BLAZE'S PROGENY
We were fortunate that before his untimely death due to a freak accident and its consequences, our stunning young dog fathered not one but two beautiful litters of puppies - those from Ruby, planned and anticipated for many months - and those from Honey, a lucky bonus. At the time we were not amused to have Honey's show career interrupted by an unplanned litter, but time has a way of revealing the workings of an intelligence far greater than our own!
All fifteen puppies were born black and white with a "look" of their sire, most clearly seen in the males but definitely there in the females as well, with their sweet expressions and darkest of eyes. A few of these pups will enter the show ring in due course, and may well do us proud, but all will we hope be loved and treasured as the very special Beardies they will become......
We look forward to regular updates from their new owners, but here in the meantime are a selection of farewell pictures from recent weeks......
First to leave us was the lively "LOLA" (Talraz Wild Honey), one of Blaze's four daughters ex Honey, now living just a few miles down the road from us with Tony, Debbie, Hannah, Stephanie, Emily, and brown Beardie friend Hebe, another Talraz girl.
We should be able to watch LOLA grow up as like HEBE, she will be visiting us regularly for attention to her grooming and bathing needs. Deb and Tony have been Talraz Beardie owners since acquiring their first Beardie JAZZ (Talraz Jasmine) in 1984, and we have every confidence that they will do a great job with young LOLA
Bev and Nigel from Cumbria are also long-time Beardie owners with a great passion for the breed, and young "BERTIE" (Talraz Blazing Saddles) also goes to join an older Beardie friend - this time it's MONTY (Talraz Mackenzie), litter brother to our own DIVA and a keen agility dog. When BERTIE (a son of Ruby) is a little older we hope to hear news of his introduction to the agility circuit.
With his striking good looks and a strong resemblance to his late sire, BERTIE is sure to turn heads wherever he goes!
The firstborn of Honey's pups was this bitch (Talraz Taste of Honey) who with her dark face and bright manner so much reminded us all of her aunt Diva, and "DIVA" has now become her pet name as she starts a new life with Stuart, Anne and family in Scotland.
First-time Beardie owners and new to the NR philosophies, the family have expressed a willingness to be guided, and young DIVA has the potential to be a great teacher dog, with a huge love of life and the true Beardie spark of intelligence
We always liked this son of Honey's, and he was often on the shortlist for those looking for a dog puppy to show, but somehow kept being bypassed. However a chance phone call brought Mish up from Kent to view him, and they fell for one another hook, line and sinker!
Named by us for his father and his maternal grandmother, young "ROBBIE" (Talraz Silver Blaze) is helping to heal the sadness caused by Mish's recent loss of her beloved Beardie boy Drew, and we hope with a little encouragement Mish and Liam will venture into the show ring once again. In the meantime ROBBIE is having fun in his new home and being shown the ropes by resident Beardies Alistair and Ella, plus Affenpinscher Wally
Lyn was following the fortunes of these puppies even before they were born, and was first in the queue to select her personal pick, being drawn to Honey's big plainly marked son almost from her first visit. Now named "TULLY" this wise and gentle boy (Talraz Trailblazer) has a look of his great-great-grandfather Bruce (Ch Chriscaro Charlock at Merrythorpe) at the same age and we hope Lyn - and Jeremy - will be able to have some fun with him around the shows when he is a little older.
In the meantime TULLY is busy cheering up Lyn, Jeremy, and new Sheltie friend Flynn, after their recent sad losses
Christine set her heart on a puppy from Honey over three years ago, so "SMUDGE" (Talraz Honeysuckle) is a dream come true at last, and we hope will live up to expectations!
SMUDGE has tons of personality, is active and strong-willed, and it looks as if she has all the essentials to do well in the show ring, besides keeping everyone on their toes at home, especially her uncle CAWLEY (Blaze's brother) We wish Christine a lot of fun with her.......
Another lady who waited a long time for her new puppy from Ruby is Kirstine, and helping her choose her puppy was both simple and one of the hardest things we have ever done! Simple because our instructions were - "Another softie like CREAGLION...." - and difficult because all the puppies were very lovable and establishing which one was likely to fit the bill was quite a challenge.
