Leading the way to Chinook magic!
The Natural Wonders Litter
Week 1 has absolutely flown past - having a major holiday and hosting a meal (with massive support from my family) added some complexity to the week, but Ankaa's amazing instincts and the robust health of the puppies made it much easier than it could have been. Grandma Nashira has been able to jump in with the pups (which she LOVES), surprising great grandma Calista has not pushed the issue- she LOVES puppies too but perhaps being 12.75 contributes to an appreciation for peace and quiet. Thema, at 9 months old, is DESPERATE to play with the puppies but also very respectful of Mama Ankaa's VERY clear message - NO WAY.
These pups are incredibly strong and sometimes difficult to hold as they are determined and squirmy when they decide they want to be elsewhere (generally wherever the milk bar is). They are eating and sleeping well, and consistently gaining weight. Paricutin was the first explorer out of the whelping box- since then we've managed to limit them to maneuvering around the box itself instead of making a break for it.
The pups are all in the early stages of beginning to walk- sometimes pulling up their fronts onto their paws, sometimes their rears. I fear it will be all too soon they will coordinate, and then we are off to the next level. Eyes have the barest glimmer of starting to open as well- so I can start playing some sounds for the pups anticipating their ears engaging. It's a wonderful journey of discovery with these little ones, and the peace of being able to simply observe them nap and eat and cuddle will soon be replaced with engagement and even more accelerated learning.
Note: these names are just temporary while the pups are with me. Owners will provide the pup's registered name.
Puppies will be raised using the Puppy Culture program - check Instagram and Facebook for updates.
These pups are incredibly strong and sometimes difficult to hold as they are determined and squirmy when they decide they want to be elsewhere (generally wherever the milk bar is). They are eating and sleeping well, and consistently gaining weight. Paricutin was the first explorer out of the whelping box- since then we've managed to limit them to maneuvering around the box itself instead of making a break for it.
The pups are all in the early stages of beginning to walk- sometimes pulling up their fronts onto their paws, sometimes their rears. I fear it will be all too soon they will coordinate, and then we are off to the next level. Eyes have the barest glimmer of starting to open as well- so I can start playing some sounds for the pups anticipating their ears engaging. It's a wonderful journey of discovery with these little ones, and the peace of being able to simply observe them nap and eat and cuddle will soon be replaced with engagement and even more accelerated learning.
Note: these names are just temporary while the pups are with me. Owners will provide the pup's registered name.
Puppies will be raised using the Puppy Culture program - check Instagram and Facebook for updates.
Puppy Name:
Sex:
Birth Weight:
Current Weight:
Sex:
Birth Weight:
Current Weight:
Bombora (baam BAW ruh)
Male
14.8 oz
1 lb 13.5 oz
Male
14.8 oz
1 lb 13.5 oz
Bombora is a pretty laid back guy. He likes to be cuddled with something- a sibling, his mama, a warming bag….and he's ready to go with the flow.
He is named for the Great Barrier Reed in Australia. It is the largest coral reef system in the world, encompassing over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands, stretching 1,400 miles. Bombora is the indigenous word for an area of large waves breaking over a shallow area - I was unable to find anything noting an indigenous name for the entire reef sysem.
He is named for the Great Barrier Reed in Australia. It is the largest coral reef system in the world, encompassing over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands, stretching 1,400 miles. Bombora is the indigenous word for an area of large waves breaking over a shallow area - I was unable to find anything noting an indigenous name for the entire reef sysem.
Newborn
Puppy Name:
Sex:
Birth Weight:
Current Weight:
Sex:
Birth Weight:
Current Weight:
Mosi-oa-Tunya (muhsee wa TOON ya)
Male
15.6 oz
2 lbs 0.1 oz
Male
15.6 oz
2 lbs 0.1 oz
Mosi-oa-Tunya is a real go-getter, often found exploring the reaches of the whelping box. He likes to talk through problems like "where is mom and the milk bar" and "how do I get there from here".
Mosi-oa-Tunya means "smoke that thunders" in Lozi, a Bantu family language of the Lozi people who are native to Zambia, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Botswana, and South Africa. The area the Lozi named this evocative phrase is on the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe and hosts on of the worlds largest waterfalls, which western Europeans may know by the name bestowed by Dr. Livingstone - Victoria Falls.
Mosi-oa-Tunya means "smoke that thunders" in Lozi, a Bantu family language of the Lozi people who are native to Zambia, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Botswana, and South Africa. The area the Lozi named this evocative phrase is on the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe and hosts on of the worlds largest waterfalls, which western Europeans may know by the name bestowed by Dr. Livingstone - Victoria Falls.
Newborn
Puppy Name:
Sex:
Birth Weight:
Current Weight:
Sex:
Birth Weight:
Current Weight:
Ongtupqa
Male
1 lb 0.1 oz
1 lb 12.2 oz
Male
1 lb 0.1 oz
1 lb 12.2 oz
Ongtupqa is calm and contemplative. He is often found curled up under a pig rail, enjoying some quiet and dark. He never hesitates to push forward and belly up to the bar at meal time, however!
Ongtupqa translates into English as "salt canyon" and is the Hopi name for what is commonly called the Grand Canyon. The Hopi consider it their spiritual homeland- and it's importance crosses multiple ancient and modern indigenous peoples from the vast area it covers.
Ongtupqa translates into English as "salt canyon" and is the Hopi name for what is commonly called the Grand Canyon. The Hopi consider it their spiritual homeland- and it's importance crosses multiple ancient and modern indigenous peoples from the vast area it covers.
