Looking good

The puppies have almost all gone to their new homes now. This is one of the girls still available. She is getting very good at recall and not wetting in her bed. She is very confident and just follows me around our yard. I do like to run the puppies, when old enough, with my adult dogs. They teach them so much and help to grow their confidence.

I really would like to get my horse out a little more but boy! was it windy this weekend. Horses don't do too well in the wind as their instinct is fight and they do rely on being able to hear well.

Beautiful day

What a lovely, sunny day.
I have boarding dogs in and let them play and have a good run around in the big pen with a couple of my dogs, well supervised of course. This way they do get lots of exercise whilst in my care and should go home after their holiday, shattered.

I took a couple of my dogs down to the canal today. It was so very peaceful and beautiful with the frost. The canal is frozen over. My dogs seldom go on a lead but do cope very well with the restriction. They are great off the lead thank goodness as we meet so many that aren't. I do believe that often they just pick up on their owners/handlers anxiety. If only we humans could chill.

Nice weather

Yes it is fffff flipping cold but how nice to have some proper winter weather. The birds in my son's aviary have managed to hatch quite a number of chicks through December which, they have never done before. They have all they need to hand, to survive but the wild birds will not have that luxury and they too will have been thrown by the unseasonal heat.

Horses are funny as the first frost always sends them a little whappy and today was no exception as they flew across their field, bucking and squealing as I went to feed and put them hay out.

The boarding dogs are doing great as the heat hit me as I opened the entrance door. All of the heater units lights were on. The whole building is so warm. I hate to think what it will do to my bills but my guests are happy and comfortable and that is all that really matters.

We still have quite a number of cats in and they too have their own, individual heat source through a pad. They were all sat on them this morning and who can blame them?

The puppies are the biggest challenge at the moment (only a couple left)
They need plenty of room to run and play now so outside would be ideal but it is just too cold so I run them on my yard with my big dogs, this all helps with their education too as the big dogs take no none sense from them and don't hold back if they need to chastise them for and "bad" behaviour.

The dogs are hiding!

This is the view across the front were you can see the large exercise ring and all the individual units.
I think the cooling towers look good in the back ground.

Puppy sales have gone well with just 3 left at this time of year too!
I have had lots of feedback and they all seem to be settling in well.

I has been a very warm winter which in many ways is good but our horses are carrying quite a bit of weight going into spring. This has significance for laminitis (inflammatory problem in horses hoofs) as it is directly linked to weight. I cannot bring myself to put them on a diet though as we have a cold spell forecast. British weather!!

Happy new year to all

Life is a little quieter after Christmas which was busy to say the least.
Having said that there are the lucky people who can take their holidays outside of the school holidays so we have a few dogs and cats in.

Today I took my horse out for a hack, what with the wind I haven't dared to take him out but we need to work him regularly as he needs to be fitter for my son to take him to pony camp where they do have to work hard every day. I am hoping to get to horse camp myself this year.

I have had a lot of interest in the dog boarding and have taken bookings right up to October 2012.I decided today to paint the block work!!! Why did I do that as it takes ages and it is so absorbent but it will look nice

Bags packed. One of our Labradoodle puppies.

She has a stunning coat. This is one of Lulu's puppies. She is a good sized, chunky girl with the most unusual eyes and very pale nose.  We also have Chocolate and black Labradoodles looking for a home.


This warm weather is confusing our animals as my son's cockertails have chicks!! They have just about grown their feathers so we are hopeful that they will survive if the temperature drops suddenly. I would put a heater in his aviary but the adult birds strip the electric cable with their beeks which is never a good idea.