EXCELLENT ARTICLE ON VACCINATIONS - 2014.

Please read the entire link - it is very informative and provides you with information to be an advocate for your puppy/dog.  Just because you vet suggests numerous vaccines does not mean they NEED them. Use Titers rather than repetitive vaccinations.  Your dog will thank you.

(Please highlight and copy to your browser)

http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2011/10/27/new-canine-vaccination-guidelines.aspx

Each morning, Tillie eats a monster breakfast and ....

I am always baffled how such a small dog can fit it all in. After a resounding burp, out she goes to make room for lunch. Her expressions are always priceless.

No wonder Tillie eats like a lumberjack - look at the size of these pups!

After breakfast is social hour.

Annabelle visits the pups.  :+)

HAZEL MAE - Mini Labradoodle

Oh boy am I so pleased with this little soft bundle of hair! Hazel is such a social butterfly who has had lots of exposure to kids, places and things.

Her guardian does a lot of home-schooling and I do believe Hazel will become a 'chapter' in their science lessons when she is expecting a litter. What a wonderful way to learn about genetics and pregnancy.

Hazel will be one of my true mini lines and I expect her litters to produce the cutest replicas of herself but with some color variations.

Hazel reminds me so much of a mini Annabelle.

Hazel's compact silhouette.

Words from the CHILDREN of this Guardian Family:

This will be my first narrative from the perspective of children with regard to how being a guardian family impacts their life. An enlightening and worthwhile view. :+)

From Zack:

'Having a guardian dog is a lot of fun, I mean A LOT of fun. But when you do things like this, it obviously takes a lot of responsibility, like picking up the poop and taking the dog out early in the morning, and training them. Whether it’s that or it’s feeding them 2-3 times a day, these are all of the normal things of taking care of a dog.  

Having a guardian dog is even more work. You need to bring them to Maine for testing. You have to make sure their hair never gets matted. When they go into heat, you can't take them to the park and you have to put a diaper on them. When it's time for her to mate you have to go to Joyce's a couple times. When she is pregnant, we have to feed her different stuff. And she's really tired.

But some things just cancel out the hard labour, like the love and kisses that the dogs give you. Having a dog can help you, like if you are blind it can be trained to help you walk around, or if you have low blood sugar a dog can be trained to sense a drop in blood sugar. There are other things that a dog is good for. They say men live longer with a dog, which is good for my dad.

We've also learned a lot about animals from this. We learned a lot about the reproductive system of female dogs. We even got to see an x-ray of her when she had seven puppies in her. And seeing her puppies was awesome.

If you are thinking about getting a dog or a guardian dog, you should do it!'
From Ezra

'Getting a dog was awesome and it changed my life for the better. So what I remember is that when I was looking for a pet and I had just about decided on a snake when my mom, (who was distressed). said how about a dog and I said sure but I wasn't convinced, I still wanted a snake. A few months later we were all set to pick up our new dog. I was the first one to be persuaded but it took my dad a lot longer. 

     Once we got her, we took her home and we took her on a walk.  It went terribly and she wouldn't move.  But when we got back to the house it got worse.  First thing she did when we got home was she jumped up on the couch and she peed.  We were still playing with her and snuggling her and that was the first day.

     For the next week my mom was on the edge of her nerves because it was so unusual for her to have a pet and it was taking a lot of energy. but after the first week everything started to pick up.  She started taking her dog training lessons and we learned how to take care of her.

     I really bonded with her for the next few months.  And whenever there was nothing to do there was always my sweet dog to play with or snuggle with.  And nowadays I can't really imagine what life was like without her.  She's my best friend.

I like taking care of her so I don't mind changing her diapers when she's in heat. The only thing that's hard is when we have to leave her in Maine for breeding or to have her babies. Whenever we drop her off, I cry. And I feel awful when she's gone.

But it's worth it. We couldn't afford a dog if it wasn't a breeder dog. So even if I hate having her gone, getting Hazel was the best thing we ever did.'

