happiness and tragedy

So its been 3 days and the puppies were doing great until today.   We are loosing a puppy tonight.  It is the smallest one that's crashing, a little male puppy.  I know it happens but I am still devastated by the loss of one that seemed healthy this morning.   We tried giving fluids and glucose but to no avail.  I have lost a small puppy before but I never get used to it.  I can't sleep now and keep thinking about the little one.  At midnight he will get more fluids if he makes it until then.  Update: we lost the little boy at 1:30 am.....

On a happy note:  We believe we have found to GREAT homes for the two brothers!!  They are rambunctious as always and after spending some time with them I can't help but feel blessed we have it this good.  God is good.  My vet says you have to take good with the bad and its true.  There will always be some that don't make it and I do realize that- but its so difficult....good night all.  k

:( c-section

It's 9:44 and I'm heading to Dr. Henry's for a c-section.  4 hours is way too long between puppies and now I can fee one stuck.  So we are going to get her some help.  Will keep you posted.

Update:  12:15.  We are back home--mom is doing good...praise the Lord, we have 7 healthy pups! 

Vanilla's first litter

Vanilla's first litter was due yesterday.  You can see how big she was last night.

I checked on her at 9:00 after I got back Clinton and she was peacefully sleeping.  Went on back to the farm.  When I came

home at 1:15 she had moved back my puppy pen ( the "boys") to get behind it and shredded their papers into Itsy- bitsy pieces. It was soon time!  I let her go out and she snuck straight to Gypsy's hideout that goes under the barn! I ran out and caught just her back legs as she tried to get her

balloon shaped body in the narrow hole.  I pulled just enough until I could reach her scruff and then had her out.  I escorted her back to the house & straight back to
" labor & delivery"-- the pool set up in the bathroom.  There was some panting, digging, a couple of throw-ups ( eeeck) and the first puppy was born!

After about 3 hours the second was born, both girls and look-alikes.  They both have tails to dock unfortunately....they have brilliant white coats with panda-bear eye patches on one and a colored ear and the other --one eye patch and one little black dot on the other eye.  Both are very strong pups, nursing immediately after birth.  Now just time to sit and wait.

doing the work of raising sweet puppies

Don't know if you've ever been bitten in the face but I HAVE.  Once by a dog when I was a kid (not bad) but I just was bitten in the lip by a 6 week old puppy.  Its part of their training actually...they need to be taught not to bite or play rough with people's faces.  And that involves letting them try!  So I put my face down on their level, love on them and suddenly one jumps up and nips me on the lip or nose and I scold with my voice either by a "EEEAAANNN"  or "SSSHHH" noise.  Both if done with sharpness are quite stunning and the offender usually settles right down and licks instead.  Of course it takes many tries to get the point across and some pups are more prone to hard play.  It takes nerve on my part after having my nose pierced by sharp little teeth!!

Took these just now out playing in the yard right before it rained and we came in....

Reasons....

I am sorry to all that follow these puppies that I have been pretty poor at posting updates this litter.  My only next door neighbor passed away on May 9th and before that he was so sick in bed with Cancer that he couldn't come over or go out at all.  He always came over for breakfast on Sunday mornings that we didn't farm, and fight his way through all the dogs that stood at the door...we miss him here.  He would come over and look at the new 'arrivals' and say "You sure are UGLY....but momma likes it that way!"  He thought they were a funny, silly kind of dog but he always slipped them some eggs from the table or I caught him rubbing them through breakfast with is foot under the table.  Joe taught me how to weld, helped me dig things with his backhoe, gave me fishing lessons umpteen times, played with my boys in the river and generally treated me like a daughter.  I can't tell you how much I will miss him and its really not sunk in yet.  My heart is heavy.  RIP Joe Syfrett....

In the kitchen and having fun....

The BOYS have been in the kitchen for over a week now.  They are finally relaxing when we grind coffee and sleep through making dinner now.  They have a lot of time to interact with other dogs in the kitchen.  They are behind a exercise pen so no dogs can harass them but they can meet and get to know everyone.  They spend very careful time out loose with certain dogs now so they can get used to how rough some play and how my older dog just doesn't want them in her face!!  You can see Little Boomer here crouched to pounce on Spicey but when he did she gave him a warning growl and he looks surprise and not sure what to do next...

so he just sat down instead of jumping!  

Of course like any kids...eating is their favorite time

but once play time and eating time is over that just leaves SLEEPY TIME....and they just fall asleep still in the same position they were playing.

Teeth, walking and fun

So now the boys have teeth!  I've been feeling in their mouth and could feel ridges but finally they have a full mouthful of needles.  They are eating canned food (no grain) from my fingers twice a day and they really love it.   I put these pink and spotted (snakes?) in with them this morning and they started dragging them around and it was so funny....I know you will get a kick out of it when you watch them.

Things are starting to happen

The boys are starting to walk !  They are teetering around the "pool" and beginning to bark and growl at each other.  Today I am pretty sure I saw one turning to bite the other in some play behavior... They are indescribably cute and I am drawn to kiss and cuddle them each time I am near.