Start tonight with a lovely capture of Jessica, who now  at two years old and is Toby's sister, is yet to have a bit about her on "The Girls" page. Her Grandfather on her sires side is the same as the Grand father on Smudge's Dams side, so Smudge is her half cousin and Millie is her half Auntie and I think you can see the family resembalance with them  with the very broken coated markings and like Millie and Smudge, Jessica loves hunting.
Just loaded photos on to computer to find this cute photo of her.  So asked who took the photo and turned out to be our oldest childs handy work, when he got out the shower last night and threw his towel off, it landed on Jessica, so he quickly got this photo.
Smudge was scanned today and is most certainly pregnant. The vet scanning her said, he was not confident enough to say eight, as the vet did when scanning Smudge with her first litter but she certainly is carrying at least six pups. It was this vets first time meeting Smudge and he commented on how good tempered and calm she was. I told him to remember this if she comes in for a c-section because with her last time and when her mum, Millie whelped the vets where concerned that they where maybe low on calcium because they where so layed back and run tests to check their calcium levels, as to much calcium can stop a dog contracting , not enough can stop them contracting as well, but both times tests confirmed Millie's and Smudge's calcium levels where okay.
We will play it by ear with Smudge and monitor closely as she approaches labour. Each stage needs to be noted and the time lapsing  between each stage to ensure the save arrival of her pups with the minimal stress for Smudge. We will give her every chance to birth naturally, as we know she can expel the pups easily enough if she can have strong enough contractions, as she birthed her first pup on her last litter but then she just stopped having strong enough contractions due to a very stretched uterus with another eight pups inside her, which is a very big litter for a Cavalier especially when all her pups where a good size.
With her looking so pregnant already I think we are in for a good size litter again or six very good sized pups, which will lessen the chance of all being born naturally as the uterus is stretched to accomadate so many pups, its a double edged sword. Smudge is obviously very fertile but her ability to conceive so many is deterimental to her uterus and causes inertia which is the uterus being stretched to an extent it is then hard for it to contract enough to expel pups. I think we are looking at Smudge's last litter and we will hope to keep one back from this litter. I was just hoping that she might of just been able to have had one more litter in a couple years time with Henry, they look very good together but if another c-section and a large litter I think Smudge will of done more than enough. Her daughter we hope to keep will then may be a girlfriend for Henry in the future.
I have sent out an email to everyone waiting on this litter and thanks for all the replies, now its just a waiting game and watching Smudge bloom.
Smudge is very well in herself and the photo's are taken of her today.

Lastly a photo taken tonight at supper. As I pushed my chair back I noticed Treacle with her Dad, Reggie position under the table ready for any spillages and you might notice Henry staking out the corner of the dinner table. We where having lamb stew which did smell very nice and I know I'm biased because I cooked it but it did also taste very nice and six children with clean plates is either a miracle or it was good stew. Talking about stew reminds me about something my brother, Peter once said to our mum. Peter's wife had a dinner party and my Mum asked what they had eaten, Peter was struggling to remember the name of the main dish and try as he might he could not recall it and said, "It had a fancy name Mum but to you and me, Mum, it was beef stew."

I'm still alive with a big apology for not yet opening the waiting list for 2014 but will hope to get back on here tomorrow with news on that but tonight just wanted to clear up the inbox and get the last of the updates received over the Christmas Holidays up on the blog before next Christmas comes around. Its now 10.45 pm by my clock so I will get a wiggle on as a 5 am start tomorrow morning.
The first update is from Charlie who is the Dad of Smudge and Primrose and you can find out about him on "The Boys" page under "The Old Boys".
Thanks Vincent and Sheila for the lovely update. Hope you had a lovely  Christmas and we all hope to see you all in the Spring for a catch up.

Hello Everyone,
 
Yes, you have the right email address:-) We hope you are well & have not suffered to much with the less than nice weather. Charlie says a HUGE woof to you all. He also asked that I include a few photos of him on his travels. He loves the camera. He seems to have gained a taste for Marmite & likes to show off with his very own jar of Marmite XO. Mum & Charlie in the pub. We got to meet a life sized Lego R2-D2, which Charlie could not contain himself. He desperately wanted a photo taken with him, so here it is.
 
