Puppies at 1 Week!

The puppies are doing very well.  I haven't taken too many pictures this week because, well, they don't do much at this age. Eat, sleep, eat, sleep, repeat... But don't worry; in the next couple weeks, they will change immensely.  This week, we will look forward to their eyes and ears opening.  Here are their 1 week old pictures, in birth order.  The kids helped me name them too.

Pumbaa (from The Lion King)
Brindle Male

Flynn (from Tangled)
Fawn Male 

Captain Hook (from Peter Pan) --Brindle Male
This special boy has a cleft lip, which is easily repaired with a little surgery.
He is going to be a big boy. Why the name? He has a perfectly shaped hook on his belly!

Darling (from Lady and the Tramp)
Fawn Female

Puppy Cam 1/27/16

First footage taken this morning.  Sorry for the red light--it's the heat lamp to help keep them warm.

They had their visit vet visit last night to dock their tails and remove their dew claws.  The vet says they all have excellent sounding hearts.

Multitasking Mom

Puppies are doing well today!  Mom Eve won't leave their side, even to eat, so she gets room service delivered to her.  They go into the vet on Tuesday for their tail docking and dew claw removal.

First Photos

Here are the first photos of this lovely litter. Mom and puppies are doing well.

Male Brindle

Male Fawn

Male Brindle (this little guy has a cleft lip, but it is just cosmetic and is easily fixed with surgery)

Female Fawn

Puppies Have Arrived!

Check back later for details and photos!

Keeping Mom Company

Eve made her way into the whelping box this morning, nesting a bit, which is a sign she is getting ready for her pending delivery. Of course, Latte, who is nearly inseparable from her mom Eve, had to be close by for moral support.

Litter Theme

With every litter, we (as a family) pick a theme for their kennel names (these are the names that we call them while at home with us, and are typically changed by the new families).  In the past, we've had Hawaiian, sodas, candy bars, Santa's reindeer (Christmas litter!), and people from the Bible.  In honor of our return to Southern California and visiting one of our favorite places here, the "Happiest Place On Earth," the family has decided this litter's names will be characters from Disney movies.  I bet you can probably guess a great name for a male white puppy.  Here is a clue: he has an orange nose, and wishes for summer! :)

One More Week...or Less!

Eve's litter is due this Sunday!  In the past, she has delivered both of her litters two days early, so I anticipate the puppies will make their debut Friday.  We have her whelping box ready to go.  She will give birth inside, and they will remain there until they are about 3-4 weeks old.

A New Litter for 2016!

It seems like our girls like to come in heat while we are in the middle of unpacking moving boxes.  This time, they both came in at the same time!  We have decided to only breed Eve this time around.  She had a rendezvous this week with Telstar's Strike Up the Band, commonly known as Sam.  Sam is a beautiful, 15 month-old, fawn male who shares the same father as Eve, Bandit.  We are anticipating successful breeding, with puppies arriving the week of January 24, 2016.  Puppies will be able to go to their new homes when they are 8 weeks old.  Both Eve and Sam have clear Holter tests prior to breeding.  We expect fawn, brindle, and perhaps white puppies.

I have posted the pedigree for this litter below (scroll all the way down).  If you need more information, or are interested in a puppy, please contact us soon by emailing us at bishopsboxers@gmail.com, or calling 619-207-8224.

Telstar's Strike Up The Band (Sam)

From Sea to Shining Sea

Here we go again.  As a military family, we are at the mercy of the Navy, and we just got orders last week back to San Diego.  We did love our litter with Jester last year and were really looking forward to breeding again with him.  But, we will also look forward to be able to breed again with Telstar Boxers.  How do we feel about going back?  HAPPY!  Our kids cried (with happy tears).  I know many of you on the East Coast have been waiting for our dear girls to have puppies again.  We know that there are few reputable breeders in the Southeast (we were very shocked at what "breeders" were selling as boxer puppies here). But the good news is that we are able to ship puppies nationwide (it does add additional costs for airline shipping, vet certificates, and a crate).  We'll post here and on our Facebook page with litter updates.  Thank you so much for your support as we transition back to California!

