Empty Nest

Athena went home yesterday. She found a great family with 2 children to play chase with. I am very happy for her.

I always miss the puppies when they are gone. But I know I gave them a good start and they will be very happy in their new homes. If I hear from them or maybe get pictures I will be sure to list them.

Ta for now
Loretta

Apollo Found his Forever Home

I just wanted to let everyone know that Apollo went home yesterday. He was happy to hear all the snow had melted in Fort Madison, Iowa. He was also excited to hear he would have several Grandchildren to play with.
Ta For now,
Loretta

Apollo and Athena are 8 weeks old!

I could not help my self last night and snapped a few shots. These 2 are just too cute.
My funny Valentine!

Momma Alice(Black) and Daddy Saul (white). Alice was digging for a bone and Saul wanted to Check it out!

Our little princess. She is always giving me the "But Mom" look.

Out little Apollo, what a card.

Apollo and Athena are so much fun. This week we started going outside to potty and play every 2 hours or so. I think they were born to play in the snow.
We have also made progress with leash training. This week we went to PetSmart twice and walked very well on a leash. Athena wants to meet all the Big dogs and Apollo follows along.
They are both still looking for forever homes. If you would like to see more pictures of this pair playing in the snow they can be found on our Picasa site with pictures of them as they grew.
Ta For now, off to Petsmart for more play.

7 Weeks old and Looking for forever homes

Apollo is a lovely little fellow at 7 weeks old. He is laid back and loves to play.
This week both puppies have been leash training. We leash train by attaching the leashes to each puppy and letting them run around. They tug at each others leashes and get stuck on furniture, they are always supervised so when they get stuck the heroes (humans) come to the rescue. This week the puppies also went to the Vet for shots and a look over. They are both very healthy and now ready to head to new homes.

Our little princess Athena. Athena is a doll and loves to play with Dexter. This week she has been sneaking in to his kennel. Athena has a very thick shorter coat.

Dexter and the puppies are looking for a tidbit in Dexter's floor mat. The puppies love to spend time with Dexter, and Dexter seems to enjoy spending time with the puppies. If the puppies rub against Dexter's leg he lays down and lets the puppies crawl all over him. Like most new things the puppies and Dexter are always supervised when they play together.

Play time. I happened to snap a few in the middle of a mock battle. All puppies love to ruff house for a little while each day. Toys are a good substitute for a sibling when it comes to playtime. If you would like to see more pictures of the puppies I have them listed on my Picasa site.
We have been working on potty training for the past 2 weeks. As it has been soo cold here in Iowa we have been putting the puppies into the greenhouse every few hours and they go outside for 1 potty break each day. The puppies have learned to climb the 3 stairs into the house and are pretty good about comming in when they are called.
If you have any Questions please feel free to email me at
lorettaspins@gmail.com
Ta for now

Playing with Friends!

This is Dexter out pot-bellied pig. He loves playing with the puppies. The puppies play tug of war with his tail and love to chase around the house.

I have also included a picture of Apollo napping with Lupin. They are just too cute.
Ta for now.

Apollo and Athena are 5 Weeks Old!

Sorry I haven't updated sooner. We were busy with the holidays .

So Apollo and Athena are now 5 weeks old. In 2 weeks they will be able to go to new homes.

Apollo and Athena are now eating solid foods and exploring the house. They love to play with toys and stash them in the kennel in the Kitchen. We have started letting the puppies outside to explore and potty several times a day. Mind they only go out for a few minutes each time.

Apollo is a nice little gentleman. Apollo has his dads curly bichon coat. He is very laid back and loves attention. He is now just over 7 pounds.










This is Athena. Her coat is very thick but has not developed curls like her brother. She is more independent then her brother but she loves to cuddle.
More pics of Apollo and Athena at 5 weeks old.

More Pics of Apollo and Athena at 3 weeks old.

Apollo and Athena first week

So the Frisbees are a little over a week old. They already over 2.5 pounds. This week they were named Apollo and Athena. They are very healthy fat puppies. Both puppies have their eyes open and are scooting about. They seem to get cuter every day.This is Apollo. He is laid back and easy going.

This is Athena. She is very active and wants to explore.

More Pictures
We start Super Puppy training at 3 days old. Super Puppy Training is a series of exercises designed to make well adjusted adults. It is very similar to the training that service dogs undergo. Right now the puppies are doing 5 exercises at least once each day.
Tactile stimulation is done by tickling the puppies between their toes.
Thermal Stimulation is done by placing each puppy on a cool wet towel.
Then we hold the puppies in 3 different positions for a few seconds they are
with the puppy's head up and tail down,
with the puppy's head down and tail towards the ceiling,
and then the puppy is held in our palms with their belly up.
This last position is called the Supine position, it is very important to practice with all puppies as it establishes who is the top dog. In the wild the leader of the pack requires all members of the pack to show their bellies as a sign of submission. As the puppies age this is done for longer amounts of time never more than 1 minute, unless you are trimming nails.
This is a great exercise for small and large dogs because the puppies learn who is the boss and it will make other training aspects easier.
More next week!