Lexi - Best Puppy in Group and Best Puppy in Show!

Lexi - Best Puppy in Group with Judge Dr. Michael Woods

We are absolutely delighted that our homebred girl Lexi (Northrock’s Eureka CGN) had such a successful time at the Muskoka Kennel Club dog shows this past July.  Thank you to judges Dr. Michael Woods for awarding Lexi Best Puppy in Group and to Mr. Alan Ewles for Lexi’s Best Puppy in Group and Best Puppy in Show wins. Lexi was piloted to these wins by her wonderful handler, Peter Scott.

Lexi - Best Puppy in Show with judge Mr. Alan Ewles

We are so happy with what Lexi has accomplished in the show ring thus far.  Earlier in July Lexi also earned her CKC Canine Good Neighbour title!  Heart felt thanks and congratulations to her co-owner Delia Bucknell.  We’re very pleased with how this Winston x Sophie daughter is growing up!

New CKC Champion and Canine Good Neighbour titles for Ellie!

I'm delighted to announce that Ellie, CH Northrock's Eau de Joy CGN one of the Winston x Sophie puppies is now a CKC Champion.  Ellie finished her championship as a young puppy.  Along the way she won Best Puppy in Sporting Group twice under judges Avery Gaudin and Dr. Richard Meen.  Lise Pomeroy (Ellie's awesome co-owner) and I are grateful to the judges for recognizing her quality and to Peter Scott her handler for piloting Ellie to her wins in the conformation ring.

Ellie also recently earned her Canine Good Neighbour title .  It has been an exciting beginning for our little minx who now has titles at both ends of her name.  We are looking forward to seeing what Ellie and Lise will get up to next!

Winston x Sophie Pups Leave the Nest

It has been a busy last couple of weeks with the "E" litter.  The puppies have grown into inquisitive, happy, active, playful and friendly Barbet puppies and we couldn't be more pleased.

Eating lunch on the patio

We've been fortunate to have had a mild winter so far which lasted up until the pup's 9th week.  As a result the pups were able to spend lots of time playing outside.

Duke and Minx

Rogue

Duchess

Lady - helping with the laundry

Minx

Duke

Lady and Marie

We temperament tested the puppies last week and as always it was a great experience that gave us more information as to how the pups behaved in new situations.  It's also a great opportunity for the puppies to meet new people and try new things.

Structural Evaluations for the puppies also occurred last week.  It's a lovely consistent litter. They are nicely put together puppies and I'm pleased with what Winston and Sophie have produced together.  I look forward to seeing how these puppies mature. 

The litter was introduced to whole birds in the form of pigeons.  It's always nice to see them as babies doing what the breed had been developed to do.  The Barbet is a very old, and versatile French breed of water dog. One of it's functions was used to locate, flush and retrieve birds shot by his master, primarily waterfowl.

The puppies have all left the nest and have started the next chapter in their lives with their new families.  Here they are in order of departure with their new families;

Rogue now lives with Robyn and Craig. 

His registered name is Northrock's Evian and they call him Beau.

Duchess went to live with Delia and Matthew and their two boys.  

She's called Lexi - Northrock's Eureka

Duke now makes his home with Leonardo and Michael.  

He is Northrock's El Magnifico Theo and goes by Théodore.

Minx now lives with Lise and Les.  

Her new name is Ellie and her registered name is Northrock's Eau de Joy.

Lady is now Northrock's Elouisa Belle and her new family calls her Lulu. She lives with humans Sheila, David and Ethan and has a canine buddy Lincoln.

Saying bon voyage to these puppies was bittersweet. I enjoyed them so very much and will miss their happy wagging tails.  They have such lovely personalities and are such delightful little Barbets.  I have come to know their new owners and I know these pups will be deeply loved and well cared for.  I'm thankful for the new opportunities their families will give them and I look forward to updates that share with me how the chapters of their lives are unfolding.  Huge thanks to Winston's owners Denyse Rousseau, Isabelle Auger and Derek Duguay for helping to make this litter possible.

The Winston and Sophie Puppies are 7 Weeks Old

We had a wonderful week with the puppies.  The weather cooperated and we had several trips outside where they were able to run around the yard, explore the shrubs and hedges and play with the big dogs.  They also enjoyed playing in the pen we have set up outside.

Having a quick snack

Their indoor space has lots of toys for them to play with, especially things to chew and gnaw on as they have been busy teething.  Here is a video of the pups playing. 

New experiences continued this past week for the litter.  They continued to have meals in different rooms in the house. 

Dinner in the laundry room while the dryer was going didn't faze these puppies.

There were more visitors and car rides, they were tattooed and the puppies also had their first baths this week. 

Their personalities are really emerging and it's been fun watching them interact with one another and their environment. They are curious and delightful little puppies and it is such a joy getting to know their individual temperaments.

The Winston and Sophie Puppies are 6 Weeks Old

This week just seemed to fly by!  The pups are growing by leaps and bounds.  Their teeth have erupted and they are busy chewing on anything they can get their mouths on.  Consequently they have been provided with some nice bones to gnaw on and a variety of appropriate chew toys.

