Spring/Summer 2019 Update #1

The days roll by and blog posts don't just appear here!  We are still here at the Russell Homestead, despite the silent blog since Tachi's litter of puppies went home in February.  Over the next few weeks, I'm going to endeavor to give several updates from around the homestead - starting with the dogs today!  To begin, there's a new schnauzer around here!  Truly, she's not new to our family - just new to the website and blog.  Her name is Sheerah Grace.

Above is a picture of us bringing Sheerah home as a puppy in January of 2018.

We waited a long time for her after deciding that we wanted a black and silver girl to complement our black and silver boy - Cooper.  We searched around for just the right fit, and chose Sheerah's breeder because of her planned breeding of a black and silver male and female.  Since both Sheerah's parents are black and silver, their offspring were likely going to be black and silver.  We eagerly awaited her birth.  When her litter arrived in the fall of 2017, we got a call saying there are 7 puppies, but only 1 black and silver girl.  We knew instantly she was meant for us!

We brought her home on icy roads, and she fit right into our bunch - adding some extra spunk to the crew!  She is very smart.  She excelled in puppy kindergarten and basic obedience - passing both her classes with ease.  She is great with our children and visitors.

We get questions on her name and how we chose it.  One day, long before Sheerah was part of our family, I was reading from my Bible.  (I'm reading through the Bible a chapter at a time.)  I was reading in 1 Chronicles 7, trying to stay focused as I read through the genealogy listed there.  Suddenly, verse 24 jumped out at me.  It says, "His daughter was Sheerah, who built Lower and Upper Beth Horon as well as Uzzen Sheerah."  (NIV)  This verse struck me as unusual in many ways. First, few women are mentioned in genealogies.  If they are mentioned, they are most likely the mother of someone.  Sheerah was a daughter - and no ordinary one!  She built 3 cities.  To top it off, she named the last one after herself.  I loved the name, and told my husband, who agreed we could name our next female mini schnauzer after Sheerah in 1 Chronicles 7:24.

Along with adding Sheerah to our family came some paperwork.  Our township does not allow families to have more than 3 dogs, unless they are a kennel.  (For my long time readers, you know we have 3 mini schnauzers already - Jolly, Tachi, & Cooper.)  Since we are a family breeder of mini schnauzers, and not a kennel, our limit was set at 3.  We met with our township and explained how we raise our own dogs and our puppies.  We explained that our dogs are all raised in our home, trained in basic obedience, and well socialized.  We shared with them how we give our puppies the best start in life and find wonderful homes for them.  They heard our case and graciously allowed us to add a fourth dog to Russell Homestead.

Sheerah has been a great addition to our family.  We've enjoyed watching her grow up, and we are eagerly anticipating her first litter of puppies in late 2019 or early 2020!  Below are some snapshots of her as a puppy.

MJ & Sheerah

AJ & Sheerah

MJ with Cooper and Sheerah in a March snowstorm. Cooper is first in line, followed by Sheerah. You can see how similar they are in markings.

Sheerah after a bath and grooming. She has a thick, soft coat.

Sheerah posing for me after a recent grooming. She's 1.5 years old in this photo.

So, that's Sheerah - you can see more pictures of her on her page.  What about the rest of the schnauzers?

Above is Jolly - looking stunning at 6.5 years old.  Jolly was spayed and retired from breeding last summer after gracing us with lots of all-black puppies.  We get so many inquires for black puppies, but we have none to offer at this time.  Jolly is enjoying her retirement days here soaking up her role as matron of the pack.  We often get complimented on how beautiful she is.

Above is Tachi at 2 years old.  Tachi had a speedy and graceful recovery from her Christmas Eve litter, and we are looking forward to her next litter - due in August 2019!  She continues to be a mild-mannered sweet presence around the homestead.  I often tell people she has a very un-schnauzerlike personality.  She's submissive and calm, but yet smart too!

And, we can't forget Cooper!  Cooper is doing fabulous at 3 years old.  He's quite the love bug and a definite favorite of the children around here.
Well, that's the news from the schnauzer corner of the homestead.  Stay tuned to hear about goats, homeschooling, and chickens!  Thanks for stopping by!