BREAKFAST AT GINGER'S

Have y'all seen this video?? It is so funny!

THE DRY RETRIEVER

I hope this video puts a smile on your face like it did mine!!!

Dealing with Death: When Children Must Say Goodbye to Their Pets

Last night, I babysat for two wonderful children that I sit for regularly. Only, yesterday was different. You see, the family had just put down their beloved dog, and the children were distraught over the death of this dog, which had always been a part of their lives. The family warned me ahead of time about their loss, and gave me the opportunity to cancel, but we both agreed it might be a nice positive outlet for the children to have me come over. I was warned ahead of time the children might ask me to read them some books about pets dying, and I was prepared.

"Saying Goodbye to Lulu" was one of the books on death we read last night. This one really captures what it is like for a child to have their best fur friend die. The imagery used makes the story very easy to relate to. Realizing that one day the pain will go away, and the sadness will leave us, and we will be able to love a new dog in the future was a powerful message in this book. The story emphasizes that while we may love a new dog as much as we loved our dog that dies, no dog will ever replace our old dog. New dogs simply add more joy to our lives, but it is okay to not want a new dog right away. This was my favorite out of all of the books that we read last night.

I learned about death at a young age, as my own pets and animals on our farm would die, and each death was like a knife to my chest – the most painful event my little child self could ever imagine. It was always so hard on me - when I was 10 and put down my beloved cat, Tigger, I cried for two weeks straight. With these memories in hand, I felt prepared at least with sympathy for these children and their loss.

When I arrived at the home to babysit, I was immediately aware of the discussions going on. The four year old boy ran up and told me that his dog died. The seven year old girl showed me a card a neighborhood friend had made her, on the outside it read, “I’m sorry your dog died,” and the inside said, “It’s sad your dog is dead.” The cavalier way with which death and being dead was discussed was so unlike the way many adults approach death – referring to it as a “passing” or a “loss”. It was nice in a way to hear death being called exactly what it is. So often, children get confused with death and the terms we apply to it. As a child, I was very confused when I was told we were going to put a horse to sleep. I kept wondering when the horse would wake up, until my parents realized my confusion, and explained death to me.

When it came time for me to put the kiddos to bed they each selected a couple of story books that address the death of a pet. It was very hard not to cry through these books, for they truly are sad, especially when there are red, puffy-eyed children sitting in bed beside you. Despite the melancholy atmosphere, I found it fascinating that these children wanted to hear about death, and kept selecting more books for me to read. It was as though they truly related and gained a sense of understanding about the grief they felt, and the loss of Gracie’s life from these books. I would highly recommend The Forever Dog and Saying Goodbye to Lulu for any child that is grieving the death of a pet.

"The Forever Dog" was another book we read, and my second favorite. This book not only focuses on the death of a pet, but addresses the feelings of grief you might feel - like anger and sadness - when a pet dies. The illustrations and story are both easy to relate to, and give a slightly different perspective to death. This book concludes by explaining that memories spent with a pet will always live in our hearts, long after our dogs have died.

Like the way the children discussed death, dying and being dead with those exact words – the books did not sugar coat anything. They explained how “being put to sleep” is not sleeping, but is where the dog stops breathing, his heart stops beating, and all life leaves his body. The books also explained the grieving process through the ways the main characters reacted to the deaths of their pets. The loss of a pet is usually the first experience a child has with death, and if not the first experience, it is usually one with the most impact. To have that four legged friend you’ve played with your entire life, and seen on a daily basis, suddenly gone is very difficult to comprehend. Children often don’t realize that pets have a very different life span than humans, and this complicates matters. Through my research, I’ve learned the most important thing a parent can do to help their child through this terrible time is to be completely open and honest with the child. Using words like “euthanasia” that children do not understand will only complicate things, but explaining death in a very matter of fact way will make it easier for the child to grasp what is happening.

I wish that books like these had been available to me growing up. There are now so many books to chose from that address this touchy subject, and I think they really help children understand in a way that family discussions might not.

WINNER WINNER CHICKEN DINNER!

I know you have all been anxiously awaiting the results of the GIVEAWAY! Well, your wait is over, because we have a WINNER!!! Normally, I cut up little pieces of paper with numbers on them, and draw them out of a hat, because I'm a bit old school at times, but I've decided to embrace technology and use a random number generator for this giveaway.

