Sunday, July 22nd, 2017 (Week 6, Day 48)

Another couple pups left this morning to embark on their new lives outside Hickory Hollow.

Bright and early this morning, Trevor (new name is "Stanley") left for Wisconsin with his momma Jennifer to live with his new Springer Spaniel brother, Camo. He will have the opportunity to hunt with high hopes that the pointer/flusher mix that he and Camo possess will make a great team in the field. If so, NAVHDA events could be in his future!

Next out the door was our sweet boy "Tucker". He is also Wisconsin bound with his new mommy and daddy Gerry and Kathy. Last I heard I believe his new name will be "Indiana Jones". He was a perfect gentleman for his new parents, giving them the false impression that he will always be so well behaved, but John and I made sure to fill them in on his deceit (wink). His soft doe eyes just melt your heart and draw you in, but I think they are going to have a rambunctious little talker on their hands.

Now we're down to only one pup left for the meantime and that's Tatum. He will be here until he can fly out to meet his new family in Colorado as soon as the hot weather breaks. Hopefully our heat wave will let up soon, in the meantime I'm sure Skylar (our pup from Litter S) will be glad to have a new playmate in the house.

Saturday, July 22nd, 2017 (Week 6, Day 47)

Today Trinity (new name "Luna") left for her new life with her daddy Jake. She is Wisconsin bound and will live in the Oshkosh area near a close relative, auntie "Bella Luna" (aka Fallon, Litter F) who is owned and loved by Jake's parents, Jim and Jean. This pup will have plenty of family around to terrorize and from whom will be completely loved and pampered.

Second pup to fly the coop today was Tristan. His new mommy and daddy, Natalie and Mike, drove all the way from Atlanta Georgia to pick him up. When they arrived he greeted them with tons of puppy kisses and they fell in love with him immediately they were so excited to meet him. He's one lucky pup and is going to be spoiled completely rotten! At this time, they were still undecided on a new name for him.

Friday, July 21st, 2017 (Week 6, Day 46)

So sorry for being "missing" this week, it's been crazy busy with my 9-5 day job - working late hours - and trying to get puppy packets ready to go for this weekend. I have a lot of documents I send home with new puppy buyers so it takes a while to get everything ready, printed and assembled.

Weaning on the pups has gone very well, they are eating dry kibble "Native 4" without much issue, however momma HOPE has insisted on providing a milk meal at least two or three times this week just to relieve some pressure from the milkbar. I don't think this will affect the pups' full transition to dry kibble especially since once they leave here they won't have access to momma's milkbar anymore and won't have a choice but to eat the kibble.

Pups are being very rambunctious lately and kinda naughty. They have been moving the kennel which contains their bed out into the middle of the playpen and digging behind it. They pull up the rubber mat and get pine shavings all underneath it, but at least they haven't ripped the rubber to shreds like the last litter did, especially since this is a brand new mat! I think they are getting really bored with their playpen and thus it's a good thing most are going to their new homes starting tomorrow already! I can't believe how time has flown by with this litter!

Monday, July 17th, 2017 (Week 6, Day 42)

Week 6 Developmental Milestone: Eye color changes from blue to brown

This week, the puppies eyes will start to transition from their current baby blues to their final adult color; gold (chestnuts) or brown (tri-colors). It's too bad they have to lose those beautiful baby blues so soon... The transition takes about a week or so and the color mix during the transition is neat to see.

Here's how the pups weigh-in at 6 weeks old:

Sunday, July 16th, 2017 (Week 5, Day 41)

I have a fun surprise in store! My sister came out to take photos of the pups in the yard and they turned out SOOOO GOOD! She took over 1000 digital photos of the pups and I'm spending the afternoon reviewing them all. Isn't digital technology wonderful? There's no way we would have possibly captured that many images if we were still using film. The pups had a fun time playing and frolicking in the grass, some of the photos captured sheer enjoyment on the pups faces while running at top speed, tongues out and ears flapping. I will post some of the highlights on Facebook and in the 5 week miscellaneous photos section on this page. I'm super excited to share 6 week photos with you all tomorrow!

