Cairn Terrier updates

Time seems to pass so quickly. I wanted to pass along a quick update about our Cairn family and Cairn Terrier puppies. We have 2 puppies still looking for their forever homes. I'm seeing a dramatic slow in the market that I hadn't experienced previously. Hopefully those "right" homes will come along soon. The puppies are absolutely adorable and I'm sure they'll make wonderful additions for someone.

Bentley is still looking for his forever home. I haven't been advertising him or anything but hoped to find someone close that would be a good match for him. My kids are attached to him so I guess I'm not looking that hard. But when the right family comes along, we'll know it. That's the hardest thing about being a breeder. You get so attached to the adults and yet you can't keep them all.

I'm doing very well in school, although it has been more time intensive than I expected. I just finished 2 classes with A's so I'm extremely happy! I'm working on the next 2 classes currently.

We LOVE our new home! We still have a lot to finish but I love the hardwood floors and tile for the dogs, and although we were on an acreage before, 10 acres is so much more room to run on and explore. I have to watch the puppies though, because they try to follow the kids into the woods. They think they're big dogs too. LOL

I appreciate the updates I've received from a few people. Thank you so much. I wish I could be in closer contact with everyone. But I certainly appreciate the ongoing emails and hearing about the Cairns. Keep in touch!

We're Moving Into our New Home!

We're moving! We're excited to move into our new home next week. For those who have purchased puppies, we want to ensure that we maintain contact long term. Please stay tuned to the website for phone and email changes. I have set up a new email, but will currently keep my cell phone and will post a new phone number if we get a land line set up. If you need a new address, please email us and we'll give you direct contact information. My new email is: RickysPrincess@gmail.com

My NP program starts at the end of August. We're going to be busy finishing the house and getting settled before then. The dogs will have a temporary play yard until we build our "guest house" with the dog room off the back side of it. Keep in touch!

thank you!

Traci

Semi-Retired

We changed our plans slightly when we came across an excellent opportunity for a champion pedigree male that I fell in love with. We welcome Brody to our family! He has the same compact confirmation, small ear set, short tail, and adorable traits that remind me of Bailie and Maggie (everyone's favorites). I have kept Bailie & Hailie and will eventually retire Bentley to a forever home. I just couldn't give up everything completely but had to cut back to allow time for school. The rest of the dogs all went to my breeder friends so I'm relieved that we've preserved the lines for the future. I'm hoping to start my MSN this fall but we'll see how things fall into place. We're still planning the August litters by hopefully both Bailie & Hailie depending on how nature accommodates us. I still enjoy hearing from you, so keep in touch!

Retiring from Breeding

I'm sorry to report that I'm temporarily retiring from breeding. I will fulfill the last litters this summer and I'm hoping to place the rest of the dogs either in quality breeder-friend homes or pet homes. If anyone would be interested in fostering one of our dogs, please let me know. This would mean adopting one of the dogs but keeping them intact so we may have the option to breed them in the future. I would like to retain some of my lines so this may be an option for some of the girls. Of course the home would agree to keep them safe and allow me to breed them in the future, and retain the puppies to restart a breeding program. I would whelp out and assist in all of the puppy process, so it would need to be someone in IL or our surrounding area. If you would like to be considered, just email me at crookedcreekcairns@verizon.net

I will maintain my website in order to stay in contact with previous puppy customers. I will still be available for support and education for both our Cairn family and the public. I'm kind of sad and can't believe I'm doing this, but I have to make time to continue my education and a new career. If things go well, the long term goal is to be able to work as I want for much more pay and still have time to commit to my family and hobbies. I think it'll be really rewarding and exciting.

I extend a big thank you for all the support and friendship we've developed over the years. I look forward to rekindling my role as a breeder in the near future. THANK YOU!!!
Traci

CCCT Update

I'm sorry for my absence! It's been rather busy around here. We're sending puppies home now and still have 1 puppy by Chloe available. Chloe and Rainey are ready to retire and soon to follow is Thea. I'm just now experiencing the slow in the market and economy, since I had Chloe's puppies available for so long. I've never had a puppy available longer than 24-48hrs and I still have 1 puppy ready to go at 8 weeks. I'm just thankful that it hasn't effected my family in other ways. I know times are really tough for lots of families.

