ZZ litter, whelped June 16th
Mercy bred to Justice
1 sable female, 3 black & tan females, 1 sable male & 2 black & tan males
2 males (Mr. Blue & Mr. Red) are available.
This is a working litter and not for first-time GSD owners.
Follow the Diary (updated daily until all the pups leave)
background information
pedigree
See the ZZ litter’s Police/Narcotic temperament test results
See the ZZ litter’s Search & Rescue test results
Mr. Blue and Mr. Red are active homes.
See 10-week-old Mr. Blue, Miss Gold (Zeal), Mr. Red & Zest (Miss White) at playtime.
See Miss Gold, 65 days old, enjoying a puppy playtime with a Sheltie.
Mr. Yellow (now “Raptor”) went to Montana for Search & Rescue. Miss Green (now “Breeze”) went to Colorado to be a therapy dog and compete in obedience. Miss Pink (now “Zinnia”) went to SW Wyoming for nosework competition. I kept Miss White (now “Zest”) and Miss Gold (now Zeal) for nosework competition, therapy dog work and hopefully breeding.
See Zest’s page.
See Zest, 65 days old, enjoying her own puppy playtime with the Sheltie.
See Zeal’s page
Zinnia (Celhaus Zinnia Elegans) at 10 weeks
the former Miss Pink
Photo 1 (8/29/23): “Furballs under the couch. Just thought that was so funny. She will not fit under the couch for long!”
Photo 2 (8/28/23):”Everything is still going great. Zinnia was 18.4 lbs today. Poor Ursa had his ball session cut short today as we had a small helper. Zinnia is starting to show some ball drive. This weekend we went to Sinks Canyon to the suspension bridge. Ursa, who has been across the bridge many times was getting low with the claws out. Zinnia on the other hand walked it like it was a sidewalk.“
Zinnia at 9 weeks
Photos 6-8 (8/20/23): “So many photos! She is such a beautiful puppy! We are getting ready to go to the lake this afternoon so we were fitting the float coat. She seemed to not notice a bit. Ursa is being a great brother and plays nicely with Zinnia. Besides tug and bitey face, they will sometimes relax and not pester each other. Often when I am doing dishes she will come and lie on my feet, which is adorable and could stop any time so I enjoy every second of it while it lasts. Yesterday we went to the farmer’s market and met so many people and completed that section of the bingo card (socialization check list). In the evening we took both dogs to the Mountain Bike Festival party at the park. More adults and kids were met and dogs seen from a nice distance. After dark the band started so two more check boxes were marked.”
Photos 1-5, (8/17/23): “Hi. Just a couple of pictures and an update on Zinnia. She is doing great with meeting lots of people and man-made contraptions, like mowers, road construction, and vacuum cleaners. She and big brother Ursa love to play with supervision indoors and outside. We are still keeping up with the manding and rewarding both dogs for calm behavior in the house. She is so small, beautiful and soft and often will lie between or on our feet.”
Raptor (Celhaus Zephyr’s Raptor) at 10 weeks
the former Mr. Yellow
8/31/23: “Getting bigger! 24 pounds and he’s grown into his tail. Busy day today: SAR dog training, his first trip into the feed store, playing with big brother, and his first playdate this evening with a like-sized little female lab that I hear is a busy little firecracker!”
8/27/23: “Raptor is 21.2 pounds this afternoon. He’s doing so very well. He has been to 2 SAR group training events so far, and is performing his runaway’s and nose-to-source work very well. Very enthusiastic and hard to hold back. He’s a crowd pleaser! He sits very nicely, has started to learn “stand” and “back”, and is walking quite well on a leash. He has met a lot of people – little screaming children, big guys, etc with no problems. He has no issues with new places, floors, dark rooms, metal stairs, brushy areas, pavement, etc. He watches things and people a lot – you can watch him figuring things out and then he goes right out to try it himself. Impressive (and a bit scary!!). We started some trailing work today as well, (just runaway’s out of sight with scent articles), and it was very impressive to watch him put his nose down and figure out the problem. I’m very pleased. He continues to be quite challenging when he wants to do something or has something that he shouldn’t have. Corrections are tough for him, but he is getting better and we are establishing a strong bond. We have been getting some great petting and eye contact in which is great. He can be very sweet and wants to please, but he isn’t much of a cuddler just yet – wayyyyyy too busy for being confined in someone’s arms, and always likes to do things himself (like climbing stairs and going in and out doors, etc.). He is always close by me, and I do like that he doesn’t feel that he has to be touching me to relax. However, he doesn’t let me out of his sight if he can help it, and has shown very impressive thinking to find me if I leave a room or go out one of the doors to do outside chores. Within minutes he has located me, and is very pleased with himself as we celebrate. I’m loving this boy, and he is very embedded into our family. He still steals Sabre’s toys and can get very pushy with Sabre. They play together really nicely when Sabre wants to, and I know that will improve as he gets a little older. I am planning on getting him into a puppy basic / play group starting Sept. 9th, which I think will be very good for him. Most of our other dogs are adults and he needs to mingle with some pups much closer in age. That is our news from here. I really hope the other pups get going into new homes soon – so much to learn and do!!”
