Tioga had us believing she was never going to have these puppies! We sat vigil for one very long weekend. Late in the morning on Monday, November 23rd, her beautiful puppies made their grand entrance. We are forever grateful to Maria Sommer for being by our side throughout the entire process. She expertly walked us through the birth and provided much needed advice and support, not to mention the endless hours of questions from three very anxious and inquisitive human children. We feel very blessed to have started the weekend with an aquaintance and ended it with a dear friend! So, without further adieu...
Daybreak is proud to introduce the Library Litter!
Kennel names are given to the puppies while they are here at Daybreak. These names will help me work with them as babies, but will be changed by their new owners once they go to their forever homes. When deciding on kennel names for the puppies, our children kept referring to dogs they had come to love through stories we have read together. I enjoy spending time volunteering at the children’s elementary school library. A discussion with the Media Specialist there prompted us to call this litter the LIBRARY LITTER. The children chose 9 of their favorite “dog stories” expecting that we would choose from this list to name several pups. But alas, mother nature decided to bless us with just 2 pups in this litter. We decided to create a ballot box and have the elementary school kids vote on their favorite stories/names and choose the top 2 to name our precious first pups. The pups will be photographed alongside copies of these books to mark their growth, and when they leave Daybreak, the books will be donated to the library for all the students to enjoy! We hope these books not only encourage a love of dogs but a love of reading!
The list includes these books.
- The Leanin’ Dog by K.A. Nuzum, puppy name: Dessa
- Piper Reed: The Great Gypsy by Kimberly Willis Holt, puppy name: Piper
- Gooseberry Park by Cynthia Rylant, puppy name: Kona
- Ribsy by Beverly Cleary, puppy name: Ribsy
- Henry and Mudge in the Family Trees, puppy name: Mudge
- Muldoon by Pamela Duncan Edwards, puppy name: Muldoon
- Mr. Putter and Tabby Walk the Dog by Cynthia Rylant and Arthur Howard, puppy name: Zeke
- Diary of a Wimpy Kid – Dog Days by: Jeff Kinney, puppy name: Kinney
- A Dog’s Life by Ann M. Martin, puppy name: Squirrel
And the winning names were…
Name: Daybreak Squirrel
Coat color: Honey
Weight at birth: 15.8 oz
A Dog’s Life by Ann M. Martin
Squirrel and her brother Bone begin their lives in a tool shed behind someone's summer house. Their mother nurtures them and teaches them the many skills they will need to survive as stray dogs. But when their mother is taken from them suddenly and too soon, the puppies are forced to make their own way in the world, facing humans both gentle and brutal, busy highways, other animals, and the changing seasons. When Bone and Squirrel become separated, Squirrel must fend for herself, and in the process makes two friends who in very different ways define her fate.
Name: Daybreak Mudge
Coat color: Honey
Weight at birth: 15.6 oz
Henry and Mudge in the Family Trees
Invited to a family reunion at Cousin Annie's house, Henry looks forward to meeting new relatives, but he begins to worry about whether they will like his dog, Mudge, as much as he does. Uppermost in his thoughts is this poignant question, "Will they understand dog drool?" Soon after arriving, though, he finds that they not only adore Mudge but also treat the obliging dog to their own special greeting: sloppy kisses.