoy the newest pics and video!

Day 3 video

Light blue girl

Gray boy

Left patch ear boy

Enjoying a snooze, under the warm light

THEY'RE HERE!

2011-09-01T11:27:00.000-07:00

More photo's, from the puppies first day, below

I think we're done. The "final" count is 5 boys, 1 with half an ear patch, 1 with a full ear patch, and maybe, 1 liver and white. 4 girls, 1 with a really cute eye patch, and again, I think, 1 liver and white girl. Trim is already looking good. Mazie is exhausted and so am I, plus we're both a little sticky and ucky! Now....it's off to the shower, and then I'm going to try getting a little bit of sleep.
I will probably take Mazie into the vet this afternoon, just to make sure everything passed, and maybe dew claws.....or, I might wait on those until Friday. With the weekend coming up, and then Monday being a Holiday, ....today or tomorrow, might be my only choices!
The first puppy was born at 10pm, on the 31st, and the last one was born at, 5 am this morning, so....needless to say, it was a long night.
I got about 5 hours of sleep this morning, but now it's off and running, with weighing puppies, washing bedding, and keeping Mazie's needs tended to.
Some pictures are posted below.

1 WEEK UNTIL PUPPIES ARRIVE!

2011-08-29T20:35:00.000-07:00

Well, we are getting excited here at SUMMIT DALMATIANS, anticipating the arrival of Mazie and Ely's puppies. Once again, we are expecting some awesome puppies from these two.
Their last litter, early 2010, produced Woodrow, the Dalmatian Club of America's, 2011 BEST SENIOR IN SWEEPS, and who was also, 1 of only 5 boys to place under all 3 judges, and...his handsome brother Wilson, who also placed under two judges at Nationals. Needless to say, I was very proud of these two Mazie x Ely kids.
Mazie, also has 6 daughter's, from her latest litter, in the show ring. They were born just over a year ago, 8/9/2010. One of them, Ava, won top honors at Nationals, 2011. Ava, at just 8 months of age, won RESERVE WINNERS BITCH! What a thrill that was! She is also the first champion, that Mazie has produced. Her sister Taylor, who lives with us here at Summit Dalmatians, was also only 1 of 4 girls, from the whole National Specialty, to place under all 3 judges. Needless to say, we are very proud of their offspring, what they've produced together, and also separately.
They have both PROVEN themselves, to be producers of top quality dalmatian puppies!
Check out more of their offspring, on my website, at the link above.
The whelping room is all set up and ready, plus the vet has been put on alert, in case their services would be needed.
Today, I bought little pot holder loops, you know, the kind you buy in a bag, of assorted colors, to make potholders in a loom. I will use those to tie a different color around each puppies neck, so we can tell them apart, as they will all be white at birth, unless we have a patch puppy or two in the litter. I also went to Goodwill, and bought some quilted bedding for the whelping box. It's relatively inexpensive, and works well to make a soft, washable bed for pups. Laundry is non-stop with puppies!
Here are a few pictures we took of Mazie today. My husband Dru, and I get a kick out of feeling the puppies moving in her belly. Sometimes, we can even see them moving, when she's stretched out on the floor and relaxed. She has 1 week left, but it wouldn't surprise me if puppies came this weekend!
I can almost smell their breath!

Sneaking a treat off the counter

Day 56, all stretched out and relaxed

Look at that belly hang.....poor girl!

THE BOY'S CLUB, 6 Months old!

2010-07-29T06:51:00.000-07:00

Wow! Where did the time go? On July 29th, the "Boys Club", will have their 6 month milestone. Everyone of them have turned out beautifully, not only in looks, but each one possesses a very sweet temperament and charming personality.

Wilson, who I co-own, with Rebecca Shallanberger, is keeping busy doing hikes with Becky and her other dal, Appy. He's a pretty laid back boy, and takes everything in stride. Dru and I saw him a couple of weeks ago, and he wiggled all over the place. He was as excited to see us, as we were him! Becky's done a great job training him on "free stacking". He won first place, in the non-sporting puppy group, at his first fun match in May. Needless to say, I was very proud of him. He should be ready for his first "real" dog show in August.
This one never let's his momma, get to far out of his sight!