My husband and I went to Jamaica last week and saw that their economy is suffering from the slow in tourism. Our resort was not up to it's usual standards. Apparently 70% of their tourism is from the US and it has dropped to 20%. Our plane down and back was 1/2 full when it used to be full. The resort is making cut backs and we noticed a big difference in the quality of service, facilities, etc.

I've received some happy updates from previous puppies. The dogs most recently retired (Miyah, Daisie, and Bridget) are doing wonderful in their new homes. It's very satisfying to hear about their bonding process and how they are settling into their new routines. I'm going to retire and cut back to a minimum and then decide if I'll continue breeding on an as needed basis. I will always be available as a supportive breeder to the public and to my previous customers. But I will only breed as there is a need in the market. We have a few families waiting for a litter or 2 this summer and then we'll see how it goes.

Retiring Adults

I'm sorry for the lack of posts lately. It's been so busy here! We let Miyah and Daisie go to pet homes and they are doing just great so far. Miyah is still in IL, Daisie in PA, and Bridget retired to her forever home in MA. We thank these families for offering forever homes to our "furr kids". We realize the dedication it takes to adopt an adult into a new environment and I am thankful that they will be loved as their new family member. I often feel guilty that I can't provide as much 1 on 1 attention as I would like. But I know that they'll be pampered and get all the 1 on 1 that they desire now. It makes it easier to let them go, but I'll still miss them. It's easier to let puppies go because they are never "owned" by me....it's a head game I have to play with myself. But when I've already bonded, named, and spent so much time with the adults, it's really hard to say good-bye. I get updates, but it's still hard.

Maggie and Chloe both have healthy litters of 3. They're growing and doing really well. We still have puppies available. With the economy we're seeing a slowing of inquiries but are thankful that our puppies have still found wonderful forever homes. We still have other families waiting for a specific color or sex for future litters so we're breeding 2 more litters by Hailie & Bailie. I'm excited to see what they have in store for us. They're both adorable Cairns!

Our Doggie outfit came out in Movie

When I had my boutique open http://www.designerdogavenue.com/, I sold several doggie outfits to Walt Disney productions for a movie they were shooting in Mexico. It came out recently, "Beverly Hills Chihuahua" and the pink & green striped outfit seen in the previews is one that I sold them! Is that exciting or what!? I want to go see the movie but have had minor surgery, recovered, and now have been sick and haven't made it yet. I know the designer is out of many sizes but if anyone is interested I still have a few size mediums which fits the Cairn. I also have several outfits, designer dog carriers, dog beds, dog jackets and clothes, etc that I would like to get sold. I've offered special pricing to any customers, if you're interested please email me and you can shop behind the scenes in my remaining inventory. dow99@verizon.net

Amazing Cairn found swimming 1 mile off shore

Check out this article! A 14yr old Cairn got lost at sea and they found him swimming 1 mile out! Rescued and happy ending!! http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1080220/Fishermen-catch-DOG-mile-North-Sea.html#

Libby Update

I received this testimonial about Libby. This is what makes me feel so good about being a breeder, making people happy. :)

"I cannot thank you enough for our wonderful girl “Libby”. As a client who has recently adopted one of your retiring dogs, I cannot thank you enough, nor can I praise you enough. Having an 8 month old Cairn terrier, we felt, that finding the right brother or sister was going to be tricky. Your guidance when we asked about an older dog helped us find our perfect little girl and our family has been completed by her. This was the perfect match. We love her just as much as if we had raised her from a puppy and cannot imagine life without her now. She and Chewie love each other too and it has been a really wonderful thing for our lives.

I want to commend you for doing such an amazing job raising her these past three years. Your care for your dogs shows and it has helped her transition into our household easily. She’s been a dream for potty-training and her socialization has been great. She’s friendly with our neighbors and their dogs and has adjusted to life in the house very easily.

I wish you continued success as a breeder – you are outstanding and your love and knowledge of this breed is unsurpassed. It means a great deal to me that you care so much about these dogs, their health, their socialization, and are interested in finding the right homes for them.

