PUPPY VISITS!

This weekend, the pups can have their first visits.  You will be limited to 30 minutes to see and hold them and ask me questions.  I can have two visits per day.

SATURDAY, MAY 4TH - I can do one at 11 am and one at 2 pm.

SUNDAY, MAY 5TH - I have a health clinic to attend to in the morning, so 1:30 (This slot is taken) and 3:30 pm is being offered.

I can offer visits during the week if you contact me directly so we can plan a time.  Once the pups get bigger and can handle more stimulation, I can be more accommodating by having more than one family at a time.

The pup room is small, so when we have better weather and the pups can be outdoors, visits are SO much easier to plan!

PLEASE contact me directly through my email not on the AnnaBlog to schedule a visit.  :+)

Clary McFadden IS pregnant! Yea!!

Right around noon today, we were at the vet waiting for her ultra sound.  Clary was a wonderful patient and settled into the ultra sound table as Dr. La Pine placed the scope on her belly.  Little black blops popped up and we all could confirm the successful mating.  :+)

An x-ray a few days prior to her whelp will tell us how many - guessing about five or so. 

Thank you Clary for being so cooperative.  :+)

We are looking forward to your babies in early June.  Should be a colorful litter of chocolate, cream or black cuties with adorable white markings.

ELSIE X DUCKIE PUPS ARE THREE WEEKS!

They are really growing into themselves.  Walking is a bit better with just a bit of tipsy turvy.  They are beginning to mouthed each other as well as some of the hanging toys on the pens.  Eyes and ears are open and fully functioning.  They are becoming more and more curious.  If I change anything in their pen, they all want to see it, investigate, taste and smell what it could be.

The coloring on the phantom pups is beginning to show more.  Actually, each of them is slightly different with where their markings are especially on the face.  Believe it or not, the two light colored boys are the most difficult to take pics of.  I think those with curly hair can understand how they can interfere with photos!  Their eyes seem squinty with the curls all around - can't wait until the coats grow more, then they will look like little teddy bears.   :+)

Today, I added a potty tray - it is more or less for 'decoration'.  I need them to smell and learn that this is their toilet.  It will take a few days but generally, by four weeks, they are getting the hang of it.

At some point I will also offer some gruel for them to make a mess of.  The intro to feeding pups gruel is the same as feeding a human baby.  Food gets into eyes, noses, ears and fur; sometimes the mouth!  Lots of baby wipes!

I will also uploaded a video I took this morning (a miracle for me!).  It is on the 'video' tab and displays quite large.  Sorry, don't know how to resize it!

Teal Girl.  2  1/4 lbs.

Onyx Girl.  1  3/4 lbs.

Copper Girl.  2  1/4 lbs.

Lime Boy.  2  3/8 lbs.

Yellow Girl.  2 lbs.

Denim Boy.  2 lbs.

Ever heard of BONE BROTH?

I have read numerous reasons for making the above for both people and pets.  So, I decided to make some myself.  I want to give it especially to my older doodles to benefit their joints, ligaments and bones.  However, I also plan to give it to my mommas and their babies because of the enormous nutrition it provides.

Today, I purchased an Insta Pot.  A sort of new gadget that is like a pressure cooker on steroids.  Using a crock pot will take about 24 hours to produce a bone broth and some of the broth will be 'steamed' off during that long process.  The Insta Pot will give you Bone Broth in 2  1/2 hours - I like efficiency.  :+) 

Several of my breeder friends have these Insta Pots and swear by them.  Many have bought two - one for their two legged family and a second for the four-legged ones.  It might be worth your while to investigate this 'cooker' and continue making Bone Broth for nutrition, keeping allergies at bay, losing weight (Bone Broth Diet for humans), prevent gut leakage, increase digestive juices, helpful for inflammation and general overall health.

You can research the benefits of Bone Broth for yourself, at your leisure.  I just thought it was worth posting about.  :+)

ELSIE X DUCKIE - WEEK 2

'I'm late, I'm late... for a very important date!'  Do you remember that quote from Alice in Wonderland??  That was me today.  Early this morning, I went to breed Miss Gunny to Okie Boomer which was an easy mating - thank goodness!

Then I rushed home to do shopping for tomorrow's Easter dinner - always last minute stuff to get, right?

