The Jack x Edie Puppies: Week Four

 

The puppies are growing up! 

What a fun week we've had with the puppies in their new space.  Located right next to the kitchen they have gotten to hear lots of new sounds, including all the preparations for our family Thanksgiving Dinner pots and pans clanging, timers going off, exhaust fans running and even the smoke detector (oops).

We also play music and different sounds for the puppies moving the speaker around the room so the sounds come from different areas. The puppies are becoming great explorers and every day interacting more and more with their mother (playing with her beard and tail) each other (bitey face is always a popular game) and the objects in their pen.  Towards the end of this week they even started picking lighter weight toys up and carrying them around.

Their inner pen is kept small to facility potty training but they have lots of time outside that space in a larger area where they can play and explore and interact with Edie.It's incredible how their coordination has improved from the beginning of the week to the end of the week.  At first they are still fairly unsteady on their legs but at the end, they are quite sure of themselves and their footing, running and turning easily and even backing up.  We keep several blankets and mats down for them at this age because without them the floor is just a little bit too slick for them to be walking on right now. 

Another big milestone happened this week when we introduced solid food to the puppies.  Although their first few meals were rather messy they sure did enjoy them! They still nurse several times a day but now they are also enjoying the more filling solid food. 

They spend a lot of time sleeping but their stamina has increased and they are now awake and playing for longer periods of time each day.  Next week will be another exciting week of growth and development for the puppies. Check back here to see what new experiences they have.

These puppies have all been spoken for. 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 Edie Puppies: Week Three

What a week it's been for the Jack and Edie puppies.  All of their senses have finally come online.  Eyes were all open at the beginning of the week and midway through the week they were able to hear.  Although they are still very nearsighted and their hearing isn't perfect, it's still a very big step forward. These new senses team up with their being able to feel, taste and smell which they could do from birth. Oh and instead of the quiet cries and chirps and trills the puppies would sometimes make, now their voices are projecting all sorts of yips and yodels and baby dog barks.

They can toddle about the box and are able to climb out so a door that their mom is able to step over has been put into the entry of the box to keep everyone contained and safe.  The puppies sleep a lot but when they are awake for a bit after having nursed they are very entertaining. Now the puppies have begun to play with one another and their mother.  I truly could sit and watch them for hours on end.

I'm still weighing the puppies twice a day to make sure that everyone is gaining as they should. I'm very glad to say that by the end of the week the puppies all weighed more than four times their birth weight and are doing well. 

Edie is a really wonderful mother to her little ones. These days she spends more time outside of the whelping box but goes in regularly to feed and clean up after her puppies. I continue to support her with a whole lot of food, fresh cold water and a great deal of love and affection.  

Another milestone was achieved this week which was the beginning stages of potty training. Pee pads were added to one side of their box and the puppies have been very good at going over to them to eliminate. 

We've a had a few visitors this week which is good for the puppies and Edie seems quite happy to show off her little family and was very welcoming to our close family friends who came to say hello.

I am treasuring each day with Edie and her puppies.  It's always a wonder and a joy to witness the growth and development of each puppy and the tenderness their mother shows to them.

These puppies have all been spoken for. 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 Edie Puppies: Week Two

It's been a calm and peaceful week here at Northrock.  I look after Edie and she looks after her puppies....ok with a litter of nine it's a bit more involved than that but you get the gist of it.  She had a spa day with a long bath and conditioning treatment and was all brushed out and feeling quite fabulous I'm sure.  

Mother care is still hugely important and this week Edie ate about 250 to 300% of her maintenance amount of food. That's a lot of room service!  She is a diligent mom and although she has begun to spend less time in the whelping box she will regularly go in to feed and clean her puppies.  Although we spend a bit of time together in the yard most of her day is spent in the nursery where she can be close to her little ones and at hand to attend to their needs.  

Cleanliness is really important and the whelping box is wiped down and the bedding washed every day.  Puppies are weighed twice daily and private nursing sessions are given to the smallest pups or the ones that hadn't gained as much the previous day.  I'm glad they are all doing well and with this little bit of extra juggling we are seeing very consistent gains and not a huge disparity in weights among the puppies. 

