The Puppy Blog

Good Bye, Puppies

2009-05-10T08:36:00.000-07:00

Puppies Go To Their New Homes

It's a sad day. The very cute puppies are going to their new homes. They will be greatly missed! Zeb is fixed now, so I guess they will be our last puppies. We are keeping two of them, so that will help ease the pain. And hopefully the work load. I've been doing puppy wash a couple of times a day. Our carpet could use a break too. Good bye, puppies!

The Puppies are Here!

2009-03-20T07:58:00.000-07:00

Maggie had her puppies last Friday night/early Saturday morning. They are so cute! One looks exactly like Zeb, but poor Maggie did all the work and there is not one tricolor. There are six puppies, two girls and four boys. Maggie has been a good mom. I've been feeding her lots of fresh eggs to keep her weight up. Of course since Zeb is fixed this will be our last litter. We have homes for at least three of them, probably four, and we're keeping one for ourselves. Maggie did good!

Puppies Having Puppies!

2009-02-22T07:56:00.000-08:00

Mother to Be?

I'm so embarrassed. I was open to the possibility of breeding Zeb and Maggie, so I hadn't had them fixed. Finally I realized I was never going to get Zeb's paperwork, so I scheduled THE SURGERY, and guess what? Maggie goes into her first heat. No problem, just keep them apart for a few weeks, right? Wrong! Days before Zeb underwent the knife they bred, thanks to someone who will remain nameless forgetting to latch the stall we had Zeb in. It's hard to say if Maggie is really pregnant. She doesn't look it, but her due date would be March 13. I'll keep you updated, and let me tell you, it's easier said than done to keep a dog and his bitch apart. Especially when there are six in the family and numerous little friends over. I am so glad Zeb is fixed now. I don't need puppies every six months.

Happy Birthday Zeb!

2008-09-14T17:07:00.000-07:00

Is Zeb Officially Not A Puppy Now?

I guess it's time to admit the star of The Puppy Blog, Zeb, is no longer a puppy. He is turning 1 this month is almost all grown up. He really is a good dog, very obedient and good at all the things English Shepherds are supposed to be good at. He learns quickly and tries very hard to please us. He's a scary watch dog, barking and baring his teeth. For the most part that's good except when friends come. People have to visit a few times before he will leave them alone. He displayed spontaneous herding the other day. We had just separated the yearling colt from his mother. He was hanging out with my two year old filly and the miniature horses when I decided to move them all to another pasture. He wasn't so sure about going. After I got the two year old and minis in the new pasture, I went back to get the yearling, but Zeb was already yapping at him, getting him to go where he was supposed to go. It's been a little tougher with the chickens. He gets along well with the older chickens, but seems to find chasing the younger ones irresistible. We've had a couple of baby chicken casualties, but I'm not sure it was Zeb who did the deed, with four other dogs on the farm right now. Somehow I don't think it was him, since the other day I saw him with a chicken in his paws. He was holding it quite gently, although the poor thing was very scared, and when I told him to stop it he let it go and it was fine. I'm sure that once the baby chickens grow up and aren't so flighty and fun to chase they will all be fine. Zeb does sure keep away any predators!

Big Boy

2008-06-18T08:29:00.000-07:00

Zeb has Gotten Huge!

Zeb has been spending most of him time outside now, mostly because it's wet and muddy and he's WAY to dirty to come in the house. But the other night we had him in to watch a movie with us, and he was huge! I guess I don't notice it so much outside, but inside it was just so obvious he was much bigger than he used to be. I should have figured, he's now officially taller than our Golden Retriever, Aunt Goldie. Zeb likes to hang with me while I garden, go for walks with my son, and go for runs with my husband. He also loves playing with Maggie. They are so cute together. Getting two puppies at once is sure great for them, if you can pull it off.

King of the Mountain

2008-03-23T13:30:00.000-07:00

Snow Dog

We live in the UP of Michigan. That means there is still a couple of feet of snow on the ground, even though it's officially spring. Yes, that was feet of snow. Good thing Zeb is a snow dog. He loves being outside and he loves romping around in the white stuff. He came with quite a coat of fur on him. Good thing. He's needed it here. We've also been having tons of fun with new pup sister Maggie. Zeb and Maggie play together all the time. It's funny because he's so much bigger than her, but she is very outgoing and enthusiastic. There is nothing cuter than Maggie barreling down at Zeb full steam. We keep warning Zeb that he needs to be nice to her because she's going to get bigger.