Woodrow, lives about 40 minutes north of us, with Tom and Edie Howell, and their three children, Morgan, Eric and Russ, plus Peanut, the Cavalier Spaniel. He's a "roo-er" or talker, just like his daddy, Ely, and also, quite the hunter, like his mother, Mazie. Edie says that he likes to catch mice, and bring them in the house to show her, all the while, quite proud of himself!
His show career will start at the same time as Wilson's, next month, up in Greeley, Colorado. I will have the privilege of showing this handsome little fella.

Tyler, is now known as George. He moved all the way up to British Columbia, Canada, and lives on Vancouver Island, with his Mom and Dad, Joel and Laura Rushworth. George keeps them quite busy and entertained. Joel makes me happy, by posting pictures and video of this beautiful boy on Facebook. One of them that got me teary eyed, was a video of George, listening to a video of me and my dogs. He hadn't forgotten my voice yet, by the way he reacted to it. He picks new things up quickly, and seems to love being harassed by Joel, with various objects, such as a stuffed cat! Meow! That video was rather comical.
Since he is soooo far away from us now, we treasure each picture and video of his gorgeous face and the new challenges that Joel puts in front of him.
A couple of months ago, George won a contest, for being the puppy that all of the judges would want to take home with them. Way to go George!

Dune, formerly Truman, lives up in Denver, with Jim and Tina Sharum. They were so excited to learn that Dune would be joining their household, and we were delighted that he would have such a great Mom and Dad. He has a huge backyard to run and play in, with his older dalmatian housemate, whom he pesters to no end. We haven't gotten to see him yet, but we do plan on visiting sometime in the near future. Dune has grown up beautifully, and we love hearing updates and seeing new pictures of him.

Thanks to all the great homes that these boys went to. Dru and I really do appreciate all of you, and we feel so thankful, that each pup is in a wonderful, forever home.

Below, are some of the most recent pictures I have of the "boys club". My only regret, is that little Brutus isn't among them. We often wonder, what he would have been like at this age, and we still have a hard time talking about him without getting choked up. We miss you little man......


"The Boys Club", Wilson, George, Dune, Woodrow, and Brutus

Dune, 6 months

Wilson, 6 months

Wilson, "Summit N Trailspotter Stride the Rockies", 6 months

Woodrow," Summit Mocha Mountain", 6 months

Woodrow, 6 months

George, after winning 1st place, with Laura

George, "what a face!"

THE FINAL STRETCH!

2010-03-25T21:07:00.000-07:00

Wow! Where did the time go? This litter has in the end, been yes, heartbreaking, especially with the heart wrenching decision to let little Brutus go last week, but also such a joy overall. These are the most fun loving, good natured and beautiful puppies that I think I've ever seen. (not partial in the least!) Their new mommies and daddies are in for such a HUGE treat, getting to share in the lives of these little dudes! It will be a happy/sad time for Dru and me, but we truly believe that they are going to awesome homes, and we plan to keep in contact with each and every one of them, and watch these boys grow up.
On the puppies visit to the vet last Saturday, for their Baer hearing test, all 5 puppies, including Brutus, tested bi-lateral. The four big boys passed their health check with flying colors.
Wilson, is going to Rebecca Shalleberger, a very skilled dog handler and showman, who lives nearby, in Evergreen, CO. with her 2 year old female Dalmatian, Appy. Wilson is already putting on a show, with his awesome side gait.
Woodrow, is going to the Howells, in Franktown, Co. and their 3 children. He'll be majoring in obedience and conformation. He'll be a fun and showy little guy, who's full of confidence in himself. Woodrow will be leaving tomorrow night.
Tyler, is going all the way up to British Columbia, to live on Vancouver Island. His new Mom and Dad, are Joel and Laura. Joel is flying here to Colorado, so that Tyler/George, won't have to go into the cargo hold. Instead, he'll be in the cabin, in his little soft crate, under Joel's seat. Tyler's new name will be George, and he's going to be a performance dog. We're looking forward to hearing about some of the new titles that he will obtain.
Truman is going to make his home, in the heart of Jim and Tina, who are ecstatic about their new little spotted fur child. They reside in Littleton, CO.
Everyone is a repeat dalmatian owner, so that speaks well for the breed. Once you've owned one, you're hooked!
Periodically, I'll give updates and pictures on the progress of the boys. Below are some updated pictures and a video I took of them outside on Monday.
Enjoy! It's been fun little spotted boys, and I so deeply love each and everyone of you.
Sleep well little Brutus, you'll always have a very special place in our hearts.

