Puppy Gal Welcomes You To
Judy's Journal....
I started this feature for friends and family to answer their
"What's going on?" emails,
therefore, I probably tell too much,
but you are welcome to come and
laugh, cry and sigh with us.
"Life is too short to deal with ugly acting people!"
AI to C-Section Chronicle
By 7/30/03 we should know!!!
The Latest Adventures of Peanut -
Updated 7/23/03
Jeb, The Champ
Bob taught him to walk again!!!
Our Daily Summer Activities!!
This has already been an active morning and it's only 6 AM. We were up about every hour checking on Sleepy, actually it was Bob up and down, keeping me awake. I felt very confident that she was not going into labor, but I was wrong twice so now when a female is this close, Bob paces the floor like an expectant Father...that's our Mama Bob!!!!
We're off and running to get our chores completed before it gets too hot. Have a Good Monday!!
We decided to chronicle via photographs the courtship of Smart Cookie & Mini-E, "From AI To C-Section and Beyond" for those of you who wonder why Bullies are so expensive and hard to raise. We hope you enjoy the journey and find it interesting.
AI to C-Section Chronicles
Sleepy Update: In the above can't you just hear her saying, "What do you mean, I can't have
your breakfast!!" She won't be having puppies today! I know this is a weird breakfast but I
was eating Chicken Liver Paté on crackers with pickled onions and capers. She smelled the
liver and definitely wanted more than her share. The ingredients are chicken livers, butter,
cooked onions and boiled eggs so I let her finish off the bowl.
Now I'm fixing turkey salad. I'd better leave out the raw onions just in case she gets demanding
about it, also. Lol, Lol, Lol
- 5:30 AM CSTIf this entry doesn't make too much sense, it's because we're tired this morning!!!!
Poor Bob worked until 9 PM last night on the floors and I did data entry all day long. I entered all my manual AKC records into the computer database Bob created for me. It was a good audit and I discovered the file folder for Kate's 1999 litter was missing. I'll have to find it today!! I'm a pack rat so if I can't find it, I'm sure I will be able to reconstruct the information, it will just take some time.
Yesterday afternoon Sleepy wouldn't eat her canned Pedigree Puppy Food. For the last week,
she has totally rejected dry or soaked Purina Puppy Chow. When they stop eating it is a
sign that they will go into labor shortly, so I was alarmed. I got out the smoked turkey, gave
her a couple of big slices from the breast and she not only gobbled them down, she also
ate her can of food. It was at this point that she started acting a fool... she picked her
bowl up by it's lip and let it dangle in her mouth to show me that it was empty. I ignored her
so she tried to sit on it! I guess to hide it so I would think she had not been fed??? Since
she couldn't do that, she resorted to laying her head and paws over to hide it completely.
Needless to say, she got more turkey, more turkey and still more.
Daisy & Sassy running
free in the kitchen had to have a share -- the two cats came just inside the back door and
started doing the "kitty standing tall for food" dance with the door frame, Fluffy
came bounding in the open back door for her turn and all the pups started getting
excited. I felt I was being attacked by starving critters, similar to when you start
feeding the pigeons in the park and droves descend upon you. All this from critters who
had just been fed!!! They love smoked turkey!!!
The same thing happens when I crack a hard boiled egg, they recognize the smell and start acting like fools.
I think I'll go fix those "babies" boiled eggs and smoked turkey
for a Sunday morning treat. Have a wonderful, lazy Sunday and please remember to pray for our military stationed in
foreign countries!!!
Yesterday morning, Bob took Smart Cookie and Mini-E to the Vet's to be bred via AI. He decided to chronicle via photographs their courtship. This weekend one of us will start the web page to display the pictures.
AI to C-Section Chronicles
We spent yesterday afternoon discussing, and almost cussing, a computer database program
he is writing for me to use in my AKC record keeping. He is a genius plus a computer guru which
I truly respect and appreciate but I like things simple, therein lies the problem. After much
strong conversation, I finally got him to agree to do it my way, after all I'm the one who will
be using it.
