Joan of Arc

Well it was all drama at our place this morning

WE moved the whelping box - just turned it around, extended the puppy pen out of the front to give them an 'outdoor; area.

So that meant we all had our first foray into the wild world of 'outside the box'

Then we had another small meal of mince , and we tried lapping some Wambaroo from a plate

Then one by one they had a trip outside on OH's lap to sit in a sunny spot and have a manicure

So we are all set now for the next few days, worming on Tuesday at 4 weeks. Oh in response to the question earlier about wormeing medication. I used to use drontal at all times but last couple of litters I have noticed that it seems to knock some pups around a bit at 2 & 4 weeks. So Troy until 6 weeks.

To identify the black pups I use non toxic liquid paper

We had meat today for the first time - EVERYBODY loved it!!!

Yep I got it this morning also - DELETED

Looking fantastic Shelby

we keep the dog stuff down stairs in the traditional beer and bones fridge (all bones no beer), and so doesnt matter what time of day it is, if one of us walks to the top of the stairs I can bet the dogs will be at the bottom before us.

Plus OH works late two nights a week and so at 9:30 on those two nights the two oldest dogs are sitting at the top of the stairs waiting for him to come up the stairs from the garage. They could be there till 10 but they are there by 9:30.

THe others are more attached to me so dont actually go to the steps until they hear his truck come into the garage.

This last one is more instinct but twenty years ago my GPs lived about 5 hours away and sometimes we would make surprise visits. They had a little chihuaha (sp?) who always knew when we were coming. She would get out of her bed and go and lay at the front door. After a while the GPs used to say to each other "looks like we're having visitors"

As it happens I have a litter on the ground at the moment from a bitch that only cycles once a year. She turned 3 in March and was mated at Easter, which means she whelped 18 pts short of her title. I felt I had no choice, I didnt want to wait until she was 4 for her to have her maiden litter. Having said that it also means that if all things are equal she will still be young enough for a second litter at some stage. She has all the necessary certificates and is clear by parentage.

As for the stud dog, I have for a previous bitch considered using a dog that was only just 1, however the bitch came into season a month too early. He did have all the necessary certificates and was clear by parentage. Except the one test that is done at 12 months. So instead I went up the family tree and used his uncle.

Our yellow boy was used at 16 months - had all his tests done, viable semen, etc.

So to add to the question if I may?

When, if you did, would you then breed from your girl again?

Just gone three weeks here and we already have the mandatory 'one yapper' who likes to make thier presence heard, plus the rough housing amongst them. Actually this is a beautiful age, when they want to play and try really hard to get amongst it but dont yet have the excellent balance. We have started the biting of ears and chasing tails.

And mum, well she just walks away and looks at me is if to say "Well YOU wanted them"

But she's a wonderful mum and dong a great job for a maiden. We start solids this weekend.

Mine r 5 weeks saturday coming.. But god they r ruff with each other, pulling ears n biting each other..

Yes my bitch only goes in there to feed now she wont stay in there LOL must be there teeth thats turning her off

They have some toys in there too they been chewing.. Dakota does go in ther en has a play with them..

Yep by 5 weeks mum is usually over them.

make sure though that you have clipped thier nails otherwise the bitch will stop feeding if it hurts. Have seen that happen in other litters when I have gone to visit and the human says "she wont stay there and hates being with them" and when you pick up a pup they have long sharp nails. Look at the mum's teats and they are red and sore.

You probably already know that so sorry if I am teaching to suck oranges so to speak ;)

When I was working, my dogs quickly became conditioned to my alarm clock.....hear the alarm, mum gets up & it's breakfast time. As soon as it went off, they would run to the bedroom.

Since I have been on maternity leave, I have no need for an alarm clock (I have natures most effective alarm clock now!!! ), but the other day, I needed to make sure I was up for a certain time, so I set it just in case....for the first time in 5 months.

I was up before the alarm went off anyway, but forgot about it, and was in the lounge with the dogs, playing with them & drinking my coffee, when the alarm went off....despite the fact I was right there interacting with the dogs, the conditioned reflex was so strong that they ran to the bedroom to look for me!!! :D

I was quite surprised at how ingrained it is in them.....

Pavlov and his dogs

Just gone three weeks here and we already have the mandatory 'one yapper' who likes to make thier presence heard, plus the rough housing amongst them. Actually this is a beautiful age, when they want to play and try really hard to get amongst it but dont yet have the excellent balance. We have started the biting of ears and chasing tails.

And mum, well she just walks away and looks at me is if to say "Well YOU wanted them"

But she's a wonderful mum and dong a great job for a maiden. We start solids this weekend.

carpet - nailed down and then old blankets on top.

We mix our own, starting with the raw meat but ours get from puppies a variety of foods including fruits, veges, eggs, sardines, cheese, yoghurt, milk up to a given age and the occassional table scraps.

