24May
Eden is staying with us!
Originally my plan was to keep a Willow or an Alaska baby, making sure the temperament and conformation was what I wanted but Eden is everything I wanted and more. The more I watched how she responded to socialisation activities and new situations.. the more I knew that this is my puppy. I observed how she interacted with humans of all ages, how she is with her siblings, how she interacts with my adult dogs, how she responds to new situations and environments, how trainable she is and she is absolutely perfect. I had such a strong gut feeling and would have been gutted if she couldn't have stayed.
Alaska is also a Raven and Drake baby and I know I got the pairing right with how well she has developed. Not only has Alaska been the perfect dog for our family but she has been an incredible puppy socialiser and a Pomsky mum. Everything comes natural to her and if Eden is anything like her, then I am winning!
The last few weeks have been very busy. I have been taking everything at the puppies pace and exposing them to new stores, new people and a family members home and garden (fully disinfected and safe). We have been out in the car a lot and we went on another long trip this weekend. Three of the puppies have 3+ hour long car trips to get to their new homes so I hope to prepare them as much as possible.
I won't turn this into a woe is me post but I feel the need to vent. Humans are seriously hard work! 2 weeks ago, I had over 20 people wanting to talk to me about the pups, studs, and various other things (sadly most of the people actually wasted my time). I had 2 deadlines to meet and I got to the point where I had to ignore my phone- the puppies socialisation takes priority over anything else. When they sleep, I need to tend to the other dogs, my sons and then the house. Plus puppies are only here for 8 weeks and every day counts. Replying to someone about the puppies isn't a quick few minute reply. I put a lot of thought into messages as I want to answer questions thoroughly, ask questions to ensure puppies are going to the right home for them and it can easily take a good amount of time to respond properly.
I am seriously fed up with people lacking common sense. I wish I could come up with a way to provide people with information quickly when we go out with the puppies. Why people assume they can walk over and try and touch puppies through the net of the stroller without asking is beyond me. Ignoring Raven's warnings as they assume Raven is talking to them- she is very clearly saying back off from me and my babies! (I have worked very hard with Raven over the last couple of weeks, helping her relax with her puppies out in the stroller and I have worked up from quiet areas to busy places. I am very proud of what we have achieved and I do not need people making her feel unsafe). Allowing dogs to wander up super close to them and completely ignoring me is frustrating- even more so when I have to hold Raven back as she is trying to protect her puppies!!! I am nice and polite but it is getting harder to remain that way when people ignore me and I need to protect the puppies from other dogs and from people- biosecurity and safety have to be a top priority when we go out. Now it would be easy to say don't go out and risk it BUT the socialisation benefits greatly outweigh the risks. I need to do everything I can by these puppies and that includes showing them the big world outside of the home and showing that it is safe.
Sadly over the last couple of weeks, there have been too many interactions that would have had my hackles raised if I was a dog. I would try and shake it off like a dog would but sometimes it is difficult. Condescending rude people, hypocrites, dishonest people.. and I don't think they realise or care how they come across. Genuinely good and honest people seem rare right now.
Rant over.
I had to let someone down about one of the puppies and I felt very guilty. They live in Ireland, and the rules around transporting a puppy over there aren't straightforward. Keeping a puppy back for 8 weeks longer, getting the rabies vaccination, finding an OV vet, is hard enough but I had to take everything into consideration. If I cannot provide puppies with the extra training and socialisation that is required then I cannot keep them for the extra time. As I am keeping Eden, I need to provide her with the very best training and socialisation. 2 of my sons have important exams this year and I need to support them. I also need to think about the other pack members as all dogs continually need socialisation and care. I have 2 females due for their seasons and they are less likely to be tolerant of puppies therefore they need to be kept separate from the puppies and the male dogs. I cannot sell a puppy to someone if they could not be at the standard I have set. Littermate syndrome would be a risk and as I am breeding dogs and raising in a family home, I do not have the space to separate everyone- it would not be fair on them either.
The L2 vaccinations have been discontinued which means puppies need to have the stronger vaccination called L4. I wish I had not heard about the horror stories in relation to the L4 as I was on edge before the vaccinations and 24hours afterwards... To the point I had to check on the puppies breathing whilst they slept. Thankfully all puppies are fit and healthy with no adverse reactions to the vaccine. The second vaccination has to be 4 weeks after the first which is sad when you think puppies have to wait longer before stepping outside. Using the stroller and puppy sling, continually going to a wide variety of places is extremely important in the lead up to the time when it is safe for them to venture outside on foot. A positive thing that I can see is that owners can practice lead walking more often within the pups safe environment (home and garden) with minimal distractions before going outside. This is my plan with Eden and I will also be working with her and a travel/settle mat. I will create positive associations with the mat and teach her that this is the place to settle- no matter where we are. I can then use this mat when we go out to cafes and places where I need her to relax whilst I do something.
Birthday Playdate
Hoshi is the Pomsky in the photo above and she is a Drake and Willow (Cosmic Pomskies Willow) baby. I cannot say how honoured it felt to be invited to a birthday playdate to a litter sired by one of my boys. I enjoyed seeing their puppies fully grown, even more so because I saw them as young puppies. My heart felt full and it was the best day for me. Drake, Hendrix, Astra and Alaska came along and I am SO proud of them. Love, training and socialisation pays off and they made me feel like I am doing a good job raising them.
I admit I feel that breeders don't care about the studs breeder when it comes to litters. It is rare to see a fellow breeder keep you involved and rare for owners to want to keep in touch. Thankfully Instagram has become the place where I can see some of their puppies grow. My experiences have made me become pickier when people enquire about stud services and I think I will keep my boys to myself soon. Seeing other breeders not fully vetting the puppies homes and after seeing certain things.. I am not happy. (No more venting though!)
Needless to say, I am keeping myself to myself. I want people to see the real me via my website, social media and communications. I keep out of other's dramas.
I want my dogs, my puppies and my posts to demonstrate the love, care and effort that I put into everything I do with them.
This week marks the puppies 8 week birthday. Puppies will start leaving for new adventures and will bring so much love and joy to their new families ❤️
~ Claire 🐾
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