They're here!!

Those little puppies have arrived!!! The first was born around 3:30 yesterday morning and the last just after 7am. We have 8: 4 boys and 4 girls, all safe and sound. Pics are up now on the "puppies" page.

The vet has come and gone- they all got a clean bill of health, and she identified the 1 or 2 to supervise, so that they get enough nourishment. She did some osteopathic work, chiropractic adjustment, and cranial therapy too, lucky little dogs. That was on both mom and tots. She told me that these adjustments at an early age will help them to suckle better, and thus be sure to thrive!!

All are happy, now eating their 28th meal of the day :)

Day 59/63

Basically, there is no official due date since the breeding took place over 5 days. So what this means is that today- October 13 is the first possible due date and the last due date within the healthy, or expected range is Friday October 17.

This litter is to be known as the Gratitude litter for 2 reasons: they will be born around (on?) Thanksgiving and because Curry had some health complications back in the spring which might have led to an inability to become pregnant again. She pulled through that with flying colors and now here we are today- within a few short hours (or days) of a healthy litter coming into this world.

Her temperature dropped today and I gave her a little bath to clean the belly and hind end for the puppies comfort and safety. She is now resting comfortably in her whelping area, head on a pillow. She is very obviously in the beginning phase of labour, as she is breathing heavily and a certain calm has come over her.

And just yesterday she was frolicking in the river. My what a girl.

Week 6

I've had to write this post already twice and keep having technical difficulties when it comes to publishing it. So, hopefully third time's a charm.

I took Curry in on September 14 for an ultrasound and got to see a bunch of squirmy little puppy/lizard eggs moving around. We are likely having a normal sized litter, which is anywhere from 4-8 puppies. Given she has had 9, 6 and 7 in the past, 6 or 7 seems likely.

Curry is taking pregnancy in stride. She is getting very chubby and has slowed down a lot on our 1-hour daily walks. But if I try to leave her at home, she gets very upset so come she does, and plods along behind us in her own little world. Her big tummy sways from side to side as she walks. Must absolutely get some photos and or video of that before it's all said and done.

I have been preparing the 'nursery' (office/spare room) for incoming babies, stocking up on newspaper scavenged from the recycling depots and a kiddie pool from the end-of-summer sale bin at Toys R' Us. I've got Tobi from Woodcreek kennels on speed dial (her dog Amber is about a week behind Curry in her pregnancy and Tobi has done this before.) Plus she is only 2 blocks away if I have a real emergency. I still need a few extra linens, a heating pad, a couple of medical supplies, and the buyers. The all-important buyers who will give these little creatures their lifelong homes and years of fun and adventure!

Name Changes by the Day

Turns out Pinknoser is a derogatory term and let's just say I don't want that. So back to the drawing board. I want something funny, but not too funy. I want something serious but not too serious. I need something unique, and preferably short... sheesh. It is harder to name this than anything else I have ever named before. And I love naming things. It's a good thing I only have to do this once. But the problem with that is all the pressure! I mean, I only get one crack at it and it has to be right... I've settled on Aberdeen for now. It is an ancestral city from my mother's side of the family (Topaz is named after her birthstone), as well as a Scottish and Australian influence. The former for the breed, and the latter for my amazing experiences in Australia, which is where I was when I started making preparations to adopt my first Toller, Splash. So Aberdeen it is, for now.