You Can't Have Just One

2008-03-06T12:33:00.000-08:00

New Kid on the Block

Okay, so this is Zeb's puppy blog, but today we got a new addition to the family, Maggie. Yes, it's true. English Shepherds are like potato chips, you can't have just one. We got Maggie from Bert Jager, a breeder here in Michigan. He was great! Highly recommended. Maggie (formerly known as Josie) is the sweetest puppy ever. Not that Zeb isn't sweet, but she is just very confident and cuddly. My daughter loves her and hasn't put her down since she got home. Some of her brothers and sisters are still for sale if you are in the market. Check out their website here and give Bert a call! By the way, Maggie's mom is Pearl, and Maggie means Pearl. Isn't that precious? Maggie was also my husband's Grandmother's name. Keeping it all in the family. One bit of sad news, Grandma Kitty passed away yesterday. She had just woken up from a cat nap on top of the hay, came down for a drink and keeled over. At least it was quick. She was a good cat.

In Memory of Fia
AKA "Grandma Kitty"
1993-2008
She Taught Us All How to Get Along
(As Demonstrated by Tiger and Zeb)

Just a Little Kiss

2008-02-23T18:50:00.000-08:00

This is Your Puppy.

This is Your Puppy on Drugs.

Zeb was up almost all night last night. He was driving me crazy! Run, run. Woof, woof. I got up this morning feeling like I hadn't slept at all. One of the twins was waiting for me when I got up. "Mom, Zeb got into something. It looks like chocolate." I felt sick. The chocolate! My friend had dropped some by the office yesterday, you know, after Valentine's Day sales, and I had left it in my work bag, on the floor. I felt so bad, but the deed was done. Almost the entire twelve onces, gone. And one very, very hyper puppy. He was bouncing off the walls, literally. We found a great website right away that helped us ascertain Zeb had not ingested a lethal dose, thank goodness it was milk chocolate, but still, it's pretty unnerving seeing you puppy acting like he's on speed. We gave the little buddy a charcoal slurry, and within a half an hour he was SOUND asleep. He woke up his old self and he's been behaving normally ever since. But it was scary! I might ban chocolate in the house for good. Unless it's in Mackinaw Island Fudge Ice Cream. That couldn't be bad for a puppy, could it? At least it would always be secure in the freezer. Seriously, be careful and keep that chocolate away from your puppy. We are very fortunate Zeb is doing fine.

Answer to the Cat and Dog Problem

2008-02-07T03:58:00.000-08:00

All Hail the Superior Wisdom of Grandma Kitty

We have four cats. Zeb gets along great with all of them. I wish I could say I had something to do with that, but I can't. It was Grandma Kitty who taught Zeb "cat". Grandma Kitty, aka Fia, is our oldest surviving pet. At 15 she's pretty much seen it all, including our first dog, Willie, the Border Collie who wanted to EAT cat. Somehow Willie learned to leave the cats alone, although it took a few months. Maybe it was Fia who taught him "cat". I don't know for sure, but she's been a stabilizing influence on the farm population since she was a kitten. Now, you may ask yourself, what is "cat"? It is the language of our feline companions. Just like your puppy had to learn "dog" with it's mother and litter mates and "people", in our case English, when they moved in with you, they need to understand "cat". Fia is a master at interspecies communication. When the puppy comes running, she just sits there. When the puppy play bows, she turns her butt to him and ignores him. When he gets a little too wild, she gives him a cold stare. Very little running or hissing, rarely the swatting of the paw. Because Fia has learned dogs like that! And she's not going to do what they like. In short, Fia is very boring, and so Zeb leaves her alone. The other cats picked up on this, so now they are all boring. Cats are boring. Ho-hum. So Zeb leaves them all alone. Superior wisdom, indeed.