Duchess

Rogue

The puppy pen continues to expand as new and interesting articles are added to it.  The puppies are very interested in climbing and exploring and despite a huge dumping of snow we received earlier at the end of the week we managed to regularly get outside with the puppies so that they could romp around the yard.

Minx

Interactions with the other dogs in the house are fun to watch.  The older Barbet girls just love the puppies and I enjoy seeing them play bowing to them or gently licking their little faces.  We are looking forward to the week ahead with Sophie and her pups.

Duke

Lady

The Winston and Sophie Puppies Are 5 Weeks Old

The ability to really influence a puppy's brain begins between four and five weeks of age.  We are now in what is often termed the "critical period" of development.  This period extends from three weeks to sixteen weeks of age.  Busy times ahead with lots of positive new experiences for the puppies.

Sophie continues to be an enormous influence on her pups.  She will snuggle with the puppies and gently play with them.  It is beautiful to watch them interact with one another. She is still nursing them even though they have begun to eat solid foods.  Nursing is a developmental opportunity for the puppies as they jostle for space at the milk bar and now that their teeth have begun to emerge...valuable lessons in bite inhibition have also begun.

Housebreaking training is well underway.  The puppies are regularly using the potty box.  Their pen has lots of toys for them to play with which are regularly exchanged for new and different ones.  A crate was added to their pen and they love crawling in it for naps.  

Here are a couple of videos taken of the pups playing in their pen.

The weather cooperated this week and short visit outside have begun.  There are many new sights and sounds in the yard for the puppies to explore.  

A quick snack "al fresco"

Rogue and Duke pose for the camera.

One of the things we do with the pups while they are in our care is follow the "Rules of Seven" developed by Pat Schaap, a longtime Sheltie breeder.  By the time the puppies are seven weeks old they should have:

• Been on 7 different types of surfaces:  carpet, concrete, wood, vinyl, grass, dirt, gravel, wood chips
• Played with 7 different types of objects:  big balls, small balls, soft fabric toys, fuzzy toys, squeaky toys, paper of cardboard items, metal items, sticks or hose pieces
• Been in 7 different locations:  front yard, back yard, basement, kitchen, car, garage, laundry room, bathroom
• Met and played with 7 new people:  include children and older adults, someone walking with a cane or stick, someone in a wheelchair or walker
• Been exposed to 7 challenges:  climb on a box, climb off a box, go  through a tunnel, climb steps, go down steps, climb over obstacles, play  hide and seek, in and out of a doorway with a step up or down, run around  a fence
• Eaten from 7 different containers;  metal, plastic, cardboard, paper,  china, pie plate, frying pan
• Eaten in 7 different locations:  crate, yard, kitchen, basement, laundry  room, living room, bathroom

Visitors are a regular occurrence now that the pups have moved downstairs.

I hope you enjoy our weekly blog posts about Northrock's "E" litter.  If you would like to see more photos and videos of the pups I invite you to like our Facebook page Northrock Barbets where I try to post photos of the little muppets on a daily basis.

The Winston x Sophie Puppies are 4 Weeks Old.

The pups had a great week.  Last Sunday they made the big move from the guest bedroom to what would be our dining room on the main floor of the house.  This space is located right next to the kitchen and the living room so the pups are exposed to all of the household sights, smells and sounds of everyday life.  They still have their whelping box which made the move with them but they now have access to a potty box and a small play area.  Already the pups have been making use of the potty box.  Upon waking they toddle over to the box to eliminate.  I'm so pleased with these little puppies.

The radio is always playing and is usually set to the classical music station. We have also started to use the various sound effect CDs that we have to help the puppies get used to the noises of gunfire, thunderstorms, babies crying etc..  They are growing so much from one day to the next.  

It's such a joy to watch them interact with one another and their dam and to see how they use the toys in their set up.  Their teeth have not yet erupted but it won't be long now and they are busy mouthing anything they can get their little gums on. 

The pups were given their first solids meal of ground turkey with bone mixed with goat's milk which they thoroughly enjoyed.  

Visitors have been a regular occurrence this past week and the puppies are getting lots of exposure to men, women and children.  It's an adorable age and we spend countless hours cuddling with the puppies. 

Here are the photos of the puppies taken today when they turned 4 weeks old.

The Winston x Sophie Puppies are 3 Weeks Old

It's been another great week for Northrock's E litter.  The pups eyes are all open now.  They had toys added to their whelping box during this last week and have slowly begun to interact with them.  They are also beginning to play with one another.  Mouthing and batting at each other and with Sophie.  I could sit and watch them for hours on end.

Minx and Duke

The pups are also up on their feet now and are moving about the whelping box.  It's not the most graceful movement but they are most definitely up and about and enjoying their new found ability to explore.  We had to add the door to the whelping box as they had figured out how to climb over the pig rail and out of the box!

Here is a video of the pups at 2 1/2 weeks old.

These little pups are growing quickly and the weeks ahead will be lots of fun as we get to know their little personalities.  

Rogue - 3 weeks

Duke - 3 weeks

Minx - 3 weeks

Duchess - 3 weeks

Lady - 3 weeks