Just over a week ago on Sunday 21st April and I was busy getting Sunday dinner ready the phone started ringing. Now if I'm busy and I don't instantly recognise the number I tend not to pick up and consider they will ring again at a more conveniant time but as my son retrieved the phone to me in the kitchen and I looked at the number a mobile number that didn't ring a bell, I over rode my first instinct to not answer it, as it seemed to be ringing more urgently. I'm glad I did as it was Toni with news that Poppy had popped and produced 3 pups very easily. Poppy is a Cavapoo I bred and Toni came back a few months ago and used our Miniature Poodle Reggie, so Reggie is the Dad of these little tubs. Toni's family will be keeping one of the pups and the other two are already spoken for. Congratulations to the two families who will have the other two pups, who had both contacted me and thankfully Toni has been able to help you. I know with Toni rearing them, they won't need for any thing. 
Toni sent me these cute photo's of Poppy and pups yesterday at a week old. Just looking at these photos have made me feel broody. Lol
Thanks Toni for the photo's and you are going to have such fun in the coming weeks with your little tubby wards.


Hi Jane,
 just thought I'd email you a few pics of the puppies and let you know they are doing really well, poppy is a natural mum and is doing a great job!.
Speak soon
Toni

Nearly forgot this photo sent to me a week ago of Archie meeting paragliders for the first time. Thanks Angie for this and the bit about the lady arguing the toss about Archie being a Cockapoo not a Cavapoo. When the mum is a bigger type Cavalier like his mum Smudge crossed with the Miniature Poodle which is the middle size Poodle of the breeds of Poodle, you will get a similar size and look to a Cockapoo but if you really know your dog breeds you can tell the difference, as the Cavapoo will have a bit more of a prettier head with larger eyes than the Cockapoo. Archie is one of the pups from Smudge's amazing first litter of nine Cavapoos who's Birthday was this last Saturday 27th April. Hope you had a great day Archie and the same goes to all your siblings.
Archie hopefully will be staying with us for a couple weeks in August. I'm looking forward to catching up with all that he's been up to and the dog he has become.


Hi Jane,
We are so chuffed that Archie will be spending time with you- we can relax knowing he's at his first home! 
It was funny yesterday , when we were walking the cliffs at Beer. One lady with a dog asked us what breed Archie was and then disagreed that he wasn't a cavapoo but a cockerpoo! She was a right old grump! Apart from that Archie had a good fuss made of him from other walkers and was then scared of the paragliders who had taken off over his head! Must have looked like a giant bird to him!! He ignored a huge group of rabbits and slept for the rest of the day when we got home!
Hope you all had a great weekend and will keep you updated with Archie!
Best wishes,Angie 

Its hard to believe a year has passed since Smudge produced her brood of nine pups on the 27th April 2012, which is a very big litter for a Cavalier, in fact the biggest litter we have had with all pups being born alive from a Cavalier. Average for a Cavalier would be about  four with six being very good and any thing above that exceptional but nine with all alive is almost super exceptional for a Cavalier.  The first was born naturally and the other eight came into the world via a cesarean. All where well grown and healthy pups, not a misel draught (Devonshire dialect for small runt like) amongst them.
So a Big Happy First Birthday to Crumble, Archie, Lola, Ollie, Tiggy, Darcy, Hunny, Millie and Dougal. I hope all is well with your families and yourself and that you all had a lovely day.
This was such an amazing feat by Smudge who reared them all with ease,  even though it was her first litter, I thought it might be nice to refresh the memory of what 9 newly born Cavapoos looks like all in a row, so below is a very cute photo of them taken by one of the nurses who helped bring them in the world just minutes after their arrival.
 

We have an update as well from one of the Nine First Birthday pups, now a handsome grown up dog. Thanks so much Trudi for sharing his special day and always a pleasure to hear how well they are getting on. Email update and photo's of Dougal's Birthday below.

Hi Jane and family,

Today is Dougal's 1st birthday so a good reason to send an update and to wish all his siblings a happy 1st birthday too. Some of the latest blogs really show how alike they all look.

Dougal has settled in so well to family life and is no trouble at all. He is very well behaved and all the puppy training is now paying off as we can trust him to do as we ask (most of the time!) 
He must take after his mum because he loves to get muddy when out and has cannot resist the alluring smell of fox poo! Hmmmm. 

He has ended up quite a big cavapoo, weighing in at around 12 kg. I wonder if he's larger than his siblings?

