Flight Plan

This is your 2:25am wake up call. It was the middle of the night and all through the house all the dogs were snoring including 6 puppies. I got up, had a shower and let the puppies out for a play. Needless to say they were surprised to be woken when it was still full dark out. They ran around and I gave them a little snack. Then I loaded up Vesper, Kenzi, Kota and Emma and we headed for Halifax. It was raining, because why would I get to do this drive when it's clear and dry, right? I discovered partway into the drive that my high beams were not working so I squinted through the dark and hoped I didn't drive into the ditch. Mount Thom seems to be my driving nemesis and offered up thick fog and cloud as an added challenge but I beat that into submission. Once over the hill things cleared up and we made it to the cargo area with time to spare. While I sat there and contemplated 2:25am wake-ups I fiddled with the headlights to see if I could get the high beams to work (better there than hurtling down the highway at 115km/hr with 4 puppies (I don't own) in the truck)  and realized that although I'd turned the dash and running lights on, I hadn't turned on the headlights. Huh. I've used them countless times but I suspect that the hour of the day had something to do with forgetting to flick the button over one more notch.

Emma and Kota were the first to leave and I caught a couple more photos of their wide-eyed faces before saying goodbye. I was a little sad to see them go, especially Kota, but I know at the other end are people who are thrilled and so excited to add these two to their lives.

They arrived safely in Calgary and were greeted by eager new owners and I'm sure lots of photos will be forth-coming in the near future. Have fun little monsters, you will be unabashedly spoiled and loved in Calgary and I hope to see you one day again!

I had to kill about 3 hours before Kenzi and Vesper headed to St. John's so we went to Tim Horton's, had a coffee and tried not to fall asleep. I let them out to pee for a minute but since it was raining I didn't want them to get too wet - it can get cold in cargo and I didn't want them to catch a chill. They both had a big pee on the pavement and then Kenzi peed again on a towel in the truck ... never mind, the truck needs to get detailed anyway! Their flight was delayed by about an hour and while I fretted and fussed at work they finally flew to The Rock and were greeted by ecstatic new owners Natasha and Kate. I'm sure these girls will be well loved and hopefully I can visit them in the Fall. More photos of them coming as well but here's one final goodbye ... Vesper says "Please don't go!"

I am left with Raylan and Tezlin, both of whom were a little thunderstruck at being only one of two, not one of nine, in such a short amount of time. They seemed to be looking at each other and thinking "Who's next??" Soon enough each will be making their way to their new homes and I will finally have my life back ... and thrown into the turmoil of selling and buying a house!

Homeward Bound

It's been a busy day for me since I have a lot to do before listing the house in addition to placing the puppies with their new homes. I won't go into detail about my insane chore list but I'm pretty pleased I completed almost everything done. The backyard is just going to have to wait. In between all the chores there were puppies to send off to their new homes. The first to leave today was Zeke who is going to be living with Megan and Matt. He'll be nice and close to visit with his brother Raylan and sister Rue for playdates. Matt and Megan were very excited to get Zeke and I'm sure he is going to be a big handsome fellow! 

Shortly after Zeke headed for home Rue's family arrived to welcome her into the fold. Little Rue was a bit camera shy but it's a pretty big deal meeting your forever family for the first time. I'm sure she will be as spunky as her namesake and I know we will be meeting up again someday soon.

She even offered a kiss to her new Dad Ashley and I think with this kind of a start things will only get better from here. Best of luck to the two new families today, I expect lots and lots of photos and updates and hope to see you all before too long. I'm off to bed shortly, I have to get up at 2:30am to get 4 puppies to the airport and I hope their new families appreciate that I am missing out on some beauty rest ...

The Great Outdoors

I took about a trillion photos of all the puppies in the yard for the first time on Friday. They didn't all know how or want to do the stairs but with a little encouragement they managed to traverse the dangerous descent. Emma has been doing the stairs for about a week now so she showed a couple how it was done. She was also the first to the end of the yard where the ramp leads to the shed. I have a feeling that although she will be living with a 7 year old Ridgeback, Emma is going to be in charge in no time.

