Clara's three week old pics are up!

Yellow Girl is waiting for spring to tend the garden.  3 1/2 lbs.

Orange Girl is hinting about visiting the zoo.  3 1/4 lbs.

Purple Girl is all bright eyes and bushy tailed and ready to party.  3 lbs.

Oh, a true son of his daddy, Blue Boy has his cowboy hat and ready for the two step. 4 lbs.

'Here's looking at you, baby!'  Green Boy at 4 1/2 lbs.

What has been going on around here?

Let's start with another 'space renovation'.  I removed the large green bed and switched to a bumper around the x-pen to avoid anyone getting little legs stuck.  Also, a potty box was introduced.  It is getting minimal use at this time.

The puppies are enjoying the new space for playing and sleeping.

Perhaps this smart puppy will show the others how to properly 'use the facilities'!  :+)

Viva loves to snuggle under the soft, warm, huge Caterpillar.  I find that the other puppies burrow under it as well.  Heck, with the radiant floor under them, the Caterpillar acts like a warm comforter on top of them.

They are only awake to play for very short periods.  Sleep overcomes them very quickly.

All are beginning to 'face wrestle' and there are always spectators watching the event.  :+)

Clara nurses sitting so all can find their dinner plate.

Yep, after nursing comes the play time once again.

Today, I introduced their first taste of gruel, this is the

result of that 'meal'.  Can you say 'satisfied'?

No, the stork did not have the wrong address....

I think when you look at this picture, you will see that a new addition has arrived here at Annabelle Doodles.  :+)

A breeder friend of mine had a singleton (one puppy) just a day after Clara Belle delivered her litter of five.  Because it is so very important for puppies to learn from each other, we felt that chubby Viva should join Clara's group for a few weeks.  This will allow Viva to interact with other puppies her own age and develop the proper 'dogie skills' for her future well being.  Initially Clara Belle was a bit put off, after all, she is nursing full time to keep her chunky babies well nourished and clean!  After about an hour of my intervention and coaxing, Clara allowed Viva to nurse.  Clara kept looking at the 'oddly' colored puppy in her group and seemed truly confused.  Once the pup suckled, I brought her to Clara's nose so she could smell her own milk on the pup's mouth and this finally gained the pup's 'adoption' into the litter.  Viva is now meshing in perfectly and all is well.

I also moved the pups today to the Puppy Room.  Time will tell if this is a permanent or temporary move based on weather, light and acclimation.  Initially, I had my tent up but the temperatures have been so mild, it was too hot under it.  All the pups have strong coats and can regulate themselves, so we will see.   At night, I will put a cover on the top of the fencing to prevent drafts when chilly.  The floor has radiant heat and we also have a blower heater at the ceiling level.  Should be rather toasty.  :+)

Once I noticed that they are trying to get out of the box or moving to find a potty spot, this area will be changed to enhance that phase of development.  Lots of changes coming up!

I am thinking spring........ (two week pics!)

The pups will really begin to grow and evolve at a much more rapid pace now that they have reached the two week mark.   Yellow and Orange girls have opened their eyes while the rest of their siblings are taking more time.  Of course, they can't see anything of any merit - just shadows but it is a huge step in their short lives.

I had to take the pool out of my office because Blue Boy thought he should climb over it.  Hmmm...  So now they are in a Perla bed which has much higher sides but still allows Clara easy access for tending to the pups.  She has already graduated to either sitting or standing for nursing - a tribute to the fast development of her brood.

All of the pups paw pads are reflecting the pigment changes from pink to black and in some of the pics you will notice their noses also beginning to darken.  I would expect that all these pups pads will be two colors - pink and black which reflects the fact that they all carry the parti gene donated by their mom's DNA.

I am no longer using a heating pad in their area as they are now able to regulate their temperatures and huddle together for warmth when needed or spread apart for coolness.   It won't be long before they will be transferred to the Puppy Room.   Soon, I will introduce milk and gruel for them to try with the hope that they will enjoy 'food' and drink less from mommy.

Blue Boy at 2 weeks - 3 lbs.

Yellow Girl at 2 weeks - 2 1/2 lbs.

Purple Girl at 2 weeks - 2 lbs.

Orange Girl at 2 weeks - 2 1/2 lbs.

Green Boy at 2 weeks - 3 3/4 lbs.

The group snuggling in their bed.

And the most wanted candy on Valentine's Day is....

CHOCOLATE?????

Who could resist an overflowing basket of.....

BUTTERSCHOTCH KISSES!!!

Pilot has his first 'newborn' puppy experience.

Our two year old grandson, Pilot, had his first experience with newborns today.  He was so gentle.  Pilot has been brought up to love and respect all types of animals and to treat them properly.  His good upbringing shows.  :+)

Clara has her 'family' over.

