Week Five

Well, here they come at five weeks. They seem...like puppies...
The breeder had many problems getting them to pose for photos. They are either into everything or are sleeping. Here's a classic, crazed, "Don't cuddle me, I'm busy" Terv look:
The girls are awfully cute and seem to be walking all over each other. I love it:
The Tervlets are busy exploring. They're also trying to carry things and wrestle with each other. Remember the face-biting diva from last week? Here she is being a true posing diva:
Make no mistake: She's still trouble. I can't wait to see all eight of these troublemakers next weekend! Stay tuned for a live report...

Week Four

It's Week Four and the puppy update is here! I really love how the breeder takes the time to photograph these puppies and send commentary with the photos. It can't be easy to get four-week-old puppies to pose for photos.

Here's what the Tervlets have been up to this week. The girls are adorable, bubbly, and sweet. The breeder says that she LOVES the girls. The girls are very happy (for the most part, anyway) to sit politely in the chair for photos. Life is becoming more exciting. The Tervlets are having fun exploring, complaining, arguing, sniffing, chewing, pulling...

They are also trying to run, but they get nowhere because they fall over. Their legs don't cooperate with the idea of running yet.

Here's a group shot of the girls:
We'll be going to visit the Tervlets for the first time on Sunday, August 31st. They will be six weeks old and lots of fun to play with. I can't wait!

Here's a puppy pointing at the camera. Oh, yeah, she's a diva.
Correction: She's a face-biting diva and is trouble!
I feel dreadfully sorry for the cats in our household. They shall endure great suffering very soon:

Little Terv Terrors

Tervlets look like little hedgehogs for the first several weeks of life. Luckily their antics begin to demonstrate that they are Terv Terrors in the making. See for yourself. The proof is in the pictures.

WEEK ONE:
Each puppy wears a collar made of a different color of yarn so that they can have an identity. They really do look the same in their early weeks! The boys in this litter do awfully cute things right now, but since I am getting a girl, let's start to make a wager about which girl I'm going to get - yellow, orange, or pink:
WEEK TWO:
The breeder says that the Tervlets have doubled in size. They are chunky and beautiful (not two things that you usually find flattering together if someone is complimenting you, right?). But I see what she means. They are chunky. They are beautiful. It's all good. The pups have "nice dropping legs" and "great shoulders." I take those as good things. Their eyes are open but are not focusing on things yet. The breeder, whose husband is a veterinarian, also reports that the pups have been wormed. They are getting new collars frequently to match their rapid growth. They spend all of their time sleeping and eating. They had their first toenail trim this week. It was a busy second week and you can see the exhaustion in their faces:
WEEK THREE:
The breeder says that the puppies are changing quickly. They're bigger and more active. They make more noise and seem surprised by their sounds. I'll take her word for it. They try to walk, but if they go at a speed faster than an amble, they fall over. (Insert collective "Awww" here.) Here's something to appreciate from a distance: Mush is now a part of their diet, but they tend to wear it more than eat it...

Sundays

I love Sundays for too many reasons to list.

Now I have another reason: Dreamer was born on a Sunday. If you must know, she was born on July 20, 2008. The litter is out of Tacara Tervuren. The mother gave birth to five boys and three girls.

Here's the very first photo taken of the "Tacara D___ D___" litter:

Yes, it's a little grotesque to see that these less-than-one-hour-old puppies are wet (and probably smelly).

Here's a photo of the girls the next day, after they've been dried off by a very caring and meticulous breeder:
I'll be very excited to see these puppies progress through their early puppydom at Tacara, and of course I'll be posting updates every Sunday, which is when the breeder sends photos and commentary about the Tervlets. Dreamer should probably come home to live with us by the end of September -- maybe sooner, maybe later. Can you feel the love? I can.

Legan - My Dream Come True

Welcome to Denali Dreamer, the blog about Belgian Tervuren and all that is wonderful and true about this beloved breed of dog.

Meet Legan, my first Terv and dream come true.
Legan was born on April 19, 1996, which was:

• The one-year anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing
• In a suburb of Oklahoma City
• Right around the actual time of the bombing

I lost Legan on October 10, 2007, after 11.5 amazing years. She had GI lymphoma, and the only good thing about it was that I had time with her. I knew something was wrong with my girl, and I had time to come to terms and say goodbye.

It was the worst day of my life.

Over time and through lots of tears, I realized that saying goodbye to Legan was only the beginning of my love for the Belgian Tervuren. I still miss her every day. I have no choice. She was "the One." Never before had I felt this type of bond with a dog. Every day, I would rush home from work or an errand with the anticipation of seeing her. To see her happy, goofy face was the undeniable highlight of my day.

I am in the process of getting my second Terv now. Her name will be Dreamer for reasons that I'll explain later. I am anticipating Dreamer's homecoming in the next month or two, but this anticipation cannot replace the love that I felt for Legan. She was a dream. Through Dreamer, I can keep the memory of Legan alive, and I am ready to love and dream again.