Iriskmj 's countdown?
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No, no date yet. although they "can" come home when they are 9 weeks old, so that puts me at the 23rd of March. I want to take time off though, and the management team is "discouraging" time off in late March since it is the end of the 1st quarter  ... So it'll probably be some time in early April! I may not be able to wait that long though 
I haven't gotten any new pics of the litter from my breeder, but you guys will be the first to see them if I do! Other then that we're going out to see the litter, and meet the sire and dam late this month, or early March. I'll be sure to take a ton of pics, and hopefully, we'll be able to make "the decision" as to which one it will be. I'm kinda hoping for the little one with the spot on it's head, but as I don't know which ones are being considered for show/breeding, and I don't know any temperments, it's totally up for grabs still! They're all so precious in the photo, and I put it on as my background at work, so I can look at them all day long I always smile when I see it!
While we're at it, does anyone see any immediate "show faults" that would bring any of the puppies into my realm? I don't know what they are, except brown color in the coat, so let me know if you see something! It still kinda weird to actually have an OES as my avatar, instead of one of the kitty girls! Every time I look at it, I have to remind myself, oh yeah, that IS my post!!! Today the puppies are 13 days old! So I think they should have their eyes open by now
PUPPY COUNTDOWN CONTINUES!!! Karen |
| Karen,
I am so excited for you!!! I can't wait to see which puppy you pick, or which puppy picks you!! 
If I haven't said it on any of the previous post's yet. Congratulations!! I know this moment has been a long time coming. I can't think of a more informed, educated, and most importantly loving family for a sheepie!! |
| Thanks Stormi! We're all so excited at the prospect of bring an OES home finally. Even my sister, who wasn't initially thrilled by the idea (not that she gets a vote Haha- that's what happens when you rent from your big sis!!!) Is becoming more and more excited by the prospect of having a running partner. Of course, puppy won't be old enough to run for a while, I'll be watching out for those hips! When is it a safe age to take them running anyways???
We're just thrilled! Puppies are 2 weeks old today! Happy 2 week birthday puppies!!! |
| Yeah...happy 2 week birthday!!! |
| This is so exciting!!!!
Maybe we should all start emailing the breeder for more pictures! |
| Oooh the suspense, how exciting not long to go now, have you any idea which lil munchin yet? |
No idea which one yet... though I'm a little partial to the baby with the spot on it's head, only because I think the marking is so unique! But if the breeder is keeping that one for show purposes... I'll know more when we visit the litter. Looks like we'll be going out to see them the first Sunday in March. I haven't gotten any new pics yet... The breeder's been really busy with her (human) children. But, but... whine, I wanna see more pics of my baby!!! I PROMISE the digital camera is coming with us to the visit, so hopefully I'll be able to post pics of the babies, and maybe even mom and dad too! I can't wait!!!! I'm so excited to see them in person and figure out which one is OUR one! and Iisse dout on my puppy shopping trip on saturday too, as my sister had my wallet (long story...)  So no new toys/stuff to add to the list yet either! I hate this waiting stuff! |
 Puppies are three weeks old today! Yay! One week closer to being able to go pick Puppy up!!!
Still no pics yet... |
| Happy 3 week birthday! |
This is like waiting for the birth of a baby!!! The suspense is a killer!!!  |
| This is so much fun!
Happy 3 week birthday!!!!  |
| Woo Hoo, YAY. Be even more suspense and WAITING after you pick your lil bundle of fluff, that is the worse after the choice is made those weeks seem to take the longest till baby comes home |
| Well,
I just heard from the breeder. Looks like we will be going out to see the litter on sunday, February 26th!!! That's a week earlier then we thought we'd be able to see them- Yipee! My breeder says she's gonna try to take a few more pics of them soon, so hopefully I have some to share next week!!! I'm so excited
Karen |
| Yay!!!
Did the breeder say whether she is leaning toward any particular pup? |
| Ach! No I should've asked her that though!!!! I'll ask in person, as so many of the puppies look similar in their first picture I may not be able to tell which one she's talking about anyhow.... Maybe I should ask about the little spot-headed puppy though... |
| This is so exciting!! Ohhhhh....the anticipation!!! |
| I’ve been watching your count down whit great joy, we are also taking home our new baby in Marc, I’m getting a girl and I don’t know witch one, my breeder are picking out one for me, since I’m going to have a show dog and have no experience of picking one. And since the puppies are in Denmark, I’m not going to she here before I’m getting here.The time go soooo slow and I’m wishing that I have known Dock from back to the future |
| Well, just heard from the breeder... it's still too early for her to pick out which are pet and which are show pups... she needs to see them up and running around first... Sigh! Still, I'm hoping she took some pics last weekend, and will send me some! I bought food bowls and a HboneO chew bone from Hartz... I beleive the point is you put cold water in it and when they chew on it, a little bit of water is released at a time, sounds good for teething releif and hot summer days! |
| Karen - see if you can find something called a Chilly Bone. It's a canvas bone with a sponge inside that you get wet and freeze. It was the only frozen bone that didn't leak all over the floor. It also survived our tough chewer, and not many toys do! |
| OMG, I missed it! Puppies were 4 weeks old yesterday!!!! Bad, bad sheepie mommy!!!!
Luckily, I can redeem myself on Sunday, when they will be officially 1 month old! What should I buy this weekend???? I'm leaning towards grooming supplies, but I'm not sure I wanna take the trip all the way down to Fleet Farm, which is the only place in the area that carries the brand I want... HMM.... |
| Ok,
time for my weekly update! Puppies are now 5 weeks old which makes ythem officially old enough to visit!!! 