To make up for my strong behavior, I fixed him Southern Fried Cabbage --
put in a casserole dish with dots of real butter,
salt, black pepper & a sprinkling of crushed red pepper,
cover with clear plastic wrap and microwave about 22 minutes on 60%.
With the other half of the cabbage I made North Carolina Cole Slaw --
1/2 finely chopped onion and 1/2 finely chopped bell pepper,
the dressing was a combination of about 1 cup of Miracle Whip, 3 tbsp vinegar, 3 tbsp sugar, dash of water, salt and pepper.
These go well with the BBQ Boston Butt Pork Roast he baked for himself. I'm tired of pork, so he cooked me a small smoked Turkey but of course the Bullies will get the greater share along with some of his pork roast.
Last night I was silly... the four big puppies, Sweetie Pie, Daisy & Sassy were all in the
kitchen at the same time, helping me to eat turkey. The pups have yet to learn to wait
their turn for a bite but in just a few more sessions the two old girls, Daisy &
Sassy, will get them trained. Puppies you better stop trying to take food out of their mouth!!
Sweetie Pie is just to quick for the puppies.
This weekend Bob is to start back sanding floors. If we're lucky we will be applying the finish on Monday. Sleepy is getting close to having her puppies, getting milk, so she could go into labor at any time. Sleepy please wait until Wednesday!!!
Bob has to be in Corinth, MS which is 30 miles away at 7:30 AM to get the sander and from there he will go to the Vet's in Bolivar, TN approximately 50 miles northwest to have Smart Cookie and Mini bred again. Meanwhile, the puppies are telling me they have to go out NOW!!
We had visitors yesterday, early morning, to look at "our gang" and see if one of our Bulldogs would be right for them. I got up at 4 AM to try to get things straightened up for them but they were early so they caught me right in the middle of cleaning floors. I can't use a mop yet so I use towels and move them around with my feet, rinse and do it again. When they got here there were towels all over the floors, I had NOT changed into clean clothes, etc., but it was long after they left that I realized I hadn't offered an explanation. lol lol lol
While showing them the Bullies, Miss B got away from Bob and lead us on a merry chase of about 1/4 mile, yes I was running after her and finally caught her before she got to the main road.
The visitors were a very nice young couple but after careful consideration, I decided I would be uncomfortable placing one of our "babies" in the same environment with two large size protective Great Danes. An accident could happen so easily. I sent them an email this morning and hope they will not be offended.
After getting up extra early and having all the excitement with Miss B, I was too tired for words, so I just went to bed about 2 PM and didn't get back up until this morning at 5. It has always been a tendency of mine to work too hard, then crash for 15-24 hours. The first time I did that with Bob, he kept checking to see if I was breathing, which would wake me, now he just leaves me alone.
Have a wonderful weekend!!!
Smart Cookie was bred yesterday!!!
We love Peanut but sincerely hope we don't have another one so tiny. We felt every minute was "life or death" for him until he was about 8 weeks old.
Speaking of breedings, we are expecting Sleepy to go into labor this weekend but are hoping she will hold off until the middle of next week so we can get the living room and downstairs bedroom floors finished. Bob's foot is much better but not well enough to abuse it by using a drum sander, commercial type, just yet. Meanwhile sanding dust is everywhere, along with dog hair, they are getting hot so the shedding has become worse !!!!
Crissy is pregnant and due to deliver 7/10 - 7/15.
She is a very small Bully and we are so excited about this pregnancy because it is the third level in our attempt at developing a Mini-Bulldog. Our objective is a 10-12 inch tall and long Bully weighing 25-30 lbs. Assuming all goes well, we do not anticipate any of the puppies being available as we have several people wanting the smaller version of a Bully because they have very young children or smaller pets, such as Bostons, Maltese or Chihuahuas.
