Puppy Owner Feedback - "Honey Mae"

"This is a photo of Max & Mya's Puppy. Her name is Honey Mae Mather. She is growing. She is a sweetheart. We all lover her very much. thank you for letting us have the chance to care for one of your puppies. God Bless."

Thank You, The Mathers

Reflections on First Litter

The last puppy of Mya and Max's first litter left tonight, a bittersweet moment for us all. I'm not sure what most breeders experience, but we had a lot of fun with the pups. Of course, we grew especially attached to the last one. He was curled up sleeping on my shoes in the kitchen when his new owners came this evening, but you could tell he already liked them before he even left.

We have heard back from some of the new owners of our puppies and it sounds like everyone is doing well. If you are a new owner and have any problems or complaints please let us know. On the other hand, we would also like to hear about the joys and experiences you are having as well.

One Puppy Remaining

We are now taking care of one puppy who is looking for a new home. He is a very friendly, active puppy. We crate train our dogs and this one is doing well.

He spends several hours outside getting plenty of exercise. He sleeps inside all night without a peep (or bark).

He is a beautiful, light-golden retriever and is very loving and loyal. Great personality!

New Baby Boy!

I will not be able to give updated pictures for a couple of days. My wife just gave birth (July 22) to our fourth child, a son named Corin. He is healthy and we are happy. You may contact me by phone (765) 656-9327 and if I do not answer please leave a message. Thanks!

More Puppy Pictures

Four puppies are much easier to handle than nine. The second puppy from the left has not found a home yet (the same puppy is also at the left of the second picture). The first and last puppies go home tomorrow, and the third from the left later.

Here is the puppy my 7 year-old has been calling "Tamra". She named all of the pups but I think some of them had two names at least (I don't know how she kept track).

This puppy was the first we allowed to sit on our sofa. This picture was actually taken before the previous ones. When she did well, I decided to let the rest in on the fun.

Michigan Puppy - 6 weeks old

Some six week pictures of one puppy who is on her way to Michigan. She has about the same attention span as Caiden (our 3 year-old), but here she posed long enough for a pretty good shot.




She has the first part of "retrieving" down--going to the ball--but not the actual retrieving yet. She'll learn soon enough (and with a few treats and pats on the head).

She loves to chew on sticks when we are not looking (they will eat small bits of wood which could either choke them or at least cause some stomach pains). Although she tried she couldn't quite get her little mouth around this log.
So she went to some of Sarah's plants:

All flowers and leaves of any sort are endangered species around our house. Every puppy thinks he/she is at the top of the food chain. Oh, yes, everything is food or at least serves the purpose of chewing at this point.

After about fifteen minutes of running around, chewing on sticks, rocks, grass, leaves, other puppies' tails, and anything else that came into vision, every puppy is ready for a nice long Sunday afternoon nap.

Seven Remaining

Actually, only three remain as of Thursday evening (July 16)--the first two males (in order of pictures below) and the fourth female. Tomorrow they all get their first shots and wormer. We've really enjoyed this litter so far.

Here is a male we call "Tiny" because he was just a wee bit smaller than the other males when he was born. He has definitely made up for it though and he holds his own at the food dish. The only way I can really tell him apart now is by his face.

This male puppy is slightly larger than Tiny but about the same color (light golden)

This is the third male; he is more blonde than the other males.

We have four females, this one is light golden.

The second female is blonde and playful.

A third female is also blonde and very laid back.

The final female is light golden and loves to play and romp in the grass as you can see in the picture. I've always heard that a Golden's coat will be a little bit lighter than the color of their ears. I know that has been the case with Max and Mya (father and mother).

Taking a Snooze in the kitchen

Five Weeks (July 12)

Here are the boys: And here are the girls:

Mom:

Dad:

Puppies - 2 weeks old

Mya wasn't incredibly thrilled about having her family taken for the 2-week photo shoot. She had to get in there and make sure they were all surviving just fine.

Then she sat guard

Another shot of Beefy and Teeny

Eyes are starting to open!

More almost-open eyes (kinda cute and kinda creepy)

The standard "puppy pile" (their favorite way to hang out when they're not feeding)

And I do mean "pile"

Dinner is served

Caiden and Daddy install a "guard rail" inside the new home Uncle Davin built for the first family. (Guard rails keep a mama dog from accidently squishing a puppy against a wall.)

