10/11/08 - I've just added some more miscellaneous photos of Litter E at 6 weeks of age. These are of the playtime in the big playpen out in our front yard.

I've also added the 7 week photos of pups with their new families

Week 7

Day 55 - 09/30/08

Epstein got to go home tonight!  He will have two little boys as playmates as well as a couple Corgi canine siblings and his new name will be "Flint".  Happy Trails!!
 

Day 54 - 09/29/08

Poor Epstein, we can hear him crying all the way into the main house. Last night when I got home from work, I took him out in the yard for playtime with Quinney. He followed him all around and kept up pretty well.  He's even already going up and down stairs, he went up and down the stairs on the front deck a few times! Then he came into the house until bedtime. He had some of Duchess's dinner, and then Splash's dinner, and Bristol's dinner and also HOPE's, just making the rounds.  Then HOPE took over as the pup sitter and played with Epstein until they both cashed out.  At least when he went back to the Puppy Cottage for bedtime, he was so tuckered out that he didn't cry very long. He's such a sweet little boy, very agile and quick and not afraid to try anything!
 

Day 53 - 09/28/08

Emma got to see her new family (again) and meet her new canine sister Chloe (a Brittany Spaniel). They've been coming to visit almost every weekend since she was 3 weeks old, so she was familiar with them. Her new name will be Piper.

Poor Epstein is now the last puppy at Hickory Hollow and he's so lonely and sad it just breaks my heart. He's watched all his brothers and sisters get all wet in that big tub, then sit for that big loud thing that blows air everywhere and then get put back in the playpen smelling like Lavendar. Then a bunch of people that he's never seen before show up and his brother or sister disappears, never to be seen again.
 

Day 52 - 09/27/08

Ernhardt got to meet his new family and go home today! His name is staying Ernhardt because his new family are NASCAR fans, imagine that!!!
 

Day 51 - 09/26/08

Esprit got to go home today! We're not sure what her new name is...

Day 50 - 09/25/08

Evinrude and Epiphany met their new families and got to go home today! Rudy's name may just stay "Evinrude", so stay tuned! I think Piff's new name is "Girl".
 

Day 49 - 09/24/08

Emerson and Ellie met their new families today and got to go to their new homes. Emerson's new name is "Pete" and Ellie will become "Belle".  I tell each puppy as I'm saying goodbye that this is the first day of the rest of their lives!
 

This week's milestones: Puppies go home!
It's time for the pups to fly the coop and start their new lives outside of Hickory Hollow. While this week will contain many somber moments for Bob and I as we say our final goodbyes to the little darlings we have loved and nurtured for the past 7 weeks, it will also bring happy moments knowing the pups are all going to great homes. We know they will be much happier outside the confinement of The Puppy Cottage and are embarking on their exciting new lives.

Week 6

Day 45 - 09/20/08

Microchipping complete.  All the pups which were to be microchipped, had it done today. All pups did very well with maybe only a little yelp and a small flinch, but nothing really worse than getting a vaccination other than the exception of Ernhardt, who didn't like the big poke and made a huge deal out of it. After a little comforting and some reassurance he got back to himself pretty quickly.  These pups are so amazing and pretty resilient and bounce back after stuff like this pretty rapidly.
 

Day 42 - 09/17/08

Fourth worming
The pups are getting so big and strong and are rapidly getting bored with their puppy playpen and the cottage room floor as an extended play area.  Now when they are let out of their playpen for dinner time, they go to the doggy door and want outside. Today I unlocked the doggy door, put a few stepping stones on the outside patio floor (like stair steps) and let the pups go.  They had a complete BLAST! They were romping and playing and little Ellie pranced around with her tail straight up, picking up her feet like she was so happy to be somewhere new. They were allowed access to the outdoor patio all afternoon long and quickly learned how to use the stepping stones to go from inside to outside and back again with relative ease.  I would frequently check on them and they would go outside to play for 15 or 20 minutes, then it was back inside for a cool drink and to their comfy bed for naptime.
 

This week's milestone: Eye color changes from blue to gold & brown
This is the week that the puppies eyes will make the transition from their baby blues to their adult color. Chestnut pups will have golden yellow eyes and the black pups will have deep amber to brown colored eyes as adults.
 

Week 5

Day 41 - 09/16/08

The pups are getting so big now that today I had to add the full top half to the playpen door because they were peering over the top again.  
 