Rue experienced grass for the first time too and gave it a taste test. In fact they all did and grass gets the thumbs up from everyone for good eating. Rue leaves today so she will have the opportunity to sample someone else's grass!

Raylan is a pretty confident boy so he was quickly exploring the yard and strutting around like he owned the joint. His mom Sandra is on a cruise in the Mediterranean so he'll be with me a little longer. Good thing it's not too long otherwise Sandra might not get this gorgeous boy at all!

Peggy, who is now at her new house and making friends with Luke the Cocker, took her time about getting up on the ramp. To her credit she never quit and tried very hard for quite a while to climb up. She might have looked for an easier way but sometimes you just have to go through a challenge instead of around it. Best of luck to Peggy who I hear got to sleep *on the bed* for her first night (and chances are every night from now until the end of time).

Every year the town does a garbage pick up and you can put out trash that they don't normally take in the course of regular pick up. Rue found some bundled bamboo and bits of wood that I hadn't moved out of the yard yet and commenced flossing. Chewing on garbage is much better than anything in my house!

Kota and Peggy thought about going back up the stairs but changed their minds. Up is much easier than down but once you go up it's hard to get down so they opted for continued play in the yard. The size difference here is pretty apparent. Peggy was 15 pounds at the vet and Kota was only 9.5 - she was also almost fully half the weight of Kenzi who was the largest puppy at 17 pounds.

Kenzi doesn't know she's a big boned girl. I think she is secretly a marshmallow on the inside despite outward appearances - she reminds me so much of her Daddy Boy in size and attitude. She lets you know what she thinks of something but once you tell her she must behave she gives in pretty easily, she just needs to know for sure who's calling the shots.

Leeloo is calling the shots! Despite her considerable size compared to her siblings, Kenzi is still no match for her mother who was happily chewing on and beating up her kids in the yard. She doesn't let them nurse and gives a bit of a growl when they approach her tummy but otherwise she is being very good. Except for the unmitigated smack down that she just can't seem to resist.

I'm not very sentimental when it comes to placing the puppies, especially the ones who get picked up in person. Once I see the puppy enveloped in someone's loving arms and being hugged and kissed, I don't worry so much. It's the ones who are flying I worry about and not because they are going on a plane, it's because they are travelling alone. To walk away and leave a puppy who has trusted you from day one is a little more difficult. I don't rest easy until I hear that they are safe and sound in their new owner's arms. They always come through with shining colors and are never the worse for wear but even knowing that doesn't make it any easier to walk away from a face like this. Oh, little Kota.

Of all the puppies I will find it hardest to walk away from her. Despite being born half the size of everyone else and staying that way throughout her growth, she is one little fighter. I imagined she'd be spunky, naughty, high energy and a challenge and in fact she is, only it's tempered with softness, femininity and a sweet temperament that draws you in for cuddles. This is the very thing that is most dangerous! Her new home has been warned of the heart-melting effect this puppy has!

She doesn't take crap from her siblings either so I have no worries about her being able to take on the world. Vesper will be on the opposite coast from her but I bet she'll never forget being beaten up and told the-what-for by a sister half her size. None of them will!

Vesper is destined to enter the show ring but for the next few months she can just smell the flowers and grow into a pretty puppy. She will have her big brother Jax to show her the ropes not only in all things Newfoundland, but also in the show ring. I am hoping to be at her first show in November, on the end of her lead, we'd have a gas together in the ring that's for sure!

Zeke is one of the puppies who leaves today too and he is going to get to visit several siblings in the future. For the puppy owners in the Martimes who may not know it, there are organized Ridgeback walks every month in the Dartmouth area and it's a great way to meet up with fellow Ridgebacks ... most of them are related! It's a great group of people and a wonderful way to compare notes and allow siblings to meet up for a romp. There's also a group in Calgary, on Facebook they are called Rhodesian Ridgebacks of Calgary and they are hoping to organize walks as well - those ones are 'hosted' by Michelle who is getting Emma. Lots of Invictus babies can meet up there but of course everyone with a Ridgeback is welcome.