Friday, July 14th, 2017 (Week 5, Day 39)

WE HAVE ONE MALE PUP AVAILBLE due to last-minute buyer backout. PLEASE CONTACT ME if interested!

Update, Tristan has been reserved in RECORD TIME! I think this is the fastest sale in the history of HHLS, within minutes of advertising this cute pup's availability, he has been spoken for and will be moving to Atlanta Georgia! Congrats Mike and Natalie!

Thursday, July 13th, 2017 (Week 5, Day 38)

The pups crack me up these days, they are so funny to watch how they play and interact with each other, pouncing, ear pulling and neck chewing. They have all now discovered that they love to lay on the landscaping bricks in the playpen which are really only in there to hold down the rubber floor mat under the pine shavings, but for some reason have become the best place to take a nap. Whether they serve as a pillow or mattress, they tend to sleep any which way upon them.

Tonight I posted miscellaneous litter photos from Weeks 3 and 4. ENJOY! :0)~

Wednesday, July 12th, 2017 (Week 5, Day 37)

Noise desensitization is going very well. I am now able to make sudden loud noises in all different tones and pitches without spooking the pups, they may look in the direction of the noise, but are not startled by it, nor do they stop doing what they're doing. Pretty soon they will be oblivious to it which is the goal.

Pups are also eating well, they have been transitioned to canned food with the addition of dry kibble and are still eating vigorously. They are currently getting two dog food meals per day plus momma's milkbar in between meals. When the pups turn 6 weeks next Monday, momma HOPE will be removed completely and there will be no more milkbar in between meals. At that point I will increase the meals to 4 times per day to start and then will eventually get down to three meals per day.

Monday, July 10th, 2017 (Week 5, Day 35)

Week 5 Developmental Milestone: Puppy Selection / Noise Desensitization / Puppy Socialization

This is one of the most anticipated weeks for many because Puppy Selection finally happens. All the folks on our reservation list can now choose the pup they want to make a part of their family and take home in a couple weeks.

Now that the pups are old enough to have visitors, they will have lots of opportunities for socialization with our big dogs, adults and children. I will also continue to concentrate on acclimating them to noises of all varieties including rapping on pans, opening and closing of doors, blenders, christian pop music on the radio, and whatever else we can think of to condition them for life after Hickory Hollow.

Here's how the pups weigh-in at 5 weeks old:

Sunday, July 9th, 2017 (Week 4, Day 34)

Sorry for the delay in the personality profiles, we've been busy around here with home improvement projects, but I've been keeping notes and they will be posted soon!

Pups are eating well and have already been transitioned to canned Canidae - All Life Stages - Chicken and Rice formula. THEY LOVE IT and can't gulp it down fast enough. After dinner tonight several of the pups even went over to momma HOPE's dish and started eating a few of her kibble. She's currently being fed Native 4 (small kibble) which the puppies will eventually be transitioned to anyway, so if they want to try it they should. I just make sure to keep a close eye on them while they are tasting it so they don't choke. The kibble is probably harder than their mouths and new little puppy teeth are ready for, but if they can eat it, then it shouldn't hurt anything.

I took a cute video of Momma HOPE cleaning up after the pups entitled " Mealtime Mania ".

Friday, July 6th, 2017 (Week 4, Day 32)

Weaning has begun! For the first couple meals I feed the pups Gerber baby rice cereal mixed with goat's milk, then slowly add canned puppy food until they get used to the feel of solid foods. I add water to canned food for a few meals so it's not so thick, but they will transition quite rapidly going forward. They are definitely ready!

I will be posting Personality Profiles sometime this weekend in preparation for puppy selection starting next week.

Wednesday, July 5th, 2017 (Week 4, Day 30)

Pups are doing great out in the cottage, they've been exploring their new playpen and chilling out in their new bed, which is the bottom half of a large plastic kennel with a snuggly blanket to lay on. Tucker has decided he likes to lay on the top of the landscaping brick to get a view from higher up. The brick is really in there holding down the corner of the rubber mat floor liner, but the pups hopefully won't discover that for at least another couple weeks.