Day 40 - 09/15/08

The pups are growing like little weeds and are now eating solid food exclusively. Momma is only allowed to nurse the pups one time per day but that will stop soon.Today I switched the pups from Science Diet Puppy Small Bites to Original formula, which is a larger kibble because the pups will be less likely to choke on it.

The pups are loving being able to get outside these days and in fact, they paw at the doggy door begging to get out. When I open it up for them, a few of them tumble through, namely Esprit and Emma. Ellie and Ernhardt also made it outside today. The others just hang through the door, too timid to take the final gigantic step down to the patio floor. The only problem is that they have troubles getting back inside... I think we need to build them a little ramp that they can walk up to get back in.
 

Day 37 - 09/12/08

During playtime today I noticed I was missing a couple puppies. I looked all around the room and they just weren't there, they'd disappeared... out the doggy door!!! Ernhardt and Emma had figured out how to go through the doggy door so that they could visit momma Duchess out in the doggy run. What smart little pupper-doodles they are! You know how it goes though, once they figure it out, the next time is easier and easier for them, so I'm going to have to keep a closer eye on those little stinkers.  
 

Day 36 - 09/11/08

Puppy selection is going very well. The pups have had several visitors this week during the selection process. There's nothing like meeting your puppy in person and letting him/her lick your face and sit in your lap.  

Lots of new photos and a couple video clips have been posted!

Day 35 - 09/10/08

It was a beautiful day here today with temps in the low 70's and sunny. I decided to open the Cottage door during playtime and let the pups explore. The pups were drawn to the new sights and sounds of the outdoors and went to the door and sat on the threshhold looking out. The step into the Cottage was intimidating to the pups at first, but a few took a leap of faith and ended up out on the porch... others soon followed and eventually all eight pups were frolicking out on the terrace. WHAT CHAOS! There were puppies everywhere, dodging and darting in different directions.
 

This week's milestones: Puppy selection week - Pups will belong to a family
At the start of this week, the puppies belong to Hickory Hollow, but by the end of the week, they will belong to a new family! Even though they won't know it yet, they will have been spoken for by their new puppy parents and in a couple weeks will get to go to their new homes.
 

Week 4

Day 34 - 09/09/08

What a FUN day!! As I was out in The Cottage feeding the pups their afternoon meal and letting them have playtime, I noticed a couple pups were curious about the doggy door leading to the outside. The clear plastic panels allowed the pups to see outside and they wanted to push through the door. Since it was a beautiful day outside I decided to take playtime outdoors for the first time. All the pups - 2 by 2 - got to spend 10 minutes outside in the sun, frolicking in the grass. Here are our observations of the pups on their first outting:

Ellie and Emma
Ellie - Seemed a little stunned at first to be in a new environment, with the warm sun and the fresh grass, but it didn't take her long before she was frolicking and bounding through around checking things out. After playtime was over, she seemed a little bummed to be back in the playroom in the cottage.

Emma - Like Ellie, she seemed a little stunned at her new surroundings at first, but was soon frolicking through the grass, following Quinney around and checking things out. She would run with Ellie, side by side and then come back for some luvins. She was good at coming to you when you called for her, patted the ground and clapped your hands.

Emerson and Evinrude
Emerson - Almost instantly he had his nose to the ground and was exploring. He didn't seem phased much by the new surroundings, but very quickly thought it was a really cool thing to be outside and bounding through the grass. He would stop and lay down in it and chew on a few blades, then get up and romp over to somewhere new and do the same thing all over again.

Evinrude - He was very cautious at first and a little scared because the hair on his neck was standing up. His first few steps were really low to the ground, stretching forward ever so slowly. It took him about 4 or 5 minutes of sitting really close to me before he really started venturing out to scope things out. Once he did he seemed to really enjoy being somewhere new.

Epiphany and Esprit
Epiphany - This gal is a really well rounded pup. She was cautious at first about her new surroundings and was content to watch Esprit run around, but then she got her courage up and joined Spree in the quest for fun. Periodically she would check in with me and come sit on my lap, but then she'd be right back out there getting in some playtime in the grass.

Esprit - What a little ball of fire! She's a little go-getter and was not phased one bit by the grass under her feet and basically hit the ground running. She and Epiphany played together and followed Quinney around hoping they could locate a milk faucet, but none could be found.

Ernhardt and Epstein
Ernhardt - He was a little more cautious than Epstein when placed in the grass for the first time and it took him a few minutes longer to warm up to the idea of running around in unfamiliar surroundings, but once he did, there was no stopping him.

