Update.....

We had a bit of a rough go here. Safi was showing very little interest in her puppies right from the beginning, something I was told she was like with her previous litter(before I owned her) as well. I started bottle feeding the little ones and thankfully they started to gain weight and were doing much better. Safi would clean them and nurse them but only if I sat in the box with her and made her lie down. She didn't have much milk, and whether this was from her not nursing enough or she just didn't get much I am not sure, but in any case I definitely had to bottle feed or the puppies wouldn't have survived.

Coco's foursome arrived on July 31st, and Coco's mothering skills are excellent. Once I knew that Coco's little ones were doing well I decided to try Safi's puppies with her and it worked out beautifully, she loves them. Unfortunately even with Coco's good care and my watching like a hawk we still lost two of the Safi puppies, one black boy and one red boy, leaving just two black boys. It was very stressful and difficult for all involved but I am just happy that the two black boys are doing well.

So with two litters I only have six puppies in total. I am planning another breeding this year that I had originally planned for next year so if you are still interested in remaining on my wait list please drop me an e-mail and let me know. I will be updating the website with info on this breeding shortly.

The Rogan x Safi puppies arrive. :)

The big day arrived pretty much right on schedule and Safi presented us with four lovely boys, three black and one red. She took her time while in labour with lots of time in between each delivery, which gave each puppy plenty of time to learn to nurse before the next one arrived. All the nursing has not provided too much milk however and I have been bottle feeding the little ones. This is exhausting and so I have once again gotten behind on my e-mails. I'm sorry everyone, but I will get back to you...just as soon as I get some sleep! ;)

I am giving Safi fenugreek which is a herb that helps with milk production so with any luck it will do just that and I will be able to back off with the bottle somewhat.

Making this a quick one as the babies are calling again. More soon...

This house is SOLD!!

I was starting to feel like this day would never come but it finally did. Our lovely Cobble Hill house has SOLD and we are moving on to a lovely, more dog(and child) friendly home in North Cowichan. We do have a place in mind so please keep your fingers crossed that all goes as planned. We are very excited!
Safi and Coco are getting closer everyday...in fact Safi is just eight days away from her whelping due date. I don't expect really large litters, as neither girl is looking huge, but they are both definitely pregnant. I can't wait for puppy breath. :)
We recently replaced our computer and in doing so I am unable to update my website for the next little while. I will be relying on my blog and the Braebrook Facebook page to keep you all abreast of what is happening here.
Puppy news soon!

More points for Pony. :)

I received a new show photo for the lovely Pony(Can/Int Ch Holmrun's Chulo Pony Braebrook) yesterday. She has matured beautifully and is now working towards her American championship. She picked up six more points towards her Am title while out with her handler recently, and has a few more shows lined up for the month of July. You can see her new photo on her page on the Braebrook website.

Pony is a littermate to Coco(Ch Braebrook's Coco Chanel Holmrun). This litter was born and raised here at Braebrook, but was co-bred(meaning the dam, in this case London, was owned by two people) with my very good friend Cherie Holmes of Holmrun Dobermans. As per our original agreement Cherie was to get a puppy from the litter, and she chose Pony, which is why her name starts with Holmrun instead of Braebrook.

This has been a very successful litter for me as you will see from previous posts and I am very proud of them. More titles are still coming in and I am excited to see what this litter will accomplish when all is said and done. There is still lots of time left, as they are only three years old now. I have to say a big thank you to all of their owners for piloting these great dogs to their many accomplishments. You are invaluable! :)

It's looking like Safi is pregnant. She is looking full in the waist and her nipples are starting to fill already. I think all those positive thoughts worked! ;)

Coco is starting to look different to me as well, so I am pretty sure both girls were successfully bred. I can't wait to see the results of those breedings in the form of sweet little puppy faces.

I hope you are all enjoying the sun today and that you had a great long weekend. Happy Canada Day!

Off to a great start...