Tuesday, July 4th, 2017 (Week 4, Day 29)

Happy Independence Day everybody!

Monday, July 3rd, 2017 (Week 4, Day 28)

Week 4 Development Milestone: Rough Play / Weaning Begins

Play behavior started late in their third week, but this week it will turn rough and rowdy with pouncing, pinning, biting, head shaking, chewing and growling. By the end of this week I will lovingly refer to them as "my little monsters", because they will bite and chew anything they can get their mouths on, including their siblings, show laces, toes, ankles, fingers and long hair. A play session on the floor with the pups can be painful at times and sensitive areas of the body need to be protected! As their little personalities emerge this week, I will be posting puppy personality profiles in preparation for Puppy Selection starting next Monday!

Here's how the pups weigh-in at 4 weeks old:

Pups will also have their third deworming today.

Monday, July 3rd, 2017 (Week 3, Day 28)

This evening John and I moved the pups out to the Puppy Cottage and I captured the first few moments on video to share with you. Check out " Move to the Puppy Cottage " in the video clips section above.

When we put the pups in the playpen, we set them down in their new comfy bedding area and expected them to adventure out as they felt comfortable. As you can see, Tatum is the first to explore and was out of the bed box even before I could get the video rolling. He expored the entire playpen, up one side and down the other all before even one of the other pups left the comfort of the box. It wasn't until Momma HOPE appeared with her mobile milkbar that they ventured out for a meal.

HOPE is now standing to nurse and the pups sit up on their haunches reaching upward to find the milk bar. This is so cute!

Sunday, July 2nd, 2017 (Week 3, Day 27)

I uploaded two videos today:

06/26/17 @ 9:24 am - " Play Behavior Begins "

In this video, the pups were just put back in the box on a clean rug that was freshly washed so they are noticing the smell of Mountain Fresh Tide for the first time. Pups are always extra excited when put back in the box anyway, but later in the video you will see the beginnings of play behavior between Tatum and Trinity. -- Video taken 6/26/17 @ 9:24 am

07/01/17 @ 11:48 pm - " Hello Aunties & Uncles! "

Skylar is quite smitten with her new family members and steals time with them whenever she can, in this case it's while Grammy HOPE is munching down on her chow. In the meantime, Skylar gets some interaction time with Trevor, Tristan, Tatum, and Tucker who seem to be just as interested in her as she is in them.

Saturday, July 1st, 2017 (Week 3, Day 26)

This morning John commented that the pups now notice us when we come into the room. They came over to the edge of the whelping box, put their front feet on the rail and stepped up to greet us, wanting some love and attention. SO CUTE!

Later today we're planning on moving the pups out to the cottage and are working on preparations for that. We had to do a lot of cleaning along with a several repairs after Skylar and Benelli hung out in there while we were gone for work.

Friday, June 30th, 2017 (Week 3, Day 25)

Funny story... I was working late tonight on some technical documentation for work. In order to pacify the Llew Crew so I could concentrate, I gave them all rawhide bones which I don't do very often. This actually had the opposite effect of what I was hoping for.

Skylar was running around the room at high speed with it in her mouth, looking for a safe place to stop and chew. Benelli was chasing Skylar trying to steal her bone from her. I think they ended up swapping bones a few times in the process. HOPE started pacing around the puppy nursery with her rawhide bone her mouth and whining instead of laying down for a good munch. I kept telling her "quiet", but that didn't work. I peeked in on her and saw that her bone was half hidden under the mat in her kennel and she seemed somewhat content for the time being, but that didn't last long. She kept whining so I finally went to let her out of the puppy nursery because I figured maybe she was telling me she needed a potty break. This time I noticed she had tried to "hide" her bone behind the waste paper basket. I giggled to myself about this... Upon being freed from the puppy nursery, she snatched up Skylar's bone on the run and tried to take it outside with her. I'm quickly catching on here... she's not going to be content until her bone is safely hidden to be enjoyed later and she has ALL THREE bones in her possession!