Epstein - When first placed in the grass he sat for about 30 seconds or so and then he was off, sniffing the ground and exploring. He even held his nose into the wind and sniffed the air. He would venture out, then come back and sit on my lap for a few seconds, then venture out, jumping and leaping through the grass, again going further than the previous time. Each time he would venture, he would also check back in with me in a few minutes.

Day 33 - 09/08/08

The pups are progressing rapidly now with their meals. They keep trying to eat Duchess' large dry kibble, so I've added "Puppy sized" kibble -- Science Diet Puppy Small Bites -- to their canned ration. They continue to eat really well and we will plan to feed canned food throughout the rest of this week and then transition them to strictly dry kibble. So that the last week they are at Hickory Hollow they will be getting used to the food they will be eating after leaving here.
 

Day 31 - 09/06/08

The pups had their first Science Diet canned food meal today, still mixed with some of the Eukanuba weaning gruel and a little warm water. Today was the first day that I saw the pups standing around the waterer actually drinking (versus just tasting). I'm sure this probably has to do with the fact that their meals now contain less water, so they are now more thirsty than before.  
 

Day 30 - 09/05/08

Today for breakfast the puppies had their first "transition" meal going from cereal to gruel. I mixed half Esbilac cereal to half Eukanuba severage and they gobbled it all up! One more mixed meal is planned for dinner, then tomorrow it will be strictly a watery/mushy gruel. Each day we will plan to make the gruel thicker and thicker until we will be adding canned Science Diet puppy meal. Duchess' dinner bowl was on the floor close to where they were eating and I caught a couple pups trying to eat her adult kibble, even though it was way too big for their mouths, so I think they are definitely ready to be done with the milk.
 

Day 29 - 09/04/08

This afternoon, Esprit was trying to be a Super Dog by scaling the play pen 1/2 door. She was coming really close to escaping the enclosure, so we added another 1/4 door to the top of the 1/2 door, making it another 6" taller. That should keep the little pupper-doodles in for another week.

The puppies are now almost completely desensitized to different types of noises. While in the Puppy Cottage they've heard breakfast pans clanging, the exhaust fan and the air conditioner kick on and off, have been conditioned to opening and closing doors, and have listened to the radio (country music of course). It's hard to get their attention using regular noises anymore, which will force me to be more creative in the sounds I make while taking their photographs to get them to pause and take notice!

Day 28 - 09/03/08

Third worming
The pups are on their final couple days of the Esbilac 2nd Stage weaning cereal and then they will graduate to the Eukanuba weaning severage. The severage is a finely chopped dry kibble that can be mixed with warm water to make a thicker pasty or crumbly meal than the cereal.

This week's milestones: Move to the Puppy Cottage / Rough Play / Intro to gruel
Even though we moved the puppies to The Cottage a day early, I would've normally moved them right on the 4 week date, but the pups were ready! This week the pups are becoming much more rough during their play and are now tackling and pinning each other down like a Nala/Simba moment in The Lion King, they are tugging on towels and shoe laces and chewing on anything they can get their teeth on, including sib's ears and tails.

Week 3

Day 27 - 09/02/08

The pups' routine continues to change. Today we moved the pups out to the "Puppy Cottage" (as we now call it) and their new play pen. (We thought about calling the playroom the "Puppy Bed & Breakfast", but it was too long of a name...) Anyway, they settled right in and started exploring their new surroundings. Epiphany was the first to find the big comfy bed and Emerson was the first to find the waterer. It was fun to watch the pups discover all the knooks and crannys of their new enclosure. The puppy cam will be moved out there shortly so you can see for yourselves, but in the meantime, you can watch the videos.

Day 26 - 09/01/08

The sweetest thing happened today during puppy playtime outside of the box. HOPE layed on the floor and gently and lovingly mothered the pups, letting them crawl all over her. We were amazed at how such a young pup herself at only 7.5 months could be so calm around the babes. Ernhardt -- which we now call Ernie for short -- was cleaning HOPE's ears and we noticed that all the pups seemed dumbfounded when they couldn't seem to find any milk faucets on HOPE, even though they tried and tried, none were to be found!

