Diamond presented us with a daytime litter of nine healthy puppies - two males and seven females! They're in various shades and markings of fawn brindle and blue brindle. It's hard to tell exactly what the colors will be at this age. They usually lighten a good bit.

We've been admirers of Calvin for years and chose him to sire Diamond's litter for a number of reasons. We first noticed him because he was a littermate to our Chase (Appraxin Kamikaze) and of course we were curious to see what the "overachiever" in the family looked like! At the time, Calvin was about three, had already finished his AKC championship and was working on his obedience title. He was on his way to becoming one of the most "titled" whippets in the country and possibly The most titled. He was a lovely dog and we enjoyed meeting him and his owner, Bobbie Lutz (though I have to confess that every time I saw them racking up another achievement, I felt a little like the family slacker!)

So when it came time to choose a sire this year, we naturally thought of Calvin again. Since our number two breeding goal is health (number one is temperament), we always try to use older males, because most genetic problems will have shown up by the age of eight or so. So Calvin's qualifications (besides his beauty and brains, obviously) are that:

1) He's 9 1/2 years old and healthy! He had a normal echocardiogram a year ago and has no symptoms of heart disease. He's also had the usual vision and hearing clearances to rule out genetic problems in those areas.
2) In spite of his extremely impressive show and performance record, he has been used at stud very little. Using "popular sires" (the dogs who are currently winning in the ring and siring many litters) limits the breed's gene pool and makes genetic disease more difficult to combat in the future. When most whippets are closely related to each other, where do you find an outsider if a genetic disease appears?
3) Calvin is very confident, has a steady temperament and lives as a housedog, so his owner knows his temperament. He obviously has plenty of intelligence and proper whippet instincts.
4) We used his brother Chase to sire our first two litters. We were extremely pleased with the quality we got there. Chase retired from the ring with eight points and a major -- he really hated showing. He's found his calling with his current owner, Bevalee Crawley, as a freestyle dancer!
5) Calvin is correct, sound, and typey. He has some qualities Diamond lacks and vice versa.

The inbreeding coefficient on this breeding is 11 percent, a little higher than we like (we are great believers in outcrossing for breed health, even though that may not always be the best way to breed winners) but the opportunity to use Calvin and the other positives about this breeding make up for it.

Diamond, the dam, is out of our foundation bitch, Ch Appraxin Sensation at Timbre, by English import, Nevedith Justa Joker. Di is an extremely affectionate, devoted dog, who wants more than anything to please (not all that common in whippets!) She really loves to be with her people as much as possible. No separation anxiety, but very bonded. (We'd like to see a bit more confidence and independence in her pups, so Calvin was a good choice temperament-wise as well.)

Diamond was shown sparingly as a puppy. Though we think it's beautiful, her color (watermarked fawn) is a liability in the ring. She also inherited much of the English "type" from her father, and it's a different look in this part of the world. But we've consulted with a number of other very experienced breeders, and the consensus is that Diamond definitely has many good qualities to contribute to the breed.

Rearing Timbreblue Puppies
Our puppies are reared literally underfoot. The whelping box is in our guest room and I spend my days there when we have puppies. When they leave the box, we cover the floor with plastic sheeting and newspaper and give them the run of the room...under my feet! At about five weeks, they begin trips outside to play for about an hour at a time, always attended by their mama as well as their human "mama." Weaning is determined by their mother. She stays with them as long as she can stand them and usually continues nursing at least a little through five weeks. At six weeks, we all pack up and move downstairs to the office/doggy den, where they're introduced to and learn to interact with the other whippets.

We've found that keeping the puppies till ten weeks is about optimal, though there's no harm in leaving them here longer. Whippets bond with new owners at any age! But they learn bite inhibition and manners from their littermates, Mom, and the other adult whippets. We'll post pictures and updates here as often as possible, and new owners will be able to join the Timbreblue Pups mailing list for tips, suggestions, and story sharing with the rest of our owners. Our annual reunion is scheduled for June and will be in Brandywine, Maryland, at the home of John, Karen, Kate, and Angel Haynes. The whole Timbreblue family is invited!

And if you've read this far, I guess we just have to show you the wedding pictures...