Heartsong Labradoodles

Silk is ending her career with a bang. The puppies she produced this time are all awesome. I can’t wait to see them at 6 weeks. At the same time, I want to appreciate this precious time with them and the amazing experience of watching Silk be a mother. She went outside with me today and was rolling and playing and suddenly she ran toward the house and to her puppies. She must have heard one of them cry. Her hearing is so much better than humans. Or she sensed they needed her. I will never know. I know her dedication to those puppies is amazing. 

When she had her first litter I still had my “bossy” old labrador with us. Nyala, the Lab, was very intimidating to all of the dogs even though she was old and had HD and really was quite helpless. Silk was very intimidated by her. One day Nyala decided to go and check out Silk’s puppies. Silk was obviously shaken. She stood between the puppies and Nyala, her body shaking with fear, offering up a fierce growl. I came in and made Nyala leave the room. I had so much admiration for Silk. She obviously would have given her life for her babies. 

She is an incredible mother.

My class was really well presented. You may read about the instructor on her web site: www.massageforhorseandrider.com. She does professional massages for horses, humans and canines. It is amazing what learning a little skill can do for technique. I came home and gave Bella (our 12 YO lab with severe arthritis) a massage. I could notice immediately the difference in her relaxation. Her breathing was totally relaxed. She was impressed with my new skill. Silkie immediately picked up on the energy and put her self in position for “next please”. I gave her a massage and she melted against me. I think they are glad I attended this class.

I learned 5 professional strokes and how to apply them. I learned how to start gently and increase pressure. I learned a lot of canine anatomy as well. Very important because massage is focused on muscle vs. bone and it is necessary to know where the muscles are. It was really interesting working on other people’s dogs as well. I know what my dog’s sore spots are. It was about leaning to trust my instinct and pay attention to the animal receiving the massage. I also learned how to protect my body and make the work more effective.

It was a wonderful day!!

They are one week old today. Everyone is thriving and mom has naturally divided them into groups for feeding. She is very protective and doesn’t like any of the dogs at the gate of her personal wing of the house. She lets them know that they are her babies and nobody had better cross the barrier. They all just stand at the gate admiring the additional food I take into her domain: ). She is a very attentive mom. She counts them every time I leave the room as though I might misplace one. If one makes a noise, momma is by their side seeing what they need. It is difficult for her to focus on eating because if one of her babies cries, she immediately focuses on the baby. 

I did get her outside today for a walk. She was very excited and happy to be with us. She kept glancing back at the house. Before long she was at the front door eager to check on her babies. Her mind really never left them. She is everything a mother could ever be; she is perfection. Her devotion shows up in her offspring’s temperament. I will be doing weekly updates, please check back. Thanks for listening.

It was so great to see him excited to see his family! Lynne came with her daughter and her daughter’s boyfriend to retrieve their new companion. He gave me a kiss good-bye, but it was so different from the first time when he left. This time he knew where he was going and I could tell he was eager for the journey. He enjoyed his visit with us, but now he has his very own family. Lynne enjoyed meeting the matriarch, Tegan Park Flame. Flame loved the attention we paid to her coat and the story telling about her wild adventures in Australian and Waddy, KY. Bella the elderly lab, enjoyed demonstrating how she goes in and out of doors. We had a good visit. I feel very good knowing that Cole has a family of his own.

What a wonderful book!! I just finished it and it is so funny and so sad. A must read for dog lovers. I’m going to add it to my list for families. Enzo (the dog) is a philosopher (and a good one at that). The story is told from Enzo’s point of view and is very telling of an author who has observed dogs and knows them well. If anyone reads this book, please let me know about your experience.