Greetings Everyone!  Hope everyone is having a wonderful week and thank you all for being so patient!  Just a quick update with photos of the Popeye x Shirley babies.  3 weeks old now.  We hope you all enjoy them as much as we are.

Black Boy

Gold Boy

Light Blue Boy

Orange Boy

Pink Girl

Royal Blue Boy

Tater Tot (female)

Today we received a wonderful surprise!  Champion Heartstrings Mambo’s Invite to the National Top #10 Owner-Handler series finals in December!  The points are accrued over the course of 1 year and we had no idea he was ranked so high.

What a fun Dogue to show.  Mambo (BoBo) has been shown lightly.  As a puppy he was rewarded with a Puppy Best in Show and 2 other Group placements.  He earned his AKC Championship earlier this year out of the Bred by Exhibitor class and became the 11th home-bred Heartstrings Conformation Champion.  Despite his size, substance, bone he feels like a kitten on the end of the show lead.  He truly “floats” around the ring effortlessly, his movement and athleticism belying his size which is such a pleasure.  However…picking up, moving and setting up those “tree trunk” legs in the show ring can require some effort.

We are just so happy for him!  Many of you have met him and it’s always fun to see people’s eyes widen and the camera phones come out when they come to the house and he walks around the corner to say “Hello.”  Such a good, sweet, solid, balanced Dogue and especially appropriate and gentle with puppies (oh does he *love* puppies, whines and pines to get to them).  He is still quite young, we look forward to getting “Uncle BoBo” back out in the show ring in 2016 and are very hopeful he will add Grand Champion to his name.

Since many have inquired this is a good time to explain our selection process.  To be ethical, we only accept a limited number of pre-screened applicants and deposits.  We simply do not feel right about overcommitting a litter and disappointing families.

The evaluation of our puppies begins at birth and finally, at approximately 8-9 weeks the difficult show picks are made.  It would be wonderful to have a crystal ball; many time show picks are fine-hair decisions.  However, with careful evaluation we do have an excellent handle on the pack order and temperament of the litter and work hand-in-hand with our families to find the perfect match.

Once eyes open and everyone really gets their legs under them and moving it will confirm our already suspected order.  At that point, here at home everything breaks loose – whether it be agility tunnels, step-chirping mats or early thunderstorm and fireworks cd’s.  Once it is safe the puppies will go out to meet “100 strangers” and as many appropriate adult dogs as we can find.  Not only early and excellent socialization for them but an opportunity for us to carefully watch and evaluate their interactions.  Who rises to the top as the “showman?”  Who submits and is the “cream puff?”

The goal could be running on to the green carpet under the spotlights;  hearing the deafening roar of the crowd as you enter the ring at Madison Square Garden exhibiting at Westminster.  Maybe a great, healthy family member you can snuggle with.  Perhaps the profound, life-changing experience of watching your pup become the steadying hand over a walker or wheelchair as a Therapy Dog  The indescribable experience of being handed a Best In Multi Breed Show ribbon.  Whatever the goal, know that we are already concentrating and watching and will help you with the perfect fit and selection every step of the way.

2 of our 10 month-old Bardos x Margaret babies exhibited this weekend.  Both of the Boys and their families leaving the ring with those coveted purple and gold Best of Breed ribbons!

On Sat. 10/10 Luther and Dawn winning Winners Dog, Best of Breed and Best Puppy in Urbana OH.  This was their 2nd show and what a job well done.

On Sun. 10/11 Laszlo and McKenzie Winners Dog and Best of Breed in Augusta NJ.  This beautiful team going Best of Breed over nationally-ranked Champions and much older competition.  Additionally, McKenzie a Junior Handler and the only non-professional handler at the show.  This just doesn’t happen – an enormous win and Major Win for Laszlo.

Whether show dog or companion all of our families and Dogues make us proud.  But we certainly want to pause to congratulate and thank Dawn and McKenzie for putting in this hard work and practice.  We hope your efforts continue to be rewarded like this and your futures hold many, many more purple and gold ribbons.  Well done Ladies and Gentlemen!

Greetings All!  A beautiful warm, sunny, fall day here in Ohio.  The  very best from our family to yours.

The weather was gorgeous and we felt comfortable getting some photos of the new arrivals.  9 days-old today.  Everyone is cheerful happy and thriving (and a couple of cute little chatter boxes, talkers here in this litter – adorable).  We hope you enjoy the photos as much as we are enjoying these babies.

While it isn’t necessary…we love bottle feeding our puppies.  It’s nice to give a hard-working Mama a little break, not to mention a delightful experience.

To us bottle feeding is an essential part of development.  Making the human bond/trust/connection even stronger.  We find it makes a big difference in the eventual temperament of the babies and it’s absolutely vital.  Every one of our babies is bottle-fed at some point and it’s an amazing experience.

We are so pleased, happy, excited to announce that our Kaiser (owned by the Gilliam family) has been voted Grand Marshal of the Delaware Ohio Christmas festivities.

This is so lovely.  Not only will he lead the town’s Christmas parade, but he will preside over many special functions and events throughout the holiday season.  The town Christmas Tree lighting will not take place until this celebrity guest arrives.  The beautiful, white star on top of the community tree will not be hung until he is present and approves.  Our special man is going to have a very full dance card this holiday season.

There were over 50 dogs entered in the contest.  Kaiser received 1,096 votes sealing his commitment.  The theme this year is Christmas Around the World and Kaiser received international support, so fitting.  The comments:  “Voted, good luck from Australia.  Best wishes from Germany.  Spain is rooting for you Kaiser.  Best of luck from your friends in England, we love you.  Japan has voted – good luck Kaiser!  Denmark voted and sends our best.”  How special.

Greetings All!  Today some quick photos of the new babies, we hope you enjoy them.  We are doing well, gaining weight and today officially upgraded to the next size-up ribbon from our newborn ribbons…outgrowing them already.

Very exciting day and time – always incredibly satisfying to watch the miracle of everyone thriving, growing, doing so well. 

On Thursday October 1 we welcomed 7 beautiful babies from Grand Champion Varela’s Majestic Valhala (Popeye) and Champion Heartstrings Shirley.  5 boys, 2 girls.

Mom and Babies are doing great – thank you for your patience while we keep everyone well and thriving.  Shirley is a wonderful first-time Mama, a little tired but very excited and pleased, proud.

For now just some quick cell phone shots, we hope you enjoy them.  Newborns stay in a temperature-controlled incubator, out and handled as little as possible in order to keep them safe and stable and we will get better photos at the appropriate time.  They nurse every 2 hours, always supervised by Joy in the whelping box.  Puppies are weighed every 12 hours then nursing orders adjusted to percentage of gain or loss and their temperatures monitored.

Joy plans in advance – stockpiling supplies and groceries, clearing her work schedule in order to remain on “lock down” here at home.  She is rarely more than 2′ away from babies, lightly sleeping on an air mattress on the floor next to them.  No television, radio or phone calls, instead the house is kept silent, concentrating and listening to every breath, every cry for any sign of distress.  It is a round-the-clock job but incredibly satisfying.

Thank you all again for your patience!  Know that we are keeping you baby happy, healthy and thriving.  They are absolutely beautiful and we look forward to sharing more photos at the appropriate time when they can be taken safely and responsibly.