The Even Star litter, 5 weeks old

Steady and Star's litter is growing by leaps and bounds, changing almost daily. Each pup is really starting to show their character, their attention to details, and their approach to the world around them.

This time I'll work backward in birth order, with a short description and a photo of each of the 11 pups.

Midnight was the last born, a sweet female who is not pushed around by any of the other pups. She is not instigating tussles, but will stand her ground when others might pick a fight. She comes to sit at my feet and look up with great eye contact, and seems to enjoy being held and petted (as they all do).

Midnight is either seal (like Star) or black, with very minimal white.

Gage, the tenth born, a male with an almost comical side. Gage is likely pick of the litter, and we are looking for a breeding placement for him, in a traditional farm setting or active dog-sport family where he can prove himself.

Gage is bold, active, forceful with the other pups, and a leader. He also comes up with the funniest photos of any of the pups, as if he was auditioning for being a cartoon dog model with many expressions. This one reminds us so much of his sire Steady, just a different color. Don't let the demure gaze fool you, he is an active boy with a lot of spunk.

Lyra, who was the smallest pup, is no longer the smallest! Midnight and Lyra are now approximately the same size, as Lyra is eating well and catching up!

Lyra is a spunky sassy girl, able to tell any of her siblings to "back off!" and was observed pinning the larger pup Gage to the ground with her sheer determination. Lyra has exceptional eye contact, and quickly sits to look up at us, whenever there might be a chin scratch coming her way. She is a wonderful puppy.

Sable is shaping up to be quite the looker, with his dark sable coat and black mask. He is a fun, curious puppy, not pushy with the others but not a pushover, either. He loves to play with his big sister Sunni (from our 2025 litter), and also does quite well with any of the pups in the litter.

He is fun to watch, as he interacts with us or romps with the litter. Not forceful, not the first to try anything, but very nice for a companion home or farm placement.

Promise, a beautiful girl who is seeming to be seal with minimal white, rather than black. Promise might have the black mask over seal coloring, which would not be truly visible given the dark coat to start with.

She is an in-tune pup, happy to come and sit by our feet, and she gave a sharp "I'm here!" bark at a visitor's feet the other day, so as not to be left out of the chin scratches being given out. Promise was the first to kiss someone on the chin. A very sweet pup with a side of English Shepherd playfulness and energy.

Vesper, 6th born female, has some color changes going on. Dark fur is definitely growing in on her face, and she may have the dark mask from her dad after all. Time will tell.

Vesper is one of the girls who love to be near us, love to be by our shoes or in our laps, and she will still fall asleep next to our chair if we stay in one place for a while.

Great eye contact.

Her temperament is soft and gentle, although she will roll around and tussle with the boldest of the litter. She is a very nice, playful girl. In this photo, she had discovered that sand can be a fun thing to play in, and was digging and nosing it, waiting for a chance to stalk and then pounce on a nearby littermate.

Sparky, 5th born, male. He has white on all four paws, and we've heard from so many that they once had a black male dog with four white paws, named Sparky. :)

Sparky and Beacon share a lot of similarities, and temperament is almost interchangeable. Sparky may be more observant, while Beacon is more playful. Sparky quite often sits back, observes what is happening, and then joins in when it suits him.

He has great eye contact, and sits well for chin scratches or for a puppy milk bone treat.

Cole is a nice, solid male pup. He seems to be seal (with minimal white) rather than black, but it could be puppy coat showing that deep chocolate tinge.

Cole is probably the boldest of the male pups, and also could be the largest. He has seemed fearless in new situations, and is quick to walk over to new people and not show any sign of being shy. He can put on a fierce show of growling over a littermate, but melts into my lap if I scoop him up to suggest a gentler approach. Very playful, very happy to be wherever.

One thing that was interesting, Big Sister Sunni was in the pen with the pups, cleaning up a few kibbles that had gotten lost in the straw. Cole received a warning from Sunni, and promptly put himself into the dog house and napped for a while, as if he keenly felt that the reprimand was undeserved. I really like this pup. He is second in line (in my mind) for "pick" of litter.

Gale continues to be the bravest, boldest and most vocal of the bunch. Who followed me into the dark barn without a second thought? This pup. Who sounds off the loudest when she'd like to be out of the puppy pen? Gale.

She does not usually seem fearful, and has ventured off in different directions with littermates trailing behind. We have not ventured far from the house or barn yet, but I expect it will be Gale and possibly Cole who follow eagerly out into the back acre, this week or next.

Great eye contact, great attention to details.

Beacon, 2nd born, a really nice male pup. He has a fun side to him, and really loves attention. He is a larger male (possibly equal to Gage and Cole), very similar in temperament to Sparky, and quite happy to play and romp around with his littermates.

He will watch the action, join in where it suits him, or make up his own fun. This photo is one of many from about 5 minutes of him enjoying time on his back, playfully continuing to ask me for more belly scratches.

Tara, first born, a very nice female who is not as take-charge as Gale, and has a fun playful side. She does like to watch the action, then join in. Tara is possibly the largest female, shaded sable with possibly the black mask from Steady, really a beauty.

She has been quick to take in her surroundings and feel comfortable enough to romp or zoom around, happy to wait with paws over the playpen doorway just watching with bright eyes on me, and also quick to come running at the sound of "Puppy, puppy PUPPY!" for the next meal.

Exceptional eye contact.

All of the pups are growing nicely, enjoying milk from mom but voraciously chowing down on their Fromm Puppy kibble, and expanding their horizons daily. This is an exceptional group of English Shepherds.

In the coming weeks, we have puppy visits and Volhard temperament testing coming up. The first 7 placements will be determined soon after September 26. Most of these are working homes or experienced English Shepherd homes.

Pups who remain after the initial placements will be matched to applications on our wait list, with phone calls being made to confirm that those pups are accepted by the person waiting to know... It is a process that can be daunting, but also needs to be fair.

My hope for most pups after the initial placements are made, is that they go to experienced English Shepherd homes, or to working or hobby farms. A few could go to active dog sport or suburban homes, depending on the next few weeks of personalities developing.

By September 30, I hope to have contacted all who are on the wait list, so that we know that all of the pups have their homes lined up. For anyone on the wait list, I hope to have other litters to suggest, as the number waiting will exceed the number of available pups.

By October 3 or in the week or two to follow, they will be headed to new adventures,

Time is flying by!