"Sir Maxwel of Blinn Trinity"

"Lady Mya of Blinn Trinity"

Max and May do EVERYTHING together. ; )

Puppy Corner

Mya's Eye Surgery

Mya had an emergency visit to the vet this week. She has a condition which causes her eyelid to turn inward and irritate her eye.) After being treated with antibiotics to clear the eye, she may have a minor surgery to release the eyelid and prevent it from curling inward.

Puppies' first outing to the Park

Kayla was handling Max, so Karissa begged and begged to walk Mya alone.

Notice the progression....

Pleased as punch. All going well.

Getting a little out of handSheer panic!

Who knows what this little Karissa-drama was about.

Kayla's got it under control, though.

Max's Melancholy Eyes

Oh mercy. Is that a sucker in his mouth?

Snow Fun with Spencer, Max and Mya

Max - Colts Fan

Bath Time!

Mya's first bath......she was a trooper.

Max fell in and got pretty soaked. But he did well, too. We want them to be good swimmers, so we're getting started early.

Now they smell so sweet!

Love at First Sight

Their connection wasn't instant, but almost. It was truly love at first sight for Mya. But Max had to pretend that he wasn't interested in her kisses for about 2 minutes. Then he gave in and they've been in bliss ever since. On the way to pick up the kids last night after or long trip to get Max, we each had a dog with us in separate cars. Mya weeped and wailed like a human - she missed him dreadfully.

They're so fun to watch - they kiss and frolic and play and bite and roll around like 2 little fur balls.


Max's appetite is hilarious. He eats at least twice as much as Mya and tries to steal her food, too!
(Max is on the left)

I walked by today with an armload of stuff on my way to another room and caught them spooning during their nap. Mya is a smart girl - she's got her arm around her man.

Welcome Home, Max!

Max enjoyed David's lap on the way home from Cincinnati.

He is about 10 days older than Mya. He's a big round furry butterball. He eats like a little pig. And he has melancholy eyes.

Welcome Home, Mya!

Say hello to the newest member of our family! Almost-six-week-old Mya is a purebred champion-line Golden Retriever.

She's perfect. She's beautiful. She's cuddly.

What can I say? We're in love.

We drove to Noblesville, Indiana today to pick her up from the breeder. Tomorrow we're scheduled drive to Shelbyville to pick up her new sweetheart - Max. We can't wait to meet him, can you?

Stopping by the pet supply story on the way home. All we bought were 2 collars and a couple of cute doggie bandanas, be we had fun. (I know,De & Garen - I completely lost you guys on the doggie bandanas. I can hear the groans and eyeball rolling. They're not exactly doggie clothes. Wait till you read the next paragraph that talks about the puppies sleeping in my living room! Please don't hate me.)

Who would have ever dreamed I'd be a 2 puppies-in-the-house kind of gal? But my new baby is in there sleeping in the entryway right now. Can you tell we're all very excited?

Feeding your new puppy

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· Do I have to keep feeding the same kind of food? No, you can make your own decision on dog food brands. However, if you decide to switch brands do it slowly by mixing half of the old food and half of the new for a week or so to make the transition easier for puppy’s tummy. A change in food often causes dog doo to be runny. Don’t be surprised if you have to deal with a little doggy diarrhea until his system adjusts to the new food.

· When do we switch to adult food? You can always follow the guidelines on the back of your dog food bag. Some breeders seriously suggest switching from puppy food to adult food sooner rather than later. They feel that the additives in puppy food cause some breeds to grow too quickly and can put excessive pressure on their bones before they are ready.

· How do we know which dog food is best? We do not endorse one particular brand, but we do know that higher quality food is worth the investment. It might seem like you are saving money, but dogs actually eat more of a low-quality food (and consequently there is more to clean up later!) However, we do not feel it is necessary to spend more money feeding the dogs than the kids! If you really want to see what you’re dealing with before you choose a brand, go to a store that carries a good selection and price range of dog foods (Rural king, Petsmart, etc). Compare the ingredients list and nutrition percentages of the cheapest food with the most expensive and see what you learn.

