2013 Custom Darwyn Calendar now available!

I have included all new photos in my 2013 calendar.  Pictures (primarily from this year) include:

• puppy photos from the 2 litters born at Darwyn during 2012;
• Parker is shown in a beautiful photo on the waterfront on one of the beaches around Sydney Australia with his co-owner, Sonya;
• a few photos of Joe's "kids" having fun with us this past summer - Trooper and Java on various beaches and Tina in our boat;
• Gracie and Zorro are shown in our garden;
• Monty is as high as he can get in our 1 snowfall of the year during 2012! 
• Joe has a couple of professional photos to show him off!

I used mostly fun photos, and a couple of professional photos of our top dog Joe, in this years calendar.  While I have lot's of awesome show ring photos, I wanted this year's calendar to be about how we also enjoy our dogs outside of the show ring. 

Anyone can order one (click here) - so if you want to, go ahead. I know it is early - but here's hoping that 2013 is a good year all round for all of my friends and family!

Trooper on the beaches near Long Beach, BC (Cox Bay)

That was so much fun, going back over some of the awesome times we had during this year!

Gracie plays with 3 mth old puppy!

video link here!

Michael and I decided to spend an afternoon with Gracie (Ch. Darwyn's Say Goodnight Gracie) and her owner Sheryl (who of course is loved by many for her radio show - North by Northwest!).  I love the trails alongside the Coquitlam River!  Of course we had to bring someone along so we decided to bring one of our 3 month old (Dora and Joe) puppies.  We weren't exactly sure how 2 year old Gracie would behave (her first time playing with a young puppy) -- nor the puppy as this was his first playtime with an adult welsh that wasn't his dam!
As you can see in this video (click here) - fun was had by all!

If YouTube doesn't let you watch the video because of the music, click here for the boring version without.

I can't wait until we eventually breed Gracie!  She will make an awesome mom !!!

Enjoy the playtime video!

Lighthouse Park Adventure with 9 week old puppies!

Michael and I had an adventure today at one of my favorite places in Vancouver - Lighthouse Park!  We decided to take a couple of our 9.5 week old puppies with us.  Click here to read more about this and see a few pictures!

Dora & Joe had puppies!

We are very excited to announce that Dora (Am Ch Darwyn's Dora the Explorer) recently gave birth to 6 healthy puppies!  Dora is our girl that won Winners Bitch at the Welsh Terrier Club of America National Specialty at Montgomery County Kennel Club (PA, Oct/11).  She hasn't hit the show rings in Canada (yet), but when she eventually does, I'm sure we will have some fun!
The sire of this litter is our dog Joe - Multi Best in Show and Best in Specialty Show Grand Champion Am. & Can Ch. Darwyn's I'm Not Arguing That (who this weekend, got a HAT TRICK - 3 shows and 3 Group Wins -- WOW!).
We will place a couple of these boys in companion pet homes when they are 9 or 10 weeks old, but I am thinking that we might just grow up a few of these guys to see how they will look.
Everyone is doing very well - plump and happy and growing very nicely.  And mom .... well, she LOVES being a mom.  Dora is one of the best!
Click here to read more about this litter!

11 week old puppies having fun - video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Grr_UoFuLEY 

The picture above is when Paisa and Joe's puppies were 6 weeks old - but the link above is when 2 (of the 5 puppies) are 11 weeks old, and it was taken tonight (the boy is Trooper).

Paisa, the mom, has recently gone to her new home in Los Angeles and is doing very well.  Joe, the sire, got his 9th Best in Show, his 7th Reserve Best in Show and his 51st Group 1st win this year.

Lot's going on - and in a few days I leave for Montgomery County Kennel Club!  Monty is there as a special (Am/Can Ch. Darwyn Bruhil's Flying Circus).  Dora is there as an open bitch (she's a K-See daughter), and Jessie, a 6 month old Monty x Dora daughter is there with her co-owner, Jane Erdman (who has done all of the trimming work!).  I can't wait!

Hope you enjoyed the video.  :-)

Congratulations to Fred & Patty for 6 healthy puppies sired by Monty!

One of my specials boys, Monty (Ch Darwyn Bruhil's Flying Circus) sired a second, healthy litter.  Olivia, the dam, is owned by WTCA members Fred and Patty Adams in Florida.  The puppies are now 3 weeks old (boy does time fly!) and all doing well.  Congratulations and good luck!  We'll be following your progress closely!