I'm going out on Saturday to visit the litter, and I hope I'll be able to pick my dog out!!!! I'm really nervous about this for 2 reasons... A) It's me, I'm a worrier. What if the breeder decides she doesn't like me, or what if I don't bond with a puppy, or... I need to stop worrying! B) I'm going by myself. It is almost a 3 hour drive each way... which is a lot of driving for someone who gets carsick and doesn't like car trips... But Puppy is worth it! To date Puppy has: Food and water bowls A snazzy leather lead (which I'm praying doesn't get chewed through on our first walk) A Zap ball A chilly bone A HchewO bone A squeeky lambie I also need suggestions on: what kind of pet bed to buy, what size of a collar to get (I'm gonna buy one to match the lead) where to get a nice, but not too expensive set of grooming scissors, which clipper/blades to get... any other Puppy stuff suggestions (I've GOT to get down to fleet farm and buy my grooming tools!!!) I promise that there WILL be pictures of the puppies when I get back from my visit! |
| Kar....Costco has very nice dog beds for 20.00....and all washable..they are 42'' in circumference....has decorator rope trim on edge and pretty fabric on bottom and the fleecey wool stuff on top....you can even air fluff the interior too.... |
| Hmm... I wonder if there are any of those by me? We've got smas clubs, but they didn't have any nice ones when I looked last time. I'll check to see if there are any locations by me...
Mike managed to get the day off, so he will be coming with me after all! That's great, cause i really wanted him to be part of picking out the puppy. |
| I bet you can't wait for saturday Karen.
Stop worrying i'm sure the breeder will like you
Also you will know which pup is right for you .If he doesn't pick you first
when i went to choose Mitch he actually picked me. When i went to pick Marley i wasn't to sure if i picked the right one and went back a second time and as soon as i picked him up again he grabbed hold of my hand with all 4 of his little paws and i knew he was going to be mine. |
| I'm so excited for you. I have been reading your posts and I can sense the anticipation in every one! I can relate to your feelings of excitement and suspense and everything in between . . . my breeder was hoping to breed her bitch (I'm still not used to saying that) the first week or so of February and I haven't heard anything yet - I hope everything worked out because I'm DYING waiting for my puppy!!
I'm just thrilled for you and wish you the best of luck choosing - you'll find the love of your life - or be found, anyway!! |
| Karen,
I am so excited for you. I wish I could come and see the pups with you. |
| Best wishes Karen, can't wait to know which baby is yours. Lot's of pictures please, make sure your camera has charged batteries lol.
Don't be such a worry wart, I am sure the breeder will adore you, NOW the most exciting time, a dog or a bitch, then the name. Woo Hoo YAY Karen not long to go now Hugs to the Sheepie mommy to be, REAL SOON.
lisaoes |
| Yeah Karen!
Okay, I'm going to ignore your first worry (A) because it is just silly!! And now that Mike is going, you don't have to worry about B! I think we got our dog bed at costco too. But Barney hardly ever uses it. Sometimes he'll use it as a pillow. The only time I've seen him use it in the last few months was this past weekend when I forgot to turn the heat on in the house overnight and it was 17 degrees out--poor puppy! We got him a blanket, though, that is 'his' and he really loves. It is sheepfur on one side and cotton or something (probably polyester) on the other. We got it so to try and minimize carpet stains, and it has worked, to an extent. But he likes this much better than the bed...don't know why. |
ONE MORE DAY
I'M SO, SO EXCITED!!!!!!! I can't beleive I'm actually going to finally meet Puppy in person!!! I've been so distracted at work- I spent a whole hour yesterday afternoon humming the refrain to "and they called it puppy love", Last night I dreamt about puppies... I think about Puppy on the drive to work, I keep thinking about all the things I want to do to get the house ready... esp. getting the door on the butler's pantry (or we won't have any food left)
It's a good thing Mike is much calmer about the whole thing... at least one of us can carry on with the normal day to day unhampered by Puppy overstimulation! Puppies!!!!! |
| I would be the same way! Thank goodness Brian surprized me with the picture of Panda...he had picked her out for me |
Karen I'm so excited for you! I'm laughing as I read your posts because your puppy joy just leaps right off the screen and explodes into the room with me!  |
| I can't wait to get home from work tomorrow and hear how your visit went! |
| What time was Karen going???? What time will she be home??? Thank goodness that there is a 2 hour diff from here to the east coast...wont seem like such a long wait! |
| I am so excited for her!
I cannot wait to hear all about the puppers |
| thump thump thump, waiting to hear
Fingers tapping |
| Ok, just got home from work.... waiting patiently.... or not... |
| I bet Karen refused to leave |
| We're baaaaaccckkkk!!!!