my first entry

2008-01-19T19:07:00.001-08:00

mom way too busy to blog

i was surfing on the computer and noticed mom hadn't updated my blog in a long time. bad. so i thought i'd try my paw at blogging. after all it is the puppy blog. i am growing up into a very handsome fellow. i am pretty much perfect. i have learned where to go potty, but they have taken away the very nice tree with lights on it i used to go poop under. oh well. mom had a pair of shoes she complained hurt, so i chewed them up for her. she yelled some so she must have been really happy. i also still like taking mom out for walks in the middle of the night sometimes. i think it's good for her. she keeps saying she wants to get more exercise. mom also seems happy when i warm up the couch for her to sit on. i think she especially likes some of my nice fur on her clothes. she says she likes everyone knowing she has a dog at home. i am a good dog. mom tells me so. i will tell her to get to it and blog again soon.

Play Time for Zeb and Sophie

2007-12-29T12:50:00.000-08:00

Sophie Comes for a Visit

What could be more fun than another puppy to play with? Sophie came over today for some running, nipping, and rolling action. Check out Sophie's behind. She's got a little heart! It's so cute. They played together outside too and came in loaded with snowballs. What a mess. And pretty stinky too. I think Zeb needs another bath.

Merry Christmas!

2007-12-25T10:50:00.000-08:00

Christmas Greetings from Zeb

Good Night, Sleep Tight

2007-12-21T08:35:00.000-08:00

Sleeping Through the Night

Zeb has taken to sleeping through the night. Yea! It's actually pretty cute. After his evening trip outside he makes his way to our bedroom and puts himself to bed. I stopped keeping him in the crate at night, since he has decided our bedroom is his den and he can't go to the bathroom in there. If only he felt that way about the rest of the house. Unfortunately not. I have been having to clean up his potty spot in the house at least once a day. But he's so cute it's worth it. Zeb was a little behind on his worming when we got him. I gave him a dose last week, and he passed a couple of worms. Ick. I will give him another dose next week and see how it goes. At least the fleas are all gone. I hope. They seem to be all gone. His scabs have been gone for over a week, he's hardly scratching at all and I haven't seen any actual fleas. Zeb has learned "Come." Now we're working on "Sit." He turned 12 weeks last Tuesday. What a big boy.

Learning the Ropes

2007-12-14T03:15:00.000-08:00

Pack Psychology

The most important thing a new puppy learns when he comes into your home is that he is part of your pack. For better or for worse, it's also the easiest thing he'll learn. Puppy learns your pack psychology from falling into your family routine. I hope we did a good job of letting the little bugger know the rules, because after only one week Zeb knows who he is and where he fits in at home. You obey Dad and Mom. You respect the older kids. You leave the cats alone! The big dogs will play, but not for long. The horse belongs in the stall. The chickens belong in the coop. I had heard English Shepherds thrive on following the rules. I was amazed at how true that is. He's acting like my kids when they were toddlers, the schedule must be followed! While he's not participating in any of the work yet, I can tell he's pretty much got it figured out. Good dog!

Below, our cat Anika lets Zeb know where he fits in the pecking order.
Translation: You are below me.

Puppies and Airplanes and Fleas, Oh My!

2007-12-08T14:23:00.001-08:00

Zeb Makes it Home

Poor little Zeb had a hard trip. While his kennel mate was acting the way a puppy should, jumping and barking and wagging her little tail, he was a blob, laying in the back of his kennel with his little face buried between his paws. He's never going to want to fly again! But a few days later he's eating and drinking normally and full of life, and fleas! Yuck. He had this little scabby rash on him when he first came in, and it had been so long since I'd encountered a flea problem I didn't even know what it was at first. Now I have fleas in my house, and it's going to be quite a task to get them off the dog and out of the carpet. But the worst part about having a new puppy is that Zeb has learned that Mom will take him out to play in the snow any time of the day or night so long as he acts like he needs a potty break. I'm going to have to rethink this if I plan on getting any sleep. Here's a good article about transportation and stress for puppies. Fortunately, despite being lethargic, Zeb did eat and drink right away. He's still having a little bit of of diarrhea, but that's much better too. Also, congratulations to kvasew on the new puppy, Bailey! Was Bailey previously known as Petula? I thought she was the most beautiful puppy! I almost regretted going for a boy. If she was Petula, born 9-25-07, she is definitely Zeb's sister.

Zeb's On His Way!