Healthwise, I'm doing much, much better. I give all the credit to the many prayers people have been saying for my return to good health. The doctors have no idea what happened to me, or what caused it. After $3,000 in tests (cash no health insurance) they do know I have a heart murmur and an enlarged heart. I may be between spells right now, but whatever, I'm taking advantage of being able to enjoy life. I was so bad at one point that I couldn't even fold a towel, without an almost unbearable pain in my arms which caused tears to flow and resulted in severe depression. Thank Goodness I had my Bob to nurtured and loved me through my illness, plus good friends to cheer me along and pray for me!!! Thank You All!!!
Today's entry is a question - Would you like for us to chronicle via photographs a litter of puppies from the time the female comes into heat, the artificial breeding, followed by the stages of pregnancy, then the delivery, puppy hood regardless of what happens and then pictures of them being picked up to go to their new homes???? Let me assure you I am not into reality pictures so nothing would be unpleasant. If you would like this pictorial, please send me an email so I will know how many people are interested, due to the amount of effort that would be necessary.
Summer Has Arrived!!!! It's 93 degrees here and humidity is 50%. Now folks that is uncomfortable for both man and dog!! All the heavy breathing Bullies and humans are in air condition. The Bullies with stronger constitutions are dozing under giant fans with a 60 degree water sprinkling system on the outside roof of the kennel so they aren't even breathing heavy!!!
We keep a close watch on their temperature at all times. We have temperature alarms and never do we leave them alone after 10 AM during the summer just in case there is a problem, Bullies can overheat in a hurry!!!
-5:00 AM
Is it against the law to kill a Wip-Poor-Will? I really wouldn't do it but... It perches in the tree outside our bedroom window and starts it's song, if you want to call it that, every morning at 4:45. It will not stop, until we get up and turn on a light. So we're up you crazy bird!!!
Speaking of crazy birds, have you ever seen a Redheaded Woodpecker up close and personal? We have a pair that come to eat in the backyard and a few weeks earlier must have been raising a clutch because they were constantly gathering food, left over dog food which we throw out in a certain place for all the birds. If there wasn't food the female got into the habit of calling to me when I went in and out of the house doing chores. She got rather demanding but I understood she had babies to feed. One day she was in such a snit she didn't notice that she was flying into the kennel with me. All of a sudden she was spread eagle against the wall clutching to a wooden frame over the washing machine, not two feet from my face. It scared the fire out of both of us. Immediately she found her way out. Now she is content to just fuss at me from a low tree branch as I pass 4 feet below.
Bob's foot is still swollen and tender but much better than yesterday and he slept more last night than the night before When I asked if he felt like going downstairs to get me a cup of coffee, he just laughed. The "babies" are starting to wake up so I best go get them out the door to potty.
Bob has hurt his foot and can't walk without pain. I made him stop sanding yesterday, soak his foot in Epsom Salt and lay down with it elevated. Neither of us got any sleep because he would bolt awake as the result of shooting pains through his arch. Last night and this morning I'm having to do everything. Whew!!! Just when you think you got a handle on life, it comes off in your hand. lol lol
I was up at 5 AM taking "our gang" out to potty, cleaning crates feeding them all and stumbling over puppies. I have a bad leg and therefore stumble often; these dang puppies just get in front of me and make me lose my balance. They are use to Bob who is much more patient than fast moving Judy. I worked straight up to 7:30 AM and got the entire "have to dos" done, then made Bob go with me to return the sander, which he didn't finish using because his foot was so swollen. I was hungry so we stopped by a restaurant, Bob decided he wanted to go in and sit down to eat instead of getting it "to go", so we did ... hobble, hobble!!! The waitress was fast, efficient and had a positive attitude. After this I talked him take a couple of anti-inflammatory pills the doctor had previously given to him.
