Calendars for 2010

Well, it is that time again to create the calendars made for 2010. To continue the tradition, I will give a complimentary calendar to everyone that received a puppy from a litter in 2009. (There were 20 puppies born at Open Acres this year!) Although I would love to provide a calendar to everyone who owns a pup from one of our dogs, cost prohibits that degree of generosity; however, in the past, many of you have expressed an interest in buying a calendar. If you would like to purchase a calendar at cost, just let me know. I am using a different printing service this year, so I think the cost will be lower without jeopardizing the quality. Actually, the photos will appear larger and will be printed on glossy paper. The only drawback is that I couldn't place little photos on individual dates. I am still checking into that option though.

Since we have a litter that is 5 weeks old, I am in the final stages of finalizing the calendar now. I hope to get a few photos of them into the calendar. Regardless, I assure you that I have some cute photos that really show the expression of Labrador puppies. The photos in this posting are samples from the upcoming calendar. Just let me know if you would like me to order a calendar for you. I will even mail it to you. I have already started a list for people that plan to use them for gifts. I'm even expanding into magnets, T-shirts, and some other products. Thank you for flattering me on my photography skills and lack there of. Most importantly, thank you for loving your labradors. HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Ally's first litter of puppies

At the end of October, Ally had her first litter of puppies. She has been doing really well as a first-time mom, and the seven puppies are looking very healthy and chubby. There are 5 black males, 1 yellow male, and 1 black female. In the past week, their eyes have opened, and now that they are about 3 weeks old, they are becoming mobile. They look so cute as they maneuver around the whelping box with their "sea" legs. Before long, their personalities will really begin to show. When you start to talk to them, they already wag their tails or give a little murmur.

I apologize for not updating you sooner, but as you can imagine, I have been a little busy taking care of puppies. In fact, we are currently house/crate training a 10-week-old black male. I have decided to call him Hunter because of his mom's keen hunting ability. When Joel took the pup out with the older dogs to hunt for pheasants, Hunter demonstrated that he has a great nose.

As for the rest of the gang, everyone is happy and healthy. They have been pheasant hunting just about every weekend this fall. This past weekend they even went hunting with some of our relatives' Labradors. Both the dogs and the men had a great time.

If you know of anyone looking for a Christmas puppy or a pup that has been started, please let us know. Until then, I am enjoying the various stages of their development. I just can't seem to put them down; they are absolutely adorable!

Here is a link to their Snapfish photo album. If you haven't used the site before, you will have to register.
http://www1.snapfish.com/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=1897589015/a=12865412_12865412/otsc=SHR/otsi=SALBlink/COBRAND_NAME=snapfish/

Nine puppies were born on August 30, 2009!

Boo and Max are proud parents. On August 30, 2009, nine darling puppies arrived. Boo had 1 chocolate male, 2 yellow males, 2 black males, 1 yellow female, and 3 black females. The pups are doing well. In fact, they are quite chubby. Picturesare posted on Snapfish.com. Use the link below.

http://www1.snapfish.com/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=1459937015/a=12865412_12865412/otsc=SHR/otsi=SALBlink/COBRAND_NAME=snapfish/

Gabby's Litter-5/10/09

Hi,

On Mother's Day, Gabby gave birth to an adorable litter of puppies. She had 2 yellow females, 1 yellow male, and 1 black male. Gabby is a great mom. In fact, she still tries to feed them, and they are now seven weeks old! As you can imagine, the pups are doing well. It is fun to watch them in their exploratory stage.

UPDATE: One yellow female, Ellie, is now part of a great family in Erie. The yellow male went to a really nice family in Grove City, and the yellow female is enjoying her new life in Cleveland. The black male lives in Pittsburgh; the newly married couple just adores him.

By the way, here is a link to an online photo album of the litter. It was posted to Snapfish.com.

http://www1.snapfish.com/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=692725015/a=12865412_12865412/otsc=SHR/otsi=SALBlink/COBRAND_NAME=snapfish/