Vet checked and ready for home

Snowflake is Molly's daughter and she is sister to Snowball and George. She will be 3 in April and these are her 6 puppies that were born on Thursday. Troy is the father. So when you cross a black dad with a lemon and white mum -this time you get 2 chocolate ones and 4 black ones. Off they went on Saturday morning to Skeldale Vets to see Tim who checked them over,docked and dewclawed them. Flake is an excellent first time mother and she travelled with them though they were wrapped up in warm towels as it is the middle of winter. They were soon home again and tucking into their dinners.

Labrador pups a month on

Here you see our pups. A month has gone by and they are now up and about. They are on solids but still like to go to their mum for a drink. They are happy little characters. Although they are still tempted back to their heat lamp which is on day and night they have started coming out of the kennel and this morning Jack had them on to the grass for the first time.Some were even as good as to go to the toilet when they were out which saves on the cleaning up. They have paper bedding inside and then in the run sawdust.

They have arrived safely

For everyone who is waiting to see what puppies we have got. Here they are arriving late Thursday night early Friday morning. They are all healthy and content.Mother is doing fine and is very proud of them. Have rung to pass on the news to Catherine and Billy Steel snr owners of the sire FTCH Leadburn Viceroy who once again has produced some fine pups.. There is 5 girls and 2 boys. We are going to keep two girls. Although we havent chosen which 2 we are keeping yet, their names will be Holly and Ivy. Quite appropriate for the time of year. It was a very frosty night,the grass was hard and white. The moon was more or less full and it all made for a magical night.

Brendan Kelly and his black Labradors

We had the pleasure of Brendan Kelly with us today on a shoot. Brendan with his black Labradors. So when he changed over at lunchtime with yet another perfectly behaved black dog Anna didn't realise it was a different one to what he had out in the morning. To think Brendan hadn't picked up a gun for a long time he had some excellent shoots and didn't let his dogs down. It was nice to see the 10 month old dog that we had sold him. In the last 4 months he has certainly grown into a big handsome dog.He is by FTCH Leadburn Viceroy.

Update on Fox red Labrador pups

Not into taking too many photos of the pups.The flash makes them look a lot lighter than what they are . In fact we have never had such a dark fox red litter Here you see our month old fox red Labrador pups starting to explore. They are eating like good ones now and Jack is thinking it is time they were going out a bit more.At the weekend he will start to walk them out. By the time these pups are ready for going they will be walked about 200 yards down the road 3-4 times a day. We have a radio in with them I don't think they have a favourite tune but it gets them ready for when they go to their new homes and the big wide world.

We are absolutely delighted....

for Billy and Catherine Steel from Leadburn Kennels on Billy achievement today.Early this afternoon we heard that Billy Steel snr had made his young fox red dog Copperbirch Paddy of Leadburn into a FTCH. It was at the Tay Valley 2 day event in which there were still 12 dogs in on the second day. Now for us mere mortals if we could ever get one dog to be a FTCH that would be a dream come true. Now this man can be called no less than a legend as he has made up an unbelievable 10 FTCHs now.This is sheer dedication not only from himself but from dear Catherine his wife who keeps the rest of the dogs in top form at home when he is away trialing.After the fireworks have died down and the celebrations have finished we hope they sleep well in their beds tonight. Paddy has actually qualified for the IGLs twice. Anna asked if he qualified twice -can he run twice but it doesn't work like that. These are to be held on the 5, 6, 7, Dec on the Nevill Holt Estate in Leics by kind permission of D. Ross Esq. So lets hope Catherine has a bit more silver to polish. The trophies here are from when Paddy qualified the first time . Copperbirch Paddy of Leadburn stands at stud at Leadburn Kennels in Leadhills ,Lanarkshire.-www.leadburngundogs.com.

Cuckavalda Gundogs on Dallowgill Grouse Moors 2011

The shooting season begins with the grouse on the 12th August -better known as the Glorious Twelfth. If the weather is good and the heather is out, glorious it certainly is. Although I take cockers to the moor it is the Labradors that work tirelessly all day. You have to be a crack shot to shoot a grouse as they travel so fast. here you see the dogs working and resting on the Dallowgill Moors near Pateley Bridge in the heart of the North Yorkshire Dales