Fare well, sweet puppies

At six weeks of age, the nine puppies out of Northwoods Stardust by Cold Creed Hank still sleep in a pile.

Of the chores Jerry and I do around the kennel, some are fun and some are not so fun. In the latter category are the daily hosing of the kennel runs (Jerry) and cleaning up the play yard with a little rake and shovel (me).

However, we agree unequivocally that the most enjoyable chores involve puppies.

Four-day-old puppies out of Northwoods Four Roses by Northwoods Homer cuddle while they sleep on the heated nest.

We got a huge dose of it this spring. Comet, Stardust and Four Roses came into season within a couple weeks of each other. They were each bred and then nine weeks later whelped their litters on May 2, May 13 and May 17, respectively.

The total was 20 puppies—3 pointers and 17 setters.

Since there were only three puppies out of CH Confident Nation x Northwoods Comet and they got plenty of food, they were always substantially larger than than the other two litters.

Even though it’s our business and, as previously mentioned lots of “enjoyable” work, there is another dimension to puppy chores. Every day for eight weeks, we watch them, care for them, play with them and get to know each one individually. From the very first day when each weighs less than one pound and are totally helpless until they have grown and developed into little dogs, we watch them.

Puppies out of Northwoods Homer x Northwoods Four Roses are eight weeks old and ready to go to their new homes.

Then, in a bittersweet blink, the puppies are eight weeks old and we send them off into the world. Excited new owners drove or flew from all over the country—New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Texas and Montana—to pick up their puppy.

As each puppy left with their owner, we said, a la Gandalf, “Fare well!”