From the restaurant in Corinth we headed to Florence, Alabama, 3 hour round trip, to get dog food at Sam's Warehouse and Bob some new shoes which would better support his foot. Found a great place to spend $200, Dick's Sporting Goods. The people were concerned over his foot, which certainly made him feel better. He got some tips from the clerks, who were runners, on how to relieve the pain. Since I made Bob accompany me I got him a wheelchair at both Sam's and Dick's. Next we stopped at Wal-Mart for a few groceries, Bob stayed in the van. Oops forgot to get bananas to mix with milk for flytrap bait, my sister sent the instructions we'll see if it works, so I stopped at Kroger in Corinth, Mississippi, again Bob stayed in the van. Anyone who knows me understands that I cannot just buy what I went for, so I now have chicken thighs at $.39 a pound cooking in the oven and another batch in the refrigerator with marinade.
Bob can walk a little better now, so he took fertility smears of Charlotte and Smart Cookie. After looking at them under a microscope, he decided Charlotte is ready to be bred but not Smart Cookie. I loaded up Charlotte & Pepper Jack and Bob headed off to the vets to get an AI done. The Vet Techs will handle the dogs so he will just have to hobble into the building. While there he will ask Dr Frank to verify his conclusion on Smart Cookie.
While he is gone, I am going to clean the kennel, wash dog beds, and then start taking the "house dogs" out to potty and feed all of them. This should take until at least 7 PM, then I'm going to bed!!!
-5:30 AM
Today's entry will be made later...I'm too busy right now.
Peanut Butter Cookie is getting goofy, loose as a goose ... walking like a Redbone Hound Dog puppy and weighing 31 pounds at 5 months. When he was born he was so tiny I didn't think he would survive much less turn into a Hoss!!! Just goes to show, we never know how things will turn out!
Smart Cookie, Peanut's Mother, is coming into heat and will be breed to either Mini-E or King Bizkit, we're undecided at present.
As you can tell from my Journal Entries, I am feeling much better therefore we are going to breed the females that are ready this month. If all goes well, we will have a couple of litters born in August and they will be ready for their new homes in October. We never know if the matings will take or not, but we do know "our gang" is in need of financial support since the health issues of the older dogs have been draining the "doggie reserve", plus we have kept so many puppies lately.
-5:00 AM
Right now Bob is working on finishing the floors, he rented a sander late yesterday afternoon which isn't due back until Monday morning, so he's going to be one tired man!!! It will be so nice to get that out of the way so he can finish the trim work and maybe by the time the puppies are born we will have a nice place to live, I'm so tired if living in this "unfinished mode". BUT I can't complain, poor Bob has had to take care of me several times since we started the house, including an injury which resulted in me not being able to walk for a year, plus we had a 13 year old unrelated boy abandoned here for 10 months.
While in town picking up the sander we happened upon a local man who has been selling "shrimp out of a van" for 20 years. He drives to the Gulf Coast every 3 days or so and gets a new shipment. They are always great, not like the frozen grocery store chain variety, so we got 2 pounds of really big ones, direct from the Gulf Coast this morning. We're going to have them for Brunch tomorrow. Speaking of brunch something that is so often overlooked but so simple to make is French Toast, be sure to warm the syrup in the microwave and use plenty of real butter.
Have a wonderful Sunday and please say a prayer for our soldiers stationed in foreign countries!!!
Raising Bullies is hard work, but for us it is a 7 day a week labor of love. I thought I would give you an overview of a typical summer day, without puppies.
Typical Summer Day Activity!!
Taking breaks to do the Bully Butt Wiggle as we go about our chores! Well, The Stray Dogs, Bullies and I are .. Bob and the cats don't dance, except for food!
Last night about 6:30, I asked Bob to come kill a snake. Boomer & Dumpy, Strays That Came To Stay, had it cornered but Fluffy was sitting on the porch. Fluffy is a smart girl, so I thought it must be poisonous or she would be trying to kill it. Besides it was coiled unlike other snakes they had gotten after. Bob came out said he didn't think it was harmful and he wasn't going to kill it. A few minutes later he came to where I was working and said, he was wrong that he had looked on the Internet and it was a Copperhead!!! Great Scott, those two crazy strays were going to be killed.