Once the food was put away, I began taking the pics for the pups' two week celebration.  Finally, uploading everything for clients to enjoy.  Whew, I sort of feel like the 'Unbirthday Party' of the same movie (chuckle!).

Well, my little 'bunnies' were set up for their photo shoot in a large Easter Basket.  Most of the time, I am able to place them in the basket vertically, but this group is just not big enough, so I had to improvise for their safety.

Onyx Girl is now 1 lb. 5 oz.

Lime Boy weighs 1 lb. 8 oz.

Yellow Girl is the smallest at 1 lb. 2 oz.

Denim Boy is 1 lb. 5 oz.

The 'Big Bopper' of the litter is Teal Girl at 1 lb. 13 oz!

Miss Copper Girl is 1 lb. 8 oz.

The past couple of days, each of the pups have opened their eyes.  The ears have not quite caught up yet.  I actually moved them to the Puppy Room yesterday as I wanted them in there before my company came.  This way, they are not isolated and will acclimate to the different voices, kitchen sounds and numerous 'peeks'.  All the doodles go in and out of that room all day long which is great exposure to dog life.  None of the doodles try to get in their pen - Elsie keeps an eye on things.  :+)

Elsie continues to eat well and produce nutritious milk and the pups are all gaining.  Golly, in a couple of weeks - we will be scheduling visits!!

Last pic is of them in the pup room with lots of room and sunshine for them to enjoy.  :+)

Even experienced breeders can be 'fooled'.

For the past week or so, I noticed drops of blood on my kitchen floor, so I knew one of my girls was in season.  It was Daisy.  I knew I was not breeding her this cycle so was content to mark my paperwork and move on.  After a week, I was surprised that I still continued to see droplets and both Daisy and Gunny were quite 'amorous' with each other.  They are 'best buds' though so nothing 'too' odd about that.  However, it was unusual to see bright droplets for longer than a week and it finally dawned on me that Gunny was ALSO in season!

A trip to the vet today confirmed my suspicions and Gunny will be having a date with Okie 'Boomer' on Saturday.  This could be a 'Jack in the Box' litter.  It should be quite diverse with colors ranging from solid black, chocolate, cream; or include phantom patterns in black/tan or chocolate/tan, or even wild sable (similar to a Shepherd's coat color).  I have no idea what to expect as Mother Nature is always in charge but it should be fun and interesting!

The possible myriad of colors and patterns is because Gunny is a Cockapoo and brings the Spaniel patterns and colors into the Labradoodle mix.  Boomer is an Australian Labradoodle as his Dam is an Australian Labradoodle that was bred to a Multigenerational Labradoodle (Bo Didley) and if the breeding is successful, this will be Gunny's retirement litter.  You can view her adorable past litters with Lil Abner if you scroll down the index on the right. 

Keep in mind, the Australian Labradoodle is comprised of a Poodle, Lab and Spaniel type, so the pups will be AUSTRALIAN LABRADOODLES per the definition of all Labradoodle registries which include the ALAA, ALCA and WALA.

Why did I choose Boomer for this litter?  Happily, Boomer has a wonderful selection of early generations in his sire's lineage - I LOVE keeping the Labrador in the 'Labradoodle'!   My breeder friend, Marci of Tango Wool Labradoodles did an excellent job of creating strong new lines from solid foundation stock and I was very fortunate to benefit from her work.  Blending Boomer's DNA with Gunny will produce a sweet litter of non shedding, stout pups.

Gunny (Cockapoo) - 26.5 lbs.  Chocolate, non shedding easy care coat.

Boomer (Australian Labradoodle) - 27.8 lbs. solid as a rock black abstract with a soft, non shedding coat.

Accepting applications at this time.  My best guess, if the mating goes well, is for pups to arrive in mid June and pups placed around mid August.  Please do not apply for this litter if you have vacations scheduled during the fourth week of August.  It is not possible for me to keep pups over past their pick up day.

Early Neurological Stimulation - Elsie x Duckie pups

I wanted to share some pics I took today just to explain what I am doing with the pups for 16 days.  Early Neurological Stimulation is a sensor program.  I have included a synopsis below as well as the link if anyone wants to read the full article.

I used one pup for each individual 'exercise' and also added a pic of one of them being weighed as I do this daily until they reach 2 weeks of age.