Day 25 - 08/31/08

The puppies will be having many visitors today. As part of our socialization process we encourage folks to come and see the puppies and interact with them during play time. First it was HOPE, who got in the box with the puppies so that she could mother them. Next up, our nieces (4 & 7) will be visiting and then two different sets of puppy parents who will actually be taking home a pup from this litter as well as some folks who just want to meet us and see the pups. One couple is driving in all the way from Illinois to meet the babes. COOL!

Day 24 - 08/30/08

During this morning's weigh-in, I noticed the pups had gained more weight than is typical after having two cereal meals yesterday. Typically the pups were gaining 1.5 to 2.5 ounces daily, today I noticed at least a 3 to 5 ounce jump in some of the pups.

This morning, it was cereal for breakfast again and the pups were just as enthusiastic as the first introduction yesterday. Afterwards we had another play session outside the box. This time, the pups were not slow and cautious like yesterday, they ventured forward with gusto and basically hit the ground running! Today they were more interactive with me during playtime. They scouted out their surroundings, but came to me a lot for attention and cuddly time. They would crawl up in my lap and want to be snuggled. What little darlings they are at this age and their little baby blues could melt anyone's heart when they look into your eyes.

Day 23 - 08/29/08

Today was a BIG day for the puppies. They had an introduction to Second Stage Weaning cereal AND they got to get out of the whelping box for a play session! They had cereal for breakfast and again for dinner and enthusiastically licked up the cereal like it was going out of style.

After their cereal dinner, they were allowed some playtime outside the box. When placed on the floor, they cautiously ventured forward, with bellies close to the ground, stretching their little necks forward and sniffing the ground with rapids breaths. As cautiously as they started out, within a few minutes they were running wildly, spinning in cirlces and barking up a storm! During this same session, I took the opportunity to do some noise conditioning. I tapped on the side of the whelping box, rattled the entry door, pounded on the carpeted floor, and clapped my hands. Each time I changed the noise, the pups stopped what they were doing and looked around, but each time they paused for a shorter amount of time. By the end of playtime, none of the noise stimuluses phased them one bit! These dogs are so adaptive it's great!

Day 22 - 08/28/08

Evinrude, Ellie and Epstein all cut teeth today. The pups are so snuggly and fun right now. When you hold them, they give you kisses and try to snuggle up around your neck. They sniff you and lick your nose and you can smell that wonderful "skunky" puppy breath. Has anyone else noticed that puppy breath reminds you of a skunk?? Maybe it's just me... but I still love the little pupper-doodles like crazy.

Day 21 - 08/27/08

Second worming
Ernhardt, Epiphany and Emerson all cut teeth today. Most pups took the worming medicine like little troopers and some of them even liked it so much that it appeared they wanted more... kinda cute.

This week's milestones: Teething / Introduction to cereal
Even though Esprit and Emma's teeth have already eruped through the gums, the other pups will be doing the same shortly. They are also walking and standing with more stability and look less like they've had a hard night out partying than last week. Their newfound stability lends itself well to starting the pups on cereal, this way they will be more likely to be able to stand at the edge of the bowl and lap it up and less likely to fall flat on their faces in it. This should be fun!

Week 2

Day 20 - 08/26/08

Today Emma's teeth erupted. The pups are playing together more and more, with increasingly enthusiastic moves, they wag their tails and lunge at each other and spin in circles with rapid movements. They are becoming quite the riot to watch and are usually good for quite a few laughs, especially when they put their voice into the picture... between their new energetic moves and the barking and growling, you can't help but enjoy watching them.

Day 19 - 08/25/08

The pups have reached another mini-milestone in their development and are now teething. Now is the time they starting chewing on each other and on you! Right now it doesn't hurt when they mouth you, but just wait a couple weeks, their teeth are sharp like little razors. Today, Esprit was the first pups to have her teeth erupt from the gums.

Day 18 - 08/24/08

Last night the half door went on the whelping box to keep all the little "Houdini's" inside. It won't be long before they will be able to get over that wall too, so at that point we'd be moving them to the new puppy room where they can romp and play in the playpen. Here's how the pups are sizing up now.

New videos have been posted (view clips)

Day 17 - 08/23/08

We had our first ESCAPE during the night! I woke up at the sound of a puppy howling at the top of her lungs... I went in the nursery to find Esprit outside of the box while momma was inside the box feeding her sibs. Apparently she did NOT like to be left out of supper.

The pups are beginning to display more play-like behavior now. Today we witnessed Esprit chewing on a sib's tail, Emma chewing on Evinrude's ear, and Emerson wagging his tail at me when he came to the edge of the box to visit.

