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Went to see my new baby today

Tako_Kichi

Tako_Kichi

Administrator
Staff member
It's been two years since we had to put our much loved and very well behaved yellow Lab to sleep and it seemed like there was always an empty space in the house despite having two cats. We really missed having that big yellow goof-ball around but have not actively pursued finding a replacement as we felt that when the time was right something would come along and sure enough it looks like that has happened.

My wife had been chatting with former high-school friends of hers on Facebook when she mentioned the fact that we really missed our dog and one of the friends piped up with 'Ya know so-and-so's dog has puppies right?....and my dog is the Daddy....speak to them about getting one'. One phone call and a quick visit later and we got to pick one of the final two boys remaining unclaimed.

Today (5 days after the initial viewing) we went back to spend a little time with him so that he can start to get used to us and to take some photos (although the lighting wasn't great as the pups were in the garage today) so it is my great pleasure to introduce 'Duke'.

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This was taken just after we got there as he relaxes in my arms.

When I put him down he immediately set off to see just how much trouble he could get into in five minutes! Believe me we are going to have to keep an eye on him as he was into everything he shouldn't have been......I have a feeling he might just be a little trouble maker but I have always liked dogs with spirit.

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Meanwhile his siblings were starting to wake up from their snoozes and two had a mini dog-fight session but 'Duke' just wandered over and looked through the pen to see what the fuss was about.

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After a visit of about 30 minutes or so he was getting tuckered out again and settled down for another snooze with his siblings.

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Both Mum and Dad are pedigree English Springer Spaniels and are beautiful dogs. This is Mum 'Ginger'.............

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....and Dad 'Tazz'..........

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Needless to say the last five days have been a flurry of activity around here as we 'puppy proof' the house ready for his homecoming in a couple of weeks. The breeder has already provided his first collar and a 'blankie' which will have Mum's scent on it so that he doesn't feel so alone when he gets here and we have bought a larger collar for when he's ready to go outside and bowls and toys and everything else that we didn't already have from the previous dog.

He's going to be a lot of fun and will be very good for me as I am medically disabled and have been neglecting to exercise recently as it is far easier to just sit in front of the computer all day but now I have a puppy to train and walk so we can exercise together!
 
Good going Larry

That is one nice looking Pup. You will be getting him just at the right time to break him in...

And him break you in :icon_lol:

Nice looking parents also should be a great adventure. :icon29:
 
Thanks Dave. The Dad is a working gundog and his owner is a keen hunter and wild-fowler so it's a fair bet that both are going to be real busy in just over two weeks when the wild fowl season starts up here.
 
Damn that brings back memories ... my first pet that Dad got me by surprise was a springer, thought his face looked familiar.

Skipper (mine) was all black except for a white diamond on his forhead between his eyes.

The ol boy loved chasin and draggin woodchucks ... :)
 
Congrats Larry, he's a winner. :applause:

Memories... my grandparents(my mom's parents) had a Springer back in the 60s, and his name was Duke. And your Duke looks just like he did.

I don't want to get you worried but please, do keep a close eye on him. With the dognappings going on, I'd hate to see him lost to those SOBs. That's how they lost their Duke..... he just vanished.
 
Thanks Ted and Gary.

Re. the dog napping...he will never be outside alone and we live in small town Canada on 2 acres of land tucked away in a corner of town that nobody knows about....even delivery drivers have a hard time finding us as the property is at the end of a 100 ft lane and if you don't spot the lane you never even realize the place is there.
 
Now that is a fine looking puppy. I live in an area similar to you. Maybe 8 homes with a total of 20 or so acres. Great for dogs. Some folks let them wander around, I thing only 1 is tied. They all get along. No one comes down our way unless we know them or they got lost. Still, you do have to be careful of dog nappers. Is there anything people won't steal? After our last dog, I said never again, but looking at that cutie.......naw, I better stop looking at photos.
 
The image below should give you an idea of just how much fun a puppy can have without ever leaving the property (although he will get out and about of course ;) ). He will be getting all his shots before being allowed to explore though.

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The property is about 2 acres in size and is tucked away from prying eyes behind a row of houses on the street at the southern edge. The driveway is very difficult to spot as it is only one car wide and is lined with trees.

The landlord keeps the eastern former greenhouse area mown down but the western area has been left to run wild and is full of native grasses, wild flowers and scrub bushes. At the western end of the property is a ravine edged with mature trees and with a creek at the bottom.

There is an abundance of wildlife that passes through including squirrels, raccoons, rabbits, bats, garter snakes and the occasional skunk (I hope he NEVER meets one of those!) As for birds, we live on a major migration route and see everything from tiny hummingbirds to Bald Eagles and Turkey Vultures. Just north of us is the world's oldest wild-fowl conservation area and during the fall migration it is common to see 4-5,000 ducks and geese passing overhead on a daily basis as they commute between the conservation area and Lake Erie a mile or so to the south.

Reading all the above makes me wish I was a puppy so I could enjoy it too! :icon_lol:
 
If we could have afforded it we would have bought both of the remaining pups.....but his big brother (nicknamed 'Bear' by the breeder) is still available if you are interested.

I can always box him up and Purolator it to you .....LOL. :icon_lol:
 
He's not actually registered, yet (we are thinking of doing it though), and as it was just a couple of friends who bred their dogs they are not classed as 'official' breeders so the cost was considerably lower than if he was obtained from a registered breeder. Plus my wife has known both of the parent dog's owners since they were all in high-school together so that probably reduced the price a bit too ;) .

Bottom line, we paid $350 CDN for him and he comes with his first shots done, tail docked and dew claws removed but I would expect to pay a lot more than that for a 'papered' dog from an established breeder.

Damn! When you look at that he cost less than a good video card and will provide fun for a lot more years to boot!
 
I quess! Pet shops are selling dipsydoodles, pussypoodles, and a whole lot of mixed up things for 1200 and more.
 
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