BUSY! BUSY! BUSY BOYS!

2010-03-16T21:26:00.000-07:00

Pups are now 6 1/2 weeks. Hard to believe that 4 of them will be gone, to their new homes, in a week and a half. A big part of me is sad about that, and a small part of me will enjoy the R & R! They play ruff with each other and go for longer spells at a time, before they wear themselves out and crash on the big dog bed. They love to explore, upstairs as well as the main floor, but since little puppies can get themselves into BIG trouble fast, we try and keep them contained into the kitchen and family room area. We do have escapees periodically, as they are quite clever little dudes!
Potty training is......well let me just say, they're not trained yet! In their pen, they are very consistent about going on the newspaper, BUT in the family room, which of course is a bigger area....they miss the paper. When there is only one puppy for everyone to keep track of, it will be much easier, in their new homes, to "catch" them in the act, and train them where to go.
All the boys are learning the word "NO". A squirt bottle, kept handy, is a great aid in stopping undesirable behavior, along with a spoken word of correction. They're smart little boys, and figure things out quickly.
Saturday, we all head north to Fort Collins, CO for their BAER hearing test and health checks. I think they are all bi-lateral hearing, but some of them could be foolin' me. We'll know definitely on Saturday. Each puppy also received their first puppy shot this past weekend. When pups leave, a follow up visit in a few weeks with each of their regular vets, will be in order, to finish up the series of shots.
Below are videos of each puppy individually. They are liking the stairs right now. Some are better than others, but they all gain more confidence and skill at it every day. Woodrow is an expert at the stairs, as he will show you in his video! Show off!
There's also a video of the pups exploring outside.

5 week photos of the "Boys Club!"

2010-03-08T13:12:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, Jena Zafiratos and Rebecca Shallenberger, came down from the Denver area, and helped me take stacked photos of the boys. We were all very pleased with what we saw at this stage in their development. The pups all cooperated and did very well with their first time on the table and learning to stack. Each pup has a great shoulder, rear, topline, tail and ear set, at this 5 week point. We'll do our final assessment at 7 weeks, and hopefully move the pups on a leash to get a better look at movement.

WILSON

TYLER

WOODROW

liver/white

TRUMAN

BRUTUS

Puppy michief!

2010-03-06T08:51:00.000-08:00

Oh my, can these little boys stay busy! There isn't a room in the house that they haven't explored. We bring them downstairs into the main living area, several times a day. They love climbing up on the couch cushions, playing with the big dog toys, plus chewing on the leather leashes of the big dogs. When they've worn themselves out, they all pile onto the big cushy dog bed, and promptly fall asleep until they are rested up for their next go 'round.
Every morning and evening, and sometime in between, I clean their puppy pen. Morning's are usually the worst. I need to take a before and after pictures some morning. Papers are shredded, and the litter filler is everywhere.
Everything is their plaything, no matter what it is. We have to really watch electrical cords, as they think that they are something made for them to chew on.
Tomorrow, Jena and Becky are coming down from the Denver area, and we'll do our first of two puppy assessments. I'm really anxious to see how the boys "stack" up. Temperaments are all pretty much the same on these guys so far, but I've noticed that Truman is usually the first to explore a new area, with the other pups not far behind.
We've also started banging pot and pans, or anything that will make lot's of noise, to get the puppies desensitized to sudden or scary sounds. They've all done great with it so far.
Below are 5 week pictures of the "kids". I got a little camera happy yesterday, and got some pretty cute shots.
These puppy boys are lot's of work, but the reward is soft puppy kisses, puppy breath, and lot's of snuggles and wiggly waggy tails!

