Litter Born At Patronum Barbets

We are pleased to announce the safe arrival of a healthy, beautiful litter at Patronum Barbets. CH Patronum Bleuzorange Olivia delivered nine puppies on September 16, 2020 sired by Oscar (GCH Barbevoix Oscar De Northrock). Olivia and her pups are doing well. Special thanks to Anne-Marie Gauvin, David Harvey, Odette Girard and Jean-Claude Surprenant for choosing Oscar for their girl. Oscar's co-owner Nellemarie Hyde are thrilled and together we look forward to watching these darling puppies grow up.

We don't always get photos of the sire and dam together but this one taken by David Harvey is particularly sweet.

The Jack and Marie Litter - Week Five

Ongoing Saga of Northrock’s Beach Blanket Bingo Litter – Week Five

Friday August 28, 2020

Dear puppy pen diary,

As soon as the beach bums got the hang of the great outdoors that’s exactly where they have spent a good deal of their time this past week. By Tuesday, Day 32 they had been outside a few times a day enjoying the texture of the deck, graduating to the feel of the grass. Three to four times a day the pups are outside learning about wind in their faces and the feel of dirt beneath their toes, warm sunshine on their faces and the cool shade under the tree.

They met their Adventure Box on Tuesday afternoon. Uncertain at first it did not take them very long to figure out how fun it was to be grabbing the items hanging in their faces or that the clang of the metal wasn’t anything to be worried over.  

Mid-week a ramp was installed over the stairs for easy access to the yard for the pups. It has cleats that run horizontally to give them better grip. It has been very interesting to watch them on their journeys both up and down on that wooden ramp. They sure are getting stronger and much more coordinated as this week rolls along.

Eating 3-4 meals a day now, some of these are being served outside. Their most favourite meal is lunch whether courtesy of mom in their pool or whether being served inside their Adventure Box. After which these little porkers are guaranteed a long afternoon snooze.

Mom Marie is doing beautifully and back to her usual schedule in life. Walks with P!nkie up the hill and goes rock hunting in the creek, she is attentive to the pups when they need her, ever watching them from the deck when they are out on the grass.

P!nkie is having the time of her life and man what a great big sister she is. She loves to play bitey face with them and holds her enthusiasm at bay with magnificent restraint until her zoomies get the better of her. She gets excused from the puppy yard until finished and then is welcomed back into the puppy pen. Just a pupper herself she is the epitome of all that is Barbet. Honest, joyful, gentle and incredibly smart, she is such a fun girl.

Til next week!

Susan, Sweet Marie, P!nkie et al  

These puppies all have special homes waiting for them. If you would like to follow the litter's progress please join us on Facebook and like our Northrock Barbets page to see frequent updates and photos. 

The Jack and Marie Litter - Week Four

Ongoing Saga of Northrock’s Beach Blanket Bingo litter – Week four

Friday August 21, 2020

Dear puppy pen diary,

Such a busy and eventful week we just finished here in the puppy pen. The pups settled into their new digs immediately last Saturday and were right at home in no time at all. By Tuesday they were out of their whelping box and their space had been slightly increased.

Pee pads were exchanged for litter boxes staying in the exact location as their pee pads. Rib bones for 10 minutes a day were introduced on Monday to prepare them to start using their jaws in advance of the introduction of solid food later in the week. 

I must say, the bones went over very well! Pups had their first solid meal late day on Wednesday and as usual they were quite up for their newest challenge. I am very pleased to report those pups ate with gusto, nothing left in those bowls!

How delighted the pups were when they met some puppy people from 2 of their family homes this week. Their first and earlier visit had some charming, sleepy and mellow babies in the arms of their admirers. 

Very much awake for their second visit later in the week they again were their usual

charming selves, especially Mr. Von Zipper as he ripped around the puppy pen doing his best impression of being a “big boy.” Talk about zoomies!!

Their 4^th week ended with introductions to hard interactive toys the morning of their 28^th day, a switch from all their soft stuffies. 

