Merry Christmas & A Happy New Year

Dakota is growing big and strong. On Christmas Day she turned 4 months old. We started our Christmas weekend with visitors of the canine kind. We will have boarders through the New Year. No lack of love and affection in our house this season. All of our visitors were well behaved and are enjoying there vacation with the Landis'. Started out the season with Bailey (choc lab), her mom is traveling home for the holidays by plane. Then came Cooper (GSH), his family was driving to visit family up North. Then came Gracie (cockapoo) to visit on Christmas day and then back again for a few days while her parents escaped for a little while from puppy raising. The day after Christmas Sienna (choc lab) came to stay till after the New Year. She is our resident holiday dog. Hershey (choc lab) rounded off the week with her arrival while her family drove to visit family up North. Below a picture of Bailey -Chocolate Lab and Dakota - Yellow Lab wrestling.

A little cold never spoiled a good day to be outside...

It's been pretty cold here during the last week of November and the first week of December. Even though I mind the cold (some days in the 20's F) the dogs seem oblivious to it. As long as they want to go out, they do. Seems to be the same with my kids too. Less concern about the weather and more emphasis about playing. Today it has been a little warmer (40's) but raining, yuck.
Dakota is a true retriever. Here she has a stick and is enticing Bella (Shepherd mix) to play.


Bella (shepherd mix), Cooper (German Short Hair), Dakota (Lab) and Gracie (Beagle) enjoying some play time. Dakota tries to keep up with the big dogs.

Dakota is getting big, 14 weeks now!

Dakota and her sister Pinot

Dakota got to spend the whole last week with her sister Pinot. We kept Pinot for the breeders (our friends) Don & Joan while they traveled to Denmark. The girls had such a good time. Today Dakota took out her frustrations, of not having her sister to play with, on my fig tree. Dakota is now 11 weeks old and doing great. She is laying with me right now while I type this with her head on my arm:) Check out the pictures below of Pinot and Dakota. They are getting big!

Dakota is the lighter one and Pinot the darker one.



Had to snap this picture of Zoey and Cloey laying on the couch - they looked like a heart

A soggy doggy dog week & weekend

Well this Saturday started early with a full house of boarders and all of our critters. I believe 6:30 AM is when the pup awoke. Which is really good! So time for the feeding to begin. It was pouring buckets full of rain down too. So potty in the rain and in for feeding time. Most of the dogs really didn't seem to mind the rain. They probably found joy in getting muddy paws to track in the house:)It was a good day to catch up on paper work, make cookies with the kids (compliments of Winston's parents) & hang out with the pooches. The afternoon brought doggie naps after playing. Sienna, Bailey & Dakota were all snoozing in the kitchen scattered about like the fall leaves. Milo was sitting by my feet & Dublin resting near by. After dinner I spent my Saturday night with my furry friends. Jada took this picture of me hanging out with some of the gang. Dakota is sleeping on the left then I am holding Dublin while Milo and Bailey stop by for some lovin.



Here is a picture of Winston (airedale) & Benson (black lab mix) meeting Dakota through the play pen. Another soggy day that was but the boys enjoyed every minute.


Andy & Dakota working on clicker training. Dakota is doing really well with the "sit" command.



Dakota & Gracie play. Gracie very good with the little one.



Dakota found a BIG warm lab to cuddle with. I would not have picked that end of him though:)

Here she finds Max again...Max is thinking "hey I don't remember signing up for this babysitter thing":)


Jada, Dakota, Sienna, Milo & Bailey



A Happy Dakota!

Meet Dakota

Home coming - We spent time with Dakota playing and getting to know her better. Max our 10 yr old lab was introduced to Dakota too. She loves him and he seems to like her too. He is very good with her.
Dakota likes all her toys!
This morning after breakfast, potty walks, playing with Drew and romping in the yard with the big dogs she is wiped out and resting in her play pen.

We Are Getting a New Puppy!!!

Check out the Lab Tails Blog for her picture or come Tuesday I am sure I will have one posted of her!!! She is Miss Pink right now soon to be Dakota. She is a yellow lab 8 weeks today.

A dogs life here at our house

Brandi (golden doodle) & Winston (airedale) enjoy a game of keep away with a toy
Jack is enjoying a nice day lounging in the pool
Gracie (beagle) & Dublin (pug) get some quality loving from Drew
Gracie meets Tiger for the first time. She use to be know as a cat chaser. Don't tell anyone that she is really a big old softy for the feline kind.
Lipton (yellow lab) meets Milo (bichon)
Jada & Taz (mix breed)
Buji (bichon) & Duncan (golden ret) check out the tree and enjoy the change to fall

The Pets Of Landis Family Farm

Well I have not officially introduced all my furry and feathered kids yet so I need to get to it.
You may have caught pictures of them in previous blogs but now a time dedicated to them.

