I Swear They Know

I have seen many signs that dogs know their own offspring and it is sights like this that cement those thoughts.

Dewey was laying in the doggy bed and up walked his mommy, Ginny. She cuddled up around him and started to clean him. He lay there all comfy and in peace as his mommy tidied him up. So uber sweet!

The Girls Are Back!

The end of the camping trip also meant the end of relaxing and back to burning the candle at both ends. The drive home yesterday included dumping the camper, running to our son's football game, driving back home to unpack and then back out to pick up the girls! Wheeeewwww!

They did SO great - making mommy proud - and comfortably napped for the ride home. Driving home in the dark I was sure it would make them wonder where they were going next. Nope - Totally comfortable in their skin and their element. Back home they went and their comfy beds they would soon be in for the rest of the night. We will be spending Valentine's Day back all together again!

The Girls Are Having a PAR-TAY

We are about to embark on our first camping trip of the year and with some of he girls still in some stage of their heat, Karen offered to dogsit for us. WE ALL LOVE KAREN!!!

Baby and Colada have spent time there before but this would be Ginny's first time. I dropped the girls off last night but  I wanted to stick around for a bit to see how she adjusted. Within a few minutes, she was up on the back of their couch, just like she does at our house - A sign that all would be well. Here is a photo Karen sent me after I left. Oh yeah - they are doing JUST fine!

The Switch

The boys are normally in the living room with us during the heat cycles because they are the loudest in the bunch. Being away from us is something they vocally express their disappointment with.

During our dinner feedings tonight, the girls were left in the living-room after their potty breaks and remained with us all evening. It was as if they missed their "spots" on the back of the couch so much that once they jumped up to them, they were not willing to budge - and of course - fell into a comfy slumber. Look at Colada and Ginny! Like they never left!

They Are One Week Oldl!

The boys are growing right on target,  doubling their weight in the first seven days. Totally textbook! They are nice and plump and healthy. Ginny is such an AMAZING mommy!

The New Whelping Suite

With so much going on lately, I haven't been able to share a photo of our new whelping suite! Moms and their pups now have their very own private room to use for the first three to four weeks after whelping and I must say, so far so great!

As I explained, I borrowed Karen's idea for the "cave" created by using a storage box on its side inside the kiddie pool. Ginny lays in it with her boys to feed and clean and then jumps on top of the box to cool off and get a better view out the window. Totally cool!

The Pup's First Adventure

Their first three full days of life on this planet were filled with adventure. Ok, more like adventures they were there to watch others experience an adventure, but it was an adventure none the less. Mommy and pups spent the entire weekend napping, feeding/eating and more napping. Same thing they would do at home, but for three days they got to take in new sights while doing it!

In Morning's Light

Ginny may have been a bit standoffish at the new nursery set up last night but today she has fallen in love! I used Karen's plastic tote "cave" idea and set her and her boys up in their own private suite with a beautiful view outside and a quiet corner of the house. The boys are squirming their way into comfyness and loving the sunlight in the afternoon. Welcome to the world little ones!

SHEHADABABYIT'SABOY

and another boy!

12 hours on stage 1 and voila! 45 minutes of pushing brought Ginny's sweet first baby boy entered the world at 4:32 am. Weighing in at 5 1/4 ozs. he is his daddy's boy - Black with white markings - rather symmetrical to boot!

At 4:45 am, his little brother, a black sabled fawn with white markings arrived. Smaller in size (4 1/2 oz) he too seems to have his daddy's petite frame.

It was a very long night - and morning but well worth every yawn. Roz and my daughter were the perfect helpers and everyone is happy, healthy but very tired!

And Here We Go!

I so love when the girls know exactly what to do! About 4:30 this afternoon, while napping on the couch, Ginny sat straight up with the tell-tale heavy panting. After nesting a bit, she got up and walked right over to the gate to go upsatirs. That is where we whelp all of our pups. She knew it was time, so upstairs we went.

Normally we deliver in my bedroom. Now that our oldest moved out, we have a spare bedroom that also makes an ideal "quiet" nursery/whelping room. She and I have spent some time up there over the last few weeks, in preparation for today. For some reason, now that the wheels are in motion, she kept begging to get into my room. So up into my bed we went to wait for Stage 2 to begin. That could take another 12 hours! So here we sit. Rosalind is on her way and now we ALL get to wait.

New Day Same Old Story!

Again, no signs of labor, She ate both meals and even begged for table scraps. This brings us to my original assumption that she and Buddy tied before she ovulated, bring her due date to within the next three days. Until then, she is getting tired of carry the extra weight but is still in an upbeat mood!