And best of all their outside playground was finished and ready for their first adventure. What a fun time they had even if it was only a mere 15 minutes. They were pretty sleepy puppies after that excursion.

And so ends their 4th week and as they greet their 5^th week there are many more new adventures on their agenda.

Til next week,

Susan, Marie, Pinkie et al.

These puppies all have special homes waiting for them. If you would like to follow the litter's progress please join us on Facebook and like our Northrock Barbets page to see frequent updates and photos. 

The Jack x Marie Litter - Week Three

Ongoing Saga of Northrock’s Beach Blanket Bingo litter – Week three

Friday August 14, 2020

Dear puppy pen diary,

So many new things this past week. Everyone’s eyes are fully functioning and in fact I found Lorelei one day growling at the Mickey Mouse toy that sits on the bedpost of her whelping box.

When I started laughing it startled her and she toppled over. Well that just confirmed all hearing is also functioning, they can sure hear their mom and sister when they are using their outside voices, haha. The pack also graduated to their wearing their big dog collars early in the week.

It’s a daily observation that this bunch are growing by the minute, just look at the whelping box pictures! It is definitely getting smaller by the day. Made even small after I started lining the one side with pee pads. They have been very successful with using these pee pads and by instinct make their way across the space and hopefully get there in time. They are pretty good already, encouraging for the introduction of their litter boxes next.

While they mostly spend a great deal of their days eating and sleeping you can find them playing with each other in that clumsy puppy way. Large soft toys and cat beds have been added to the whelping box to get them more coordinated and for stimulating their senses as they go over and under them.

The finale for this week was their move from the whelping room into the kitchen space so they can continue on their journey where there is a lot more action and noise. They have handled the move extremely well and are completely at ease in their new environment. A much larger space with lots of light and sunshine and of course fresh air. Although still in their whelping box for now, at the rate they are progressing they will be out of that in just a few more days ready to get exploring.

Who knows but maybe they will be outside for some recess play by the end of their 4^th week? Time to get their playground all set up and ready to go.

Mom Marie is doing well, catering to her litters every whim and P!nkie is still enthralled with her siblings yet keeping a respectful distance….for now!

Til next week,

Susan, Sweet Marie, P!nkie et al

These puppies all have special homes waiting for them. If you would like to follow the litter's progress please join us on Facebook and like our Northrock Barbets page to see frequent updates and photos. 

The Jack x Marie Litter - Week Two

Ongoing Saga of Northrock’s Beach Blanket Bingo litter – Week two

Friday August 7, 2020

Dear puppy pen diary,

Still neonates with specific needs, this crew has been fascinating to watch as they develop and you can start to see their own little personalities emerging. From Day 3 through to 16 we have been doing some Early Neurological Stimulation. Basically we introduce them to such stressors as having their feet tickled and being held in different positions. This crew does not like their sleep interrupted to have these exercises done and have made it very loud and clear to me in no uncertain terms just what their impressions are.

However, at the end of the above stimulating exercises is the Early Scent Introduction where I hold in front of their tiny little noses a new scent every day. This calms them almost immediately and cranky pants puppies become very keen and very much awake puppies. They have liked all the scents, were instantly drawn to the blue jay feather and then the coffee grinds. But, the best introduction to scent was meeting their sister P!nkie over the side of their pen.

Marie has let P!nkie into the whelping room all this week but never allowed her to get too close to the pups until just this Friday when she permitted these siblings to meet each other for the first time, even if for just a couple moments. P!nkie was delighted as were the pups at her fresh smell. I am sure many good times are ahead for this bunch.

The beginning through to mid-week eyes were opening and the room had the shade pulled down so as not to damage those wee puppy eyes. By the end of the week we had 14 little eyes gazing into the distance, everything is still out of focus of course but, this will improve over time. Those little ears are well on their way to hearing so maybe in just a few more short days they will begin to hear own barking….yup, they bark already.