2007-12-04T08:25:00.000-08:00

The Big Day Finally Arrives

We got the call this morning. Temperatures look good and everything is a go. I am soooo excited! I can't wait until he gets here, about 7:00 PM Our airport is small and personal, so it shouldn't be too stressful for him getting off the plane, but he sure has a long day of travel ahead of him. Poor little guy. He's probably going to be wiped out when he gets here. Or really hyper!

Baby It's Cold Outside

2007-12-02T03:53:00.000-08:00

Too Cold for Shipping

Zeb finally turned old enough to ship and BAM! The temperatures dropped. Oh no! It needs to be at least 10 degree Fahrenheit at all ports before he can fly the friendly skies. It's driving me crazy. But good things come to those who wait. In the meantime I thought I'd put up a picture of "The Best Dog Ever", our departed Border Collie, Willie. He was a good dog. And a very good hiker.

Great Grandpa's Farm Collie

2007-11-22T15:55:00.000-08:00

Good Old Happy

We went to my in-laws for Thanksgiving today. I really wanted to find the picture of Happy, the old farm collie. My husband's grandparents farmed in North Dakota. Happy was their dog, helping out with the cows, chickens, and children. Dogs being the way they are, my husband's dad was sure Happy was his dog. Our Border Collie reminded my father-in-law a lot of Happy, but, of course, Happy wasn't a Border Collie. He was "just a farm dog." I'm very grateful that a few insightful people saw the value in the common farm collie and decided to make an effort to preserve them when they saw their numbers starting to dwindle. These dogs are truly a living heritage.

What's in a Name?

2007-11-16T02:41:00.000-08:00

Zebulon Montgomery

It's quite a big handle for a little guy, but I like it. Zeb for short. In case the name doesn't ring a bell, think Zebulon Montgomery Pike, as in Pike's Peak. There's an interesting article about him here. Spy, great! Explorer, not so much. Speaking of spy, Zeb is coming with a microchip. In case your thinking Zeb, 00Zeb, check out Avid here. It's a great way to find your dog if you ever loose him. We live near Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, and every summer cherished pets are lost and wind up at the animal shelter. Microchips make finding the owners a lot easier. Sadly, some pets and their owners are never reunited. And don't forget Katrina. Thousands of pets were stranded during the hurricane. Many owners are still searching for their beloved pets. Don't let this happen to you.

I got a comment on my blog! Thanks Jim. I've been to your website and am planning on buying your book, one for me and one for my sister. She's getting an English Shepherd too.

Finding the Right Pooch

2007-11-14T04:54:00.000-08:00

Mr. Right

After deciding we were going to get an English Shepherd, the next step was finding one. Warning: Buying an English Shepherd is not going to be an impulse decision! There are not very many breeders, and they are often smaller breeders with only 1 or 2 liters a year. That means waiting lists. Our puppy will be coming by airplane, since we could not find a local breeder. Now I have to think of a name!

We're Getting a Puppy!

2007-11-12T16:25:00.001-08:00

Is There Anything Cuter and Cuddlier Than a Puppy?

I already have my fair share of companion animals. Horses, cats, birds, fish, a gerbil and Mr. Gecko. So why on earth would I want ANOTHER puppy? It' always been a dream of mine to breed puppies. I know what you're thinking, the pound is already full, but in my mind there is a shortage of one certain type of dog. One that isn't breed for looks or show, or churned out of a puppy mill. One that is a real dog, you know, the type Grandpa had on the farm. And what type of dog was that, anyway? Folks called them Collies, Sheep Dogs, and Shepherds, but they all looked somewhat alike and acted alike. They were the original multitaskers. They could hunt, herd, keep watch, or just lay down at your feet and keep you company. When I started looking for this dog, I thought of Border Collies and Australian Shepherds. Both great dogs. We used to have a Border Collie and I still fondly refer to him as "The Best Dog Ever", with my apologies to the pooches I've owned since then. My husband had an Aussie before we met. But I was looking for something else, something that hearkened even more back to those earlier times. And so I fell onto the English Shepherd. I'm excited to be getting one, and to learn more about them first hand. Will my dear departed Border Collie lose his illustrious title? I don't know, but I'll keep you informed every step of the way.