How much is that doggie....

So the Cirpets grew and every day they got cuter and smarter (Note: Smarter is not always a good thing in a puppy)

We began to think about new homes for them and what we should charge for them. Oops litter or not, they were great puppies!


I said I had no idea what to charge. Walt asked, "Did you stay up all night with Rowan?"

"Two nights," I said, but I didn't know what that had to do with the discussion.

"Did you sleep in the room with her and the puppies for two weeks?"

He knew that I had, since I had been noticeably absent from our bed.













"Did we have the vet remove their dewclaws to prevent future accidents in case they are as accident-prone as...some whippets?"

 Well, yes, when they were two days old.







Are we giving them as much attention as a litter of whippets? Are they getting the same intellectual stimulation and socialization?"

Of course we are and of course they are. Where was he getting this stuff?




"Are you planning to take them to the vet for checkups before they go home?"
"Of course." This was getting tedious.

"What do you know about Rowan's temperament and health background?"




"I know her background is excellent and you couldn't ask for a sweeter,more stable dog. She came from a good breeder."













"How about Denim?"
Same answer.

"Will they go with a health guarantee?"
"Totally." I recited from our sales contract.

If at any time during the life of the dog it develops health problems that in the opinion of two licensed veterinarians are of an inherited nature, that are unexpected in a dog of that age, and that will interfere with the dog's function as a pet, Purchaser agrees to contact Kennel. Purchaser may return dog and Kennel will rebate 75% of the purchase price; or keep the dog and Kennel will rebate 50% of purchase price. If at anytime during the dog's life, it develops a condition thought to be hereditary, the Purchaser will provide the Kennel with details, whether or not a refund is requested.

 (Okay, I really had to look up the wording, but I knew the gist of it.)


"Will we take these puppies back if there is a problem?"
"Of course. At any point in their lives. You know that."
"And we will always refund at least part of the purchase price."
"Yep."

Right of Return: Dog may be returned to Kennel for any reason at any time following purchase. If returned within one month from purchase and provided that the dog has not been injured in any way the Purchaser will then be entitled to a refund of the original purchase price. Refund amount will be reduced by 10% of purchase price for each additional month or fraction that dog is kept. 
However, regardless of the provisions above, if the dog is voluntarily returned to Kennel at any age, Purchaser is entitled to a refund of 20 percent of the purchase price. 

"Do you plan to offer rebates for training classes and titles like we do for the whippets?"
"Yes. They need puppy kindergarten and obedience classes and you can even show them in some AKC events so we want to encourage people to get involved with their dogs."

Performance Rebates: Kennel will pay the following rebates on receipt of proof that the dog has successfully completed the following AKC or UKC classes and titles

Puppy Kindergarten -- $25.00
Companion classes* -- $25 each course
STAR Puppy -- $25.00
Companion titles* -- $50 each title
Canine Good Citizen -- $25.00
AKC Therapy Dog title -- $50.00

* Crossbreeds are allowed to compete in AKC companion events, which include obedience, rally, and agility.

"Will they go home with a bag full of toys and chewies and leashes and collars and books about puppies?"
"Of course."

"And they will be invited to Timbreblue reunions and puppy parties?"

"Absolutely."

"Can people call or email if they have problems?"
"I sure hope they will. I hope they will call or email if they don't have problems too."

Walt's point was pretty clear. The Cirpets are not shelter dogs or rescues or unwanted in any way. Even though they were an unplanned breeding, they are well-bred and have been well-raised.

So then I asked our daughter/partner Johannah, who usually cuts to the chase.

$750 she said without hesitation.

"How did you arrive at that?"
"They are half a whippet. We should charge half what we charge for a whippet."

If you're interested in a very cool, very unusual, few-of-a-kind puppy, drop us an email or fill out the questionnaire on our website and in the comments, say you're interested in the Cirpets (pronounced chir-pets).

And the Cirpets began to grow and develop little personalities. They acted a lot like whippets and looked a lot like whippets. Or maybe they looked like Lab puppies.

Maybe their faces were a little sharper than whippets, but overall, they weren't too different.

 

They were smart and funny like whippet puppies and got into just as much mischief. They might have been just a it more agile, believe it or not. 

We only have the one Cirneco, so I don't know a lot about them as baby puppies. We got Rowan at six months old. 

 She has fairly small "golden" eyes, they have large dark whippety eyes.I couldn't say they looked much like her.