I think I'm in puppy love!!!! Sorry to keep you all waiting! It was a really wonderful experience. My breeder was just a gem, mom and dad were both there, and were SUCH sweethearts... and then... The puppies! Oh yes, if I could have taken them all home with me tonight I would have! They were so, so beautiful and naturally- adorable! I wish you all could have been there with me, but I have lots of photos to share of all the puppers... Unfortunately they're still too little to determine which will be show quality and which will be pet, so I don't know which is "mine" yet... but do you think that stopped me???? Heck no!!!! So I have my top 3 pics of the nine that we met: The first was a little female. if you remember their infant picture, it is the puppy on the top with the spot on it's head. she was just a total sweetheart stayed by Mike and I almost the entire time, took a nap on my lap, just a beautiful, beautiful little girl. If she ends up being mine, this one is definitely "Pearl" no question about it. UNFORTUNATELY my breeder has in 2 requests for show quality girls, 1 request for a pet girl, and she wants to keep a show girl if they pan out correctly... So if I'm to have a chance at this one, there needs to be at least 2 pet girls out of the 4, and little "Pearl" needs to be one, and also be the one the other gal doesn't pick... The second was a little male. He also has a spot on his head, although not as pronounced. He's the biggest boy- and you can just tell he's gonna be a bruiser when he grows up... big wide head, big long legs. Big heart too- another sweetie pie, he spent a long time cuddling, napping and playing with me too. A sweet, sweet boy... and a more likely propsect then the little girl, as she has only 1 request for a show male, and wants to keep another show male for herself. Although if he's show quality, he's out of the picture... The last was also a little male. He was the first puppy to come up and say "Hi" and he stayed and played with us for quite a while. He has a very cute racoon marking kind of face- a lot like Hendrix' markings, with little bicolored ears. Definitely a lover, he was soaking up the attention and was loving the pets... you can see from the little blissed out look on his little face when I was giving him scratches- this one is definitely a lover! So those were our top 3... Keep your fingers crossed for us, that at least one of them will be available for us. I'm really hoping that one of those 3 is available to be ours though, as those 3 were the ones that really seemed to want to be with Mike and I a lot. All the puppies were wonderful, friendly, and beautifully, beautifully bred. Realistically, we would be happy with any one of 8 out of the 9... the last was a bit standoffish, and really whiny. Lets hope he's show quality
Ok!!! I know you're all waiting for the pictures, I'll post the most important ones here on this thread once they get approved, but feel free to click on the camera to see more "good times" at the kennel!!! Karen
Oh yea- and no matter who it ends up being... Puppy comes home 3/19/06!!!! |
ok! Here we go!!! Picture time
Here's mom Maizie giving me her kiss of approval... What a sweet girl! 
Here's the proud poppa Harvey! 
There's me receiving sage OES advice from my gem of a breeder Dora! The puppy I'm scratching is our 3rd pick. 
Here's our favorite little girl... She's a "Pearl" if ever there was one... 
Finally, here is our favorite male, totally zonked on my lap from chewing on everything he could find... I think he's gonna be trouble!!! |
| Awwwww.... great pics! It looks to me like "dot head" is the one meant to be yours... I hope it works out whichever way you want though. It won't matter in the end, whichever one you get is the one you will be in love with from that moment |
| Awwww How sweet!
I hope you get one of your top picks. They are all gorgeous!!! I am now even more excited for you!!!
I have a feeling you will get your top pick of the boys....just a feeling. |
| Awwwww take all 3 just soooo cute.
Love, Love, Love the little girl
And the boy in the last photo, what a snuggle bug, just adorable. There all just gorgeous, really does not matter which one. Awww now I am getting clucky, heck I'd just take all 3. |
| AWWWWWWWWWWWWWW HOW ADORABLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I hope your get your Pearl but I think ANY of them would be wonderful. Last year when I got TY, he was not my "first choice" (shhhhhhhh don't tell him). I had my heart set on a little girl. There was one in the litter and she was promised to me minutes after birth (I even named her-Sophia). But for some reason she did not make it and died. The breeder asked if I wanted a male or if I wanted to wait for the next lietter. I really had my heart set on a puppy and sex wasn't that big a deal so aI picked Ty. NOW, I can't imagine any other puppy being mine!!!!! So which ever pupppy you bring home is the one ment to be your FUREVER pup!!
I just can't wait |
| OOOHHHHH- They are so cute! The mom looks like such a sweetie giving you kisses. I know you will get the perfect puppy(ies?) for your family
I am having so much fun living watching your journey. We have just started our quest for a breeder and I am soaking up all of the great advice offered here |
| Wow! Surrounded by puppies and being kissed by the momma! Cool! |
| I think all 3 look soooooo cute ! |
| Kar, just bring Jill with you and nab all three They are soooo cute...you didnt elaborate on the puupy breath though....smelled devine?? |
| They are very cute Karen. I like the boy with the patches on his eyes but of course I'm a little biased... |
| What fun!!! They're all so beautiful!! Wasn't it just heaven having all those babies to play with & getting kisses from the mom? |
| so cute! I'm so happy for you! |
| They are so beautiful! I like all three - I'm so excited to hear what happens in the next few weeks!! |
| awwwww...you're making me want another puppy |
| SO EXCITING and CUTE! |
| AHHHH! So cute! I love the little girl, but I love the boys too! No matter what your going to love whichever one you get! Oh, and the mom is so sweet! |
| thanks guys!!! It was an awesome, awesome experience. and now it is a waiting game. First I get to wait until about 7 weeks, so I can bug the breeder about which puppies are available as pet, figure out which one really is OUR dog, and then the final count down to coming home day!!!!
Yes the puppies were divine, puppy breath and all... you couldn't tell from my rapt expression of joy when mom was giving me kisses??? And for all those fashion gurus out there, I really was dressed nicely, I promise, but all my makeup wore off in the car ride, and I borrowed a jacket in the kennel, so my nice one wouldn't get icky. (Duh, I was dressed to make a nice impression, not thinking we were visiting a kennel- where the puppies pee, a lot!!!!!!!) I REALLY wanted to play with all the dogs, but if I'd done that we never would have gotten out of there! As it was, I figured we'd stay about 1 1/2 hours, and we spent 3 1/2 Not to mention the total 6 hours in the car At least I only have to do this one more time... I really don't like road trips. |
| Aw, they are all so cute You're going to go crazy waiting! |
| i think there should be more hours in a day ...........or every post needs to be on the general chat or pictures. i hate missing these threads.
they are so precious. i am sooooooooooo jealous. i love your third pick (love them all but it's the only one i got a good face pic). that's what i want the second time around (patches on both eyes). great to see a picture of you too. very pretty |
| Back at ya Jo!!!! |
| I missed this whole thread, too, cause I don't always read older posts.