Drum roll, pleaseee....


Courtesy of Random.org our winner is comment #17 "Central Bark Designs" over at "Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of BACON!" will receive a leash rack, a copy of The Art of Racing in the Rain, and a large bag of Dogma fresh baked treats! Please leave a comment with your e-mail address and I'll get in touch with you to arrange shipping! CONGRATS!!!

But, we aren't done yet! As a surprise, there will be two honorable mentions who also receive some Dogma treats...

comment #18 and comment #21 will be getting smaller bags of Dogma treats. JackDaddy and Whitney and the Preppy Puppy please comment with your email addresses!

GIVEAWAY!!!

I'm EXTENDING the GIVEAWAY!!!

I know, I know, I keep extending the giveaway deadline!!!


The official deadline will now be TOMORROW NIGHT at 10pm! The reason for the delay is I know that I packed the giveaway in tons of bubble-wrap, and put it in a box, but I haven't quite unpacked that box yet! I'm on the prowl for said giveaway box, and in the meantime, my lack of organization is YOUR GAIN!


If you commented on the giveaway and said you were "too late" that will count as an entry. If you haven't yet entered the giveaway, there is still time!!! Just click here and post your comments on this post!!!

GOOD LUCK!!

The Puppy Hunt Takes a Bad Turn

I've been trying to keep you all in the loop on my puppy hunt, and shared my trails and tribulations of the puppy search with you. Recently, I've been sharing my joy, anticipation, and excitement about a specific litter which I hoped would contain my first show puppy.

As you know, I am the second in line for a puppy, but I want a show quality puppy. Well, the mother delivered today, four female puppies, one was stilborn, so there are three healthy female puppies. At this age, there is no way of knowing which ones, if any, will be show quality - you have to wait for the puppies to grow quite a bit to do evaluations, and I am second or third in line (I forget) for a show puppy. If there aren't enough show quality puppies, I won't be getting one from this litter, which is a real possibility.

Please keep this litter in your thoughts and prayers. I've been wanting this for so long, and working so hard to obtain it. I know that whatever happens, happens for a reason... but I still really hope my show puppy is in this litter.

I'll keep you posted as the puppies age, and their potential is revealed.

On a happy note, I'm going to enter this giveaway over at Prissy and Preppy Flamingo! You should, too! Make sure to ENTER MY GIVEAWAY, too... I'm extending it a few more days!

Moving with Your Dog: My "Tail" of Doing Just That

I wish I had had my camera during the moving process! When I packed a large red suitcase and turned my back for a few seconds, Milly climbed right in to make sure I didn't forget her!

I haven't been the best about posting the past few weeks, because I was busy moving! There are a lot of reasons I decided to move from Arlington, VA (two stop lights to DC) to Falls Church, VA (entirely too many stop lights to DC). I knew it was time to move from the house I've lived in for the past 3 years when a large tree fell in my yard about four months ago, and my landlord left it there for weeks, and then left my roommates and I to do the clean up. The house I was living in also had a mold problem, which the landlord denied, and I did not want to bring my puppy into a home with mold. Finally, the last reason for the move was a desire to have more space and a spacious yard for Milly - at the old house, the "fenced in yard" was more like a fenced in patio with a grassy patch.



Milly has always been great at adjusting to new locations and is an excellent traveler, but she gets very anxious at the idea of moving. If she so much as sees me packing my Vera Bradley duffel bag she instantly becomes velcroed to my side. With this in mind, I took some precautions to make the move as easy and as stress free as possible on her.

Moving is always chaotic, and my move was no exception, because I have entirely too much stuff. Since Milly gets stressed just when I pack a suitcase, I worried packing an entire house would really take her over the edge. She notices even the smallest changes around the house, as many dogs do. My solution to this was to start packing early and pack slowly overtime, long before the big changes like furniture moving would take place. I started packing boxes about 6 weeks before the move, and let Milly sniff and watch the process. By making subtle changes, I was able to reduce the stress of moving on Milly.

Milly is on a strict schedule - she eats at a certain time, she goes out at a specific time, and she is walked at a set time. Throughout this schedule, I always mix in some car rides and trips to the park, as well as daily training that I incorporate into our everyday routine. I really believe in keeping animals on schedules and putting consistency into their lives, and throughout the moving process I made sure to keep Milly on her schedule. About 5 days before the big move I packed Milly's box of stuff, but left out her favorite toys, her leash, her dishes and place mats, and a few other accessories we use on a daily basis. Milly had a blast helping me pack her toys (she has entirely too many), because she got to rediscover some she didn't even know she had! Even though I had packed most of her belongings, I made sure throughout the moving process that I always stuck to her routine - even on the day of the move!