Thank you.
Mia Stark
Grayslake, IL"

Bentley and Color Genetics

Color genetics have always intrigued me in horses. I owned a grullo gelding with the brindle gene. In horses, the brindle gene is so rare, there aren't enough horses in existence to trace the genetic marker. My favorite color is the grullo, a mousy color that is genetically a black horse with dun factor (dorsal stripe, leg barring, wither bar, tipped ears). They are of course the rarest color and very difficult to find. This intrigue about color genetics carries over to the Cairn, since color is the biggest unknown factor in the breed. From my own experience, I understand the brindle gene in the breed and they either have it or they don't. The brindle can vary from a very light color with only a few stripes in the undercoat, to a very dark color with lots of stripes and a very dark top coat. Bentley however, is a mystery. He is the only Cairn known to be his color of mahogany red with black points. He has not changed in color other than he's getting a few gray hairs with age. He produces about 97% brindle puppies, so he must have the brindle gene even though he does not have apparent striping in the undercoat. This is probably because his undercoat is too dark to see the striping. Canine color genetics is not yet fully developed, but they are working on the fawn & brindle genes as seen in the boxer breed. They can currently test for the black mask and I believe they can test for the brindle gene in the Cairn Terrier. Bentley is going to participate as a research dog and they will evaluate his color genetics. They may not have testing currently available to assess what he truly is genetically, but I hope he can be of value to their research. Isn't that just the coolest thing!!!?? :)

Spaying or Neutering

Spaying is the sterilization by removing the ovaries & uterus of females, while neutering is the removal of the testicles of males. The advantages of spaying & neutering are numerous. With the epidemic of unwanted pets in our nation, spaying & neutering is necessary to reduce the occurance of unwanted pregnancy. Responsible pet owners take a proactive approach in ensuring that their dog is healthy and are not part of the problem of pet overpopulation. Females who are spayed before their 1st heat cycle, have a 99.9% reduced risk of mammary cancer. Neutering males prevents testicular cancer and prostate disease. Both males and females will not develop the negative behaviors associated with being intact if spayed/neutered before maturity or by 6 months of age. Females will not blow their coats with hormonal changes, males will not mark their territory by hiking their leg on everything in sight. Intact females also mark their territory and I even have females who lift their leg on things just like males!

At Crooked Creek Terriers, families who adopt a puppy agree to spay/neuter by 6 months of age. They place a deposit that is refunded upon proof of alteration by 6 months of age. I generally recommend neutering at 3-5 months of age, and spaying at 5-6 months of age. Some vets recommend early spaying/neutering as early as 8-16 weeks. This website gives a great over view of spaying & neutering. http://www.paw-rescue.org/PAW/PETTIPS/DogTip_SpayDay.php "Pets can become capable of reproduction as early as 6 months of age, so it is important to spay and neuter pets by that age. Early spay/neuter starting at 8 weeks of is endorsed by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), Humane Society of the United States, the American Kennel Club, the Cat Fanciers Association, the American Humane Association and many other organizations. As long as a pup weighs more than two pounds and is 8 weeks old, he or she can be neutered or spayed."

Libby Retired & Current Happenings

The puppies are all home and all is quiet again. They all had happy homecomings and are keeping their families busy with puppyhood! Libby retired to her forever home last week and she's doing wonderfully! She's a resident of Chicago now, and has a 6mo old Cairn brother. They sound like they're having a great time and it's been the perfect forever home for her. It's amazing how those homes come along that are just the "right" home for a particular dog or puppy. Chloe is recooperating from her last litter and will be available for adoption in the next couple months.

We're watching for the next breedings to take place in the next month or so. The young girls are maturing very nicely and they'll be ready to have their first litter this winter. We've been so busy, I haven't gotten the new photos like I've been planning. But now that puppies are home, maybe I can find time to play photographer. It's certainly a job I enjoy!

Remodel Complete

The puppy house remodel is finally complete. It's made a difference in the ability to air condition and maintain a stable temperature. It also looks nicer! :) I like things all decorated, clean, and crisp! I still want to restain the exterior, but we've done some more landscaping to the exterior as well. Here's some photos of the interior. I bought a toolbox for medical and grooming supplies and love it! It's so much easier to find supplies than searching through tubs stowed away in the cabinet. I have more than ample storage now, with the tool box unit and a shelf above the whelping boxes. I'm enjoying it! For more photos, visit the facility page of my website! New exterior photos coming soon.

