Lesley and Chris (Janets Sister and Brother in-law) wanted to add a spare (as in heir and spare) to the family, as they love oldest Spaniel, Peggy, SO much
and would hate to be without constant Springer love.

At Greenlow House the family and especialy the children also wanted a 'Rosie' puppy.

'Rosie Lee' (right below) is a 3 year old, liver and white English Springer who lives with "aunty" 'Peggy Lee' a twelve year old Springer and Chris and Lesley at 'The Bungalow at Greenlow'.

Enter local stud 2 year old, black and white, pedigree, Cocker , 'Freckles'
who knew exactly what to do... Good boy 'Freckles'

We were fairly sure that 'Rosie' was pregnant with "Sprockers" ...

After a while we were sure ...

On 21-10-08 in the middle of a birthday party 'Rosie' became agitated and retired to bed.
Between 8pm and midnight she delivered five puppies ...
watched through the bedroom window by about 15 people

The first born we immedialy named 'Happy Dog' she proved to be the only girl in the litter and went on to live with Chris Lesley and her mum Rosie for the rest of her life.

We had prepared a whelping box and heat lamp and all the pups and Rosie were relocated into the cosy protective space.
Lesley sat up all night making sure that all the puppies got equal time on Rosie's titties.

In the morning the vet came to check everyone and advised that Rosie had one more puppy in side her and wanted to scan her at the surgery.
A few hours later after a whiff of gas and air 'Rosie was back
with a sixth puppy strong alive and well. This puppy was named 'Lucky Lee'

'Rosie' was a perfect mum. "How does she know what to do?" She kept the puppies comfortable
fed and cleaned. She spent most of a few weeks in her whelping box (the rails) were useful to
ensure the pups wernt squashed and they enjoyed climbing on them.

Luckily the children were off school the first week and they brought thier packed lunches and
watched over the puppies giving them frequent gentle cuddles.
Aunty 'Peggy' was very interested - but kept a respectful distance.

As the puppies got bigger the whelping box was turned upside down and a run (made from a rabbit run) was set up beside it. This proved perfect to give the pups exercise.
A kitchen unit door, slid between the two, turned the whelping box into the "Diary Room"
where the pups could "chill out".

They soon took to using the run to wee and poo - keeping the furry 'vet bed' fairly clean.
(Still needed a change and wash every day and two or three changes of paper).
It was easy to herd the pups into either the run or box to clean either end.

16-1-08 All of the pups have been homed.

The first born was the only girl puppy named "Happy Dog" and she will stay with
Chris, Lesley, Rosie and Peggy.

Happy and Rosie
(Happy is actually quite a bit smaller than Rosie and a lot smaller than her brothers)

The only black and white one was a boy and is named 'Max' and lives next door at Greenlow House with the family and children. (Update 1st Jan 2010 Max now has a best friend to live with called Lexie a Great Dane puppy who joined Max when max was 2 years old )

Max and Lexie
(Max and Lexie were introduced when Lexie was only a few months old it wasn't long before Lexie was three times the size of Max)

A very gentle pup was nick named 'Cuddle Lee' and now lives with his dad Freckles and family 'Cuddle Lee' is now called Rolo.

All the boys were happy to be held and did not wriggle the one with the freckelyest nose had a mark on his bottom the shape of a Micky Mouse head. He was named 'Micky' and originaly lived nearby at Greenlow cottage running around the stables and horses in an acre of land.
(Update 1st Jan 2010 ... However he proved to be too much for the existing dogs in the house. Spaniels dont share owners easily. Micky was offered the job of flushing hound on an estate that organises weekly shooting parties. Soon after he started he was promoted to gun dog and now works the job he was bred for including being entered in off season contest )

'Lucky Lee' was the puppy delivered by Ceasarian
Lucky's first family (though experienced with Spaniels) - found that the dad was alergic to puppy fur ...
SO Lucky was returned to Chris and Lesley
Her next home was living localy to us all with mum dad and three children who are having a puppy for the first time. Dad was nervous ....

(Update 1st Jan 2010 ... A year or so later Chris was reading a local parish magazine 'The Meldreth Matters'. The article was written by local school children and they were asked to write about the "best thing that happened last year". There were the expected tales of holiday trips and new computers and playstations, but one very well written, and very emotional story caught Chris's eye above all.
It started ... "dad did not want us to have a puppy" and went on to tell how he "gave it a go" and ended up loving it more than every one in the family, except the writer, who obviously loved the puppy dearly. I was almost in tears reading the story but the flood gates opened wide as I read the last line and realised who had written the story it read
"The puppies name is Lucky".

'Lucky' stays at our boarding kennel when they go on holiday so we get to see him often.

Lucky in his last few years has moved to Scotland - running in fields of snow.
Lucky will probably be the healthiest and most long lived (and ultimatly most loved) pup of the litter.
Lucky 'Lucky'

Lucky
(Lucky playing with his brother Max while staying at the kennels)

'Patch' is the "posh pooch" now lives with a lovely mum, dad and teen daughter in Notting Hill London (round the corner from Rebeca Loos don't you know) It is lovely to think of one of our Greenlow puppies walking in the park with celebrities.

Here is "posh pooch" 'Patch' before he left us beside 'Rosie' (right) and sister 'Happy' (left).

Some say that Spanials are a handfull but our experience is that they just need love and they give back ten times as much. They will run forever but are just as happy sitting all day at your feet.
I work at home and I am with Happy, Peggy and Rosie all day but they are happy to go off and sleep in another room in fact they are a VERY good example of just how to relax.

(Update 1st Jan 2010 ... Happy and Rosie are great together every day they play teasing chase me games and wrestle each other holding each others collars with thier teeth. We cant let them near our chickens I am sure they would kill them outright. They race round and round the chicken pen if I would let them.
Happy did start wandering off outside our boundaries and we were worried she would cause an accident. We took advice and changed her diet feeding her Eagle Pack biscuit with Nature Diet meat packs from inside a large rubber 'Kong' we also put the biscuits in a screwed up plastic milk bottle. This takes Happy about 15 minutes to eat and it is a puzzle and a game that satisfies her instincts and cures her insecurities. This has worked a treat. Rosie now has the same but Peggy is too set in her ways at 13yrs old to take up such strange habits)

AND WHAT HAPPENED 14 YEARS LATER .

Coco joined Chris and Lesley as an 8 week old puppy in 2017
She is a fine small chocolate Cocker of no pedigree but healthy and good natured and has been with Chris and Lesley keeping Happy Dog (who was then 11 years old) active for 3 years

In 2021 Coco gave birth to 6 puppies and one was another chocolate Cocker ...
Her name is Cookie and she stayed with Chris and Lesley

Cookie became best friend to Happy Dog in her last year.
Happy Dog developed a tumour and was deaf and was suffering dementia ....
Cookie washed her eyes, gently played with her, sensed when she wanted to go out for a wee or poo
and went with her to remind her what to do and bring her back in as Happy was SO suffering dementia

Happy Dog left us in April 2022 she was 14yrs old... She enjoyed Cookies kindness for almost a year

Night Night Happy Dog XXXX 2008 to 2022