Quite the hiatus...

So I have totally neglected this blog.  I wasn't feeling bloggy, I felt totally uninspired and have been wrapped up with a new job that I started a few weeks ago.  I am however BACK!  And the main reason I started this blog is just over a week away.  That's right folks, one week from this Friday we will drive up to Maine to take our fuzzy little brown guy (yep, we picked a boy) home for good!  Here is a little sneak peek at the adorableness that is to come....

We went to the breeders on Saturday to choose a puppy.  As they brought several of the cutest little creatures I'd ever seen out for us to play with, I was just so overwhelmed!  I cried and squeaked and just loved on them for a while.  This story is enough for a whole post of it's own, so I'll save it for that! 

I'll spend a little more time in the next few days updating you on our lives, I just wanted to let you know that dogpawlove is back in action....stay tuned! 

Camping.

Photo Courtesy of Deb and James Rodden of York River Chesapeakes

It is so crazy to know that one of those little wiggly pups laying cozily under a heat lamp is OUR dog, that's right OUR dog!!!  Oh the possibilities...like, camping?

We have been trying to wrap our brains around how you camp with a dog.  We camp in a tent, and the idea of sharing our little tent with a dog, especially a puppy, seems a little intimidating, wet, smelly, etc.  We booked a trial and very first puppy camping trip for Memorial Day Weekend at Horseneck State Beach.  This leaves us with a 12 week old puppy, a tent and a car.  How do you bring a puppy camping?  Do we use a crate? Does it get it's own tent? Does it sleep in ours without a crate?  Can we keep the dog in the crate in the car?  I'm obsessed with the details of it (if you couldn't tell)!!!

I found a campground that has put my worries at ease a little...it's called Chocorua Camping Village and it seems to be the most dog friendly but still very much so human friendly campground in the area.  Many campgrounds don't allow dogs, and most that do have very strict rules.  This place has a dog friendly lake beach (CBRs LOVE to swim!), dog sitting if you'd like to go to partake in a non-dog friendly activity like a dinner out or something, and overall just seems to have a more welcoming attitude towards dog crazy campers....like me.  

But alas, we still have the confusion of HOW you camp with a dog.  Does anyone have any tips or tricks or ideas? 

Also, fill out the little survey on the right of the page, we can't decide!!!!

Thanks for sharing this journey with us :) 

THEY ARE HERE!!!!

The puppies have arrived!!!!!!!!!!!  Mama pup had all 9 pups, 6 boys and 3 girls, between noon and 7pm Thursday.  Ma and pups are all healthy and doing well!!!

Update: No puppies yet!!

Those little guys and gals are sure keeping us on the edge of our seat!  The official due date was yesterday, March 1, and they haven't made an appearance yet.  Our breeders said Mama pup is in the "nesting period", which typically lasts 2-3 days before active labor starts.  Maybe, today, or tomorrow? Or the next day?  Eeeeee!  So exciting. 

I had many fun birthday festivities over the weekend that involved my family and a yummy corned beef and cabbage dinner!  I got a great new book from my Grandma, I just read the whole thing in a few hour sitting!  Reading books about dogs, be it specific Chesapeake Bay Retriever books, books about training, etc, I feel that it's been a huge part in keeping me sane and feeling somewhat confident that we can raise a happy and well-behaved puppy.  It has also made the waiting a little easier!  Here are a few books that I feel are very well written and filled with gobs of information:

How to Raise the Perfect Dog: Through Puppyhood and Beyond by Cesar Milan

New Dog  by Dr. Bruce Fogle

The New Complete Chesapeake Bay Retriever by Janet and Daniel Horn

The Dog Lovers Companion to Boston  by JoAnna Downey and Christian J. Lau--This one has been particularly useful, it lists dog-friendly activities, places, lodging, etc all over the Boston Area, as well as the Cape and Islands!  There are many different versions of this book for different areas throughout the country, it's a must have in my opinion! 

AAA Guide to Traveling with Your Pet  We plan on taking our new pup on many adventures and vacations, including camping, driving, hotels, etc.  This is a dense book that lists dog friendly lodging, camping, and emergency information throughout the entire US and Canada. 

I hunt high and low at our local Goodwill, and have bought many books (not just about Dogs!) for about $1.  Most of them are basically brand new!  It's a great way to add to your home library for very little money, we almost need a second bookcase!

On a more personal note, I'm one step closer to being employed!!  More on that soon....

