TWO WEEK MARKER REACHED! Gunny x Abner litter.

I have moved the pups to the puppy room where they are quite happy and I now have room under my feet when I type.  :+)

The puppy room has air conditioning and lots of sunlight from the three walls of windows. It provides generous amounts of Vitamin D for the pups. Gunny enjoys the new space very much and can come and go as she pleases. Each night, I feel her jump on my bed for a snuggle and a kiss and then she returns to her pups. She loves me and she loves them - hard choice so she spends time with both.

This week, I added the little cute 'bunny ears' on the pups. Using some props helps frame the face from the body - an important element when taking pics of dark coated pups/dogs. Their eyes are now open but they still don't see clearly, it will take another few more days. The ears are also opening, so I need to be careful about loud noises in the room for now. Exposure to light and noise is done slowly and purposefully so they acclimate without being scared.

As you will note, the pups are growing nicely with full, warm bellies from an attentive mom.

Regarding colors - I will not know which of the light pups will be apricot or caramel until another couple of weeks. Caramels have brown pigment on their noses, eye rims and footpads; while apricots have black pigment. This takes a few weeks to develop. Gunny is chocolate and Abner is apricot but carries for the chocolate gene, so either is possible.

Green Male - 1 lb 10 oz. (Blk/Red. Phantom)

Peach Female - 1 lb. 7 oz. (Possibly a caramel or apricot)

Black Male - 1 lb. 12 oz. (Blk/Red Phantom)

Purple Female - 1 lb. 8 oz. (Either a caramel or an apricot)

Pink Female - 1 lb. 12 oz. (Chocolate, might lighten to Cafe)

Teal Female - 1 lb. 7 oz. (More than likely an apricot)

Traveling along. (Gunny x Abner)

Before it gets really hot, I took the pups for another car ride. They were all cuddled in my 'Puppy Pocket' snuggle carrier and happy as clams.

My plan is to keep back one of these pups for a possible inclusion in my program. I don't know which one it will be; nor do I know what gender I will keep.  More than likely, it will depend on if a guardian home presents itself and what their preferred choice is. Sometimes I can be very flexible and other times, the choice is too obvious to even contemplate.  :+)

Here are the six babies in my front seat.

This is one of the  black and red phantom males. You can see how his color is developing.

This is Molly, from another litter of mine (as an adult) so you have an idea of what a Phantom Pattern is.

Just a little update...

that all Gunny's pups have now reached a pound or more in weight. That is a lot of milk little Gunny needs to produce! Fortunately, she is happy to eat (and does so often!).

I hope to move them to the Puppy Room within the week. :+)

GUNNY X LIL ABNER LITTER PICS!

Well, they are one week of age today! Growing like little weeds and Gunny has been a doting mommy to her six babies.

Gunny is also more relaxed now and is mingling once again with all her adult 'sisters' here at ADNE. For the first few days, she was VERY protective of her babies and I had to be sure all the other girls were locked away before I could bring Gunny out to go potty or to have some fresh air. That time is always a chore and full of anxiety because you want to prevent a dog fight at all costs!!

Far too many people think of their dogs as 'family' and that is a great thing but they ARE animals and when hormones are flowing, the true DNA comes out with a vengeance. So many breeders have lost pups or other breeding dogs to a vicious fight and I don't ever want to be added to that number.  You must always respect the hormonal impact occurring in a pregnant or lactating mom. However, it is great that Gunny is over that hump and now enjoying comradeship once again.  :+)

Here are pics of these adorable pups at a full one week in this world.  Please take into consideration these pups are very small but the pics are posted in an enlarged format so you can see them up close and personal.  :+)

Pink Female should have a wavy coat. The largest girl weighing 15  3/4 ounces.

Black Male was the first born and the largest pup. He weighs exactly one pound today!

Green Male is not far behind his brother at 15  5/8 ounces.

Teal Female will be curly. She weighs 13  3/8 ounces.

Purple Female should have a wavy coat. At one week, she weighs 15  1/8 ounces.