I would hate to ever lose Milly, she is microchipped, but I knew with the move people would be coming in and out of the house, and I didn't want to risk anything so I kept her ID tags on her at all times. She actually wears three ID tags - one with my parents address and phone number, one with my old address and cell phone number, and one with the new address and cell number. Up-to-date ID tags are critical when moving.

On the day of the move, I had a friend bring over her dog to play with Milly. We kept Evan (friend's dog) and Milly in my sunroom with the door propped open to the back yard, plenty of Kongs, toys, beds and water. I put a sign on the door in English and Spanish so movers, roommates, and friends would know not to open the door to the sunroom. This way, there was no risk of Milly slipping out while people were moving boxes and furniture.

I like to always be prepared, so I mapped out pet-friendly hotels near my new house in case for whatever reason, I could not move in on the scheduled move-in date. I also packed Milly's food and supplements in ziplock bags for about 4 days of meals - this way, they would be easy to get to with unpacking. To be on the safe side, I put Milly's medical records in my glove box. This was a great way to do it, and I'll make sure to use the same system in the future, especially if moving long distances.

I decided to keep Milly and Evan in the sunroom at the old house until everything was moved in to the new house. This way, I just had to fill a duffle bag with their supplies and go over to the new house. Naturally, I wanted to show Milly her new house and let her explore, but I fought this instinct to keep her safe. I found not having her there while the movers unloaded boxes and furniture really kept her safest. It wasn't until everyone stopped going in and out of the new house that Milly got to come over, and then I kept her in a room with the door closed and some toys while we unpacked. If she had gotten anxious in the room alone, I would have had someone sit with her and keep her company.

When I unpacked, I set everything up for Milly to maintain consistency. At the old house, she had her bed on the floor of my bedroom, and this is the same at the new house. She kept her toys in the living room at the old house, and this remains in the new house. Meals are served in the kitchen at the new house, just like they were at the old house. I even put her crate in the same place. This seemed to make the adjustment much easier for Milly.

Unpacking can be a long process, I'm still in that process, but I didn't let Milly explore the new house until everything was safely dog proofed. Half empty boxes can contain items that are dangerous to dogs (like cleaning supplies or baking chocolate), and might lead a dog to display destructive behavior. I also walked the perimeter of our new yard to ensure there were no holes in the new fence.

On our first morning in the new house, we were already back to the same routine. Having the ziplocked baggies of meals for the first few days really helped. I made sure we had the same yard play time schedule, and the same walking schedule. Milly seems to really enjoy walks through our new neighborhood, and I'm hoping to meet some of my new neighbors on our walks!

Moving is a huge change for everyone involved, dogs included! Until we are fully adjusted, Milly will remain on a leash, or supervised in our fenced in yard. Dogs have been known to try and find their way back to their old house after moving, because they don't understand what is going on.

I hope my moving experience teaches you something. It went much smoother than moves in the past, and Milly is loving the new house. We are now on 1/2 acre, and our back yard is ginormous! We have a beauitiful solarium attached to the kitchen, and this is Milly's favorite room - it overlooks the backyard, and she just sits there for hours watching the bunnies, squirrels, birds, and chipmunks out the large solarium windows.

Clarification of what I mean by "animal industry"

I made a post yesterday that touched on more controversial topics, which I don’t usually do, but in this case I thought it was necessary. I want to clarify something in my biography, when I mention the “animal industry” I am not referring to the industry of breeding animals or selling animals, but instead to the industry of products for animals. Animal nutrition has really become a major issue for pet owners, and I find that to be incredible. You can search through my previous posts and read about how I have been impacted by the choices available to consumers for animal nutrition. Other parts of the animal industry include products that help us owners give our dogs optimal care. Twenty or thirty years ago there was one style of dog training, and it was not nearly as positive as it is today. Pet owners are now in a place where they can explore all of the products produced by the animal industry like toys, beds, grooming tools, training aids (like the Halti), treats and much more that was not available to dog owners years ago. Today, the animal industry continues to grow, as a multi-billion dollar industry, as pet owners continue to spend more money on quality food and other pet merchandise than ever before.