Marie is doing well, eating like a horse and is slowly getting her fitness back. We have started to take her on “leashed” walks around the pond once a day. While on these walks P!nkie careens through the forest and crashes through the creek and Marie gazes wistfully at the fun she is having. Poor Marie would love nothing better than to take part in this adventure if it weren’t for that darned “leash.”

Week 3 starts with introducing puppy pee pads in the whelp box to encourage them to start keeping their house a little cleaner but it also is the first step to the use of puppy litter boxes which will be introduced in their fourth week.  This will be their last week up in the puppy whelp room as they will be in need of much more stimulation….much more!

And it just gets more fun every week! Oh and by the way, Lorelei is the first pup to graduate to her “big girl” collar from her puppy collar on her 14^th day.

Catch you next week from the puppy pen. Over and out.

Susan, Sweet Marie and now P!nkie et al

These puppies all have special homes waiting for them. If you would like to follow the litter's progress please join us on Facebook and like our Northrock Barbets page to see frequent updates and photos. 

The Jack x Marie Litter - Week One

Saga of the Northrock Beach Blanket Bingo Litter - Week One

Friday July 31, 2020

Dear puppy pen diary,

On Friday morning July 24, 2020, Our Sweet Marie with her usual flair decided she would have her pups in the closet of the spare bedroom completely disregarding the fact we had been sleeping together in the whelping room for the past 5 days and she knew the space well.

Marie made it very clear to me standing outside that closed door at 7:15 am, after being in Stage 1 labour all the previous night that it would be in my best interest to open that door. Now to be fair to Marie it is a room she was familiar with and the closet did have a stash of stuffies and dog beds but it was a room we did not use.

I have come to understand in our 3.5 year relationship together that Marie always knows what is best for Marie and so deciding to go with the flow I said “Sure, let’s get it done. But just to let you know it will only be 1 pup!” We barely had time to strip out the closet and lay some bedding down for her before she presented us with Frankie at 7:33 am Friday July 24, 2020.

We moved swiftly to the whelping room as soon as Marie gave us the green light where she quickly had Annette, Sugar Kane, Bonnie, Eric von Zipper, Bullet, Lorelei and was finished whelping by 8:52! That’s approximately 11.5 minutes each. Let me tell you it was all hands on deck at our house that morning.

Marie is doing very well physically and has rebounded with great aplomb to her typical sweet self. She dedicates her days to cleaning and feeding her offspring with great gusto and stands politely with a watchful eye when I am cleaning the puppy pen and weighing pups twice daily. Which by the way by Day 6 all the pups had doubled their birth weight, good job team.

Nail clipping commenced on Day 3 and will continue every 3 days going forward. Oh my gosh, let me just share how difficult a task that is to achieve, those nails are itsy, bitsy, teeny, weeny little things that are clipped with human nail clippers, a very steady hand and nerves of steel.

Some soft toys have been introduced to the whelping box on Day 5 to give a little bit of a challenge crawling over and around them. They stimulate their senses and besides that they also make a great place to rest and snuggle for a minute while on that long trek across the pen to get to the other side.

P!nkie has been an incredibly patient big sister this week. Although she can hear those siblings she has yet to meet them and she is so very intrigued. Perhaps she will get to meet them this coming week but, first we will have to have Marie’s permission of course.

Week 2 is about to start and we just may find a few eyes opening and maybe some ear flaps dropping and their hearing kicking in. Then we’ll be in for a noisy rambunctious time after these 2 senses are functioning.

Catch you next week. Over and out from the puppy pen.

Susan, Sweet Marie, et al

These puppies all have special homes waiting for them. If you would like to follow the litter's progress please join us on Facebook and like our Northrock Barbets page to see frequent updates and photos. 

Puppies born at Treebeard Barbets

On July 27th the Jax and Scarlett puppies were born at Treebeard Barbets.

CH Northrock’s Good Vibrations x GCH TreeBeard’s Barbetdeau Mirage

Congratulations to breeder Janet Black Evans on the arrival of 3 beautiful puppies, 2 girls and 1 boy. Many thanks to Jax's co-owner Paul Walker and his family for helping to make this breeding possible. 

