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Pupdate: Life with 8.5-Week-Old Aussies
The big milestones keep rolling in for Bliss’ litter of Aussies, and I couldn’t be prouder of how they’re growing up. We’re down to just four puppies here, which feels almost quiet compared to the chaos of six…though let’s be honest, “quiet” is a relative term with a crew of energetic fluffballs. Potty training is going well (thank you, tiny bladders with improving control and a STRONG preference to potty outside), and they’re proving to be a sweet, fun group to live with as they get ready for their next adventures.
One girl, Paris (now Sienna) jetted off to California with a flight nanny, and she handled it like a seasoned traveler. She snuggled into her carrier, snoozed through the trip, and is now thriving in her new home with toddlers. She’s showing so much confidence, and I have to thank my neighbor’s grandkids for helping with early socialization. Those visits really paid off!
Another pup, Kauai (now Leilani Kauai), has gone to a local family where she’ll become a therapy dog alongside her new person, a high school psychologist. It’s so rewarding to see her step into a future that’s all about bringing comfort and connection to others. She’s soooo social; I know she’s gonna love her job.
Next weekend, two more Tulum (now Ceilidh – sounds like Kaylee) and Sedona (now Skye) will head to their new families in Indiana and Ohio respectively, and we’ll be down to just 2!
My keeper is Sierra, but her litter name doesn’t quite fit my Alacrity theme (Joy, Bliss, Magic…) so I’m in the middle of the Great Name Debate. Nothing feels quite right yet, but I know it’ll come to me when it’s meant to. Seems like everyone has a suggestion…. I’d love to hear yours!
The last little boy, Jasper, is navigating some confidence challenges. He had a tough time on puppy evaluation day, and while we’re hoping it’s just a normal fear period, I’m giving him extra support to help him through. He’s such a sweet boy, and I know he has it in him to shine once he finds his groove. If we see him step up like the bold boy he was a few weeks ago, he may be headed to a service dog organization…. but otherwise, we’ll find him the best possible companion home. Time will tell!
That’s the latest from the puppy pen! I’ll share clips of the evaluations soon, but for now, I just wanted to let you know how everyone is doing and, of course, show off their adorable portraits.
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11 Replies
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Ceilidh will be heading home with my husband Kris, her new big brother Caber, and I later this week! Can’t hardly wait to meet her!!
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Congratulations, Christina! I am so happy for you!!! Really so cool to have a puppy staying “in the Digging Dogs family”! I hope you will share updates of her regularly. I bet Caber will love her.
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She is SO excited to meet you, @PerpetualCleric – and what fun it will be to raise puppies together again after all these years…. this is our 3rd foray into puppyhood together, can you belive the synchronicity! Here’s a photo of Kris being amazing, and Mal being…. Mal. ????
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Catherine, you are AMAZING. I am so happy to have watched this beautiful puppy family grow and bloom into the sweet puppies and dogs they will become. I feel privileged to have known them here. Thank you so much for sharing so many lovely updates with us! You’re the best!
I hope you will get a “spa day” soon. For Miss Bliss and Magic, too. I know little Sierra will keep you on your toes, still. Or whoever she will be renamed into! Joy would be so proud of your girls!!!
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Thank you for your kind words, @bernerlabreclectus -it’s my passion and priviledge to raise these puppies. And I agree. Joy would love them. I like to think she’s sitting on the couch next to me, silently judging them as she would. ????
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Love these pupdates!
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Thank you Abbie!
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Oh, my! How adorable.
Do tell us about Sierra’s personality!
Why ( or how) did you decide she was the ” keeper”?
Her eyes are like beacons shining in this picture. She is gorgeous! ( my opinion, of course!)
Felicity and Ardor come to my mind.
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@jenz – you always ask the most insightful questions.
As you can imagine, it wasn’t a simple decision! I knew I wanted to keep a female for my breeding program, so that ruled out 1 of 6 puppies. (One boy – Jasper)
Next, I admit a slight color bias toward black as you may have noticed. No offense to the Irish, but gingers tend to be a little spicier in every species, amiright? Same seems to be true in Aussies. My breeding goals are for service & therapy dogs, so vanilla is a better overtone than cayenne. Though to be fair, toward the end I really did consider both Paris and Sedona because they are phenomenal in different ways. Paris is a great combo of bold and tuned-in, plus has the best structure in the litter and a nice petite size and Sedona is going to be stunning with her dark coat plus she is the most connection-with-my-person seeking puppy in the litter. She wants to be with her person, doing all the things. That’s a service dog for ya. (Both are going to breeding homes which makes me thrilled.)
Kauai is, by far, the most social-seeking in the litter – she needs people, all the people, so many people, which made her perfect for the therapy dog work one buyer needs. She will never get tired of saying “hi” and being pet. Tulum was my pick for weeks. She is ridiculously sweet and will be absolutely stunning with her big white blaze and strong tri markings. Plus, she’s Magic’s best friend, something I couldn’t ignore – they are often together, off to the side, away from the rest of the crazies, just doin’ their thing. I knew this quality would make an amazing companion for Caber, which was a priority for Christina and her family, my longtime friends and I really want them to enjoy her.
In the end, Sierra has a bit of all those qualities… she is nicely balanced, has solid structure, is game to connect without being “needy”, was #1 at natural retrieve (which is a great sign of an easy-to-train dog) and has been the #1 boldest exploring all the new things. Sierra is everything I want future puppies to be, and an improvement on Bliss with her boldness. She met the goals of this breeding, so it makes sense to keep her. Then one day, she just asked to be mine. I guess you could say she picked me. It was a long look of “hey. you.” reminiscent of the day Joy claimed me and said she was the one. And that was it! I’m looking forward to getting to know her better and seeing where she takes us!
Also – just LOOK AT THAT FRECKLE! ???? Now, if only I could land on her name.
My criteria:
- one or two syllables
- if one syllable, great if able to be extended – e.g., Bliss to Blissful
- if two syllables, perfect if the first can stand along – e.g., Magic is Madge.
- doesn’t end in “ah” or “ee” – no Lunas, Bellas, Candies or Evies
- fits the theme of: happy, bright, hopeful, cheery, perky, peppiness, magical wonderment
- won’t be construed as religious – no Glory, Hope, Faith
- isn’t a person’s name
- doesn’t sound like my other dogs’ names or a cue
That’s it, I mean, really, how hard can it be? ????
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