Tag: Whelping day

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Maui’s Darling Puppies Are One Week Old

We’ve had an especially busy weekโ€”looking after a two-week-old litter of twelve, Maulโ€™s newborns, and then our daughter’s baby girl (grandbaby #15) decided to make an early arrival. Something had to give, so Maui’s one-week blog is a day late.ย 

Maui’s puppies are already one week old. Both mama and her little ones are doing well and growing rapidly. Maui is a wonderful mama and cares beautifully for her puppies. She spent the first few days in the whelping box and only left for bathroom breaks. After a few days, she began taking longer breaks, but it wasn’t long before she was back in her room to look after her puppies.

Whelping Day

Maui kept us waiting again. Just like her previous litter, Maui’s puppies were born well past the due date. She deliveried on Day 68 of her pregnancy.

As always, whelping day is filled with anticipation and awe. Even though we had two whelps this month, I never tire of the miracle of birth and the instincts God has given animals.

Maui’s labour started on Thursday, January 15th, late in the afternoon. Throughout the night, I didn’t sleep well because I could hear Maui moving around the bedroom and being restless. Morning arrived, but no puppies yet. I kept Maui quite in our bedroom so that she could rest before her puppies finally made their arrival.

I went into the whelping box with Maui just after 11 am when it was clear her time was about to begin. Maui’s first puppy arrived at 11:12 am., a beautiful black male.

Maui settled into caring for her new arrival as her labour continued. Over the next few hours, Maui delivered seven beautiful puppies โ€“ five boys and two girls. Well done, Maui.

A look back at whelping day

Settling into a Routine

Mothers Pudding

Our mamas have a big job looking after their newborns. We pamper the mothers so they can give the best care to their little ones. One thing that all our mothers love is “Mother’s Pudding.” It has lots of calcium and ingredients to help them regain their strength. Maui didn’t want to leave her puppies, so we fed her right in the whelping box next to her puppies.

Neonatal Period

Newborn puppies are in the Neonatal Period. During this stage, they spend their days eating and sleeping. Sleep, eat, and more sleep. Did you know that newborn puppies sleep over 22 hours a day.

Daily Weigh-In

Each day, we weigh each puppy to monitor their growth. If a puppy doesn’t gain weight, it indicates something might be wrong. We’re pleased that Maui’s puppies are all gaining weight quickly. 

ENS

On Monday, day three we began our ENS exercises. These exercises are done daily from day 3 โ€“ day 16. Through ENS, we introduce little stresses to the puppies which has been proven to produce calmer puppies. It also produces greater tolerance to stress, greater disease resistance, a faster adrenal system, a stronger heart rate and stronger heartbeats. 

Socialization

We handle our puppies from birth for daily cuddles in addition to ENS. This is to make them comfortable with the human touch early in their life.

Looking Back at Week One

LOOKING AHEAD TO WEEK TWO

  • Much the same as week one โ€“ Eat, Sleep, Repeat!
  • Puppies will continue growing rapidly 
  • Puppies still crawl; hind legs will become stronger
  • Contunie ENS
  • Eyes should begin to open towards the end of the week โ€“ so exciting !!!

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Piper’s Puppies First Week

Looking back at first week

Whelping Day

The excitement builds as Whelping Day approaches. Piper lives with her loving guardian family. She arrived at our home on Tuesday to settle in before her puppies arrived. Each day, her tummy grew larger. And then, right on schedule, she began to deliver her puppies.

Piper was very independent during whelping and didn’t want me to touch her puppies. She took care of cutting the cord and cleaning each pup. Normally, I handle the puppy after birth to dry it with a clean towel, weigh it, and check its gender. Not this time; every time I tried to handle the puppies, Piper was very agitated. I was curious to see the genders and took the opportunity throughout the whelp to peek. All I could tell from a quick glance was that they were girls, except for the sixth puppy – a boy. 

When Piper was settled and taken out for a potty break, I did a final check. There was no mistake โ€” Piper and Rocky’s litter of twelve had a gender split of eleven girls and only one boy! 

I wondered how rare this is since it’s usually a 50/50 split, maybe with one or two more of either gender. This is what Google said:

That is an incredibly rare and surprising litter gender split! A typical canine litter usually has a nearly even distribution, so a ratio of eleven girls to one boy is quite an unusual occurrence in a litter of twelve.