I do not at all support the breeding of dogs for profit. I have blogged about my distaste of breeders who purposely breed mixed breed dogs for profit, as this goes against every parent breed club’s code of ethics. I in no way am saying that a “designer breed” like a Yorkipoo is a bad pet, or that you should not love your pet, but simply that I do not agree with the practice of breeding mixed breed dogs intentionally – especially when there are many mixed breed dogs and puppies in shelters. I support responsible breeding by hobby breeders. I have blogged numerous times about this. I am appalled at people who breed and sell puppies for outrageous prices – I see it all the time in classified ads, and encountered this numerous times. It is not fair to the consumer, and it does nothing but hurt the breed. Responsible breeding by hobby breeders is far different than people who breed for profit.

A responsible breeder will usually break even on a litter, but often times may even lose money by breeding – and by “break even” it only includes the breeding expenses, and does not include the costs associated with owning the dog until it is old enough to breed. To breed responsibly, you must have a true understanding of not only genetics and the breed which you are breeding, but also a desire to better the breed. First, you will need to prove your bitch or stud in an arena like obedience, conformation, hunting, rally, etc. to display that there are traits which should be passed on to future generations. This costs money in training classes for you and your dog, travel expenses, etc. Of course, there will be the regular dog owning expenses like food and veterinary care. At two years of age, you will need to have clearances done, for Golden Retrievers hips, elbows, heart, eyes and thyroid are standard. These are x-rays performed by an orthopedic vet, eye exams performed annually by a board certified ophthalmologist, and heart clearances performed by a cardiologist. Assuming your dog passes these clearances, you’ll then need to research genetics, and select a mate that has also proven him or herself in breed events, as well as passed all clearances. Also, clearances should be done for multiple generations on both the mother and father’s side before ever breeding. You’ll also need to put in time researching both pedigrees to see what positive aspects could come from the breeding, but most importantly research to try to avoid any negative flaws that might occur in breeding. There are costs associated with the actual mating, then there will be lots of vet bills during the pregnancy, then the puppies will be born. Oh yes, and let’s not forget the costs of things like a whelping box, and heaven forbid something goes wrong, you’ll need to be prepared for an emergency c-section. Then you have eight weeks of veterinary care and food for the puppies. You’ll also want to start socializing and training the puppies at 4-5 weeks of age. At around seven weeks you’ll want to consult with other breeders for temperament testing and evaluations. You’ll also need to invest in puppy packets to make and send home with potential families. Should a family who purchases a puppy from you ever not be able to keep it, you should include in your contract a clause stating you will at any time in the dog’s life take it back, and specify that this dog may never be given away or surrendered to a shelter.

There are risks associated with breeding, which I don’t believe the general pet owner is usually prepared for – like their beloved pet dying during the pregnancy or birth. I believe a bitch should have no more than 3 litters in a life time, and usually just 1 or 2 litters. After she is finished breeding, she absolutely must be spayed.

There are plenty of breeders who have tons and tons of dogs and bitches and breed numerous litters a year, and this is a practice I do not support. A responsible hobby breeder puts so much time into planning and caring for each litter that they only have time to breed one or two litters a year, and many times less than that.

I absolutely in no way support or condone the breeding of dogs for profit. I am very against the idea of making money on the backs, or in this case litters, of dogs. I do however, support completely responsible breeding that is done to better the breed. A responsible breeder will usually have every puppy spoken for long before the litter is born, and often times even before the litter is born. The puppies will be sold on spay and neuter contracts, and are never to be surrendered to a shelter or given away. While a puppy from proven parents with clearances may be more expensive than a puppy from a backyard breeder, they are still often cheaper than puppies from irresponsible high volume breeders and puppy mills, and responsibly bred puppies tend to be much, much, much healthier.

I hope this post has clarified my standing on some issues, and helped you understand how I feel about the animal industry, where it relates to products that help us pet owners care for breeders. I in no way support dog breeding as an industry, because when done responsibly, the breeder will not make any profit. I would love to one day know enough about Golden Retriever breeders to be able to breed, but I know that I don't have that knowledge at this point in time, and it will probably be many, many, many years until I know enough about the breed, genetics, and breeding to produce a litter responsibly.

