THE BUMPASS PADDOCK

Hey Hounders, J.E.B. here with the continuing tour of the dog property here at The Bumpass Hounds yard. The Newfs showed off their pen and doghouse the other day so now it's our turn. We Retrievers, there are 7 of us, have a much larger area to romp in. Our paddock extends along the two straight sides of our pie shaped lot. The yard's pointy end is way out at the back of the big house so our paddock looks like an upside down "V" with the right leg about 10 feet wide and the left leg about 25 feet wide. The picture here shows the right leg paddock run that goes from the Newf's pen along the right side of the house down to the pointy end of the property, there it hangs a 90 degree left turn down to the shed near the detached garage. Dad took this picture last year when we were out playing in the snow. All of the trees in the paddock are broadleaf hardwoods, we don't have any evergreens in there. That makes it look barren in the fall and winter but it's nice and shady during the spring and summer. All of us retrievers spend the night in the big house MBR with mom and dad. The Newf's sleep in the attached garage kennel. Well, now you know how the backyard pen and paddock are laid out. We have lots of room and can run, romp and play so we get really tuckered out and sleep well at night. - The Bumpass Hounds




This is the run that runs from the Newf's pen down to the back paddock area.










This is the lower paddock down at the back of the yard beyond the drain field.

This is the far back paddock down to the left side of the yard. It goes down past the yard shed and stops out by the detached garage.

THE NEWF'S PEN AND HOUSE

<- MAX AND SHILOH'S ->

PEN AND DOGHOUSE

Hey Hounders, Max and Shiloh here to give you some insight into how we are getting along with the winter weather. We have a kennel in the attached house garage which is insulated and heated. We have big crates in there and that's where we sleep and eat. There is door that goes out to the back patio which is part of the enclosed dog paddock. Our dad built us a big pen along the side of the house and it is inside the paddock area. The Retrievers were bugging us and bothering us a lot and we were having "discussions" about who was the Alpha Dog. So in order to stop the arguing, dad built us our pen. After dad built the pen he figured we needed to have a doghouse to go into in case of rain showers or what ever. It is 4 feet deep and 8 feet wide. It's about 4 feet high at it peak with a 3 foot high back wall. He leveled it so we aren't leaning or tilted when we're inside. The Retrievers have the rest of the big paddock to hang out in and they can also go on to the patio that's under the back deck. Now the Retrievers and us can discuss our difference with the fence between us. We also have a self filling water trough that dad bought in a farm store. So generally, we spend fair weather days outside in our pen and sleep in the kennel at night. We take all of our meals in the kennel. We also go into the kennel if it's really freezing outside or snowing or raining; anytime the weather is too bad for us to be out. We don't get in as much trouble for breaking furniture in the house or chasing the CATS. It's pretty cool. We don't have it too bad at all.

-Max and Shiloh of The Bumpass Hound

This is the newf's new doghouse out in their paddock along the right side of the big house. We also have two porches to lay on so we don't HAVE to be in the mud.

This is is the Newf's pen to the lower right with their porches and doghouse. The upper left shows the paddock run heading down to the lower paddock that runs along the swale.

Max's Puppy Photos

Four days old (04/24/2007)

About 8 weeks old

About 3 Months old

LIKE CATS AND DOGS

Hey Hounders, It's the Bumpass Cats here with some information for interested readers. We've received some comments wondering how we 3 cats manage to live wth 9 rather large dogs. Well, it really isn't that difficult. The Landseers (Newfoundlans) Max and Shiloh are REALLY big and they like to wrestle and they bump into stuff a lot. Sooooooo, they don't come into the living areas too often. They come inside for grooming and brushing. They have really big kennel crates inside the house's attached garage, which is insulated and heated. The garage has a door that leads out into the enclosed dog paddock. The Newfs sleep in their inside kennel at night. Our dad built them their own outside pen within the enclosed dog paddock and then he built them a really cool big doghouse inside their pen area. During good weather they spend the day outside in their pen. So that's how us cats deal with the Newfs; we don't really have to. The Retrievers and us cats intermingle all of the time though. We cats are pretty agile and have learned to sidestep when the hounds are moving. Fortunately the hounds tend to rest a lot and are generally sprawled out sleeping. We cats also have the capability to get into the gated "no dog" zones (the living room and upstairs bedrooms, TV room and office). Jenny is the only animal that can comfortably get under the big bed in the MBR so she has set up her own "apartment" under there.; even Alex and Boru don't fit under there. There are two rooms, the downstairs utility room and the downstairs linen closet, that have cat door so that food bowls and liter boxes are safe from canine intrusion. The Retriever dogs get along very well with us cats. As a matter of fact, Boru kinda thinks he's a dog. We can hang out in the two cat trees in the kitchen dining area and on the kitchen island counter top. We have fleece lined cat cubes located in the living room. the upstairs TV room and upstairs office. We also have a kitty play set and kitty toy box that has now been moved downstairs in the "no dog" part of the family area, they used to be in the living room. So we Bumpass Cats have a "live and let live" philosophy with The Bumpass Hounds. Mom and dad seem to have enough love to share with all 12 of us. - Alex, Boru and Jenny = The Bumpass Hounds Kitties

