Isa's puppies are here

Isa has 4 stunning babies, two boys and two girls. Three
of the four have Irish markings and one is all black. Isa
had to have a C-section and we are still waiting for her
milk to come in. Meanwhile, the babies are gaining well
on bottle feedings around the clock by Isa's co-owners
Ruth Ann and Stephen. It is times like this that we remind
ourselves that breeding is not for the faint of heart.

Porties want to be with their people

Maryanne is a seeded tennis player. She is shown with her two Porties, Romeo and Lilly, who are helping her to keep in shape. This image helps to explain why asking the question "Are these dogs
indoor dogs or outdoor dogs?" makes little sense. A Porty wants to be where you are.

Isa is Pregnant

The reproduction veterinarian in Orlando has confirmed
that Isa is pregnant. Although she only felt two or three
puppies, palpation is just a method of confirming pregnancy,
not counting puppies. An X-ray done in the last week of
gestation (when puppy skeletons have begun to calcify)
gives us a head count prior to the whelp. Co owners Ruth
and Stephen are very excited. I expect Isa's puppies to be
very handsome.
Buyers interested in this litter should contact me at
drcwinchell@gmail.com to obtain an application. These
puppies will be listed on the PWDCA puppy listing as
well and parents have had full health testing.

CH Blue Run's She's a Caution bred to CH Kimlyn's Olympic Mogul

I have high hopes for this breeding of two lovely grandchildren
of BISS Watermark Toby's Black Jack. Amber was bred to
Skee this week and should produce a beautiful litter around
December 10, 2014.
This is the same stud I used with Isa, CH Blue Run's Aquarius,
who should have her puppies December 4th. I'm going to be a
busy woman as I plan to be with Isa in Orlando for her whelp
and then back to the D.C. area for Amber. Pictures of Isa and
Skee are in prior posts. Pictured above is Amber with a prior
litter. She always produces lovely offspring.

Isa/Skee breeding next week (The Thanksgiving Litter)

The lovely Isa and handsome Skee will "meet" through artificial
insemination next week. If we are successful, the puppies will
come just after Thanksgiving. Lucky for them, they will be whelped
in warm Orlando, Florida, and raised by Isa's co-owners, Stephen
and Ruth. Ruth plans to keep a little boy from this litter.
I will be helping at the whelp....already looking at flights.....and will
bring puppies to the Washington, D.C. area for placement when
they are 9 weeks old. That would mean the first week of February,
2015. The Florida repo vet is in place. A local breeder has offered
to help with temperament testing when the time comes. And I plan to
be very involved in mentoring Ruth and Stephen. I am confident that
Isa will be a great mom and a good whelper. The puppies should be
gorgeous. Pictures of both Isa and Skee are in previous posts.
Washington area families who would like to be considered for one of
these puppies should contact me to fill out an application at:
 DrCWinchell@gmail.com.

Shepherdstown Dog Fest August 2014

Seven Blue Run Porties participated in an event in Shepherdstown, West Virginia, which show cased rare breeds. Preparing to go down the red carpet were Honey Bear, Kojo (brown and therefore not a Blue Run dog), Yaya, Bacchus, Amber, Libra, Taffey, and Georgina. Our seven ranged in age from 7 months to 11 years in age and all behaved admirably. It was nice to have the participation of Blue Run owners in this event which was followed by a "meet and greet" in the park.

Greeting with a Toy

We often teach our Porties to "go get a toy" when greeting guests.
This helps to reduce jumping up and inappropriate sniffing. My girl
Joy has taken this to heart. Here she is greeting my housekeeper
with her Elmo in tow. What you can't see is the furiously wagging
tail or hear the muffled vocalizations as she greets Aracelly each morning.

The "Willing" Litter is One Year Old

The handsome pups shown in this photo are now one year old. They are 8 weeks old in this picture. I re-evaluate puppies at one year and 5 of the 8 remain show prospects. This is a phenomenal litter and I hope to be getting these pups in the ring next year after their age 2 hip screening. These puppies
are sired by Blue Run's Aries and CH Blue Run's Red Robin. Their call names from top left to right are: Alvaro, Bacchus, Jedi, Corra, Tugger, Amelia, Lhotze, and Mays.

                                                                                                             

This is why we breed dogs.....

Foxy Graduates

Foxy is the first of the "Free" litter to graduate from puppy obedience. By contract, all owners
enter their pups in an obedience class by 6 months
of age as Porties can be a hand full. Doesn't
Foxy look cerebral in her cap and gown? And
very serious, too.

Stud chosen for next breeding....meet Skee

This handsome boy is CH Kimlyn's Olympic Mogul aka Skee. I have
chosen him for Isa to be bred in the fall. Isa is CH Blue Run's Aquarius.
This would be a line breeding with an 8% coefficient of inbreeding, a
level which gives "predictable" results by "forcing type". If the puppies
look like the parents, as they should, they will be stunning. Skee has
one of the most correct and impressive chests I have seen on a Porty.
I visited him to assure that he has the temperament and attributes I
want in a stud and he passed with flying colors. I had seen him as a
one year old and made a mental note: you want to use this boy when
he is old enough!

BLUE RUN PORTUGUESE WATER DOGS

              CHERYL WINCHELL HOOFNAGLE

Isa is now Champion Blue Run's Aquarius

Isa finished her championship and the plan is to breed her on her
next heat cycle. This beautiful girl lives in Florida. A search for the
best stud for her is under way. Isa is 3 and this would be her first
litter. Isn't she lovely?

Libra delivers

The babies have two mommies with Blue Run's Noel Joy sharing
the nursing duties. With such a large litter, it is helpful when one
of my other girls volunteers to help. Also pictured is one of the
pups at 3 days of age. Most of the puppies are marked with
about 30% white markings on legs and chest area. Very flashy!

Libra delivered 11 female puppies. The chance of having an all
female litter of 11 is one in 2048. The puppies are all wavy and
most have white chests and front legs. A few only have white
toes and a white chest and chin. All but the one lost during the
whelp are doing great and Libra turns out to be a very gentle
and careful mother. She looks a lot more comfortable, too, now
that all those big babies are out. Weights were between 12 and
14 ounces which is ideal.
Here is a short video of the puppies at 10 days of age:
http://youtu.be/tKdVMsgCAGk

Amelia, one of the promising 6 month old pups

It was so much fun to see Amelia today, the first visit since she departed 4 months ago to her new home. Like all of the puppies in this very fine litter, she is turning out beautifully. I am very proud of my boy Willie
(Blue Run's Aries) and my girl Lilly (CH Blue Run's Red Robin) for producing such stunning puppies with lots of potential.

I am currently waiting for Libra (Blue Run's Libra) to whelp on December 23rd. She is chock full of puppies. I am guessing ten.