All the pups are SO adorable. I can't imagine how you could even pick the 3 that you did! March 19th is only a few weeks away - YAY! Hope you get Pearl! Chris |
| They are so precious! What fun! What about that older sibling? Looks so cute! What's happening to him/her? |
| Dora has 2 of the older siblings. I beleive both have already attained their championships. I think there was someone interested in adding them to their breeding program (ie a show home), but I think she's keeping at least one to add to her line. She currently has several adults that have made their championships, including her girl that won at the OESCA centennial! She also has a few that she's gonna start showing late this spring. That was another thing that made the visit sooo fun! Seeing all these gorgeous, gorgeous adults!!! Too bad I didn't get to play with them too, but she was worried about them stepping on the puppies if they came out to play! |
| Cool So are you going to show too maybe? It can be so much fun! |
| That is so awesome. I can't wait to watch them grow with you!!! |
| Not in confirmation. I'm not ready to deal with the hassle of show coats and intact dogs. If I ever get started in confirmation, it'll be with cats first... I'd secretly like to try breeding pointed british shorthairs someday down the line...
but anyhow I DO want to do some competition with my dog, either agility or herding. If I can find an instructor in my area... |
| Ok! So i have 2 more weeks to go. I STILL don't know which pup it will be. Here is a list of stuff I have bought, what am I missing????
Food and water bowls Leather lead Rolled leather collar- 14" DO YOU GUYS THINK THIS WILL BE TOO BIG???? Pin brush Skip tooth comb Nail clipper- WHERE DID EVERYONE FIND THEIR DREMEL NAIL FILERS??? I just bought a regular safari guillotine clipper, but I want that dremel! Rolling pin mat rake SHOULD I ALSO GET A REGULAR MAT RAKE? Carrier Toys: Puppy kong -any good ideas for a "frozen kong treat" I can pack to keep puppy busy for the 3 hour car ride home??? Zap ball squeeky stuffed sheepie chilly bone hchewo bone "flossing" rope toy I think I'm forgetting toys here somewhere... Still have to buy Crate Dog bed Clippers- any ideas for a good oster under $100.00??? Grooming Scissors- RECOMMENDATIONS NEEDED PEOPLE!!! Where I do I find good, not hideously expensive ones??? Shampoo/conditioner Anything else I might have missed???? |
| I dont know about price because brian bought them for me, but beware of clippers that get hot...ASK...my osters get hotter than heck! I have gotten blisters on my fingers from them....works great, but I have heard from groomers that that is why they use 2 pairs and switch off.... |
| There are some grooming scissors listed on ebay right now that are decent. They are in groups of 3 or 4. Shipping is $8.95 but I just bought a set for 1 cent so my total cost was $9.00. (For 9 bucks, how can you go wrong?) I can't remember the name of them and can't access ebay from work but I think you'll recognize them if you do a search. They are all metal and silver and I remember them saying "ice tempered" or some such on the handle. |
IMO, your dog will be so nervous and "GOOD" on the ride home that he/she will not be interested in a kong. I bet you'll want to hold your new dog, and it will want to be held by you. 
I can't believe it's just 2 more weeks!!!! |
I know, I keep wavering between- what is safest (a crate seatbelted in in the back seat) and wanting to cuddle and bond- but that is not very safe, considering that I'll be in the front and we have air bags... I wouldn't put my baby on my lap up there, I shouldn't put my puppy up there either...  But I wanna be able to play and cuddle... I think we may tAke a few rest stops on the way home! |
| Just sit in the back with the puppy if you're uncomfortable keeping him or her on your lap in the front seat. Will you be in a car or something a lot bigger where it would be weird to be way in the back leaving your "chauffeur" up front? |
| I can't believe you'd even want to sit in the front if puppy is in the back!!! That's a lot of patience!!! I'd be in the back with my finger in the crate at the very least. I'm sure your puppy will just want to sleep on the way home. I don't know how long the drive is..but especially if it's a long drive. He/She will wake up, lick your fingers and fall right back asleep (or maybe pee). |
| As far as the collar, it might be a bit big at first but they grow fast!
As for wanting a dremel, in my opinion, that would take longer, be more unpleasant for the dog, and somewhat dangerous. I know lots use one, so I suppose it's whatever you're used to. I would look in hardware stores for dremel tools. I don't think they make one specifically for pets, but then again I 've never looked for one so who knows. You won't need any dematting tools for quite some time, grooming for the first 5 or 6 months is really only to get you and the pup used to it. For clippers, again, probably not needed for a long time, and for scissors all you really need right now are the ones with the rounded ends for the paw pads. To trim the bum area any scissors will work. I just bought myself a pair of REALLY long shears at the last dog show a couple weeks ago. I still haven't used them yet..... LOL Puppies usually needs baths more frequently than adults so something very gentle and non drying is best. I would want to carry the pup in my lap for the ride home too, chances are the pup will just sleep most of the way. I'd bring the crate though even if you want to sit in the back and hold the pup just in case puppy is too wiggly. LOL So how many days now? Any ideas on which pups you'll get to choose from yet? I'm so excited for you! The wait must be driving you crazy! LOL |
| Wow not long now, so exciting. Can't wait to know which lil bub it is |
| Yay - it's getting closer!!!!! |
| Well... It is a 3 hour drive each way. Mike and I trade off driving... But I get car sick really easily, so sitting in the front helps me not be ill. Thus, no puppy snuggles in the back for me! (Even with dramamine- just putting my eyes on something inside the car for an extended period of time can trigger it... of course, so can looking backwards... bleck!) I got really upset driving the kitty girls when we moved (Bell cried the ENTIRE time) and that was only a 1/2 hour... so I really hope there isn't a lot of crying or whining or I'll be heartbroken the whole way home!
