Can I get an “Awwwww!”  The puppies were very tuckered out after their torture shots and microchip session with me and Leslie.  Cade Nash Booker? and Pickles curled up together.

Wow, what beautiful weather today!  It is relatively cool, partly cloudy, and gorgeous.  Added bonus that Dave mowed the grass yesterday so it’s actually a somewhat manageable height.    What a perfect day for the family to lounge around in the backyard playing with puppies.

Charlie and Pickles

June (left) and Miles (right)

Charlie and Nash

Vegas (left) and Miles (right)

June

Nash following Jack

Jack following Nash

Vegas, looking for somepuppy to pounce on

Mama and daughter (Pickles, who is the spitting image of Lizzie) find something interesting in the grass

Charlie and Echo

Pickles just loves you (whoever it may be) soooo much

This time, it's Dave she loves.

Jack doesn't realize how popular he will be with the puppies with a stick in his hand.

Just Jack.

Echo has had enough!

Miles!  He is winning the ear war…that one side is up more often than it’s down these days.  He is such a fun puppy, he loves to play!  I’m starting to get a glimpse of the handsome dog I think he’ll become.

And good news on the Lizzie front…she has finally decided that these are dogs and not puppies!  I put them all out in the backyard this morning.  After a couple of minutes of telling them all “Get away from my nipples!” they got the point, and she actually FRAPPED with them instead of just worrying over licking butts etc.  Naturally, I had put the camera away by then LOL, but it was cute and they all had a grand morning plowing through my long dewy grass.

Echo hasn’t gotten the memo yet and thinks she’s going to sneak in the back for a quick snack, but here is Lizzie and half of her brood:

In the grand tradition of mothers everywhere, Lizzie has started blowing coat like crazy.  You can see it on her rump, and I can see it in the hairbunnies all over my floors inside…I’m not looking forward to the shed, but I AM looking forward to getting my Lizzie girl back.    She’s been a wonderful mother, but I like her better as lapwarmer and constant shadow.

Miss Madeline. Notice who has all the toys.

This is pretty much what we do every afternoon after lunch, for varying amounts of time depending on how hot it is and how much stuff I have to do.  Notice how much they like to wade in the water bowl.  LOL  Junebug is definitely the alpha among the puppies…and by alpha I mean that she controls the pack, not that she’s aggressive.  She’s a sweetheart, mellow and calm most of the time.  I can see the wheels turning in her head a lot. 

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rfAwFVeXp9M]

My days are going to start getting VERY busy as I try to get ready for the trip to Ohio this coming week, my mom, sister, niece, and nephew who are visiting the week after that, my baby boy’s 2nd birthday party, and oh yeah, socializing, evaluating, and loving on the puppies.  I’ll try to keep up with the daily cutes when I can but you have to promise not to hate me if I let it slide here and there. 

Echo, goofing off in the corner

Cade and Jenna share some love, from a couple days ago

I will definitely blame Cindi and Patti for the lack of a daily cute yesterday.    How cute are they though, they came to visit complete with a bag of puppy toys!

Ears are starting to flip up when they lay down! They almost look like Cardis now...

Finally, a decent picture of June

Guess who my favorite is.

We’ve been hanging out on the deck during the day, because it’s too blazing hot in the sun to go out on the driveway (which gets shade in late afternoon), and in the backyard where we have shade all day, the grass is too thick.  We have bermuda grass, and it’s really hard for the puppies to walk through.    So I put a baby gate across the deck stairs, and keep a close eye to make sure nobody takes after their father and wedges themselves between the bars so they can hurl themselves onto the ground, and voila!  Puppy play area.

Madeline likes to wallow in the water bowl.  And Lucy can jump straight up in the air!

Madeline says "Pick me!"

The puppy socializer extraordinaire

Cade's wittle belly

Well, pretend it’s still Monday. 

Usually when we’ve been doing playtime in the house I’ve been doing 2 or 3 puppies at a time.  Last night it was getting late, I was tired, so we did ALL the puppies at once.  Talk about hilarious!  I tried to grab the camera in time to film it when like 7 of them were frapping around together at once, but didn’t get it in time.  This is long and not too exciting, just cute puppies running around having fun.  I’m amazed at how much more “busy” they are even from just a few days ago!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUH9nq52t4w]

Also, some lessons learned, just for fun:

1) If you build a litter box and put a back/sides on it to keep litter from getting all over the place, be sure to make the sides high enough that the puppies don’t think they can crawl over them.

2) Also on the litter box, a bottom is a good idea.  I made it just a frame to start with, but they knocked into it so much that then it would start lifting up and litter would come out from the bottom, and then you’re screwed.    I added a bottom this past weekend and it’s been MUCH better.

3) Up to 6 puppies can sleep in one 200 crate.  So the puppies say.

4) Puppies eat a LOT.

5) Wearing capris with ties at the bottom while walking into the puppy pen is like challenging them to try to bring you down.

Heidi is coming over to attempt stacked pics later!  I’m not holding my breath, they are much less cooperative this week. 

Madeline for dinner?