We're ready for new homes!

Mandy's puppies were born on May 1st and will be ready to go to their new homes at eight weeks old, which is on June 26th. When they go to their new homes, they will have their first set of puppy shots and deworming and be given a clean bill of health by our vet. These puppies are purebred with no papers (their grandparents and father are AKC registered). We require a $100 nonrefundable cash deposit to hold your puppy. The remainder of the money due must be paid in cash at the time of delivery or before. Here are the two that are available:

Skittles is a cream male. He is very loveable and mellow. This color is very rare, hence the price. $600 or best offer.

Skor is a black and tan male. He is one of the smaller puppies in the litter and very active and affectionate. $400 -- SOLD!

We're free!

The puppies experienced the backyard yesterday for the first time at five weeks old. Besides the fact that it was a cloudy, overcast day and a little windy, they loved the freedom of running in an open space.

The puppies will come to you when you call. They are becoming very social and like to be pet and held.

Sam is still a little afraid of the puppies, but by the time they go to their homes, he will play with them more than their mommy.

This picture of Skittles is so cute I just had to include it!

Here is a short video clip of them romping through the grass.

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After just 15 minutes of playing, they were tuckered out!

We're 5 weeks old!

Okay, I know I've been delinquent in posting new pictures. We've been very busy! The puppies have become quite the little personalities. They can now completely see, hear, run, play, eat food and climb out of their bed (a miniature swimming pool), so they now occupy the entire end of our laundry room so that they have room to eat, sleep, romp and play, poop, etc. We took the puppies camping to Santa Cruz over Memorial Day week so that our daughter Morgan could "bond" with whichever puppy she decides she wants -- she still hasn't decided. Needless to say, we were the most popular campsite at New Brighton Beach, at least with the kids. We probably had over a hundred kids come to see the puppies.

It was cold in Santa Cruz, so the puppies liked to be covered with a blanket. Here is our grandson Joel making sure Mandy and her puppies are warm. In Joel's words, "The puppies are sooo cute!"

They were always bundled up together in Santa Cruz to stay warm.

On the way home from Santa Cruz we stopped at Arby's in Vallejo for lunch. Once again, the puppies were a big hit as we sat outside and ate lunch. Everyone is always amazed at little Skittles, our white Dachshund!

Here is a picture eating their first meal. They knew just what to do with it.

We can see - 2 weeks old!

The puppies started opening their eyes on Sunday, May 13th. Skor, our little black and tan, was the first. They just popped open. Gumdrop, our runt, was the last to open his eyes. As you can tell from the pictures, they aren't completely wide open yet. It's amazing how different their temperament is as soon as they can see. They are much calmer when you pick them up.

This picture really shows how much the puppies have grown when you compare them up against their mommy. Gumdrop is really catching up to his brothers and sister.

Skittles seems to change by the day. His snout is turning less black as his nose turns darker. It's like the black is being drawn out to the tip of his nose. He is so sweet and calm and likes to be held.

Skor is definitely the most mellow. He will lay on his back and just sleep in your hands or stare up at you. He is precious!



I am amazed that I could get a picture of Snickers. She doesn't like to be held at this point -- I'm sure that will change. She squeals and wiggles all over when you pick her up. She is still the biggest, but not by much. Her brothers are catching up with her.

This picture is a little blurry of Gumdrop because I couldn't get him to hold still long enough! He's growing like a weed. He has the most beautiful chocolate brown coat with rich tan markings. My favorite feature though is the long white mark down his chest.

I like this picture because it shows how different the coats are of the three dark puppies: red, brown and black. Skittles was eating during this picture.

Puppy pile - 1 week old!

Well, in about eight hours they will officially be one week old. Mandy is becoming less anxious about her new puppies and is leaving "the nest" more frequently for food and attention. It must be a drag to lay there all day nursing! We have been weighing the puppies every day to monitor their weight gain. They have all gained about four to five ounces. They have grown and wriggle so much that they don't fit in my Weight Watchers scale very well, so I think it's safe to say the official weighing is over unless I can acquire a more secure and reliable scale. We are all just happy that they are healthy and growing like weeds.


Much to the chagrin of a particular daughter (which shall remain nameless), I have named the puppies after candy, as suggested by my daughter Hailey. Here is our "little" girl "Snickers." She is the biggest puppy and a voracious eater!


"Skor" looks just like his half brother, Sam, our other dachshund from Mandy's first litter, right down to the little white star on his chest. He won't be even close to Sam's size when he's full grown. Sam ended up weighing 17 pounds - not even in the miniature category. Skor is precious - very calm and mellow.


"Skittles" is our little oddity. It's interesting to watch him change every day. His nose is turning black and he's getting more of a golden hue to his coat. We've had a number of people ask if he's an albino. He is not! His daddy is a piebald. He has a white coat with red spots. So that explains our creamy white puppy. They are very rare, and I am excited that we got one!



"Gumdrop" is the perfect name for our little runt. He is just so little and cute, but he's becoming quite feisty and knows how to fight for his food. He's doubled his birth weight, so I'm not worried.

The puppies are here!

After a long, grueling night, the blessed event concluded at 7 a.m. with Mandy delivering four healthy puppies: three boys and one girl. Each puppy is unique and different from its siblings. We always name our puppies while we have them so we won't be saying, "Hey, you!" Of course, the new owners can rename them. We like to follow a theme, such as a movie cast, German names, etc. At this point the puppies are unnamed because we can't agree on our theme. So I propose that everyone cast your vote for your favorite. Here are the choices:

1.Surfing brands: Roxy, Hurley, Burton and Reef
2.Hairspray (the musical): Penny, Link, Sketch and Fender
3.Bugsy Malone (the movie): Tallulah, Fat Sam, Dandy Dan, Bugsy
4.Famous Outlaws: Belle Starr, Black Bart, Jesse James and Billy the Kid

So everyone feel free to let us know what you think, as well as propose more themes. In the meantime, enjoy the new members of the fam!


The puppies are here. This is the first one that was born. It is a boy and he is a black and tan just like his mom. He weighed in at 6.5 oz. This little guy also has a white star on his chest.




The second one was also a boy and he is a solid cream color. He weighed in at 6 oz. He is a feisty little one!









The third one born was our only girl. She was the biggest, weighing in at 7 oz. She is a very pretty brown color.








Our fourth and last puppy is the runt, also a boy, weighing in at 4.5 oz. He is definately a cute little guy. He has a pretty brown coat with a white tummy.







Here is a picture of Mandy with all her little puppies chowin' down. They are actually in their birth order, from left to right. You can definately tell that the girl is the big one, especially next to the tiny runt. But they are all so precious!