Click here for the web page that I put together for this litter (which includes the details for Fred and Patty's litter).  Monty's own web page has not yet been done (but it will be - I promise!).

A little bit of lead training for a 9 week old puppy

I have started to get our 9 week old (Monty x Dora) puppies used to being on a lead.  So far they all seem fairly comfortable (I'm sure the cheese helps :-).  I am very happy with how freely they are moving - and happy they are!  Michael grabbed our flip yesterday and took a short video to share with a friend who might co-own her with me. This was so cute I thought that I would share it with you here!

Click here to watch Jessie!  Darwyn ..... to be announced soon.  If you want to watch the longer version (hope you are an Abba fan!), then click here to watch Jessie and then at the end with her sister on our deck.

Today Jessie and her brother went to my local friends home for a few days to play with kids, cats, dogs and, well, each other.  I clippered one and left one with puppy coat for the kids.  What child can resist cute, playful and happy puppies!  FUN!

Exploring our property with Monty & Dora's 6 week old puppies!

We took some time out yesterday to explore some of our back property with our 6.5 week old puppies (Monty's first litter that he sired ... I'll do his page soon!).  The cool thing is that we remembered to bring (and use!) our video camera (I love my little flip!).  Above is a snapshot from the video and click here for a link to the video.
We'll go back out again today (already have actually :-) ... just won't bother with a video camera this time.
Enjoy!

Vaccinations?

There is a lot of discussion about vaccinations.  Here at Darwyn Welsh Terriers, all of our puppies are vaccinated with the core vaccines at 8, 12 and 16 weeks of age (including rabies at 16 weeks) and then one year after the 16 week vaccine the core vaccines (including rabies) are done again (boosted), along with another 'vet check'.  After that, boosters provided are based on the dog and the situation (some are every 3 years, when the rabies vaccination are needed).  That is what we do -- others need to work with their veterinarian to decide what is best for their loved pets.  But, I know there is a lot of discussion, controversy and mystery.
The following 4-part series (1 interview) is with a very well known, and well respected, expert in the area:
Dr. Robert Schultz
Click here for part 1
Click here for part 2
Click here for part 3
Click here for part 4 (specifically about rabies vaccines)

I hope you enjoy this informative interview, I know that I learned some very interesting facts!

After dinner playtime with puppies!

Dora and Monty's puppies are coming up to 6 weeks old - time flies when you are having fun!

I haven't written much about these guys, and I haven't even done the sire and dam's page on my website (I really should - and I will!).  But, rest assured, just because my website doesn't show them doesn't mean that we aren't having fun here!

Tonight I remembered to dig out the camera and took a few pictures while

we were playing after dinner.  They are all doing fantastic and I am liking what I am seeing - very much! 

Monty is the sire (Ch. Darwyn Bruhil's Flying Circus) ... he is from Paisa's litter born in September 2009. (Click here for a home video we took recently on a walk with Monty and an older puppy girl)

Dora is the mom, and a very good mom she is!  Dora is from KSee's last litter.  If I get motivated to stop playing with puppies, trimming dogs getting ready for shows, and gardening now that spring is here - well, I just might update my website ... SO MUCH to say! 

Stay tuned!

Wonderful week for Paisa's puppies!

Paisa and her 1 week old puppies - October 2009
Emme and Monty are in this happy pile!

This has been a very busy, but exhilarating and proud, week for me as a breeder.  This post is about Paisa's puppies that were born in Fall 2009 (MBIS Am/Can Ch Sanherpinc Paisa)
FIRST of all...
CONGRATULATIONS to the owners of Darwyn's Emerald in Sanherpinc!  Emme WON WINNERS BITCH and BEST OF WINNERS at the WELSH TERRIER CLUB OF AMERICA NATIONAL SPECIALTY in Louisville, KY (USA) today for a 5-POINT MAJOR!

Emme (Monty's litter sister - click here for details) was bred by myself and Bruce Schwartz (from Paisa's first litter in Sept/09) and is owned by Santiago Pinto, Judith Anspach, Mary Duafala and Pam Allen.  I am THRILLED!

Here is a link to the results:  Welsh Terrier Club of America (floating) National Specialty; Louisville, KY (March 20, 2011) - click here!