However "FHEARCHAIR" (Talraz Photo Finish) once he had got his nose in front of the others proved he could do that job admirably, and was quickly nicknamed "Mr Cuddles" for the rest of his time here, and became something of a charmer - and for Kirstine it was love at first sight. FHEARCHAIR goes to join his uncle CREAGLION and his Shih Tzu friend BRUACH, dividing his time between Cheadle Hulme and Scotland, and we know will be thoroughly adored!
Jim, Helen, and their three boys have wanted a Beardie of their own for some time, enjoying meeting Beardies in action at The Glebe, and being among the first to visit when the puppies were small
They took their time choosing "BARNEY" (Talraz Starter's Orders), finding something to like about all the puppies, and are committed to doing the best they can to ensure this little chap is happy and healthy. Being only twenty minutes away means they are well placed if advice or practical help is needed!
Graham and Doreen were looking for a handsome male to join their team of Beardies, and hopefully accompany his aunt EBONY (sister to Blaze) on the trips to the dog shows. With only a little persuasion they agreed "BLAKE" was the one, and so this son of Ruby's will be joining Honey's two boys in the show ring before too long, and we will be proud to see the three of them carry Blaze's legacy onwards.
"BLAKE" (Talraz Royal Ascot) is an intelligent, sensitive puppy who totally won our hearts while he was here, and we know his new owners appreciate his many qualities and will do their best to see he achieves his full potential, in memory of Blaze
Ian, Liz and their daughter Robyn are also long-time Beardie owners who found themselves sadly without any, as their beloved friends one by one passed on - but they had a vacancy in their hearts and in their lives for another Beardie to cherish, and when they met "MILLIE" (Talraz Full Gallop) for the first time it was once again a question of love at first sight
"MILLIE , like her mum Ruby, is a total sweetheart, and we know the family will be well suited with this little girl, very plainly-marked with no white collar at all, and strikingly pretty
It was very hard to let this little lad go - as the smallest of all of the fifteen pups, just keeping up with the others was a daily struggle for him in the early weeks, and sometimes he worried us, but what he lacked in stature "MYLLO" (Talraz Blaze The Trail) more than made up for in sheer character and intelligence - and with his great presence, sweet expression, and superb ground-covering movement he often had a look of his sire, in miniature. We couldn't help but find him a little bit special, and luckily he has found just the right family to be fully appreciated.
Kevin, Carol, and their daughter Liane are real Beardie fans, and we hope that young MYLLO will cheer up their lives after the recent sad loss of their beloved MOLLY, for whom he is now named
Another couple seeking a puppy to help fill the gap left by a departed Beardie friend were Denise and Frank, who were so sadly missing their dear old boy CORRIE. After much deliberation, Denise made the click with Ruby's "nearly plain" daughter Talraz Stride For Stride, now named "JOSIE", who firmly said "Choose Me!" by plonking her plump fluffy body in front of Denise and glancing coyly up at her, before winning Frank around by responding so willingly to his handling.....
An intelligent girl, very quick to learn, and with a lot of love to give, we know JOSIE will bring enormous pleasure to her new family - though she is no pushover, and will surely keep them on their toes!
Sally, Mike and family were delighted with their puppy "REMUS" (Talraz Hotly Fancied), who was far from being "the little runt that nobody wanted" even though he was the last of Ruby's five boys to go! REMUS stayed an extra few days at Talraz to fit in with wedding plans and was a joy for us to have around, such a pleasant-natured little chap!
Remus joins an older Beardie and an active outdoorish family, so it looks as if he will have a lot of fun in his new home
Due to our tragic and unexpected turn of events we had a change of plans and elected to keep a puppy from both Honey and Ruby, so end this page by introducing here the two girls who stayed behind, pictured, aged 14 weeks, with our son Richard. On the left of picture is Honey's daughter - who so nearly went elsewhere on more than one occasion - "ROXY" (Talraz Sweet Honey) - and on the right is "BEATTIE" (Talraz Hot Favourite) - a daughter of Ruby.
They are the best of pals, provided BEATTIE takes care to remember that ROXY is The Boss!!