Newborn
Puppy Name:
Sex:
Birth Weight:
Current Weight:
Sex:
Birth Weight:
Current Weight:
Aurora Borealis
Female
15.1 oz
1 lb 12.9 oz
Female
15.1 oz
1 lb 12.9 oz
Aurora has Things to Do, and is working on her push up routine as part of the First to Walk" initiative. She is a very robust puppy, but when she is full and warm, she loves to curl up in your arms.
The Aurora Borealis aka the Northern Lights is a cosmic phenomenon as the Sun's geomatic forces interact with Earth's atmosphere. Visbile where and when conditions determine, the Aurora Borealis features in the stories of many cultures around Northern Hemisphere, and her cousin the Aurora Australis does the same thing in the south.
The Aurora Borealis aka the Northern Lights is a cosmic phenomenon as the Sun's geomatic forces interact with Earth's atmosphere. Visbile where and when conditions determine, the Aurora Borealis features in the stories of many cultures around Northern Hemisphere, and her cousin the Aurora Australis does the same thing in the south.
Newborn
Puppy Name:
Sex:
Birth Weight:
Current Weight:
Sex:
Birth Weight:
Current Weight:
Paricutin (peh ruh KOO tn)
Male
15.3 oz
1 lb 14.2 oz
Male
15.3 oz
1 lb 14.2 oz
Pericutin was the first puppy to figure a way out of the whelping box- through the doorway which was not gated off yet. Thanks to his intrepid exploration, he got to experience a short, soft roll onto padding, and we got to put up the door in the box a bit more quickly than expected.
Pericutin is a cinder cone volcano in the Mexican state of Michoacan. It erupted over the course of nine years literally from the flat cornfield of a local farmer. It's creation provided scientists the first opportunity to watch a volcano being born, and monitor it through it's entire active phase which ended in 1952.
Pericutin is a cinder cone volcano in the Mexican state of Michoacan. It erupted over the course of nine years literally from the flat cornfield of a local farmer. It's creation provided scientists the first opportunity to watch a volcano being born, and monitor it through it's entire active phase which ended in 1952.
Newborn
Puppy Name:
Sex:
Birth Weight:
Sex:
Birth Weight:
Guanabara (gwaa nuh BAA ruh)
Female
14.7 oz
Female
14.7 oz
Guanabara is the bonus puppy, arriving after the linens were changed , the lights dimmed, and the people destressed. While her arrival was quiet and easy, she is a very vigorous puppy and doesn't hesitate to belly up to the milk bar!
Guanabara Bay is the Portuguese assimilation of the indigenous Tupi name for the bay/port of Rio de Janeiro. It is the world's largest bay by volume, is incredibly beautiful surrounded by granite rock formations, and has a valuable though badly damaged extensive ecosystem.
Guanabara Bay is the Portuguese assimilation of the indigenous Tupi name for the bay/port of Rio de Janeiro. It is the world's largest bay by volume, is incredibly beautiful surrounded by granite rock formations, and has a valuable though badly damaged extensive ecosystem.
Newborn
The Natural Wonders Litter
Meet the Parents
TinTin
Hips:
Elbows:
Eyes:
Genetics:
Other:
Hips:
Elbows:
Eyes:
Genetics:
Other:
Good
Normal
Normal
Chondrodysplasia (Chinook Dwarfism) - CLEAR
MultiDrug Resistance 1 (MDR1) - 1 Copy of the Variant
CDDY / Invertebral Disc Disease CLEAR
Collie Eye Anomaly CLEAR
Seizure & Allergy Free
ANKAA
Hips:
Elbows:
Eyes:
Genetics:
Other:
Hips:
Elbows:
Eyes:
Genetics:
Other:
OFA Good, PennHIP 0.21/0.29 (90+ %ile)
OFA Normal
CAER Normal
Chondrodysplasia (Dwarfism) CLEAR
MultiDrug Resistance (MDR1) CLEAR
Degenerative Myelopathy CLEAR
CDDY / Invertebral Disc Disease CLEAR
Collie Eye Anomaly CARRIER
Clear of Seizures & Allergies
In Memoriam
Puppy Name:
Sex:
Birth Weight:
Sex:
Birth Weight:
Sagarmatha (suh gr MA thuh)
Female
10.2 oz
Female
10.2 oz
Sagarmatha arrived very easily, and vigorously protested being alone. She wriggled her way between two of her siblings immediately, and then, contented, fell quiet and napped. Mama Ankaa took special care of Sagarmatha while she was with us. She's the first puppy I have had in 13 litters with congenital anomalies, and I am forever grateful she was able to be comforted and cuddled and loved.
Sagarmatha is the Nepali name for the tallest mountain in the world, commonly known as Everest. Sagarmatha means "Goddess of the Sky" and I like to think that she is able to look down on her mama and siblings and I be reminded how much she was loved here.
Sagarmatha is the Nepali name for the tallest mountain in the world, commonly known as Everest. Sagarmatha means "Goddess of the Sky" and I like to think that she is able to look down on her mama and siblings and I be reminded how much she was loved here.
Chinooks are a very rare breed with around 100 puppies born every year. As we have been successful in keeping our dogs from being exploited in puppy mills, we rely on Chinook owners that are willing to keep a male intact or raise a litter to support a diverse gene pool. While all Chinooks are first and foremost pets, some owners participate a bit more directly in sustaining the breed. An owner's contribution can range from simply raising a litter for which I take responsibility for finding and supporting puppy homes, all the way to people starting a new kennel on their own. This helps ensure we have healthy Chinooks in the future! If you are open to discussing this, please contact me for more information.