The first exercise is to use a Q Tip to 'tickle' between their toes and pads.  The pup is laying horizontally on my hand as I do this.  Since I don't have three hands, I just showed you the pup and Q tip.  Pups are wiggly!  :+)

Exercise #2 is holding the pup upright.

Exercise #3 is one they do not like at all as the puppy must be pointed toward the floor .

Belly up is Exercise #4.

The last one is #5 and they are placed on a cold clothe for a few seconds.

Each day, I weigh the pups to be sure they are gaining.  I also check the mammary glands of Elsie to be sure there are no lumps or bumps on or near the teats which, if unchecked, could develop into Mastitis.  All is perfect!

FYI:
Methods of Stimulation

The U.S. Military in their canine program developed a method that still serves as a guide to what works. In an effort to improve the performance of dogs used for military purposes, a program called "Bio Sensor" was developed. Later, it became known to the public as the "Super Dog" Program. Based on years of research, the military learned that early neurological stimulation exercises could have important and lasting effects. Their studies confirmed that there are specific time periods early in life when neurological stimulation has optimum results. The first period involves a window of time that begins at the third day of life and lasts until the sixteenth day. It is believed that because this interval of time is a period of rapid neurological growth and development, and therefore is of great importance to the individual.

The "Bio Sensor" program was also concerned with early neurological stimulation in order to give the dog a superior advantage. Its development utilized five exercises which were designed to stimulate the neurological system. Each workout involved handling puppies once each day. The workouts required handling them one at a time while performing a series of five exercises. Listed in order of preference, the handler starts with one pup and stimulates it using each of the five exercises. The handler completes the series from beginning to end before starting with the next pup. The handling of each pup once per day involves the following exercises:

1. Tactical stimulation (between toes)
2. Head held erect
3. Head pointed down
4. Supine position
5. Thermal stimulation

Here is the link for the full article.  

https://breedingbetterdogs.com/article/early-neurological-stimulation

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I like to keep my customers abreast of what is going on here!!  :+)

After the 'third' ride. (Elsie x Duckie)

A number of years ago, I attended a very interesting seminar that advised breeders to be sure and provide three car rides for pups BEFORE they were ten days old.  It was explained that this would help 'imprint' the flow of a car and could help prevent car sickness or 'fear' of being in a car.  It certainly is not 100% but it does have a high success rate.  I felt it was something I could certainly do in the hope all my pups would be good car riders for their owners.

Today was the third ride for these furbabies and they did not complain on any of them.  The sun was also shining and the day mild, so I could not resist running in to get my camera for a quick shot of them snuggled all together in the basket.

There is always one that has to be different.  This time, it is Lime Boy.  :+)

I know there are a couple on the bottom staying nice and warm!

ELSIE X DUCKIE - ONE WEEK OLD!

Finally, I am posting individual pics of this litter!  I know all of you have been very patient but unless you are a photographer by trade, it can be a daunting task!!  I can't wait until they are old enough to take photos outdoors in the natural light.  My house does not lend itself to bright sunshine as we have so many trees shading it.

Fortunately, today we have ambient temperatures and I opened my front door for some natural light - it was the best option at this time.  Maybe we can do some outdoor pics next Saturday.  :+)

Pups are gaining every single day but still very fragile.  They still gather onto the heat pad when Elsie is not with them.  They are not fussy at all - very content.  Elsie is attentive but not 'a smother mother'.  She loves being with people and the other doodles here.  Runs around outside with them and  also checks our bedroom at night to assure herself we are still here.

Elsie is very trusting and does not mind at all if the other doodles come into the office when we are there.  She does not even growl if one of the other girls get too close to where the pups are - she just lays down in front of the pups like a 'protective fence'.  :+)

Copper Collar - Female phantom wavy fleece coat.  1 lb. 1 oz.  

Denim Collar - Male apricot abstract.  13  1/8 ounces.  Will have a curling fleece coat.

Lime Collar - Male solid Cream solid curling fleece coat.  15  1/4 ounces

Onyx Collar - Female phantom wavy fleece.  13  1/4 ounces.

Yellow Collar - Female phantom with a curling fleece coat.  12  1/2 ounces.  Smallest pup.

Teal Collar - Female phantom with wavy fleece coat.  Largest pup at 1 lb, 2 ozs.

Visits.

Now that I have contacted those that wanted a pup from the Elsie x Duckie litter, I am getting questions about visiting the pups.

