As you gush over the puppy cuteness, I have to speak to the research and preparation to finally welcome this anticipated litter that is YEARS in the making.

Skipping the early setbacks in our journey transitioning from pet owner to a Registered CKC Breeder. Forget about all the hoops we have jumped through. (don't forget the mistakes we have made) This breeding alone has been a 2 and a half year project!

Finding a quality Male and Female breeding prospect is a challenge all its own. Some established Breeders are elated to pass down their wealth of knowledge and experience, while a greater number of Breeders keep a weary eye on the "New Comers".  Fewer still are willing to entrust their hard earned bloodlines as the black cloud of "back yard" and "fad-fashion" breeders casts a dark shadow on the pedigrees of the pure-bred.

Once we managed to get our foot in the door, we hurried up to wait. Puppy Ryker and Puppy Misty needed time to grow and mature to truly ascertain their structural soundness and pass the necessary health testing. Ryker's evaluations came in the show ring and by 2 wonderful breeders who stepped up as Mentors. Ryker had early successes in his show career taking Best Baby Puppy in Group his first time out! Next he completed is Canadian Championship, taking Best of Winners at a Regional and National show for Boston Terriers. A Specialty Judge from the U.S.A also awarded Ryker with an AWARD of MERIT, clinching our hopes for Ryker's stud potential.

Misty was an entirely different venture. A "foundation Bitch" for a breeding program is almost as rare as shooting stars and 4 leaf clovers. Misty came from over seas. Serbia is not automatically recognized by the Canadian Kennel Club, we later learned. So for her to be imported and Registered, Misty had to undergo an evaluation by an approved CKC agent. This included of course being able to provide all the appropriate generational pedigree information. Once she was certified and registered with the CKC, we focused on preparing her also for the Ring.

Trying to learn the ins and outs as an exhibitor/handler has been a more complex learning curve than we initially expected. Misty was far less enthusiastic about showing and we rather overwhelmed, decided to focus our Showing education with Ryker and work with our Mentor(s) to develop a deeper understanding of "Structure and Movement" as we evaluated Misty as she matured.

Then the time came. Misty came into season. Both her and Ryker were in peak condition. All the health testing was completed, we had Mentor(s) in our corner and...I PANICKED! What if we messed up? Now, people of note, knew who we were and it felt like we were being evaluated as to our "fitness" as a Breeder.

The words of Renowned Breeder, Handler, AKC Judge and Author Pat Hastings said "...there is no better way to learn what a breed is all about than to have puppies, watch them grow up, and follow them through their lives."

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The "Fabulous 5" were born March 10, 2025 after a rather text book pregnancy. Misty welcomed 3 boys and 2 girls.

The first 2 days Misty wasn't completely sure what to do. She had no desire what so ever to eat their poop, so that meant extra cleaning duties for me. Thankfully by day 3, her Mama instincts kicked in and she kept her babies warm, clean and with full bellies.

Ryker on the other hand wasn't sure what the fuss was all about. He would sniff about the whelping pen, that is until Misty made it abundantly clear that she didn't want anyone near her babies.

The time and training with Misty was rewarded by her trust. She openly welcomed our attention on her and her pups. The focus now was to get through the first 2 weeks, keeping as much quiet and encouragement for Misty as possible. As our Mentor(s) often says "Nature has been doing this a lot longer than us Breeders so, as much as possible watch, learn and don't make it complicated." With their lifetime of experience in breeding and showing Boston Terriers, our Mentor(s) couldn't be more right and it has been a beautiful thing to observe and well worth the long sleepless nights.

At the time of writing this blog, the puppies are now 5 weeks old! In that time they have gone from blind, deaf and helpless to active and curious explorers. Using the Puppy Culture platform, we are well into socialization and habituation. Every day the pups interact with new objects and sounds. Daily handling with low level stress and recovery has begun to shape inquisitive, resilient puppies.

Working with the natural instincts to keep their den/sleeping area clean, the pups have begun the initial steps to house breaking by using the "designated" portion of their pen to toilet fairly reliably. With a mouth full of needle sharp teeth, Misty is nursing less often and the Pups eagerly lap up their puppy mush.

Our own 5 month old puppy Lacey, has become a hit with the babies. Without fear, they run to the gate ready to greet Lacey for a comical rumble and tumble that last all of 5 to 10 mins. Then completely exhausted the pups snuggle into the warmth of their fleece bed (and each other) and nap the afternoon away.

Evenings are family time. My hubby and I play and cuddle with the pups individually while watching some TV. Misty and Scarlet (our Rottweiler Puppy Security) make the rounds, checking to see that we are keeping the pups safe. I continue to believe that there is no greater anti-depressant in the world than having your arms (and lap) loaded up with puppies!

Our puppy families enjoy weekly "Pup-dates" with lots of pictures, videos and developmental progress reports. This week especially, we are seeing individual personalities take shape. Ongoing evaluations of the pups and how they respond to the growing world around them have begun that critical process of matching puppies to the best suited family environments. We are happy to have 5 wonderful families from across Canada that are counting the sleeps until they can bring their puppies home.

With the resounding success of this breeding and the growing interest in our program, we look ahead to the fall and the following year. With careful consideration, Misty and Ryker may very well welcome a second litter...STAY TUNED!