Our own L.B. Horchen aka “Dugan” was this year’s Runner Up at the Empire Grouse Championship at the storied Lost Pond field trial grounds near Norwich, NY.  Dugan ran an impressive race, pointing 2 Grouse in his 60 minute brace. Aside from his own broke finds, Dugan respectfully backed his brace mate, Dew Sweeper.

CH Dew Sweeper & Res.CH L.B. Horchen

Judges Bob Kays and Jim MacDuff were impressed with both dogs during the fourth brace, placing them at the top of a 32 dog field.  Handler Marc Forman says he was pleased with Dugan’s performance.  This young shooting dog has the speed and athleticism to cover the ground. This paired with his natural hunting instinct and intelligence make him a consistently strong competitor.

Dugan is standing at Kendal Hills, and his continued success in the field makes him an excellent choice as a sire.

The pups had their first outdoor adventure yesterday!  Thanks to the unseasonably warm weather this year, they are getting to explore the yard near the kennel.

4 week old pups are eager to explore

Every day they are more like puppies and less like babies. When we go into the kennel, they pile out of the whelping box and come running to the door to greet us.

Socializing the pups today, obedience training starts soon!

We’ll be bringing the neighbourhood children over for puppy visits this weekend.  Introducing young pups to children is an important part of the socialization process.  At 4 weeks old, they are half way to being ready to go to their new homes.  It is important that we prepare them for all the people and experiences they will encounter when they leave Kendal Hills.

Stay tuned for more pictures of our growing puppies.

The puppies are 13 days old, and starting to resemble little dogs.  Their noses have all turned black and their spots are starting to show.  They still spend most of their time sleeping, and the rest of their time eating.

Live to Sleep!

Live to Eat!

Their eyes are open and they are starting to test out their puppy voices.  They are roaming around the whelping box, and they are always looking for their next meal!  When Bonnie comes in from a run, the puppies can all smell her as soon as she is in the room.

Bonnie is still cleaning up after the puppies, and making sure the whelping box is a tidy home. In the next week or so, the pups will start to climb out of the box, and the paper training will begin. In the meantime, we are enjoying our time playing with the pups and watching them grow.

Stay tuned for updates on the newest English Setters at Kendal Hills.

What a difference a week makes! The puppies have doubled in size and are growing like weeds!  They are getting more solid on their feet, and this morning their eyes have started to open.

Growing Puppy Pileup!

We are handling them every day and they are getting used to being picked up and held. Bonnie continues to keep them very clean and the whelping box tidy. She is such a good mom.

Handling the pups every day is part of the early socializing process

There seems to be one tri-colour, a male; all the others are black and white. We may see some brown spots when they start to tick up.

Enjoy the photos, and stay tuned for updates as the pups grow!

One of the greatest signs that spring is just around the corner is the arrival of new puppies at Kendal Hills. 

In the wee hours of Friday, February 17 our own Kendal Hills Brazil (aka Bonnie) whelped a healthy litter of 7 tiny English Setters: five girls, and two boys, all with lots of black markings just like their parents.

Unlike some of our dogs, who have been known to whelp their pups in the house – remember Grace last spring? – Bonnie preferred to have her puppies in the whelping box at the kennel.

Bonnie is a very protective mother.  She is reluctant to leave the whelping box at this early stage, and has done her best to conceal the pups underneath her head and legs when strangers are near.

How many puppies? A protective mother hides her litter.

In their first hours of life, the pups were no bigger than the palm of your hand.  Their eyes and ears are sealed shut, and they rely on their already keen noses to find their mother to nurse.

6 Hours Old

Within the first 48 hours of their lives, the pups have become voracious eaters.  They have done nothing except sleep and eat, and they have just about doubled in size already!

Bonnie is still very protective of her family, but we can coax her out of the whelping box to eat and stretch her legs.  She will go outside to roll in the snow, but is eager to get back inside and check on her babies.

Stay tuned for updates on the latest additions to Kendal Hills Kennel!

The puppies have left the whelping box!  Such clever and curious babies…. they climbed out of the box  last Sunday and are scampering around exploring their environment.  I have taken the front panel off so they can  still get into the box where they sleep. 

At 4 weeks they are getting to the really cute stage. They love to bite my boot laces, they are starting to wrestle with their siblings, and  they are starting to master the physical challenges of the  sideways jump, and the “run and leap” puppy manouevres. It such a hoot to watch them play.

                                                                                                       

 

                                                                             

    Of course they really love to be picked up and their sweet  kisses makes us smile. At this stage, we are introducing them to children.  Our friends are invited to bring  children over to play with the puppies and  handle them. This is all part of the socialization process.  Of course,  all the playing means that puppies get  tired and they still need their naps. Grace is, as always, very patient as they  bite her ears and try to attack her tail.  Puppies are still nursing and are starting to enjoy the puppy food too.   

 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

March 15: The Ides of March! Puppies are 1 week old today!

It is incredible how fast they grow every day!! They love to nurse and it is such a pleasure to see them all lined up with their litttle tails wagging furiously!!

There are 3 males and 3 females and there are 3 tri-colours and 3 orange and white. A good mix. 

Grace is a wonderful mother,  lying patiently in the whelping box with her babies, keeping them clean and warm and letting them nurse whenever thsy want.  There is something to be learned from watching this patience and devotion to the tasks of motherhood.

Puppies eyes will be open  by this weekend. 

More soon!

If you are enjoying this blog, please visit the facebook page ” got English Settters” and click on ” like” on the  posting for this page.

Ahhhh Motherhood!!

Proud mother: Grace and her babies

Puppies have arrivied!!! March 8 2011

Grace before labour with Hickory the cat

Grace finally delivered her babies on March 8th in the wee small hours of the morning.  Like her mother Meg, she was very reluctant to produce any babies when  we were in the room. Rather, she preferred to push them out when we left her alone. It  made for  a long night for Tim & me as we checked on her  regularly.

We knew that she would have the puppies  last night as she stopped eating and spent the day lying under Tim’s desk. Remember all our plans for her to delivier in the whelping box?  Well Grace had other ideas and she refused to come out from under the desk. So of course what could we do but make the space as safe and comfortable as possible for her to  do her job?  

Grace was very protective and secretive. Whenever we would come into the office, she would hide her babies close in to her belly. We have 3 males and 3 females. they are a mix of colours: 3 black and white ( maybe  tricolour)  and 3 orange and white. They are all healthy and active and nursing vigorously.Stay tuned as we follow their growth and development