Since I have lost the date bet, I am here to declare I am sticking to my original puppy count of two!

Lost The Bet

Ginny scarfed down both breakfast and dinner today with no signs of a slow down in the appetite department. Looks like I lost the bet. No worries. Now we shoot for her actual due date - the 5th! Back to the Ginny watch we go!

Day 59 and Counting

When I said we are on Ginny watch, we are totally watching our sweet Ginny! Over the last couple days her belly has gone from "blobby" to hard lumps, watching and feeling puppy movement. She is clearly feeling the tinges of her babies' movements as they slowly move down to the birth canal.

My bets have been placed and I am not budgin'! I base them on her growth and delivery dates on her past litters. Of course, each of us humans have our own guesses but mine are as follows:

• 2 puppies for sure - Possibly 3
• She will deliver on October 2nd

And so we wait!

She Popped - Sorta

In past litters, by day 45 Ginny has totally popped. Of course, her normal litter size is five. The fact that she simply is NOT as big as she has been in the past helps firm up my guess of two puppies baking in there. Now she may not be as big as I have seen but she has still reached the uncomfy point. She can usually be found sprawled out completely, stretching her belly and laying on her side.

Today, I giggled as I watched her try to find a napping spot on the doggy beds in the sun. Normally she could wiggle her way in and lay down comfortably. With so many other dogs in the room, her spread-out space was limited. She paced from side to side, looking for her chance. When she finally realized it wasn't gonna happen, she plopped her back-end down to the floor and appeared to sigh with disappointment - and discomfort.

I Felt Um!

There are at least two in there! The closer our girls get to their possible impending whelping date, the come to bed with me so I can keep a close eye on them. With us question her situation, I figured I will just work on the "she IS" path and go from there. Last night as she cuddled up beside me, stretching her belly to beg for a rub. That's when it all became very clear - I could feel a hard bulge on each side. A minimum of two is my guess, with a possible third.

Guessing Game

As I have said in the past few Ginny pregnancies, it is really hard to palpate her and get an accurate count. She is my chubber-wubber and even confirming her pregnancy on day 21 was hard. I am not 100% sure the breeding took. Physically, she is not showing the preggy bulge but she is acting like she always has in the past. Very nappy and calm. So today would be day 30. the next couple weeks will be when she pops if it took - Only time will tell.

They Had Another Plan

We have been rather lax on the female confinement, thinking we had a few more days before standing heat would be here. Our first morning potty run in the yard proved us wrong and Buddy was the one to tell us so.

It only took seconds and he was attached to Ginny. Not a bad thing  - They are our main breeding pair and were just doing what their instincts told them to do. So our plan to bring in an outside dog into the line won't happen this year and we will have another litter of stunning Ginny/Buddy pups in October! And of course, as of this morning, ALL of the girls have been separated from the boys.

A Family Portrait

Of all the beds and all the spots in this house, these three have picked the one bed in the kitchen and it was too sweet of a moment to not capture. Ginny with her sweet daughter MiMi and son Ace - They each piled in, one after another. Yet another example of how they just know - And how they keep it all in the family!

Happy 4th of July!!!

Perhaps we need to let off fireworks year round to desensitize them? Not that as a human I would enjoy that but I swear, these poor dogs cowered for a two straight hours as our neighbors let off continuous fireworks. As the night went on, they did loosen up a bit but Dude shook the entire time. That poor boy. He does it at thunderstorms too - Our only one that does.

Dewey braved the noise and went out in the backyard for a bit but he was clearly still a bit uneasy. Ginny had it totally right! She laid in the doggy beds in the kitchen, looking out the window to enjoy the light show. She apparently shared the experience with Mimosa. She was the only one that didn't seem to be bothered one bit! It must have been all of those thunderstorms we had here was she was a young pup.

Mother's Daughter

My word - if this photo doesn't bring back memories of Ginny when she was a young pup I don't know what will. Mimi looks so much like her mommy!! And not only does she have her looks, she also has her affectionate ways as well as her laid-back temperament.

One thing that is uniquely hers though is her desire to be always be with you. Ginny will lay on the back of the couch and periodically come to you for a belly rub or kiss. Mimi has joined her brothers by wiggling through the bars of the gates to follow me when I leave the room. At the rate she is growing, it won't be possible for much longer! She has slowed down a bit - At 4 months is weighs 4lbs 2 ozs - but she still has a bit more growing to do. I see her reaching 5lbs by the end of the summer.