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 😂

While the puppies are growing their teeth, Lincoln has been losing his. This is him with Sapphire.

Topaz on the wobbleboard.

As I mentioned earlier, Star Garnet is attentive!

And Jasper is very observant. The kids had a movie on — can you see Jasper watching it?

I don’t typically watch TV and so that was the first time it has been on since the Gems arrived. Jasper noticed right away. Super interesting.

Happy Fourth — I hope it is a safe one for you ❤️

Day 29 (updated)

Mary-Ann Sontag July 3, 2025

There will be some big changes here today because of this handsome dude — Jasper.

Or as the kids call him, “The Big Guy.”

Jasper now climbs out of the whelping box and so it is time to transform their inside space. Photos of that later.

In the meantime, we are having a delightfully cool morning on the deck. This is Star Garnet.

The puppies are very interactive with Capella now, which basically means they bite her 😂 This video is Jasper with Capella.

Star Garnet.

They are in constant motion and are biting everything and everyone with their shiny new teeth.

I get the best pictures when they are tired. This is Sapphire.

The boys are figuring out water — this is Topaz.

Topaz and Star Garnet.

Capella and Sapphire.

Topaz sleeping on Capella paw.

Sapphire.

🩷💙💙💙

(later)

Cindy, Kira, and Aubrey came for a visit.

Kira summoned Logan, the one who built the beautiful whelping box, to the party. Well, we really needed him to dismantle the whelping box before Jasper hurt himself escaping so not much of a party 🤷🏼‍♀️ Logan, who likely wonders if I will ever run out of projects for him, came right over.

Aubrey wrangled puppies while the whelping box went away. We added the second piece of marmoleum on the floor — here is Sapphire being very helpful.