I am really excited! I'm e-mailing Dora today to see if she has any idea which puppy it will be. Every time I go by the pet section in a store, someone has to physically remove me from the isle so I don't buy anything- I currently am NOT allowed to go to a store with dog stuff by myself! I want to get the AKC squeaky squirrel and squeaky lamb.. plus I still want to get an I cube and a kong ball... besides all the practical stuff we still need!
11 more days till puppy comes home!!!! (my gosh- that is under 2 weeks already) |
| Karen, maybe you should be in the passenger seat on the way there and have Mike drive and then you drive home so Mike can be in the back with the pup. That way you won't be as tempted to look back and get ill and the puppy will still have someone close by... |
Oh, Karen! I can't believe it's down to an 11 day wait!!  Do you have any clue which puppy you'll get yet?
As for the drive home, I'm just like you - I can get carsick on too long drives, have to be in the front seat. The puppy will probably cry no matter whether you're holding him/her or not, just for the fact of being in a new place without their siblings and mom. The safest place for him/her will be in the crate in the back, just like the hospitals won't let you take home a baby if you don't have the proper carseat in place. JMHO. Good luck! Can't wait to see pictures!! Chris |
| 10 days and counting[b] Last night Mike bought 2 puppy(er... baby) gates- one for the stairs and one for the butlers pantry, and a dog bed- which is black with leopard print- it doesn't match the house AT ALL . He was little anxious about it because he knows it isn't something I would have picked, but it was his gift card to use so, it was his choice It IS pretty funny looking in the middle of our quasi victorian living room though. |
| Don't worry too much about the decor, Karen. Your puppy will be redecorating for you soon enough |
Bailey's Mom wrote: Don't worry too much about the decor, Karen. Your puppy will be redecorating for you soon enough
Lol...so true!! Karen, I am going crazy waiting to find out which pup your getting. You must be going really crazy about it too. Please let us know as soon as you find out. If I were you, I'd be bugging the heck out of the breeder. |
| Elissa,
I'm trying SO hard NOT to be a pill with the breeder. The only reason I've been able to keep any kind of restraint at ALL is because my mom was a breeder, so I understand where she is coming from... but it is driving me NUTS not knowing which puppy it is gonna be. It's so far away, that I can't conveinently drop by to visit. I've been pretty much e-mailing her at least 1x a week, sometimes more.. although I took all of last week off I'm sure she'll be so glad when I've got our puppy, so I'll stop bugging her
As for turning the house upside down... well it is good training for parenthood, right? I've already dedicated a gigantic wicker laundry basket to puppy things. I want to hang a couple hooks in the kitchen for the leash and doggie foot towel. I think I'm gonna have Mike put up the gates this weekend, so the kitty girls have a week to get used to maneuvering around them without the added stress of a puppy to deal with. I know the one on the stairs won't cause any issues, as they can just jump through the stair spindles to where ever they want to be... I AM a little worried about the one to the butler's pantry. I'm not sure THE DIVA (Iris) will be able to jump over the gate to get to her food... she jumps UP higher than that, but there is always a solid surface there... I'm not sure how well she is going to do with hurdles. I may have to make an Iris friendly modification or 2. We'll see. Plus the floor is a mess... we've got to get chewable items picked up and put away before puppy comes... At least I've got plenty to keep mye busy before he/she comes! |
| I wouldn't worry too much about the kitties. Our cats sail over the baby gates without a thought. One cat used to try and go under the gate (it is about an inch and a half off the ground and it was so funny to watch her try to escape the dog and then basically smoosh herself flat to get under the gate, when the other cat had long sailed over...
But, they often jump up and push off the top of the gate, so if you are worried about Isis, this is probably what she'll do... |
| That's what Ainsley & Einstein do, too. They jump over, briefly touching the top of the gate for a push off to their next destination.
I'm sure Isis will figure out what works for her. |
| I know you're excited - it is definitely "time" when the house gets re-arranged!!!! My cats can jump over the baby gate we have set up, but sometimes Taylor thinks it is great fun to try and knock it over. They don't like jumping right over it and try any other way to get around it. Conveniently it is right next to the window so they normally use the ledge. Only in direct flight will they jump the whole gate! |
| 9 days left
Still haven't heard anything from the breeder... I hope she at least e-mail me back with a confirmation to our pick up date
This weekend is clean/puppy proof the house weekend. (Ugh, only for Puppy... I HATE cleaning! ) I need to clean out my car too.. it is GROSS!  |
| Wow, how'd I miss all this? I can feel your excitement.
You are about to meet one of the great loves of your life! What an exciting time. I say the more toys the better. My dogs really love the baking soda bones that breakdown when they're chewed. They're safe. They might be called Booda bones. They come in peanut butter, bacon, carot and different flavors. You'll need lots of chew toys. |
| Woohooo... 6 days left now right?
Have you heard back about your pickup date... or any idea which pup yet? I can't wait! LOL |
| Karen - how'd the puppy proofing go this weekend? Did you hear back from your breeder yet? Which one will it be??