Puppy Dog Tails!

2010-03-02T20:28:00.000-08:00

Wow, is time going fast! Pups are getting bigger everyday. They love eating their kibble gruel, and meet me at the gate, with wagging little tails, when they hear the feeding time whistle, wanting out. I'll have to get a video of that soon. It's really cute.
Everything gets tested out with their mouth, so we've had to further "baby proof" the room. We made their enclosure twice as big this week, and put a crate inside of it. They love puppy piling on top of one another and sleeping in it. Also, they have a litter box in their pen. It's taking them awhile, but they are starting to get the hang of going in it, (or near it!)
There's always lot's of wrestling and play going on, then they wear themselves out, rest up, and start the whole process over again.
Dru and I can sit and watch them for hours.

Lot's of New Stuff!

2010-02-22T09:44:00.000-08:00

Pups are now growing and developing, by leaps and bounds, literally! This past week, they all got their upper and lower baby teeth , so everything gets put in or tugged on, with their little mouths, poor Mazie! Lot's of growling and woofing, plus tons of play wrestling with their brothers. It doesn't take long for them to wear themselves out, find a quiet corner and fall asleep instantly.

Every pup hears, including Brutus. The big thing for them this past week, they started eating kibble gruel. It is finely ground dog food, plus lot's of water, and yogurt. At this age, the pups lap it up, as they can't chew food yet. I usually take Mazie away from them for a couple of hours before feeding time, so that the pups are hungry. When I come in the room I will whistle the same song, to signal that it's feeding time. In a few more days, the puppies will start to correlate the song with food. Right now, they are getting food 3 times a day. Pups won't be weaned until 5-7 weeks of age. There's really no "magic" number on when to wean them. Mazie will be the deciding factor on that.
They are getting to play outside of the whelping box, several times each day, plus lot's of cuddles from Dru and I. One of their favorite things to do, is explore our laps and tug on our clothes. They'll have some visitors, later today, plus this weekend more visitors are coming to see the pups. Will be great socialization for them. They're starting to be like their daddy, and give kisses to me on my check whenever I pick them up. We also have a few toe nibblers in the group!

I love these boys! They are so sweet and curious about everything. Their noses are almost constantly to the ground, when they're out of the pen, sniffing out their new world.

Ahhh .....Puppy Breath

2010-02-16T20:27:00.000-08:00

Well, puppies are certainly keeping us busy around here. Between puppy laundry (bedding), feedings, (Brutus), work and trying to keep things picked uparound the house, there's not much time for anything else. Not complaining though. It's all worth it, when we walk into the room and are greeted by little puppy squeals! ALL of them have their eyes open, and I've gotten some hearing response from all 6 puppies. Today, while I was letting Brutus suck on my finger, I even felt a tooth coming in. Poor Mazie!

Here's some photo's from today and yesterday. They're changing and growing fast!

Puppies at day 15

2010-02-13T10:06:00.000-08:00

I'm getting ready to head up to Denver, for another day of dog show. I'm just being a spectator, and rooting for my favorites, which today, I hope is Ely's sister, Darby. She just needs one more point to finish her championship. Yesterday, the puppies half sister, Pearl, won the whole she-bang, on her very first time in the ring. Soon, I'll have pictures of her up on my website.
Tonight, when I get home, I'll post some pictures taken this morning of the puppies. Dru and I just sit and watch them and think how gorgeous and cute they are. Wish I could bottle up puppy breath for everyone! In the meantime, enjoy the video.