STATS AND CERTIFICATIONS:

• DOB:  December 11, 2012 out of our Australian Labradoodle, Camden Rose, a light apricot/cream and Percy Jaxon of ADNE, an apricot and white Cockapoo.
• Size/Color/Coat:  Hazel Mae is about 16 inches and 18 lbs.  Her coat is a glorious deep apricot color of soft, lush fleece.  Color DNA is:  BBee and she may be parti factored. 
• von Willebrand's Disease - Cleared through parentage. Copies of parents provided.
• Thyroid/Blood Work/Chemistry and TgAA (-1) - 12/20/13 from Hemopet HML#56016.
• Hips - 1/15/2014 OFA Prelims are 'Good' at 1 year of age. Hazel's official P/H score is .37 and .36 (90% ) which is an excellent percentage.  
• Patellar Luxation (knees) - Done on 1/14/2014 is 'Normal'.  OFA# HY-PA680/12F/P-VPI.
• Elbows - Prelim is Normal.
• Legg-Calves-Perthes - Done on 1/14/2014 is 'Normal'.  OFA# HY-LP58/12F-VPI.
• OFA Eye CERF's - Clear and Normal as a pup; 11/03/13, 4/21/14 - 'Normal' 
• PRA/prcd - Clear through parental DNA.  Copies provided.
• Heart - Normal on 4/22/14 by Cardiologist Auscultation OFA# HY-CA999/26F/C-VPI
• Incorrect Coat:  IC Normal (FF)
  
  
  PEDIGREE:

Investigating Goat's Milk.

As I mentioned, this is the week I begin to introduce 'food' to the pups. I begin by just putting down a 'small saucer dog dish' with a bit of Goat's Milk in it for them to smell. I dip my finger in the milk and touch it to their noses.  They always back up licking and wondering what 'fell on their nose'.  :+) Eventually, they get more and more curious and move towards the bowl.

They are not drinking it up readily yet, but every day it gets better as they learn to negotiate the bowl sides. By the end of the week, they will be lapping the mixture up.

'Hey, what is this stuff?'

'Ummm..... not bad.'

'I like this better!'

Tillie and Dublin's litter are three weeks and becoming mobile.

The three week marker is always fun to watch.  The metamorphosis from practically helpless to wobbling around wows me every time.

I can tell you that I have seen Neon, Orange and Teal manage to hoist themselves up and totter to the litter box to pee! I believe Purple Girl must sneak in when I am not looking.  :+) Don't in any way think that they are already litter box trained 'cause they are not but pups DO learn at a very early stage to 'seek out a potty area' and if you provide them with one, they use it.  This makes keeping them clean easier for me (mom is still doing a superlative job!).

Soon, I should be posting pics of them having their first meal. It is always a fun shot and quite messy. Here are their 3 week old pics and weights.

Orange Boy is eating 'milk bricks' and weighs 4 lbs.!

Purple Girl is 3 1/2 lbs.

Neon Boy is at 2 1/2 lbs.

YAWN! Teal Girl weighs just about 3 lbs.  :+)

Neon Boy is still the smallest and has been tracking to be similar to his mom - and I think Teal Girl will be small as well.  Both Purple and Orange seem to be favoring their dad, Dublin and they may mature to about 35 lbs. and 19 inches in height. These are just guesses!

After they nurse from mom, there is a very short 'minute' where they are now wrestling and mingling with each other.  It is so darn cute to watch but very fleeting in duration.

A little visitor enjoys the pups.

Our young grandson, who is so gentle and well mannered, LOVES to sit with the pups.

Pups eyes are open!

Just as I thought, on Easter Sunday (Day 16), those puppy peepers opened for the first time.  What they see is very fuzzy and it will take a few days for them to fully adjust. Until then, the puppy room will remain shaded as their eyesight develops.  Another milestone achieved! By the time I take their 3 week pics on Friday, we should see eyes. I won't use a flash however because they will still be sensitive to such brightness.

