As with all Blue litters, she has a couple of porkers on her hands. Her puppies always seem to grow so fast with weight gain NEVER an issue. So much so that her 6oz birth weight puppies charted to grow to 6.5lbs but never made it to 4lbs! This litter is following suit with past pups and has doubled their birth weight in seven days.
As they grow, I cannot help but wonder something else. Another unique Blue trait is that while in heat, she accepts males WAY early in her cycle. Normally it is day 9 or 10. For Blue, it can be as early as day 5!! This is usually a sign of dominance, helping to ensure she gets the boys FIRST! Well, in this instance, it has brought me to a perplexing conclusion.
J.B. attached to Blue on day six of her heat. I didn't anticipate the tie taking, especially since it was very short and so early. He is our gate-jumper and really does have an unwanted mind of his own!!!! The planned breeding with Ace took place on day 10 - ideal for ovulation on day 13. We all assumed that Ace would be the daddy to this litter but I am now questioning that. J.B. could very well have some super spermies and be the daddy to these girls - or at the least, Dixie Daiquiri. Buddy and Ginny both carry the tri-color gene and the chocolate dilute gene, so I can assume that Ace does as well. But J.B's grandpa is a a chocolate-tri, just like Dixie! To make sure we know for sure, we are doing DNA tests on all five. We should have the results in a couple weeks. Until then, we will not have them listed as available. Once the results are in we will list them accordingly. I can tell you though, there is a list built already with families wanting Dixie. Watch for updates in a few weeks, but until then, you can enjoy their growing gallery of photos!
J.B. truly does have a way with the ladies and one of the few males that is buddies with both the girls AND the boys even when there is no heat in the house. He can go from cuddling with the boys on the back of the couch to cleaning the ears of the girls while they sun bathe in the kitchen. He must know the way to a Chi girl's heart is through a wet ear cleaning!
I have mentioned it a gazillion times - J.B. Will jump up to get onto or over anything in his way. Today we had our traditional huge Sunday breakfast but we got to a late start. It turned into more of a late brunch. J.B. Obviously caught into the postponement because when we finally entered the kitchen to start the cooking, we found him perched up on the kitchen table as if to say, "Well I am ready! Where's The Sausage, Eggs and Pancakes???"
As I stated, I am anticipating the arrival of heats for the girls and the boys have shown their signs of the impending visit as well. Normally this is when boys will show their ranks with growls and snares. Just a part of the cycle. 
J.B. is one of our number one offenders. When given the chance he will dig right up your nostril with his tongue and go non-stop! I realize it's all about the love for him. Cleaning his favorite peeps his way to show his true love. But MAN it is not a pleasant experience.
J.B. is such an opportunist napper. Rarely will you find him napping on his own - body warmth from others appears to be a must for this little man.
The moment any of us peeps walk out of the living room, all of the dogs know it. Being away from us apparently makes them anxious perhaps. Since Dewey can walk right through the gate, his anxiety subsides as soon as he is right beside me again. His attachment to me is strong - and J.B.'s attachment to my youngest son is the same.
With all of the commotion from the weekend, I apparently dropped the ball on my post heat norm. Usually, after our females' heats, they get a luxurious bath and spa treatment, making sure that all of their hoo-ha juices are G-O-N-E! Nothing more annoying than unwanted attention from frustrated boys!
J.B. is totally on high alert. It pains us to think of neutering him – These urges to snip always arise when the girls are in heat and he is driving us insane. The surgery is a permanent one and the decision should not be made when emotions are high and nerves are shot.
That would be - Smile Growl!
This past week has been extremely interesting and educational. Dewey is my shadow and follows me everywhere. Keeping him in with me and the girls has allowed him to be one happy dude for several reasons - He could have his way with Blue AND be with me! His mommy, Ginny, has finally entered standing heat and I have been fearful of a possible unwanted breeding. His bellyband has been in use and his Blue time is more scheduled.
J.B. has found himself a new nap spot! During a recent trip to IKEA (I LOVE IKEA!!!!) I picked up this chenille blanket for the couch. A great deal at 9.99 and now his favorite cuddle thing for naps. There are braided tassels along the edges that I was afraid might become new chew attractions but so far so good. I think J.B. is protecting it!