Oh Yeah, You Blend

Here are Lobo’s “official” two months old pictures courtesy of his mom Jan (he is 7 inches tall at the withers and 9 pounds):

8 1/2 week old Zhora just worked her very first track! Just 10 feet, but with a curve. She worked for her dinner and some cheese, I clicked her just as she reached each treat, and she got the idea after just three treats! Nose was down, lots of sniffing and thinking. Jackpot at the end was her bowl with the rest of her dinner in it. Very cool, thanks to Lobo’s owner Jan for the idea!

I’ve had updates from everyone and all puppies are settling well into their new homes. They were understandably a little distressed at being away from their littermates but they will all get over it.

Lobo went shopping at Home Depot in Walla Walla Washington:

Lobo has successfully completed the first leg of his journey clear across the country! His mom Jan called from Chicago to say he’d been wonderful on his first plane ride! Two more flights to go before he arrives at his new home in Walla Walla Washington! He is traveling as his mom’s carry-on so he has her there there whole time for reassurance. Ollie is on his way to his new home in Delaware now with his new family. Colby just left to go and live with his half brother Riley here in town. Cricket leaves a bit later this morning, she’s moving just across the border to Canada.

They are all ready to go out into the world and start their new lives, and they all have wonderful new homes, but I cry with every one anyway.

Cricket just left with her new mom. Everypuppy who is leaving has left now. Colby has already met his half brother Riley and his dad Chris just posted a picture of Colby zonked out on the couch flat on his back. Jan called to say that leg 2 of the great transcontinental adventure is complete, Lobo had three relatively short howl-a-thons on the plane, but didn’t mess in his crate at all. One more leg to go and he is home safe! We are lucky once again to have such wonderful homes. So much work, but so very worth it. Zhora is enjoying a bully stick in her crate!

Tomorrow they are off to start their new lives. Lobo to Walla Walla WA, Cricket to Burlington Ontario, Colby is staying here in town with his half brother Riley, Ollie is going to Delaware and Zhora is staying right here.

Lobo (Alkemi Beowulf del Roble LS)

Lobo (Alkemi Beowulf del Roble LS)

Cricket (Alkemi Braveheart ST)

Cricket (Alkemi Braveheart ST)

Colby (Alkemi Batman LS)

Colby (Alkemi Batman LS)

Ollie (Alkemi Breaking Away LS)

Ollie (Alkemi Breaking Away LS)

Zhora (Alkemi Blade Runner LS)

Zhora (Alkemi Blade Runner LS)

Nina, Tish and Lobo

Finally, video from Monday’s litter swim at Canine Splash:

The swim at Canine Splash was very interesting, and (I hope) very enriching for the puppies. They had a (sensible) WTF? reaction at first, but even the more worried ones didn’t panic and eventually relaxed.

Very happy with this litter so far!

They will leave me on Sunday. I am a bit weepy just typing that, but they are ready to start their lives away from me (and they are a LOT of work now, thank goodness Lobo’s (formerly Aniston) mom Jan is staying with us! She’s been a lifesaver. Not only are we having a great time hanging out talking dogs, but she’s doing a TON of puppy care while I’m at work.

Jan is here and helped with pictures. Temperament tests were done today and overall were very good, everybody retrieved!

Lobo (formerly Aniston)

Lobo (formerly Aniston)

Beals

Beals

Connelly

Connelly

Donnelly

Donnelly

Esposito

Esposito

Weights at 6 weeks:

• Aniston (yellow collar): 2606 grams or 5.75 pounds
• Beals (gray collar): 1980 grams or 4.37 pounds
• Connelly (blue collar): 2160 grams or 4.76 pounds
• Donnelly (orange collar): 2300 grams or 5.07 pounds
• Esposito (dark brown collar): 2346 grams or 5.17 pounds

Individual pictures (much less squirmy as long as your temporary name isn’t Connelly…). I also seem to be wearing my 2009 National Specialty shirt again…:

Aniston

Aniston

Beals

Beals

Connelly

Connelly

Donnelly

Donnelly

Esposito

Esposito