Is to much meat to bad?

My guys have kibble soaked in goats milk with yogurt last few meals.. and i only give em meat here n there.. but i just gave them some mince this arvo n boy did they love it!!!

Well every body has thier own ideas and IMHO I dont believe meat (raw) is bad for them. Look at how much they loved their meal when you included meat. You can always use the meat as a means to introduce something else and then slowly decrease the meat.

We feed our weaned pups what we call pink porridge in the early morning - a bit of biscuit and mince with warm milk. Its very cold here and we like porridge in the cold mornings so we figure the pups need something to warm them too.

Then they get soaked biscuits and meat and yoghurt / cheese etc for lunch - again with milk

Then depending on thier age determines what they have to dinner.

Lets face it they are only small so the amount we are talking about is not kilos per day.

Its exactly 50 weeks since we lost our beautiful Cassie to algae poisoning last year. Our vet fought tooth and nail to save her for us but in the end the damage to her kidneys was just so far gone that even if he had saved her then, she would have had very little quality of life. We, in conjunction with our vet, made the only choice we could Then our vet surgery was very helpful, they organised a cremation, on the day all we received was a beautiful rosewood box with her ashes - which was wonderful because it reduced the exposure to extra trauma and we were already traumatised.

Then after about 10 tens we received the most beautiful card from them, from the vet and all his staff. And to this day they have not forgot her, they, like us, still talk as though she is still here at home.

I just feel that its those personal touches that make or break you at a time like that.

Lynda I am so sorry for you loss of your beloved Goldie ;) Words dont cover it at a time like this but know that like Labsrule, we and many others, do understand.

We dont start weaning with water or kibble (biscuit) we start with mince meat.

Just the tiniest bit on the end of the finger, let me sniff it and then they happily let you open thier mouth, and they just mouth it. Within three days they know the smell of the meat and will eat it. When we start them on biscuits we soak it in a misture of warm water and warm Wambaroo until it is soft and then add it to thier mince.

Water they seem to just start naturally.

I think you will find that that means her breeder's prefix is only for Scotty Terriers as far as DogsNSW are concerned

But it only says she is (well another family member is) a "Financial Member" nothing about a breeders Prefix. Bear in mid this Breeder has numerous Designer Crossbreeds for sale.

True - Ministry of mis-information.

I think you will find that that means her breeder's prefix is only for Scotty Terriers as far as DogsNSW are concerned

two of our babies.

One black male and two of the same yellow boy. More to follow tomorrow

Methinks, 17 days

Its been a loooong term

Wormed and weighed my babies today.

The big yellow girl is now 1830gms and the smallest is 1432gms. Not bad at 178 days.

two slices of wholemeal bread every day.

Oh Newfiesrus I am so sorry Where are you located, perhaps a surrogate mum might be an option.

RIP beautiful baby

Puppy replacement milk such as Wambaroo or Divetalac, soak all biscuits till soft, lots of warm bedding, a crate because at 5 weeks it will have security issues if it doesnt feel safe. I suppose it is rude of me to ask if your sister paid good money for this pup - I suggest she contacts a good vet, gets it checked out and vaccinated, microchipped, wormed etc the day it turns 6 weeks and as TS commented 3 - 4 meals a day and lots of love and cuddles to replace its mother.

Hi Mercedes - that was me and the reason I have to keep mine away is exactly the same as you.....

KIDNAPPING!!!!!!!

:D :D

Thats our yellow boy - he loves babies, he gets in the box, toilets them, snuggles up to them etc but her really comes into his own when they are out and about at around 6 - 8 weeks. When they are roaming the yard you can actually tell him to 'bring that baby back' and he heards the pup back towards you. Never has he hurt one pup but gheez he's a great foster dad!

And we believe that this is part of the reason that we can have entire males come and go all the time and he nevers looks at them other than to play. Most of them are his foster 'sons' coming for a visit and it might only be once a year. But he has such a soft and gentle nature - you know? "A lover, not a fighter"

Our babies are already two weeks and today 3 have thier eyes open and you just see the other three peeking as though they refuse to look at you

Havent wormed them yet because I want to be here all day when I do that. Nearly lost a pup once, reaction to the worming syrup - have since been told by lots of others not to use that brand for the first time and to use Troy.

We sleep all night and so do they - we have had to go back to work so they now have a day room and a night room. OH puts them in the day room when he leaves for work in morning and as soon as I get home I bring them back upstairs to be with us.

Its next week we wont get much rest - they are walking

Just had to post this...

I remembered someone posting here that they keep all thier other dogs away from thier pups etc.

Our eldest black girl, who is also grandma to this current 15 day old litter disappeared from the family room about an hour ago. OH decided to go and investigate adn finally located her IN the whelping box. So there was 6 kids, with mum all having feed, and at the other end of the pups was Grandma, toileting them. And Mum? Sound asleep