Raptor at 9 weeks
8/22/23: “Raptor weighs 18.8 lbs. this morning. Sabre finally took a firm but gentle stand after they had a huge play session, thank goodness!! Very appropriate, and Raptor respected it, at least at the time. I think he was a bit shocked actually- he very much needed it!!“
8/18/23: “I’m glad to see I don’t have the only wild pup!! OMG is he busy (and fun!!). We are making some good headway with the temper biting, as he does NOT like to be corrected or told no. Very sharp teeth and a strong full bite right now. Ouch!! Tenacious little stinker! We had a row last evening that I was persistent in correcting and he was much better today and thought about biting but made a better choice that was well received. He is learning SO fast and loves to track – finds me quickly and efficiently as I work around the yard. He is confident and proud of his accomplishments, and wants to be involved in everything. He weighed 16.9 at his puppy wellness check up on Wednesday. He’s not very into eating yet, always finding something else to do. I’m sure that will change as he grows, and he has plenty of food available.”
8/18/23: “Sabre and Raptor did their first face fighting event this morning. I think Raptor was thrilled that Sabre was playing with him. A good thing for sure!! Otherwise, Sabre has been pretty much ignoring him, but he likes it when Raptor chases him around.”
Photo 3: “I love this one.
“Photos 7-8: “A nice rainy day. He has now mastered going up AND down the stairs (down with help that he doesn’t want). He keeps good track of me, which I love.”
Photo 9: “First day trying a leash.”
Photo 10: “People-watching from a distance. He is ALL about everything!”
Raptor at 8 weeks
8/14/23: “We are loving our boy!! He is such a great mix of everything good. Very, very busy…and a quick learner. I did a little search exercise for Sabre yesterday out of his view and he went crazy! I guess he could see a little from the backyard where he was with Craig, and he checked all the door options to get to us. (which he has already mastered). He then went to the front door (we were in the front yard) and started scratching at the door and carrying on. Craig said he’s a little scared of what he can already do at 8 weeks. We did a couple runaways for him, and have watched him track me all over if I have slipped out of his sight for a minute. He sleeps through the night, potties outside already (no accidents in the house!) and takes Sabre’s toys right out of his mouth. I hope Sabre will set some boundaries or he will get run over. They are starting to interact and I am sure they will become strong brothers. Thank you, thank you for this wonderful boy. He is truly a blessing to our family.”
8/12/23: Raptor is already at home here. We had a great night. Very busy and fun guy!!”
8/12/23: “We’re home.
Photo 1: He was already taking Sabre’s toys in the first 5 minutes. They are doing great. He’s showing no fear of Sabre at all after the first 2 seconds, so Sabre is giving off totally gentle vibes. Raptor is trotting around in the yard with us all and chasing balls.
Photo 2: I believe Craig likes him.”
Breeze (Celhaus Zephyr in Summer) at 10 weeks
the former Miss Green
9/1/23: “We always know when Breeze has finished her breakfast. She flips her bowl over, then barks at it. Breeze had a play date with my friend Sandy’s baby Sheltie, Annie, yesterday. They had fun, though Annie wasn’t totally sure about the ‘moose puppy’ who is about 4 times her size The first photo is one that Sandy took. It’s easy to see how tiny Annie is compared to Breeze. The larger Sheltie is Sandy’s other dog Penni, who is about the same age as Charis & the same size as Breeze.”
Breeze at 9 weeks
8/25/23: “Today’s socializing experience was a trip to Lowe’s, riding in the cart, since she isn’t fully vaccinated. It was a great place to go… lots of adoring strangers to meet, rattling carts with plants on them going by, automatic doors opening in front of her, and best of all a 12 foot tall animated zombie that moved & made noise. She watched it intently, but was not at all afraid. She came home & slept for ages.”
8/24/23: “Poor Charis is having a rough day! The puppy has her “naughties” on & is getting a lot of corrections. Charis keeps apologizing & is now squeezed under the computer desk at my feet & wanting comfort. I keep reassuring him that he is a GOOD boy.”
8/23/23: “She just pressed the “outside” button on her own!! I’m not quite sure if it was on purpose or not as she was playing with a toy nearby. Still, “GOOD GIRL” & I hustled her outside where she both peed & pooped! See an explanation of the “Button.” She is such a bright little thing! Now she is having the zoomies back & forth down the hall & into the living room with a toy in her mouth. She just hurdled Charis. She sounds like a little horse. We have been impressed with how very gentle she is with her mouth. The only time she “got” us was when she grabbed for a toy & there was a hand in the way. And she is very gentle when taking treats.”
8/21/23: “She loves Bach! I just played a facebook video of a lady playing Bach’s Prelude in G major for cello but played on a harp. Breeze immediately perked up, tipped her head a few times, stopped chewing on her bone, & moved closer to the computer to listen.”