More miscellaneous photos during Week 2 have been posted (view now)
 

Day 16 - 08/22/08

Today was the last day for the Super Dog program. Pups are becoming more and more active now that they can see and hear. Their skin is becoming freckled which will indicate how much ticking each will have as an adult. In another week or two, we will be able to accurately predict final coat markings.

In case you haven't noticed, a few days ago I posted a "Most Resembles" category in the puppy stats section. Evaluation of facial features and head markings has led us to notice many similarities between sibling puppies from the same parents, Duchess and Splash (namely Litter B) as well as our predictions for which parent we believe the pup takes after most. These predictions might be helpful in getting a glimpse into what the pup will look like as an adult. We have many photos of pups from Litter B as adults on our Photos pages "Life after Hickory Hollow" (check it out now).

Day 15 - 08/21/08

Duchess is finally starting to relax her protective tendencies with her pups. For at least a few days now, she has permitted Quincy to come into the nursery and last night she allowed HOPE in to meet her half-siblings for the first time. (see pics/video)

Day 14 - 08/20/08

First worming
This morning I tried to bottle feed some of the pups because they seem to hungry all the time and momma runs out of milk fast. It usually takes a few attempts before the pups actually take to the baby bottle nipple, but none of the little boogers were cooperating this morning. I will keep trying.

Tonight as I was taking her two week photos, Esprit was just a hoot! She was really active and playful; she even barked and growled at me with this little rolling growl. I got a real kick out of her. I should've got some of it on video.  

The pups' two week portraits are now posted (view now)
More miscellaneous photos for Week 2 are now posted (view now)

This week's milestone: Ears will open
Now that all the pups eyes are open, they will begin to be able to see clearer and clearer each day, starting with shadows for the first few days until their eyes can focus on specific objects. This will be a fun week and we are looking forward to having the puppies notice us when we come into the room and come over to the edge of the box to greet us. This week's milestone, although not as noticeable as the eyes opening, but just as significant for the pups, are that their ear canals will be opening. Later this week the pups will be noticeably affected by the sounds around them.

Week 1

Day 13 - 08/19/08

All of the pups now have their eyes open! It's amazing how quickly these pups are changing on a day to day basis. They are strong enough now that they are walking more frequently and are even sitting up and looking around instead of laying down all the time.

They are also finding their little voices and are starting to bark and growl. Tonight HOPE and Bristol were taking a peek at the new litter (while Duchess was outside of course) and Esprit really growled and barked at Bristol and she was so startled, she beat feet for the door! Needless to say, both Bob and I were very surprised at little Esprit's reaction to Bristol and then Bristol's reaction to the pup. We definitely got a kick out of that one!

Day 11 - 08/17/08

Eye opening update!

Once they eyes start opening they will progress rapidly. For instance, yesterday morning the pups eyes were checked and noted, but even only a few hours later changes were noticed.

Day 10 - 08/16/08

You aren't going to believe who's walking now! Epstein, Epiphany, Emerson and Emma have all been seen on all fours with their little tummies off the ground. They are very wobbly but are gaining strength rapidly. No more scooting across the floor like little turtles out of water for these pups.

Ellie's right eye is beginning to open.

Emma was observed to be a little under our predicted weight gain for the last two days, so she has been given private nursing sessions with momma so that she can get more milk. The puppies are getting so big now that momma can hardly keep up with their nursing demands, so if other pups start showing decrease in normal weight gains we will begin supplementing by bottle feeding. Pups should be gaining at least 2 ounces minimum at each weighing, most are gaining at least 3 or more now.

Day 9 - 08/15/08

As suspected Epstein's eyes are indeed starting to open. The very corner of his left eye is open and you can see his little eye glistening beneath. The right eye is still completely closed.

As I've been saying all along, these pups are very strong. Last night we witnessed Ellie up and walking with her belly off the ground, I'm sure the other pups will be doing the same shortly!

Day 8 - 08/14/08

Today I noticed that there was a little bit of moisture at the corner of one of Epstein's eyes. I believe his eye creases are already starting to open. Most of the pups will follow suit shortly.

By now, the area where the dew claws were removed has healed on most pups and you cannot even tell they were once there. The remainder of the pups still have a small scab that should be falling off any day now.

