My Graduates

Today Tank & Taz graduated from their obedience class at PetSmart. Craig and I are so proud of them both! We think they are pretty smart and so did their instructor Leslie. It was a lot of fun working with both of them and realizing how intelligent they are and how fast they both caught on to what we wanted them to do. I'm encouraged by this to try and train them for competition in dog shows. I think that would be so fun to do!! I'd love to win a few dog shows with my puppies and just have fun with them.

♥~♥Adele♥~♥

Healthy Babies!

I have very hungry puppies!! I had to go get another bag of puppy chow for Teddy and Holly. They are consuming food at kind of an alarming rate, hahaha. I always wonder if I'm over feeding them but they stop when they are full and don't seem to be filling their play pen with poo so it's got to be a growth spurt. They are not wasting away, that's for sure! Teddy is so round and his head is massive! He is going to be JUST like his father and oh my gosh Tank is the perfect male bulldog!! Teddy could win bulldog competitions easily. He has the classic good looks and his coat is just as soft as velvet. His eyes are clear and bright and he has a wrinkle on his head that looks like a giant M. I think it stands for Marshall!! That's my maiden name and the name I gave him at first before his new family named him Teddy. He'll always have my M to remind him he was Marshall first. Cute huh?

Holly is just as precious as can be. She is an independent little Miss who insists on being able to run around the house. She will get your attention and you can't help but pick her up and kiss her. She loves to cuddle and fall asleep on your shoulder after she's played hard and run herself ragged. She's fearless and so smart. She's almost got the stairs figured out and once she does that I'm going to have to watch her even more carefully. She takes on Taz and is pretty much the Alpha puppy when it comes to moxie! hahaha Teddy is so sweet and loving and waits his turn and then Holly is like, "Hey, I'm outta here!" It's so cute and she reminds me of Eloise from Mugsy's litter. She was the first to venture out on her own and explore things. Just eager to discover her world. I love that!

~Adele~

Thankful

On this day of Thanksgiving Craig and I are truly grateful for our family and our kids, all of them, human and fuzzy! It's been a long year and three litters of babies have taken it's tole on our family. Doing even one litter is hard but three? Kind of crazy! But we love every puppy we've helped raise and hope all the families who adopted them are grateful for them this year on this day. The dinner is eaten and put away and the sky is now dark, my oldest son is now on his way home with his wife and lots of leftovers. Everything is quiet and the dogs are playing behind me as I type this note. There are worries and concerns but for the most part we are a happy family and on days like this I'm grateful for that most of all. We wish everyone much happiness and especially the ones who own bulldogs, have fun with your babies!!

~Adele~

Keith, Winston & Bella go home

Katie & Little Keith in his T-shirt
Rob, Katie & Keith
Winston, Mike & Danaya
Winston and his family walking to their car
Katie, Jon & Bella in her little T-shirt!
Somebody loves his little girl!

Bella and her new daddy Jon

Puppies Eating

Photobucket Album

If you click on this photo you'll see a video of the babies eating their blended puppy chow. It's about a week old but still very cute! Clicking on it takes you to the photo bucket site then click on the picture of them eating and it will play for you. I'm still learning how to add a video so that it just plays from my blog site.

~Adele~

My little mama

My little mama is doing better this time. I think having a few puppies stay longer has really helped her out. She's wondering where the others went but still wants to get into the play pen with the two she has left and cuddle and play with them. This morning Teddy and his mom were playing with the same toy. I love to watch that and see Harley so happy with her babies. She has been the best mother. We just couldn't ask for a better sweetheart to have puppies for us. Mugsy was a dream too and I'm sure Taz will be amazing. Harley would let Mugsy into the pen with the puppies but she'd snap at Taz if she got too close. That was interesting to me because it's as if Harley knew Mugs was experienced and Taz wasn't. How fascinating these dogs are. They all like to play with the babies but we have to be careful to keep them safe. Tank of course jumps up on the couch whenever the little ones are running around. He got bit in a very sensitive place by one of the puppies once and is no longer up for playing with them! OUCH!! So he keeps his distance. Other than that all the rest of them love the babies and play with them all the time. The puppies can really hold their own too! It's fun to watch them develop and get more confident.

~Adele~

Holly & Teddy

Only two puppies left. They are happy to have each other and last night played a lot with all of us out on the living room rug. I think they are a little confused about where everyone went the last two days but as long as they aren't alone it's okay for now. All the families who came for their puppies were so cute!! These babies are truly loved and that makes me so happy. That is one of the advantages of being a breeder for dogs like this. Anyone who makes the sacrifice to buy one is going to cherish this puppy it's whole life. I couldn't do it if that weren't the case. Just knowing how much I worry about my human kids and everyone in their lives I do the same for the fuzzy ones. Sigh........

