Day 32

Mary-Ann Sontag July 6, 2025

Yesterday my brand new dryer stopped working 😬

X-pens are so handy for drying stuff — and better no dryer than no washer. (Look at me bright siding!!).

The puppies are very interested in playing tug — this is Sapphire.

A special friend of Jasper is having surgery today — we send love, healing thoughts, and extra Jasper pics this morning.

That look when your sister is biting your paw.

I hope Star Garnet maintains this unusually early face focus — obedience ring, here we come!

And she plays tug — excellent!

Eventually Jasper does slow down — and then it looks like this 💙

Happy Sunday 🩷💙💙💙

Day 31 (Updated)

Mary-Ann Sontag July 5, 2025

We all survived Day One of Camp Puppy, although the house does look as if a bomb went off. And speaking of bombs — Holy Loud Fireworks last night. I considered letting the kids run and scream at 5:30 am but if being rude and inconsiderate and selfish is wrong, it is always wrong.

Darn it.

This is from the other day when long-suffering Logan was here to take down the whelping box 😂

Topaz and Sapphire.

Topaz sleeping on Capella 💙

Capella and Star Garnet.

Star Garnet watching Lincoln move some rocks around.

And then back inside to the new stuff.

Sapphire.

Today is a fun day of visitors and hopefully getting the outside yard done 🍀

Happy Saturday!

(Later)

The Graffunders came to visit the Gems.

Sapphire demonstrating an excellent recall!

Thanks to the Graffunders for their visit ❤️

We did not quite get the outside puppy yard done but the Gems still spent a good amount of time outside today.

Sapphire even got to swing.

This evening I set up the new splash pad.

I bought it for the puppies but they kindly let the kids play in it as well.

Topaz was first in the pool — no hesitation at all. He just walked right in.

They all tested it out to some degree.

It was a lot of fun for puppies and kids.

Jasper made sure to tell rePete all about it.

Another magical day with the Gems.

🩷💙💙💙

Day 30 (updated)

Mary-Ann Sontag July 4, 2025

Happy Heavenly Birthday to Abra 🌈🎂

It has been 28 years since she was born and started my little family of Berners. The family tree back to Abra goes like this: Abra —> Halo —> Zoey —> Sparkle —> Claire —> Capella —> GEMS 💎💎💎💎

I am so grateful to Eden Jonas for trusting me with my wonderful, smart, beautiful Abra 🙏

Camp Puppy is now in session until Sunday night. The Campers and I started by having a meeting to establish our Camp Puppy rules. Here are the rules they set for Camp Puppy:

There is LOTS of puppy biting going on but it doesn’t hurt just yet. I have instructed the kids that when it does hurt, which could be in 12 minutes the way puppies grow and change, they are to communicate that the bite was too hard — like a yip or a genuine OW! They have also been instructed to offer a substitute if they do not want to be nibbled on.

Puppies MUST bite and chew, and it is not fair to try and stop them. The goal is to help them develop bite inhibition — in other words, to teach them to moderate the pressure they use when they bite. We do this by communicating when the bite hurts — and we do this verbally by making a hurty noise, and physically by removing ourselves. This is what littermates do.

Jasper balancing on the wobble board

Star Garnet is VERY attentive.

Sapphire and Star Garnet.

Jasper was having a great time engaging in a play session with Lincoln.

🩷💙💙💙

(Later)

Our big plans to create the outside yard was a bust — we got rained out. Too bad it isn’t raining right now because it might dampen the firework enthusiasm! The dogs (including the puppies) are unbothered but the loud booms make the kids nervous.

The puppies are true Berners — they already figured out fans 😂