Tezlin may not be able to make it to the Calgary walks but she will get to visit her Uncle Hunter in BC. Maybe she will turn into the mountain biking nut he is! Hunter is in fantastic shape and taking a Ridgeback through the woods and over the dale while you bike is a great way for everyone to stay in shape. I'm sure Tezlin will have a marvelous time and I'm doubly sure Hunter will be thrilled to have a Ridgeback to play with!

So this is it ... the last photos of the D litter puppies all together in one place. In the next 24 hours they will be scattered across Canada. It's crazy to think they were so small only 8 weeks ago ...

Family Portrait

Today was the first day a puppy was scheduled to head to a new home. Miss Lime, now known as Peggy - or Invictus Dirty Girl - headed to New Brunswick today to enjoy a life on an acreage with a black Cocker spaniel named Luke. Before Peggy headed out I attempted to get the very last photo of all the puppies together on the couch. It was not an easy task! I finally had everyone set up, looking in the right direction, not attempting to leave and I was just depressing the button on the camera when this happened.

That's a Leeloo eyeball. "Whatcha doin'?  Can I help?" No! I shooed her out of the way but by then the puppy's patience had run out and we were working with borrowed time. Eventually I managed to get one photo that I can live with. Here we have, from left to right:

Tezlin, Raylan, Peggy, Zeke, Kota, Kenzi, Rue, Emma and Vesper.

Peggy's new daddy Chad arrived a little while later to take our numbers down to eight. I am sure she will have a wonderful time and since Chad and Carolyn are looking to add another Ridgeback in the future (poor Luke the Cocker!) Peggy won't be long without a Ridgeback playmate. Hugs to Peggy, best of luck and as always if you need anything just ask!

Waterworld

Yesterday before their visit to the vet for their vaccinations, the puppies all got a bath. It was exciting for them right up until they ended up being the one in the water. It wasn't the thrill they thought it would be and most of them attempted some form of escape. Zeke took it like a man but still wanted out.

Emma was the most persistent about leaving, no surprises there, and let me tell you, when puppies are wet they are slippery little suckers!

Kenzi was also pretty annoyed about the whole thing. Kenzi is certainly a puppy who knows her mind and makes no bones about what she thinks of things. She's going to need a firm family to make sure she stays on the right track!

Kota, who is perpetually curious and cheerful about everything, lost a little bit of sparkle when her feet hit the water. I'll admit that it's hard to do things to Kota that she doesn't like because her expression is so wounded and she looks at you with those giant eyes and you just want to hug her and made all the Sad go away.

Not that you don't want to make the Sad go away for all the puppies, especially when Peggy looks so dejected. Most of the puppies figured they smelled just fine, despite spending the last several weeks playing and rolling each other in pee and poop.

They don't get very dirty necessarily, they just get kind of funky, so a quick 4 minute bath freshens them up and makes them a little bit more huggable. And brighter. Raylan's coat shone like the sun after his bath although he thought it was a big waste of time.

Rue was making for the hills, or at least trying to, for most of her bath. The puppies think they stink now since they smell like Hawaiian pineapple (according to the bottle) but they'd prefer to smell of damp newspaper.

' Are you mad at me?' is the expression I imagine these puppies have every time I need to do something to them that I know they won't like. This also includes nail trimming and putting them away after they have been destroying my house for an hour. Tezlin insists that never happens.

Vesper turns away with 'Don't look at me, I'm hideous' but actually she was looking for another way out. Just before the puppies leave for their new homes they'll get another wipe down but not a bath. Every new home will have a chance to bath their puppies and make them smell like baby shampoo, oatmeal, vanilla, spring sunshine or whatever scent it is they put in shampoos these days. Remember not to use people shampoo, the pH is too high and dries out their skin. I just use dish detergent(because it's formulated to be soft on hands (Palmolive is the best)), baby shampoo (since it's mild), or plain old dog shampoo. Vesper thinks none of them are necessary and she never needs to have another bath ever again.