When the Tail Stops Wagging

There is a time in every pet owner's life that they must make that difficult decision for their beloved pet: "Is it the right time to take her out of her pain and suffering and put her down, or should we wait a little longer?"  We were faced with that decision this week.  Although we knew our time was coming to a close in the next few months, Lady was obviously not doing well, and the progression of Cushing's disease was clear. She continued to lose weight and was tired and getting weaker by the day.  She started stumbling as she walked outside to potty. She had lost most of her hair and was cold and shivering. She seemed as though she was doing deaf. She had skin infections down her back and on her belly that continued to spread and would not heal with antibiotics. She stopped eating, and her usual panic for water (as is the case with Cushing's) had subsided and was now barely drinking.

We continued to monitor her this week, but it was clear that it would be best for her. She certainly wasn't happy and didn't feel well. We knew that it would continue to get worse. So we decided that we would take her in on Thursday. We spent Wednesday loving her and lying with her on her bed.  Thursday was a hard morning. I woke up crying, knowing she would be not be returning home from this trip to the vet.  The two strong men of the family drove her to the vet.  I wouldn't be able to handle it. From what it sounds like, it was just as much or even more torturous as saying goodbye in the driveway.  She gave my husband a final look as if to say, "Am I going to be okay?"  He just held her and wept as she drifted off peacefully.

We are doing ok now, and are thankful for our other two Boxers that we can love. But Lady, as well as Bishop and Chesty, who have gone on before her, will always have a place in our hearts--always. We will cherish the memories we have of her.

So people often ask us, "How do you know it is the 'right' time?"

You'll know...it's when the tail stops wagging.

Aloha Update

Many of you were following one of our puppies from our last litter, Aloha. She was born with a cleft lip. Although many breeders would have decided to put her down, we just could't. We knew that there was somewhere out there that would love her, despite her appearance.
That family is in Colorado, and Aloha, now known as Snoopy, had surgery at Colorado State University just before Christmas to repair that lip. Below are before and after pictures of her, and I think she looks amazing!

A Different "C" Word: Cushing's Disease and Boxers

We got news this last week about our oldest boxer, Lady, who will be 10 years old in February (pictured with her first litter of puppies in the large photo above). We noticed that she started drinking excessively a couple weeks ago. She has also gained 10 pounds since July, and sometimes pants while resting. Something was up, so we had some blood work and urine tests done. I thought it could be her kidneys; they were fine, but the liver function was down. Our vet concluded that she has Cushing's Disease.

Cushing's Disease (hyperadrenocorticism) is a disease that can occur in both humans and in a variety of dog breeds (rarely cats), and is caused by an a small tumor either in the pituitary gland or in the adrenal glands, which in turn cause an overproduction of cortisol in the body. Some symptoms of Cushing's Disease include: excessive thirst, increased hunger, pot-bellied abdomen, weight gain, hair loss, excessive panting, changes in coat appearance, lack of energy, and darkening of skin. Unfortunately, there is no cure for Cushing's Disease, and it is progressive in nature. Medications are available to help treat the symptoms and to make the dog more comfortable. Those medications can have very serious side effects, so the proper dosage must be accurately determined and closely monitored by the veterinarian. With older dogs, like Lady, those medications generally will not prolong life. For more reading on Cushing's Disease and dogs, click here.

So begins the talks about what is best for Lady. With the average life span for boxers at 10 years, she's "about that age." Our other boxers have all been put down when they are about 10 1/2 years old. She has been an extremely healthy dog; the only thing she's ever been to the vet for (besides her annual checkups) was when she was spayed. For now, she is doesn't have the energy she once had, but still dishes out lots of kisses, and her tail is still wagging. As long as it still wags, life is good.

A Final Farewell

Waikiki, our last remaining puppy from Eve's litter, went to her new home today in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Her new name is Snowflake! We are thrilled that she will be so well loved and cared for by her new family. We now feel a bit of the empty nest syndrome with all of the puppies gone. We will miss all of our puppies, but we look forward to next year when we will have more. We anticipate having 2 litters next year: one again with Eve, and one with Eve's daughter, Latte. If you want to be placed on our waiting list, please send us an email at bishops boxers@gmail.com.