Safety first!  The pups cannot be handled 'by strangers' until they are four weeks of age.  It is my job to   s l o w l y  get them acclimated to this new world they joined.  Until they are about two weeks of age, they can't really see or hear.  I spend the time from then through the third week to adjust.  By the end of the third week, they are beginning to feel a bit more confident but MANY times not all of them have reached this milestone.  Hence visits are short and sweet.  Those that want to venture to meet you will and those that 'hang back' will not be forced to join until they are ready.  Puppies are just like children in this regard.  Patience during this phase.  In no time at all, visits will be full of rambunctious puppyhood!  :+)

I will post here once I and the pups are ready for visits.  Please note, those that can visit during the week should plan their visit for then.  I can only schedule two visits per day on a weekend.  Pups still need lots of rest and sleep a lot.

Elsie and her babies. Added 'Phantom' pic.

Just a quick post of the new mommy and her babies.  You can see the patches of 'tan' on the backsides of the phantoms.  Hard to see at this age but they will show up more as they grow.

There are six puppies!  That little apricot one is being squished by his two sisters.

I wanted to be able to show what a phantom pattern looks like.  This is one of the phantom girls.  Some have more white areas than others but this gives you an idea.  :+)  It is a funny pic as the pup
was NOT happy to be removed from the litter and her momma!

Notice the placement of the apricot color.  It is very specific.  This pup will have a touch of white on her chin and a splash of white on her chest.  Her facial markings will not be 'flashy' but will show up more as she grows.

I have to post this pic because I saw this adorable male over ten years ago on a website in Europe and fell in love with him.  I had wanted to purchase a pup but the breeder did not sell to overseas breeders.  Since then, it has been my goal to produce this pattern and look.  Some things are just worth waiting for.  :+)

An adult mini phantom patterned Labradoodle.

Today will be the 'birthday' of Elsie's pups! WE ARE DONE!

Happily, she started this afternoon and ended right around 8:15 pm.  Elsie has now been fed, had water, her box is all cleaned up and laundry is soaking.

The line up!

1.  Denim Collar - Male.  Apricot in color with cute white markings on his head, toes and chest.
2.  Onyx Collar - Female.  Black and Apricot Phantom with white chest flash.
3.  Copper Collar - Female.  Black and Apricot Phantom with white chest flash and some white     on toes and chin.
4.  Lime Collar - Male.  A solid cream.
5.  Teal Collar - Female.  Black and Apricot Phantom with white chest flash.
6.  Yellow Collar - Female.  Black and Apricot Phantom with white chest flash.

Can't believe there are four phantom females!  What were the odds of that?  I will post pics tomorrow.

Miss Clary Mc Fadden and Wyatt Slurp had a date today. :+)

What a fun litter this should produce!  Both of these cuties carry for the parti gene.  However, Clary has a 'tuxedo type' pattern which is a sub set of the parti gene and could produce pups that have her markings; or 'Abstract' markings like some white toes, or a white chin or chest on a solid colored body.  According to some genetic calculation color charts, there could be a full parti patterned pup or even a Tri-colored pup (think Bernese Mountain Dog).  I just want to put it out there that IF a pup is born a Tri AND it has the characteristics to be breeding quality, ADNE will exercise 'first dibs'!  😍

In any combination, this litter should really be unique with adorable markings.  Throw into the mix the wonderful temperament of the parents and we have the ingredients for a perfect breeding recipe!

Wyatt:  'Hello'  Clary!  I am happy to meet you.'

Clary:  'Have a seat, Wyatt...I have a few questions'....  :+)

Wyatt is a light chocolate closer to a cafe' shade.  Clary is obviously black and white.  Believe it or not, the puppy color possibilities are black, chocolate and creams - and most of them will have white markings.  As with all matters, it will be in the hands of Mother Nature just how the colors will be distributed - she has a sense of humor.

As far as sizes, it will vary from 25 to 37 lbs.  Wyatt is a couple of inches taller than Clary so 17 to 19 inches.  Once pups are growing, I will be able to determine size better.

Yea! Elsie had her x-ray this morning and....

she has six healthy looking babies!  I am so pleased.

Elsie is with me now for the rest of her maternity stay and has been introduced to the girls here once again.  She is following me everywhere - which is expected.

A good guess is that pups will arrive by the weekend.  So now we all wait.  Will update once they have all arrived.  :+)