Day 7 - 08/13/08

At one week old we can see the Super Dog program already having a positive effect on the pups (or at least we'd like to think that -haha). Most of them are so strong that they are actually trying to walk already and some are even getting their little bellies off the ground. This usually doesn't happen until the pups are well into their third week of life, but these guys are unbelievable! If they keep going at this rate, they'd be ready to go to their new homes by the time they are 6 weeks old!

This week's milestone: Eyes will open
During this week, the pups will reach an exciting milestone. We are anticipating the opening of their eyes. It should happen by either Sunday or Monday (Aug 17 or 18). When the pups are born, their ears and eyes are closed to keep out the amniotic fluid and any bacteria encountered in the birth canal. The eyelids are fused together but there is a crease that defines the upper from the lower lid. As their eyes start to open the crease starts to deepen and separate starting at the corner of the eye by the tear ducts and working it's way across the eye until they are completely separated. The opening process can take a couple days from the first peek of the glistening eyeball beneath to being able to entirely see those beautiful baby blues. Once their eyes are open, the precious little babes take on a whole new personality.

Birth Week

Day 6 - 08/12/08

During our weigh-in session this morning all the puppies had their toe nails trimmed for the first time. The tiny tips were getting long and sharp and were scratching momma's skin during nursing. I try to keep them short for Duchess and trim them at least once per week.

Evinrude finally broke the 1 pound mark today! Here's how the pups are currently weighing in:

Day 5 - 08/11/08

This evening I couldn't believe my eyes... little Emma was standing on her own and squatting to poop!!! ...and only FIVE DAYS OLD, HOLY COW! She is so strong for being so young. No doubt the Super Dog program hard at work here and what a super dog she is!

Day 4 - 08/10/08

Seemingly overnight, the pups have begun to get their freckles. What started out as pink noses are now turning into little black or brown noses and their tummys are starting to get spots. These dark spots scattered around their pink skin will eventually grow colored hair which we call "ticking" in adult dogs.

Day 3 - 08/09/08

Momma and pups are doing good. We weigh each pup daily and keep a log of their progress to ensure everyone is getting adequate fill from momma's milk bar. So far each pup has been gaining steadily and rapidly as expected.

Here are their current weights as of this morning:

After I weigh each pup, I also evaluate him/her for things such as the belly button and front paws to make sure these areas are healing nicely. I also check the coat for softness and hydration to ensure good health.

Day 2 - 08/08/08

Today we started the Super Dog program. All the puppies will be put through five daily exercises to help stimulate their developing nervous systems from today through day 16. Each puppy reacts to the stimulus differently. Some struggle and others cry out because they don't like the positions they are put in, while some don't seem to be bothered at all. How the puppy reacts to the stimulus is not part of the exercise and is not up for evaluation, however we hope that in doing these exercises the dogs will be more adaptable to different stimuli in the future.

Day 1 - 08/07/08

Dew claws were removed today.

The umbilical cords have all dried up and are falling off, in fact the last one came off just about an hour ago. I checked all the little belly buttons to make sure everything looked fine and every body looks good.  

I was snuggling with little Emma this afternoon and rubbing her head and neck with one of my fingers and I can tell you that their natural instincts are already kicking in. The whole time her little back foot was right up there scratching along with my finger. It was so cute, I wanted to get it on video, but she fell asleep and wouldn't do it anymore.

Tomorrow we start the "Super Dog" program (read about it)

Day 0 - 08/06/08

Duchess is such a great mother, she's constantly tending to the babes, cleaning them and stimulating them to urinate and defecate and nudges them back into the group when they get too far away. At this point, she only wants to leave the whelping box to go outside herself, otherwise she's in there being the best momma she could be.

Puppies are doing great! All eight (4 males / 4 females) were born strong and healthy and have good appetites, even the littlest guy at only 8.4 oz is just as strong as the biggest pup in the group. They all suckled right away, which is totally amazing to me to watch the instinct that they show in seeking out a nipple. The sizes of these newborn pups seems to be very typical as compared with previous litters and most (with the exception of the 8.4 oz guy) fall right within the expected weight range.

Duchess never fails to please in the "colors" department. She always has a good variety within the litter and also within each gender. We've got one chestnut pup of both genders, a white/black of both genders and TRI's in both genders. What more could you ask for? Not to mention that she filled our puppy reservations to a "T". I believe the Keeper of the Stars had a hand in this.

Wednesday, August 6th, 2008  

Puppies are coming!!

12:20 am

2nd stage labor starts, first contractions are noticed.