A Great Article

I encourage all of my readers to take a look at this article. I am linking it, but I will also copy and paste it. For a long time, I thought the Humane Society of the United States was an organization that ran animal shelters - that's what the name sounds like, and that's what their commercials make them out to be. I am extremely committed to ending homelessness of animals, and I care deeply about this cause. I believe in pet ownership, and through proper transportation and information dissemination that we can end the plight of so many animals in shelters. I do not believe, however, that the Humane Society of the United States shares my views on pet ownership. In fact, HSUS President Wayne Pacelle has spoken out AGAINST pet ownership. The Humane Society of the United States main goal seems to be lobbying for legislation that TAKES AWAY pet owner rights, and completely ends any animal agriculture, regulates meat and dairy consumption to the point of elimination, and creates a vegan society. I bet you didn't know that!

"Community Conversation: Donate to local animal shelters," by Mary Kistner is one of many articles I have read and come to appreciate as I learn more about the Humane Society of the United States. You can access it through this link. Or, below, I have copy and pasted the article. You can learn more about the true agenda of the Humane Society of the United States by visiting HumaneWatch.org.

*Please note, everything written below this line of text is by Mary Kistner.

Community Conversation: Donate to local animal shelters
By: Mary Kistner

The Humane Society of the the United States claims to be the largest animal protection organization in the country. Its website states that 11 million Americans, or one in every 289, donates to HSUS.

An examination of HSUS's 2008 tax return reveals that the group collected more than $86 million in contributions. The report from the Center for Consumer Freedom (www.consumer freedom.com/) shows that of those funds, $24 million went to raise more money, in other words, 28 cents of every dollar HSUS collects goes to raising more funds.

Another $30.9 million went to employee salaries, with 41 HSUS employees making more than $100,000 annually. Based on Center for Consumer Freedom research, only $450,000 — just one half of 1 percent of its total budget — went to organizations that provide hands-on care to dogs and cats.

HSUS is a humane society in name only — it operates no pet shelters or adoption facilities. HSUS funds no research on farm animal care, despite the fact that they claim that this is a problem. HSUS is not your local shelter and does not support your local shelter in any way.

The true agenda of HSUS is to eliminate all animal agriculture, end all meat and milk consumption and create a vegan society. They also want to end hunting, fishing and pet ownership, believing that animals should be viewed from afar and left to go back to their wild state. They pursue this goal by pouring millions of your donated dollars into lobbying for laws the incrementally restrict farming methods, pet breeding and pet ownership. These laws are designed to make farming or animal ownership so expensive or restrictive that they eventually drive people out of business or give up on pet ownership or pet breeding.

Mandatory spay/neuter law proposals are flooding the country. Wayne Pacelle, CEO of HSUS has stated "We have no ethical obligation to preserve the different breeds of livestock produced through selective breeding ... one generation and out. We have no problem with the extinction of domestic animals. They are creations of human selective breeding." If these laws are passed, where will the pets and service animals come from? Animal Rights groups such as HSUS, PETA, etc. don't really care as they don't believe that animals should be in servitude to humans. Please note that there is a vast difference between animal welfare and animal rights

We all support humane animal care , and there are already laws against cruel and inhumane animal treatment. Each state has such laws and doesn't need an outside organization such as HSUS coming in and telling farmers, hunters, dog breeders and others how to care for their animals.

Before you write out that check, please be aware of what will happen to your donation. If your intention is to help shelter animals directly, please donate to any one of Sheboygan County's shelters, or to the breed rescue of your choice.

And finally, a suggestion to animal welfare groups that really do care for the animals: Make sure the public understands that your primary goal is animal welfare and that you do not receive funds from HSUS, PETA, ASPCA or other such organizations and that you count on local donations to keep things going. A recent study showed that over 70 percent of people donating to HSUS did so thinking it would trickle down to their local shelters. The public is very confused over the similar Humane Society names.

For more information on HSUS, please go to www.HumaneWatch.org.

MY [hopefully] FUTURE PUPPY!!!

I have wanted to get a second dog since just a few months after adopting Milly in 2006. Yes, that's been four long years of denying myself the second dog I so desire! For someone who loves instant gratification, this has been a challenge.

