It’s a great life in Oregon, raising labradoodle puppies! Doodling around and blogging as we go. . .
March 28, 2018 – Our puppy pen is empty and we had a couple of days missing them. Now, we’re playing catch up with paperwork, looking forward to Winnie’s litter (she just mated!) and we are excited that the last litter allowed us to donate $2,400 to Amazima Minstries to help educate and feed many children in Uganda! Thank you to all of our families that adopted; you got a new family member, and little kids in Africa got to eat and go to school!
March 14, 2017 – It’s our busiest week – more vet appointments, crate training and then puppies flying out and being picked up. Still trying to find time to sit with each of them every evening. I don’t think we’ve missed a night where we didn’t have each one of them taking turns in our laps. It’s important. We made time yesterday to take some pictures. Look how big they’re getting!
March 5, 2017 – Almost 7 weeks old. Are they cute, or what?
March 2, 2017 – Had fun with the puppies and taking photos today. Here’s some of the pictures we took:
February 28, 2017 – The puppies sat so nicely for us for their photo shoot, done after their baths. They’re growing up! Isaac continues to be the largest, with Abraham closing in. Moses is catching up to Mary and and they should be close to the same size soon. All the pups seem smart, are using their litter box, and are eating well and thriving. They’re still pretty quiet, even when they play.
February 26, 2017 – Here are some pictures of our weekend, here with the pups. We try to include them in our time with family and friends and we make sure that no pup is neglected.
February 25, 2017 – We gave them a new bed, not think that they’d all want to sleep in it at once. We’ve since got them a bigger bed!
February 24, 2017 – In this picture, you can get a good view of their weights, sizes and coats as they stand together eating. Isaac continues to be the biggest pup. He is often found positioning his body over the entire food dish as he eats and we have to intervene so that the others get their share. 🙂
February 21, 2017 – The puppies are almost 5 weeks old! They’re using their litter box and wrestling and playing. Still sleeping a lot. Mostly, they are very quiet all day long. Here they are.
February 18, 2017 -This week we focused on more socialization and conditioning the pups. Baths, towel drying, the blow-dryer (on high!), a coffee grinder, sudden clapping, music, and vacuuming are ways that we used to prepare them for life. A treat during blow drying helps them to realize that uncomfortable things are not harmful or scary, reducing the risk of potential future anxieties. The pups are becoming confident.
February 17, 2017 – Here’s just a snapshot of pups in our laps last night. This is the fun and easiest part of breeding puppies. It appears they are enjoying it too!
February 14, 2017- Happy Valentine’s Day! The pups are now four weeks old. They’re teeth are coming in, so we’ve introduced them to kibble. They’ve had their first wormings and they’re starting to take an interest in toys. We started litter box training to help them understand there is a place to do potty. They are learning to respect their sleep and play areas. I just need to say, they are so cute! Here they are, posing nicely for their photo shoot. ?
February 9, 2017 – Ella’s pups have opened their eyes, are walking around, and starting to become curious with the few toys that we’ve placed in their pen. They’re still nursing and all have a nice, plump body structure – mama is feeding them well! They like to be held and they make their way over to be picked up. Totally cute! Every one of them.
January 27, 2017 – Emery’s pups all did well with their surgeries today. The vet gave them all a good report. They’ve had wormings, nails trimmed, vaccines and microchips. They came home hungry and spent the evening playing and relaxing in their pen. Getting ready to wind down our final week with them. We’ll be working on crate training a little bit each day.
January 26, 2017 – Ella’s litter is now ten days old. Here they are, always peaceful and quiet and mama still doesn’t leave their side. They are now comfortable being held and handled by us.
January 25, 2017 – As Emery’s litter is still being cared for by our dear friends, Emery’s guardian family, we’re enjoying Ella and Basil’s new litter at our house. We’ve started the Bio-Sensor program with them and Ella trusted me to take each of her puppies away from her for a few minutes to take individual pictures in the natural light of the kitchen window. She kept an eye on me though! At one week old, you can see that their pigmentation is starting to darken (some have black noses now) and they’ve nearly doubled their weight. Colors are apricot, caramel, red and cream.