Peach Female will have a curly coat too. She weighs 13  5/8 ounces.

The black phantoms are just now beginning to show their pattern. You can see some 'reddish' tones coming through their face and between their toes and up the inside of their legs. It will show up more and more as they mature.

The curly coated females will have the silky, curly coat of their daddy, Lil Abner. Let's hope they like to be brushed as much as their daddy does. He routinely brings the brush to his guardian mom each night!

The pups that I feel will have more the coat of their mom, Gunny, will be less curly but lush and will enjoy weekly brushing and combing to keep it looking its best.  None of these pups will be shed.

Goods news!

Daisy and I just returned from having an Ultra Sound to determine pregnancy and Daisy is INDEED pregnant with a good size litter - 'at least 6+' were the words used by my vet.  :+)

Looks like Daisy and I will be extra busy come mid August.

Daisy already started rocking her babies. :+)

Happy, handsome Emmett Piccolo.

Gunny and pups went to see the vet this afternoon.

I always have the dew claws removed from the pups a day after birth because it is far easier and less painful to do when tiny than when they have grown chunky or get ripped off from an injury. Not all breeders agree or even do this but I have from the very first litter. I consider it a preventative measure.

The pups are also checked over for cleft palates and to be sure they are in good shape. Gunny is also checked to be sure she is producing milk and does not have any 'lumps or bumps' in her uterus after giving birth. All were given the 'Thumbs' Up'.  :+)

This is also the first official car ride for the pups. They will have a couple more before they are ten days old to help curb car sickness. It is not 100% but it certainly has made a difference for many.

All settled for the ride to my vet.

Whelping has begun! UPDATE!

It has been a long night and I think both Gunny and I will need toothpicks to hold our eyes open today. Finally, at 7:20 this morning the first pup has arrived. Stay tune for the complete update once she is done.

A couple of hours of sleep and a shower does wonders. Of course, Gunny will need a bath soon so she can feel 'fresh' too.  Right now, a bowl of food and cool water was most important to restore all the liquids lost during the birth process.

Gunny is happily nursing her bundle and catching some much needed shot eye!

The order of birth is as follows:

• 7:20 am - Phantom black and tan male. The largest pup at 8  5/8 ounces.
• 7:39 am - Apricot female, the smallest pup at 6  5/8 ounces
• 8:03 am - Apricot female weighing 8  1/8 ounces.
• 8:36 am - Chocolate female, 8  1/4 ounces.
• 9:17 am - This male is also a Phantom! It takes a while before the markings appear. 7  3/8 oz.
• 9:45 am - Apricot female was the last to be welcomed weighing 7  1/4 ounces.

A very nice assorted color group that is heavy on the females . I was sure surprised that a phantom was part of the group! I knew there was a possibility but the odds were not high.

The group will be seen by my vet tomorrow to assure me all is well.

Nothing yet......

but I think we are getting close. Stay tuned for Gunny x Abner updates!

Update on Gunny!

This morning, Gunny and I went to our vet to get an x-ray to see how many pups she should have. Surprisingly, we saw six!  Let's hope all goes well and they are all born healthy.

Her whelping area is in place and supplies on stand by. Her belly is quite 'active' with babies moving about when she is 'belly up' on the couch insisting on stomach rubs.  :+)

The weather has been so delightful the past few days and....

Miss Gunny has been panting quite a bit from the heat and sun. We have brought her into the pool for a nice cool down. Hubby will hold her because this is still very new and we want to be extra careful of her little belly of pups.  She loves the cool down and rolls and rolls on the turf in the puppy yard quite happy and cooled off.  She will happily go down a step for a 'toe chill', however.

A cool drink and pad cool down.

Then it is a cool spot for a bit of rest.

The other doodles are crazy about the pool and are diving off of the sides for numerous balls and pool fish! Fun times at ADNE!

Piper Moon, who is visiting, readily dives in for a ball as Daisy and Harriet Potter look on.

Wishing all of you a safe and wonderful FOURTH OF JULY!