KNOLL ACRES COLLIES      

Transition Time at Eight Weeks

Please plan to pick up your puppy on February 10th or 11th. 

For new pictures of individual puppies at 7 weeks of age, see our Puppies page.

You may call (540-867-0854) or email ( roman.miller@northriver.coop ) to make an appointment to pick up your puppy.

The puppies are now very social and curious.  They are learning to be attentive to face and voice.  Here are some comments that you may find helpful as your puppy makes its transition into your home.

1. When you come to pick up your puppy, bring a collar (small size around 10") and a leash.  By eight weeks of age, the puppies will range in weight from 7-10 pounds.  If the trip home is long your puppy may need to urinate, also you may need water for the puppy to drink and a small dish for the trip.

2. It would be helpful to bring someone with you.  Often the puppy rides best on your lap.  Alternatively, you could bring a crate.  However, this would be a new experience for the puppy.  Please bring paper towels.  Some puppies get an upset stomach from riding in a car.

3. Purchase some puppy chow.  We have been using "Large Breed Puppy Chow Lamb Meal and Rice Formula" by Nutro (in a green bag).  If you want to change to another puppy food, make the transition slowly. At eight weeks the puppies are eating three meals a day of dry puppy chow, one-half cup at each serving.  It is best to stay with this regimen for a while to decrease the possibility of upsetting digestion.  Since the puppies eat very quickly, it is helpful to divide the half-cup of chow each time into smaller portions.

4. Always provide fresh water for your puppy.

5. Expect the first night to be difficult for your puppy.  He/she will whine a lot.  New noises may seem scary at first until the puppy gets accustomed to the new environment.  Your puppy will like to sleep in a secure place with maybe a towel draped over a crate or igloo door.  Something soft and fuzzy to lie on (rug or rags) may help.  The puppy will sleep a lot the first weeks and will need some time away from children to get this sleep.  However, the puppy will love interaction with you and your family.

6. The puppies are not housetrained when they leave our farm.  They were born in our horse barn and are now in an outside kennel area with a shed, bedded with straw, for sleeping.  If you plan for the puppy to be outside, it would be helpful to put some hay or straw in an igloo or dog house where they are to sleep.  A pile of pine shavings in a corner of the yard will encourage the puppy to urinate or defecate (bathroom routines) there.  If you plan to have the puppy indoors be diligent in taking the puppy outside every few hours so it will learn the bathroom routines outside.  Again using a pile of shavings is helpful.

7. At first the puppy will be a bit cautious indoors since they have been living out of doors up to the present.

8. The puppies still have developing immune systems.  It is helpful to keep them away from a park area or exposure to unknown dogs for the first few months until they develop immunity. 

9. Vaccinations.  At 7.5 weeks of age, your puppy received his/her first shot (a four-way vaccination) that covers: distemper, adenovirus type 2, parainfluenza, and parvovirus vaccine. A booster shot of this vaccine should be given at 11-12 weeks of age.

10. Ticks and fleas love dogs!  Numerous anti-tick and anti-flea products are available.  In an effort to minimize synthetic chemicals, we have found that diatomaceous earth (food grade) is a helpful preventative.  Sprinkle a small amount in the shaving pile (site of bathroom routine) and rub a very small amount into their coat.

11. Your puppy received a physical examination by a veterinarian at 6.5 weeks of age as well as a first de-wormer (Brand name: Nemex, containing pyrantel pamoate).  This is an "over the counter" dewormer found at most pet stores and is most easily given via an oral syringe.  The puppy should receive a second administration of dewormer around 8.5 - 9 weeks of age. 

12. We suggest that you consult with your local veterinarian regarding future vaccinations, dewormings, health checkups, as well as a future rabies inoculation which is typically given around the ninth month of age.

13. The puppy may be AKC registered.  A registration form and a three generation pedigree of your puppy is provided In the materials that we give you when you pick up your puppy.  When you officially complete the registration form, you will select the official name of your puppy.  Complete and mail the Official Ownership Registration Form to the American Kennel Club along with the basic AKC registration fee of $20.  In a few weeks you will receive a Registration paper listing you as owner with your puppy's official name.

14. We always love to see pictures of your growing puppy.  We welcome your emails and further questions as you begin a long and rewarding relationship with your collie.

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Cindy birthed a new litter of puppies on December 16, 2011.

Individual pictures of these puppies (at four, five, and seven weeks of age) are viewable on the Puppies page.

All of the puppies from this litter have now been reserved and are awaiting the arrival of their new owners after the puppies are eight weeks old on February 10, 2012.

View the Calendar of Events page for our litter updates.