I might also add that I took out their Perla Bed that they had been in since birth and they now sleep just on the Vet Bedding. Since the weather is improving and they are now able to regulate their body temperatures, they don't need the high sides that the Perla Bed provided against drafts, etc. I did add a baby bumper around the pen to prevent little feet from getting caught in the wire posts. Once I see them wanting to move away from their bedding to potty, a litter box will be introduced.

How does one say 'relaxed'?

A couple of cute pics to share. (2 wks.)

I was cleaning out a couple of storage bins and glanced at the pups and took these shots.

Purple Girl had climbed right atop the stuffed doodle and was very comfortable.

Her siblings below were cutting the Zzzz's big time and it looks like Orange Boy is snoring!

It is Easter Weekend and Tillie's pups are two week's old!

I bet a lot of you will be with family this weekend so I hope I have posted these pics for you to enjoy before having to travel.  They are more adorable on a big screen like a computer.  :+)

The pups and Tillie enjoy the puppy room although I do have to monitor how much light and heat they get in the afternoon when the sun shines in.  The floor has radiant heat and we do have a fan as well as air conditioning when needed.  Right now, just closing or opening a window keeps them comfortable.

As you can see by their weights, they are doing very, very well with Orange Boy being the heavyweight and Neon Boy appears to favor the smaller size of his mom.  Both girls are right on target for about 30 pounders. I expect eyes to be opening by the end of the weekend.

Weekly car rides are planned and Early Neurological Stimulation will continue for three more days. Soon they will be available for visitations which begin at 4 weeks of age. Contact me when you would like to plan a visit.

I did not use the typical colored egg theme - I chose, instead, my 'country cottage egg basket' for a background prop. - it just suited the pups.  Those little hats were just too cute to pass up at the store. :+)

Teal Girl is 2 lbs. 1 oz. at 2 wks. 

Purple Girl is 2 lbs. 7 ozs. at 2 wks.

Hefty Orange Boy is 2 lbs. 13 ozs at 2 wks.

Trim Neon Boy is 1 lb. 14 ozs. at 2 wks.

Pups were moved to the Puppy Room today.

Everyone is a bit confused even momma Tillie but in another hour they will be settled and all will be calm. Since I had to take their weights, I thought I would post this novel way of showing it to you.  :+)

Here they are in the pup room with their floppy eared buddy to snuggle with.

Tillie is not with them all the time now.  She takes lots of breaks and we have even played ball a bit in the puppy play area.  I have to say, Tillie does not like to share - she gets the ball and tries to hide it so the other dogs can't participate. When she won't bring it to me or drop it, the game ends.  She also will spend time sleeping in our bedroom at night. If she hears the pups, she runs down to check on them. Very cute.

Unbelievable, Tillie's pups are a week old today.

What sweetie pies they all are! Nice weight gain on all and the Early Neurological Stimulation exercises I do on each pup in the morning is going well.

I do plan to take them for another car ride today to help imprint car movement as a positive not a negative feeling. This has been successful in minimizing car aversion. It is not 100% but it certainly has helped on many of my litters.

All are doing well and growing like crazy. Tillie takes breaks now and even allows the other girls in the room with them but is still letting them know these are 'her babies'. Tillie is VERY tolerant and I am quite pleased by her accepting demeanor.

Enjoy the Week 1 pics.  :+)

Purple Girl - 1 lb. 8 ozs.

Neon Boy - 1 lb. 4 ozs.

Orange Boy - 1 lb. 11 ozs.

Teal Girl - 1 lb. 5 ozs.

You will notice that their noses are beginning to darken quite a bit from their birth pictures. Each week they will continue to do so until black. They are such content puppies at this stage.

Tillie's pups on Day 4.

Tillie continues to eat well and enjoys her brief breaks from her 24 hour job of taking care of the pups. Last night she even took a few minutes to sit on my lap and watch t.v.- a brief break is welcomed and enjoyed.