After her potty break and return to the puppy nursery she continued to pace around the room with her bone in her mouth whining. I tried to tune her out as best I could in order to make progress on the technical document I was writing. Finally I noticed that HOPE was quiet, so I checked in on her. When I peeked in the nursery, she was in her high-rise apartment (Benelli and HOPE's hard-sided kennels are stacked and she resides in the top kennel), panting and anxiously keeping watch over her domain and then I spied it! Her rawhide bone was neatly tucked under a rail in the puppy whelping box, laying there and blending in with all the rest of her sleeping pups. I think she FINALLY found a place where she thought it would be safe, in with her pups where NONE of the other dogs dared to go! At this point I laughed out loud, so funny! This just goes to show you what a genuine piece of work she is!

I also thought it was interesting that when the pups awoke from their nap, they were all on that rawhide like ants on honey, licking it, pawing at it and chewing on the corners. They liked the smell of it and wanted a taste too!

Thursday, June 29th, 2017 (Week 3, Day 24)

Tonight about 10:00 pm we had to go to the basement during a severe thunderstorm warning, so I boxed up the pups on a blanket in a large laundry basket and me with pups along with the rest of the Llew Crew (Skylar, Benelli and HOPE) and the white wonder (Fozzie the cat) and the pup sitter (DAX the German Shepherd) headed to shelter in our lower level family room. It was quite the site with all of us watching the storm coverage on TV. Skylar curled up on the couch beside me (which is usually a no-no), but was the best place to keep an eye on an otherwise curious, ever wandering pup. The five pups just barely fit in the basket, so I took one out (Tristan) to make more room for the others and cuddled him on my lap. He slept the entire time as did the others. The weather blew over without any consequences, thankfully.

The pups are big enough and are getting around well enough that we've decided to move them out to the Puppy Cottage as soon as possible. The LIVE Puppy Cam will be offline for a short time during the transition.

Wednesday, June 28th, 2017 (Week 3, Day 23)

The pups are starting to find their voices now, they are becoming much more vocal than before by whimpering, whining, chattering, barking, yipping and growling. They are also getting so big that they are rapidly outgrowing their whelping box, so it will be time very soon to move them out to the Puppy Cottage where they will have much more room to romp and play and we can go back to getting better sleep at night.

Monday, June 26th, 2017 (Week 3, Day 21)

Week 3 Development Milestone: Play Behavior

This is my absolute favorite time with the pups. Their eyes and ears are now open and they are waddling around regularly and actually keeping their balance and are becoming playful and inquisitive about their surroundings. This week the pups will start noticing and playing with each other, bowing, yipping, pouncing and chewing on each other. Their individual personalities begin to emerge and they will begin to do some of their natural doggy behavior for the first time.

Here's how the pups weigh-in at 3 weeks old:

Pups will also have their second deworming today. Week 3 Puppy Portraits and miscellaneous photos taken during Week 2 have been posted above.

Sunday, June 25th, 2017 (Week 2, Day 20)

Today during observance of the litter and while snapping a few photos, I noticed the beginnings of play behavior between Trevor and Tristan, with Trevor being the instigator. He started chewing on Tristan's nose and pawing at his face, TOO CUTE! This is my favorite time with the pups because they are still so sweet and docile and are fun to snuggle while relaxing on the couch, because that will all change in just a couple more weeks!

Saturday, June 24th, 2017 (Week 2, Day 19)

The pups have just started cutting teeth. For most pups, the canines have broken through the gum line, in a couple days the incisors will be next. This is a somewhat slow process and could take up to a week to get their full set of baby teeth.

They are also walking around with much better agility now as compared to a mere few days ago and when momma HOPE comes into the box they get all stirred up wandering here and there and seemingly in circles until momma settles down. HOPE has started sitting to nurse instead of laying out flat all the time, but the pups are still laying down to nurse. It won't be long before she stays standing and the pups have to sit up on their haunches to reach the milk faucets.