Aspen our Old Man - He is a 14 yr old Husky and the sweetest dog ever! He found me when I was in college at Shippensburg. He was a stray and ended up staying and has been with me for about 12 yrs.


Daisy is our Queen - She is a beagle spaniel mix adopted from the SPCA at the age of 8. She is now 12 yrs - Favorite past time is to hunt for vermit and bark at squirrels and bunnies


Max is our youngest at the age of 10 yrs. He was also adopted at the SPCA at the age of 3. He is a Fox Red Yellow Lab. He wants to be with you all the time and will eat anything in sight that he can get to.



Tiger is our alpha animal of the house. He is also our cuddle buddy and the only pet that sleeps in our bed. He has a friend Little Black (a little black cat) but she is quick and sly and I do not have a good picture to post right now.



Houdini is my Muscovy Duck - He is 3 yrs old and full of spunk. He does not like dogs and will peck the heck out of them if he gets the chance. He has battle wounds from going after Max. Houdini thinks he is a dog and follows me around. He will use the doggie door if he gets a chance.


Parrot is my favorite little rooster. He is named parrot because he was always squawking as a chick. He will sit on my shoulder and likes me to hold him. He will however go after the kids if I do not round him up he figures they are fair game. He is a BB Red OEG (Black Breasted Red Old English Game Bantam) and 3 years old.
Zorra is Parrot's mate. She is also 3 yrs and a OEG bantam hen. She is a wonderful mother to her chicks. She is the size of a pigeon.

Skunk is my Jersey Giant Rooster and he is 3 yrs old. He is a big boy but so gentle. He is a good rooster and protects his girls and finds them treats.

Love Heart (Barred -Black and white) is 2 yrs and one of Skunks girls. Lucy (black) is 1 yr and one of the girls.

Well there are a few more birds too. Stop by and see everyone sometime.

Kids at Camp

Jada attended Horse camp at Saddlebrook Stables in Schwenksville. She loved it! They rode, took care of the horses and played at the farm getting wet, dirty, tired and sore. A successful week. Pictures: Jada leading Investor out to the ring and Jada riding the sitting trot around the ring.


















Drew attended DINOSAUR Camp at Penn View. He loved it and they ended the week with a dinosaur parade. Picture of Drew in his dinosaur outfit.

Lipton's Birthday (Andy too:))

We celebrated Lipton's (Big Yellow Lab) Birthday yesterday. Many of his canine buddies were in attendance. Lipton's parents sent gourment doggie treats for all. It is also my husband Andy's birthday. Happy Birthday! Bailey is wearing the party hat but Lipton's is on the floor. He just would not keep it on. All eager but patiently waitin for their treats.

Beating the Heat

Lipton, Bailey, Max, Bella & Jada beating the heat in the Kiddie Pool.









Bailey enjoying the cool water and love...ahhh a dogs life!










The kids swimming in a local creek.

A Saturday at our house

Well it is a perfect day. My husband is grilling some burgers and the kids are playing with some of the boarding dogs while the other dogs and my dogs roam about and hope for a burger to fall thier way. Just love it when all the animals are milling about. Just so peaceful and full of harmony. A relaxing Saturday afternoon.


Bailey Relaxing in her favorite spot.









Some of the gang Lipton, Winston, Bella & Annie roaming and playing in the yard 6/22/07.

My story

I grew up in a very rural area in central PA. Newville if you ever heard of it. I couldn't wait to escape and get out of hickville:) Well during the college years I met my husband at Shippensburg University and moved to Harleysville PA when we were married. It was like moving to the city...well not really, just the suburbs. I am close to the city of Philadelphia. I venture there sometimes if I want to feel brave and shed the county roots for a bit.

I previously worked for Univest National Bank for 9+ yrs. I have been a waitress, a lifeguard and college bookstore employee.
But almost 4 years ago I found a job suited for me....Pet sitting. I started by working for an established business and visiting pets in their homes and caring for them. It grew to me taking dogs into my home. If they fit with our family and animals then they are welcome here. I officially started my own business in Sept of 2006. So Landis Family Farm Pet Services was created.

Currently I live on a nice little piece of land surrounded by township open space and a farmers field. It is a nice place until we find our perfect place.

Anyways 10 years later guess what? I wish I had what I grew up taking for granted.

So Landis Family Farm is my vision of my family and life. It is the name of my business: Landis Family Farm Pet Services and hopefully will represent my future well. when I tell people about all my animals and such they say "do you live on a farm?" Hopefully some day, I can say, "why Yes I do":)

Well with all that back history the real reason I wanted to post this is to introduce you to my "flock". Looks like I'll save most of that for another post. Time to get some shut eye cause I have lots of pets to care for in the AM and the human kids too.

3 dogs
2 cats
some chickens
and a duck
2 kids
various canine guests
my husband who puts up with it all
and ME

More detail about my family furry, feathered and human later.