INSOMNIACS place to talk in the wee hours

Junie, such great memories are flooding back about the pups. I grew up with mom&dad raising collies. Lot's of learning done with them. Then we had two great books. First was the socializing of the pups from the first day. Holding them and just loving them, talking, stroking. Then when their eyes opened the whelping box was opened up. We'd wake up early before them, Dh would stand outside the door and I'd be inside. Then we'd bang a spoon on a aluminum pie plate. They would all wake up at once. Dh would whistle them from outside the door and alternate with 'everybody come" and I'd direct them towards the door. Wouldn't let them dwaddle. Out the door they'd go and squat. First litter was trained at 5 1/2 weeks and second litter was trained at 4 1/2 weeks. Tonto was the only pup not trained. Key to it was frequent taking them all out. Papers were down and if somebody pooped or peed the paper was taken up right away.

Then back into nurse. When they started on solid food. All of them would have to be rinsed in the sink b/c they were covered with as much food as they ate.

We got in the routine of saying "Everybody" with each command. Now realize we should have chosen a cute unsex name. They all thought their name was "Everybody". Only took me 30 some years to realize that.

One time when their were about 8 pups left in the second litter. A fella came to buy a pup. I set up to chairs in the yard and had him sit. Not a pup in sight. They were 8 weeks. I whistled. They came from all directions. "Everybody sit" They formed a kind of half halo in front of us. "Everybody stay". Started from left to right with a treat. They would break and then the commands repeated. They shined. Moose the biggest was behind the group and Petey was at the far right. Petey was the runt. He moved next to Moose and kind of butted him over to get his treat sooner. Then Petey moved up to the first spot on the far left. Smart pup. The fella looked strange. I asked if he had a problem with the pups. He said he couldn't understand why we were selling the pups so cheap. Dh cried when Petey left.

Most of our friends bought pups from the first litter. We joked we didn't have any friends left with the second litter. At 8 weeks we brought all the pups that were left from the second litter inside. Their was a bed that had a dust ruffle. OMG they played under that bed for hours. Jumping in and out at each other. Had a friend stop by and the "kids were making a racket" I yelled from downstairs "Everybody Quiet". They shushed and then in awhile they'd get loud again. I took it for granted that they responded, my friend was amazed and amused.

We started taking them to this open park around 7 weeks. The two adults, Max, Lady, and all the pups. All of them followed the commands. One time when we loaded them into the car we didn't realize one went out the other door. We got home and OMD, JB was gone. Back to the park. Poor JB was under the car that was next to us.

Another funny training with each litter was teaching them to go through the dog door and climbing stairs. This stream of pups up and down the stairs. Back and forth on each step, before trying the next step. Sometimes rolling over each other. The dog door, I had to go through to convince them to try coming back in.

When you start walking your pup in an area you can leave them off leash. He will want to run ahead. If he doesn't immediately return on command, hide. Sounds a bit cruel, but they learn to stay close, check where you are, and respond to the whistle and command fast.

After the pups were gone. Max one time brought a stray Brittany(not one of ours) home. No manners. Dh didn't understand why the dog wouldn't listen or come to a whistle. It was an eye opener for him to realize why all the training.

Dh was unemployed with the first litter. It was all day care and training. Don't remember with the second litter. But I know we must have done the same. He changed jobs a couple of times in that time period. He must have been home with the second litter.

I was in Columbus when the second litter was born. With the second litter we moved the whelping box into the family room. I remember coming in and DH Greg was all smiles. He and a friend helped delivered them. He proudly showed me Lady with about a half dozen pups nursing. Yay, not ten pups. Then he opened the box next to the whelping bed. They're were another pile of pups nestled on a heating pad. That time they're were 11.

It was great time and great memories. Thanks for asking.

Loverly, gwad, prankster , yes. there was another pic you posted at the time too. The dog was ugly. I thought at the time how kind of you to take such an ugly dog. A face that only a mother could love. Where is that pic? Terrible to admit, but true. Confirmation does mean something to me. The Brit's confirmation was very good. Lot's of champions in Lady's line--AKC. Max was American Field Club(association?) registered. We were able to cross register, b/c of lineage. Loved Brit's but way to high energy for yard house living.

Junie three stories then I'll quit. You got the memories going. DH Greg never had a dog. In 1975, I said I wanted a house, a kid, and a dog. I didn't care what order. Got the house and trying for the kid. On the way to Canada stopped at a friends in Erie PA. He had a female Brit Mindy. Greg fell in love with her over a few hours. When she laid her head on his knee. He said "If I could have a dog like her I would have one". The friend Jim said "I'm breeding her, you can have a pup". I didn't miss a beat and said "Yes". Dear Greg said "I think I've been set up". When Max came it took about two hours for him to end up in our bed after Greg saying emphatically it wouldn't happen. It was great to watch them grow together. Training them both. Kind of makes the second litter delivery story more poignant. Greg was never without a dog. Our friend Jim got one pup from each litter.

Jim lent us his hunting cabin. Greg took a gun course. We were in the field. Greg broke the rule about the gun. It discharged forward. Max was in front. Not sure if the shot came close. We walked back to the cabin. Greg never picked up another gun

One friend that got a pup took us to a gun trial. Max who had never gone through field training and was now 7-8. Max pointed the first bird and the gunner winged it. Next bird he pointed, but broke point. The bird flushed. Max pinned it by it's wings and looked back at the gunner like, now what. On the way back, he went on point again. Wouldn't be called off. The judge said "Hold it, the last dog missed his second bird" The gunner flushed it but missed. They were all amazed that Max had never been field trained. He tracked zig zag just like Brit's are suppose too about twenty to forty feet in front of the gunner. It was beautiful to watch the natural instinct. We came home with the winged bird and the one he pinned. The pinned one was released. Nursed the winged one back to health. But it got out of the cage into the yard. Told Max to find. He went into the yard in the rain and pointed it. Just stood their until we retrieved it. It was eventually released. That was the end off hunting.

I told a story not long ago about different bunnies. This one he brought in the door and dropped at Greg's feet. It was a bunny. He once found a litter of premature bunnies, but this one was about palm size with fur. Cutie. Greg wakes me and said "Max brought this in, I have to go to work". I had to be at the fire station in an hour. I had to shower. I took the bunny and wrapped it in a washcloth and told max he had to watch it. Looked out from the shower. The bunny was behind the toilet. Max was pointing it. Resettled them and got back in the shower. Looked again. Max was behind the toilet, and the bunny was hopping around. 40 Lb dog wedged behind the toilet. Took the bunny to the fire station. One of the firemen was a farmer, he took it to the farm.

Another similar thing happened with a baby bird. it fledged, but wasn't ready. He pointed it, and waited for us to come. We came b/c he wouldn't come and we had to investigate. We kept the bird and fed it worms and stuff, and released it.

The only thing Max killed was a snake. We saw it from a distance of about 40 feet. I told my BIl we had to find it b/c Brit's are notorious for rubbing themselves in dead stinky things. I take Max to the area to find the snake. I said "You killed it, you find it". He pointed. We missed it at first, it was hanging over a thistle.

The beauty of Max, he had such an instinct to hunt, but not to kill. Except for the snake. Sorry, if any of this makes you sad. Max was remarkable. I miss him still.

Your Joey was a dear. Glad you were able to share his memory. Glad he brought you such love. Brings back another memory. We went to Jim's when his pups were about 5 weeks old. We picked Max. Then went to pick him up when he was 8 weeks. It was about 2 hours from us. But I guess growing up with so many Collie litters, I knew that would be a good thing to do. Totally forgot that till memory jogging. Memories. Thanks.