Thursday, June 22nd, 2017 (Week 2, Day 17)

The pups are now reacting to noises and can be woken from sleep with my voice instead of by placing my hand on them. It will be critical for the next several days not to startle the pups and scare them, noise conditioning will come later during their time here at Hickory Hollow (usually starting at Week 5, going through Week 7). At this point any lound or startling noise will instinctually make the pups scramble to try and hide under the rails in the box. I feel bad when I see this happening, so I try my hardest not to cause this reaction.

Tuesday, June 20th, 2017 (Week 2, Day 15)

The pups are now taking their first few steps, meaning more than one before falling over. They first do a push-up and then get their back feet underneath them, then actually lift their bellies off the ground and walk. They teeter and totter like they're drunk and could fall over at any moment, and sometimes do, but they're getting stronger every day. When momma HOPE comes back into the box, they get all stirred up and they get up and move around like crazy.

Skylar (the puppy we kept from Litter S) has been very curious about the sqeeks and coos coming from the whelping box but Grammy HOPE has not let her near. Today she got a good peek at her little aunts and uncles. I took a cute video titled "Skylar Peeking In" that I hope you will enjoy.

Week 2 Puppy Portraits are now posted above. It's so neat to see their eyes open now!! ENJOY! :0)~

Monday, June 19th, 2017 (Week 2, Day 14)

Week 2 Development Milestone: Cutting Teeth / Ears will open

Now that the puppies eyes are open, they will begin to see clearer and clearer each day. Supposedly they can only see shadows for the first few days, but pretty soon they will begin to notice me as I come into the nursery and will wander to the edge of the box for some love and attention.

Just as significant as the eyes opening, the ear canals will deepen this week until they will become completely open and allow the pups to hear crisp noises and not just muffled sounds.Later this week, the pups will be noticeably affected by all the new sounds around them, so we must be very careful for the first few days to introduce them to noises gently and not harshly.

They will also begin to cut teeth, first the canines will poke through followed by the incisors a few days later. As of today, I can already see the teeth forming beneath the gums, so it won't be long before they start poking through.

Here's how the pups weigh-in at 2 weeks old:

Pups will also have their first deworming today. Miscellaneous photos taken during Week 1 have been posted above and stay tuned for Week 2 Puppy Portraits....

Sunday, June 18th, 2017 (Week 1, Day 13)

Once the eyes start opening the progression happens fairly fast. Even though in a couple more days all the pups eyes will be open, they still won't be able to focus very well and can only see for relatively short distances but this is only temporary and will improve over a short amount of time. Here's today's stats:

Miscellaneous litter photos for birth week have just been posted, ENJOY! :0)~

Saturday, June 17th, 2017 (Week 1, Day 12)

This morning during weigh-in I noticed that the pups' eyes are FINALLY starting to open, a few days later than first expected but still within normal timeframe. Here's today's stats:

Friday, June 16th, 2017 (Week 1, Day 11)

During the first couple weeks of life the pups do an awful lot of sleeping which is important for their development. Their eyes and ears are still closed like at birth, and their sense of smell is not yet working, but everything is slowly changing. Their ear folds are starting to deepen towards the ear canals and will eventually connect so they can hear better, and their eyelids are forming and will soon split apart during the opening process to reveal the shining baby blues beneath. This is why it will be fun once their eyes are open because I will be able to tell when they are really sleeping and when they are awake. They will also become more physically active and interactive with each other once they can see where they're going.

Wednesday, June 14th, 2017 (Week 1, Day 9)

I'm so excited that the pups' eyes should be opening very soon! They take on a whole new persona once this happens, their baby blues just reflect a cuteness that will melt your heart. The pups won't tend to get lost in a corner all by themselves anymore because they will be able to see where their siblings are and where momma is. It will also be nice to actually tell when the pups are really sleeping or when they are awake. I'm keeping an "eye out" for this to start happening and will report my findings throughout the process.

HOPE is such a good momma, she tends to her babies so well and never wants to leave them for very long. She keeps them warm, cleaned and well fed. I took a video today entitled "Momma Care" that shows HOPE mothering her pups. In the video she has just returned from a quick potty break and is making sure to count and tend to each one. She licks them to stimulate them to urinate because at this age they cannot do it on their own. Pups start controlling their own elimination sometime between 3 and 4 weeks of age, so up until that time it's up to momma dog to help them out.