1:03 am

hard labor begins

1:35 am

1st pup

female

TRI - White/Black/Tan

12.7 oz

2:03 am

2nd pup

male

TRI Chestnut -White/Chestnut/Tan

12.8 oz

2:20 am

3rd pup

male

White/Black

9.5 oz

2:58 am

4th pup

female

TRI - White/Black/Tan

11.1 oz

3:10 am

5th pup

female

White/Chestnut

10.6 oz

4:08 am

6th pup

female

White/Black

11.7 oz

4:58 am

7th pup

male

TRI - White/Black/Tan

8.4 oz

5:23 am

8th pup

male

TRI - White/Black/Tan

10.2 oz

All eight pups are doing great! They are really strong and healthy and have good appetites. They all have strong urges to suckle and seek warmth. What a bunch of little darlings. We are so happy they've arrived safe and sound.

Further blog entries for this litter will now be entered under the Developmental Progress section.
 

Tuesday, August 5th, 2008  (63 days post breeding)

Pups are due today so we are keeping a really close eye on Duchess and are starting to take her temperature every few hours or so.

11:30 pm

Heavy panting has started, I believe we are definitely in late 1st stage labor. Hopefully contractions and 2nd stage labor are soon to follow.

11:00 pm

She's still panting, but no puppies yet... Looks like they will be born on August 6th.

8:45 pm

I believe I am now witnessing the onset of 1st stage labor. Duchess is becoming increasingly more restless and is constantly panting, although she's not panting heavily yet. I have a feeling it's going to be a LONG night.

7:00 pm

No change... yet again, mother nature has proven my hunches to be wrong. So much for the 6:00 pm timeline...

5:00 pm

No change... no signs of 1st stage labor yet.

2:30 pm

Temp is still dropping, currently 97.2 degrees.  It's literally off the bottom of my chart! Duchess just went outside for her final cleansing restroom stop. She still seems to be resting comfortably with no visible signs of impending labor as of yet.

12:00 pm

Temp is still dropping, currently 97.9 degrees, well below the red line. Best guess is that puppies will start arriving by 6:00 pm tonight.

11:00 am

Temp has indeed fallen again and is currently at 98.4 (right on the red line!) I think I can say that this is the beginning and the pups may start coming yet this afternoon or early evening. Next physical sign I will be looking for is heavy panting and restlessness. Maybe getting the box ready showed Duchess that I know it's time??

10:00 am

Temp has fallen to 99.3 degrees. This may be the start of the drastic drop. I am going to set up the whelping box now... talk about being a "Last Minute Larry"...

7:00 am

Temp still at 99.5 degrees. She also completely refused her breakfast this morning and didn't even pick out the hot dogs, nor did she make a mad dash for a crumb from my chocolate brownie that I accidentally dropped, not that I'd have let her have the chocolate anyway, but the fact that she didn't even try to go for it... tells me that she's getting close.

Monday, August 4th, 2008  (62 days post breeding)

Over the weekend, Duchess' appetite has decreased. This is typical and usually happens a couple days before whelping.  Her temperature is staying between 99.4 and 99.6 degrees.  This morning she didn't eat her breakfast well at all and picked through it, spitting over half of the kibble back out, one mouthful at a time. Puppies were estimated to be due at the earliest starting tomorrow, but could go until maybe Thursday. Duchess has been extremely clingy today, so maybe the pups are coming sooner than later.

Waist measurement: 31 inches

Countdown to whelping, ~ 1 day...
 

Wednesday, July 30th, 2008  (57 days post breeding)

Yesterday I began the twice daily process of taking Duchess's temperature in order to form a baseline that will show the quick bounce up and then drop right before whelping starts. Yesterday her temperature was still over 100 degrees, but this morning her temp dropped to 99.7 which is where we would expect it to be the week before whelping (is usually drops a degree during the last week). Hormonal changes are responsible for the temperature fluctuations, spikes and drops and since we can't very easily monitor hormone levels at home, we take the temperature instead. What we are watching for is the temp to drop below the redline of 98.4 degrees probably next Tuesday or Wednesday. When it does that, Duchess's track record shows that whelping should begin within about 8 hours.

Countdown to whelping, ~ 6 days...
 

Monday, July 28th, 2008  (55 days post breeding)

Duchess is still a really healthy eater with a ravenous appetite. We're currently feeding her Science Diet Puppy Original formula and she's currently eating two full meals per day, morning and evening, with much enthusiasm. We just LOVE Science Diet, her coat is just as soft, silky and shiny as it could be as you can see from her photos. We've tried other foods, but keep coming back to the tried and true. Science Diet has not failed us yet. You know what they say, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it". With that said, I think we are done "trying" out other foods and are sticking with Science Diet for the long haul.

