All Aboard!!!
Since this is the Roper/Riker (R&R) litter, my good friend Carolyn suggested that we make it a railroad theme. With this in mind, these pups carry names from train depots that are or were located in North Carolina. This also seems like a good idea when you consider the history of the English Shepherds & how they were transported from the large breeding kennels (deep south, mid west) to farmers and new pet owners back in their heyday. The rails transported many a pup in a wooden crate. Many of those puppies were shipped as young as 4 weeks in age.
My grandfather's first three English Shepherds were shipped by rail to New Hill, NC, which was several miles from the farm, but not as far as Apex. My father told me that he rode with Granddaddy to pick up at least one puppy at the New Hill depot. While New Hill's depot is long gone, Apex's depot served many years as the public library and now houses the Chamber of Commerce. The Apex depot was named for being the highest point on a 30 mile track heading to Raleigh - the old Chatham Railroad. The depot was there first, followed by the town.
Roper & Riker's pups started arriving late Sunday afternoon (5:30ish) on August 14th. The last pup was a little after 2 am the following morning. There are 10 surviving pups - 5 males, 5 females, and there was 1 stillborn. Most of the puppies are some form of shaded sable. Some will be about the color of Roper or Holly when grown with the reddish tint to their coat. Some may be more like Roper's sire Zeke, which is browner sable, not as red. You may click on the individual names on the right to see pictures of them as they grow. Enjoy!
Week 2 - During this past week, the puppies have gone from blind and deaf to eyes & ears opening up. Most of the pups have eyes completely open, but several of the boys still have a little ways to go in that regards. Pups are now toddling about in the pen, air scenting & quick to set onto nursing when Roper gets in there with them. This is always an exciting time as they are transitioning from "it's all about me" to "hey, there are others in my world."
Week 3 - Puppies are interacting with one another, moving with grace and more speed and are definitely awake more, with their eyes completely open now. Check out the difference in Zeb's eyes from last week to this week! Teeth are beginning to erupt. Roper is still nursing them and doing a wonderful job with them. Holly has checked out the puppies a little bit, not quite as much as she has in the past, but that may come now that they are more mobile. All puppies have more than doubled their birth weight.
Week 4 - Puppies have had some major milestones this week in starting their transition over to food and starting to go outside some. I have told some folks about the "fading gray gene" which comes to us courtesy of Ed Lynn Jarratt's Russ (Dillon's sire). Sometimes it is not as spectacular on sable pups, but with this litter there are 2 pups if the light catches them just right, are down right gray looking on their bodies. I have put a picture up on this page in hopes that you can see it. This will continue until around 4 months of age and then will reverse close to their birth coloring. All the sables (7 of the pups) have this fading gray going on, but only two of them are actually gray looking.
Week 5 - Puppies are spending quite a bit of time outside now. The inside pen is reserved for nighttime and the hot part of the day. They are having a great time with the tunnels. I can find some of them not only sleeping inside the tunnels, but underneath them as well! Roper has basically weaned the pups. They are eating kibble, plus learning the "find it" game of seeking out kibble/small milkbones on the ground and using those noses!
Week 6 -It doesn't seem possible that another week has come and gone, but it has. Pups are spending most of the day in the outside pen with either Roper or Nana Holly watching over them when I cannot be there. All adult dogs are alerting to large birds so it is good to have that alarm system in place. Nights are in the house. Puppies are learning new things and have mastered the front steps coming up without any qualms. Several have also walked into the house through the front door, which is always a big deal. They have all mastered the art of finding kibble or small milkbones that have been scattered on the sidewalk. In fact, they go looking for it as soon as I put them in the outside pen!
Week 7 - Over the past week we have made a field trip over to Autumn Winds for some intros to new folks and new equipment, plus a trip out to Claire Apple's for a herding instinct test. Thank you to all the helpers at both locations! You are very much appreciated by myself & the puppies! In addition to these big tests, pups received their vet check and weathered the approaching Ian (tropical depression by the time it got here) with pretty strong winds and heavy downpours. We were so very happy to see the sun shining on Saturday! Puppies will be leaving here for the most part this weekend. There is still one available spot in the litter. Please contact me for further information.