Here's how the pups weigh-in today:

Tuesday, June 13th, 2017 (Week 1, Day 8)

I noticed that the pups are really nursing with intent now, and by that I mean they are really kneeding and bobbing their heads to make the milk flow, it's so cute to watch. The pups are getting plenty of milk too, they have big fat round bellies which is the reason my husband calls them "little toads". I hope you all are enjoying the LIVE Puppy Cam and have witnessed all this yourself.

Pups are starting to get up off the floor more too. Right now they are mostly scooting around on their bellies by pushing with their back feet, but I've seen a couple pups actually put their feet under them and lift off the carpet. It just amazes me to see how much they change from day to day during this time.

I took 1 week puppy portraits this evening and they are now posted above. As far as photographing pups at this age, this litter has been easier than most which has been a pleasure. ENJOY! :0)~

Monday, June 12th, 2017 (Week 1, Day 7)

Week 1 Developmental Milestone: Eyes will open

During this week, the pups will reach an exciting milestone. We are anticipating the opening of their eyes. It should start happening around day 10 of this week and will take a few days to fully open. When the pups are born, their ears and eyes are closed to keep out the amniotic fluid and any bacteria encountered in the birthcanal. 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.

Here's how the pups weigh-in at 1 week old:

Saturday, June 10th, 2017 (Birth week, Day 5)

The Super Dog program is progressing nicely. Every morning during weigh-in I go through each of the 5 exercises with each pup. Most pups don't like the "Head Pointed Down" position and will voice their discomfort with little grunts and a bunch of squirming, but Tucker doesn't seem to mind, he appears undisturbed in any position. I have a feeling he will be a very laid back, mild-mannered pup. Putting the pups through all those positions also gives me the opportunity to examine them to make sure that nothing seems out of the ordinary, such as the belly button is healing nicely, skin and coat looks good, dew claw removal area is not infected, eye lids and ear flaps are clean, not crusty or inflamed, etc. It's just nice to have a thorough look-over every day.

Here's how the pups weigh-in this morning:

I also took a short video this morning of the pups nursing. This first week usually gets away from me so quickly without any video, and I always kick myself later for not getting video of the pups so tiny. They grow so fast as you can see by the weigh-ins. I will post a clip on YouTube called "Breakfast in Bed" with a link from the Videos section above on this page.

Thursday, June 8th, 2017 (Birth week, Day 3)

I started the "Super Dog" program today. If you haven't heard about this, you can read about it here ( Super Dog Program ). In a nutshell, the Super Dog Program consists of performing several neurological stimulation exercises each day between the age of 3 to 16 days. Theoretically, this stimulation helps boost the development of the neurological system which will enhance the dog's performance later in life. I believe in giving the pups as much of a boost as I can while they are here at Hickory Hollow before they venture out into the world. The Super Dog Program is just one of a number of things I can do to help.

Wednesday, June 7th, 2017 (Birth week, Day 2)

By now the pups's umbilical cords have shriveled up and fallen off and they now have a clearly defined belly button. Momma HOPE is being an attentive mom as always, keeping them warm, fed and very clean. At this age she does not like to leave them for very long, so when she's ready to come back inside after a potty break, her high-pitched barks let me know she's desperate to return to them and wants in RIGHT NOW!

Here's how they weigh-in this morning at less than 48 hours old.

The pups dewclaws were removed today. Birthday puppy portraits have been posted for your viewing pleasure. These pups sure are some cute little wigglers with very unique markings.

Tuesday, June 6th, 2017 (Birth week, Day 1)

This morning HOPE and babies are all doing great, they are plump little wigglers, so cute and wrinkly right now and all have gained a good amount of weight. With only 5 pups and 8 faucets, pups should be fat and sassy due to plenty of milk to go around. Pups first instincts are warmth and food. It's neat to see them nuzzle up to the milkbar and suckle almost immediately after birth. It's amazing how they use their noses, feeling around with them to find the teat since they are currently blind. It's truly pure instinct but neat to observe.