Pups, 10 day old, video

2010-02-09T06:52:00.001-08:00

10 days old!

2010-02-08T10:20:00.000-08:00

What fun these little furry spots are starting to be! They are certainly keeping their mother, Mazie, and me busy.
Spotting is starting to come in, and they all seem like they are going to be marked really pretty.
As usual, the boys are pretty much game for whatever you want to do to them, ie. turning them every which way to inspect them;, which means, on their backs and upside down to check under their tails. Blue boy, Quincy, even fell asleep on his back in my hands this morning. Makes my heart melt! Madison, the little girl, wants nothing to do with it, but she doesn't have a choice in the matter!
In case you were wondering, we've given the pups temporary names. When they go to their forever homes, they can certainly be changed to their new mommy/daddy's liking. We decided since they were born within a couple of weeks of Presidents Day, to give them presidential names. Brutus, will probably stay Brutus. We assigned him a new name, Calvin, but to us, he's Brutus and his name keeps him strong!

Any day now, their eyes should start opening, and then a few days after that we should start to notice signs of hearing. Their hearing test are already scheduled for March 20th, up in Ft. Collins, CO. If by that time, we know who's getting what puppy, if micro chipping is wanted, we can have that done the same day, but at the new owner's expense. I do HIGHLY recommend that micro-chipping is at least done at some point in the pups near future. It can save a dogs life, and gives him/her a way back to you, in case they should ever get lost. All three of mine have a chip, but I also have ID tags on them at all times.

Day 6

2010-02-04T12:11:00.000-08:00

Pups again have gained weight. I was pleasantly surprised this morning, when I was weighing and checking over pups, to discover that "teal" boy is a liver! Yeah! Ely is very good a producing amazing liver dalmatians. Check out my website and look at a few of them. I believe they are on the "What New" page. There is Maggie, Cinnamon, Rhett and Tobler (who has his own page.)
Today, the pups will get their toenails trimmed. Should be fun since they are tiny little things. All of them, except little Brutus, have almost double their birth rate, which is great. They are right on track with what they should be.
Little Brutus, actually found a nipple, all on his own, just a moment ago, but Mazie was pretty depleted. Later this afternoon, I'll take all of the big guys out for a while, so her milk can build up, and see if he'll nurse some more.
I bought a new camera, this afternoon, so I'm excited about that. I'll be spending my afternoon up in the puppy room, trying to figure it out!
Look for more video's and pictures, coming soon! Enjoy the newest one!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQZQPM9vtw8

Day 5 of puppy life!

2010-02-03T18:09:00.000-08:00

Pups are now increasing their weight gain, by leaps and bounds. They should double their weight by the first week. A few of them are already there. Little Brutus, is still staying strong, but he's very little. We're faithfully tube feeding him every 4 hours, now instead of two. He was getting 4cc every two hours, starting yesterday, but after talking to my reproductive vet yesterday, Dr. Holst, she said I could increase the amount to 8cc every 4 hours possibly 3. The rule of thumb I learned, is 1cc for every ounce of body weight. My regular vet here in Colorado Springs, APPARENTLY DOESN'T KNOW THAT, as she advised me on Monday, to do 2 1/4 to 2 1/2 cc every two hours. This whole tube feeding a puppy is a new thing to me, so I was depending on people that were suppose to be in the know. Well, it had not been enough for the little guy, boy did I feel horrible, so hopefully with increased feed, he'll start to gain.
The other pleasantly plump pups are so much fun. They certainly know their way around the whelping box, as does Brutus. Eat, sleep and squirm a little, is pretty much the routine for the day with them. They are quite vocal, if momma can't be found. They are getting lot's of neurological stimulation, from Mazie, when she licks them and turns them every which way, and also myself. They are all weighed twice a day, and turned every which way, so I can check them over good.
Their Baer hearing test will be done the 20th of March. I'll already pretty much be sure of which pups are bi-lateral hearing, uni-lateral if any, and if there is a deaf puppy in the litter. Ely's hearing stats on pups are very good, so hope he stays true to that with this litter
I learned how to operate the video camera today. I will be taking lot's of video's now as well as pictures, and putting the video's on UTUBE, for everyone's viewing pleasure. Enjoy!

