HAPPY BIRTHDAY LUCY'S PUPPIES!

It has been one year since we had 12 puppies born in a large whelping box on our kitchen floor. What an amazing experience it was. A one-time-experience, for that matter. No more puppies for us! You can probably imagine the shock when Lucy kept having puppies one after another:

Awww, six puppies, perfect!
Uh, okay, seven. Wait, she looks like she's having more . . .
Is 10 some sort of record?
Wait, I think there's more . . .

There were actually 13 born, one died in the night. We managed to find loving homes for all of the puppies. It took a lot of effort on our part, postering up the whole town and showing the puppies to potential owners, many of which, perhaps realizing the gravity of puppy ownership, declined to buy one. I learned a lot about dogs, puppies, people, and everything in between. Like how to:

~ be a doggy midwife
~ put a pillow over my head to tone down the squeals and yelps of hungry puppies nursing in the kitchen while I tried to sleep
~how wonderful the smell of puppy breath, as sweet as any infant. I can still remember the new puppy smell . . .
~how quickly you can go through a bag of dog food when you are feeding 13 dogs
~walk 10+ dogs once a day
~keep an infant and toddler safe from 13 dogs
~carry two young children while walking, feeding, and taking care of 13 dogs
~the fine art of poster location and design
~the difference between a dominant and submissive dog
~the difference between 12 black Labradors by personality and little white markings alone
~that each dog really does have a distinct and predictable personality
~people have many interesting reasons for getting a puppy or for looking at one
~some people just want to come play with your puppies, but not buy them
~how to feed a pack of dogs salmon berries on a walk

. . . and so much more, but you get the point.

Be sure to check out our puppy and kitten blog at: http://www.lucyhaspuppies.blogspot.com

Every 3 year old child's dream: PUPPIES!!

2 days old (ABOVE & BELOW)