Tips and Tidbits about your new puppy:

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Some things we've learned along the way....

· If you change your mind about being a dog owner. We do not give refunds for dogs if you change your mind, but if sometime within the first year you realize that for some reason having a new dog is not going to work for you, we will take the dog back and find it a good home. Please contact us before you consider taking him/her to a pound or shelter.

· Provide good chew toys for your puppy.

· Be a firm master. Do not allow your dog to jump on people, bark excessively, climb or chew on forbidden furniture. You are the master. Your dog will take as much freedom as you will give him. Set clear boundaries by saying a low, firm “NO” or maybe a growling noise. Pop your dog on the nose for disobedience. Do NOT confuse this with abusing or beating your dog! Most puppies will respond to a quick pop on the nose with a head shake and will turn away from the forbidden behavior. Don’t be a lazy or permissive master, and then blame your dog for being hard to train. Be Da Boss! A well-trained pet is such a joy to have around.

· Training. If you can afford professional training or even a few obedience classes, by all means – find a trainer and go for it! If not, you can certainly make a lot of progress on your own. Time is your biggest training tool. Get a training book at the library, watch a video, whatever. Then just spend time with your dog, teaching them what you want and rewarding them with a bite-sized treat when they do it right. We invested in an electric collar for training that worked well. It has a small remote that can give the collar a warning sound or a short shock for the purposes of training.

· Finding a Vet. Don’t be afraid to shop around. Use word of mouth and your local phone book. If you choose a vet and later realize that the fit just doesn’t seem right, ask around and get the opinion of other responsible pet owners. You want to find a vet who isn’t excessively expensive, but for us it was important to find a “teaching” vet who loves to answer all our questions and who seems to understand who we are as pet owners.

Our thoughts on house training a new puppy

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No matter how well-bred your dog is, we think the key to enjoying your pet to its fullest is having a well-trained pet.

The first step is potty training. Here are some tips we’ve learned along the way:

· Crate training is the best way to begin potty training. Puppies do not like to soil their sleeping area. This gives you a prime opportunity to control when and where the puppy relieves himself.

· Start with a small crate. People tend to think a larger crate is better, but young puppies actually prefer the coziness of a smaller sleeping space. That is why many dog crates include a divider to limit your puppy’s space while it grows.

· Put your puppy on a schedule. You do not have to be extreme about this, but if you control eating times you can better control potty times.

· Take your puppy outside immediately after eating, napping or crate time. It is important to catch these potty times so he gets the idea that outside is the place to do his duty – not inside. Take the puppy to your chosen potty area (a corner of the yard, etc.) and say your key words (“do your business” “hurry up” or whatever saying you choose.) Stay with your puppy until he relieves himself, up to about 5 minutes or so. Then you return him back inside. If he does not do his thing within 5 minutes, take him back inside and put him in his crate for a few more minutes, then try again. We learned our dog’s particular patterns and that helped us to create a more efficient schedule for taking them outside.

· Do not let your puppy free in the house without supervision. If you want the joy of having a well-trained dog curled up at your feet later, resist the urge to let him run free until he is trained. Dogs are like kids – they will take as much liberty as you give them. When a dog has free, unsupervised time in the house, he takes his liberty and you have thus “trained” him that it’s okay to go inside the house.

· What about inside accidents? Do not use an ammonia-based product. Dogs recognize this as a potty smell and treat the area as a future potty zone. Vinegar cuts the mess and neutralizes the smell. We put a mixture of vinegar and water in an empty spray bottle (mark it) and keep it handy under the sink for any accidents on carpet or hard floors. When you find an accident after the fact, do not hit your dog or rub his nose in it.

· Catch your dog “in the act.” Dogs have certain signs that give you a clue they are getting ready to do their thing. Sniffing for a good spot, turning in circles and squatting. When you see the signs, pick your puppy up immediately and take him outside to finish the job.

· Don’t give up. It’s true that every puppy has its own training personality, but your consistence and persistence are what brings success. If the training seems long, some just say “he doesn’t have the right personality to be potty trained” or “she’s not smart enough” or “he’s too stubborn.” Not true. Just stick with it and you will look back later and be glad you did!


Best Wishes!
David and Sarah