This has nothing to do with cooking...

...unless you are some crazed version of Cruella Deville??

Those dogs are stuffed - I'm not crazed (well not THAT crazed)

Although, saying that, they are so darn adorable that I do want to eat them up most of the time!

Our little Patterdale terrier George, who you met here, had seven gorgeous little puppies back in September.  Yet another thing that has kept me busy.  I'm sure a baby would be easier (not 7 of them of course - though if that happens to me I'm totally getting my own reality show to share the madness - oh jeez, now I'm thinking of a catchy title - focus woman!)  Here's George after giving birth.  She did such a good job.  I was more freaked out than she was.  She was so calm and quiet and it was all done in a matter of a couple hours.  I spent so much time researching prior to delivery yet she knew what to do from the get go.  Instinct is an amazing thing!

I'm still not sure how 7 pups managed to grow in there.

 She has been a great mum; feeding and cleaning them and keeping them in line.  They are approaching 7 weeks now and just keep getting cuter!  They go through pretty much the same development stages as babies but at such a tremendous speed.  Nearly every single day has brought on new growth; beginning to walk, opening their eyes, gaining teeth and becoming more playful and curious.  They are so much fun...and so much work.  But how can you resist 'em?

This will be her first and last litter.  We planned this as we are going to be keeping one of the pups.  All of the other pups have new homes to go to (friends of ours).  We had looked at rescuing a pup but we could not find one that was suitable both with other dogs and children.  Rescuing was definitely our first choice but it was just not possible at this time and George really needed a friend. 

I'm really looking forward to becoming a two dog household.  I'd love to be an 8 dog household and keep them all but for that I think we'd need to buy a farm - and I'm really not cut out for farming!