Cleo and Pupdate: 7 Weeks old and Counting

Orange and Mini Doc

Let me fill you in incase you don't know already...when GSP puppies reach 6 weeks of age (specifically Cleo and Doc puppies) you start questioning if they are part Velociraptor. All of their cute and whimsical innocence has left them and has been unequivocally replaced with hell raising, whelping room destroying, spotted leg biters. Jim came home last week and they had somehow used their black voodoo magic to separate the two connected whelping boxes and spilled out into the whelping box room to reek as much havoc as possible. They spent approximately 2 hours shredding bags of stockpiled newspaper, emptied a full box of black hefty trash bags and played tug of war with them and oh did I mention....they shit everywhere? Take that lightly colored beige carpet! They worked with doody like some artists work in watercolor. The boxes are now reinforced with ridiculous don't fail me now industrial clamps and we've also bought stock in Stanley Steamer.

Periwinkle

The pups personalities are really starting to shine through. Periwinkle (black and roan female) has happily filled the Houdini role. At least once a day when one of us enters the whelping room she comes and meets us at the door. Yea....lets back that up. SHE COMES AND MEETS US AT THE DOOR. She should be in the whelping box with all the other pups but she somehow manages to escape ALL THE TIME. We've removed the whelping box rails and Jim built a special attachment to increase the height of the whelping box door but she still manages to get enough leverage to pull her chubby spotted belly over the wall. She has even now figured out to get back in once she's finished her self granted playtime. We know this because she never forgets to leave her calling card. Bet you can imagine what that is.

Sweet Green - Liver Roan Male

Although they are quite mischievous all the pups are incredibly loving. They love to be held and snuggled and each one gives excellent kisses. They respond amazingly well to a whistle and hearing one from Jim or I will send them barreling down the halls like a herd of elephants. We get them out of the whelping room 3 or 4 times a day to let them play and interact with Cleo and Luna around the house. It's been a blast to watch them experience new things and they soak up everything like little sponges. Cleo LOVES being with her puppies and will lay on the floor letting them chew on her face and ears. She pokes them with her paws and goats them into chasing her around the living room. She brings them toys to play with and wags her stubby little tail with furor.

Big Red - Black and Roan male

Blue Bear - Black and Roan Male

Purple - Liver and Roan Female

The pups coats have darkened considerably and they have been growing and packing on the weight. We haven't weighed them in a couple of days but I have no doubt that at 7 weeks old some of the males are close to tipping the scales at 12 pounds. I'm starting to think some of these pups are going to be absolutely huge when they go home in a week. At least two of the male pups will be pretty large in size maybe even Doc size! Only time will tell. They have been to the vet and received their first deworming and DHPP booster. Not one of them fussed or cried at the vets and Mini Doc seemed to love his banana flavored dewormer. I have a feeling he might be a food hound.

Yellow

We have also decided on who we are going to be keeping out of this litter. She is a black and roan female and wore the yellow collar. Her name will be Von Schonheits Across the Plains and we will call her Sage. Like all the pups she is very bold, super aware and maybe too intelligent for her own good but more than that I've developed a great emotional attachment to her. She also has a propensity for chewing on Jim's shoes and quite frankly after all the stuff of mine Cleo and Luna have destroyed over the years its high time I have my own minion. I mean its only fair right!? Besides I can't even begin to explain how excited I am for her to be my personal gun dog!!

Cleo Update!

Cleo is doing much better! At her most recent follow-up appointment they were able to express some nasty fluid from her infected mammary gland which showed she still has an infection. So she will be on antibiotics for another 3 weeks. She goes back next week for another checkup. You would never know it from her sassiness that she still has an infection. Her spirits are up and she's even giving me some barky back talk. This past sunday we even took her hunting.

Cleo on Point with Doc honoring while Jim and Geof flush the chukar

Considering that Cleo hadn't been out on birds since she was bred to Doc in September her fieldwork was spot on and she ran like she never had any health issues in the last few weeks. You can tell it did her soul good to get out and do what she was meant to do in life. It put a little extra bounce in her step and Jim and I finally breathed that we had our baby back. It was also awesome getting Cleo and Doc together for a little reunion. Luna was there as well as two more of Geof Ferrer's GSP's. We ran them two at a time and at the end of the hunt cut all 5 dogs loose at once. I can't begin to explain how nice it is to watch 5 well trained and finished dogs work together. Below are some pics from our chukar hunt at Bent Creek Preserve in Allentown, NJ.

Look at that face...LOVE!! VC Sharp Shooters Doc Holliday

VC Rahway River's Prince of Darkness on point with Luna honoring in the back

Luna doing what she does!

Cleo honoring Doc on point. She hated that skid plate but we wanted to protect her chest. 

Rahway Rivers She's So Fine honoring - Call name Sophie

Sophie on point with Cleo, Doc and Ozzie honoring. Luna is off to the left honoring as well.

Doc looking huge and handsome!

Just wanted to thank everyone again for the outpouring of support we recieved when Cleo got horribly ill. All the comments and well wishes really did my heart well. There is something to say about all of you for rallying around us when we needed your good vibes. Thank you.

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