Monday, September 16, 2013

Upcoming Litter: Obie x Mona

We are very excited about our upcoming litter here at Northrock.  Mona has been bred to Obie and she is expecting puppies the first week of October.  Details about the breeding can be found on our website.  Mona is such a sweet Barbet and her pregnancy is going well.  Pregnancy was confirmed by palpation at the end of August and the positive palpation combined with other signs that Mona has been exhibiting  (an increase in lazy behaviour, her nipples are pinking up and getting larger and she had experienced morning sickness) all point to pregnancy. 

Photo credit: National Geographic, fetus at 39 days

Here is a link to a past post that has some information about how puppies develop when they are still inside their dam.
If you would like a further glimpse into the canine womb to see what exactly is going on, National Geographic has created an incredible video called “In the Womb: Dogs”.  It is a fascinating documentary about the fetal development of 3 different breeds.  If you ever get the chance to watch it I highly recommend it.  Here is a little teaser. 
To view more of this documentary check out these links:
Mona - Day 47
We are very much looking forward to meeting these Obie x Mona pups.  Obie is a really nice Barbet and together with Obie's owners Paul Hunter and Chris and Ula Pepper of Nappyroots Reg'd we are counting down the days until these precious puppies arrive!

The Barbet at PawsWay Toronto

This past weekend myself and a bunch of Club Barbet Canada members and their dogs spent the day at the PawsWay which is located on Toronto's waterfront.  It was a gorgeous day with blue skies and sunshine.  The PawsWay held the event in order to show the public a variety of puppies, what they will look like as an adult, and to give educational information that will help them to make an informed, responsible decision about which breed would be a good match for their needs.  It was an excellent opportunity to promote the Barbet, and demonstrate the predictability and advantages of purebred dogs. All of the dogs were very well behaved and wonderful ambassadors of the breed. We all had a great time chatting with the public.  It was obvious to everyone how much we love the Barbet!  

 
Club Members Brian, JoAnne, Anna, Stephanie and Gene with Barbets Josie, Cooper and Bentley

Barbet puppies Josie and Cooper

Club Member Daniela with Napoleon

Zoey (owned by club member Stephanie and her hubby Russell) and Bentley
What made the day extra special for me was that it was also a reunion of sorts for Northrock families who have puppies from the Dougy x Coco litter (Zoey, Napoleon & Bentley) as well as the from the Chmurnik x Sophie litter (Josie & Cooper).  I feel so blessed that these puppies are in such loving and wonderful homes.  I am also very appreciative that their owners were excited to come down and volunteer their time to support the Club and the PawsWay and help to promote the breed.



Summer Memories at the Cottage


It has been a great summer here at Northrock.  We had lots of fun weekends up at the cottage with the dogs and I wanted to share a few photos...   








I can't believe how quickly it went by and now that we are into September we are enjoying the cooler temperatures.  Fall is my favourite season and we are all looking forward to long hikes in the conservation areas with the kids and dogs.