Eight weeks – and then there were three

Pups had a busy week, first their health checks and microchips and then a near 70 mile trip (each way) to their eye test, which they passed and Ermine caused a stir with his stunning blue eye. The pups travelled well, no sickness and only a few cries at the start – think my singing helped!

I’m often asked why bother with litter screening – for me personally its a safeguard around congenital conditions and whilst incidence in lapphunds is extremely rare, and yes getting appointments with panellists isn’t always easy, it does give some peace of mind.  Persistent Hyperplastic Tunica Vasculosa Lentis (PHTVL)  is a congenital eye anomaly, and incidence in breed in Finland is currently around 1% so hardly significant – but by monitoring, we can be alerted if incidence was to increase.  As breeders we are always selecting away from specific inherited conditions, and who is to know if this actually means we are selecting for other nasty conditions, so using every option available to us, cannot be a bad thing.

Lots of admin this week sorting out registrations, insurance, puppy information manual (now runs to 38 pages), photos and puppy goody bags, plus of course food for the new owners, so they can continue to feed the same as me until they switch to whatever food they prefer, or can source locally. The pups have had kibble, raw and pressed wet foods so should be pretty versatile going forward.

I will leave their new owners to introduce their pups as they join their families, Bunting and Trifle have gone off for new adventures, Ermine and Cullinan will leave over the week, so yes Destiny is staying – now to be known as Uni (Elbereth Unisieppari – Dreamcatcher)