Two more to go. Teddy leaves us December 6th and Holly is still available. We wonder who her family is and when they will find her!!

~Adele~

Bella's new home

And then there were four

Panzer went home today. It was so wonderful to see Rob and Katie and how excited they were. I didn't even cry because I KNEW this little guy was going to be so happy with his new mommy and daddy. When I don't worry about them it's this peaceful feeling when they go with someone. That's when I know it's right. Bella and Winston will be picked up tomorrow. Then we'll only have little Holly and Teddy. We'll have Teddy until the weekend of the 6th and it is going to be sooooo hard to let him go after spending extra time with him. They start to really feel like they are yours when there is only one. I remember when Harley's first litter left us, the last one to go was little Winnie and she spent the night between me and Craig and it was awful taking her to the airport. Oh that hurt! Taryn and I were crying driving out of the airport parking lot. It sucked big time. I felt so very good about Kristen, the girl who bought her but it was the first time I had ever done that and the first time is the hardest. I let my heart get way too close and even now I get pictures of Winnie and tear up. She was and IS special to us all. She's the bulldog in the Halloween costume on this blog.

So this weekend will be emotional. I have someone coming over tomorrow to see Holly. I know her family will be coming for her soon. She is tiny and precious. Not afraid of anything and reminds me so much of Eloise from our last litter. She grabbed hold of my rose tree and yanked on it today just like Eloise used to. I missed that so much! Winston and Tacoma (Bella #1) look almost exactly alike. Here is Winston.

It was like getting her back for a while. Here is Bella/Tacoma

Don't they look the same?

~Adele~

Mugsy & the camera

Mugsy got scared of the flash on the camera. She's my little shy girl who never gets into trouble and is always sweet. She's timid and you just want to protect her. I've never gotten frustrated or upset with Mugsy. She is just so special. Even when she was a puppy she was obedient and did what she was told. You tell her something once and she's got it. I love to cuddle with her. She is precious. I always thought her babies, Lola and Eloise, were lucky little girls to have such a sweet mellow mommy. Makes me wonder what they will be like later on. Both families are great about keeping in touch so I look forward to knowing how they grow up.

~Adele~

Gift Bags for the Puppies

No matter how big the puppies get they always try and pile into their little bed. It's so cute and even when they are spilling out the front they'll still try and pile in there together. They are going to miss each other when they leave.
Here's a nice shot of Bella and Panzer

I put together the gift bags for our families today. We give them enough food for a couple of days, a folder with all the paperwork and shot records, two CDs of all the pictures we've taken and their videos including their birth, a T-shirt that says "I'm a Tank'R Tot", a booda bone and a blanket that Harley sleeps with so they have something that smells like mama. It's so hard to send them off to live in the world somewhere else. It's the part of what we do that is very hard. I feel better knowing that the families we find are special and the puppies have wonderful homes.
Here's a close up of the T-shirt. They look so cute wearing them. I actually had to get larger ones to draw on this time since these puppies are so large! I weighed Teddy a few days ago and he's well over 12 pounds!!! Winston is his size too and Bella isn't far behind. They eat like little horses and what comes out the other end is hard to keep up with too! hahaha THAT part I won't miss!!

~Adele~

Puppies at 7 weeks old

Teddy running around with Holly in the background
Holly and Panzer stop for a picture
Teddy, Holly & Panzer
Panzer checking out the camera
Three babies and one tasty rug!
Bella chewing, her favorite thing to do
Winston being cute
Look how small he is!!

Last night I took some pictures of the puppies as they ran around the living room. They had a ball!! They are running really fast now and all seem to go in different directions. It's fun to lay on the floor and let them yank all over you and growl and be "tough". I giggle and laugh and it's big fun for them to think they've got you where they want you! This is the fun stuff. I spent today putting together all the video and picture CDs for the gift bags we put together. I copy all the pictures we've taken and even their birth video for their new families. This time I'll take a picture of all we give to people and post it on our website. It makes such a difference when the puppies are prepared to go with their families. We want that to go as smoothly as possible. Only three more days together and they start leaving. Panzer leaves Friday morning and Winston and Bella go on Saturday. :( I'm trying not to think about it.

~Adele~

Someone Loves His Daddy!

Farley! He is now 9 months old and was Zack's birthday present back in May.