Below: Boru cuddles with J.E.B. Next; Jubal, Jack & Boru

Chance & Boru

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2009 - IT'S RESOLUTION TIME

BUMPASS HOUNDS AND KITTIES 2009 RESOLUTIONS

Homer: I will stay in the back yard and not go out front and take off down/up the street. I will not chase cars and/or trucks. I will try to minimize the number of toys that I rip apart. I will try not to fart around Mom as much as I do now. I will try to be a good boy.

Jubal: I will try my best not to wander away from the front yard when my nose picks up really nice sniffs. I will immediately return to the yard when Mom or Dad call me. I will try to be a good boy.

J.E.B.: I will try not to spasm out; I will think harder and I will continue to love everyone. I will practice my snow angels everyday. I will try to be a good boy.

Sophie: I will continue on my diet and I will weigh about 80 pounds by Christmas 2009. I will try not to bark as much especially when mom asks me to be quiet. I will make all of the Bumpass Hounds glad that I am living here. I will try not to rip apart too many toys. I will try to be a good girl.

Shelby Belle: I will try not to pee whenever I get excited. I will try not to counter surf every time I come in to the house. I will not fight with Jack unless he starts it. I will try to be a good girl.

Jackson: I will try to remember that Max and Shiloh are 3 or 4 times bigger and heavier than me and can easily beat me up. I will try not to be Alpha Dog all of the time. I will try not to fight with Max, Shiloh, Shelby, and Abby. I will try to be a good boy.

Abby (Dabby-Doo): I will try not to poke or scratch Mom while we are sleeping in the big bed at night. I will try not to poke or scratch Dad when we are sleeping in the big bed at night. I will try not to fight with Jack unless he starts it. I will not growl in the neutral zones. I will try to be a good girl.

Max: I will try to be a gentle giant breed and will not bite any other dog, especially Jack, unless they bite me first. I will try not to knock Dad over or dislocate his shoulders. I will try really hard not to spill my kibble all over my crate and the kennel floor. I will try to sing only between the hours of 7 Am and 10 PM. I will try to be a good boy.

Shiloh: I will try not to knock Dad over or dislocate his shoulders. I will try not to aggravate Abby as much as I do now. I won't stick my nose in her crate when I walk by in the kennel. I will try not to dig holes or rip the fence in my pen. I will try to sing only between the hours of 7 AM and 10 PM. I will not sit in my pen and bark at mom in the dining room window. I will try to be a good girl.

Alex: I will try not to spill water from bowls while drinking. I will try not to howl for my chicken. I will try not to harass Jenny just for the fun of it. I will not hate my brother Boru or bite his neck (unless he starts it). I will try not to lick Mom's lips or teeth while she is sleeping in the big bed at night. I will minimize the amount of kitty whoopass with Boru. I will not make disgusting slurping sounds while cleaning myself. I will try to be a good boy.

Boru: I will try to do my business only in my liter box unless dad doesn't clean it out every day and then all bets are off. I will try not to harass her highness Jenny just to hear her scream. I will not hate my brother Alex. I will try not to be the common denominator for all kitty mischievous. I will try to be a good boy.

Jenny: I will try to continue to be perfect. I will promptly tell my mom (or dad) whenever Alex or Boru are doing bad things or bothering me, or touching me or anything else. I will try to be a purr-fect good girl.

Mom and Dad: We will try to be patient and as accommodating as possible to the creatures with which we are so fortunate and privileged to be sharing our home. We will continue to spoil them to the best of our ability, we will clean up after them and repair the damage as we go. We will try to make it to 2010. We will try to be a good girl and a good boy.

WE WISH EVERYONE A HAPPY AND PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR

Huffle Mawson, the world famous Explorer Cat from Australia (http://hufflemawson.blogspot.com/), has started a game where bloggers post their baby pictures. So we're gonna play, with a different Bumpass Hound pack member posting his/her baby picture on regular postings. For today, New Year's day 2009, we proudly present our own girl Landseeer (Newfoundland) Dog, Ms. Shiloh. Shi was born om April 24, 2007. She has put on a few pounds and is a svelte 160+ pounds today.

BABY SHILOH @ 1 DAY OLD

(2nd from left with the black spot on her rump)