Here they are, officially named the “Characters of the Bible Litter”: Noah, Esther, Moses, Elijah, Mary, Abraham, Martha, Ruth and Isaac.
January 20, 2017 – Emery’s pups all took a bath together today. 🙂
January 18, 2017 – Today I’m thankful for the excellent care of Emery’s litter, knowing they are safely being handled by Emery’s guardian family. With that in mind, we could focus on whelping Ella’s litter that arrived early this morning, a day or two early. We love the excitement of each and every new litter, but we prefer focusing on one litter at a time! Our Ella delivered nine puppies: four girls and five boys. Colors range from cream, caramel, red and apricot (they’re not nearly as light as the picture on the left seems to show.) All pups are nursing and doing well. Ella seems so happy. She’s a great mama. We have mamas deliver their pups in a kiddie pool (easier to clean) and now we’ll move them to the official whelping pen tonight. I’ll be sleeping on the floor near Ella and the pups for the next week to make sure mama doesn’t crush anybody.
January 16, 2017 – Emery’s Litter: We love watching the pups in the pen. They’re so alert watching everything going on around them. The pups are often carried around the house to experience different sights and sounds of a home. We don’t want timid pups! When they get home, their families will continue the socializing and positive reinforcement. We’re raising well-adjusted, emotionally conditioned pups that will reflect confident, loving behaviors for life. Here’s a few pictures of a couple of the cuties.
January 8, 2017 – The puppies moved into their new bin and already they are using the litter box! The pups are all continuing to gain weight and are all weighing between three and four pounds. Georgianna started as the smallest in the litter and has passed up two other puppies in size and weight. She’s a good eater! They’ve had their first worming and are enjoying their Fromm’s puppy kibble. Here are their four-week pictures that we took today.
Collins, four weeks old
January 7, 2017 – The puppies turned four weeks old today. They will be transitioning this week from the whelping pen into a full size pen that can accommodate a litter box and give them more room to play. This is a big step where they quickly learn that there is a specific place to do potty business, and they learn not to soil their play or sleep area. They should be potty trained within several days. As one or two pups catch on, they all quickly follow. Today was a busy day of building the new larger pen and introducing them to new toys and kibble. Mama Emery is tiring of nursing and slowing down a bit in feeding them (normal as the pups start developing teeth!), so they will begin having kibble four times a day, in between their nursing. Here are a few pictures we snapped with a cell phone today, and better individual pictures will be posted soon. Everyone in the family is enjoying getting to know this litter! Each puppy is special.
December 31, 2016 – The puppies have their eyes and ears wide open now and are at a new stage of awareness. We’ve moved into what experts call a new phase for learning conditional emotional responses. We take each phase seriously as we use positive reinforcements to help condition the puppies to new experiences and typical household noises. We want them to be exposed to small amounts of stress (like we did with their Bio-Sensor programming) for positive conditioning before they develop fear response, which happens at the 5 week marker. Blowdryers, vacuums, music, etc. placed near or around them while they are feeling safe and secure with us and mama, helps them become more immune to stressors in the future. We want our puppies to be strengthened against possible destructive anxieties and fears that can cause behavioral problems well into their adult lives. We continue with lots of human interaction and holding. We keep introducing them to various people to continue their important socialization.
Here they are at three weeks old today!
December 26, 2016 – The pups are already getting lots of socialization and holding. They are being loved and held regularly, and being introduced to different people. That, along with the bio-sensor program, is setting a great foundation for these puppies already. Here they are at two weeks old.
December 22, 2016 – Tenth day weigh in….. the pups continue to thrive and gain weight. So happy!
December 19, 2016 – The pups have continued to grow in weight and size and are doing very well! Georgianna is the runt, but she’s a really aggressive eater, so we’ll see how this turns out! Here are some pictures of our “Pride and Prejudice” litter after Week One. Their noses have all darkened now and eyes will be open by next week. We can’t wait! Here they are:
December 14, 2016 – All of the puppies are continuing to do well. We are excited about this litter and thrilled that Emery is a great mama, making things easier for the humans involved. 🙂 We welcome this “Pride and Prejudice” litter: Darcy, Elizabeth, Bennet, Jane, Wickham, Georgianna, Fitzwilliam, Bingley and Collins. Here are some updated pictures of the litter.