If you have any questions or comments, or if you have ideas about things I could feature on the blog, please feel free to email me at dogpawlove@gmail.com!!  With this blog being relatively new, I have been trying to brainstorm different things that I could feature weekly, be it reviews, featured readers with their pups, etc. and I'd love to hear from you! 

My Birthday and Puppy Count!

So yesterday was my 23rd birthday, it was a lovely day.  Anthony spoiled me...I had an interview in the morning, then got my free birthday burrito from boloco.  From there we went and bought the sweatshirt I'd been wanting (currently wearing it, it's so cozy!).  Anthony got me lots of treats like flowers and balloons and beef jerky!  Then we went out for Vietnamese food and watched funny TV shows all night.  Perfect birthday! 

Mama pup had an ultrasound today to determine how many puppies are in there, the answer: 9!!!  They could be born as early as this weekend!!!

Here are a few things I've fancied this week, add them to the wish list:

-This personalized dog bed, modern, hip and super durable!  I love the color "coyote"

-These fun handmade dog name tags

-This gorgeous Rose Gold and Aquamarine Ring

-Sonnet XVII  by Pablo Neruda

Any fun plans for the weekend??  Anthony and I are going home for a birthday celebration with my family.  Other than that, we'll just be crossing our fingers for the arrival of the puppies!!  And for me to get the job...

Back! And Breeder Story...

Sorry for the lack of posts!  We had a busy fun weekend full of birthday things for Anthony, and I'm just now getting home and settling in, getting ready for my birthday (which is tomorrow!!!)! 

I wanted to take some time with this post to explain the story of how we chose our breeders.  I hope that this offers some insight, because it was such an overwhelming process initially!  Now just a week or so away from the puppies being born, we could not be happier with our choice. So here goes!!

Once we decided on a breed, I started looking for breeders in the New England area.  I touched base with a friend who had just gotten a dalmatian puppy, and she gave me lots of useful advice and pointed me in the direction of breed club websites.  I found the American Chesapeake Club and emailed some different breeders in the New England area.  It was important to me that we would be able to drive to get the puppy rather than having it flown in, I know a lot of people do that and that's fine, it's just something I wasn't that comfortable with and wanted to avoid if possible.  I started with a general email asking certain questions...

"Hi There!

I came across your website via the American Chesapeake Club website, and I had a few questions.  I live in Boston, MA and I am interested in purchasing a Chesapeake puppy sometime in the next 6 months to a year.  Currently, I am looking at different breeders in the New England area to see which we'd like to go with.  I plan on having this dog primarily as a family companion.  I saw the  litter you have available on your website currently, and I was wondering what, if any, litters you have planned for the future.  I also see that the price listed for the litter available current is $850, is that the price of all litters or does it vary? What is the process for buying the puppy, meaning do I put a deposit down upon confirmed pregnancy?  I am very new to this as this will be the first dog that I am purchasing on my own, and I am very excited, but a little confused by the process!

As far as health of the dogs, what tests are performed to ensure health?  And do you offer any sort of health guarantee on your pups, and if so what is included in this guarantee? 

Lastly, where exactly are you located?  

That's all I can think of currently!  I'm sure more questions will arise in the coming months.  Thanks and I look forward to hearing from you!"

 

I sent this email to probably 3 different breeders.  Of those breeders, one referred me to a couple other breeders they knew personally so I could get a second opinion, so to speak.  The emails I sent to those breeders consisted of similar questions, but I also made sure to mention who sent me to them.  After several emails back and forth, I narrowed it down to a couple breeders who I felt very comfortable with, answered all my questions (and MORE!), had a very sound breeding stock, and were a doable drive from Boston.  We ended up deciding to go with Deb and James Rodden who own York River Chesapeakes in York, ME (take a peek at their site for adorable photos!) for a couple reasons.  They keep their dogs in their home with them, they commit to one breeding a year so they have more time to dedicate to the mama and pups, they live one hour from us, and they were SO nice and helpful.   Deb and James have truly been there to answer any question, regardless of how ridiculous I feel asking it, which in my opinion is of utmost important, especially as a first time dog owner. 

We went for a visit to meet them and their 8 (yes 8!) dogs, and Anthony and I left knowing our search for a breeder was over.  

Throughout the process, I feel as though not only have I gained a breeder who will help us get a wonderful dog, but we've also gained a priceless resource, as well friends who are as crazy about dogs as we are!  Deb and James have made it very clear that they are there for anything through the life of the dog, and it makes me feel so much more at ease knowing that.  We are really looking forward to keeping in touch with them throughout the life of this dog.  