Forget Paris

I realized this morning that I forgot to post a blog entry yesterday, it was such a busy day that it totally slipped my mind. We did the puppy microchipping which suffered a little bit of trauma. My parents get the vet to do them and I think in future I might to that because it's just such a hassle to do it yourself. You can order the chips from the CKC and implant them - the needle is HUGE - but I was having a lot of trouble stabbing the giant needle through thick Ridgeback skin. I don't mind stabbing them (I know that sounds a little sadistic) because needles don't bother me and the reason I do it myself is because my philosophy is "if you can do it yourself, why not?" The answer is sometimes it's just easier to pay someone!  Big thanks to my parents for once again going above and beyond helping me do the chipping and photographing them for their stacked/show photos. The puppies were not at all cooperative and the photos don't really reflect the true quality in the litter, especially the one of Emma who looks like a rocking horse!

Today is vaccination day and boy are the puppies excited. Another stabbing coming right up, only this time the needle is teeny tiny. They won't even notice it after the monster gauge needle. Speaking of monsters, Raylan is aspiring to be like his Dad. I'm not sure if this is a good or bad thing but how cute is he with his baby foot on Boy's giant foot? Avert your eyes from the dangly bits if you must.

Boy is becoming more tolerant of the puppies as they learn social cues from the adult dogs. He is a good teacher since he is very calm, doesn't freak out, and has a quiet discipline about him that they learn to respect.

 He lay down on the deck thinking to get some sun-bathing in but with nine puppies on the go I'm not sure why he thought it would be possible. Boy is not blessed with a many deduction skills so it's no surprise that his 'invitation' to be climbed was accepted by the bravest of the puppies ... Emma.

Oh my. She then invited herself for a cuddle and Boy said 'No.' It looks a lot worse than it is, he lifts his lip and she prostrates herself in apology. Sometimes the apology just annoys him more though! There's only so much penance a dog can take.

She probably shouldn't put her nose actually into his mouth but she doesn't know that. Boy has never snapped at a puppy and although I trust him, it's not implicitly. I am not completely naive and realise what could happen if he did - he's just too big to even make a warning snap in case he connects with puppy body. He was getting soft corrections from me as I took these photos and although the photos don't reflect it, he would look to me to be sure that what he was doing was okay.  

After a moment or two Emma backed off and allowed him a little more space at which point I asked Raimi to go inside out of the range of nosy puppies ... but not before I caught this little gem. I actually trust Boy more in the 'don't break the puppies' department than Leeloo, who is now allowed access to them since her milk dried up. She is quite certain they are for mauling and chewing and grinding into the ground with no thought to her considerable size/strength advantage. Cora can certainly attest to that!

Crimes & Misdemeanors

It's just too easy to photograph the puppies and make them look great. Not only are the subjects already gorgeous, but they are also accommodating and, dare we say it, little prima donnas. They all think they are the most important creatures alive and well they should with these looks. Kota is still easily the cutest puppy I have ever raised and she will go down in the history books as the least show quality puppy to steal her breeder's heart. Good thing I plan to visit her!

Vesper, whose name I adore, is also going to get a check up from me in a few months and possibly even shown by me at her very first show. I am eagerly anticipating a trip to Newfoundland to see her and her siblings and to spend some time with some great 'Invictus' families.

Vesper has a way of looking less than impressed with everything that is happening. It's such a girl thing. She started out lacking a little confidence but with some concentrated effort on my part she has blossomed. I have no doubt that her new family, and her big brother Jax, will bring out the best in her.

Kenzi is also hoping to meet her sister in the show ring in Newfoundland. If it seems like Invictus is single-handedly populating The Rock with gorgeous Ridgebacks with superior genetics ... you might be right! If everything goes to plan I may also even have Cora in NL to show and that would be 5 Invictus dogs in the ring at the same time! I wonder if we'll win?

And Kota again, who I just can't get enough of. She is beyond adorable and ridiculously, sinfully, illegally cute. There should be some kind of restriction on how heart-melting a puppy can be. It pains me to think about stabbing this puppy, or any of the puppies, tomorrow with their microchips. It must be done but dear, oh dear ... that is one big needle jabbing into this darling bitty Baby Booble. Kota says "HOW big is the needle??"