Scarlett and her pups are doing great and we are all looking forward to watching this exciting litter develop. 

*These puppies are spoken for.*

Welcoming the Jack and Marie Litter

GCH Treebeard's Jack Of All Trades x CH Northrock's Forever Yours CGN      ****These puppies have all been spoken for *****

On July 24th, 2020 under Susan Luyendyk's watchful care, Marie gave birth to a beautiful litter of seven puppies. There are four females and three males. Many thanks to Jack's owners, Janet Black Evans and Brittany and Karsten Grolle for all of their co-operation. 

Mama Marie and her little ones are doing great and we are looking forward to watching these precious pups grow and develop.

If you would like to follow the litter's progress please join us on Facebook and like our Northrock Barbets page to see frequent updates and photos. 

Expert Trick Dog and New Agility Titles for Lyric

Glenna Spelrem and her Barbet, Lyric have recently earned the Novice through Expert Trick Dog Titles with the organization Do More With Your Dogs. We are thrilled to celebrate this accomplishment that represents the incredible relationship this pair have.

Some of the tricks they performed are captured in this collage and they include; mail carrier, barrel (ball) roll, play the piano, wave goodbye, wave poles, skateboarding, painting and scent detection.

"These titles not only represent a training achievement, but a dedication to the enrichment of your dog, and a symbol of the bond you have built through this process".

Glenna and Lyric have also been having fun in agility and in June they brought home two new titles to add the alphabet soup behind Lyric's name, Northrock's Dance With Me RA, NAC, ICC, NJC, TN-N, WV-I, S-HP-I, O-BR-I, RATO, DN, NS

Congratulations on your success!!! 

Please enjoy these two videos of Lyric running these NADAC courses.

Weavers:

Tunnellers:

Glenna and Lyric have a beautiful partnership and are an outstanding team  

We can't wait to see what they will get up to next!🎉

🎉

Litter Born at Hickory Tavern Farm Barbets

Congratulations to breeder Judy Descutner at Hickory Tavern Farm Barbet on her recent litter of seven puppies born July 8, 2020 by CH Northrock's Athos Pascal and out of her beautiful girl Hickory Tavern Former Child Star CM3.  A big thank you to Pascal's co-owners Josh and Maria for helping to make this breeding possible.

Upcoming Litter Plans at Northrock Barbets

Summer 2020

*** THIS LITTER HAS ALL BEEN SPOKEN FOR ***

   The interest list for a puppy from this litter is full.

Jack x Marie
GCH Treebeard's Jack of All Trades x CH Northrock's Forever Yours CGN

This litter is co-bred with Susan Luyendyk and the puppies will be born and raised at her country home which is located east of Toronto.  The dam of the litter is Susan's wonderful girl Marie (CH Northrock's Forever Yours CGN) and you can read more about her on her page.  The sire of the litter is GCH Treebeard's Jack of All Trades.  A healthy, handsome and good natured Barbet who is a big teddybear of a dog. Much gratitude to his owners Janet Black Evans and Brittany and Karsten Grolle for their support and co-operation in making this litter possible.  

New Advanced Trick Dog Title for Northrock's Just 2 C U Smile!

Congratulations to Vilma and her Barbet, Milou (Northrock's Just 2 C U Smile). This week Milou earned his Advanced Trick Dog Title at Scholars in Collars Dog Training. To earn this title the dog must perform tricks all off-leash without any treats or toy lures. I'm so proud of the beautiful partnership these two have💖 They have such fun training together and I'm excited to see what they will achieve next.

New Beginnings for the Beau x Rizzo Puppies

CH Hickory Tavern Fool For Brookberry CM x 

CH Northrock's For The Joy Of It CGN 

And so a new adventure begins for each of the Beau and Rizzo puppies. They are such sweet-natured, pretty puppies with lovely personalities. They brought so much happiness into all of our lives and truly were a bright light during the difficult times that the world is facing.  

