Wildflowers Who Kept Their Flowery Names

This is newborn Lupine.

And here she is with grown-up Alex!

We have this report from the Graffunders:

“Happy Birthday to all of Lupine’s siblings!  It fun to see how they’re doing and all of their great accomplishments!

Here are a few of Lupine’s talents:

Best Booper:  Lupine’s language is booping.  She boops for food, for loves and to tell us a variety of other things.  She also boops all of her squeaky toys rather than use her mouth.

Best Walker:  Lupine is by far the most attentive loose leashes walker we’ve ever had.  She’s wraps herself right around the front of us so she can see our faces as we walk.  

Lupine gets pretty anxious when she’s outside of her comfort zone but we’ve established some good environments around town and in the woods that she’s familiar with and enjoys. 

She also has two fenced  acres of chickens, cats and dog friends to run around in and have adventures. 

She’s the sweetest, smartest and most expressive girl and it’s been an incredibly fun five years with her!”

Thank you, Graffunders, for a life that lets Lupine bloom 💜 and HAPPY BIRTHDAY LUPINE!

One of Buttercup’s humans is under the weather right now and so her other human sent along a quick update, which is much appreciated and especially under the circumstances 🙏

Here is newborn Buttercup.

Patty shares this photo update:

“I am sending along a few pics for you to see.  One is this year’s picture in the hayfield with the buttercups and daisies that come up this time of year on her birthday.  We have taken one every year so far and just LOVE it!  How perfect! 

One other one is part of the Buttercup show she puts on every morning in the bedroom for laughs and treats.  This time she grabbed one of Georgia's bras and was shaking it around like a toy.  It then flipped over her head and she was proudly strutting around the room, while we laughed. 

The other is the household foursome after a walk in the hayfield.

Sending much love to her brothers and sisters for a healthy and happy year!”

Thank you to Patty and Georgia, and all good thoughts for a speedy recovery. HAPPY BIRTHDAY BUTTERCUP!!!

Meanwhile in Boise, Capella continues to grow.

Team Whelping Box brought over the finished product yesterday.

Whelping Box Team Captain, Logan, receiving gratitude from Capella 🩷

Thank you, Logan!

Happy Wednesday!

Wildflowers Blooming

Today with catch up with Lucy (fka Clover) and Zeus (fka Mallow). Let’s begin with this sweet girl and Wildflower mom, Daisy.

The King family shares, “Lucy is amazing!

She is always up for anything, whether it is lounging on her poof in our cabin in Driggs…

Or swimming…

Or jumping in to get a ball at the local pool dog day (which is funny because she doesn’t normally chase balls!)…

Or jumping on the hammock to see some of her favorite humans…

Holding her favorite tackle box…

Or wearing Santa’s workshop as a water polo cap. 

We also went to Pescadero this summer…

and hiked in the redwoods…

She still greets every day like it’s the best day ever! We love her so much and are so grateful you chose to match us together.

Thank you so much Lisa, Kevin, and girls 🩷 HAPPY BIRTHDAY LUCY CLOVER KING!!!!! 🍀

Here is baby Zeus at 28 days old — so cute!

Penny sends us this update about the now grown-up Zeus:

“Happy 5th Birthday, Wildflowers!

Today we celebrate Mr. Congeniality himself, our sweet Zeus! Thinking back over the past 5 years, we have had many adventures and big life changes and Zeus has been our steady companion through it all.

We moved from Washington to Colorado and now “back home” to central Arizona where Zeus really enjoys the air conditioning and early morning or late evening walks through the neighborhood

Since Carol was born 2 years ago, Zeus has taken on watchdog duties to ensure no string cheese goes uneaten and that hands and face are licked clean. He is an expert and sniffing out dirty diapers and picking up abandoned socks and shoes and prancing away with them. And he loves watching their favorite show together, Bluey! Always on duty…

Zeus still prefers sleeping on the cool tile or at the foot of my bed so he knows if I get up, never on his raised dog bed. His favorite toy is still his big “chuck-it” ball. And now, he has a canine companion-his little brother Peanut! Peanut is a 1 year old chihuahua mix who definitely thinks he rules the roost but Zeus just lets him thinks that. They love to patrol the yard together and make sure they each finish their meals And play King of the Ottoman…They’re quite the duo!

We remain incredibly grateful to Mary-Ann for choosing us to be Zeus’s family. He has given us more joy and love than we could have ever hoped for. 

Sending our love to all the Wildflower families!

Thank you to Penny and her family 🧡 and HAPPY BIRTHDAY ZEUS!!!!

Wildflower Party Time

The Wildflowers (Major x Daisy) are FIVE. Happy Birthday to each and every one of them 🎂 Such a special litter for me — after multiple failed breedings with Sparkle and Claire, these wonderful puppies arrived ❤️

We begin our birthday updates with these two resting on Daisy’s paw when they were just two days old. In the litter they were Mariposa and Larkspur but today they are Kadi and Chase.

Eden sends us this update about Kadi:

“Kadi and I have been busy training as usual but this year we managed to find time between all of Chuck and mine worldly travels to actually go to some dog shows.   We have been tracking since she was a puppy and I decided to set the National Specialty in Gettysburg to finally try and get her TD.  In the months before the specialty, we got the required Certification Track so we could enter.  Then the training schedule really ramped up once we found out we were in and the test panic set. I have never entered a tracking test, so everything was new.  I knew Kadi could do it as I had seen her do it so many times before but I had seen over the years that wind was not our friend.  The tracking fields were lovely, early spring hay fields, and it had rained heavily the day before so you could not ask for better conditions except…. WIND.  Lots and lots of wind.  The wind did cause some problems for her but she worked through them and found the track.  I cannot tell you the feeling it was when I was thinking we got to be getting close to have Kadi stop, turn, look at me, and sit down. Kadi is trained to sit when she has found an article.  I knew I just needed to go up, pick up the glove and show the judges that we had found it and we had earned the title.

SUCH a Big Deal!

In addition to tracking, we have been working on agility and she has since earned her NJP last fall.  After working through teeter issues, we have begun showing in standard classes.

She qualified both in Jumpers and Standard classes at the specialty.  

Kadi and her Specialty bling! CONGRATULATIONS!

Drafting training has begun and started doing more obedience training.

Kadi still loves her puppy tunnel 🩷

With the hot summer months rapidly approaching, much outdoor training stops.  I will probably enter a few indoor agility trials this summer and some very early morning tracks.

From the Specialty

Kadi has been healthy this year and we are in the sweet spot of Berner years where we do not need to visit our friends at the Vets except for wellness checks. We hope to have her with us for many more birthdays to come.”

Thank you so much to Eden and Chuck and HAPPY BIRTHDAY KADI!!

 Chase has also had a fun year. Lawrence shares this update with us:

“Chase has had a busy year. He loves going on walks with me and Cruise, swimming, and retrieving anything in the water. 

He has earned the following titles this year:  Master Draft Dog, Rally Excellent, FCAT, Dock Senior,  Fit Dog Gold, Working Dog Award, Fetch Novice, Scent work Interior and Buried Excellent and Scent work Container Master. 

In Agility he earned his Novice Jumpers preferred and we work just one q away from getting open jumpers and novice standard but he suffered a sports injury and is recovering from that before we can continue.”

Thank you so much, Lawrence (and Bea), and HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHASE!

Also, Chase, HEAL!