Day 16 Action!

Puppies are just a little over 2 weeks old...Eyes are open and legs are beginning to work a bit better! On Friday I trimmed their sharp little claws for the first time - only #2 voiced her opinion on the matter.

Today's weights:
#1: 2 lbs, 8.5 oz
#2: 2 lbs, 8 oz
#3: 2 lbs, 10 oz
#4: 2 lbs, 12 oz
#5: 2 lbs, 15 oz
#6: 2 lbs, 4 oz

Here is a short, "action packed" video of today's "romp" around the bathroom.

Not for the Squeamish !

Not a lot of puppy reporting today - they are all as fat as little piggies, everyone doing well...I think by Sunday everyone's eyes will be fully open, so the next update should have more puppy stuff to report...

And if you are squeamish, don't read any further and ESPECIALLY don't look at the pics :)

So today seemed like "dog food day" in that, this morning, my dog freezer (actually, my dog freezerS) were almost empty. I hate it when it gets to be slim pickin's...No veggies left, no heart, tongue, just some ground pork, a pork liver and a small beef heart. Ok so I DO have lots of RMBs, as I picked up 5 cases of duck necks and wings only 2 weeks ago...

So anyways, this morning I went to the big grocery stores to sweep pretty much everything off their "sell by yesterday" veggie rack into my cart. Strolling through the meat section, I discovered some "sell by today" whole chickens for 99 cents a lb. So bought lots of that...Then ion the fish section I found some whole mackerel - not on special but Oh so hard to find anymore! I cleaned them out. At home I processed my veggies and froze the tubs. Onto the next...

I called the abattoir (slaughter house/butcher) and Martin said that yes he had 100 lbs of ground beef and pork, yes to hearts and tongues, no to pig feet (great "toothbrushes" and tripe, but promised to call me when he next did cows so he could save all the tripe.

So my car loaded, I drove home, unloaded it stuffing the 150 lbs of meat into one of the freezers. Immediately after doing so, my raw feeding friend called to say he had another pail of deer guts for us to sort through - which we did and got lots of organs, offal and tripe. The best thing about this tripe was that the contents in the stomach looked exactly like the vegetable concoction I had made earlier...So we saved it! Tap tested it and gave her thumbs up (paws up).

Finally, in my PJs, ready to call it a night, the same friend called to say he had ANOTHER pail of deer offal (seems he knows ALL the local hunters!) ...So we finished processing all that and now I am overflowing - both freezers are stuffed to bursting.

A great feeling!

WARNING Graphic pics :)

The scene of a horrific crime, or makeshift butcher block in the barn?
This is lovely pre fermented veggies!

Notice my apron. A bit hypocritical I guess.
Yes, I am wearing a hat, or "toque" as they are known as here up in the north!

Day 12 - Eyes are Open! Last day of ENS Exercises

Today's stats:

#1: 2 lbs; eyes open just a bit
#2: 2 lbs; eyes about 2/3 open
#3: 2 lbs 3 oz; eyes open just a crack
#4: 2 lbs 4 oz; eyes almost fully open (He is going to be the "first" at everything, I bet!)
#5: 2 lbs 5 oz; eyes open just a crack
#6: 1 lb 12 oz; eyes open about 2/3

Sorry no video....I am playing around with Fen's Round Pen Rodeo Part 2 (it should be up on YouTube now) today. Thank goodness I am going to Warren's Saturday to put her on his dogged Cottswolds. Hopefully you will see how brilliant she is then - not just a brilliant butt biter :)

Puppy #4 first to "Walk"

...And Puppy #2 and #3 today (Tuesday) have opened their eyes (just a bit!)

Sorry for the delay in posting - my internet went down last night and after hours on the phone with the sympatico dude (from Bangladesh, no doubt) he convinced me my router had died and proceeded to sell me a new one, which I am not even sure will work with my Vonage phone...Oh well. I guess I'll find out when I get it.

Weights Monday:
#1: 1lb 12 oz
#2: 1lb 12.5 oz
#3: 1 lb 14 oz
#4: 1 lb 14.5 oz
#5: 2 lbs !!!
#6: 1 1/2 lbs. (See, I told you he would catch up!)

And now for another edge of your seat video...Please excuse the darkness - I didn't want to put on the bright overhead lights and used my camera's nightshot feature. Looks like a spotlight was lit up, but really there isn't.

Day 9 - Last day of flash pics

The puppies eyes will open this week, and one or two had the merest slits in the corners, so today will be the last day of flash photography for a week or so. Video only. I would like to say that today's pics will be worth a week's wait, but they were a very squirmy bunch and would not stay still long enough for my point and shoot camera to finish taking the picture (like 5 seconds :).

Anyway, here they are, 9 days old.

#1 Girl

#2 Girl

#3 Boy

#4 Boy

#5 Boy

#6 Boy

Up drinkin' and partyin' all night

The pups are getting loud - and they sound more like little dogs than mewling cats now too. Too bad most of the racket seems to be at night. You'd be surprised how much noise a little puppy can make!