Ooooo!! Gosh - only six days left - how can you stand it?? |
| 5 days left
Wow- what a weekend! I couldn't make it in to work yesterday- we go snowed in (18 inches in one day!) PHEW! Lots a lot of snow in one day, even for MN! We've made the decision to pull up all the carpeting downstairs, and refinish the hardwood... We've been having "elimination" issues with Iris(SHE loves the carpet so much more then the litter box!) and the soiled carpet would only compound puppy training issues so away it goes!!! AACK!!! SO MUCH WORK!!! Mike's starting on that today. The baby gates went back to Target in favr of some that ACTUALLY WORK!  Grr!!! why would they sell baby gates that don't work properly?????? These were tension mounted, but you could not get enough tension in my odd shaped door frames to keep the gate intact... NOT OK! He got some better ones today.
Still haven't heard back from the breeder... I'm really going to go CRAZY!!!!!!!!!!!! I haven't even heard back from her that we're still on for sunday. So I sent another e-mail. If don't hear from her by thursday, I'm gonna call her. At this point I'm not sure I care which puppy it is, as long as it is mine!!!! (And it comes home on sunday...) Hopefully the weather will be dry for our 6 hours of drving
come on weekend |
| OOOOHHH Karen! It's almost time now
I am so excited for you and know that your puppy is going to be the perfect one for you. I can't wait to see pictures and find out which puppy it is. Deep breathing when you are going crazy can help |
| Karen,
I am so excited for you!! It has been a long wait, but you are going to be a great sheepie Mom!! As for Iris' elimination problem, have you tried, Feliway? We were having trouble with Lucy spraying in one area, and within 3 days of trying it we had no other problems. We used it once a day for a couple of weeks, and then went to using it every few days, and now we only spray every couple of weeks. It is about $30 a bottle, but very worth it. It helps with other behavioral issues as well, such as eliminating scratching in the wrong areas. Then add some catnip to the acceptable scratching surfaces, it always renew's the attraction. I hope you hear from your breeder soon, we will all be waiting for puppy pictures!! Sheepie Hugs and Ragdoll kisses, Stormi |
| WOO HOO Sheepie mom soon, NOT LONG NOW!! Can't wait to see which bub it is and yes lots of pictures please |
| 4 days left
Well, I FINALLY heard back from the breeder this morning... We're on for sunday morning. Probably somewhere around 10... I don't think I can get Mike out of bed to leave any earlier then 7am And NO NEWS ON WHICH PUPPY IT WILL BE!!!
Sigh, I guess I'm to be left in suspense until Sunday morning, when Puppy is brought out to us! We're going back and forth on boy puppy names. I like: Nimbus Pharaoh Atlas Mike and Christina want to name a boy "Shadowfax".  Fax or Shadow for short I DO love Tolkein, but Shadowfax isn't doing it for me... That is too much of a HORSE name for me (A very cool horse name, but a horse name none the less). Christina thinks it would be funny to call the dog Fax, because then everyone would think we named Puppy after a fax machine  I think Mike's going along with it to push my buttons...
I'm so picky about names... sometimes I can't tell if they're doing it just to tease me, or if they really want a dog called Fax... |
| Yeah! I'm glad you finally heard back from the breeder!
I still like Nimbus.... |
| If they're anything like my family, they're teasing you on purpose!
Glad you finally got confirmation from the breeder about the pick up time. |
| Karen, when you pick up your puppy ask the breeder for a piece of towel or something that would carry a familiar scent, puppies are comforted by it. You can leave it in the crate at night, sometimes it helps calm the anxiety. |
| I can't believe that you still don't know which one you're getting! The suspense is killing me! |
ButtersStotch wrote: I can't believe that you still don't know which one you're getting! The suspense is killing me!
I can't either.... How can she not know by now? I wonder if she'll pick your dog by doing eny meany miney mo? |
| Just remember any name you choose, you have to be comfortable having your neighbors see you out in your pj's saying excitedly " Go pee (insert name)!"
Or when the pup chews a 700 $ pair of glasses, can you sternly say "Nooooo (insert name)" and not sound like an idiot? |
| See that's why the whoe "Fax" thing DOESN'T WORK for me.. I just can't see my self saying "BAD FAX! NO CHEW!" I'd always feel like I was reprimanding or praising an office tool! I'm pretty comfy doing that with the other names though... |
| If the dog will have eyeliner:
"Max" as in Max Factor the makeup king "Maybeline" or "Mary Kay" as in the makeup queens "Ronny" is a nice name...? |
| Registered name = www.oes.org Call name = Ron |
| Okay after 7 pages, I thought I better see what was going on here
Congratulations on the upcoming day...so exciting and I know long awaited. I sure hope you get the one really want. As for advice on your ride home...hopefully they don't feed puppy much that day...it will throw up for sure. Unless they took the extra time like I did to drive the pups around and get them use to car rides. I would keep him or her in the kennel...unless you hold it and face the potential vomit on your pants...been there not fun. It will cry it little head off, but should eventually settle down and sleep. Bring a towel with you and ask for something from the breeder to have it scent...or something you left don't forget to bring it home. The cats will jump over the gate. Bedding doesn't have to be nice, the first weeks will be washing to take care of accidents...an old blanket is just fine for the kennel. I wouldn't bother with a pet bed...mine never liked them. They all prefer the carpet, or tile (cool area). Once she/he is kenneled trained, then you find or make something that suits your decor. Good luck, waiting with anticipation to...can't believe she is not telling you if you get a female or male |
| LOL If I bought my dogs a pet bed they would just think it is a large stuffed toy to tear to shreds and pull all the stuffing out of. LOL |
| Louie was an angel on the ride home. It was a 4 hour drive and he was a little nervous but he didn't cry or throw up or anything. (He waited until we got home to poop on the kitchen floor )
And I agree with Daisie on the pet bed. Louie is only now starting to get interested in his even then most times he can be found on his chair .