It's hard to say though, who is more in love with him, Zack or momma Whitney! :) Farley is BEAUTIFUL and has grown up so big and strong. We think he is the perfect little man and makes his daddy "Tank" proud!

~Adele~

Winnie's Halloween Costume!

We have found the most amazing families for our grand puppies so far! Every one of them are special to us and we especially appreciate the ones who send us pictures of the "kids" growing up. Kristen Hopkins in Kansas Missouri sends us updated photos of Winnie all the time and we LOVE it!! This is Winnie in her Halloween costume. Here's a note from Kristen about the event:

"I wanted to let you know Winnie is doing great! She's getting sooooo big and I can't believe how athletic she is! She went trick-or-treating with all the kids and never skipped a beat. She finally got tired towards the end but it's amazing how much energy she has. :) I wanted to send you a couple of pics of her in her costume minus the pink booties...she just wasn't having that! HA anyway, hope things are going well.
Love, Kristen and Winnie"

I love to see our babies loved in their new homes. It makes me feel more comforted that they are happy and living the lives they were intended to have. Winnie looks so much like her mother, she's a Harley Mini Me!

~Adele~

Pet Training

On Sundays Craig and I take Tank and Taz over to Petsmart for their training class. It's fun to watch them learn new things and have fun. I've been so impressed with the trainer at our location. The classes are affordable and for an 8 week session once a week it was only $110 per dog. All 8 classes for $110!! I thought that was amazing! I'd priced dog training and it's very expensive usually. Petsmart makes it affordable. We learned the first week to get the puppies to respond to the clicker and treats. They can sit, stay, leave something we don't want them to touch, lay down and keep eye contact for up to 30 seconds. It's all the basics and also how to not pull on the leash when they walk with us. I LOVE it!!! Taz loved the individual attention too. She's so smart. We did today decide to get a couple of treat holders though. I wish I'd found them sooner but we're going to take them on our walks so we can reinforce all they've learned at anytime. We just feel so much better about having them trained and under control. With four bulldogs we need some order in the house! It's so worth it to invest in your pets. Now for teaching Harley and Mugsy! Always something.

Lunch Time!

Little Teddy enjoyed his lunch! When the puppies eat their soaked and blended puppy chow it's so cute because the five of them huddle around the glass pie plate and you hear this slurping and it's beyond sweet. They one by one finish and toddle away spreading whatever is left on their little faces all over each other and their play area. I try and clean them up with warm wash cloths but they are like little spiders and run all over the place so quickly.




Here's Bella cleaning up Holly's face! They do that too when they're done. They'll get in this huddle and lick on each others faces.



Baby Holly all cleaned up!

5 Little Shadows

This morning I made the mistake of throwing on a pair of sandals with my jeans! OUCH!!! Little Bella found my toes first and then the rest of them decided they tasted better than their kibble. I was jumping and dancing around the pen and they of course thought this was GREAT fun to chase my feet. I got out of there like I was walking on hot coals. I won't make THAT mistake again! hahahaa

They are seriously cute right now!! I walk up to the little baby gates all snapped together and they swarm over to me all wanting to be picked up all at once. I reach down to pet them all and it's this soft velvet silky feeling with all of them competing for my fingers. I just feel my breath catch in my throat thinking about letting them go next week. Oh geez this is hard for me. I've gotten so close to this litter and every time it's hard but this time it's especially hard for some reason. They are my life for two months. It's true that we love whom we serve. My days are spent serving them. Cleaning them and cuddling them and feeding them and worrying about them. I dream about them at night and do laundry round the clock for them. To say I develop a love for them is the biggest understatement there is. Even writing this it's hard to see the screen because I'm a big teary eyed baby right now. Wait.... I have to blow my nose!

I wasn't going to do another litter again until the end of next year. This morning I looked at the babies and realized I wouldn't smell puppy breath for a year and it was just too long to wait. I want more. I want more babies. Oh gosh it feels selfish in some ways because of all the girls go through to have puppies, but I just love being a bulldog grandma. It's something you don't plan to do it just kind of happens to you. We started with Tank & Harley and then added Taz and Mugsy and it all mushroomed from there. Then the little ones came and it's so addictive and such a miracle! I know my friends at IPA wonder if I'll ever sell another insurance policy and I wonder that too.

How can you not love those little faces?? They are amazing. They make life amazing. Lord knows I've needed that in mine. I feel so happy that I can bring this kind of joy into someones life by giving a puppy to them that is this special.

There's nothing better in the world.

~Adele~