This weekend was the Nanaimo Kennel Club dog show in Nanaimo BC. Coming out for the occasion to make his show ring debut was Bravo's brother Remy or Braebrook's Remy Martin. Remy was shown just two days of the show but did a wonderful job and was best of winners both days for his first four points! He also picked up a best puppy in group win under judge Shirley Limoges.

I was so very proud of Remy this weekend. He had not been stacked since he left our house at just three months of age, but he remembered exactly how to do it and showed beautifully. He was an absolute pleasure to handle.

He also came and stayed the weekend with us so I was able to groom him up for the show and do a little bit of quick training the night before. It is always nice to have my puppies back for a visit and Remy loved being back. He had some great playtime with Lexi, and was very well behaved in the house. I just love the temperaments on this litter, very easy going and biddable. I'm already looking forward to the next show! :)

What a way to finish!

I am very happy to report that Bravo is now a champion. He finished in fine style at the Comox Valley Kennel Club show taking the breed over specials(dogs who are already champions), and went on to take a third in the adult working group. He also picked up two best puppy in group wins and a best puppy in show! I was thrilled to say the least! He is now going to stay home to do some growing up and will come back out as a special once he has matured some more. I couldn't have been more happy with his attitude and how very well he behaved. I just love this boy, and am so proud to be his breeder, owner and handler. His great big best puppy in show ribbon is now hanging on my office wall. :)

It's now time for Bravo's brother Remy to get out into the show ring, and we will be starting him right away at the Nanaimo Kennel Club dog show this weekend. He is only entered two days of the show, a nice way to transition him in and see how much he remembers about being a show dog. He hasn't been stacked since he left here at three months of age! He is maturing into a very beautiful dog and I am excited to get in the ring with him.

While I was at the CVKC show this past weekend with Bravo I got a chance to see Thakoon(Braebrook's Thakoon Holmrun) and he has matured into a very fine dog. He is a littermate to Coco who is Bravo's dam, and he is now three years old. I am excited to see what this boy can do in the show ring. I think he will finish very quickly.

Hurry up and wait!

After a very busy few weeks I am happy to report that both Safi and Coco have been bred. If everything goes according to plan than puppies will be due at the end of July.

I decided to go with the new ICSB(International Canine Semen Bank) veterinary clinic in Courtenay for Safi's breeding: http://www.icsbvancouverisland.com. I honestly can't say enough good things about this clinic. Monica, who is the go to girl for all things semen was outstanding. This was the first time I have imported semen from the USA and the first time I had done a surgical implant when breeding one of my bitches. Needless to say I had a lot of questions! Monica was there to answer every one, and responded to my many e-mails and phone calls with lightning speed. The clinic was absolutely beautiful, and the front end staff were very friendly. I have never had such a good veterinary experience.

After many progesterone tests to pin point ovulation, and only one small hiccup in getting the semen(fedex missed getting the semen on the flight over to the Island, but we hired a private courier to get the job done) the implant was performed successfully(I hope!) by Dr Renooy. Safi recovered quickly from the procedure and while not yet allowed to run in the yard with the other dogs she is ready to take on the world again.

Coco was bred to BISS Ch Holmrun's Play for Keeps "Mick", a lovely dog who I saw win the BC Specialty this past April. I had seen him one weekend previously as a very young puppy, and even then it was obvious that this dogs forte was his outstanding movement. He never puts a foot wrong, beautifully balanced, nothing sloppy, and he holds his topline like a rock. These are qualities that are very hard to find in many dogs these days so I'm very excited to be able to use him on Coco.

Looking forward to getting Bravo back into the showring to finish his championship. While out running he managed to put a big gash in his side, and so had to miss the Victoria dog show this past weekend. I am hoping he will be ok for the Black Creek show but time will tell. He is finding it very hard to stay quiet and really misses his outdoor runs but for the time being that is how it has to be.

I hope to be reporting some puppy news soon. I'll keep you posted! :)