Their nails are done about every three days and this week I switched from the human nails clippers to the dremel which I love in part because it has a little light on the end of it so I can better see what I'm doing but mostly because the nails are kept very smooth - this lessens the chance of the puppies scratching their mother's breast tissue which could lead to infection.

Early Scent Introduction and the Early Neurological Stimulation exercises which were started last week continued through this week as well.  Plus lots of cuddle time with the pups with family members. 

Although most of the time all you see is puppies eating and sleeping, a lot of development is happening with the puppies. By the end of the week most of the puppies have tripled their birth weights and all are up on leg toddling about the box.  We added soft toys as  obstacles for the puppies to move over and around. All but one of the puppies have their eyes open and soon their hearing will come on line as well.  

The coming week will bring even more change and development so check back next weekend for another puppy update from the whelping box!

These puppies have all been spoken for. 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 Edie Puppies: Week One

 

The puppies have had a terrific first week.  Edie has settled into her new role beautifully.  She is calm and relaxed with her puppies and attentive to their needs, lovingly feeding and cleaning them throughout the day.  

The miracle of birth and transition into motherhood is awe inspiring and I am filled with appreciation and wonder with every litter. The puppies are so vulnerable at this age.  They cannot see, nor hear and are not yet able to regulate their own body temperature.  A supportive and safe environment is essential. 

It’s a fairly quiet week in the whelping room.  Our focus is to provide supportive care to Edie.  I bring cool, fresh water for her to drink and multiple meals throughout the day to her in the box. During the first few days she doesn’t want to leave her puppies but will happily eat and drink if I provide room service.

I clean the whelping box and wash the bedding daily and towards the end of the first week I begin to add some larger stuffed animals for the pups to navigate around. 

I have started trimming puppy nails every three days and on day three I start doing Early Neurological Stimulation exercises which will continue until the puppies are sixteen days old. I've also begun implementing Early Scent Introduction in which novel scents are introduced to the neonate puppies. So far the scents they have reacted to most were lavender and a smelly sock!

The puppies all have french names as the theme for this litter!

These puppies have all been spoken for. 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.  

Welcome Jack x Edie Puppies!

 Northrock's "O" Litter - Born September 18, 2020

*** These puppies have all been spoken for***

GCH Treebeard's Jack Of All Trades x 
CH Northrock's Homegrown Honey

On September 18, 2020 nine sweet Barbet puppies were whelped at Northrock Barbets. Born to CH Northrock’s Homegrown Honey by GCH Treebeard’s Jack of All Trades we welcome 5 males and 4 females to the world. We are very grateful to Edie’s co-owner Matt McWilliams for helping to make this litter possible. And of course we also extend our thanks to Jack’s owners, Brittany Grolle, Karsten Grolle and his breeder, Janet Black Evans. We all look forward to watching these puppies 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.  

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.

Welcome to our Northrock Family!

About a month shy of 8 years ago, Josh Bandoch and Maria Rogacheva drove up from the States to pick up their puppy from me.  Over the years our friendship has grown and Pascal (CH Northrock's Athos Pascal) has gone on to sire some really nice litters and contribute to the growth of the breed in the US and in Canada. Yesterday Josh and Maria drove to breeder Judy McMaster Descutner's home to pick up their second Barbet, Pascal's son whom they have named Pierre.

Please join me in welcoming Pierre, formally known as Hickory Tavern Celebration With Northrock to our Northrock family. Thank you Judy for your friendship and for choosing Pascal for your beautiful girl Dana (Hickory Tavern Former Child Star CM3) together these two Barbet have produced a very promising litter.

My heartfelt thanks to Josh and Maria (and Pascal). I'm so grateful for your friendship and for the beautiful partnership that has grown out of our mutual love and appreciation for this wonderful breed. May we have many more reasons to celebrate as the years ahead unfold.