December 10, 2016 – New pups arrived! After a long night of labor, nine new puppies from Basil and Emery have been welcomed into our world. We are a bit surprised at the number of black pups in this litter, but sometimes things are different than we expected. All pups and mom are doing very well! Here’s the first quick group photo. More pictures will be coming throughout the process as they change and grow. There are 4 black males, 3 black females and 2 cream males.
November 20, 2016 – All of the pups went home this weekend. 🙁
November 16, 2016 – Enjoying the puppies tonight knowing this space they occupy will soon be empty. 🙁 I snapped a picture of Pumpkin and Bowie snuggling.
November 10, 2016 – It’s been a busy week with vet appointments, baths and crate training. Today we played with pups in the family room and watched them run through the big tube we picked up for them. We worked on “come” and with some of the older ones. They caught on pretty quick that I had treats and they came running for their reward. We’re getting the older pups used to being in a crate away from the litter, and it’s going well. They’re holding their bladders and then going outside to the dog run to do their business. They’ve been quiet still, except for the morning when they hear me get up and they want their food! Haley’s pups will be leaving very soon. 🙁
November 7, 2016 – Here’s our photo shoot with Molly’s pups. They will be six weeks old tomorrow. So cute and getting cuter every day!
November 7, 2016 – With the election near, I’m distracting myself with puppies! Take a look at the cuteness.
November 4, 2016 – It’s been a busy week with wormings, baths, and a vet appointment for Haley’s litter. They were spayed/neutered this morning along with microchips and shots and all went well. Haley’s pups have had some practice with crate training and so far, it’s going well. We make it a positive experience with beef bones and a blanket. They did great on their car ride too. Here are some picutures of Haley’s litter during their 7th week of life. We love these little guys!
November 1, 2016 – Molly’s puppies are five weeks old today. Time seems to be flying by! All the pups had their wormings today and they’re enjoying kibble. Mama rarely visits them in their pen anymore. They have teeth and she’s smart! Here they are at five weeks old.
October 26, 2016 – By six weeks old the pups really are getting so cute! Coats are thickening, they are forming personalities, and they are more interested in people than mama or their siblings. Here’s Haley’s litter at 6 weeks old.
October 25, 2016 – Molly’s puppies are now four weeks old. As seems typical, the boys are bigger and more developed, overall. The girls will catch up. They started eating kibble today and they’re starting to learn to use their litter box. I love this age because they now know us and are totally aware of their environment. They make eye contact and watch me and run over to be picked up. Here are the pictures we took today. (Click on the pictures a couple of times to see them enlarged.)
October 18, 2016 – Molly’s litter is three weeks old. They’re playing and moving around a lot and their coats are starting to fill in a bit. Their eyes are wide open as they stare at us when we pick them up. Their weights vary a bit with Celine being the smallest and Elvis being the largest of the litter. Elvis came out strong, and from day one he would move the other pups out of his way to get to mama’s food. They had their first wormings today and they were all weighed again and steadily showing good growth. 🙂 They’re all calm and relaxed when we pick them up. They’ve been handled from the earliest days so they know us.
Here they are, individual pictures of the wee little ones.
October 17, 2016 – Haley and Basil’s puppies will be five weeks old tomorrow. They are started on their litter box training to learn to respect their sleep and play areas and to learn to go in a designated spot. It’s going very well! Each pup is so special. Here they are. . . .
October 16, 2016 – Molly’s litter has been moved out of their safe whelping box into a larger space with new toys. They’re starting to venture out of their big dog pile to explore the new pen. They wrestle and play and then end up in a big dog pile again. 🙂 Took a few pictures today.
Haley’s puppies are doing well and their coats are starting to fill in. Almost five weeks old.
October 14, 2016 – I love this time when the pups are bonding with me. At four weeks old, Haley’s pup run over whenever they see me and want to be picked up. When held, they fall asleep in my arms. Molly’s litter at two weeks is starting to be comfortable with me and they are walking slowly over to me whenever I come into their whelping pen. They’re so soft and smelling good as their mamas and I help to keep them clean and bathed. Molly’s pups have fully opened their eyes now.