We all just love him to bits. He has changed our lives for the better (and muddier/smellier!) and he is a credit to you and your family for his great attitude to other dogs and children. Cats he is still not so sure about. I can't work out if he is desperate to play with them or chase them, but am not brave enough to find out. 

When we were thinking of getting a puppy and I told my husband I had found a breeder in Devon (nearly 6 hours away from us) who outshone all the other breeders and I couldn't think about getting a puppy from anyone else, he looked at me as if I must be mad. Now he knows why and if anyone is in a similar position I would urge them to make the journey - it is worth every second! Of course the hard work continues at home but its much easier if they have had a positive start in life.

Thanks Jane and all the puppy play team for looking after Dougal for us for his 11 weeks of life and making him the best dog ever! 

Trudi 

Now a few cute photo's of Belle making a cosy head rest for my husband whilst he eats his supper.

And lastly Belle with her Dad Reggie out on the lawn which I just this minute managed to catch of them before they moved away. I'm sure Reggie knows this is his daughter, as you can see when they play together there is a strong bond with them.

Yesterday was the first morning this Spring I have left home in the early hours to go milking and did not have to light up the outside of the house to open the gate and leave the property. The full moon had woken me at 2.30 am, as I struggle to sleep unless in pitch dark and when I got out at 5 am with the sky clear and the moon casting its silken glow upon the countryside,  the birds had been obviously duped it was dawn already and as I opened the back door to let the dogs out, I was greeted by a plethora of bird song. The dawn chorus was in full swing and by the sound of it there was many courtships and conquests to be settled and territories being disputed. The first morning this Spring I've heard such song from our feathered friends and hopefully its a good omen. The swallows made a welcome return last week, and now arrive each evening, lining up on the telephone line at the front of our home and then dive bombing the front of our house as they catch insects, giving us an aeronautical display that makes the red arrows look clumsy. They come back each year to nest and shelter in our stables and are always very welcomed guests.
I have been putting out food for the birds and scattering a bit over the lawn, which seems to have come to the attention of Mr and Mrs  Hedgehog, so we have had some fun last thing at night running the dogs out. You suddenly hear a lot of barking and then notice where the barking is directed, a ball and as you get closer you realise its a very prickly ball. They really don't like sharing the garden with the hedgehogs but there's not a lot they can do about it when an animal is so well armoured. Dolly rolls on them, in frustration but a few treats in my hand, a call and me walking on with intention, they soon leave Mr and Mrs Hedgehog to get on with their nocturnal ramblings.   
Spring is slowly arriiving here in rural North Devon and the countryside rebirths itself. Spring and Autumn are lovely seasons but Spring at a push is welcomed in with a little more joy, as it is followed by Summer and hopefully the sun on your back giving a welcome repreive before the hardship of Winter.
Dolly had her last clandestine meeting with Reggie on the 19th April and we will get her booked in for the 17th May for a scan being 28 days from her last mating. All going well we should be looking at a couple days either side of the 21st June for arrival of this litter. So fingers crossed and its a waiting game now.
I have yet to have news of Ysobel and Dolly's scans which where done on the 12th  March. I was told and it is stated on the information about the British Veterinary Association (BVA) Brain Scanning Scheme a four week turnaround for results, we are now  just over six weeks, so if I have not heard any thing by this weekend,  I will chase them up at the beginning of next week.
A bit of news I recieved a couple weeks ago from the Kennel Club is they have received from the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) accreditation to certify dog breeders. You can read the article from the Kennel Club website at http://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/item/4842
Now in this article they state that 1 in 5 puppies come from a puppy farm and with the relaxing of bringing puppies in from Europe I believe that figure is already out dated and it could soon be half of dogs coming from puppy farms. I feel between a rock and a hard place with the Kennel Club. I joined the Assured scheme around four years ago. I've never been inspected and I've yet to meet a breeder on this scheme that's been inspected. The Assured Scheme, or any schemes such as the council licencing for breeding kennels is only as good as it is implemented and at the moment I feel as other breeders, this scheme is falling short of what we hoped it would do. I joined it not to promote my dogs and me but hoped supporting the scheme that it would eventually help to improve conditions for breeding dogs and bring more awareness to the public about puppy farming because we talk a lot about the puppies and the rearing of them before they are homed but the Kennel Club should be telling you how the puppy is the slightly luckier one in the puppy farm equation, the puppy gets to leave the puppy farm but its  the mother's  that my main concern lies with and she will be lucky if she ever leaves her 2 by 4 cell alive and if she does manage to get out alive, these dogs are often so psychologically damaged by their up bringing, actually being free can become their biggest nightmare. Not once do they mention the mother's in this article and miss making people realise when you think that you have rescued that puppy farmed puppy by buying it, that you perpetuate cruelty to its mother, you have created the demand which keeps the mother's incarcerated. The Kennel Club need to stop the softly softly approach as now we see the borders down for importing pups, we have to really get the word out and and preach to the unconverted, not endless sermons or as they call it seminars to the converted. The public need to be educated about the underworld of puppy breeding and fast.
When I said, "I feel between a rock and a hard place with the Kennel Club," its that I do understand them keeping the fee low to join the Assured Scheme at the beginning to get breeders on the radar but why has the bar not been risen since. It only cost £15 for the first year and £10 annual after. Yes, that's right I pay a paltrey £10 a year and I can put Assured in front of my pups, I have never been inspected and under this scheme I can sell you a puppy from a mother who is only 12 months old, the Dad can be any age, so if he's willing and fertile, he could be just 7 momths old and the only health test this Cavalier puppy's parents will of had to have done is their eyes tested, which will set me back around £42 a dog. They recommend a lot for Cavalier breeding but don't demand it. This scheme enforces nothing for Cavaliers in any manner which improves the serious health problems in this breed. For Cavaliers the scheme has not progressed. Now I have suggested to the Kennel Club in their recent survey that I would happily pay upto £200 a year to be an Assured Breeder if that's what it wants to actually become a scheme that does what its called and that all recommendations became the rule and an inspection a least every two years with random spot checks with breeders, so you could be on occasion checked twice in a two year period. I also suggested that a crossbreed register to record parentage of crossbreed dogs is needed. Unless you mean business Kennel Club, I don't know whether I feel I can support something which I feel is not doing what its title implies and misleading the public.  I now feel that I am at an impasse with the Kennel Club. Do I throw in the towel and walk away from this scheme or do I stay with it and hope that although slow to blossom it may turn into what I had first hoped for it.  Does the good outweigh the bad  ?

