11 Years Ago Today...

The newborns

Today is the "puppies' " birthday!  They all turn 11 years old today.  It was a bittersweet day.  Celebrating and mourning at the same time.   Joyous that Chance, Blaze, Zappa and Fiona are all with us and mourning the loss of Daddy Dog Brut, Momma Dog Silver and two of the homed puppies that are no longer with us.  I kept thinking about 11 years ago today, they were all here.  All ten puppies, mom and dad.  Seems like such a long time ago, yet I can remember it like it was yesterday.

It was also bittersweet because the four "puppies" are all still with us and made it through a scary year, yet that only means another year closer to the inevitable.  We've had what felt like close calls, yet everyone is healthy and nothing that some adjustments in food and medicine won't fix.

I think about time quite a bit and trying to make every memory last, yet time keeps moving and is short.  I had a little emotional breakdown this evening while playing with the Zappa and Fiona outside...so many things I miss.  Thank goodness for the dogs, they never let me cry without adding a smile to my face, when the tears stop.  Fiona was just all kinds of silly tonight.  Warmed my heart to know we will always have Brut and Silver with us through their kids.

We've been through a lot these past eleven years and I'm so grateful to my husband for his innocence in wanting Silver to have puppies when we first got her.  That brought Brut into the picture and eventually ten healthy, beautiful puppies whom we were to blessed to have four of them to call our own.  Four puppies that are still with us now.  And whom we share our life with.  I couldn't ask for a more blessed beginning to the year.

The Power of Ten

TGIF!

Oh, how I love my dogs!  Just as it seems my world is full of gloom and doom, they are right there trying to cheer me up and giving me another reason to carrying on. 

It's been a long week for us here at the 24 Paws of Love, so how about ending the week with some fuzzy puppy pictures! 

 Have a good weekend!

Blaze chewing on Daddy Mark's boot.  Nom! Nom!

Sweet Daddy Brut getting a break from the kids while napping on their blanket.

Zappa (l) and Blaze (r) playing with the boot.

One of Chance's brothers, working on the boot!

"T-bone" (l) and Blaze (r) with their own toys.

Momma dog Silver on the run trying to save her teats!

Power of Ten 7th Birthday

 We called our puppy litter the "Power of Ten."  A litter created by Silver and Brut that had been planned for several years before taking action.  And now 7 years later it is their birthday and I still can't believe the gifts they have given me of memories, teachings, life lessons and all about unconditional love.

A Little Background:
Ten puppies were born on January 2, 2008 in the wee hours of the morning and lasted until 9am that same morning.  We kept two, the first born, Zappa and the last born Fiona.  We found homes for all of the rest.  At 7 months old Blaze was returned after being kicked and shot at by pellet guns.  She was a wounded soul, but strong willed.  Four months later Chance was also returned to us with his ribs almost showing.  It worked out as Blaze and Chance owners were related and were the best of friends.  Which was good because Brut, Silver, Zappa and Fiona (Back Pack) wouldn't accept Blaze and Chance (Front Pack) into their pack and it was how the two packs were created.

Some people might think that we didn't deserve to breed, but having Zappa and Fiona showed me what life was like being loved from the beginning of their life.  Something I hold close to my heart, teaching me I could love.

Some people might also think about the consequences we bred when Chance and Blaze both came from abused homes.  Never a question to take them back they have taught me about undying gratitude and a resilence that is unmatch.  Not to mention what love can do.

Some people might say that breeding Silver and Brut was all wrong when you find out that two of

 "Power of Ten" pups are dead.  Angel was hit by a car and Grumpy's owner put him down both at five years old.  I believe there is a reason for everything, even that which is sad and scary and horrible.  Angel and Grumpy taught me those lesson and I love them dearly for it.

Some people again might say that this litter didn't deserve to be here, after all were are not professional breeders, when I tell you we haven't seen two of the pups, Red and Rocket, since they were 6 months to a year old.  The owners signed a contract for us to see the puppies grow and they defaulted on their end.  Over and over we tried to no avail.  I don't even know if they have the pups anymore, but we haven't given up hope.  Red and Rocket have taught me that.

The two last remaininig pups are still with their original owners and doing well.  Jack and V-girl are the last two dogs we have remained in contact with.  V-girl recently moved out of state, but Jack is still here not knowing how much it really means to us to be able to see and touch him and know he is OK.  V-girl and Jack taught me there are people who just love their puppies and they are part of their owners life.  Maybe all owners are jerks after all.  They teach me to keep the faith.

And some people might not be judging me or my puppies, or our circumstances.  Or maybe they are.  I don't know.  Maybe it is me who is ridding my own judgements on myself.  Or maybe it is just a way to realize the impact any animal can make on your life when you realize the gift of unconditional love is real and exist.  That no matter the distance or years or death, you can never be seperated from such true, pure love.