GOOGLE
Eleven Girls, One Boy
Whelping day

The Beautiful Girls

Florescent Green
Black Female
Pink Female
Dark Green Female
Dark Blue Female
Yellow Female
Burgundy Female
Fuschia Female
Red Female
Orange Female
Purple Female

The One and Only BOY

Light Blue Boy

Taking care of Mama …so she can care for her babies

It is important to care for our mamas so they can care for their babies. Our mamas receive lots of TLC after their whelp. They are given daily vitamins. We make a special motherโ€™s pudding, which is full of calcium and usually the first thing all our mamas eat. We also feed them boiled chicken breasts for the first few days. 

Settling into a Routine

Neonatal Period

Newborn puppies are in the Neonatal Period. During this time, they spend their days eating and sleeping. 

Newborn puppies are very vulnerable, so it is important to watch them very closely during the first week. I sleep in the whelping room and spend most of my time watching them, making sure everyone is eating well and sleeping. If a puppy is complaining, it is a cause for concern. 

Puppies at this stage need to be kept warm as they cannot regulate their own body temperature. We maintain the room at 80 degrees with a space heater and have a heating pad under half of the whelping box, which the puppies can move to when Piper goes out for a potty break. Piper spends all her time with her puppies during the first few days of their lives, feeding and cuddling with them to keep them warm. 

Piper feeds and cuddles with her babies keeping them warm
Puppies huddle together to keep warm when mama is away on a potty break

Daily Weigh-in

Weighing the puppies daily is important. If a puppy isn’t gaining weight, it indicates a problem. We weigh the puppies each day and keep a record. This helps us know if each puppy is doing well. During the first twenty-four hours, puppies will often lose weight. With a large litter, gaining weight can be a challenge. I was so excited with the weigh-in results on day one because every puppy gained from their birth weight. Piper has done a fantastic job feeding her babies and rotating them through, as she can only feed eight puppies at a time. Such a good mama!


๏ปฟ

ENS exercises

We start ENS (early neurological stimulation) exercises on day three and continue until day 16. Through ENS, we introduce little stresses to the puppies, which has been proven to produce calmer puppies. It also results in greater tolerance to stress, resistance to disease, a faster adrenal system, stronger heart rates and heartbeats. 

  • 1. Touch feet
  • 2. Hold upright
  • 3. Hold head down position
  • 4. Lay on back in palm of hands
  • 5. Place on cold gel pack wrapped in blanket
  • above excerise stresses for three to five seconds each
Cold Gel Pack
Gel pack wrapped in blanket


Socialization

Part of raising well-adjusted puppies is socialization. We handle our puppies from birth. This helps develop a well-adjusted puppy. In the upcoming weeks, the puppies will have lots of socializing with young and old alike.

A LOOK BACK AT WEEK ONE

LOOKING AHEAD TO WEEK TWO

  • Much the same as week one โ€“ Eat, Sleep, Repeat!
  • Puppies will continue growing
  • Puppies still crawl; hind legs will become stronger
  • Eyes should begin to open towards the end the week โ€“ so exciting !!!
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Looking back at Millie’s Puppies First Week

Millie’s one week old puppies

I’ve had a lot to deal with over the past two weeks. My husband, Tom, underwent open-heart surgery, so I had to manage visits to the hospital alongside Millie coming to our home. We brought her here on Sunday so she could settle in before her due date. Millie unexpectedly delivered early, which was a surprise. I’m grateful for our wonderful family, who helped with hospital visits and looking after things at home. Due to some post-surgical complications, Tom’s stay in the hospital was extended. I’m relieved he was finally discharged on Tuesday to continue his recovery at home. With everything happening this week, Iโ€™m late in posting our First Week Blog.

Looking back at first week

Whelping Day

I spent the day at the hospital on Monday while my daughter kept Millie company. She had reported to me that Millie had been panting off and on, spending most of the day snuggling with her on the couch. That evening, I spent watching some TV and observing Millie. I thought that her puppies would come sometime on Tuesday or Wednesday at the latest. I looked over at Millie, planning to take her out for a potty break and sleep with her in our whelping room. To my surprise, I saw her starting to push. Quickly, we moved to the whelping room, where she kept me busy delivering her litter throughout the night. 

Sometimes first-time mamas know exactly what to do, and sometimes others need help. Millie was one of those first-time mamas who needed help. For the first six puppies she delivered, it was up to me to break the sack, clamp, and cut the umbilical cord, and dry them vigorously with a clean towel. When the seventh puppy arrived, Millie’s mother instincts kicked in, and she took over. When all was over, Millie and Rocky were the proud parents of a litter of twelve puppies with an even split of six boys and six girls.