You might remember my first post, when I thought I was going to get a European style Golden Retriever. I'm actually so grateful I followed my gut, and didn't go down that path. The breeder, though kind, and better than many breeders of "European type" goldens seems somewhat in it for the wrong reasons. At $2,500 a puppy from this breeder would have been a big financial investment, and the puppy would not be the style or quality necessary to win at AKC conformation shows. While these dogs were pretty, they weren't up to the standards I've now come to expect, and thank heavens for living and learning! I've also started to notice some red flags, that when I started this blog, I didn't know about. For example, this breeder of European type goldens only uses her own stud, and regularly repeats breedings. While neither of these things is bad on its own, they are practices that are frowned upon, because a truly reputable breeder is continuously trying to better the breed. No litter will be perfect, and there will always be traits from a litter that the breeder wishes to approve upon. By simply repeating the same breedings over and over again, you are not improving the breed based on flaws of previous litters. By using your own stud for every breeding, you are not going to be solidifying any specific type in your kennel name. While this breeder was nice, and did all the clearances, I'm starting to realize just how grateful I am that I did not purchase a puppy from her. I'm sure the puppy would've been healthy and a fabulous pet, but it would not have been a show ring quality golden that I so desire. In fact, neither parents of the litter I was interested in way back then are AKC champions. It's been fun having this blog so I can look back at things I've learned, and see how my opinions grow and change as I gain more knowledge!

After that, I decided to take some time and find the right breeder, and I'm so glad I waited. You might remember back in March when I unveiled the plans about the litter I was hoping to get a puppy from in this post. Well, that breeding did take place, and at around 28 days an ultrasound was performed and the pregnancy was confirmed - they were able to see six puppies on the ultrasound. I've been trying hard not to post too much about my future puppy, because I don't want to jinx myself, but the pregnancy has been moving along smoothly, and the dam's due date is fast approaching! She is due June 4th!!!!

There are many things I've learned in my puppy search. Perhaps the most important, is cost does not equate to quality. I will be purchasing a puppy from incredible bloodlines, and will be paying less than half of what the puppies from the "European Golden" breeder cost. This litter has the potential to produce absolutely phenomenal show dogs (and of course, most importantly, amazing pets). I have found the breeder of my future puppy to now be a woman I consider both a mentor and dear friend. She has already taught me so much in our emails, Facebook chats, and phone conversations, and I haven't even met her in person yet!!!

I have really had my heart set on a bitch, but I'm open to a male. I just found out that I am number TWO on the list for a puppy (only behind the breeder herself!), and so long as there are two girls in the litter one of them will be mine! I actually have second pick, which is a huge deal. At around 7 weeks old, the litter will be evaluated by multiple golden retriever breeders, and their evaluations will be how show quality and pet quality puppies are determined. They will evaluate every inch of each puppy, temperment test them to see which homes each puppy is best suited for, and evaluate the puppies movements, as well. I really trust the breeder, and I will go on her advice for which puppy to get. I know she knows a whole lot more than I do about raising and showing Golden Retrievers! I am so excited about this litter, and my future puppy!

"Maybe," the dam of my future puppy is apparently getting very big, and looks pregnant, but she hasn't slowed down much. This weekend the breeder will be setting up the whelping box, and introduce the dam to it. Next week the dam will start sleeping in the whelping box. The next two weeks will go by very quickly, and the pregnancy will progress very rapidly. This is one of the many signs that this is a great breeder that really cares about her dogs and their well being. Allowing a mother dog to nest and get acclimated to her whelping box is a critical step in the pregnancy.

Also, since I last posted, my future puppy's grand dam has become a Golden Retriever Club of America Outstanding Dam - meaning four or more of her off spring have achieved champion titles. This is a huge honor, and I am thrilled to have these incredible genes in my future puppy's pedigree!

Enough about mama, now let's talk about papa! As you know from this post, the sire is a Champion in America (AKC) and Canada. Since that post, "Lance" has won a BISS (Best In Specialty Show). A Specialty show is a huge show of all one breed. This is a very prestigous win, as specialty's attract the best of the best of a particular breed. At a Specialty show, usually the judges are breeders of that particular breed, and truly have first hand knowledge and a love of the breed. Lance took his BISS at the White River Golden Retriever Club Specialty.

I've been wanting a puppy for so long, that now it kind of feels like the day will never come. I'm amazed that in just two short weeks my puppy will be born, and at the beginning of August I'll be bringing it home! I can't wait!!!

Don't forget to enter the giveaway!!!