Talisman & Totem SportDogs

This is the hardest time for me, heading into the final days/weeks with the pups. So freakin' exhausted can barely think or move by the end of the day, but love them immensely! Emotional time, have to start to detach, but know that all the effort and work put into them gives them the best start, to begin their new lives with new loving people.  Also know I will get to see many of them, whether in real life or online. Love seeing them grow up and bring joy to their people, as they learn and do fun stuff together.  The weather has continued to be crappy rain, but just enough sunny days to get in many puppy field trips out and about. It really helps pups so much to be able to hit the ground running, in new environments and meet lots of new people. At home is good, but social skills and learning to adjust is part of helping them grow to be stable and resilient.  They are waking up early to go outside to "go" 4-5 AM comes quickly!!! I guess I could do what othe...

Soggiest, greyest Spring ever! rain and more rain, really need to see some sun. Snow has all melted as of a couple weeks ago, but straight to black flies & ticks!! We have so many ticks, never before last year have I seen so many. Need to put down more diatamaceous earth and cedar chips closer to the house. Little bastards, hate using poisons, but hate tickborne diseases more. Looking at options like Seresto collars, uggghhhh.... Climate change doesn't exist???!!! Hello, watching these evil creatures climb on me and the dogs, yes, yes it does exist! Last year was first Lyme/Anaplasmosis+ for a couple of the dogs too (in years) meh...ok will stop whining... I love Sundays, and Sunday mornings. After some recent work craziness, my peace has returned, very grateful for that. Lots of outdoor projects to do!!! and Flowers 💚💜, new Lilies to plant.  Pups are thriving and running and climbing stairs and wagging tails and problem solving. 5 weeks tomorrow, they are a calm but ke...

Been writing a lot, just no time to also write here, even though I planned to again-starting this new year.  Been a very Busy late winter into early spring. Still some snow and ice in our little humble part of New Hampshire, but melting fast!  April rang in with 7 gorgeous pups! 4 girls, 3 boys out of our Kestrel x Zinc (aka the Dream team). It is 4th generation for us combining import Irish/Scots/Welsh lines with a bit of US cowdog thrown in. Very excited to see how these pups grow up. Named for the holiday, the Poisson D'Avril's are thriving! So many amazing dogs behind these pups, they are round and already exploring their bed area, at just one week today. They are the most calm and settled pups about ENS handling, after day 1-just got used to it quickly! Lots of regular handling to give them love too, of course. They are getting exposure to new scents and textures daily too, to help grow their brains. The more a pup is gently handled and touched befor...

This has been a tough winter already, lots of ice, snow hit early...blah!!! Power went out and a line down across the driveway a couple days ago, trapped until fixed and plow guy could get in...counting the days until Spring.  Really going through "sheep" withdrawal, not been able to work in so long. But, now that Teg is confirmed "with puppy" totally something to look forward to, in the midst of bleak mid-winter!! Really looking forward to these pups! And more agility and other training during the off season, and online agility classes! Another round starting soon. BUT PUPPIES!!!!! ❀✪✬✭✮❃♪♫ I think they will be smart beauties! Teg was such a cute pup. Look at her strong-minded little face.

It's winter in NH, perfect time for indoor projects! My Dad taught me to rewire a lamp and change a tire when I was 10.  Scots & Irish New England Yankees at our best, I learned early on-don't needlessly throw money at things, we can do ourselves.  Spending a small fortune to start to redo the flooring on first floor of my house. One of the things I have always wanted to try, was to "refinish" old linoleum, to see first if it was possible? And, second because the Kitchen was one space I wasn't sure if I wanted to extend the other flooring into yet.  The idea of unique and free-form design also harks back to my Textile Design & Fine Arts degree...I love textures and variety.  So, I read a bunch of blog posts, watched YT videos to figure out the techniques and materials I would need. Prep is the most important thing!!!  I bought all of my supplies for painting at Home Depot, my go-to place for DIY! Stencils can be found online, I found a large pa...

I love the ocean, so do my dogs! When there is ice and snow or hunters in the woods, we hit the beach. The sky was just amazing yesterday, so much energy flowing off those snow squall clouds. I love to see my dogs really open up and run, their bodies and brains need that. I am always happy to wander alone, but it is also nice when friends come along.   SoBright just turned 7 months, an open beach is a fantastic place to work recalls. To be respectful of others walking, I call my dogs back to me, as we pass by usually. Brighty-pants is also learning not to boink people in the eye with exuberant LoVe! She is also doing just great meeting new dogs!!  After an early bad experience with being trounced and aggressed towards, as much as I told myself not to fret...internally of course I was fretting upon new canine meetings. My little social, loving girl seems to have worked it out! Like her mama, the natural therapy dog, Bright is very intuitive and a gr...

Teg is hopefully "with puppy", to be confirmed in the next couple days with "old school methods". I think I have always been old school and hoping Nature takes its course, naturally...no progesterone testing, no ultrasounds, no xrays, no c-sections (knock on wood). I want my dogs to whelp naturally and let them decide when to wean...naturally. Yup *Natural*.... it's a theme.  So waiting and actually I am super patient, but the weather is crappy and being stuck inside a bit more than my free spirit likes....time for obsessing a little bit if she is or isn't "with puppy", so feeling a little impatient.  I LOVE raising puppies. It is hard to explain the miracle of those little beings, as you hold them on their first breath. So much promise for the future, stuff to look forward to as they learn and mature, setting them up for their future lives. I'm sure a midwife feels the same, helping a woman give birth. Life really is an amazing thi...