I have just realized what time it is. I can hear some foot steps on the roof, followed by some jingle bells. I got to go to bed, before I am found out.
Merry Christmas
Lots of love & woofs.
Charlie, Sheila & Vincent.
XXX

 Next is from another  Charlie and his canine companion Roxy's family. This Charlie is from our last litter in 2013 with Dad being Reggie and Mum is Ysobel. Roxy is from the first litter from Lucy  born the end of 2010(Find her on "The Girls" page under "The Old Girls") with Dad being my sister's Poodle Rollo. Thanks for this Tracey and all the best to you all for 2014.
Hello Jane,
I hope you have all had a fab Christmas & here's hoping 2014 is a healthy & happy one for us all... Roxy & Charlie still continue to get on like a house on fire there is never dull moment! Hoping to give Charlie his first run on the beach on Sunday as we plan to go & see my parents who live walking distance from the beach. He is a dear little soul & the both of them are definite head turners getting comments wherever they go! A few pics for you to enjoy & we wish you all a very happy new year!

Best wishes

Tracey, Paul, Jodie, Roxy & Charlie Titch although not so Titch anymore!

Now is a lovely photo and greetings from Maisy's family. Maisy is from Primroses first litter born September 2012 with Dad being Reggie. Thanks Sue for the cute photo of Maisy and have a great 2014.

Hi Jane

Wishing you and your family a wonderful 2014. Can't believe we've had Maisy for just over a year! We love her to bits! 
Love Sue x 

Last but not least is Archie from Smudge's first litter of amazingly nine healthy pups, who came into the world in April 2012. Thanks Angie for the kind comments but his Mum Smudge, his Granny Millie and his  Grandad Charlie and  his Dad Reggie have to take a lot of the credit for Archie's temperament. Nature or nurture, well its a big dollop of both because if Mum ain't got a good nature the pups will lack the nurture in the early weeks. Seeing Mum being relaxed and happy with humans sure helps to get a pup with that demeanor.  Thanks again Angie and have a wonderful 2014.

Hi Jane,

Happy new year to you all! it sounds like you had a lovely Christmas.  Your photo by the tree is lovely. Reggie looks like he is smiling! 

When we read the update from the other Archie's family , Jon asked me if I was sure that I hadn't written it, because it sounds just like our gorgeous boy, and Exmouth is his all time favourite place too!!!

Here is Archie relaxing after a long run on Exmouth and a swim with the seagulls....

He is a typical Poundlane amazingly chilled dog! You seem to weave your magic on all the pups when they leave you! 

Wouldn't it be great to have a Poundlane reunion! We often wonder how all Archie's brothers and sisters are!

Anyway, Archie is sitting patiently looking at me for his walkies, so will stop here!

Best wishes and love from Angie, Jon and Hannah xxx

Now 11.05 pm so I'm getting off to bed and will hope to get on here tomorrow with news on waiting lists and other things which may be of interest.

Busy festive week and the weather has been atrocious. The wet weather when you have dogs makes for a lot of laundry. We go through loads of towels and old bed linen just drying them off each time we venture out, so most days we have had two loads in the washing machine before starting on the childrens laundry. The dark mornings make getting up for milking harder, I must admit this morning the milking parlour was the best place on the farm, as I watched from the parlour door the farmer I work for and his father outside in the rain (coming down like stair rods) getting the rest of the work done on the farm, I considered myself  quite lucky at that moment.
Reggie has had a good Christmas with Smudge coming on heat and he got his Christmas present on Boxing Day with a romantic date with Smudge. I had the results of the MRI scans just the day before Christmas and will go through these in my next blog, as just want the get some statistcal figures from the British Veterinary Association (BVA) and will tie it all in with a blog on skull shapes (Cephalic Index).
Kept Smudge coming on heat before Christmas quiet as did not want to be inundated with inquiries over the holiday period  and will look to open waiting lists the end of next week once the children are back at school. I have had a few inquiries about our dogs over the Christmas Holidays and these I will get to next week or you can try to ring me if you wish next week.
Thanks for emails wishing us a Happy New Year and I have a few more emails with updates received over the Christmas time and will get them up soon on the blog. Tonight I have put up photos of our dogs over the Christmas Holiday. Apart from the rain we have had a lovely Christmas and everyone has been very content with what Father Christmas left in their pillow cases. The dogs have enjoyed having a bit of turkey in with their dinners and some cranberry and turkey treats I bought for them from Lily's Kitchen.  

It is now 2014 and having  milked yesterday and then this morning, so I now finally have got to toast the New Year in this evening with my husband and children and a chance to get on my blog and for now all that's left to say is, "A most warm wish from Poundlane that for all, 2014 is a Happy one !"