The Race to the Milk Bar.

I finally thought I found a way to get sound in my videos...But when I tried it with this one, no success. Sigh. I really should take a course or something...Oh, well, so you can't hear the cute "me first" noises they are making, so I added music instead. Sorry for everyone who hates Enya!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIBEM8c4GPA&fmt=18

#6 has hit 1 lb.!

Yes, the little guy is growing like the proverbial weed.

#5 was a whopping 1.5 lbs today. Everyone else gaining weight at good rates. ENS exercises are getting easier - with the exception of the "upside down" exercise, which they all hate...Probably feels like being in one of those rides at Disney, the one where you do a free fall in a dark, enclosed space...Not my favorite either.

Here are yesterday's "Race to the Milk Bar" photos:

Cat!

Promised Pics - Mix up corrected!

Of course, they aren't as good as the ones I took (and deleted) yesterday! I am still having a hard time with #4 and #5 - I need to start photographing them in numerical order so I can tell the difference between those two afterwards!

Puppy #1 (female): weight today 1 lb. 2 oz.

Puppy #2 (female): Weight today 1 lb. 3 oz.

Puppy #3 (male): Weight today 1 lb. 4 oz.

Puppy #4 (male): Weight today 1 lb. 4 oz.

Puppy #5 (male): Weight today 1 lb. 4 oz. (yes these 3 boys were the same weight today!)

Puppy #6 (male): Weight today 14.5 oz.

I also have some cute ones of the "race to the milk bar" but for some reason my Internet connection is really slow tonight so will skip the upload until tomorrow!

Whoops

So I took some GREAT photos today, posed each puppy carefully with a toy, made sure the lighting was just so...And then accidentally hit delete and poof - they are gone. Sorry folks! Tomorrow...

For today, the only update I can give you is their weights:
Puppy #1 (female): 1 lb.
Puppy #2 (female): 1 lb. 1 oz.
Puppy #3 (male): 1 lb. 2.5 oz.
Puppy #4 (male): 1 lb. 3 oz.
Puppy #5 (male): 1 lb. 3 oz.
Puppy #6 (male): 13 oz. (gained 3 ounces since yesterday!)

Today's Early Neurological Stimulation Exercises (henceforth will be referred to as "ENS" as typing all that is too long!) met with less resistance all around, with the exception of Puppy #1 and wee little #6 who yelled a lot.

Mommy Tap is back to her hikes and enjoying herself. She is eating 3 lbs. per day right now - next week I increase her food yet again to keep up with the growing little piggies.

Day 3 - First Day of Early Neurological Stimulation Exercises

...And they FOUGHT like little devils! Everyone gained weight - more than one over a pound now! Little #6 weighed in at a whopping 10 whole ounces today at 11:30 am. I tell you, he is going to be a real looker that one.

Mom and brood on day 3 - this blue blanket is on it's 4th Creekside Litter - it's a favorite!

I Must Love My Dogs

Last night, a fellow raw feeder friend showed up with a bucket of steaming deer guts, salvaged from an afternoon hunting expedition. We took it to the barn where we sorted through the intestines (which got tossed) and the rest of the "good stuff". We looked like a couple of characters from a bad horror movie when we were through, but managed to fill 2 big containers - enough for 2 dog meals (remember, I am feeding 7 dogs)! Needless to say, I wasn't very hungry for my dinner when we were through. Tap enjoyed some fresh deer guts and tripe for lunch today!

Puppy Stuff:

Tomorrow we begin the Early Neurological Stimulation Exercises .

Weights today:
Puppy #1 (female): 13 oz.
Puppy #2 (female): 13 oz.
Puppy #3 (male): 15 oz.
Puppy #4 (male): 14.5 oz.
Puppy #5 (male): 1 lb (a porker!)
Puppy #6 (male): 10 oz.

And now, for the very first Tap x Mirk video! Enjoy (I mean, don't fall asleep!)

24(ish) Hours Old

Here is the brood in the new cat bed (at which the cat turned up his nose and continues to sleep on the non washable comforter on our bed). So, it is the now the new "must put the pups somewhere while I clean the box" bed!

It didn't take me long to remember how difficult it is to "pose" day old pups! They are like Bobble Heads. Here is my best effort.

Puppy #1 (female) sporting some pretty awesome airplane ears already. Please be pricked! Pretty Please? Weight today is 11 oz.

Puppy #2 (female). The white markings will "shrink" as she grows and she'll be a pretty striking girl! Weight today is 11 oz.

Puppy #3 (male). This is the "white" side of his body. I couldn't get a good shot of his face (remember - Bobble Head) so you can't see how perfect it is. Weight today is 12 oz.

Puppy #4 (male). He was the quietest and didn't mind posing for the camera! Weight today is 13 oz.

Puppy #5 (male). That little strip of white on his forehead is like an afterthought for a blaze! It will probably disappear when older. Weight today is a whopping 14 oz. He wins the " little pig of the day award".

