Hello, 
It's that time...weaning! The pups enjoyed their first little meal on Monday, and certainly got the hang of pinning the food down and getting their tiny teeth in! It's incredible to watch naturally weaned puppies - they know exactly how to eat the food put before them, rather than mush that just slides down, they have to pin their meal down and try to tear the meat off, and yet they know exactly what to do. We start the pups off on wing halves and necks so they get a feel for the taste and action of eating, but of course at this age their jaws and teeth are not strong enough to chomp through bone, so once they are showing a real interest in the food we put in front of them , we start them on a minced mix of meat, organ and bone. As you can see in the latest instalment on our puppy page, these pups are ready!

Thank you to all who have posted and left comments, it's nice to know the time taken to take pictures and update the website is time very well spent! 
Goodnight for now :)

We've had a busy couple of weeks and I've not had chance to post more photos, but here the lift;e guys are at 3 weeks old! They are walking and scampering about, and have even started to leave the box to go the toilet on the newspaper outside! Clever puppies :) Enjoy the pictures, more to follow soon!

New photos on our latest litter page, Stella's page and Mieke's page...

It may seem obvious, but with very clever wording a lot of conscientious people are caught out! This is an advert currently live on Pets4Homes:

http://www.pets4homes.co.uk/classifieds/677546-shetland-sheepdog-puppies-ready-now-spalding.html

There's nothing wrong with the site Pets4Homes, many breeders use it who are responsible and careful, but a closer look shows some warning signs! First, the price...you will not find a well bred, health tested Sheltie puppy that cheap...

Next is the wording "Pedigree"...this is not the same as KC registered. You cannot guarantee the ancestors of a dog if it is not registered with the Kennel Club. KC registration does not guarantee a healthy dog, it goes however guarantee you are getting a pedigree dog.

"Vet checked" is not the same as health tested. All a vets certificate means is that the puppy was visibly healthy when seen by the vets, nothing more. All Sheltie puppies should be screened for CEA, and parents health tested for CEA, PRA and if possible hip scored. If a puppy hasn't been eye checked, stay away - it's a basic requirement.

At the end of the advertisement, it says they are a Licenced Kennel...this is NOT a good thing! The government requires people who breed more than 5 litters a year to have a licence. A handful of responsible big breeders will need a licence,which is not a negative (you probably wouldn't even be aware of this unless you asked), but the majority of licenced "breeders" are in reality puppy farms. The very fact they think it's a positive thing to be licensed shows their ignorance.

Finally, and importantly, the pictures...whilst the surroundings are clean, just look at the expressions on their faces. They are scared, in particular the last tricolour looks terrified. These puppies obviously haven't been well handled or socialised, and this only means problems for you later on. It's very easy to buy a puppy out of pity, but resist! You are unwittingly financing the problem, and could be letting yourself in for a lot of heartache.

The same goes for any breed, do your research, know what tests you want to be looking for, and don't buy a puppy if you have any doubts!

Any comments welcome :)

Right on time, Suzi delivered two very healthy boy puppies in the early hours of this morning. We've had a long night, although we didn't have to do anything for her, she's a natural mother and much prefers just to get on with it herself! Although we were hoping the litter would be bigger, it's always great to have a smooth whelping and chunky, healthy puppies!
They are both sable, one has a white collar and one without. Please keep an eye on our litters section for new pictures and weekly updates. If you are interested in having a boy puppy, we are more than happy to add you to our waiting list, as we understand people on our list do find puppies before ours will be ready, and there is nothing wrong with that! 
Time for some well earned sleep....:)

We had a successful mating on 23rd of April with Ch Caurniehill Canaletto at Shelridge, with a 20 minute tie and no issues with either dog! Suzi is now 4 weeks into her pregnancy, and is starting to get quite fat bless her! The litter will be due on the 25th of June, if you are interested in a puppy please let us know, we do have a waiting list, however puppies will be going to the best possible homes, not necessarily on a first-come-first-serve basis. Please read our page on Raw Feeding and see if it is something you are prepared to do with your dog, this is something we feel quite strongly about, having seen the difference it makes. There are also downloadable files on that page that provide more in depth information.

Keep an eye on our news page for further updates!

We have a mating planned in the next few weeks when Suzi comes into season. We are planned on mating her with Ch Caurniehill Canaletto at Shelridge (pictured here) who is a stunning and successful show boy, with the sweetest nature you could ever meet. The litter will be due end of May/beginning of June...watch this space!