Last night it was time "for the dog to see the rabbit", with Reggie being the dog and Dolly  being the proverbial rabbit. When you have your own stud dogs that lives with your girls it is a good idea, even when you want to mate them to keep them apart as the girl becomes closer to being ready for amore, this time apart will make the male dog more keen to conquest her when they are put together.
Yesterday evening after returning from milking I decided to let Reggie have some time together with Dolly, thought I might just get time to eat my tea that my husband had lovingly prepared and put back for me in the micro wave, before they got down to business  but Reggie was very keen and I  got to eat my tea that had twice been micro waved by then, around 9pm after kneeling on the back house floor for nearly 45 minutes whilst Dolly and Reggie where tied. The glamour of it all !
After the first mating we will then try them every 48 hours until the bitch shows she is not interested. This normally means the bitch is mated between 2 to 3 times.
Dolly is looking so well and its hard to believe she has had three litters before and will turn 6 years old in August. She still can climb up wire fencing and can jump in and out of our patio with ease, our patio wall is over 3ft 6inches high, for a Cavalier thats a fair height to jump over. This will be her last litter and we will hope to keep one back from this litter.
The photo's of Dolly, Belle and Jessica are of them at this moment around my feet while I am on the on the computer.

We have three updates tonight with one from Millie's litter born March 2013 and two from Millie's daughter Smudge's litter born April 2013.
First we have Ruby from Millie's litter of seven born March 2013. Thanks Lisa for all the lovely photo's and update on your Ruby . Good to hear all is well and that Ruby is turning into a cuddle bunny.

Hi Jane and family, 
Just thought I would send you a bit of a belated update to mark Ruby's first birthday on 19th March! The first 9 photos are of Ruby sporting her new haircut which she had done about a month ago but which unfortunately didn't coincide with the Spring weather I was expecting so I've felt rather guilty about leaving her cold in this inclement weather! Photo 10 is of Ruby when we first brought her home and the last two are of shaggy but just as adorable Ruby! Funnily enough though, after losing her coat, she seemed to revert back to puppy behaviour!! Everywhere we go she attracts attention and we are always asked what breed she is. She is a lovely dog and we are so enjoying having her with us - she recently enjoyed a trip to Dartmouth and Bantham Beach! Ruby had her first heat and she kept herself really clean so it wasn't really the problem I thought it might be. I have contacted the vet about having her spayed in May. She has recently started to enjoy cuddles on the lap which she previously didn't seem to want but now does not need a second bidding! Apart from that all is well and all our best wishes to you and your family.
Love, Lisa and family x

Next is Archie from Smudge's litter born the 27th April 2013, so won't be long before his first Birthday. Thanks Angie for this cute photo and update and your support for my brother's Just Giving page. Might be seeing a bit more of Archie in August, as he might come to me for a week  or so whilst his family are on holiday.