Countdown to whelping, ~ 8 days...
 

Sunday, July 27th, 2008  (54 days post breeding)

Here are some photos of Duchess at almost 8 weeks gestation. I took these photos while she was patiently waiting for her evening meal to cool down enough to eat after being drenched with hot broth (to entice her to eat).

Her waist measurement is currently: 30 1/4 inches.
(For comparison to Litter D, she wasn't this size until 60 days p.b.)

Saturday, July 26th, 2008  (53 days post breeding)

For as big as Duchess is becoming, she's really in good spirits lately and seems happy all the time. She is definitely more affectionate than she usually is, however she is normally an affectionate dog, so we seem to be getting "smothered" lately with tenderness and kisses.

We are currently about 10-12 days away from the targeted whelping date (63 days post breeding), so sometime next week (around July 30th) I'll begin taking her temperature twice daily (morning and evening) to establish a baseline so that we can tell when her temperature drops right before birth of the pups begins. Next weekend, on August 2nd, we will be preparing the nursery by gathering supplies and assembling the whelping box in anticipation of the little Llews arrival.
 

Friday, July 25th, 2008  (52 days post breeding)

Duchess is just HUGE! I was feeling her belly this evening and I must've tickled a puppy because I felt him or her move underneath my hand. This was the first observance of movement of the pups in utero.
 

Sunday, July 20th, 2008  (47 days post breeding)

Duchess is definitely "looking" pregnant now as her belly has just bloomed into what looks like she could be in her 8th or 9th week of pregnancy instead of only her 7th. She's huge and that makes these last couple weeks so hard because she's just really miserable and uncomfortable. She's eating two regular sized meals per day and eats them without haste and with extreme enthusiasm. 

We are keeping a close eye on her during these hot summer days and trying to keep her calm and cool as much as possible as pregnancy is very trying on the circulatory system. This is why it's especially important not to allow the heat of the summer to add to the stress.  So far she's doing well and we only let her go outside for short periods to do her business.
 

Wednesday, July 9th, 2008  (36 days post breeding)

Now that Duchess is 5 weeks pregnant, her belly is showing and she's starting to do her "pregnancy waddle". When she walks it's no longer the beautiful and seemingly effortless and smooth gait, it's now a side-to-side motion in her back end due to her rear legs being spaced farther apart.

Today, we have started feeding her two meals per day, morning and evening.  Only four more weeks to go...
 

Tuesday, July 1st, 2008  (28 days post breeding)

Duchess had a couple days of spotting last week and some hormonal changes (indicated by Splash). We believe the spotting during this time -- around day 31 of her cycle (21 days after ovulation around day 10) -- was due to implantation of the embryos onto the uterine wall, thus confirming a pregnancy.

This two-day spotting occurance has been observed in Duchess' last three pregnancies at around the same time during gestation. These new observations have allowed us to predict a pregnancy about a week earlier than waiting for the 38 day mark (28 days after ovulation) when the fetuses can be felt in the uterus upon palpation.

Therefore, we believe we can say with little doubt that our Duchess/Splash matings have resulted in a pregnancy.
 

Saturday, June 7nd, 2008

Breeding was successful this week with several matings spread across the critical days during Duchess' cycle. We didn't get a breeding today because Duchess was just plain sick of Splash by now, however I'm not worried because Splash made sure we had adequate coverage of the crucial time-frame (haha). Now all we can do is wait and see... stay tuned!
 

Monday, June 2nd, 2008

Duchess and Splash had a natural breeding today. Being day 9 in Duchess' cycle, today is the "textbook" perfect date for her to be bred and Splash agreed. It's amazing how studs just KNOW these things... Unfortunately though, we did not get a breeding on day 8. Splash didn't think it was time yet. :0)~
 

Wednesday, May 28th, 2008

Duchess is currently in heat since last Saturday May 24th and we are planning on breeding her to Splash starting this weekend. We want to specifically target days 8, 10, 12 and 14 of her cycle. The theory is that if you breed on day 8, the litter may contain more female pups, also if you breed on day 14, the litter count may be higher. We tried this theory on the previous Litter D and did have a higher female count, but we were unable to breed on day 14, so litter size was smaller.