But then...

Maybe some of them did.

Part three to come tomorrow

It was a mystery...

Siren's pups are safely tucked into their wonderful homes. Jo is keeping Ceri and about now is wondering why. Puppies are fun, adorable, delightful, snuggly and maybe the best thing in the world. They are also mischievous, destructive, stubborn, and busy! But Ceri is too, too cute and no one can stay mad at her for long!

Just when I thought I would get the fall and winter off from puppy rearing, our Cirneco dell'Etna Rowan let me in on a little secret she'd been carrying.

It seems she had fallen deeply in love (or something) with...

 Denim, the blue whippet.

And she found herself in an awkward predicament.

But as I told her, though it was certainly not something we would plan, puppies are puppies and we love them all. She presented us with six black Cirpets (pronounced Chir-pets) on August 14,

Why black? Humor me while I give a micro-genetics lesson. The color blue in whippets is actually black with a dilution gene. Think of it as pouring bleach over a black dog (but don't try this at home). The dilution gene is recessive, though, which means both parents have to carry it before they can produce dilute puppies. Rowan, being a Cirneco, does not carry a dilute gene. Also, black is dominant to chestnut, so about the only color we could get was black. 

And boy were they black. We had to color code them as they were born so we could tell them apart. Two girls, four boys, all healthy.

Since we didn't know how Rowan got pregnant,we gave them a Mystery theme.  Well, wait. We did know how she got pregnant (we have, after all, been breeding dogs for 30 years or so), we just didn't know when or how they managed their little tryst. So the puppies were named for classic mystery writers: Edgar Allan Poe, Dashiell Hammett, Daphne du Maurier, Agatha Christie, Arthur Conan Doyle, and Wilkie Collins.

Stay tuned for part two.

Siren's pups are 8 weeks old!

Today is Monday, September 14, and Siren's pups are 8 weeks old today!! They continue to be sweet, smart, intuitive, adorable, and charming puppies every single day.

We are lucky enough to have wonderful homes for all of her puppies, and though they are traveling wide and far -- Velvet to Charlottesville VA, Dita to Atlanta GA, Cherie staying here in Camden SC, Channing to Concord NH, Marco to Virginia Beach VA, and Cashmere to Durham NC -- all of our new owners are active online so we're confident that we can stay in touch and get photos via Facebook as the puppies grow up.

Here's a photo of the babies sleeping peacefully tonight. They're so sweet, they make my heart skip a beat!

Photos of Siren's pups at 5 wks old

Hi guys! Just wanted to share photos of Siren's pups at 5 weeks old with my husband, Derek.... enjoy!!

In birth order....

#1 -- Velvet / Beatrice:

#2 -- Dita / Raleigh:

#3 -- Satine / Cherie (she is our keeper):

#4 -- Channing:

#5 -- Marco / Argyle:

#6 -- Cashmere / Alice:

Siren's pups are 5 weeks old!

Siren's babies (the Glitter Litter!!) are five weeks old and we couldn't be prouder. They are fat, sassy, healthy and smart. This litter has been so vibrant since day one, they have been so easy and such good babies. We are lucky to have all of them placed. I'll introduce you to all of the puppies and where they are going.

Firstborn "Velvet" will be "Beatrice" and will be moving to Charlottesville, VA with the Yamauchi-Carson family.

Second born "Dita" will be "Raleigh" or "Timbreblue Suede Shoes" and will be going to Atlanta, Georgia with the Rhodes-Osborne family.

Third born "Satine" will be "Cherie" or "Timbreblue The Runaway" and will be staying here at Timbreblue in Camden, SC.

Fourth born "Channing" will be going to the Szpara family, to join his Timbreblue sister Lulu, in Virginia Beach, VA.

Fifth born "Marco" will be "Argyle" and will be moving to Concord, NH with the McNeal family.

Sixth born "Cashmere" will be "Alice" or "Timbreblue Alice in Glitterland" and will be moving to Durham, NC with Terry Kruger.

Siren is having a little morning sickness

Just like human mommies, dogs often have morning sickness. I have to be careful when I give her supplements, and make sure she eats something with them, or they upset her stomach. She's taking folic acid and fish oil (for the DHA) every day. She's looking bigger and bigger every day!!

Siren on day 38 with Jo

This is Siren pre-pregnancy (photo by Festiva)

Siren is expecting!