.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2abGnvhYYs

Growing Fast!

2010-02-01T20:58:00.000-08:00

OMGosh can these puppies eat. We have a few that are over a pound now, and a couple that are really close. There is still one little boy, who was the smallest, that I'm still tube feeding every two hours around the clock. He's always bellied up to the bar, roots around, but doesn't latch on. We call him Brutus, because he is such a squirmy, strong, tuff little guy. He manages to push or crawl under the big brothers to get up to Mazie.
Speaking of Mazie, she is an incredible mom. We have to literally drag her away from the pups and force her to go outside to relieve herself. What's funny is that the door to the upstairs bedroom, that the puppies are in, has a lever door on it. We never got around to replacing that one with a "knob" as that room is just a playroom for grandkids. We replaced most of the other lever doors in the house, because she learned how to open them. Push or pull, she can do it. ( she's a really smart girl) So when she goes out, I always close the door to the puppy room, to keep Bailey and Ely out. When she comes back in the house, she tears up the stairs, and in she goes without any help. By the time I'm up there, she's already settled back in. She's also gotten very careful about stepping on puppies and she is keeping them very clean.
One funny thing happened this evening, and I wish I would have had my camera, but....the pups were being kind of whiney tonight, which I'll explain later. The "red" boy especially was being noisy. Well...she perked up her ears, looked at him, and then put one of her front paws on top of him like she was saying, "shut up!" Dru and I just had to laugh it was so cute.
Another cute moment, was tonight when "blue" boy was nursing, he decided to turn over on his back without missing a beat. Didn't let go of that nipple until he was good and ready. I did get a picture of that!
The BIG event that happened in puppy hood today, was the removal of their dew claws. Good friend, Jena Zafiratos, of Cimarron Dalmatians, came down for the day, and helped remove them. Actually she did it and I held puppies. I always hate this part of whelping a litter, but they're over it now, and not whining tonight like they were this afternoon. We didn't do the littlest boy's. When he picks up more weight, I'll take him in and have the vet remove his.

Trim is coming in nicely, and some spotting on the ears and face and a little on the belly can be seen.

Puppies Have Arrived!

2010-01-30T15:09:00.000-08:00

Well, Mazie delivered 8 beautiful puppies, 3 days early. She had the first one yesterday, Jan. 29, at 2:30 pm and finished up at 10:30 pm. She averaged about one puppy every hour. The count was 6 boys, one with an under ear patch, and 2 girls. Sadly we lost one of the girls this afternoon. She had struggled from her very first breath. We worked on her for 15 minutes after she was born, to get her lungs cleared out. She remained very weak, even with regular 2 hour tube feedings all through the nite and today. I took the whole litter into the vets, today, for a litter exam, along with Mazie, so they could make sure she had expelled everything. Baby girl, was holding her own, as far as her weight went, her lungs were clear, but she had a very low body temp. The vet was still hopeful, as was I. When Dru and I went up for the 3:00 feeding, she was gone. I had just checked on her maybe 20 minutes earlier. Even though she had been in our lives for less than 24 hours, it was still really hard to lose this sweet baby. Ely keeps wanting to give me hugs, cause he knows his mommy is sad.

The other puppies are doing fine. They are all very active and nursing well. Mazie is an excellent mommy to!

9 more days!