October 11, 2016 – Haley’s litter is four weeks old and doing great!
And Molly’s litter is now two weeks old. Their eyes are opening and they are crawling around a lot more. We’re getting through the Bio-Sensor program with them and watching them grow.
October 4, 2016 – Molly’s puppies are one week old. They’re doing well… all ten of them! Here they are. . . .
October 4, 2016 – Haley’s litter is 3 weeks old today. They had their first wormings today, their weights are impressive (plump little pups) and they can’t walk well yet, but they are starting to wrestle and play with each other.
September 29, 2016 – Here’s what Molly’s wee ones look like. Not really looking like a dog yet. 🙂 Hopefully, you can see the theme we’ve got going here in these temporary names. Here they are at Day Three, all ten of them. . .
Miley, 13 oz
September 27, 2016 – Haley’s Litter is two weeks old. Here they are. . . .
September 26, 2016 –
Both litters are thriving and nursing well. Molly is a bit tired after a long night and surgery, but she’s comfortable and seems happy.
Details of Molly’s Litter: 10 pups, 5 Girls and colors are 1 Cream/Light caramel, 1 red, 2 black and 1 chocolate. 5 Boys are all black. We gave more blacks than expected, but not disappointed that they will take on the beautiful black coat of their mama, Molly.
Here are some pictures taken of both litters this afternoon. . .
9 AM: Molly has been in labor since shortly after midnight. She’s had 9 pups so far, a combination of boys and girls: 6 black, 1 apricot/creme, one chocolate and one red/caramel. We don’t think she’s done. …… More news later.
Haley’s pups are big! (Or so it seems.) When it’s a small litter, they eat really, really well. No competition for the teats. The exciting news is that Haley’s babies opened their eyes last night. I love it!
September 24, 2016 – All is quiet here. Haley is nursing her pups and the rest of us are waiting for Molly’s pups to arrive.
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September 20, 2016 – Haley’s litter is one week old today. They’ve been doing great and have doubled their weight. Every time I check on them, they are eating. A good thing. They’re crawling around more. Pink pigmentation is turning dark and they’re starting to look more like little dogs. Haley rarely leaves their side. Here’s what they look like today…
September 14, 2016 – Here are individual pictures of the puppies. One day old. . . .
September 13, 2016 – We have puppies in our home again! Haley was right on time and her litter of 4 pups starting arriving at 4 am. today. Three girls came into the world and one boy. All are healthy and nursing well. Haley is proud and seems to be enjoying all of this. Here they are, our new healthy litter, temporarily named “Sprout,” “Beans,” “Pumpkin,” and “Peapod.”
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August 12, 2016 – All of the pups went home two weeks ago. It’s a time of rest at our house, and we love all the good reports we’re receiving from the great families that trusted us with their next family member. The pups have new names (except for Luke) and they are loving their new people and being loved. We miss them all. Stay in touch!
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July 27, 2017 – We’re winding down to the time when the pups will all be leaving. This time has gone fast! By Saturday evening, their pen will be empty. 🙁 Meanwhile, we had fun taking pictures of them as they get ready to go home. Here they are at almost 8 weeks old.
Chewbacca.
July 22, 2016 – The pups are doing well and recovering well from their neuter/spay incision. We’ve worked a bit more on crate training today an it’s going well. We left a crate in their pen with the door open to allow them to go in and out of it to get more and more comfortable with the feel of a crate. At times, I close one of them in there to give them alone time and help them to get used to being confined and enclosed. So far, so good. Everyone’s been pretty accepting of it.
Here are some pictures we took of them today. You can see their shaved bellies and their sore incision. You can see that their coats are continuing to fill in. 🙂 If you click on the individual pictures, you will expand their size.