Our girl Siren and our Welsh import Denim were bred, and as of today -- day 36 -- it seems that they are expecting! Puppies will be whelped in South Carolina, but the puppy party will be in Virginia. Photos below of Siren's at 36 days preggo.

Siren at 36 days pregnant

Siren from above at 5 wks

Our puppy party was a great success!!

Aimee & Bomber's puppies went home this weekend, to great people, and we had a fun puppy party to celebrate the puppies and their new families! We've started doing this with every litter and it's SO MUCH FUN! All of the families come together, we put out a great picnic lunch, and we all just hang out for the afternoon with puppies and food and fun. We have a good bit of land -- 7 acres -- so there is plenty of room in the meadow behind our house to spread out blankets and a big exercise pen for the puppies (when they are not being cuddled!!). I can't wait till the next one!

Tiger Lily is expecting whippet puppies!

Tiger Lily had a summer fling...

We're so excited to announce that our Tiger Lily (Timbreblue Tramples the Flowers) is expecting a litter of whippet puppies sired by GCH Surrey Hill's Golden Boy (Butters) next week. We are delighted that Karen Lee of Surrey Hill agreed to the match, since one of our first two whippets was sired by CH Surrey Hill Firing Line. It feels wonderful to incorporate the beauty and performance talents of the Surrey Hill line with our Timbreblue whippets. 

You can learn more about Tiger Lily's litter on our website.

Dawn has a new home!!

Thank you for the inquiries, sweet whippet girl Dawn has a new home and is very happy. We are thrilled for her!! =)

UPDATE! Brother has a home of his own!

We're delighted to report that Brother, who has been renamed Dexter, has gone to a wonderful home in Dayton, Ohio!

Sweet girl whippet looking for special home

Dawn is a very affectionate black and white whippet who would love to find a female owner. She came to us when her previous owner's family had severe ongoing medical problemsl they felt she was not getting the attention she deserved. (Her breeder would happily have taken her back, but she is several states away) Dawn is two years old and for unknown reasons does not like men. She's not afraid of them. but is very uncomfortable in their presence. (And it's no just Walt! She's met several men over the past weeks here and didn't like any of them. She gives the most effective "stink eye" I have ever seen!) She's extremely affectionate and loves to cuddle with women. She might get over this aversion to people of the male persuasion but it would take a lot of time and patience.

She would do better in a home with no other female dogs, however. As sweet as she is, she is very dominant with other girls. She doesn't fight, but could easily cause trouble with her pushiness.

Dawn is housetrained, crate and leash-trained, and very playful. Drop me a line at sharyn@timbreblue.com if you're interested.

Are you looking for a mature adult male whippet?

We have a beautiful, snuggly adult male whippet who is looking for a retirement home. "Brother" is a black whippet with white markings who is neutered, up-to-date on all shots, heartworm and flea preventative, and is looking for a home either alone or with other dogs.

We don't know if he's safe around cats, but he's so incredibly laid-back that we're sure he could get used to them. Brother just wants to snuggle and be loved, he is the most agreeable and sweet whippet imaginable! Please fill out a questionnaire on our website and specify your interest in Brother in the comments at the end if you'd like to discuss fitting him into your household!

Join us on Facebook!

If you enjoy social media, did you know that there is an entire group on Facebook devoted to Timbreblue Whippets and friends? We have our official page here: https://www.facebook.com/TimbreblueWhippets -- but we ALSO have an informal group for discussions and sharing photos and stories, asking for advice, and general chit-chat.

The group is "closed" just to protect the privacy of our members from search engines -- anyone is welcome to join, just click the button to join the group and either Jo or Sharyn will approve your request asap so you can join the conversation! The Timbreblue Group on Facebook is located here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/timbreblue/

My thoughts on supplements

Hi guys, a lot of people talk about supplements and what your dog may or may not need. Technically, by the book, if you feed a quality kibble, a healthy, young dog does not NEED any supplements -- but supplements can definitely help prevent problems or reduce potential problems during stress or illness.

Arthritis & Joint Support
I feed all of my dogs over 8 years old a daily dose of Glyco-Flex 3, which is an excellent source of glucosamine, MSM, chondroitin, and other nutrients for joint and connective tissue support. Two good sources to buy Glyco-Flex 3 are from Amazon (link to Glyco-Flex on Amazon) or Drs Foster & Smith (link to Glyco-Flex on Foster & Smith). Many pet stores (online and brick & mortar) stock Glyco-Flex 3.