I did not attend this weekend's show, but was kept 'in the loop' as to how Emme looked in her debut (YES - this was her first weekend out!).  I heard loud and clear that she had suberb ring presence, moved freely and easily (floated some even said!), 'to die for' coat and color, and a beautiful welshy head and expression!  Click this link for a picture of her (and others) at the Louisville show from yesterday, compliments of Eileen Lurker (Emme - Darwyn's Emerald in Sanherpinc is #48)

I am so proud of this girl - a beautiful Welsh Terrier for sure!  And, I am very thankful for her owners who have had the patience to show her when she was ready, and RC & Shari Carusi for the superb conditioning and presentation.  What a wonderful team - thank you all for presenting my baby so well!

Emme is the 12th Welsh Terrier that I have owned, or bred, that has won Winners Dog / Bitch (or higher) at a Welsh Terrier breed specialty in the US!

The SECOND exciting news here this week related to Paisa's first litter is that her son, Monty (Ch. Darwyn Bruhil's Flying Circus, a multiple Group Winner) sired his first litter -- 4 girls and 1 boy!  Everyone is doing very well.  I guess I need to do Monty's page on my website!  Monty started, and finished, his Canadian Championship at Canada's largest show (Lower Mainland Dog Fanciers) by winning the Terrier Group twice and was awarded Reserve Best in Show in October 2010!  I'll try to do that soon and then expand on this very exciting litter that was just born!

Stay tuned

Day 13 -- eyes have just started to open!

Addie's puppies continue to do well and Addie continues to be a great mom!  Every day they have been growing between 5% and 10% (some are growing even more than that!) ... they are now an average of 580 grams (20.5 oz or 1.3 pounds .... note, birthweight was an average of 202 grams).  I am very pleased with how they are progressing, and how wonderful a mom Addie is being.  You see, in less than 2 days I expect to be in Pennsylvania at my US Breed Club's National Specialty -- Montgomery County Kennel Club!  Last year was my first year (in over 10) that I missed it, since Paisa had puppies due that weekend, and this year my plan was to go and Michael to stay here with the puppies ... IF everything was going well.  Let's just say that Michael is very prepared to take on the duties of caring for "mom" while I get to go to my National Specialty!  Everything is going very well :-) More about the specialty later....
I didn't take a picture today as I wasn't sure how the flash would be for a newborns eyes that *just* opened, so the picture included above was taken by our friend, and wonderful website designer and photographer extraordinairre - Martin Blumenfield (http://www.coastalexteme.com/) when he and his family came a few days ago to see the puppies.

Addie had 6 puppies!

Late last night Addie (full name is Athena - Am/Can Ch Darwyn's Heroic Endeavour) had 6 healthy puppies ... born in record time!  The last time we had a litter born (Fall 2009), Paisa had 6 puppies, delivered naturally over 8 hours ... that was one long day as neither Michael nor myself moved very far from the puppy room (and not for long) .... well Addie broke the record at Darwyn for speed and ease of delivery.  Addie's 5 boys and 1 girl were born in 1 hour and 15 minutes!
The picture above was taken about 30 minutes after the last puppy was born ... she is a very happy, and content mom, and the puppies are all doing very well.  Me ... tired and happy.

Who can't resist cute puppies :-)

Here's Scout - the newest addition to the Darwyn Family!

I still plan on putting together a proper blog post, with photos of Scout and the family that she came from ... perhaps after I get back from the upcoming show this weekend in Washington State I'll get some time...  For now, here are a couple of photos that Michael took yesterday when we went for a walk with 10 week old Scout and a friend that will be flying to Oklahoma in a couple of weeks to bring back her sister Gracie!

It looks like Scout has acclimated to BC weather and terrain just fine.  I might even try to do a bit of grooming on her before the next set of photos.  :-)

Older puppies available ...

I have been very busy in these last few months, so have not followed up with everyone that has sent me a request (I appologize - but I have life and dogs and relationships and property also going on in my life ... and there is just so much time!).
Anyways, I have a young boy (9.5 months old) available -- however, I am looking for an extra special home for him, and one that is relatively local to me (Lower Mainland, BC).  There is also another boy that a good friend of mine has available, 10 months old, and he lives in the Los Angeles (California) area - both are absolutely wonderful boys, very well socialized, healthy and great temperaments!
If you have terrier experience, and possibly interested - please contact me.

Keep your fingers crossed for puppies in a couple of months!

