I wanted to breed to Frankie to produce shorter backed dogs and larger heads.  Mariah surprised us with 13 pups, whelping through the night during a Nor’easter.  Go figure. 

Having this litter was like having a party; the theme was so much fun.  Patty, Laura, Rick, John, and I are all Parrotheads at heart.  It was a lot of work too; I learned to bottle feed one puppy in each arm practically in my sleep!  Mariah ate huge amounts of steak to keep up milk production and I was up every morning cooking for her at 6 am.  It felt like a Disney movie: 101 PWDs! 

At six weeks, pups get their first shots and get to go outside to play.  Thirteen pups romping, carrying Magnolia leaves in their mouths, and chasing Frankie and Mariah was too funny. 

Then Hurricane Isabel blew through, cut our electricity for ten days and left an enormous Oak tree on my next door neighbors’ house… or should I say “in” their house?  Laura and I were feeding puppies and cleaning up by flashlight and hurricane lamps but it didn’t dampen the pups’ fun.

The principle show pick, Mariner, went to a wonderful home where he is an Obedience Dog.