Hello Jane,

 Hope all well at your end.  Still really enjoying all your blogs! Your brother did really well  -followed him on the Just Giving page.  A brilliant achievement!

We can`t believe it will soon be his first birthday! We are planning a party!!!!!! He is brilliant fun and so funny! His favourite thing at the moment is rolling in the dunes on Exmouth beach!

Hello to all the family from us and Archie!

 Best wishes,

 Angie and Archie xx J

Last on the updates tonight is Lola from Smudge's litter April 2013, so she is Archie's sister. Thanks Sue for this, its always great to hear how our pups are getting on, as they settle into their new homes and encounter the day to day challenges of them training their new families. Lol. Really wonderful to hear that Lola is such a part of your family Sue.



Hi Jane,

I hope you and the family are well, I've been following your blogs and always look forward to your updates but have not been so good at keeping in touch!  How time has flown by and I really wanted to update you now, as Lola will be one year old on 27th April - we can't imagine a time when she wasn't with us.
Lola really is to us the most perfect dog ever!  She was really easy to housetrain, in fact when she came to us she was almost there anyway and any little 'accidents' were due to heavy rain outside or me not seeing the signs quickly enough!  She has such a lovely temperament and is so eager to please, training has been a real pleasure - she has done her kennel club puppy classes and bronze medal and is about to give agility classes a go too!  She so enjoys dog training and seems to thrive on the stimulation, and of course socialising with other dogs is a bonus!
Like quite a few others, we too have a shortage of socks in our house!  Lola is quite adept at pinching anything at floor level and then turns it into a frantic game of chase, whilst we try to rescue whatever it is she's taken! She is also quite vocal if she spots anything with four legs on the television, starting with a low grumble can build to quite manic barking (Ashley and Pudsey send her nuts!).  Although it has to be said, her bark is worse than her bite - whoever walks through our door is bombarded by a welcome from Lola, much fuss, wagging of tail and licks.  She is so much part of the family, we just can't remember what life was like before her.  The children adore Lola and she almost seems to sense how we are feeling.  During a recent bout of flu, I was laid up in bed and she just lay beside me with her head on my legs, looking up at me, she is just so lovely. 
Jane, we are so happy with Lola and everyone who meets her thinks she is such a well behaved, friendly dog and that is thanks to you for giving Lola such a wonderful start in life - we really can't thank you enough.  
Kind regards,Sue and the rest of the clan x

Lets end on a bit of fun. As any one in the UK will know, its been the Easter break for school children, so the last two weeks have been hectic, balancing six children, 9 dogs, my Mum, work and must not forget 11 chicken, although my oldest son has been very good in helping to look after the chicken, especially as they are now all coming into lay. I must mention here my long suffering husband who never hinders or holds me back, as my old mother says, "You got a gooden there !" without the cohesive nature of our relationship, we would not get half what we do done. We don't do lists, we don't do schedules but we seem to get stuff done, both of us are pretty laid back and see the funny side of any thing, which does help. So before I get to soppy, after two hectic weeks which saw my Mum back in hospital on Thursday and hopefully she's back home tomorrow, we had Grampy's (my father-in-law's) Birthday on Friday. Our children go there on Friday evenings for around three hours whilst we both milk that evening and they have supper with them, so we set about on Friday making a cake for Grampy, the result of you can see below. As you will guess from the cake Grampy's business is brain surgery. Lol.
Well, the children really enjoy making cakes and fondant icing is much the same as play dough but tastes nicer, as evident when we finished making Grampy's cake and I was sure I had some fondant icing over but it had seemed to of vanished into thin air, so we thought that perhaps we should look at doing celebration cakes on a global scale. We have a business name "Spittle and Daub Celebration Cakes", any one who has ever made cakes and decorated them with many little fingers helping will hopefully get that title.Lol. Below are photo's of the Spittle and Daub team who also double up as the Poundlane Puppy handling team. We are taking orders. Lol 

That title shows my age, any one else remember that song"The heat is on" if you do,your probably as highbrow as me then. Lol.  Happy Days !
Some updates and some news that some have been patiently waiting for. Dolly has come on heat. The first day of a heat is counted when the bitch starts to bleed which for Dolly was Friday. We need to get her annual eye test done. This will be due next month, so we will pop her over to Mr Warren at Tavistock with Ysobel when she is around three weeks pregnant. Dolly enjoys going out and seems to show little stress at any thing, so would not be worried about doing this with her when pregnant. She is now over five and each year has been clear, although hereditary cataracts can develop in old dogs, with her parents being clear of any eye problems this is crossing the t and dotting the i with her, giving piece of mind to her pups families and Dolly  and Ysobel get a run on Dartmoor on the way back.
Once we mate Dolly in around seven days time will contact every one with dates etc of hopefully new arrivals.