A big thank you to Beau's owners; Donna and Stephanie Forte and Judy Descutner for their support and friendship throughout.  Beau has certainly passed on his good looks to his offspring as these puppies are so homogenous it was truly a challenge at times telling them apart.  

Rizzo's co-owner and our dear friend Joy has also shared every step of this journey with us and what a good time we have had enJOYing these adorable puppies and watching them grow and mature. 

It has been an absolute joy sharing these last several weeks with the Happiness litter and now that they have gone to their new homes they are continuing to bring smiles to our faces when photos and updates are shared by their new owners.

I am pleased to introduce clockwise from the top right; Merry who now goes by Rey, Happy who is now called Carley, Giggles who is Belle and last but certainly not least is Jolly whose new name is Rosco.

Thank you to the wonderful families who have welcomed their Northrock puppy into their hearts and homes.  I know each of these special pups is already very much loved and cherished.  

The Beau x Rizzo Puppies: 8 Weeks Old

It was a fun filled week for the Happiness Litter.  The pups spent lots of time outside in the fresh air exploring the big yard as well as playing in the puppy pen. On warmer days they were able to fall asleep to the birds singing them lullabies.  

We had the puppies up on the grooming table many times during this week as we evaluated their structure and acclimated them to being up high and examined so they would be better able to handle their first veterinary exam.

Large bones were a great treat that they enjoyed a few times this week.  

The puppies spent time with the other dogs in our home and here they are with Summer who has always been an excellent "auntie" to our litters.

 I hope that following the development of this litter will bring you all much happiness. I invite you to like our Northrock Barbets Facebook Page where photos and videos will be posted on a regular basis for you to enJOY.

The Beau x Rizzo Puppies: 7 Weeks Old

The pups enjoyed another happy week here at Northrock with lots of play outside and exploring different rooms in the house.  They love playing with the equipment in their pens and the upside down turtle pool lid and swing are new favourites. 

The items in their indoor pen continue to be rotated and they still really enjoy interacting with their adventure box. 

We continue to play lots of different sounds for the puppies and rotate the speaker around the room. The pups are also going outside regularly for lots of potty breaks.  In this video they are playing outside while our "invisible group of children" plays on the speaker in the background.

  

Rizzo is a patient mother to her puppies and continues to enjoy spending time with them.

Puppy socialization during COVID-19 has caused us to make some adjustments to our protocols.  We can't take the puppies to yoga classes or for coffee and tea visits and we certainly aren't able to have the regular stream of visitors come to our home.  Because we couldn't introduce them to new people, we did our best to change our own appearances.  We wore wigs, and costumes, masks and even put on different scents. Our entire family had fun playing dress up. The puppies didn't seem to skip a beat and everyone had fun.

 I hope that following the development of this litter will bring you all much happiness. I invite you to like our Northrock Barbets Facebook Page where photos and videos will be posted on a regular basis for you to enJOY.

The Beau x Rizzo Puppies: 6 Weeks Old

"Tongue out Tuesday"

Every week it seems is a wonderful week with the puppies.  This is an especially fun age where they are active and engaging and enormously entertaining.

They have been exposed to different sounds that we play on a speaker for them but they have also been hearing outdoor noises coming through the windows and when they are spending time in their outdoor pen.  The weather has been quite nice so now they hear sounds of lawnmowers and other power tools, roofers and motorcycles...

Summer playing with the puppies.

The puppies also spent time with the other dogs in the house and that was very sweet to watch as they were quite gentle and patient with the little ones.

The pups are given new objects to investigate such as the musical mat which makes sounds when they step on the keyboard.

Another learning experience for the puppies! Here they are playing with the adventure box.  They become accustomed to objects bumping into them while they play and some of the objects are quite noisy so it helps them to associate these sounds with having fun.

I hope that following the development of this litter will bring you all much happiness. I invite you to like our Northrock Barbets Facebook Page where photos and videos will be posted on a regular basis for you to enJOY.