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Soliel x Marcus
Aside from being a sweet girl, wonderful mother and having a really rocking body, (I mean this girl could run for days) Soleil has excellent health clearances. She is MDR1 NN, CEA mild, excellent hips and normal elbows, DMS low risk and PRA clear. Her last litter (Noodle puppies) astonished me with their athleticism (running up and down stairs for fun at 6 weeks!) and quiet social ability. (Trust me, quiet in collies is a huge deal!!)
She has been bred to the ever so handsome Marcus -Ch. Eastleigh's Night Circus. This striking tri dog is the son of another lovely tri dog I wished I had been able to breed to some 10 years ago. So I have been admiring this family from afar for a little while now. Aside, from being a physically and mentally balanced dog, and an all round cool dude, Marcus brings an outstanding length of head, lovely outline and beautiful round muzzle to the table. He was awarded an Award of Merit at the collie National Specialty in 2018 and an all Breed Reserve Best in Show. I'm very excited to see what these two can do. The best of both parents should be outstanding puppies with limitless potential.
She has been bred to the ever so handsome Marcus -Ch. Eastleigh's Night Circus. This striking tri dog is the son of another lovely tri dog I wished I had been able to breed to some 10 years ago. So I have been admiring this family from afar for a little while now. Aside, from being a physically and mentally balanced dog, and an all round cool dude, Marcus brings an outstanding length of head, lovely outline and beautiful round muzzle to the table. He was awarded an Award of Merit at the collie National Specialty in 2018 and an all Breed Reserve Best in Show. I'm very excited to see what these two can do. The best of both parents should be outstanding puppies with limitless potential.
Puppies are expected mid Nov. and will be raised with early neuro stim and Puppy Culture.
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Placing Guesses?
Soleil has always been a very food motivated girl, but when she started bolting her dinner and then shoving poor Scarlett over and devouring her dinner too, we were suspicious she had a lot of puppies and increased her food. Both Soleil and Scarlett were pleased. X-rays verified our suspicions….anyone care to guess? Mostly we just would like a safe delivery of healthy babies, but we have politely suggested that a few tri smooth girls would be very well received in this litter.
New This Litter
We are very excited about our puppy agility equipment (photo from Mad Agility.) It includes a barrel shoot, a dog walk, a teeter and a wobble board. Puppies will be introduced with a handler 1-1 (for safety) to the equipment at 5-6 weeks. We also purchased a webcam for the whelping box. Now I can helicopter parent mom and puppies AND take a shower! Isn't technology swell?
We Love You to the Moon and Sun
Waiting is the hardest part....and although the time between confirming pregnancy and delivery is short (30 days) it seems like an eternity. These little puppies will be given whelping box names in line with the moon and sun after both parents (Night in Marcus' registered name and Sun from Soleil).
They're Here!
On Nov 11, the day before a full moon we welcomed 9 robust puppies into our family. Average weight was 11.8oz. We have 5 girls, 4 boys. 4 Tri and 5 sables. We are still determining who is rough and who is smooth. Mom and babies are doing remarkably well.
3 Days
Everyone gained weight overnight. Just like human babies, they loose a little after birth. That first 12 hour period that everyone gains is a comforting milestone. It signifies that everyone is rebounding from birth and adjusting to “life on the outside”. This litter is doing very well. Usually, we have 1 or 2 that need a little extra time or a little boost to adjust and start gaining, especially in a litter this large. Our biggest puppy (one of the tri males) has already hit 1 pound!
Week 2
Lots of growing, first nail trim, first deworming and even more growing! We are between 1.3# and 2.3#. We have daily neuro-stimulation from days 3-13. Look! Our eyes are opening!
We have a smooth sable girl, a smooth sable boy, 2 rough tri boys, 2 rough tri girls, 1 rough sable boy and 2 rough sable girls. Soleil didn't read the book....smooth is supposed to be dominant.
We have a smooth sable girl, a smooth sable boy, 2 rough tri boys, 2 rough tri girls, 1 rough sable boy and 2 rough sable girls. Soleil didn't read the book....smooth is supposed to be dominant.
Week 3
Whelping box came down today. I had so much help.
The babies have their names. Named for both parents all the tris are translations of the word Moon and all the girls are translations of the word Sun.
All together we have the sables: Helios, Sol, Matahari, Grian, Zun. And the tris Mwezi, Bulan, Selene and Lor.
The babies have their names. Named for both parents all the tris are translations of the word Moon and all the girls are translations of the word Sun.
All together we have the sables: Helios, Sol, Matahari, Grian, Zun. And the tris Mwezi, Bulan, Selene and Lor.
Week 4
First meal! One of my favorite days!
Week 5
We learned about baths. We are now in a big pen so we can run and play and have plenty of room to learn to be clean.
Week 6
Unseasonably warm today, puppies finally get to go outside (briefly) for the first time. I think they liked it! These are some really clean babies. At 6 weeks no one is pooping outside of the potty spot in the pen. I'm seriously impressed.
Where Are They Now?
All the puppies left at 12 weeks. We kept the smooth sable girl Zun and renamed her Gilda (Gateside Mandalay Everything Under the Sun).
Sol, Bulan, Selene, Matahari and Lor are now well loved family members in and around New England.
Grian and Mwezi are now named Lena and Jet respectively and are at Masacoma Collies growing up.
The handsome Helios is now known as Reign went out to the Midwest and has big dreams to live up to in both the agility and conformation ring.
Sol, Bulan, Selene, Matahari and Lor are now well loved family members in and around New England.
Grian and Mwezi are now named Lena and Jet respectively and are at Masacoma Collies growing up.
The handsome Helios is now known as Reign went out to the Midwest and has big dreams to live up to in both the agility and conformation ring.