As is typical of all guardians, they miss their family pet immensely, so I try to be as flexible as possible to allow them to visit and reconnect with their 'furry' child.

It is wonderful to have guardian homes that are relatively close so that this bonding continues during their dog's maternity stay here at Annabelle Doodles of New England.  A visit assures the guardians that their pet is getting all the necessary attention and care; and really, what guardian can't wait to take a peek at the newborns?! 

As long as I have been doing this, each nursing dam has settled back beautifully after each visit.  As you can see, Clara is very content and enjoying the extra cuddles.   Of course, all my girls get to visit and that always makes their day!

Thank you Erin, Shawn and Parker for your visit today!  Pretty soon Clara Belle will have another human baby to befriend.  I am sure Clara will be delighted that Erin gets to nurse that one!  :+)

Almost a week old and CHUNKY!

The puppies have been doing so well!  Clara is such an attentive and loving mom. Although they are not quite 1 week old, I did not think you would mind having individual pics.  :+)

I should mention that the box they are in is 8 inches in diameter and they fill it up quite well!

As is typical, I began their Early Neurological Stimulation exercises when they were three days old and will continue until they are 16 days old.  This program helps them to develop a stronger immune system and helps them handle stress better as they mature.  You can read more about it here: 
http://breedingbetterdogs.com/pdfFiles/articles/early_neurological_stimulation_en.pdf

Green Boy is 1.64 lbs.

Purple Girl is 1.28 lbs.

Orange Girl is 1.40 lbs.

Yellow Girl is 1.36 lbs.

Blue Boy is 1.70 lbs.
Now, this is an over-stuffed box!

Ahhhhhhh.... a massage and make up. :+)

What a beautiful day it was outside this afternoon.  Like all new mothers, a break of fresh air and some sunshine does wonders.

It was time for a bit of pampering for Clara, so I quickly gave her a fast trim and a brushing as all mom's need a bit of a 'vanity boost' after giving birth.  :+)  She delighted in it and then we went outside for some of that great sunshine and fresh clean air.

Olive

Those of you on Olive's list should know that she is doing very well and growing quite the 'pot belly'!  I am also so pleased that she and her sister, Clara Belle, are getting along wonderfully even though they are both quite hormonal (Olive being pregnant and Clara Belle nursing her litter).  That makes the environment here delightful.  :+)

Olive is eating well, playing with our other dogs, full of energy and very, very cuddly.  By the end of the month, we will have an x-ray to determine how many pups she is having.  Sometimes x-rays are spot on (like Clara's was) and other times, pups are hidden too far up the ribcage and there can be a surprise or two extra than they see on film.

All in all, things are going quite smoothly here in the 'maternity ward'.  :+)

A content mommy and her newborns.

Aside from the lovely mothering pics below, mommy and puppies visited my vet this afternoon to be sure that mom's milk is in and that she has 'cleaned' out her uterus properly.  All the newborns were also checked and their dew claws removed.  Each pup has gained weight and Dr. Estle remarked on  how healthy, plump and beautiful Mom and pups were.  An excellent report!  :+)

Clara is very attentive to her new babies.  She is always listening and checking on them to be sure all is well and they are getting all that they need.  She keeps them spotless and well fed. 

Here is Clara smiling away.  A job well done, my lady!

CLARA BELLE HAS DELIVERED! PICS!

Clara's very savvy guardian mom called me yesterday indicating that Clara was 'showing signs' so I asked her to bring Clara right over.  She was indeed showing early signs of whelping and her due date was actually Feb. 7th!  Thankfully, she was not too early and I anticipated perhaps a delivery sometime later today but Mother Nature and Clara had a different mindset.

Clara was so compliant, as usual.  When I made my bed on the floor to sleep near the whelping pen, Clara dutifully walked to the pen and settled in.  Thoughtfully, her guardian remembered to bring one of her daddy's used T-shirts and that comforted her immensely.

All night, Clara panted and panted with lots of potties outside.  There was no sleep for either of us but around 6 am, I heard her pushing and by 6:18, her first pup was born.  :+)  She finished delivering her 5 pups by 9:35.  Happily, there are 4 females and one hefty male.

Here they are!  Such beauties!!  :+)

Arrivals:

• 6:18 am - Yellow Girl weighing 10 1/2 ounces
• 7:18 am - Purple Girl weighing 10 ounces
• 8:30 am - Blue Boy weighing a whooping 13 1/2 ounces.  (He was the largest pup in the x-ray)
• 8:43 am - Orange Girl weighing 11 ounces
• 9:35 am - Green Girl weighing 13 ounces ~ another whooper!