I don't know why I am always amazed when first time moms do such an exceptional job - especially since wild dogs do this all the time with no people intervention!  :+)

Obviously, Tillie's milk is rich and plentiful because each of these pups are already over a pound in weight!!

You will notice that I have switched from the white pee pads to a blue bedding.  This fluffy looking material is called Vet Bed and it is like a child's diaper - it will whisk any urine down through the fluff to prevent the pups lying on any wet surfaces.  Although Tillie is OCD about keeping her puppies spotless, this bed keeps the pups warm, provides excellent traction for those little legs and is very soft for cushioning. I love that it is machine washable.

Take home date for Tillie's pups!

Tillie's delivery date was sooner than originally predicted which moves her pick up date a week. Please put on your calendars that June 14th is the weekend for pups to go home - right in time for Father's Day!

Tillie's pup pics - individuals!

I know they are not a week old yet, but I do like to get newborn pics for myself so I thought I would share. Here are these babies on their third day of life.  I can tell you, these guys nurse ALL the time!  It is showing because they are gaining nicely.  Actually, they must favor their mom who ate TWO bowls of food this morning!  Enjoy.

Purple Girl weighs 12 3/4 ozs. She is solid colored but I do believe she has white on her chest.

Orange Boy weighs 14 3/8 ozs. He has the most white tipping in the litter.

Neon  Boy weighs 11 3/8 ozs.  I do believe he will sport both a white moustache
 and goatee which will give him such character!

Teal Girl weighs 11 ozs. and has a nice dose of white markings.

It is very difficult to tell what the coats will do at this young age. Both parents have curls, so it stands to reason the pups will be curly coated.  Most doodles add more curl as they mature but there have been some that don't.  :+)

We had our vet check up today!

This morning, I weighed the pups and was happy to note that all gained a bit during the night.  That assures me that Tillie is eating plenty and drinking well to keep herself hydrated to produce quality milk - a very good sign that everything is normal.

I always have my moms checked by my vet after they deliver because if they are not all cleaned out, bacteria can develop and cause complications.  I also have the dew claws taken off the pups so as adults, they don't get torn during play or romping in the woods, etc.  It is done for prevention of a potential injury whether by a groomer or life's activities in general.  Many breeders do not do this but I do.  Although you will find pros and cons for both sides of 'keeping or removing', Labradoodles are not racing or sledding dogs.  They can still run, turn, swim, do agility, etc. without dew claws, so I opt for removal.

The ride there and back was nice and smooth and they settled in quickly when back in their whelping box.

Please welcome Tillie's sweet newborns to the Annabelle Doodle Family!

After a very uncomplicated birth last night, Miss Tillie's newborns are doing wonderfully this morning. No, I did not get my black and white girl, but I sure can't complain about Tillie and Dublin producing four beautiful and healthy babies!

I know everyone has been anxiously waiting for a pic or two of the family, so here they are. Naturally, I will continue to post pics on this Blog as they grow - not everyday, mind you!

In order of birth:

• Neon Boy is black with a white chest and I think a toe or two.  He was born at 9:00 pm and weighed 10 1/2 ozs.
• Purple Girl is a light apricot and I am not sure yet if she has white markings.  She arrived at 9:34 pm and weighed 11 1/8 ozs.
• Next was Teal Girl who is a darker apricot and has a white flash on her head, chest and a white toes, I believe.  She weighed 9 3/8 ozs.
• Last came Orange Boy- a hefty one at 13 1/8 ozs.  He is apricot with white markings on his head, chest and feet.  He was born at 10:35 pm. 

They have all gained weight and are actively nursing as of this morning.  Tillie has an excellent appetite and only leaves to go to the bathroom.  Five stars to Tillie for a first time mom!

Pups are coming!

Stay tuned!

We are delivered!  Two males, two females.  Three are apricot shades and one male is black with a white chest.

Pics tomorrow!  Tillie was wonderful and did a great job.  She has great mothering instincts.  :+)