And finally, my Tiny Tim, the handsome #6. He is a wee little thing, but content and thriving. This is the fellow I don't think Tap even noticed was on the ground until I pointed him out to her! Well, after Mr. Piggy #5, this guy probably felt like a grape rather than a grapefruit. Weight today is 8.5 oz. Remember he is the youngest. He'll catch up!

The New Tap Family!

Well, she certainly was BIG for 6 pups!

All comfy in a nice clean box. Most of the pups are under her, so you can't see them.

All except #6...Right to Left: #2 girl, #1 girl, #3 boy, #5 boy, #4 boy (well a good guess anyways from this angle!)

Handsome Little Man - Here's #6

Sorry can't get a better shot of the pups but don't want to disturb Tap and her family too much today.

Weights at birth (or shortly afterwards):

Puppy #1 (Female): 10 oz.
Puppy #2 (Female): 9 oz.
Puppy #3 (Male): 10.5 oz.
Puppy #4 (Male): 11 oz.
Puppy #5 (Male): 12 oz.
Puppy #6 (Male): 8 oz.

Puppy #6 !!!

10:56 AM - Black and white male, traditionally marked, wide blaze, 3/4 collar. Tap's getting tired, she was not as quick to clean this little guy off, but all are doing well. I am not sure that there is another - I *think* I still feel a bump on her left side, but hard to tell since that's the side she's lying on. Panting...Because it's warm in the puppy room or because there is another on the way....?

So far, not enough girls to go around, though...

Puppy #5 !!!

10:03 AM - Black and white male - looks like Pup #1. He took his sweet time! So, Tap is following her last litter to a T so far...2 girls, born first, 3 boys, born consecutively....Hopefully there is at least one other girl in there! I'm pretty sure I still feel a bump or two!

Puppy #4 !!!

8:22 AM - Black and White male, mostly black, full white collar, white snip on nose (kind of like Doc (2006 Pat x Glen). All pups weighing between 9 and 10.5 oz. Tap is having a very easy delivery so far and is doing well! She is enjoying her "Milk Popsicles" (goat milk, honey, eggs and organic canola oil) in between pups.

Puppy #3 !!

7:51 AM - Black and White male, flashy white racing stripes (like Spur and Tap), white shoulder, perfect symmetrical face, wide blaze. Tap is doing a great job with all 3 so far!

Puppy #2 !!

7:11 AM - Black and white female, wide blaze, splashes of white on back (but predominantly black). Lively!

Puppy #1 !!!! Finally!

6:48 AM - Female, Black and White. "Click" face (white nose, no blaze), full white collar, white front legs. Weights to come! Tap is doing great - she is such a great mum!

STILL waiting

So I thought things were going to begin last night - but they did not. The puddle I saw was not her water breaking - otherwise, 5 hours later, she would be in some distress! She is fretting, and pacing, and tearing up her bedding, but still NO contractions....And that's pretty much what happened all night long. Hopefully news today....

Quietly Waiting

So, I don't think my thermometer is on the blitz, and Tap's temperature said 36 degrees this morning. Yet she passed an uneventful night - with the exception of scratching up all her bedding and panting a lot - no sign of real labor. She happily ate her entire breakfast.

This morning she didn't come with the gang on our big hike (my decision, not hers), and still wanted to chase Woody out in the yard. She is now quietly sleeping by my side, no fretting, no panting, nothing. Either this is totally different from her last pregnancy, or the books are wrong...I don't know what's up!

Sooner rather than Later?

Unless my thermometer is on the blitz, Tap's temperature has dropped a degree since this morning. She has been between 37.3 and 37.7 degrees Celsius for the past few days. Tonight (8:30 pm) her temperature was 36.5...Might be news as early as tomorrow! (day 58 - still within normal range).

Tap's sure got the whole thing down to a science. She stood for ONE day and ONE day only, had one tie with Mirk and then wanted nothing more to do with him. Her timing is pretty amazing! (Unlike her mother, Pat, who would stand for about 2 weeks LOL!)

We are safely ensconced in the puppy room - her in her whelping box on her favorite bed and me with new fleece sheets on the guest room bed.

Puppy Countdown!

Less than 6 days to go...If Tap whelps on day 60/61 as she did the last time and as her mother Pat before her, that would make her due date over the weekend (perfect timing). I have begun taking daily temperatures both in the morning and evening. Her normal temperature is 37.4 degrees Celsius.

Tap is enjoying her daily hikes - still 1.5 to 2 hours - but I make her walk, and don't let her tear it up with Blaze as normal. I expect towards Thursday she will go only on the small noon time and evening walks - the "old dog" walks...Except this time there is no Boomer for company. It will be sad that that this litter will not get to know that dear old soul. If you remember from the last litter, he was a "Grampa" to the pups, especially Hank (now called Case), who followed him around like a hero.

A flashback - one of my favorite puppy photos from the last litter:


And now for the embarrassing Tap photos. Well embarrassing for her, anyways!