Here's how the pups weighed in this morning at less than 24 hours old.

The LIVE Puppy Cam will be coming online sometime today. I am currently working on name selection, body marking maps, puppy portraits and some miscellaneous litter photos I will post on Facebook, so we've got some exciting things to roll out for you today. Stay tuned!

Monday, June 5th, 2017

2:00 pm - PUPPIES ARE COMING!! I saw a pup in the birth canal which seemed stuck after multiple attempts by HOPE to push the pup out, so I helped massage it on through. Our first pup has been born @ 2:03 pm!!

1:05 pm - visible contractions start!! I called my vet because last time this happened (labor without the textbook temperature drop) HOPE had to go into surgery for a c-section because the placentas were not detaching properly and a pup was stuck in the birth canal. I've got my vet all lined up in case of emergency. She said give HOPE about 2 hours to have pups on her own before bringing her in.

4:00 am - wake up call from HOPE, frantic to get outside and running around like crazy! Even though the temp has not dropped below the red line yet, I'm not going back to bed because I think puppies are coming today, right on schedule! I believe her water just broke, so I'm going to keep an eye out for the start of visible contractions. Stay tuned!

Sunday, June 4th, 2017

Tonight HOPE is really nesting and acting restless. She makes me think she might be going into labor. Her temp is on the way down, but has not hit the target redline of 98.4 degrees yet. I will keep a close eye on her during the overnight hours just in case my due date prediction was spot on.

Saturday, June 3rd, 2017

HOPE's temp finally dropped to the textbook 99 degrees today, but only 2 days to due date. This usually indicates the start of the final week of gestation, but things may progress more rapidly. It's just a waiting game at this point for more signs...

Friday, June 2nd, 2017

HOPE's temp is still over 100 degrees and hasn't dropped to the textbook 99 yet, but this morning I can definitley feel puppies and movement which is encouraging. I am still thinking this will be a smaller litter for her than normal.

Monday, May 29th, 2017

Since we are within 1 week of the estimated due date, I have started taking HOPE's temperature, monitoring her for the tell-tale drop in temperature which is indicative of hormonal changes that cause labor. Usually in the final week the normal temperature drop a couple degrees and hang out around 99 degrees (normal for a dog is around 101.5), but upon taking her temp for the first time it's still over 100 degrees. While she's obviously pregnant, her belly isn't as big and full at this point as she usually is when she's carrying a litter of 7 or more. Also, I can usually feel puppy movement at this stage, but I'm not really feeling a whole lot yet, so these issues make me think she's got a small litter this time and the temp indicates the due date might be a little further out than June 5th. Stay tuned for further development updates...

Monday, May 15th, 2017

HOPE is definitely pregnant, she is starting to show and her belly is pooching out. She's still not eating as well as she normally does, but this is typical of her during pregnancy. Pups are due approximately 9 weeks from first breeding which should put the due date around June 5th.

Friday, May 5th, 2017

I believe I've confirmed HOPE is pregnant and think she's going through a spell of morning sickness as she's lost her appetite recently! I can also feel little chicken egg sized puppies in her belly, for sure felt three, but for obvious reasons didn't want to press the issue. We may do an x-ray at 8 weeks gestation to count pups, but that's TBD.

Friday, April 7th, 2017

We had several successful breedings this week between HOPE and Shooter and think that we will produce a litter from it. Pups should be due around June 5th with a take home date of July 24th. Now we wait at least 4 weeks until we can confirm a pregnancy...

Monday April 3rd, 2017

We had planned to retire HOPE after her last litter, but decided we wanted ONE more shot at a possible puppy from her! I had been in contact with Houdini Llewellin Setters recently about using one of their studs when I learned about Shooter, their newest up-and-coming stud out of Cora (Houdini Llewellins ) and Bobby (a sire from High Fly'n Kennels). HOPE has been in great health and is loaded with tons of energy so we decided to move forward. We took HOPE to meet up with Shooter today and got a breeding within the first half hour! I guess she was ready!