I called them to us by saying "Kitty, Kitty" which means I'm feeding the cats. I grabbed Boomer while Bob grabbed Dumpy. You would not believe the struggle we had getting those two into crates for the night. Boomer exhausted me and poor Bob got hooked by one of Dumpy's claws. Next time they will just have to take their chances with the Cooperhead!!!!
PS 10:00 AM
Dumpy has a large swelling on his throat, the snake must have gotten a small bite. Good thing we put him in a crate last night.
Goodness! Another week has flown by!
Yesterday, The Champ and I started out on a long walk but he scampered into one of the dog runs so I left him there for a while. When I went back to get him, he was sitting in the drinking pool just as content as he could be! But now it was time to come into the house because it was beginning to get hot outside.
Every time I tried to put the lead over his head, he would submerge his jaw up to his nose in the water.
After trying four times, I forced his chin up and slipped the lead over his head.
Then he just looked up at me refusing to move. I had to pick the Scamp up and out of
the pool before he would stand...now tell me Bullies aren't smart, The Stubborn Little Cuss!!
The Champ is doing GREAT. He is one of the most loving Bullies we have. He has recovered 95% mobility from his injury.
We have not seen additional improvements in the last couple of months, but we certainly hope for more.
I know that with my foot and leg injury, it just took a long time. 
We don't let him play with any of the Bullies that have a tendency to be too physical in their play, but he,
Sweet Tater Pie and Gabby get along great together.
Have a GREAT Weekend!!!
Yesterday, I made gravy made from some of the drippings and broth with lots of lean meat seasoned with garlic, rosemary and oregano. I mixed this in with their soften dog food for breakfast then ...
I knew the Bullies would be rolling, tossing and rutting the pig feet/tails all over the concrete and I wanted it to be extra sanitary so I got my broom and scrubbed down all the dog runs with a 10% Clorox and detergent mixture. I let it stand for 10 minutes before washing it off. What a job after last nights efforts. I have a routine where I scrub down a few a day, not all in one day!! Finally, I was ready to give them their treat....
I gave Miss Priss a pig tail and she looked at me like, "What is it? A pig tail??!! Take it away. Hurry, take it away.", but Carlotta in the dog run next to her was hopping up and down saying "I want it. I want it. And a Pig's foot too." Not even Mr. Big Stuff could finish his Pig's leg they were so big.
They were a hoot and we had lots of fun, but they are "pigged out" and we're not near finished with all this meat. I still have a giant canner pan full, simmering on the stove to keep it from going bad, plus two roasting pans in the fridge.
OK Gang, here I come and you've got lots of pork to eat!!!
Sent: Wednesday, June 18, 2003 6:26 AM
Subject: Prayer Request
Everyone Please pray for this young Christian couple from just outside Montgomery, AL, Shawn and Rene WOOD who have two small children.
Shawn has been having some trouble lately. Went to several doctors and was treated for everything from a lazy eye to sinus problems. They finally decided to send him for some extensive testing (more than a year had gone by, by now) Anyway, he has a brain tumor that is already growing down his spine. There is nothing they can do but try to slow it's growth. They are saying he has maybe 6 months to live.
I KNOW what prayer can and will do.
PLEASE pray for his healing right now as you sit and read this.
Thank you!!!
MaryMargaret Quinn
The Latest Adventures of Peanut - Updated 6/18/03
Well last night it was not funny but this morning, I'm laughing!!!
While out running errands, we stopped by a butcher shop and I told them I would like to get some bones for our four puppies. They asked what kind and then the extremely busy butcher asked if I wanted a box. His tone of voice indicated he wanted an immediate response. I said yes, not knowing how much they were going to cost etc. Lo and behold he came out from the cooler carrying a box that had him weighted down and told us to hurry and open the doors. It was a 100 pound box of bones and meat scraps, free of charge but Great Scott what was I going to do with all that!!!
I sure enough felt like Lucille Ball trying to stuff all 100 lbs in big enamel canning pots to boil on top of the stove and in pans to bake in the two ovens, we have a almost commercial size stove but it was tight. I never knew a pig's foreleg was 30 inches long!!! Mr Big Stuff is going to have fun this morning!! I exhausted myself cooking it all before we went to bed.