The above picture is from our new litter; birthing was completed on December 16, 2011.  Photo was taken on 12/17/2011.

Based on the past five litters of puppies, we have found that Cindy is very good mother.  She is protective of her puppies and especially during the early weeks doesn't welcome strangers who may venture down to the barn where the puppies are.  Cindy produces good quantities of milk for her puppies.  This is evidenced by the rapid growth of very healthy puppies.  However, eleven puppies require a lot of nourishment and tax any mother, so we supplement their dog milk diet with a starter puppy mash soon after they are three weeks old.

Above: Elva holding a 7 day old puppy from Cindy's 12/16/2011 litter of eleven puppies (eight females & three males) at one week of age.

Close up of a seven day old puppy.  The puppy's eyes are still closed.

Cindy checking out her latest litter of eleven puppies at seven days of age.

Zoya is holding two wiggly puppies that are now 15 days old.

Group puppies at 3 weeks of age.

Puppies learn early on to lay with contentment at your feet.

Sleepy puppy at 4 weeks of age.

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Sale Arrangements for Cindy's

December 16, 2011 Litter

• Price of puppies is $500 each.
• Pictures of individual puppies (with periodic updates) are posted on the Puppy page of our website, starting when they are four weeks old
• At any time, we will take deposits ($250) on a puppy  This deposit, which will reserve a puppy for you, is non-refundable.  When your check clears, we will send you a receipt for the deposit.  With the deposit you can pick out a puppy from the individual pictures on the Puppies page of this website around January 13 and we will reserve that puppy for you.
• We will be open for visitors to choose a puppy after they are six weeks of age (January 27, 2011).  If you have reserved a puppy prior to that time, you have the option when you come to visit to switch your reserved puppy with any remaining unsold/unreserved puppy.
• Sometime during their sixth or seventh week, we will take the puppies to our local veterinarian for a health check.  We will certify that puppies will be healthy at the time of sale.  (See our FAQ and Links page for more information on puppy sales; see our News page for more information about Knoll Acres collies.)
• The puppies will be ready to leave our farm when they are 8 weeks old (June 27, 2011 and days following).

To read about our current litter and to see group pictures visit our Calendar page.

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Cindy of Shepherds Knoll

Cindy is the mother of our collie puppies.  We purchased her as a puppy in 2006 when she was eight and one-half weeks old.  Cindy quickly adapted to our place and made friends with an old collie that we had at the time, Sir Quincy.  Cindy is a friendly inquisitive dog and obediently responses to commands.  She is very smart and knows that Knoll Acres is her home. 

Above: Cindy "nosing" a puppy from a prior litter.

Cindy busy eating and trying to get enough nourishment for her Dec 16, 2011 litter of puppies.

Below: Cindy's Pedigree

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Windy Top Buddy

Buddy is the male parent of this litter.  We purchased Buddy as an adult dog in January of 2009, when he was a little over four years old.  Buddy's is an energetic active dog.  He especially enjoys chasing a thrown stick and playing with Zoya, our youngest daughter.  When he has the opportunity he loves to roam our woods.  He is very attached to Cindy and teases and plays with her. 
 

Above: Buddy happily relaxing with alert ears watching his owner.

Here is Buddy (above with ears relaxed) watching his best friend Cindy eating her food!  (See the picture above)  He is patiently waiting for his turn.  Ladies first of course!

Below: Buddy's Pedigree


Both Buddy's and Cindy's parents, grandparents and great-grandparents were sable and white with the exception of one of Cindy's great-grand parents, who was black, white, and tan in color.  Consequently the puppies that Cindy and Buddy have produced have all been a golden sable and white.  Most of the puppies have sported a full-white collar.  Some of them have a white blaze on their noses; others have brown/black noses.

While we like sable & white collies, a more important consideration for us is the temperament of our dogs.  We want our dogs to be loyal, obedient, and faithful companions.  We want them to be friendly with other people, but also to be protective when needed.  When visitors come to our home, our dogs typically bark and announce their arrival to us.  However, when we greet the visitors, our dogs stop barking and upon our command greet and make friends with the visitors.  Collies are especially protective of small children; our dogs have that characteristic also.

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Puppies from the 12/16/2011 litter at 5 weeks of age

Twinkles, Cherub, and Dasher

Angel and Merry

Puppies from the 12/16/2011 litter at 7 weeks of age

Three pairs of eyes (Holly, Tinkerbelle, and Merry) looking and alert!

Puppies with attention shifted! Top row are Gloria, Merry Holly, and Noel.

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Below: This is an outside picture of our horse barn where our puppies are born and where they live until they are five or six weeks old.

 

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