The Girls:
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July 21, 2016 – Yesterday was a big day. We were all up early (5:30 am) to get the pups fed early and ready for their big vet appointment. They had their spay/neuter surgeries, microchipping done, nails trimmed, thorough exams and vaccinations. (They’ve already had 3 wormings in the past few weeks.) They come home at noon, a bit cranky and tired. They rested pretty quietly and by dinner time they were eating and playing happily. One pup, Padme has an issue with her backside and she may require additional medical attention, perhaps even surgery to her rectum area to help her to fully thrive. We’re waiting to hear back from the vet hospital. Whatever Padme needs, we’ll take care of her and we trust the expert opinion of our great vet. She’s a sweetheart and seems so happy, playful and healthy. Sometimes stuff just happens that needs to be taken care of.
The pups are doing great as we introduce them to the crate and car rides. Chewy was the only one who let us know how he felt about the crate. He seems to be more sensitive about stuff, but he too, eventually settled down in the crate and rested quietly. Our dog Riley has always been very vocal about everything (from 3 weeks on) and as an adult, she continues to be our vocal and opinionated dog that loves to talk to us about what she thinks. Not barking at strangers, just talking to us about stuff. She’s always been the most adventurous and confident too, leading the other dogs around the house. Everybody loves her spirit and personality. Perhaps this is Chewy. He seems independent and smart with a mind of his own. It’s fun to see their unique personalities coming out. Our visit to the vet was a true test of their temperaments as they were handled and crated and poked by strangers. I was so impressed and proud of how far they’ve come. Sometimes I worry if we’re doing everything right. Yesterday was a good day. 🙂
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July 17, 2016 – Here are a couple of the weird sleeping choices of our pups. Han is sound asleep in the corner with his head up like this. And lately, Rey loves to sleep on top of the litter box. Good thing we clean it regularly! Time for a bath.
July 15, 2016 –
July 14, 2016 – The pups are six weeks old tonight. Time is going really fast. They will have their spay/neuter surgeries and microchips done next week. And then they go home. 🙁 Well, here’s a glimpse of exactly how cute they are. But pictures don’t fully represent their great temperament and how loving they are. They look up at us with these adoring eyes and want to be held and they love just having the opportunity to be carried around with the house. They no longer sleep in a pile, but sleep independently in the weirdest positions sometimes. They love the new toys we keep adding to their pen. They crowd around us, all wanting to be held or pet when we’re near, but I’m already trying to help them understand simple commands like “sit” if they want attention. Here they are….
The Girls:
The Boys:
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July 9, 2016 – The puppies are really active and love to wrestle and play with their toys. They’re using the litter box pretty consistently. They’re pretty detached from mama at this point. They’re all weighing in between 4 and 5 pounds.Their coats are filling in more and more each day. They seem to have all their teeth and they eat 4 times a day at this age. Here they are at 5 weeks old:
The Girls:
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July 6, 2016 – It’s been a fun week so far. Falling in love again as I get to know each of these pups and we watch them grow. We moved them into their new larger pen after we started them on kibble. They’re doing great at using the litter box and it keeps their pen clean and they stay clean too! We’ve had visitors and we’re making sure the pups get lots of socialization time with people that love to hold them. Here are a few pictures I took today.
July 4, 2016 – The pups started on kibble this weekend! Their teeth are developing and Ella is saying, “No” to nursing because of it. Here they are enjoying their kibble. They took to it immediately. Turns out, they were pretty hungry with mama pulling away all of a sudden!
July 2, 2016 – Four weeks old this week. They’re growing and changing and will be eating kibble soon!
June 25, 2016 – Updated pictures of our pups at three weeks old!
June 24, 2016 – The puppies turned 3 weeks old last night. Here are some pictures I took with my phone this morning. More pictures of all of the pups will be posted this weekend! I think three weeks old might be my favorite age. They are so snuggly and they love being held!
June 18, 2016 – Their eyes are open and they are starting to crawl! Getting stronger every day. They look into my eyes and they are starting to know us. Here are some pictures we took of these cuties, now two weeks old.
June 14, 2016 – Snuggling puppies while watching movies at night – my favorite! Took a few pictures of pups in my lap during our snuggle time last night.