Addie (aka Athena), recently retired from the show circuit where she finished both her American and Canadian Championships in style, is hoping to have puppies in mid September! 
In the US - she won at the Welsh Terrier Club of America National Specialty, and in Canada, multiple Group Placements (currently #2 Welsh Terrier spot in Canada -- we'll see if she holds onto that over the year or not ... no more shows for her.

Her #1 job in life now is to keep Gloria company, scare away any squirrels from the backyard and go to the beach for a swim and walks ... oh darn, eh?

I also hope that I will be posting new puppy pictures here in a couple of months. We are all very excited - a mix between 2 truly beautiful Welsh Terriers, fantastic pedigrees on both sides, and temperaments that can go directly from a show ring to playing with young children (albeit the right children, with great parents :-)

Now the waiting game starts ... keep your fingers crossed for us.  If she is anything like her mom Haley (recently identified as #1 Welsh Terrier dam in the US for 2009), Addie will be a terrific mom ... when she was a year to a year and a half old, she was a fantastic playmate to both Joe and Parker ... so, we have no doubts about her being a great mom.
Stay tuned!

Decisions made .... now to find a GREAT home!

Whenever I have a litter born, I always wait until the puppies are 8 weeks old until I see which ones I want to "grow up" as potential show dogs, and dogs that will continue on developing the 'darwyn line'.  Well, when you say that you are going to grow them up - that means that sometimes, some of the young dogs end up moving on.  Thank goodness people that get one of the dogs that I have bred are such fantastic people.  But ... I must admit, I do get very attached to them, and it is hard to make the decision to let them go on to new families....

It is SO much harder of a decision when they are so wonderful to live with - I mean, Donny is happy, easy going and, inside, VERY settled! Even when he was a really young puppy!  In fact, I had often wondered if I would be placing him simply because he wouldn't be showy enough to make it as a show dog!  But, as he has gotten a few months older, he has proven that isn't a problem ... he's just a really relaxed type of guy inside the house, or car, or RV, or...

Such is what I have been struggling with lately, and on our current RV trip to our National Specialty in California (and now enjoying the wide open beaches of S. Oregon!), I have come to the decision that one of my young boys will get a family of his own ...

... at least, I'll start looking into it next week. 

THIS WEEK, Michael and I will continue to enjoy our time with him while he hangs out with us in the RV and has fun running around on the beach in S. Oregon with his litter sister, Dora.

Donny - you just were a GREAT dog that came along at the WRONG time .... not including you, there are already 3 boys here - both Joe and Parker (only 2 years old themselves are top ranked dogs/boys of mine in both the US and Canada - both US group winners), and Monty,well, he is going to stay a bit longer .... You,well, you would have also been a good show dog and are SO welshie (head,expression, bone, coat, color, short back, tail set, shoulders/reach, topline, etc) ...

... I wish I had unlimited time and attention to give everyone, so everyone could always stay.  But, don't worry, I will find you an AMAZING home - as all of my other Darwyn Welsh have come to learn .... I don't just let anyone have one of my dogs ... we'll start to figure this out, but right now, let's just continue to enjoy our time together!

People that know me well know that when I come to these decisions, these are very hard for me and very upsetting .... I'm happy once I figure out where the dogs go, but it's very hard when I first make the decision ...  they are just part of our life, I don't know how else to put it.  It's days like this when I wish that I just didn't get attached and connected to the dogs....but, I do, and that's just the way it is.

xox  xox

Puppies - yeah! But, as they say, when it rains it pours (literally and in so many ways) ...

... but things seem to be getting better now.  WHEW!

I've been on pins and needles for the last few weeks about Charlie and her pending birth.  While I have wanted to post, I was anxious about what was happening and did not want to add to an already stressful situation.  But, things seem to be turning around now, so I am feeling a bit better about writing.

Charlie (Am. Ch. Sanherpinc Nora Charles) had 5 healthy puppies born last Wed - 3 girls and 2 boys!  Woo hoo!  This is my boy, Parker's, first litter that he has sired and I am very excited about it ... Charlie is a beautiful Welsh Terrier with a terrific personality.  She is 4 years old, finished her Am. Championship quickly (which is very difficult to do in general, let alone where she lives in the US - in Oklahoma), she is Paisa's sister (Am/Can Ch. Sanherpinc Paisa), and she has one of the most sweet personalities that you'll find in a dog (everyone that meets her almost immediately falls in love with her - and she is a favorite at her local kids reading group and hospital visits as one of the favorite local therapy dogs which is part of H.A.L.O. in Oklahoma).  It turns out that Jerry and Ann almost chose Paisa as a puppy, but in the end of the day, chose Charlie.  When they learned that Paisa now lives with Michael and I, and that our focus is on good looking Welsh Terriers that have good personalities and are healthy, we started discussing the potential of breeding to one of our dogs.

