Burrito (Best of Breed) and Johnny (Best of Winners) posing for with their ribbons. Burrito is Johnny’s sire–and I’m sure Burrito is very proud of his young son!
Dec 022022
Karen
Dec 022022
Sometimes trying to take pictures of the dogs can be very frustrating–the dogs are looking in different directions, the people are struggling to get the dogs to pay attention and look good for the pictures–this is about as good a picture as we could get of the 3 Saturday winners. Junebug on the left, then Burrito and Johnny on the right.
Dec 022022
November 19 and 20 at the Evergreen State Fairgrounds the dog show sponsored by the Whidbey Island Kennel Club was held. On Saturday the Absolutely team had an outstand day! Burrito was Best of Breed, Johnny was Winner’s Dog and Best of Winner (for a 3 point major and his first points at just a little over 6 months old), and Junebug was Winner’s Bitch (again for a 3 point major). After the breed ring–and later in the day, Burrito went to the Non-Sporting Group and received a Group 2 placement (Cheyenne showed him beautifully). Immediately after the Non-Sporting Group was the National Owner/Handler Group–Torie and Johnny received a Group 4 placement–so proud of these 2!!!
Nov 152022
At the end of week 7 the 4 little “boys” got a spa day!! The pups were in need of a haircut and bath–so, the first bath went very well–the pups didn’t seem to mind the water (although once the water was cold and there was a protest!) and getting dried with the blower on low. Next came the haircut–little clippers had been used to remove the hair from their pads, but this was the first time on their bodies. All the “boys” did very well–a little wiggly, but that’s to be expected–so now we have BIG “boy” haircuts and actually look like little Bichons, rather than Guinea pigs. When the “after” haircut pictures were taken, Brown boy was the hardest to get a picture of–he was so done with all the procedures. Saturday the weather was nice so the pups had their first trip to the grass yard–at first they just stood very still, probably wondering what this cold green stuff they were standing on was. A couple of seconds passed and they were off running, exploring, playing, and wrestling–they had a wonderful time, which got to be repeated on Sunday. Thank you Torie and Tasheena for grooming these little guys–they look terrific.
Nov 102022
Jerry and Belle attended 2 weekends of shows in New Mexico–and came away with quite a haul of ribbons! Good job Jerry and Belle! More shows for Belle over the next 2 weekends in Tucson, AZ–looking forward to more pictures with lots of ribbons.
Nov 052022
Week 6 brought lots of new adventures for the puppies–new toys, new food, a little training. Emoji said it was time to start weaning the pups, so sloppy, mashed up kibble and puppy mousse have been their main staple. Since all the pups now have at least a few teeth, tiny hard kibble has also been introduced. None of the pups liked the introduction of collars–all scratched at the collars and tried to get them off, but after a short time playing and wrestling became more fun and the collars were forgotten. Unusual noises were introduced (noisy babble ball), peanut butter on the water dispenser was a big hit. Taking the pictures below was more challenging this week–Brown wanted to wiggle and was not cooperative (no pen in his picture). This next week will bring haircuts and bathes and hopefully more socializing. 
Oct 292022
Week 5 brought lots of changes for the 4 puppies–they are really getting around and playing with each other and toys. For most of the week the puppies spent their waking hours in the living room where there is more activity and stimulation. Nighttime found them in the bedroom in the whelping box, until one of them decided to climb out of the box at 1:30 a.m. and whine until he was returned to the box. The next night the pups had a new, secure, bedtime area in the dog room. On Friday the puppies had several visitors, KyAnna and Kelly came to visit and help socialize the pups. The pups had a great time and slept most of the rest of the afternoon–entertaining is exhausting. Sue and I took pictures, as did KyAnna. While taking the pictures I neglected to change marking pens so there are 2 Green pups (one is actually the Blue pup–pictured at the bottom). 
Oct 222022
The puppies are beginning to look like little Bichons! They are up and moving–playing with each other and toys–learning to potty in the appropriate location–and they have moved out of the bedroom during the day into the living room where there is more noise and activity. Their hair is growing and it’s time to trim the hair on their necks and clean their pads of hair for better traction. Red continues to be the biggest of the litter, the other 3 pups are all very close in weight and size. 
Oct 162022
Between week 2 and week 3 there have been some big changes in the puppies–eyes are open and they are seeing better–ears are open and they are hearing–and they are walking around better (sometimes forward is backward, but they are definitely more mobile). Mouthing and playing with each other and toys has started, plus this week the pups moved into a bigger area. Now lots of noises need to be introduced–loud noises, sudden noises so that the pups get used to them and are not fearful. Red boy continues to be the big boy. Brown boy and Green boy are very close in weight and size–Blue boy is the smallest but gains weight daily (just smaller structure). 
s
Oct 072022
Red boy is the “big” boy! Today he weighed in at 1#5 3/8 oz. Pigment on noses and muzzles continues to come it.
Green boy weighed in at 1#1 5/8 oz. If he weren’t so sleepy you would see that his eyes are beginning to open–you can see that the pigment is also coming in on his pads.
Brown boy weighed 1# 2 3/8 oz. and is awake enough to show off his eyes and the pigment around his mouth.
Blue is still the smallest–guess that’s the way he’s going to be, but his black pigment is in and his eyes are opening. Week 3 will bring some big changes–eyes open and hearing will start. The pups will also become more mobile–getting around better and personalities should start to emerge.