This is probably going to sound weird, but I don’t actually look at these little nuggets as “puppies” – meaning a category that is usually associated with “cute and adorable”. Before you think I’m Cruella de Vil, let me explain… When I look at them, I see early blueprints of adult dogs. I knew itContinueContinue reading “They’re not puppies, they’re small dogs”
Author Archives: Elina Halonen
Virtuous circles of trust in breeding dogs
Grace has been incredibly trusting with us throughout the process. She’s not very insecure about the puppies – she’s left them a few times, and we’re allowed to handle them all the time. She also allowed us to help her extensively during the whelping process. These might seem like obvious things, but after reading aContinueContinue reading “Virtuous circles of trust in breeding dogs”
Introducing… Zeta Centauri Litter A!
I know there will be people waiting for the news… we are now in charge of these little hamsters! Everyone is feeling well, Lady Grace included – although she is exhausted, of course. Several have already attempted “prison break” from the nest even though they are less than a day old, so I think we’llContinueContinue reading “Introducing… Zeta Centauri Litter A!”
Why you should think twice before breeding your pet dog
I originally wrote a draft this post two years ago after responding to someone in a Facebook discussion. When I recently strumbled across it in my drafts, I thought it might be a good time to revisit it – this is a lightly edited version to make it more like a coherent blog post. JustContinueContinue reading “Why you should think twice before breeding your pet dog”
We have news!
Sometime in the next week, we will welcome the first “constellation” of puppies of Kennel de Zeta Centauri into the world! I’ve been very disorganised getting everything done for this formal announcement, but I wanted to wait until we have the logo and my procrastination led to more delays. We are expecting 4 or moreContinueContinue reading “We have news!”
The legacy of Zeta Centauri
It’s almost been a full year since our furry North Star left us – I recently had to send my phone to be repaired and temporarily switched to using my old one – coincidentally I got the new phone almost a year ago, so discovering the last pictures here was quite emotional. I can nowContinueContinue reading “The legacy of Zeta Centauri”
Why structure matters for working spaniels
A lot of people, especially in the working spaniel world, look down on dog shows – they’re seen as being about appearance and, as such, an unnecessary vanity. It’s all about PERFORMANCE for working cockers, so appearance doesn’t matter! The implicit subtext is that this focus on performance is somehow morally and ethically superior – and in all honesty, once upon a time, I embraced this attitude as well.
DIY enrichment with boxes
A new shoe box with fresh wrapping paper – can’t leave that opportunity slip by 😂 Deer treatos in bits of paper and layer in… voilà! Also doubles as a bit of patience training when you’re “forced” to observe the process – some huffing emerged when the human was just taking a ridiculous amount ofContinueContinue reading “DIY enrichment with boxes”
The path to a “well-trained dog” is paved with tiny tiles
Dogs have taught me to become a much more patient person – progress is gradual, skills are learned in small increments, and some days, you just have to let it go with a shrug. But if you persist and just keep doing small things every day (or every 3 days!), one day you’ll realise youContinueContinue reading “The path to a “well-trained dog” is paved with tiny tiles”
The priceless gift of resilience
Yesterday we had a car problem on the motorway between Den Haag and Amsterdam and had to call the recovery services to check it out. You can’t sit in the car, so we had to entertain ourselves on the grassy area by the road. It was an odd situation so I did some bits ofContinueContinue reading “The priceless gift of resilience”
BusyDoggie 