Next tonight is a lovely update and photo from Margaret who has one of Dolly's offspring from her last litter born October  2011 with Dad being Reggie. This is Bella and when you read below what Margaret has written in a tongue in cheek fashion, you will either be thinking what am I going to be bringing into my home having one of Dolly's pups or thinking, bring it on, hopefully the later. They got to have character and my, Margaret you seem to have that in Bella. Thanks so much for this Margaret.



Lovely photos today of the pack, isn't Toby a beautiful boy.
Attached a photo of Bella taken last week:- 
It says
I don't get taken to Pembrokeshire frequently
I don't play for hours with balls on the beach (and at home)
I do come back EVERY time I am asked 
I don't sleep on the beds
I am not the most important thing in my Human Mum and Dads life
I love being brushed
I am very well behaved
I don't have any friends
I hate children
I don't chase Mums hens when she is not looking
I will never catch a squirrel
I don't bark at the cats from an upstairs window
I do everything my human Mum asks me to do etc., etc.,
love Margaret

Now is an update for one of Cleo's pups who's First Birthday was last Thursday. Thanks Lorraine for getting intouch and yes Murphy is a handsome chap.

Hi Jane ,
just wanted to update you on Murphy’s progress.  He is an absolute darling, he is loved so much by all of our family and friends, I might be biased but he is so handsome!!! Our lives seem like we have never been without him, he is such a good boy and has never caused us problems with chewing everything insight, although he does have a thing for socks.  He is so well behaved and I’m convinced that was due to you and your family. I’ve attached a couple of photo’s. I would like to wish all Murphy’s siblings a very happy birthday. I hope you and your family are all well.
Kindest Regards Lorraine x x

Lastly tonight. I've just had fun filling in a questionaire from the Kennel Club about the Assured Breeder Scheme and said I was happy to be contacted about points raised, as they ask if they can contact you at the end of it. I can be be quite wicked (thought I ought to clarify this morning what I mean by wicked )sometimes but not in an evil or immoral sense, more in the manner I present my discord through sarcastic wit (which some might say, is the lowest form of wit),  especially if I am passionate about something. I will point out one factor if they contact me, if you do questionaires, you must give an "other" option on all sections, as to move on in the survey I had to answer questions to be allowed to submit but some sections none of the options I agreed with and their was no "other" box but to submit I had to tick a box, so this can arise to false statistics on something like this I would imagine. I wonder how many other surveys this happens in and to move on a box is just ticked so as to complete the survey and a false statistic occurs, probably frightenely to many times I suspect. I think I sometimes think to much. Lol

Today is the first Birthday for Cleo's litter. Cleo is my Mum's Cavalier and last Spring she decided as Cleo was three years old to breed one litter from her with Reggie  the dad. Cleo produced a healthy litter of five pups, so Happy first Birthday to Ted, Meg, Hamish, Milo and Murphy. I hope your families and you are all well and have enjoyed today.
Cleo is well and just took this photo of her on Mum's sofa.

Another Birthday greeting goes out to Scrumpy who is from Lucy (ruby) who we rehomed a while ago and came and stayed with us just after Christmas and Dad is Charlie, born back in 2010 and is three years old today and Happy Birthday to your five siblings.
Thanks Jean for keeping me updated on your Scrumpy over the last three years.


Hi Jane 

Can't believe Scrumpy 3 yrs old !! 

Great personality . A real barker our previous Cav didn't Bark for his entire 10 yrs  Barks at any animal on TV and in the car . However when face to face he cowers Bless !!!!!. He is a little thief when u drop anything and I mean anything not just food it's straight in his mouth. The other side no one gentler a true friend . Health wise doing well no probs . Hope u and the Family are well . Love from Scrumpy and the Robbins family Xxx

Lastly photos of the pack relaxing. Smudge seems to of sneaked into most of the photos and we got a lovely one of her with me after her walk and we seriously are wondering whether she should be called Sludge and not Smudge due to the fact that she loves walking in the stuff, through the stuff or rolling in the stuff. She is such a little spaniel and you could walk through a 40 acre field with one puddle in it and gaurantee she would walk through it. Lol