Omega 3 Fatty Acids
I also supplement all of my dogs with omega 3 fatty acids (ALA, DHA, and EPA) for healthy skin and shiny coats, and many other health benefits, including immune system support. Specifically for dogs, omega 3 fatty acids can help reduce allergies (including flea bite allergies, inhalant/contact allergies, and food allergies), lessen dry skin and dander, can help cortisone and antibiotics work more effectively, boost the immune system (which is often weaker in aging dogs), and decrease inflammation. Inflammation can play a role in arthritis, kidney disease, brain disease, and heart disease.

Supplementing with omega 3 can also help suppress autoimmune responses and thus protect against autoimmune problems such as IMHA, which have been increasingly common in whippets.

Fatty acids also improve circulation throughout the body. One caution, because omega 3 fatty acids can increase blood flow and circulation, they can also decrease clotting, so if your dog is on an NSAID (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication, such as pain medication), check with your vet before supplementing with omega 3.

The easiest way to supplement with omega 3 is to use fish oil capsules. If your dog is not accustomed to eating fish oil capsules, you can nick the end of the capsule with kitchen scissors, squirt the oil into her food, then toss in the gelatin capsule. Eventually, you can just toss the whole capsule in and your dog will eat it.

You can purchase fish oil in any drugstore or grocery store, and you can often find them in a "buy one get one free" sale and use coupons (with some stores you can use two coupons on a BOGO offer). I prefer the Nature Made brand which is a good quality product and often on sale. Nature Made also has a "rewards" program where you can sign up online, then enter the codes on the bottles and accrue points towards coupons for $3 off or $7 off future purchases. With any brand of fish oil, check the bottle to make sure it has been purified to remove any mercury.

Another method of supplementing with omega 3 is to use ground flaxseed. I often use flaxseed, because I stock up on it to add to our (human) meals and it is convenient to store and use. My routine is to measure out one teaspoon of flaxseed per dog (6 in my case), mix thoroughly with about 2 tablespoons of olive oil, then mix with 1/3 can of a good quality canned food (I use Blue Buffalo or my own "dog food mash" which I make by cooking down meat and vegetables in the crock pot for many hours). Then I add warm water (not hot) to make a "gravy" which I divide equally among the bowls of food. The olive oil is also beneficial for the dogs' skin and coat.

I buy whole flaxseed and grind it myself in my coffee grinder, which is best for freshness. I store the flaxseed in an opaque container in the refrigerator. After grinding, I store the flaxseed in an empty fish oil bottle that is black and stores easily in the door of my fridge. I purchase the Bob's Red Mill brand whole organic flaxseed (link to Bob's Red Mill flaxseed on Amazon).

Probiotics for Digestion
Many vets and canine nutritionists are advising supplementing with probiotics for better digestion, gastrointestinal health, and to prevent disease. Keeping a healthy level of beneficial bacteria in the GI system is vital for your dog's health.

Probiotics are essential when changing food, after vaccinations, while giving antibiotics or steroids/cortisone, after surgery, during stress (travel, moving, household changes, etc.) and during/after boarding.

Supplementing with probiotics can be as simple as adding a tablespoon or so of fresh plain yogurt to your dog's meals. Yogurt is an excellent and inexpensive source of probiotics. Make sure you avoid flavored yogurt and absolutely no sweeteners, especially artificial sweeteners such as aspartame.

You can also purchase probiotic medication and digestive enzymes made specifically for dogs. Two of these products I have used are Prozyme (link to Prozyme on Amazon) and FortiFlora (link to FortiFlora on Amazon). You can also purchase probiotic capsules from your vet in a specific dosage for your dog.

In summary, supplementing your dog's diet is purely your decision, and when using a well-balanced diet, no supplementation is critical. Supplements can and do help, however, and you can see measurable improvements in your dog's health over time -- just keep in mind that when using any supplement, give it 3 or 4 months to evaluate the effectiveness. You can jot some notes about your dog's health (coat condition, allergies, activity level) and check your notes in a couple of months to see if there are improvements. You might also want to only add one supplement at a time, evaluate its effectiveness, then make additional changes as needed. Feel free to ask questions or discuss what works for you. I'd love to hear from you!