BIG big day!

Yesterday was a big, somewhat traumatic and also FUN day for the puppies. It was TATTOO day! In accordance with the Animal Pedigree Act in Canada and the CKC regulations, each purebred dog must be individually identified with either a tattoo or a microchip. I don't like to microchip and so continue to tattoo my dogs although this practice is dying out in favour of the microchips. After the old fellow in Toronto who used to do tattoos for me retired and sold his business, I had to 'shop around' and finally found the Graham Animal Hospital in Hillsburgh, Ontario where tattooing is done with a tattoo pen (like in human tattoos) rather than a crimp tool. 

So after their breakfast, mom Miska and all 6 puppies headed north to Hillsburgh for their tattoos.  Except for 1 puppy who shall remain nameless, the rest were quiet through the procedure and while a couple struggled a little, they were very well behaved, aided of course by tasty Zuk's Mini Peanut Butter treats (a higher value treat than mere Nutro's Natural Balance Small Bites kibble that I blogged about recently).  The vet staff were wonderful and were so amazed at how beautiful and clean the pups were.  I said to them, "But aren't all puppies like that?"  Not according to them!

Miss Red. I'm on the hind legs while another tech is at the front & the 2nd tech does the tattoos.

Getting Mr Black settled

Wow, that's almost art!

The vet tech in action.

Tattoo artist, Alysse and her helper

I think I'd like to keep BOTH these puppies!

Then after the tattooing was done, we stopped in to see my dog clients/friends, Cynthia and Greg and their 2 beautiful daughters, Lauren and Rae-Brynn, along with their dog Piper who is Miska's daughter from Miska's first litter.  That makes Piper the puppies' half-sister.  This is the fourth litter that has visited them after getting their tattoos. In fact, it was our 2003 litter (of which Miska was a puppy) that was the first litter which visited them and that was so memorable because shortly after I left Greg and Cynthia's to return home with Nova's 10 puppies, the huge blackout of 2003 occured just a few minutes before I arrived home and we were without power for almost 4 days with a litter of 10 puppies.  It was NOT fun!   But the puppies had a blast visiting Greg, Cynthia, Lauren, Rae & Piper and so the 45-minute ride back home was very, very quiet!!

Dad, pls don't replace me with a younger model (thinks Piper)

Piper thinks, "OK, let's play with my half-siblings"

Miska (Piper's mom), Piper & the puppies

Hey, these guys aren't so bad after all!

Lauren with Miska

Cynthia with a bundle of puppies secretly thinking, "I'd LOVE to keep one of these!"

And since it was another sweltering day, Miska, Piper and the puppies cooled off in Piper's wading pool.

Needless to say, the drive home was very, very quiet!