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3/9/08
Shania went into labor at about 3:30 am. Typical panting, shivering, and nesting. We called auntie sarah
at 8 am and Shania began to deliver at 11:04 am with Pink first (11.75 ounces) Orange (male 11.75 ounces) 11:40
am, Green (female 9.75 ounces) 12:15, Burgandy (male 13.50 ounces) 12:41, Turquoise (female 11 ounces) 2:17 pm, Floresent
Green (female 11 ounces) 3:25, Yellow (male 12.25 ounces) 4:00pm, Silver (male 12.25 ounces) 6:45 pm. The only excitement
was yellow surfed out feet first, busted through his sack and slid a few inches. He was riding a wave already.
Silver was very late and very big.
3/11/09
We already have 2 puppies above a pound and all rest have gained at least 3 ounces in just 2 days. We have a hearty
eating bunch.
3/13/08 The crew is pretty quiet today as I begin our first round of sensory stimulation. Orange, Red, Pink
love to sing to me at night. Everytime I move Orange away from the lunch counter he whimpers at me. They are starting
to scoot everywhere. With out sight or hearing they use smell to find mom (lunch counter). It is fun to watch
them circle around and around bumping into each other, walls of box until they find mom. They are beginning to use her as
a climbing wall and a few of them (green, torqouise) love to snuggle under moms front legs. Silver roots, squirms, squeals
to get under the front of moms chest for the front teet as no one else is big enough to shove themselves in there for the
lunch. Everytime I take a picture of pink/yellow the are side by side. My two almost solid black guys hang out
together all the time.
3/14/2008 Oh my how we have grown. Everyone is above a pound now and its seems as if everytime I look
in the box the boys look like little "man childs" for a lack of a better word. Shania continues to nurse like
a champ. She is eating 3 times her normal food intake and I am still giving her some chicken breast in between her 4
feedings a day. By the looks of the crew she needs every ounce of food. They started a babies rendition of a growl
last night. I think the culprits were pink and orange. It is somewhere between a growl and a bad imitation of a
police siren. My description at 2:00 am anyway. They (orange, pink, silver) were on top of the pile trying to
get a seat at the lunch counter when I heard the sounds. Little do they know only mom and I can hear it right now...
3/16/08 HAPPY ONE WEEK BIRTHDAY.... Everyone is thriving and they have found the key to getting help
from mom... squeal as loud as they can as long as they can and mom gives them attention. Shania has learned the
ones that cry wolf and the different pitches of the squeals and responds appropriately.. Mom didnt like our first
nail cutting session and insisted on sticking her nose on my lap for each one. Just to let me know she is the mom...
:-) We are weighing in today at. Pink 1lb 5 oz, orange 1 lb 7 oz, green 1lb 3 oz, Burgandy 1 lb 8 oz, Turquoise,
1lb 5 oz, Lime Green, 1lb 4 oz, Yellow 1lb 5 oz, and Silver at 1lb 6 oz. More pictures to come early this week.
Stimulation based on Dr. Carmen Battaglias early neurological Stimulation is going well. www.breedingbetterdogs.com/articles.html for those interested in what I am doing.
3/19/08
Lots of scooting and kinda of cat growling going on. They are putting their back legs under them to nurse and in
burgandys case to move over to the heating pad lift up his hiney and go poop.. Silver is my growl/barker. He uses
it like a game of marco polo to find his mom for lunch. Green/turq both just love to hang out around moms front legs
and sleep. yellow still finds his pink girl to sleep, and orange is all over the place. Everytime I put him on
the heating pad or in his little warming box he manages to wiggle out and go visit his sisters. Lime girl is just a
cuddle bunny. when I pick her up she just curls up in my hands and sleeps. The next week is going to be the funniest
for me. As eyes and ears start to open ,they stand up for first time, and that is when the fun begins for me.. Glad
I have spring break to see it alll...
3/22/08 HAPPY EASTER!!!!
The eyes are opening. They are blue when they open and eventually clear up and turn brown. The ears
are dropping which means they are preparing to open. Orange was first to stand with out assistance, Turq, Yellow, Pink,
Green, all have at least one eye open. Turq opened one eye on Thursday. Noises are abundant growling of sorts...
Silver has the best bark/growl of the bunch. Little melo yellow even lets out a little growl when he wants some lunch.
All the boys are over 2 lbs. Turq is over 2 lbs and the other three girls are only an ounce or 2 away.
3/27/08 All are above 2 lbs and a few of the boys are pushing 3. All eyes have been open for 2 days
now and I know that many are hearing as I ran the vacum cleaner around the whelping box today and they all responded.
Some by moving towards it and some by growl/barking for mom. I have moved the heating pad out of the box because they
are starting to move well enough to potty away from mom. Which happened to be on the heating pad everytime. I
have started potty training and by this weekend (3 weeks) I will be creating a seperate potty space outside the whelping box
for them to move too. A few of them see well enough to know someone is by the whelping box as they flock to the opening
when I sit by the box to watch. Neurological stimulus is over now as their senses (sight, sound) are kicking in so I
will be able to use other sources to help with socialization now. (ie vacum cleaner, dishwasher, normal household sounds
as well as my sound tape)
3/30/08 HAPPY THREE WEEK BIRTHDAY..
The move is on.. That is from the den to living room. They are now moving away from mom to the papers to go
to the bathroom. Today was first attempt to eat mush food and it was a success for all the puppies. I was
very surprised all of them lapped up the mix of food, goats milk and yogurt. All is well and progressing nicely..
April 4,2008
What a difference a few days make. They have gone from wobbling hobos to hopping, running, and still falling on
ocassion little water dogs. They are still nursing and getting a warm plate of goats milk, yogurt, mayonaise,
corn syrup and mushed puppy food three times a day. The new revelation is knowing they have each other to chew on, play
with and of course bark/growl at. Last night the crew sang at least 3 different times,and I lost track
of what time it was. One time I had to get out the video camera they were running, barking and doing daily
exercises some where between 2 am and 3 I think.. No teeth yet but a few of them loved the addition of toys to
the box. They picked them up in true working water dog fashion and ran around with them in their mouths...
April 13,2008 Our teeth are coming in full force and we are learning bite inhibition from mom and sibs.
Lots of little yelps to let our sibs know that is toooo hard. We have time outside everyday (when its warm enough).
Grandma Jodi has gotten out the play stuff for us to climb on, and run through. We are almost making it from the xpen
outside with out stopping to pee in the kitchen, and dining room on the way. Most of us can go up the step to get in
and out. A few of us have to suck in our bellies to clear the step. We grunt alot, shimmy and manage to make it in our
own time. We still let the neighborhood know if we cant find mom/dad or Jodi in the yard. We are starting to growl,
and establish our "pack order". She took us out in the front yard on tuesday to hear the trash truck and lime
green was mad at her for at least 2 days. Jodi is taking us out again this tuesday so we get used to new sounds.
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