June 12, 2016 – Here’s a picture of the pups sleeping last night. They look pretty much the same, but meatier. We started the Bio-sensor program with them on Friday and they continue to thrive. In this picture you can see their shades of color as they lie next to each other. They will remain with mama in this Dura-whelp pen (it has safety bars to help prevent mama from accidentally laying on them) for another week or two. The vet recommends no blankets yet, because that only prevents them from moving around easily. It’s all about keeping them safe from being crushed by mama at this point, which unfortunately is common with the standard size breeds, but I think they’re past the danger point. We keep a heating lamp on them at all times to keep their body temperatures up. We’re very excited about this litter!
June 10, 2016 – The pups continue to grow and gain weight. They’re moving around more and a couple of them seem close to opening their eyes. Some of the noses are darkening and turning black. We’re seeing beautiful white markings on some of them. Ella’s becoming more relaxed and not so protective; she let me take them for individual pictures.
June 6, 2016 – The puppies are thriving and growing stronger each day. They are nursing very well. Ella is being an excellent mama, making our job much easier. She won’t leave their side and we have to coax her to leave them to go potty outside. She lays always with her back between her pups and the opening to her pen. The puppies wiggle around a lot, make lots of noises and mostly just eat and sleep. Ella’s on a special diet of chicken breasts, rice and a pumpkin supplement and she’s doing great. Here’s what they look like today:
June 2, 2016 – Ella and Basil’s pups have arrived! Beginning around 5 pm and ending just after midnight, we welcomed our new litter. Four girls and two boys. (The vet had thought there were eight or nine, but sometimes it’s hard to be exact.) The girls are all a darker red or caramel and we have two lighter boys (not sure if they will be more cream or apricot) and a caramel/red boy. All are healthy and latched on for nursing right away. Ella stepped into her role immediately with protecting,cleaning them and nursing.
Welcome to our world: Leia, Rey, Padme, Jaina, Luke, Han, and Chewbacca!
May 3, 2016 – All of the pups have left. We miss each one of them! Now enjoying some much needed rest before Ella’s puppies are born on June 2nd. We had some fun with pictures before they left. We want to remember each and every puppy that leaves our home. Good Bye Puppies! Violet (Gracie), Zuzu (Elizabeth, Bailey, George, Bert (Ollie), Mary (Molly), Ernie (Bowie), Clarence (Mackenize). 🙁 We’re thankful to all of the great families that we got to know through this litter. We know each one of them will do a great job loving and caring for these pups. We’re thankful they chose us.
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April 22, 2016 – It’s been a busy week and the pups are doing great! We started crate training them this week and it was a little loud at first (ugh) but improved quickly as they got used to a new confined place. We are doing our best to help them prepare for their adjustment into their forever homes. Hopefully, less fussing and adjustment for the new families when the pups begin their new lives without their mama and siblings. We had some fun with taking photos today! Here they are. We love these little cuties!
And a few more shots:
April 18, 2016 – Pups had their surgeries today, along with exams,microchipping, vaccinations, and nails trimmed. They did great and are already recovering and playing and wrestling in their pen.
April 16, 2016 – Here are some pictures of the litter at six weeks of age:
April 10, 2016 – The puppies turned five weeks old on Wednesday and they’ve doubled their weight over the past week or so. They are litter box trained (mostly) and eating kibble several times a day. Molly still nurses them periodically, but since their teeth grew in last week, she’d rather not. 🙂 We had some internet troubles this week, so we fell behind on updates. (Comcast came today and we’re back online! Woot! Woot!) Here they are. . . .
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March 31, 2016 – Pups turned four weeks old yesterday. Here are some pictures we took of them over the past day or so. At this age, I think Ernie looks most like Molly did as a young pup.
The boys:
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March 30, 2016 – The pups get lots of snuggling time. Good for them, therapy for us. Here’s George:
March 25, 2016 – It’s hard to let sleeping dogs lie. Especially when they’re this cute. (Yes, I picked him up after I snapped the picture.) Typical Doodle, sleeping on his back.
Here’s what the other pups were doing tonight. Wrestling is their favorite pastime now. Still a bit wobbly, but they manage.
In more boring news, they had their first wormings yesterday and they finished their bio-sensor program.