I'm so excited for you! I can't believe you're finally getting a sheepie!! |
| I'm really excited for you - I like Nimbus, too, but you'll be able to tell better when you meet your puppy!! |
| So it's definitely a boy, though, Karen? |
| 3 DAYS LEFT
Well... I don't know if it will be a boy or girl, but I'd say it's about a 90% chance of a boy. I'm not sure how she'll pick our puppy , I just hope that it is one that will really bond to us!
Last night we pulled up all of the carpeting downstairs. We figured it would be much easier to potty train and clean up accidents with the hardwood. The wood is really old (original to the house, so it is 125 years old!) But for all that, the planks are in pretty good shape- the finish however is not... But that is fixable. It is like living in a completely different house now! And all for the puppy (ok, well we had planned on doing this all along , but still!) Our dog is already spoiled! |
| I can hardly stand the anticipation!!!! |
| Are you going to finish the floor before the pup comes home? A good polyeurathane works well, a hard shiny finish that is fairly durable to dog nails. |
| That is true Stacey, however, if the pup is a crazy runner like Panda, you will still end up with hairline claw marks from her trying to get a good grip...solution to that
IRON!!!! Take hot iron with steam, place over a terry cloth towel over the area of wood and steam away...the pulp of the wood will rise again... see my ironing does come in handy sheets and wood floors |
| Good to know darcy...I'll be sure to remember that if we do hardwood. |
| Darcy, don't worry about that loud noise in the wee hours of the morning. It's just me breaking into your house and stealing your iron. I'll be sure to wrinkle everything on my way out too! |
| Mandy...give it up.....I think you are just coming to the realization that the iron is an essensial tool for the house and that you are just fighting it....give in to it....iron, iron iron..... |
| NEVER!!!!!! |
|
No, we're not gonna poly it right away. It needs to be resanded and stained first, and that is a project for a warm weekend, where we can open up the house to get the fumes out. There are parts where it is just bare wood right now, other parts still have full stain and some finish. I'm might just rub the floor down with some kind of conditioning agent until then... anybody have any ideas? Heard back from the breeder- sounds like it is probably gonna be a boy puppy. She is having a "puppy party" tomorrow to look at which dogs are gonna be show, and which are pet quality... Although she did say "she knows which girl will be going on sunday". There is another couple picking up a dog after us... But maybe there is still hope for us to get Pearl? Wishful thinking probably, sigh I think I'm gonna get some puppy training pads for the bottom of the crate to help absorb any accidents that might occur. I can't remember if our crate has a tray in the bottom or not... Other then that we're pretty much set. I did find an used set of oster clippers at a tack swap last weekend.. They run great, but I need to buy a comb set and blade for them. |
| 2 days left
Well, I've got 2 more days left! I'm soo ridiculously excited... I really only have 1 more thing to buy- puppy pads for the crate, and we should be ready for puppy arrival! I'm going to Target to get those today, and some toys just might ACCIDENTALLY end up in the cart too... (Hmm... how does THAT ever happen???) Tonight we're pulling up tack strips from the wood floors, and tomorrow I'm going to be finishing my last minute cleaning, trying to make sure that all puppy dangers have been removed... to the best of my ability anyhow. PUPPY PUPPY PUPPY!!!!!! Can you tell I'm a little excited??? I can't wait till Sunday!!!! |
| Why would you put puppy pads in the crate? The point is NOT to have the puppy pee in ther. The pads have a scent that will attack them to pee on them.
Are you going to be able to house-train right away to go outside or will he be using the pads while you are at work? If so then he needs to be in a large area, blocked off, so he can go pee onthe pad, and then leave the pad area. Yoou don't want him to pee anywhere neaar his bed area. If he is going to be crated for 2.3 hours (tops at that age) then you don't have to put anythign in there for him to pee on. He may have a couple of accidents, but that is fine. |
| I think she means just for the ride home...in case he has an accident on the four hour drive. |
| Oh...
Thanks for clarifying that. |
| If I don't find out what you're getting soon, I'm going to explode. I can't believe how patient you are. I'd be on the phone with the breeder and e-mailing everyday until she answered me! |
| No worries, Nicole.
I agree, Jill! I'd be about to bust a gut!! I am now and it's not my puppy! |
| Yes I am going crazy, but I've waited for 3 years to get my dog, I can wait 2 more days.
Puppy WILL have to be crated for 8 hours on friday and thursdays, as Mike works those days, so I have to have somewhere appropriate for puppy to potty during that time. It'll make cleaning so much easier to just have a "potty" section opened up in the crate during those times. Other days, we'll just keep a smaller section in the crate kept open for the puppy for sleeping AND for the ride home. Other then that we will be doing our best to potty train for outside... |
| Karen,
Be careful about putting the pads down in the crate if you'll be gone for awhile. I thought that was a grand idea until Clyde thought that they tasted good and started eating them! Clean or dirty, it didn't matter to him! In placing a large order from PetSmart, I bought one of these MIDWEST Dry Paws Crate Pads I figured I'd already spent a lot so why not throw this in? I'm already planning for my next puppy, whenever that may be so I may as well be prepared. Knowing how horrible house/crate training was with Clyde, I don't want to go through that again. We were washing him 3 and 4 times a week for awhile thanks to the constant peeing on himself. All of this is still fresh in my mind so it's a good time for me to buy stuff that I know will be useful later! I should get the order in the next day or so so I'll let you know if it looks like it might be useful for you. Jill |
| I wouldn't put those pads in the crate ever. Not only do they attract the pup to pee on them, they also can be dangerous if not supervised. They will shred it, chew it, and possibly eat it. It has a filling that swells to immense proportions with moisture, and also a plastic backing that could be dangerous to eat.