She and her owner Jerry spent almost a week here a couple of months ago and we had a great time!  Come back soon as I will write a blog post all about it.  We explored a number of places in Vancouver, took a different dog (or 2) each day, and met up with a local puppy owner of mine that has a puppy related to Charlie (Grover, a nephew of Charlie, I guess since Charlie's sister - Paisa, is his mother) ... I wrote a blog post on Apr 9, 2010 about that day with lot's of great photos!
So - a few cool stories and pictures to come from that wonderful visit a couple of months ago that produced these 5 puppies!

So - that's the good stuff.  Now the stressful stuff.  This was Charlie's first litter, and while Jerry and Ann have been around dogs all of their lives, grew up in a family that bred dogs, have terrific vets and EXCELLENT relationships with their vet (and close by), this is actually their first litter they have personally experienced.  I was a bit nervous about this, but armed with a great background, many instructions (and books and videos), excellent and experienced vet resources close by, good common sense, a very strong relationship with Charlie (and the dog community - especially since Jerry is the president of the 70+ person therapy dog group) - they were up to the challenge.  If they weren't 2200 miles away from me, I would have been over there in a heartbeat at the first signs of impending delivery!

Then 2 weeks ago a tornado came through their city - and their home.  With part of the roof gone, windows smashed and front yard demolished ... their focus still was Charlie and getting ready.  We connected every so often and when it was time and Charlie started labour, clearly something was wrong.  The first puppy was really big (he's lucky - he survived!).  If this had been the 4th or 5th puppy, everything likely would have been fine, but he was the 1st!  Off to the emergency vet they went.  Hours later and things seemed to be OK.  Charlie and her new family came home.  The pictures here of her with puppies were taken when they are still only a few hours old.  Clearly she took to being a mother just fine ... and things were going well.

Then a couple of days later one of the girls started to not do very well.  Not gaining, limp, not feeding and starting to get cool.  Not good.  Off to the local vet again to get help (this is where I really wish I was closer as I could help with the fluids and feeding) - but they have great people close by (clearly!). 

When Jerry got home late that night (why does it always seem to happen at night?) the Air Conditioner exploded !! ?? !!  Did I mention that this is Oklahama City in June?  It get's hot there - you need A/C!

NOW I am sure that things are getting just a bit stressful!  First the tornado, then the c-section, then the potentially fading puppy (which is doing fine - from tonights report), then the A/C explodes and the heat index is above 104F!

And, it doesn't stop there!

They pack up themselves, Charlie, her puppies and head to a hotel - hoping to get even a few hours of sleep.  I don't know how much sleep they actually got, because in the early hours of last night, the rains came - and came - and came!  Over 10 inches in just a few hours. 

CNN has some really eye-opening coverage on just what they experienced there - click here to check it out!

Well, I talked with Jerry tonight and they are back in their home.  The A/C guy came today and it seems like thier home is livable - while their rain gauge shows over 10 inches of rain - it hasn't leaked.  All of the puppies are plump and warm and feeding.  Charlie is doing her best to be a mom and Jerry and Ann are pulling out all stops to put Charlie and her pups first and just trying to keep their house and lives as sane as they possibly can - in the chaos that is going on around them.  I didn't even ask how they are coping with being able to get Charlie out and pottied in all of this chaos and mud and heat and rain (these things that one doesn't think about unless you are living it).  I contemplated getting on a flight to go down and help, but didn't since I know that they have expert resources that are working with them.

So - come back soon so that you can see the pictures and stories of the adventures that we had a couple of months ago exploring Vancouver and Jerry meeting Grover and her 3 year old owner - Tyler!  And, for now, keep Charlie and her pups in your thoughts - and let's hope that the weather stabilizes in their part of the coutnry ... no more surprises please!

Remember - I love you guys - I love Charlie and please stay warm (but not too warm!) safe and dry.  I'm just a phone call away.  The fun part of having puppies will come soon -- I promise!  I can't wait to see you all in August!  Big hugs! :-)