It's a big day today for the puppies...it's assessment day!! Yay!! The puppies are eight weeks old today, so that means they're ready for the evaluation that will decide who is destined to be a wonderful pet, performance dog, or show dog.
The puppies had their temperament evaluations last week, and all did very well. Most of the puppies did very well on the retrieve section, which was different from the previous litter where all but Finn could have cared less about a stupid piece of scrunched up paper, and even less about bringing it back after it was thrown! LOL
Vet checks and a cardiologist review of hearts are scheduled this week as well. Lots to do this week, but the puppies have done very well with all of their traveling. In fact, after assessments tonight, I'm taking the puppies over to my mom's place for a few days of "holidaying". They do love their "gramma".
The rain has finally stopped falling, and my six inch long grass is beginning to dry out. I'm hoping to be able to find an hour before assessments to get my grass mowed! :) Off to get organized!!
It's been busy here...between work, yard work, and puppies, I don't seem to have a minute to sit at the computer. Luckily my friend Laura came to the rescue on Sunday and helped me take some photos of the babies!
Well, the babies started on real food today. They're still chowing down on mom most of the time, but with the introduction of very sharp teeth, I thought I'd give Porsche a break. LOL
I am very particular about how I wean my puppies, as I try to work with their immune systems in order to avoid allergies down the road.
Well, the babies are three weeks old today and they're doing great. Porsche obviously has find of milk, as these guys always have fat bellies and are growing like weeds.
The pups are up and walking, barking, growling, and chewing on each other. Life is good.
Tails and dewclaws went very well this time around, and started to fall off after four days. These puppies grow quickly, so tails fall off quickly. Most of the puppies are almost two pounds, which means that they've gained almost a pound in a week. Let's just say that Porsche is a good mommy and the puppies are very good "doers".
Right on schedule, Porsche delivered eight beautiful, healthy babies on Monday, May 2nd, exactly when she was supposed to. That was a change from her last litter when she was two days late! LOL.
Porsche did a fantastic job whelping, with very little assistance from the humans, and kept a very good pace. Most of the puppies were born between 20 and 40 minutes apart, except for the last little wiggler who made an appearance five hours after puppy #7. Even so, she was born kicking and screaming and is, at this point, the fattest piglet in the litter.
The final count was:
Three flashy brindle males
Two plain brindle males
Two flashy brindle females
One plain brindle female
All but two were born over a pound in weight and the two "smaller" puppies were 14 and 15 oz, so no slouches in the weight department. Everyone is growing and gaining weight like gang busters.
Mom and I did tails and dewclaws on Wednesday night, and all of the babies took the experience in stride. Nothing phases these little guys...they are very content little babies, and are happy to just eat and sleep for a lack of anything else more exciting to do.
You can view the puppies on my facebook profile (I'll be posted the photos to my website tomorrow or Monday) here: Facebook Puppy Album
There's also a video that I uploaded a few days back...let me see if I can embed it somehow...
Sorry it's been a bit since my last post. I've been busy at work, and winter, sadly, is getting the better of me. All I want to do when I come home is sit on the couch and hibernate. Hopefully spring comes soon....
...because Porsche is having babies!!! :) There's no doubt that she's pregnant, and if I don't miss my guess, significantly MORE pregnant than she was last time around. At this point, my guess is nine puppies (she had seven last time), but she's almost as big at five weeks this time, than she was at eight weeks last time, so who knows how many she has tucked away in there?
Like her last litter, pregnancy has turned Porsche into a total sap...she wants nothing more than to snuggle, and cuddle, and lick. She's already starting to bag up (get milk), so that's a good sign too.
Personally, I can't wait until she has her babies and can get back working some sheep...but that's just me! LOL
Stay tuned for some photos...I think it's supposed to be sort of warm this weekend. /sigh
Porsche's incision is healing very nicely. There is no swelling or discoloration and she hasn't even tried to lick it. I took her to work with me today just to make sure she was going to be ok, and rather than feeling sorry for herself, she ran around like a fool!
I was so pleased with the puppies from last year's litter sired by Ronin and out of Porsche, that I've decided to repeat the breeding. The temperaments on the puppies are phenomenal, the conformation of the puppies was very consistent, and initial health testing on the babies (they're now nine months old) has been promising.
We did the surgical AI breeding today...Denise Schlingman, at Uncas Veterinary Clinic did, as always a fantastic job. Stay tuned for confirmation of her pregnancy. I should know in a few weeks...My girls are pretty good about letting me know pretty quickly.
