New photos!

HERE you can see new photos of Dazhitaa and the puppies! Awwwww... aren't they sweeeeet?!

The names!

Today, we received the card from Nicole with all the names of the puppies. The names are Indian, we got the translation (in German) from Nicole and I have translated it into English. So the accuracy might have suffered a bit.

The dogs:
Enekoh Wakass - Big Fox
Ehp Ahto Loteni - Runs Like The Wind

The bitches:
Ehkuah Sawenta Kosi - Happy Louse
Eske Weta Anemona - Red Fire
Espa Siwa Kiya - Big Seagull
Ekima Kona - Snow Queen
Esk Wesha Wiskopi - Sweet Girl

I really like the meanings of the names, but it will take some time getting used to the names themselves.

We are getting a bitch!!!

Nicole just called and we are getting one of the 5 bitches! YES!! I am so happy! So now we know that on August 3rd, we will take home our little bitch. What an incredible feeling! I am sooooo looking forward to visiting them! Can't wait to meet the puppies!

The first photos

There are two photos of Dazhitaa and the puppies on Nicole's Website. (http://www.hayowenta.ch) Please follow the link that says "Neuigkeiten". The one where Dazhitaa is sleeping is soooooo sweet! And on the other one you can see the puppies a bit better. Sigh...

Incredible, wonderful feeling to know that one of those puppies will be coming home with us on August 3rd, 2008!!

More good news - another Toller in our village!

Not only were the puppies born last night, but I have also heard from our kids, that another family in our village are getting a Toller too! As soon as they told me, I contacted that family. They are on the waiting list for a bitch. The mother dog should be mated today and if all goes well, the second Toller will come to our village in October. I am very happy about this, because it means our dog will have a play mate of its own breed. And that must be fun!

So our village with a population of 1,600 will go from 0 Tollers to 2 Tollers this year!

PUPPIES!!!

The puppies are born! WOOOOOHOOOOO!!!! Yesterday evening, Dazhitaa gave birth to 2 dogs and 5 bitches!! I am over the moon!!

Nicole sent an email late last night, that I only read this morning and I have been dancing around the room and calling people ever since! I am so happy!! I hope I will have a picture of the pups soon!

Impatient? Who?! Me???

I find myself checking my email about every 15 minutes when I am at home. Checking my answering machine, checking my cell phone... I know Dazhitaa still has a few days to go before she gives birth to the puppies. But hey, she could be early, couldn't she?!
The nearer the due date comes, the more "jittery" I am getting. It is on my mind all the time. I am so impatient. I am driving myself mad. I do try to distract myself, and it works sometimes. For a short while. And then I am back on my notebook and checking my email again. LOL!

I think I will start re-reading all the books that I bought about dogs. That is a nice way of keeping myself busy. And preparing myself to becoming a dog owner. Only a few days until we know how many puppies there are...

GOT IT!!

I found the perfect name in case our puppy will be a male: MILO! It contains the letters from all our names (Marjolijn, Tina, Lorenzo, Reto) and I really, really like the sound of it! In German and Dutch it will be pronounced: Meelo.

So here are the names for a bitch and for a dog:
Mindy
Milo

We are not sure yet whether we will actually use these names. Because the breeder (Nicole) will name the puppies too and if we like the name that she gave our puppy better, we will keep that name.

It still feels good to have the names sorted now!

Photography - not just a puppy

Not only am I looking forward to the puppy itself... no I am also looking forward to taking pics of it! My mother is convinced that it will become the most photographed dog ever. And well... she could be right. If it will hold still long enough anyway...and that might be hard to achieve! I just can't wait to get on the floor on my belly and take a photograph of the puppy relaxing or eating or playing. Or to take a close up of a paw, the nose, the eyes, the ears... Sweet pics of the puppy sleeping with a cuddly toy... or sleeping on Reto's lap or so. The puppy sitting in high grass... There are so many possibilities! The puppy phase is so short, I want to make sure that I capture it. Or at least most of it. ;-)

Now don't think it is just a puppy that I am looking forward to. I am also very much looking forward to having a grown up dog. For long walks, for company, for cuddling, for play and for team work. To watch while it is sleeping, or playing with toys or other dogs, just chasing its own tail. To feel connected to.

Not long now until the pups will be born!

Pregnant Dazhitaa

Isn't she sweet?! Nicole sent me this picture of Dazhitaa today. As you can see, her belly is quite big already. Only 2 - 2.5 weeks to go!

Update on Dazhitaa 2

Dazhitaa is doing well. She is sleeping a lot when she is indoors, but outdoors she is still very active. Her belly has grown and she is "nicely round". Her mother, Duscha, seems to have caught on what is going on too. She even allows Dazhitaa to eat some of her food (Dazhitaa has an increased appetite); something she would never allow her before. They are also sleeping closer together. Isn't that sweet?!

I got the chuckit ball launcher in the mail today. Can't wait to try it out! (It will be a while before we can use it for our own dog... but still. It makes me happy to have it here and ready.)

Ebay made my day

Ebay made my day yesterday... I bought a cheap (new) chuckit ball launcher yesterday!