Litters

I am SO excited about this litter! These puppies should have it all, bubbly, outgoing temperaments, the energy and drive for agility, herding, etc., the conformation for the show ring, but most importantly, the loving, velcro dog temperament Aussies are known for. Both Blitz and Carny would gladly spend their days cuddling in my lap (that is, when Blitz isn't running circles around the moon!).

We decided to name these pups after punctuation marks. I've always thought Ampersand and Tilde were neat words, and my son Travis thought Underscore would be a cool name (okay, we're weird, get used to it! ;~D). By the way, we did get two mismarks in this litter. While this automatically makes them pet quality, it doesn't prevent them from competing in agility, herding, obedience, or Rally. They can also become therapy or assistance dogs, and, most importantly, they still make great pets, the most important job of all!

This is Ampersand (Sandy), a red merle male. He's got paler spots, like his Aunt Cloudy. More spots will come in later, and the ones he has will darken with time, though they'll never be as dark as Mommy's. So far he seems to be rather easy going.

Bracket ( [ )

This is Bracket, a blue merle male. He's a bit of a talker, so we're always asking him, "What's all the racket, Bracket?"

Comma ( , )

This is Comma, so named due to the teardrop shaped thumbprint on top of his head. He also has a tiny spot on his right side.
He's a big guy, with a nice coat. He's another talker.

Elipse (.....)

This is Elipse, so named due to the spot on the back of his head. He's smaller and mellower than his brother, a real cuddlebum.

Hyphen ( - )

This is Hyphen, the red merle girl. Her spots will also darken, though not as dark as Mommy's. She's mellower than some of her siblings. I love her little 'bracelet' on her right front leg!

Tilde (~)

This is Tilde, the blue merle girl. She has a blocky head and a nice, clear coat.She's a big booger!

Umlaut ( ¨ )

Umlaut (as in ö), is a red tri boy with a full white collar and lots of copper trim. What he lacks in size he makes up for with his voice!

Underscore ( _ )

My son, Travis, always thought it would be funny to name a dog _, so I'm compromising with 'Underscore', to save on confusion. :~D He's a bit of a 'Gumby', as he sleeps you can put him on his back and pose him how ever you want, and he sleeps through it. Silly boy!

Fun Pics

Ampersand sleeping through the photo shoot

Sandy, still asleep. He had a tummy full of warm milk, doesn't he look content?

Left: Comma asleep sitting up. Above: Bracket asleep in Aidan's hands.

Left: Underscore is the first to open an eye! Above: Tilde being a seal.

Umlaut being adorable in his sleep.

Ampersand	Elipse is smaller, Comma larger.
You can see the elipse and comma on their heads.	Sandy has copper cheeks. (Or would that be 'Sandy Cheeks'?)
Ampersand and Hyphen	Underscore is larger than Umlaut.
Tilde on our left, Bracket on our right.	Tilde finds photo shoots boring.

I said, "Smile and say, Booger!"
Aidan said, "Huh?"

Grammaw Belle was in heaven! Not only was she in the whelping box, she was trying to nurse the puppies. She was SO thrilled!

Week 2 Videos
Please be patient while videos load.

The puppies were having breakfast, and thoroughly enjoying it.

Video 1 Video 2 Video 3

Other Weeks

Growth Chart

Name 0 (oz) Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Week 6 Week 7

Ampersand 13 1 lb 8 oz 2 lb 1 oz

Bracket 11.3 1 lb 6 oz 2 lb 1 oz

Comma 13.5 1 lb 10 oz 2 lb 7 oz

Elipse 12 1 lb 10 oz 1 lb 15 oz

Hyphen 11.3 1 lb 8 oz 2 lb 1 oz

Tilde 12.5 1 lb 12 oz 2 lb 7 oz

Umlaut 10.5 1 lb 6 oz 2 lb 0 oz

Underscore 12.2 1 lb 11 oz 2 lb 6 oz