 

Also, they have been sending SO MANY pictures, both of Aria (mama), and also of past puppies and litters.  It is comforting to know they are proud of the dogs produced in their breeding program.  Also, the pictures make the waiting a lot easier!! 

 

 With all of that being said, it is SO SO important to do research to find your breeder.  Make sure you talk to more than one, ask around, and ask questions about what (if any) health certifications are done.  You want to make sure that the money, time and emotion spent on the process are spent in a productive manner.  Don't settle if you don't whole heartedly feel that you've found your breeder. 

I hope this is helpful!  Every story won't be exactly the same as ours, but what should be is you feeling comfortable every step of the way!

Somebody's Birthday is Today....

Today my wonderful boyfriend turns 23.  This year marks 7 birthdays spent together as a couple.  We both (mostly me) tend to take our birthday as a day where you are treated like royalty and can demand, request, pout, whine, basically be as high maintenance as you'd like, and it's okay!! Luckily for me, my birthday is exactly one week after his, so it keeps his princess tendencies in check ;)

The weather in Boston today is BEAUTIFUL!  Mid 50's, sunny, I hear the snow melting outside of my open windows!! Spring is coming, and I can't wait!  With each day that passes, I get more and more excited about the great things to come this year.

I've got a few treats up my sleeve. For now I need to get my butt in gear picking up this apartment and getting everything in order for a lovely evening full of birthday things!!  Enjoy the warmer weather if you've got it!

where it all began...

Credit: American Chesapeake Club

When we first started talking what kind of dog we would want, I initially started looking at sites with little "What dog best suits me" quizzes (like this one), who knows how accurate they are, but it at least got me thinking and looking and reading about different breeds.  I saw the chesapeake bay retriever listed, thought it was the most adorable dog I'd ever seen (I've got a soft spot for brown...), and began reading more and more about them. 

I clued Anthony in, he agreed about the level of adorable, and our minds had been made up.....

Okay, it wasn't really that easy.  Our minds were made up that they were SO LOVELY, everything we wanted in a dog: Brown (for me of course), rugged, smart, loyal, not overly popular, not a dog that couldn't do "dog things" (A direct quote from Anthony after I suggested, what about a French Bulldog??) etc.  Everything about them made me excited. We weren't at the point yet where we could imagine spending money on any dog, let alone a purebred dog from a reputable breeder.  So into the backs of our brains it went, with the occasional googling of breeders in our area...

Fast forward a few months, I got an issue of Dog Fancy in the mail (have I mentioned I was obsessed with all things dog?? who am I kidding, I AM obsessed...).  On the cover was a Chesapeake.  At this point, we were caring for a family member's mutt named Max (long story for another day! I promise!)  and my heart went pitter patter just looking at the cover, then slumped a little bit when I thought about how impossible it would be to have 2 large dogs living in our tiny little apartment...that's when I knew.  Chesapeake Bay Retrievers were the dog for me, I wouldn't be satisfied with just any old dog.  Something felt like it was missing still, even with Max in our lives.  

We discussed it more and in September decided that okay, this is what we really want...that set the ball in motion.  We weren't ready to get a puppy until the Spring, and we knew that, but it was official, we were going to get a Chesapeake Bay Retriever Puppy.  Next step, finding a breeder...

gotta start somewhere!

First post, feels slightly daunting!  I can't help but feel that since I've just created this blog right now, today, that I am typing this very first post to an arena of empty seats.  Pushing through that though, I will introduce myself a little bit...

My name is Morgan, I live in Boston, and I am a recent college graduate.  I live with my boyfriend of 6 years in a cozy little apartment with a breezy back deck (to which we have no door to, yep, we climb out the window).  As we got closer to the end of college, we started talking instead of dreaming of the inevitable reality that was creeping closer to us...a dog of our own!!!  With the college years mostly behind us, the idea that now we would be getting "grown up jobs" led us to realize we could afford a dog and all that comes with it.

Going through the process of deciding what exactly we wanted, how to go about it, and all the stuff and information in between, I really wished there was a place on the internet where I could find all of that in one place.  I hope that this blog can become that for others, as well as providing me with a way to organize the overwhelming and exciting thoughts (names, toys, yadda yadda!), that run through my head as an effort to pass the time until this puppy actually arrives.  Once the puppy arrives, I promise to post adorable, fuzzy brown photos, as well as tips and tricks on how we (hopefully!) survive, as well as fun dog things specific to Boston and New England. 

This is my first blog, so please be patient with me as I figure out how to do it in an effective and organized manner!  Thanks, and welcome :)

The puppies are due March 1, the official countdown begins....