Ups And Downs

I have been overwhelmed with sadness again today, I find it so hard to accept that Isla is gone. Her posh "Princess" dinner bowl has been hidden from my sight and tomorrow I'm going to put her posh bed away. Even though Perry likes it I can't cope with seeing it there. I've never had to face this before, we love them, we loose them, we grieve and gradually we have closure. We don't ever forget, we just learn to think of them with a smile instead of a tear ... but this, the not knowing, this is hell! 

Steve took me out for a spin in the car, we stopped for ice cream and took the scenic route home through Talysarn and Lon Ddwr, yes it helped to get out just for a bit. When I got home there were so many videos and photos of the pups in the album, well it made my day. Without knowing it was as if everyone had rallied around to cheer me up. Seeing the pups living the life I wish for them, the life they deserve is so precious. Thanks guys your photos and videos in our communal album mean the world, especially today ... 

At Home

With no invites for play dates today we spent the day at home. I put Ross in for a few minutes so Orin could investigate the pool in peace. Bless him .. I think he liked it. 

Then the mad man came out and the game was over for everyone. 

I'm telling you he's a bloody nutter but he makes me laugh everyday

Poor Ziva

Aww bless Ziva she has a sore ear. If there is no improvement by tomorrow then I'll get in touch with the vet. 

Sisco

Well bloody hell I'd forgotten I'd taken this, to be honest I thought the photo's I'd taken had been deleted as they were blurred. Anyway I'm pleased I found it ... Sisco - the father of the K Kids

Today's Visit

Social distancing in Cofi land

A Pool with water in it - Ross can soon fix that

Happy Orin beating up Ian

Not so happy having to stand still!

Eyes

Steve always says I'm not happy if I'm not worrying about something. Well maybe he's right, and maybe it was easier when I knew less. There isn't the perfect dog out there I know but we aim to get as close to our own interpretation of perfect as we can. 

The breed standards are the blue prints of individual breeds, and on eye colour the GSD breed standard says ... 

" Eyes - Medium sized, almond-shaped, never protruding. Dark brown preferred, lighter shade permissible, provided expression good and general harmony of head not destroyed. Expression lively, intelligent and self-assured." 

Now I'm quite particular about eyes, for me they should be as dark as possible - Kaiah simply has the best eyes here, they are almost black and blend in beautifully with her dark face. Ziva's eyes on the other hand are pretty light, but they are the same colour as the surrounding tan and definitely do not destroy the harmony of the head. Loki's eyes are also a tad light, but with the blend of tan on his head it works. What really does detract is a light eye on a black face - as an example imagine Kaiah head with Ziva's eye colour - for me it really wouldn't work! 

With puppies eye colour is almost impossible to predict and they often lighten after 8 weeks old. At 8 weeks Orin's eyes were of no concern to me .. but sadly now they are becoming light. They do tend to look lighter in the photos than when I look at him, but currently in the photos they are, in my opinion, distracting. I can't deny I'm not disappointed, of course I am. With his fathers eye colour and Sammi's being pretty dark I didn't expect it. 

I've looked back at other "Blanik" boys at the same age and I guess Orin's eyes are not too dissimilar to Mikey's at the same age, his eye was a little light on his black head but they were not glaringly distracting. 

Of course we don't know if Orin will keep the black face - or whether he'll just have a mask, If his eye is a little light then I guess it would benefit his show career to have more tan on his head like Loki, than to have a full black head like Nico and Mikey ... but it is what it is, nothing I can do to change it ... time will tell! 

 

Mikey and Orin at the same age

Mikey 

Happy Birthday Ross

Happy 3rd Birthday to our precious Ross. The light in a dark room, the clown at the party, Mr happy socks. You make us laugh everyday with your antics.

Don't ever change, Just keep being your larger than life self, keep being Ross.

Don't Worry ...

We don't walk him, we simply park up the van and let him run, investigate and play for 10 mins. I usually sit down and snap some pics ... whilst Loki eats his toy! It's great to see Orin enjoy his adventure but I'm very careful that he doesn't do too much. I always adhere to 5 mins of exercise per month of life, mind you this is still not really exercise as he can stop and flop at any time that he likes.  

As I was looking back through old photos of Ross I realised that he wasn't much older when he started to mess about with his food. "I'm not eating that," and for a while there I played the game. I'll be shocked if Orin does the same .. my little man loves his food. There's not a lot more frustrating than a puppy who won't eat!

Orin's Adventure

We took him on the 5 minute trip up in the van and let him see his world again.

Maybe not beneficial to socialising but still lots of fun. 10 mins was more than enough time for him and he's been asleep ever since. I may now join him. 

Big Guys Out

My kind of day, sunny and warm but the breeze keeping the temperature sane enough for me to walk. 

Boys at 10 weeks

In August 2008 I wrote "My sable cyclone is 10 weeks old today and now weighs 8.7kg. I'm really chuffed with that, he's still on a par with Loki who was 8.8k." 

Just the perfect excuse now to reminisce, compare, and post puppy photos of  some of the other boys at the same age. 

Ross 

Loki 

Orin 

Absolutely love him, but with my show exhibitors hat on, I do hope his eyes don't lighten much more!

10 Weeks

I know I'm always a day behind, but we started doing the photos and weighing in on Fridays as the majority of the litter were born so late in the day on the Thursday. Bruce of course was born as 6pm followed by Orin at 6.30pm. It was about 11.30 by the time all the others had arrived, I've no idea in what order but Fly was the first as she had most white. I distinctively remember the bitch with most white came first, after that it was a blur! 

Anyway I've weighed the monster this morning and he's 8.6 kg, he's full of fun and mischief and I think I'll take him on to the mountain this morning. It is very warm again but thankfully there's quite a breeze!  