2010-01-22T21:04:00.000-08:00

Things are progressing nicely. Mazie is pretty much uncomfortable, unless she's laying on her side stretched out. She tries to snuggle up to me, but with the other two also cuddled up, she doesn't have much room. She gives it a try anyway, and then shortly gives up, goes to the dog bed, and lays there staring at me. Honestly, sometimes with the look she gives me, I feel guilty for disrupting her figure! She'll like it though, when she gets tons of food to eat, while she's nursing pups.
Today, I pretty much got her whelping room and box ready. The pool is much smaller than I had expected, but it'll have to do. Maybe if Wally World starts getting spring and summer stuff in next month, I can upgrade her and puppies to a bigger one. I put the X-pen around it, and covered it with a quilt. For now, I put one of the soft dog beds in there. When she delivers and is nursing pups, it'll have newspaper on the bottom and washable blankets on top of that.
She wasn't real keen on it at first. Ely and Bailey liked it. They went right in and made themselves at home. It took some coaxing to get Mazie in. I think I'll let all three of them sleep in there tonight, so it'll feel more familiar to her later, when puppies come.
I also bought 9 different colors of ribbon, to tie around each puppies neck, for identification. So for awhile, they'll be known by the color of the ribbon that they wear.

Mazie has also been trying to "nest" outside. She crawled under the deck yesterday. Thankfully she didn't get stuck, but it was a tight fit! Another place she's been trying to dig is under the fireplace. Funny, it's the same spot where her mom, Bailey, tried digging a hole when she was close to whelping.

We are feeling quite a bit of puppy movement, when she's laying next to us, and she drips milk almost constantly. She should have plenty of milk, from the way she looks!

Here's Mazie, checking out the place she likes to go, under the deck. When I wasn't watching, she crawled under it!

This is the spot, under the fireplace where I think she's trying to dig a den.

Stretched out in my bathroom with her buddies, waiting for me to get dressed

Here's her whelping room and bed. Ely loves it, thinks it's for him!

Finally, she went in, although Ely wasn't about to leave.

Getting Bigger!

2010-01-16T07:56:00.000-08:00

Well, we have 15 days to go before the puppies arrival. Dru and I are getting excited. I'm not sure Mazie is though. She seems to be having trouble getting comfortable when she lays down, and she thinks she needs to be on top of me or in my lap, if I'm seated. Poor girl, she has no idea how much worse it's going to get!
Also, talk about a "chow hound". Oh my gosh, she is a bottomless pit. She's constantly lurking around the kitchen, trying to reach anything on the counter tops that she can find. Yesterday, I cooked up about a dozen or more scrambled eggs. Some of them, I gave to the dogs for part of their breakfast, along with some yogurt and fruit. Half of the eggs, were still left, so I pushed the pan way back on the stove, and left them there to cool so I could put them in the refrigerator, to give to them at another meal. I feed the dogs down in the basement, in their kennels, but usually don't lock them in. While I was at the computer down there, I heard Mazie up in the kitchen, and thought I had the eggs out of her reach. Well, when I went up to check, not an egg was to be found, and she had a very full tummy, plus....she acted remorseful, but I know she was faking that! I guess she thought she needed the extra protein.
Today, we're headed out to the horses, to let the dogs run off some energy. That is their all time favorite place to be. Then, tomorrow, we'll all load up in the van, and head up to Jamestown, CO. in the mountains, where Jena Zafiratos lives. Hopefully we'll be able to get a hike in with the dogs, but our main purpose is to borrow her kiddie pool. She was also kind enough to offer the use of her scale (to weigh pups). The pool makes a great place for Mazie to whelp her puppies. Our pool broke, actually shattered to pieces this winter, and it's kind of hard to find one in January around here. I even checked every Goodwill in town last week hunting for one without success. The pools make a great whelping box. I put an X-pen around it, and cover the top with quilts or blankets, to help keep it warm in there for puppies, plus, it kind of makes it like a "den".... nice and private for her and babies.

Here's some pictures I took of her last night. She gets a little bigger everyday, but she is so enjoying all the pampering she's been getting. Such a sweet dog!