8/20/23: “Today’s socializing experience was to the firehouse in our small town…only 2 firefighters & 2 EMTS. They were happy to have us visit & Breeze was really a hit. Unfortunately, I was too engaged to take photos. Sorry! There were several cute photo ops. Breeze thoroughly investigated the whole place. Out where they have the trucks (which she hardly noticed) there was plenty else to check out. She stuck her whole head into one of their boots, dragged a jacket a short distance – to their delight – & found a large mop hanging on the wall. She pulled that down & thought it was a great toy, unafraid when the handle slapped on the floor. One of the firefighters had her play chase with it. They told us to come back any time. Her happy tail was going the whole time, she loved the people, & they loved her. She’s going to be a great therapy dog!”
8/18/23: “Breeze met our next-door neighbor yesterday – a bearded man, wearing a baseball cap & wraparound reflective sunglasses. She wasn’t the least bit fazed. She wagged at him, went in for a kiss, then curled up at his foot. I thought sure the sunglasses would be a problem, but no. She went right to him to make friends & he was enchanted. She’s such a friendly, confident little girl! She’s amazingly good for a pup her age about her mouth. She’ll put her teeth gently on our hands but not chomp down. Then she’ll give kisses. We got the right pup & we love her!”
Photo 2: “Under puppy. Amazingly she hasn’t tried to chew on the furniture.”
Photo 3: “Nap attack.”
Photo 4: “She’s fascinated with the big-screen TV, especially when the movie has sirens and a dog.”
Photo 6: “Uncle Charis is not especially impressed with her; she was very interested.” (Charis is from the JJ litter and is Mercy’s brother.)
Photo 7: “She loves Gary.”
Photos 8-9: “Charis is starting to interact with Breeze.”
Photo 10: “That Swiffer duster thing looks FUN!””
Breeze at 8 weeks
8/15/23: “Breeze got her first on leash walk, a couple of blocks down the street. First thing, she got to meet the sweet lab across the street, Holly. Holly was very interested in the baby, wildly wagging her tail & sniffing her all over. Breeze was interested & not intimidated. Then we walked with Gary & Charis. It helped having Charis along, showing how a walk is done. (He’s SUCH a good boy!). Breeze did pretty well until we came across a dead toad. I had to pull/bait her away, as she was very determined to investigate & chew on it. We crossed the street on the way back while Gary took Charis on around the block. She got to see Holly again at the end of her walk. Got home & she immediately crashed. It’s been a while & she’s still sleeping. She “purrs” when I reach down to pet her a little. I love that!”
8/14/23: “First full day at home. It was a big one! After breakfast (she’s not eating a lot) she went with us to pick up & meet Uncle Charis. He was not especially impressed; she was very interested. Later on, she got to go to PetsMart. She got a new, better fitting, collar & leash, tags, & a bowl to replace the Pfaltzgraff one Gary accidentally knocked off the counter & broke this morning. This one’s stainless steel! She also got to meet a couple of dogs from the safety of the shopping basket, & lots of adoring people. I played fetch down the hall with Charis & his favorite toy. She barked like crazy at him & tried a couple of times to steal it. Charis & I got a nice nap on the bed while Gary puppy-sat. Now she’s in her favorite spot under the computer table & out like a light. She’s one pooped puppy!”
8/13/23: ” We just got home a little after 2:30. Made pretty good time, really. Breeze was not a happy camper for the first half of the trip! She cried intermittently the whole time. Per your instructions, we waited until we stopped for gas at Douglas. When we opened her crate, there was a pile of poop there & she did not like that! I walked her around a little while Gary cleaned up & she immediately peed. (Good potty! GOOD Breeze! as soon as she finished). Miraculously, she did not get any poop on herself, her towel, or her bone. We flipped the crate pad over, put her back in, & she was much happier. She then slept almost all the way home. As soon as we got here, I carried her to the dog run with artificial grass. After thoroughly investigating it, she again peed (same enthusiastic praise). We brought her inside & almost immediately she spotted her reflection in the glass door of the oven. She walked up to it, wagging her tail, then backed off & barked at it. Then she tried to make friends with it again. She has now explored almost the whole house & is asleep under a plant stand on top of the A/C vent. Such a BIG day for a little puppy! I even did a little manding with her, but she was pretty distracted. We’ll let her settle in a bit tonight then introduce her to Charis on neutral ground when we pick him up in the morning. Next order of business will be a trip to PetsMart for a new collar & some Bitter Apple because she really wants to chew on her leash. I’ll take a towel & have her ride in the grocery basket to forestall any close interactions.”
Zest (Celhaus Zest for Life) at 9 weeks
the former Miss White
See Zest’s page.
See 10-week-old Zest during morning playtime
See Zest, 65 days old, enjoying her own puppy playtime with the Sheltie.
Zeal (Celhaus Zeal for Justice) at 10 weeks
the former Miss Gold
See Zeal’s page.
See 10-week-old Zeal during morning playtime
See Zeal, 65 days old, enjoying her own puppy playtime with the Sheltie.