Ruby – American Cocker Spaniel

If you are frequent visitor to our house, you will likely hear someone say “Patience is a virtue.”  Sam’s grandma used to quote the phrase, as did his mom, so it is ingrained in him. Our daughters have also picked up on it, sometimes humorously. In fact, one of them has it as her motto on her Facebook page.

The Puritans had many important values, some of which we could benefit from today: patience, hope, joy, grace, charity, wisdom, justice, and harmony, just to name a few.  It was fun to observe the puppies and choose a name for each of them, based on what fit their personality. 

Charity – Female

Wisdom – Male

Grace – Female

Justice – Male – Reserved

Patience – Female

Ruby – American Cocker Spaniel

Ruby gave birth to a stunning litter, full of magic. We were spellbound.  Naturally, we chose magical creatures as the theme for her litter.  On those cold winter days, it is fun to read myths and fairy tales from around the world and imagine beings that are beyond anything we have seen face-to-face.

Phoenix– Male

Griffin – Male

Pixie – Female

Elfin – Female

Choosing a litter theme is always fun. In fact, we have a computer folder full of theme ideas, ranging from winter weather to fall apples. This time we chose to name the puppies after Beatles songs.

We have always loved the Beatles. Their songs are classic; it is impossible not to sing along. The harmonies are perfect. The lyrics appear simple, but they are full of hidden meaning. The Beatles were inventive, playful, and creative, and their themes of peace and love resonate with us.

Sgt. Pepper – Male
Named after Seargent Pepper’s Lonely Heart Club Band

Maxwell – Male
Named after Maxwell’s Silver Hammer

Eleanor – Female
Named after Eleanor Rigby

Luna – Cocker Spaniel

Luna’s puppies were born in the winter, a time to dream of travel and other places.  The theme for the litter became cartography, the science of maps. Creating and reading maps seems to be a vanishing art. We have become so dependent on GPS systems and navigation apps that the maps that used to sit in the side pocket of the front door of our cars have made it to the back seat, the trunk, or a shelf at home. Yet I have so many good memories of reading maps from when I was a kid. Sometimes I just enjoyed browsing the atlas and dreaming of visiting other countries and continents. Welcome to the world of maps.

MERCATOR – Male

LEGEND – Male

MERIDIAN – Female

TOPO – Male

HEMI – Female

Stella – Cocker Spaniel

Luna – American Cocker Spaniel

Luna’s due date was the Fourth of July. We had anticipated being busy in the whelping room. Instead we got to celebrate the day with the newborn puppies.

As we looked at the array of colors and compared it to the night sky, it was obvious that there could only be one theme: fireworks. Fireworks are mesmerizing, as is a litter of newborn puppies. They seem almost magical as they fill the sky with stars, comets, candles, flowers, and waterfalls of light. Like the impending birth of a puppy, fireworks leave us in suspense. We know they are coming, yet we are on the edge of our seats before each burst of light. The same was true with Luna’s litter. Each puppy burst out of the amniotic sac, with some help from mom, and emerged, dripping wet, in a beautiful color to become part of Luna’s Fireworks. 

BLAZE – Female

COMET – Female

STAR – Female

BOOM – Male

FLARE – Male

SPARKLE – Female