Rosie's pups

Going Gently is getting a puppy for Christmas. In his case, a Welsh Terrier.  It made me so happy for him, and also made me wish I was getting a puppy for Christmas too.  That made me think about my last puppy, who was Tuppence, and who was also Rosie's own pup.

Here is a hodgepodge of videos I made of Rosie's pups.  They're out of order for age of pups, but I kind of like them the way they are. It's eight minutes long but I hope you get as much enjoyment out of watching it as I do.

Ps. Am sure I don't sound that nasal in real life!  Yegods!

    
Daisy ended up as Tuppence when we kept her and realised she needed a bit feistier name.  :)

This is Golden Boy who gets a mention and was renamed Stanley. He now has a little sister to love, as well as his kitty.

This is Legs who is now Satchmo.

Handsome was my favorite I must admit, and our firstborn pup,

but with mum keeping Angus, who was called Rocket in those days, I felt we shouldn't keep two boys from the same litter in case of sibling rivalry. He's called Manly now (after an Aussie Rules football team, not because he's particularly butch!) 

Angus was irresistible right from the start. We called him Rocket because he came out right behind the pup in front of him, as if he was in a big hurry. He has gone through life that way ever since!  Mum tried to use her head in choosing which pup to keep, but she and Angus had a thing going right from the start, a bit like Rosie and I did, and in the end the heart won!

It's worked out well, though.  They're doing well in retrieving trials, and he's a marvelous companion for mum too.  Affectionate and snuggly and SO handsome! Canine eye candy!

If you are wondering why we did photos with names, well, you try picking which Lab pup was which a few years down the track, or even by the time they are eight weeks old! We sent each pup home with their two week old photo like this, and an eight week old group shot as well. Ribbon collars to identify pups are a bit dangerous, so we marked each pup somewhere different with a tiny dab of nail polish.  That doesn't show up in photos, though, so we came up with this name card idea instead.    


Walker became Charlie.  He was born outside when Rosie went out for what we thought was a toilet break!

This little cutie grew up to be called Bruce, but we called him Diver Dan.  I can't remember why now.

He looks a lot like Tuppy, but is more chunky now than in this picture.

And of course there's our Tuppy, the only girl who lived and the biggest handful of the lot.  :)

Her registered name is Moralana Rosies Reward, and I'm happy to say that so she has become.  They are good friends and great company for each other.

They'll all be four years old this month.  We're still in touch with all the owners, though some more than others.  It's lovely to know that they all went to homes that love them and are valued members of their families.

Nonetheless, next time we want a pup, I'll be happy to buy one from a breeder other than mum and I. A reputable, registered one who house-raises their pups just like mum.  My heart is still a little sore from saying goodbye to Rosie's babies.  Going through the birth with your darling girl, raising pups well and with love, finding the right people to take the pups, then sending them out into the world, is not for the faint-hearted.  Not if you do it right.