Ron Nielsen Family.

The puppies from our Blue Riptide x Blue Ghost litter were eight weeks old last weekend and Jerry and I had a steady stream of families here to pick out their puppy.

This was the second Northwoods Bird Dog puppy for two of the buyers. As we all know, it’s a small world. In 2006, Kevin Sipple first bought a wonderful tri-color female that is a littermate to this litter's dam, Blue Ghost. This year he picked a matching, even-marked, tri-color female. Dwayne Splan is also back. His first puppy was a male out of Magic’s Rocky Belleboa x Old Glory Bluebelle in 2008 and, again, he was on the list for another male.

Splan clan

It’s a sad day for me when the puppies go…but we’re grateful to the new owners and happy for the puppies.

What a cute puppy pile! Most of the litter is taking a post-breakfast nap but I caught the orange-and-white male just waking up.

Our litter of five from CH Centerpiece x Ms. Pearl’s Delight are 28 days old today. Jerry and I are very happy that Pearl is keeping them all gleaming white and with full tummies. Today, though, we’ll start weaning them.

The puppies are darling! Most are about the same size but one male is a bit smaller. The coloration is finally coming out on the orange-and-white female….and it is a lighter orange than on the male. Most are very even marked and a couple have very sweet freckles.

This is the cutest litter ever. But then, as you know, Jerry and I always say that.

Even though the six puppies from our Blue Riptide x Blue Ghost (Cotton) litter are walking and getting stronger legs, they still sleep a lot.….and usually piled on top of each other. Cotton makes the most of the opportunity and heads outside to check out any pigeons flying around.

The puppies will be four weeks old this weekend and we’ll begin the weaning process. They grow up so fast!

Happy new owners picked up their puppies from the Northwoods Blue Ox x Houston’s Belle’s Choice litter in the last 24 hours. We’re down now to the four we’re keeping and it looks pretty lonely in their run. We know we can’t keep them all; more importantly, we’re thrilled for the puppies and their owners.  

Two of them are three-time puppy buyers from us including a buyer from our very first litter in 1995. This time he drove—marathon style—from his home in northeastern Oklahoma to pick out his female. Another is an avid (maybe manic is a better word) hunter and he also chose a female to go with his previous two males. The final female went to a wonderful family with three sons. Who will have more fun in that home—the puppy or the kids?

The weather has been warm and beautiful and the puppies don’t need the whelping nest as much……but it seems they still like to curl up with their littermates.

Their eyes are open now and they are getting more active. Ghost continues to be a wonderful dam and we are extremely grateful that all are healthy and robust.

We mistakenly reported the litter breakdown. There are 2 tri-color males, 2 tri-color females and 2 black-and-white females.

Ms. Pearl Delight whelped five puppies during the evening hours of May 25. There is a good mix:  two orange-and-white (one male and one female) and three liver-and-white (one male and two females). These puppies are big! They are almost as large as Ghost’s litter…..and they are 10 days older.

Pearl is quite protective of her puppies and is utterly content to spend most of her hours nursing and caring for them.

We are very excited about an upcoming pointer litter which crosses CH Centerpiece with Ms. Pearl Delight. Pearl is due to whelp May 25.

CH Centerpiece is a handsome, 55-pound, liver-and-white male. He is also a six-time champion, two-time runner-up champion with excellent focus on finding birds and lofty style on point. Centerpiece has an outstanding pedigree full of dogs that have proven themselves on wild birds, including ruffed grouse and woodcock.

Pearl also is liver and white with a great attitude and personality. She has experience on all kinds of wild birds with uncommon bird-finding ability and natural staunchness.

See Litters page for photos and pedigrees.

During the early morning hours of Saturday, May 15, Ghost whelped six puppies—three males and three females. All are either tri-color or black and white…which is wonderful but we’re sorry to lose Ghost’s beautiful coloration of orange and her dark nose and eyes.

The sire of this litter is the extremely handsome and talented Blue Riptide, out of our excellent nick of Blue Chief x Blue Blossom.

All are doing just fine and first-time dam Ghost is very attentive and protective.

The seven puppies—all-tricolor—out of Northwoods Blue Ox and Houston’s Belle’s Choice (Jill) are healthy and growing fast. They walk/waddle around the whelping nest and play gently (so far!) with each other.

Jill is still providing all the nutrition for the litter but this weekend we’ll begin the weaning process.

Jerry and I say this every time:  This is the cutest litter ever.

All seven puppies are healthy and even seemed to have become more similar in size. Perhaps one or two are a bit bigger but now the smallest puppy has caught up with her littermates. Jill is doing a wonderful job nursing and caring for them all……and, equally important, maintaining her own good health.

More exciting news! We just received word from our vet that Blue Ghost (Cotton) is pregnant. We expect her whelp date to be mid May.

During the late evening and early morning hours yesterday and today, Houston's Belle's Choice (Jill) delivered seven puppies--six females and one male. All are tri-color with various markings and all are healthy and vigorous. This litter is from the breeding with our Northwoods Blue Ox.

Jill is a bit tired today but otherwise retains her normal perkiness. She is a very attentive mother to her puppies. I’ve never seen a dog lower herself so gently into the whelping box and tenderly move the puppies aside.

Photos will follow.

On Saturday, March 27, Belle whelped her what will most likely be her last litter and is now caring for three healthy puppies--two females and one male. The puppies are tri-color with either a full mask or a patch on one side of the head. That distinct patch is from Belle's sire, Houston. All puppies are spoken for.