PUPDATES!

Clodagh has become a mum! And what a Yummy Mummy she is!

Four perfect and precious puppies were welcomed into the world during the wee small hours of 5th June 2021.

In order of appearance: one brindle girl, one brindle boy, one wheaten boy; and one blue boy. Clodagh is the star of the show.

Sky is delighted to become a grandma and is intrigued by the new arrivals.

The washing machine is on a permanent towel wash. And I am spending much of my time in the Puppy Pen, transfixed. I may be suffering from cuteness overload!

Plenty more photos and Pupdates to come.

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James Cabourne | FILM PRODUCER, NEVIS & ST KITTS

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Puppy Love

We are two weeks old!

Clodagh's babies grow more tubby and cuddly by the day. One brindle boy in particular seems to have mastered the art of feeding whilst asleep. We suspect he may well have started life a day earlier than his siblings. Mind you, they're catching up with him fast. All the puppies are a good size and weight. And all are hitting their milestones with impeccable timing, from birth (due date the 5th of June - tick) to opening those beautiful baby blue eyes (two weeks to the day - tick).

We hope this co-operative attitude continues!

Clodagh has a kind of glow about her. She emanates maternal love. She has enjoyed a few excursions in the garden; and now takes a break on the sofa in between feeds. I remain in awe of her.

Grandma Sky has been allowed to put her nose into the Puppy Pen, which she did with a wag of the tail. I'm sure the familiar scent and sound remind her of her own precious litter, which she doted on.

More photos and Pupdates to come.

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Two Weeks Old

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We Are Weaning!

Clodagh's puppies are almost five weeks old. How time has flown by. I wish it would slow down a bit.

We are weaning! And what a wonderful, messy time we are having. Mum is still first port of call, but the Fab Four are gradually eating more from their own bowl.

The Puppy Pen is also now a Play Pen. We have increasing bouts of hyperactivity - which is just joyful - especially when Mum gets involved. She is so gentle and playful with them all. Many blissful hours have been spent in the thick of it, with four greedy, inquisitive mouths sucking at my fingers and clothing as I administer cuddles. When they fall asleep on your hand mid-suck, they steal a piece of your heart. Forever.

What a rare privilege it is, to watch a Glen of Imaal terrier take shape. The puppies are already developing a classic front-heavy stature, with enormous paws and that magnificent head of a hound. Brindle boy's coat is starting to lighten, whilst his sister remains beautifully dark. They are all exquisite and extraordinary.

Any human proximity to the Puppy Pen is greeted with a gleeful yelp of delight and a waggy tail. Glens are naturally gregarious and affectionate. They want to engage and interact with you. They are hardwired to form a human bond. And only a human can cock it up...

Sky continues to be fascinated by all the activity and has now met a couple of the grand-pups. I can't wait until we are all out in the garden together. Hurray for a summer litter!

More photos and Pupdates to come.

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Here Comes Trouble!

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Walk To Heel

Doggy Paddle

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Tea With Mother

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Well, August has been quite a month! Despite dismal summer weather, we have enjoyed some fun times in the garden all together. Sky and Clodagh both loved playing with the young ‘uns. I'm still going through the many short films and photos we managed to take.

Sometimes, it is the moments you fail to film: Sky, thoughtfully selecting a toy from the Puppy Pen and then taking it out to the garden for the rambunctious puppies to play with. Gentle Dub Dub chasing a butterfly.

We welcomed lovely visitors once again, after an eternity in lockdown. It was especially wonderful to see Tina, Martin and Buster! Mother and son did have a slight disagreement on their first walk together, but we all had a terrific time in rainy-cold-sunny-warm Great Yarmouth the next day. Hard to believe it's been three years since our first beach walk with him.

Oh the puppies! What an emotional journey it has been. Only now can we pause for breath and begin to reflect on it. I was only half-joking, when I said I wanted to keep them all. We see so much of Clodagh in them.

We're both happy to bid farewell to the poo-fest at 05:00 hours every morning. In a futile attempt to maintain sanity at stupid o’clock, we would quote film references to one another. With Sky's litter, Jerry Maguire proved invaluable. “Each day is an up-at-dawn, pride-swallowing siege” remains my personal favourite.

This time around, Apocalypse Now did the trick: “I love the smell of puppy poo in the morning”; and “The horror! The horror!” On the other side of the movie spectrum: Three Men and a Baby – “I’ll give you a thousand dollars if you do it…” This has limited comedic value if you share a bank account.

When the first puppy left us, I understood how my parents felt when Lennon quit the Fab Four: Deflated, depleted and incomplete. But this was quickly replaced by relief and happiness.

Barregarrow AKA Chief has gone to a lovely forever home, and we're delighted to see him settle in so well. We look forward to following his exploits and adventures. Easy breezy, supersoft and cuddly, Chief is bright as a button too. He performed the Glen Sit back in the Puppy Pen! Already an accomplished destroyer of flowers, he is tremendously helpful around the garden.

I confess to waving a weepy goodbye to Kerrowmoar AKA Brahn. They really do steal a piece of your heart forever. He has left us for a wonderful forever home, where we know he will be cherished. His name suits him perfectly: Bran and Sceolan were the loyal hounds of Fionn mac Cumhaill, the Irish warrior of myth and legend. Charismatic, affectionate and mischievous, Brahn also performed the Glen Sit back in the Puppy Pen! Definitely a dog with an old soul, his eyes say: 'I know stuff. I've been here before.'

We've not yet decided on Black Dub’s forever home. Only the best will do for Dub Dub. We would love him to go on to breed. But this is trumped by our desire for the perfect home. He is the most gorgeous, laidback water baby. Very soft-natured and eager to please, he waits by the door to go outside to do his business, unlike his si ster.

Stella Maris and 100 other names up for consideration! Ciara, Oonagh - but I keep going back to Florence. Yes, we are keeping her. First born; feisty fidget. Small but perfectly formed. Eventually, we hope to breed with her. It all depends on how she grows.

Clodagh has surpassed our expectations. She continues to mother the terrible two. We may plan a second litter late next year, or early 2023. For now though, I think she deserves a rest.

More photos and Pupdates to come.

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Autumn has arrived with a welcome week of sunshine to warm the bones, after such a soggy end to summer.

We're grateful for the extra time spent with Dub Dub. Today he left us for his wonderful forever home. Naturally, we have fallen completely in love with him; and we're immensely sad to wave goodbye. We're also tremendously relieved and happy that he has found the perfect owner in Kim. Black Dub AKA Séamus Quigley Dub Dub will enjoy the best of both worlds, with the sprawling Kent countryside and beautiful beaches on his doorstep. We wish them both many, many happy years together. And we look forward to all the photos!

Sky and Clodagh seem ambivalent to the fact that Now We Are Three. I think they always knew this was the logical outcome. Did I mention Glens are intuitive and smart? I'm sure Florence will miss her brother for a day or two. But she will be so smothered with love and affection, she may not notice. I feel incredibly grateful to have her. Stella Maris - Clodagh's firstborn and Sky's star.

We were chuffed to hear how well Chief and Brahn have settled in with their families:

Brahn has been busy charming everyone he meets and was an instant hit at Doggy Day Care. He has formed an unbreakable bond with Dash, which has prompted the acquisition of a larger bed to accommodate them both! Brahn remains utterly mischievous and has been keeping Mary on her toes. Trouble with a capital T!

Chief recently enjoyed his first proper beach walk. Thanks a million to Jess for the fabulous photos. He clearly loved the sun-sea-sand combo and even managed to get his paws wet. Go Chief - Surf dog in training!

Plenty more photos and Pupdates to come.