A Look Back and a Happy Barkday!

Let's start this blog post with a big, loud cheer: Happy 1st Birthday to the Three Musketeers!

Hip hip hooray for Athos, Porthos aka Teddy, and Aramis aka Metka! We are so proud of you and can’t wait to see what the next chapter brings.

A Quick Look Back at 2025 So Far:

The year began with high hopes — we attempted to mate Suzi and Webs, but unfortunately, it didn't work out. Originally, we planned to use a male from Sweden, but as every breeder knows, you can't program a bitch to come into season on command (oh, if only we could!).

So we gave it a go with our backup plan: Webs. Sadly, there was no successful mating. We're now waiting for Suzi’s next heat cycle to try again — this time either with our pick from Finland or possibly another chance with Webs. Lesson learned? Don’t keep her at home during that time; Suzi tends to be a bit submissive around the other girls. Then came Nancy. We had a plan to travel to Finland for her, too. But again, timing is everything — and the timing wasn’t on our side. The backup male was ready and willing, but Nancy? Not so much. So we’ll wait for her next heat and hope that Finland is in the cards then. Eye Testing Results – All Clear (UA):

Suzi - UA (not mine, but I covered the cost)

Webs - UA

Nancy - UA

Brauny - UA(not mine, but I covered the cost)

Keiko - UA(not mine, but I covered the cost)

Mys - UA About Mys…

She turned six this year. I debated for a while — should I? Should I not?

In the end, I went with "Let’s see what happens." So we visited Keiko, her would-be partner and muscle-packed "grandson." Keiko was certainly ready, but Mys wasn’t. I figured we might’ve been a day too early or too late.

I planned to drive down again after my show writing duties that Saturday — if Webs showed signs that Mys was ready. But Webs didn’t seem too interested... so I stayed put. Of course, once we got back home, Webs got very interested. Typical.

Fortunately, we caught a lucky break. Keiko’s owners happened to be visiting the same place where I was working at the show. So I asked them to take Mys out of the car... just to see. And surprise — it happened! Accidents Happen — Thank Dog for Insurance

While we were trying to mate Nancy, chaos struck. Nancy and Maffe got into a scuffle (with Mys playing instigator), and Maffe ended up with a punctured front leg.

We were at Budor at the time, and let’s just say finding a vet nearby wasn’t exactly easy. We ended up heading home and getting an appointment with our regular vet.

Maffe was sedated, shaved, and thoroughly cleaned. Antibiotics and Metacam followed.

Not even two weeks later, drama again — "grandma" tried giving treats to the dogs (poor Webs, surrounded by hormonal girls). A treat ended up on the floor, and during the chaos, Webs accidentally tore a chunk off Maffe’s ear.

As anyone who’s dealt with ear injuries knows: ears BLEED. A lot. Cue frantic calls to every clinic within reach after 4 PM. Luckily, Sarpsborg Smådyrklinikk (the fourth place we tried!) could squeeze us in.

Sedation again. This time: stitches, more painkillers, and antibiotics.

Poor Maffe. But she’s been a trooper. Both wounds healed nicely, and thankfully, insurance covered everything except the deductible.

Poor Maffe

So, that’s our year so far. Full of plans, surprises, and a fair share of chaos — but also a whole lot of love.

Here's to the rest of 2025! (picture of Athos is by Kristin Kråkenes, picture of Metka is by Anna Hoskari and picture of Teddy is by Trine Jespersen)