The photo was taking on Wednesday - but I love it and it gives an idea of what he looks like doesn't it!

Today's Adventure ...

.. took us to Clynnog Fawr to meet Auntie Rosie

"I found this and I'm taking it home!" 

"Coming through .. it's now mine!" 

A huge sulk because he can't steal Mici ans Elsi's ball

Little did he know what was waiting at home in the post box,

but he's too tired to play with it!

Updates

This morning Asha's breakfast consisted of a stolen mouthful of puppy food, a dead mouse, some shit and then some Dr. John's Titanium with yogurt to wash it all down. She really doesn't help herself does she! I did try and get the mouse off her but she swallowed it whole, as you do!

I'm trying to get use to the new blogger dashboard. Why do they have to change things eh? It's not dramatically different, just enough to confused when planing out the layout of the post. I guess I have to think about what I'm doing a little again now. 

Last night I chatted with Sarah, after about 20 mins of online chat we actually decided to talk on the phone .... and it took over an hour to catch up. I rarely use the phone these days choosing messanger, or a phone messanger instead, but I have to admit it was great to talk. 

Sarah was telling me all about little Isla (Chilli) and how well she was doing. Mara the 10 year old bitch has really taken her under her wing, though Sully is desperate to play with her he's just too big and clumsy. (Sounds like Ross) She is gaining weight and really bonding with Ellie, which is lovely. I did laugh as Sarah said that in the warm weather Ellie had decided not to wear anything at home except her wellies. She's now covered in scratches and bites, but happy! 

I'm not sure if I wrote about it at the time but it's down to Sarah that Sammi had this litter. She planted the seed last Summer and it grew in my mind! We were discussing Kaiah's intended mating and discussing pups when Sarah and Iyvlene (her mum) said how they would really love a Sammi pup and as I would be keeping pick of bitches out of Kaiah they would be really really interested in a pick of bitches from Sammi.

They said no disrespect to Kaiah but they preferred Sammi. As far as conformation goes I don't agree, I think Kaiah has the edge, but of course everyone interprets the breed standard differently. It was still a complement that they wanted a Sammi daughter, and of course at the end of the day Sammi is Kaiah's mother. So yes a huge thank you to Sarah and Ivylene for giving me the idea of having a second litter out of Sammi in the first place. I love the photo of Sarah handling Sammi last Summer. Apart from a break when she had Ellie she has handled all my dogs at Champ shows since Louis' days, I can only hope that we get some kind of normality again and that she can handle Orin before he's a veteran! 

I weighed Orin last night, not an official weigh in just a check after seeing Loki/Basil was 8.5 Kg - yep Orin is too! I will reweigh him on Friday for my future reerance and after 12 weeks I'll do it monthly till he' 6 months, as I have done with the other pups. Interestingly earlier I found a chart online with guides to what a GSD puppy should weigh at certain ages, so yeah we are comfortable withing the criteria. It said that by three months males should be 10 - 14 kg - I think I can safely say we'll get there ... and bitches should be 8 - 12kg. (Of course a kg or so either side is no concern)  Orin has doubled since the 11th of May, I think he and his male siblings will easily be over 10kg by the 19th of June. Please keep me updated on their weight everyone.

At 3 months Ross was 12.6kg and 43cms at the wither, Loki was 13.8kg and Kaiah was 12.7kg. Kaiah dramatically slowed down somewhere after that .. but as we know my beautiful feminine bitch was a big fat puppy! LOL

Orin's new big chap crate came yesterday. He'd soon outgrow the other and there is no point getting anything in between, so I just got him and adult size one straight up. The boys have 42 x 28 inch crates, the girls have the next size down. I've put a big vet bed down to cover it all and a thick cushion on one side, I must admit I was amused seeing him stretch out in it earlier. No doubt before we've thought about it he'll be filling it.

Orin Met The Pony

he also stole the treat bag 

and enjoyed a rest in the long grass

I'm so pleased - considering the circumstances he's doing so well.

Llyn Cop

Having not been over for a few weeks I was shocked to find our lovely little lake was nothing but a dirty puddle. The grass around the edges is burnt to a crisp and there is no water at all in the near side. There was just enough water for Ross to swim in the middle but to be honest I think I'll wait for rain before going back again.

                                                 Asha shocked to discover an empty lake

Go Ross Go

Two Weeks Ago

I sat out in the garden with Orin before breakfast this morning and I thought about how chaotic life was 2 weeks ago. Eight out, clean pen, breakfast for eight, eight want attention, eight shouting, sixteen shits, quick clean it before they eat it, eight madly running around the garden, grabbing this, eating that, eight making us laugh ...and sleep. Now maybe we can have breakfast? But course I miss it terribly, who wouldn't. Orin still needs watching and he still tells his big story in the morning, but I do miss the other little guys. The updates from the owners mean the world. I don't expect daily photos on the communal Facebook album .. not everyone is like me for photos, but once or twice a week will be wonderful. Just to see them loving their lives makes my day. 

Orin is off out again this afternoon ... photos later no doubt.

Another Garden Centre

 Orin with his maternal grandfather - Nico 

After picking up Asha's pills from the vets we popped into the well organised Garden Centre "Tyddyn Sacha" which is next door to the vets. Sadly there were no suitable trolley's and I soon had to give up and go back to the car. God he's so heavy now!  Anyway Steve enjoyed himself and I sat in the car park with the boot of the car open so at least he saw a few people walking by ... In such difficult times I really have to do my best by him. 

Such A Big Day

For a little chap! 

A 5 minute bumpy van ride, and then he sees his world ....

It can't get much better for him really can it?
Wait till you get to the lake Orin!