In Piper's Dream

03/08/2025

Looking to buy Canadian made dogfood? Here at In Piper's Dream we have been using Inukshuk Professional Dog Food to fuel our breeding dogs and puppies. We are trusted resellers for Inukshuk and have been for 5 years!

03/07/2025

Please read Tessa's blog on slippery floors ... it's an important !

The Hidden Danger of Slippery Floors for Dogs

03/03/2025

Baby “Fiona” 💜

“Fiona” will be joining our pack on March 23. #4

03/03/2025

The are all settled nicely into their homes and families. I love opening up my phone to new comments and photos of them . They will be 11 weeks old on Wednesday and look how they are changing!!

03/02/2025

Some great info here on feeding dogs from our friends in PEI ! Student from the AVC did a presentation ! All I've learned is that you can never stop learning!

03/02/2025

I’m going to think of portraits of all the crew this year!!

Edit to Poppy’s…

Enjoying retirement..living life like the Queen she is !
Has a new boyfriend…a little red fox 🦊 who lives down the road.

03/02/2025

Sharing again because this is a wonderful read , especially for people with young puppies!

Puppies are not supposed to be “obedient”, focused, patient or calm…that’s a houseplant you’re thinking of… 😂

Different areas of the brain, so different abilities, develop along different timelines in young puppies. Puppy’s behaviour can provide us with insight about how development is proceeding. For the brain to develop normally, it must be challenged, experiencing appropriate feedback from puppy’s world.

But here’s the problem. These processes are time dependent. The brain must be exposed to certain types of challenge, providing feedback from their world, at particular developmental stages.

The puppy’s behaviour informs of where they are in terms of development, and we must respond accordingly with appropriate challenge to support and enhance that development.

While teaching and learning is certainly important for young puppies, concentrating on our human constructs and expectations, such as ‘obedience’, is not a good use of our time. We have limited time to make sure we support puppy in developing complex skills and tendencies through appropriate exposure.

There are many contributors to these processes, including puppy’s genetic background, and related effects, early exposure, particularly that in puppy’s first five weeks, and clues from the behavioural tendencies of related individuals.

This early work we implement in puppy’s first weeks and months are among the foundations upon which your dog’s adult behaviour is built. We get the payoff months and years later.

We take an enrichment approach to behavioural development, which is often different from “socialisation” lists, puppy classes and play groups.
Just like children, puppies need time early on (their first weeks) to develop skills that will support them throughout life. Prioritising ‘academics’ at this time misses the mark.

If you were hoping to have a patient, obedient, focused, non-biting, appropriate toileting and chewing, calm wee-beastie, a puppy may not be for you 😉…and if you wish for those things in an adult dog, prioritising behavioural development with appropriate challenge, social & environmental exposure in their first weeks is where you start.

02/27/2025

02/27/2025

Corn in dogfood …is it always a “Bad” ingredient?

Corn gluten meal can be used as a source of protein in dogfoods, this is considered a “filler protein “ as it’s a cheap way to add to a kibble’s protein value. Corn gluten meal is the fraction of the corn kernel left after the starch, fiber and most of the germ has been removed…leaving an incomplete poor quality protein.

Whole Grain Corn , when finely ground, is a highly digestible carbohydrate. In this form it also contains more fibre, more protein & less starch than other corn derived products. It also contains lineoleic acid, an essential fatty acid.

Reading labels is very important, but unless one understands how an ingredient is rendered all things should not be considered equal.

02/21/2025

Lexie Lou would like to announce her retirement. The last of her puppies have flown the nest.

Lexie is hands down one of the most loveable girls in the crew ( but don't tell the other girls I said so). She did a fantastic job raising her beautiful puppies.

Future plans include:
- playing with the herding ball
- walks on Evangeline beach
-playing with her jolly egg and the buoy in the tree
- runs out to Mosquito Point
- drives in the car
- playing soccer and chasing the chuck it ball... grabbing a frisbee or two
-puzzles with mum and frozen , yummy Kongs
- cooling off in the dog pool and swimming in the pond ( who knows maybe she will try dock diving).

I'm sure there will be more to add to this list as Lexie is a happy , playful, goofy gal who loves her balls, runs and the water.

Thank you Lexie for the pups you brought into this world and cared for so thoroughly. I'm sure you will keep up the role as "Auntie Lexie" and continue to play with future IPD puppies.

02/07/2025

Hi there ! I'm waiting for you!!

02/07/2025

02/07/2025

Found at daylight, Dixie is home safe and sound !! Thank you everyone for sharing and caring !

HAPPY ENDING: Home; Safe N' Sound. We thank all that cared and shared. Thrilled that Dixie made her way back home. "She showed up on the step as soon as it was light out" (2.6.25 - 2.7.25)

LOST DOG: Grand Pré/ Kings County FEMALE: Border Collie, 3 years old, tri-coloured, predominately black coat, black face with white 'patch' on right side of muzzle, left side has a wee bit, wee white dot on top of head, white on neck and white chest, left front leg is white, right front leg is black with a tan sock and white tip, back legs are tan and black, wearing a red and blue collar, microchipped. NAME: Dixie She went missing on Feb. 6/25. If you have any information contact Sheila

02/06/2025

Sensational Seamus seems to be another Lexie "Mini Me"... not only does he look so much like her. He also seems to have a lot of her favorite play things in common! I will say he inherited Red's cute tongue out pose!!

From Mum:

Life with Seamus continues to be an adventure. He loves to sniff and run and swim. His favourite addition to his collection of balls is a big herding ball - rain or shine or snow. He continues to charm the staff at daycare. Last year Seamus got a new feline overlord (Ollie) and they became great friends, even if Seamus doesn't want to share his new bed.