March 22, 2016 – The puppies opened their eyes last week and are walking around. They are almost done with their bio-sensor program steps that we do with them nightly. They are so sweet! They love to be held, they are still very wobbly when they walk and are eating well. They are alert when we talk to them. Their coats, colors and pigmentation are becoming more defined. Each unique in their own way, but so happy with each and every one of them! We keep telling Molly that she did good. At almost three weeks old, here are some pictures that we took of them today. . .
March 12, 2016 – Puppies are doing well! We did a photo shoot today with each of them. Eyes still closed, but once in a while it seems they’re trying to open them. Noses are starting to darken. Here they are:
March 9, 2016 – Everyone is doing well! One puppy (an apricot male) is a lot smaller than the rest, but he is thriving and I suspect he will catch up in no time. He wasn’t eating as well in the beginning and we were giving him tube feedings as a supplement. Now he is on his way and fighting for a good spot to feed every time Molly’s lays down with them. Here’s a more specific breakdown of our litter:
“Violet,” – Black girl with a large white spot on her chest. (Purple collar)
“Zuzu,” – Dark Chocolate girl with a large white spot on her chest and white tipped paws. (Pink collar)
“Mary,” – Caramel/Apricot girl with subtle white markings. (Green collar)
“Bailey,” – Black boy with white chest and white tipped paws. Largest in the litter.
“George,” – Caramel/Apricot boy, smallest in the litter. (Black collar.)
“Ernie,” – Black boy with white patch on his chest. (Brown collar.)
“Bert,” – Caramel/Red boy, subtle white marking on chest, white tipped paws. (Green collar.)
“Clarence,” – Dark Chocolate boy with a white chest. (Green collar.)
March 6, 2016 – On March 2, I awoke to the sound of a newborn puppy squeak at 2:30 am.. The pups were arriving earlier than expected, and I jumped into gear grabbing whelping supplies and rushed to Molly’s side. One puppy had arrived and Molly continued to deliver pups until around 10 am and then things stopped. Calls to the vet and rounding up family for help, we rushed Molly and all of her puppies to the vet hospital where a room was waiting for us. X-rays revealed puppies still inside and a C-Section helped deliver the rest.
The stress on the pups in a litter this size (unheard of for this breed, 15) reveals that only the strong ones survive. We spent the next two to three days with more trips and calls to the vet, plasma treatments for everybody to boost their systems, round-the-clock tube feedings, incubators and warming boxes to keep temperatures up, and help from family, friends, and neighbors with tea, cans of puppy milk and prayers.
Today, we’re happy to say the heart break is over. Those pups that were strong from the beginning have remained strong and thriving. Sadly, we lost 7 puppies, some died in our arms. This has been the most difficult time in our breeding years. It has left me so grateful and appreciative of each precious life that we now have in our whelping pen. It will be all the more special when we see these guys romping around our family room!
Molly is happy, attentive, and eating lots and lots to keep up with her nursing supply. Molly keeps me awake if I dose off, even nudging me or barking at me for more food. She’s on a special diet of rice, raw chicken, and dietary supplements to keep her and the puppies strong, and she seems a bit spoiled as she barks out for me to feed her even at 3 a.m.. (We know this is temporary! I hope she does too.)
We’re very sad for the loss this week and for the families that had to be told that we don’t have a puppy for them this time. We’ve never had to turn somebody away that had been on our reserve list and waiting. We’ve learned a lot this week and all of this has made us smarter, stronger and more appreciative. We’re so very thankful for the support and understanding of the families affected by this.
Today, we’re happy to announce Molly’s kids: five boys, and three girls. We’ve themed this litter after one of our favorite movies, “It’s a Wonderful Life.”
Welcome to our world, George, Clarence, Bailey, Bert, Ernie, Mary, Violet, and Zuzu!
Here are some pictures we took in the past 24 hours as things began to calm down at our house.
October 22, 2015 – The pups are doing great after their surgeries yesterday! By noon, they were back home, eating and resting. A bit sore, but healing. By the evening, they were back to wrestling, playing and running around. Here’s a picture of Stanley (now “Clifford”) today. Other than the bandages, you’d never know they just had surgery. The pups have completed their wormings with us, have had nails trimmed, been micro-chipped and neutered. Our vet did their vaccinations yesterday too. Thank you Newberg Veterinary Hospital for doing a great job with our babies!