The New Diet

2010-01-07T07:39:00.000-08:00

Well, this past week, I started Mazie and her mother, Bailey, on a semi-raw diet. Ely has been eating totally raw, no kibble, for about 3 weeks. He's my "picky" eater, so I needed to see if he would eat it before putting a lot of time or money into it. He loves it, and hasn't missed a meal, so I decided to start the girls. After reading up on feeding raw, I've come to the conclusion that it is the way to go, especially for a dalmatian and their inability to process purines, which can lead to urinary stones. As soon as the girls finish up the dog food that is left, they'll go on a completely raw diet, just like Ely.

Right now, in the mornings, they all get an uncooked turkey neck, along with some yogurt, (Mazie also get's raspberry leaf in her's, for uterine health) and brown rice. In the evenings, the girls get some pureed vegetables and fruit, plus cottage cheese, along with some of their dog kibble, about 1/2 cup.

Their breath has never smelled this fresh before, (honest) and Ely's teeth have no plaque on them, whatsoever! He's been eating this for a couple of weeks longer than Mazie and Bailey, so I suspect that their teeth will come clean soon! I haven't yet decided what I'm going to feed the puppies when the time comes. From all my reading, I know it would be healthier for their development, and much more nutritional,, to go raw with them, but then, when they go to their new homes, they'll most likely be on a commercial dog kibble. Still thinking on that one!

Mazie's getting bigger everyday, and she loves all the extra attention and babying she's been getting. It's -3 here this morning, so no walk today, to cold for me! The fitter and healthier I can keep her though, the easier time she'll have delivering those puppies! Just 23 more days!

This was Mazie's litter of brother's and sister's. Mazie is on the far left. She was such a gorgeous puppy!

PUPPIES CONFIRMED!

2009-12-31T08:48:00.000-08:00

Yeah! Yesterday I loaded Miss Mazie up in the van, with her seatbelt on, so she could sit up front with me, and we headed up I-25 to Longmont, CO. My reproductive vet, Dr. Phyllis Holst, checked her over good, eyes, ears, weight, throat, temp etc. She passed all of those with flying colors, and then came the BIG moment when she probed her abdomen, or palpated her. Dr. Holst always closes her eyes, and goes into deep concentration when she's doing this. All of a sudden, she got this big smile on her face. SHE FELT PUPPIES! Mazie gave me a high 5! (really) Dr. Holst could not tell me exactly how many we're having, but she was palpating right in the middle and felt two. She's pretty sure that there are more in the front and the back part also, but she didn't want to keep "poking" at Mazie and make her uncomfortable, although she stood like a rock for her.

Pups are due on February 1, 2010.

Week 3, post breeding

2009-12-16T13:14:00.000-08:00

Not much new to tell. There is really know way to tell if a bitch is pregnant, until either she is palpated, or with a sonogram. There are usually no physical signs of pregnancy, until at least the 5th week. Mazie will be palpated, 30 days past the 1st breeding. It will tell me whether or not she is pregnant and also, a good estimate of the size of the litter.

My reproductive vet, is up in Longmont, CO. She is Dr. Phyllis Holst, one of the foremost reproductive vets in the state of CO. She is the author of, "CANINE REPRODUCTION, The Breeder's Guide." I keep her book on one of my end tables, to refer to periodically.

Just two more weeks, and we'll know if we're having puppy breath anytime soon!

Puppies from one of Ely's previous litters.

1st week of breeding

2009-12-04T08:35:00.000-08:00

Well, after a failed attempt last spring, with a different stud dog, we're trying it again. Mazie has been bred to Ely, after many inquiries, and people waiting for a Mazie puppy. I myself, am hoping for a beautiful show puppy, preferably a girl. We were going to wait until May, to breed her, but decided that the timing was right for now.

We'll know in a few weeks, whether she is pregnant, and approximately how many pups she'll have.

We've had 3 breeding's so far, (helps to have an experienced stud dog) with 10-15 minute ties on each one. The last time Ely's sperm count was checked, about 6 months ago, his sperm count mobility was up around 90, which is excellent.

We're keeping our fingers tightly crossed!