Next time I'm going to say, "May I have four medium size bones, please!!!"
Have a Great Bully Butt Wiggle Day!!!
I love to hear about "our babies" who have gone to live with new parents!! I got the below e-mail in response to yesterday's Journal Entry:
Judy, you're not crazy! Who could turn that sweetie down?
Yesterday we were having Scott's (husband) family over for a Father's day cookout. Scott and I had worked hard getting the yard looking great! He had got out the teak chairs and table and set them under a shade tree. Looked just like a magazine ad. I brought out Scott and the boys tall glasses of ice water and set them on the little teak table, and went back into the house to finish up the food.
Roxie (6 month old daughter of Sleepy & PepperJack) was playing around with them. Suddenly the boys came running in and yelled that I needed to come outside fast!!! They were laughing so hard! I ran out to see YOUR daughter up on top of the table drinking out of the water glasses! I burst out too. Scott yelled Roxie Wood! You drank all of our water!!! She started doing the Bully Butt Wiggle, she was so proud! We got her down and back up she went. Scott thinks she does a lot of stuff just to get our attention! What a stinker.
Sorry about your running into the ditch, but the flowers are beautiful! Oh, the Peanut stories were a hit! The boys want to hear about Peanut getting a bath. Roxie loves them! She sits under the running water.
Best go, take care! Susie Wood
The Wood Family on 2/14/03 when they came to get "Roxie" (a.k.a. Lassie)
PS From Judy -
If you laugh at a Bully's behavior they will do it again, they love attention!! Also it was for Bronson & Alec, shown above, that Bob started writing "The Adventures of Peanut" the boys were so concerned because Peanut was so small.
We now have an additional male Bully Pup which we got from our much beloved friends Gina & Phillip. They have a 4 year old son, plus two grown Bullies and lately Phillip has been working 14 hours a day farming. Gina has been ill for at least a month and she knew I would give my eye teeth for him, so they offered to sell him back to us ... we jumped at the chance. He is BEAUTIFUL, housebroken, well manner, etc. !!! Gina did a wonderful job of training him.
Goodness Gracious, we now have 4 Bully Pups all between the ages of 3 & 5 months, three of which are males!!!! We're keeping all of them, although the majority of our day is being spent taking them on potty breaks!!
After we got the Pup, we went to a nearby city, 30 miles away, to do a little shopping. Fresh pork picnic roasts were on sale for $.59 a lb, so you know what "our gang" will be having mixed with their soften Puppy Chow for the next few days.
Now for my "Lucy Thing" -- Lucille Ball behavior. On our trip I noticed some gorgeous wild flowers not half a mile from the house. After we got back home and took care of
"our gang" I asked Bob if he would go dig them up for me. He said "sure" so off we
went. I was driving and paying too much attention to the flowers ... I ran into a dang ditch!!! Bob not
only got us out of the ditch, he dug up the flowers that got me distracted. Isn't he wonderful!!!
If you know what kind of flowers they are, I sure would appreciate an email...It's days like this that I feel these song lyrics are appropriate, "I've always been crazy but it keeps me from going insane"
Have a Bully Butt Wiggle Day!!!
PS Got this email yesterday in regard to keeping pets off furniture and it sounds like a great idea. Beth, Thanks so very much!
Dear Judy,
If any of your readers want to keep their Bullie off a piece of furniture, I know an easy way. You get a roll of plastic carpet protector from walmart. The kind with the teeth underneath to grab the carpet. Cut the size you need, turn it with the teeth side up and cover the seat of the piece of furniture you want to protect. They won't jump up and land on those teeth for sure. I have tried it and it really works. Plus it's easy to take off and put away when company comes. Just thought I'd pass that along. Off to church now. Love, Beth
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Why I'm Nicknamed PuppyGal
"We have one mission in life, and that mission is to love" - Mother Theresa