October 19, 2015 – Now seven weeks old. Here they are!
October 15, 2015 – Yesterday’s vet appointment went well. All pups 100% healthy! Did a little photo shoot with the boys today. Take a look!
October 14, 2015 – Continuing to do some crate training, putting a few of them in the crate at a time for about 20 minutes. They cry a bunch at first (very sad) but we don’t give in and eventually they settle down. It’s an important step in getting them ready to go home. Crates are important for everybody, especially the pup. A crate makes a pup feel secure as it becomes his/her den and personal space. They learn to respect it. We never use a crate for punishment. Instead, they get a treat each time they go in so they learn to see it as a good place. 🙂
October 13, 2015 – Messy faces from eating. Still so cute! Michael is the one with the biggest body; you can see him as he stands taller than the rest. Kelly is the one with the biggest eyes.
October 12, 2015 – Life is busier at our house for sure. The pups are fully weaned and eating kibble four times a day. Needless to say, there is lots of poop! They are mostly using their litter box where we’ve trained them to go. They had a bath today, had a car ride recently, and overall, they play a lot, sleep a lot and poop a LOT. (Did I already say that?) They get cuter every day and their hair is wavier than last week. They want to be picked up a lot. They know us and come running to the opening of their bin when they see us. They’ve had LOTS of visitors at this point and I think they’ve been held by about 30 different people at this point.This is so important for their socialization and temperament. They’ll have their first exam at the vet’s office tomorrow afternoon. Everyone is gaining weight and eating well. Andy is noticeably larger than all of the rest. Not sure why, he just is. 🙂 Here they are. We took these pictures just a couple of hours ago.
October 5, 2015 – Five weeks old. Their fur is more thick and wavy this week, with some curls starting. They know me very well now and they whine to be picked up. They seem more and more confident all the time, although the boys all seem to be . We’re introducing them to lots of new people for good socialization and even let Molly (our large black standard Labradoodle) go in and visit them today. Haley is tiring of nursing and so they are now on kibble three times a day and sleeping through the night without needing to eat. They’ll have their five week wormings tonight and today we scheduled their exam appointments with the vet. Here they are:
October 4, 2015 – Here’s a picture of our puppy room (formerly our dining room.) We like having two pens so that they can be in one pen as we clean the other. We’re litter box training them (it’s a great start to potty training) and you can see their litter box in the background. They’re using it a lot, keeping the pens (and themselves) a lot cleaner. Time is going so fast and we love having them here. When I come downstairs in the morning, they’re now tall enough to peek over the puppy door, as you can see in the second and third pictures. Incredibly cute!
October 3, 2015 – First taste of kibble. (We also started car rides this week and they did fine. No anxiety that we could see!)
September 30, 2015 – Today. . . playing with their new toys. Happy puppies.
September 29, 2015 – We love holding, carrying, and snuggling the pups every day! We have neighbors that come by just to snuggle our pups, and we love it. Our goal is to have them held by 40-50 people before they leave our home (hands washed, of course!) Experts say that a well-socialized dog will have met 100 people by the time they are 4 months old. Here’s Dwight enjoying some snuggle time.
September 28, 2015 – Now four weeks old. They are incredible. They’re so much stronger and more alert than a week ago; they are wrestling, running and playing with their new toys. They’re all very similar in coat, weight and height. Michael and Andy are only slightly bigger at this point. They recognize us now and are becoming more and more confident every day. Getting to snuggle with them every day is such a blessing!
September 21, 2015 – The pups are growing bigger, all averaging close to 2 lbs. Eating well, moving around, and very snuggly! More alert every day. Today they had their first worming. Here they are at three weeks old.
September 14, 2015 – Hello world! Eyes are open and they are walking around! They look at us and seem to make eye contact. We’re continuing the bio-sensor work with them daily. Here are the pictures we took today of our little cuties.
September 12, 2015 – Almost two weeks old today! Eyes are beginning to open and they are starting to walk. Found Andy showing some independence from the pack and walking around with his eyes slightly opened.
Mostly though, we still just see butts.