That is the "Power of Ten"

Happy 7th Birthday kids.  We love you!  

  pee.s.  Luigi's memorial was postpone for the birthday pups.

B/W Sunday-Two Peas in a Pod

Zappa and Blaze at 8 Days Old

WW-24 Paws Puppy Photos (8 weeks old)

Have you ever seen a puppy born?

Have you ever seen a puppy born?  How about ten of them in a seven hour span?

I have.

And every moment was a miracle.

I thought I understood dogs, until I got Brut

And when I thought I understood Brut, we had puppies.

And when I thought I understood the puppies,

they grew and changed

transforming before my eyes.  

They taught me what I could have never learned in a book.

And sadly I think too many dog lovers miss out on witnessing this blessing.

  

The interaction, the connection and discovery.

It is so much more than just the cuteness factor,

It is witnessing the entirety of what makes a dog a dog

 

 Pure unconditional love from the beginning.

Following Your Heart

 Silver and her pups.

Jan. 2, 2008

It might surprise you that I wasn't 100% on board with my husband, Mark and having puppies.  I'd been part of the dog world for some time and Mark met me with pure innocence when it came to dogs and other pets.  It was natural in his world for dogs to reproduce, which truly by all of nature's laws, it is.  He couldn't imagine anyone not loving or wanting a dog as he pined most of his life to have a furry friend.  And it never crossed his mind that anyone could be cruel or unloving to a puppy and that every puppy would find a loving home. 

But I'd grown up in a different world.  Spaying and neutering were the natural way for me.  Irresponsible breeders created a constant flow of unwanted pets that were being put to their deaths in shelters all around the country.  Unspeakable acts of cruelty and violence against dogs and cats were going unpunished.  I learned early that the world was harsh when it came to animals and those thoughts hadn't seem to change any when Mark wanted to breed Silver.

It was almost a 50/50 split for me when it came to breeding Silver.  My feelings were still strongly tied to the knowledge I had learned over the years.  While embracing this young innocence of Mark and the hope that could aspire from it.  When it came time to breed Brut and Silver I had an inner peace that we were doing the right thing.  Once Silver was pregnant, I didn't have time to think about all those laws and statutes I was breaking.  There were tiny lives depending on me and what guilt I did have seem to slowly fade away.

 

Then those ten miracles of life were born.  And it didn't take long for the fear of a new dog mom to feeling the normal fear and anxieties that come with new life.  It wasn't much longer than that the fears of all I knew made me part of my own reality.  Suddenly I was the "breeder" with ten puppies, whom I did not trust to anyone, but knowing that I couldn't keep them all.  They could end up in shelters or dead.  Suddenly I was the cause to the dog overpopulation.  And the reason some may not get spayed or neuter.  They were harsh terms that I took literally.  There was the fear of not finding homes for them all of them and the fear of having to keep the ones that were left.  Suddenly, I was exactly what I read and heard about all my life.

I will never get over the miracle of Chance and Blaze coming back.  Being returned to us as a total surrender.  That the owners thought that much or at least gave us a thought to bring them home, must say something.  Because it was the miracle of these two dogs that I sit here today and write this.  Were we just lucky?  I don't think so.  For it was just this morning that Chance and Blaze literally woke me up out a bad dream that was about to get worse.  Another example of them being part of our lives.  And that there is purpose and reason as to why we are divided into two packs.  I've heard them sing together several times throughout the day in accordance to what I am doing.  I saw Fiona playbow to Chance from across the fence line when Chance and Blaze were playing.  That was exciting!

No one can tell me that those puppies weren't meant to be.  Even when Angel and Grumpy died.  No one can say I did the "wrong" thing or that I did it for my own selfish pleasures or gain.  I've always done everything in my life for the dogs.  And if there is anything I learned out of that harsh reality of thoughts I grew to live by, trusting my dogs has always saved my life.  Every. Time.

Haven't you ever felt that deep inner desire to do what your heart and gut says is right, despite what others think or the world's standards?

 Just who says I can't be here??

      

   

Friday Flashback-the white pups

With Fiona in the front and Chance in the back (laying down)

Sigh....I miss those days.  :(

Why do they have to grow up?

Flashback Friday- Three week old puppies

I was taking a bit of jaunt down memory lane to get my puppy fix and wonder how many of you out there might need one yourself?  

Here are the Power of Ten at three weeks old with Mommy Silver.

Have a Happy Weekend!!

Monday Memories down Puppy Lane...

 Feeling a bit nostalgic and thought I'd ease your Monday in with puppies.  Hope everyone has a great day!

Just chillin' with my ducky!

I'm a big boy, I can take myself for a walk!

Gotcha big brother!

Somebody save me, please...

And he flies through the air with the greatest of ease...

p.s. thank you for your comments this weekend about the incident with Brut and the vet.  It really helped.

       dog bloggers are still the best!