Just an absorbent towel should be good for the ride home.... |
| I just spent 15$ on those... oh Grr!!!!
So do I just leave the pan empty on the bottom, and when there is a potty on thurs. and frid. puppy has to deal with it till I get home??? Or do I put newspaper down there??? |
| Newspaper on the bottom of the crate, then layer about 4 or 5 old towels on top. So if any little accidents then just a matter of stopping removing top towel then onto the next layer |
| Those puppy pads can come in handy though....
I used them to help train Abby's pups, and they did great, they were pretty much housebroken by the time they went to new homes.... now if only I could figure out how to get my ADULT dogs to be that reliable! |
| ONE MORE DAY!!!!
So, Here I am, up ridiculously early on a Saturday morning, because I have puppy fever SO BAD I couldn't sleep past 6:30... The puppy comes tomorrow and I am so: Happy, nervous, excited, scared, worried, and elated all at the same time. Almost as bad as when I got married
I should really be getting dressed and working up those last tack strips in the front hall, but I'm here with my sheepie friends instead. I'll do work later in the morning...
I'm going back and forth on boy puppy names... I'm thinking maybe Pippin or Bingley now. I had Iris' name picked out before I went and got her, Bell had hers too... I feel like a bad mommy Hopefully once I hold my puppy I'll know. (I have this grand plan for introducing Puppy to the forum tomorrow when we get home, and it doesn't work as well if I DON'T HAVE A NAME!) Of course, with both of them, I KNEW which one it would be before we came to bring them home, so that may be part of it!
I put the crate up- we got the 42" and that thing is MONSTROUS!!!! Good thing we've got a divider for it! Right now I could put the puppy, all 3 cats, and all the puppy's stuff in there and still have room!
Here's what I'm gonna bring tomorrow, let me know if I've forgotten something: Carrier Old towel squeaky squirrel toy (shh, don't tell Mike, I just bought that one!!!!  )
training treats- so I can praise for good potties right away! 2 gallon jugs for water from the breeder to help with tummy adjustment collar leash I was also thinking about bringing the puppy kong too... Stace- how did you use those puppy pads with abby's pups??? As for tomorrow- we leave at 7am, get there around 10am, another couple comes by 12pm, so at the latest, we SHOULD be back by 3CST (That's for you Darce, so you don't have to worry about me!) with pictures and a full introduction in G.C. assuming I can come up with a name by then... 26.5 hours till puppy! |
| Karen,
We used the washable "Pooch Pads" for Nelson Jr.. They are cloth with a leakproof fabric backing. He was fine for awhile with the paper puppy pads until he figured out how to shred them, and they can be dangerous. The "Pooch Pads" are a bit expensive but they are reusable and last through a lot of washings and sanitizing with bleach. We bought two so we'd always have a clean one available. They're available at Petsmart or any pet supply house. Good luck with your new puppy! I'm so excited for you!!! Nita |
| I CAN'T WAIT ANY LONGER! I'm so excited for you and eagerly await pictures and updates Sunday or monday! |
Quote: Stace- how did you use those puppy pads with abby's pups???
Well, I put them in the area they spent the most time in, outside of their bed at first, covering the whole area. Gradually made the area of pads smaller, and then took one outside. They were very smart, very clean pups. They still had accidents of course, and honestly I'm not sure how much they would have actually understood at that age, but they seemed to. I learned not to leave them with the pups when I wasn't watching though because they did shred them to bits! |
| I like Bingly..Mr Bing |
| puppy puppy puppy...im on at 3 pm waiting......i er we want to here asap...I also like mr bing....lol...bingley...come on bing come on...sounds really cute.... |
| Good luck with all, can't wait to know which baby it is?????Plenty of pictures of your new lil one too Bingly is such a cute name, but you will probably change that again, so easy to do when pup comes home and then you decide if it suits or not.
Brie was charlotte till she came home |
Maggie McGee IV wrote: Karen,
We used the washable "Pooch Pads" for Nelson Jr.. They are cloth with a leakproof fabric backing. He was fine for awhile with the paper puppy pads until he figured out how to shred them, and they can be dangerous. The "Pooch Pads" are a bit expensive but they are reusable and last through a lot of washings and sanitizing with bleach. We bought two so we'd always have a clean one available. They're available at Petsmart or any pet supply house. Good luck with your new puppy! I'm so excited for you!!! Nita That's actually exactly what I bought from PetSmart. They're on clearance for $4. See what all this puppy excitement has done to me? I don't even need them-- both of my dogs are housebroken and Clyde hasn't been in a crate for about 10 months! I'm planning like I'm getting a puppy. Maybe it's kind of like when men go through false pregnancy with their wives... |
| Can't wait to hear Tick-tock, tick-tock... |
| Yes... where is she already?! LOL |
| I am so excited!!!!!
I can't wait to hear. |
| Three more hours & we should hear something!! Tick tock....tick tock... |
| Ahem...
Dear friends, please mosey on over to General Chit Chat where a very important announcement awaits you all!!! |
| I moved it to Getting A Puppy... hope you don't mind |
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