Puppy Cam 10/19/14

Now that the rest of the litter mates are gone, Waikiki gets extra attention and playtime with her mom and Latte. She's available to go to a loving home.

White Boxer Puppy Available in South Carolina

My main computer is being repaired--sorry for the lack of updates!  Luau left for her new home in North Carolina on Sunday morning. They are a wonderful family, and she now has 2 other boxers to play with at home. Now that Waikiki is all by herself, she is getting some extra special attention from both us and our other dogs. She is lonely, but she loves playing with mom Eve and half-sister, Latte.

If you are interested in Waikiki, please contact us! She is now 13 weeks old and reminds us of her mom, Eve, who is very sweet, but a little timid when you first meet her. I'm sure she will be the perfect (big) lapdog!

Waikiki: White Female AVAILABLE!

It may look like they are bullying her, but they are just playing

She has a typical response to those senior to her--submission

Our daughter with Luau, now known as Liliko'i (Hawaiian name for the passion fruit flower),
or Lili for short. 

Snoopy, Come Home!

In second grade, my teacher had to call home because she showed the movie "Snoopy Come Home!" during school, and I cried! Friday, Aloha, now known as Snoopy, left for her her new family in Denver, and we all got a little teary with her departure. Because of her cleft lip, I had to bottle feed her every couple hours throughout the day and night, so she and I had a very special friendship. We are so pleased that she has a wonderful family who will love her to death! Their reaction when they saw her for the first time: "She's amazing! We love her!!!"

South Carolina Boxer Puppies are 11 Weeks Old

The puppies are now 11 weeks old and getting a bit too heavy to hold up for photos. Aloha is leaving today for her new home. Luau has a placement pending to a family in North Carolina. And that leaves Waikiki ready and available to go to a loving home! She is a true lover. Please contact us soon if you are interested!!

Luau: Placement Pending in North Carolina

Aloha: Now known as Snoopy!
She's ready to go to her new family in Colorado today

Waikiki: AVAILABLE!

Aloha

Waikiki

Smothered with Kisses

We took the puppies to the vet today for their second round of shots and health check-ups. Aloha is cleared for her flight this week to her new family in Colorado. While we waited, we got lots of love and kisses from Luau and Waikiki. They are both lovers and both available to go to loving homes!

Waikiki likes to be held like a baby

Waikiki and Luau trying to smothering me with love :)

A New Home for Aloha

Aloha is going to a new home in Colorado next week! They are thinking about naming her Snoopy! How cute!! She is quite the sweetie, and her little lip certainly gives her some character. Because of her cleft lip, she did not latch on very well to get her milk, so for the first 3-4 weeks, she was bottle fed many times a day. So she and I spent a lot of time together. I always develop a special affection to the "underdogs" (no pun intended), and to those who have special needs. She certainly deserves a wonderful family.

White Boxer Puppies from South Carolina are 10 Weeks Old

Here are our little snowflakes this week. They are happy, healthy, and enjoying the outside a lot this week. All are available to go to loving homes!

Aloha: SOLD TO A LOVING HOME!
It is suggested that this little girl with a cleft lip (cosmetic only) have surgery to correct it about 4-6 months of age. She is otherwise a healthy and happy little female. She has a brindle patch on her right eye.

Luau:
We've never had a white with 2 brindle ears before, and she is totally adorable.

Waikiki:
She's like a little snowman on the white sand of Waikiki!

Puppy Cam 8/28/14

Eve gets another award for Mom of the Year! She never seems to tire of being with her puppies. She still always wants to check on their welfare to make sure they are okay. Her interaction at this stage of their lives is essential in their development, such as how to play. 

Female White Boxer Puppies are Available In South Carolina

These three girls love to play outside. In between rain showers this week, I was able to get some photos of them on the run.

Luau found a stick

Yes, she's as cute, if not cuter, in person!

We are grateful our kids love dogs as much as they do. They play an integral part of raising these puppies so they are really well-socialized with kids by the time they leave our family.

The puppies will always submit to their mom

Eve

All the running made Aloha tired!