Puppy update

We've got our hands full of wiggly, licky, tail wagging puppies! They're very playful and attack your lap when given the chance. They like to nibble on my flip flops, or lick my toes when I'm trying to step around them. Here's a picture of one trying to play with my foot! LOL They like toys and carry around anything they can get their mouths on. They are Oh So Cute!! It's hard to believe they'll start to go home in just a couple weeks. Time flies when you're having fun!

Prices

I understand the issue of gas prices raising the pricing of everything, but this is getting rediculous. Airline shipping has increased $50, as well as the cost of my 2hr commute to the airport. So now I'm having to charge $300 just to cover my costs when I ship a puppy. I received an update from Canidae and they've made all these wonderful "improvements to the formula".....mmmm hmmm.......so they can raise prices. In the last 3 months, the price has increased twice and is now costing me an extra $30 per month or $360 per year just in dog food. I know there are a lot of families finding it incredibly difficult to absorb the price increases and make ends meet. So I'm not going to complain. I just find it sad that everything and everyone is effected so greatly.

Puppy House Rennovations

I've been busy insulating and redoing the puppy house this week. Turning the building into a puppy house was an afterthought, then we realized it wasn't built to insulate. Keeping the temps stable without insulation was more than a challenge. We went through alot of propane in the winter, and it was impossible to keep cool in the summer. I want to rebuild a new facility, but until we decide how, where, and HOW, I'm going to insulate it and try to make it work a while longer. I want to ensure that the next time around, it's truly in the best of design and convenience. Here's a preview, I have about 1/2 of it done! Slowly but surely!

The Happenings at Crooked Creek Terriers

As you've seen, we have Cairn Terrier puppies by Maggie, Chloe, and Rainey. They are 2wks, 2wks, and 5 days respectively, and all are gaining and doing well. Chloe's puppies got their eyes open yesterday. A few of Maggie's have their eyes open, but the others are still closed. We took new photos of Chloe's, Rainey's, and will get new photos of Maggie's when they all have their eyes open.

Maggie scratched her eye, so I've been busy medicating and treating her. It's improving and I expect her to make a full recovery. It's hard to know how she did it, but it was a generalized ulcer rather than a visible scratch. I feel bad for her, it looks painful!

We still have 2 brindle males available for Maggie. The rest of the puppies are sold and their families are anxiously waiting!

It's been hot but we're keeping cool with plenty of water and fans. I'm hoping to get some insulation put into the roof of the puppy house to keep it from heating up, until we can get the new facility built. The air conditioner is a waste of time. It just won't keep up any better than fans. By the time the summer heat comes, the puppies will be old enough to play in the shade during the heat of the day. So we'll make it through ok. We had tornado watches/warnings yesterday but thankfully they went to the north and south of us, so we just got some rain last night.

We're busy with summer fun, birthdays, and some mini vacations planned. I just love this time of year!

Puppy update & photos

Puppy photos are posted. They're all filling out and doing well. Mama's seem to be resting well. Each time I check, they've either gotten their pups to sleep and are resting by them, or they're nursing them. Chloe & Maggie are both excellent mothers. My only job is to sit back and monitor their feedings and growth, clean, and monitor the temp in the puppy house to make sure it remains a constant temperature for them. It takes a bit of work this time of year with the cool nights and warm afternoons. I can hardly wait for Rainey's litter to arrive now. The anticipation of how many and what sex is always like Christmas. You never know what you're going to get!

Chloe delivered!

Finally....Chloe delivered 3 puppies tonight. She has 2 males, 1 female, and they are very large puppies. I helped her deliver the first one breech and I thought I'd never get him out. It stressed me out! It took several minutes of her pushing and me pulling to get him out. The second boy was nearly as difficult, but she delivered the girl on her own. They are all a light wheaten or cream with black points and are very big healthy puppies. I think she should have delivered them last week and they would have been 'normal' sized. LOL They're nursing and Chloe is pretty sore and growly, but she'll feel better tomorrow.

Maggie

Maggie delivered 6 healthy puppies this morning. She has 3 girls, 3 boys, perfect little brindles! We did an U/S this afternoon just to ensure all was well and there were no more puppies in there. We almost lost her last litter when things seemed normal and 2 days later, we discovered a dead puppy in the birth canal. She was septic and it took several days of IV antibiotics and intensive care to save her. So no chances taken this time! :) The puppies are nursing and strong. It's exciting to have babies again!