Six Girls and Six Boys

The Boys

Yellow Boy
Turquoise boy
Dark green boy
Dark blue boy
White boy
Brown boy

The Girls

Fluorescent Green girl
Black girl
Pink girl
Red girl
Purple girl
Grey girl

Looking back at whelping day

Settling into a Routine

Neonatal Period

Newborn puppies are in the Neonatal Period. During this time, they spend their days eating and sleeping.

Daily Weigh-in

Millie has a huge litter, which makes feeding all the puppies challenging. The weight gain has been slower than that of puppies in a smaller litter.


Because some Millie’s puppies’ weight was less than expected, I decided to supplement with puppy formula.

syringe used for feeding puppy formula
Millie checking in on her babies

Sleep, Sleep, Sleep

Taking care of Millie …so she can care for her babies

It is important to care for our mamas so they can care for their babies. Our mama’s get lots of TLC after their whelp. Our mamas are given daily vitamins. We make a special motherโ€™s pudding. It is full of calcium and is usually the first thing all our mamas eat. We also feed them boiled chicken breast for the first few days. 


Socialization

Part of raising well-adjusted puppies is socialization. We handle our puppies from birth. This helps develope a well adjusted puppy. In the upcoming weeks, the puppies will have lots of socializing with young and old alike.

ENS

We usually begin our ENS exercises on day three and continue through day 16. Through ENS, we introduce little stress to the puppies, which has been proven to produce calmer puppies. It also produces greater tolerance to stress, greater resistance to disease, a faster adrenal system, and stronger heart rates and heartbeats. Because the puppies were slow to gain weight and many puppies were being supplemented with puppy formula, I didnโ€™t want to put more stress on the litter, so I held off on starting ENS until day five. We will continue until the puppies are sixteen days old.

Looking back at first week

LOOKING AHEAD TO WEEK TWO

  • Much the same as week one โ€“ Eat, Sleep, Repeat!
  • Puppies will continue growing
  • Puppies still crawl; hind legs will become stronger
  • Eyes should begin to open towards the end the week โ€“ so exciting !!!
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Nova’s Puppies’ Amazing First Week

Whelping Day

Nova arrived at our house on Sunday, June 2nd, to settle in before her puppies arrived. She has spent most of her days outside, enjoying the fresh air. Sometimes, she would go under the deck, but she always came out when I called. However, on the morning of June 7th, when Nova went outside and under the deck again, she wouldnโ€™t come out. After much coaxing, I finally convinced her to emerge. She had been digging, which signalled that she was getting close to delivering her puppies. I would now have to keep Nova on a leash whenever we took her outside. 

Later in the afternoon, Nova started panting intermittentlyโ€”a definite sign that labour had begun. While we spent the evening watching TV, Nova alternated between lying with us on the couch and returning to her whelping box. She remained quite calm and didn’t seem anxious. I thought we would have a long night of labour before she whelped her litter. 

To my surprise, her puppies arrived quickly in the late evening. She did an amazing job delivering and caring for her five beautiful pups. 

Warning: This video has live births

Things to look for:

  • Sterilize whelping tools
  • Nova’s tail is wrapped to help keep it clean
  • Nova delivered some of her puppies on the elevated bed just outside the whelping box
  • Puppies in the warming basket while she delivers

Warning: This video has live births. 

This Video shows Nova giving birth to her final puppy. When whelping, I like to observe and let the mama handle things. I only step in if needed. Nova, a first-time mama, did a fantastic job and knew exactly what to do!

Things to look for:

  • The puppy was delivered head first in a broken sac
  • Nova severs the cord
  • I clear the airway with a Bulb Syringe Aspirator
  • Nova cleans the puppy by licking it.
  • Four puppies are waiting in the warming box

Nova’s litter of five beautiful puppies; three boys, two girls

Male Chocolate Merle Abstract
Black collar
Male Chocolate Abstract
Orange collar
MaleChocolate Abstract
Blue collar
Female Chocolate Abstract
Pink collar
Female Chocolate Merle Abstract
Yellow collar

 

Caring for Nova

It is essential to care for our mamas so that they, in turn, can care for their babies. It begins with prenatal care, which includes consuming high-quality food, and continues with postnatal care.

Special Treats
After whelping, our mamas don’t have a big appetite. We want to encourage them to eat to regain strength and care for their babies. 
Their first few meals are boiled chicken breast. We also made a special treat called Mother Pudding. It is rich in protein and calcium, providing her with energy and helping her regain her strength. All our mamas love this pudding and are willing to eat it even if they are not ready to eat anything else yet.

ะžั…ัƒ Momma

We start our mama dogs on a supplement called ะžั…ัƒ Momma, a postnatal Vitamin that supports lactation and recovery. ย High-quality food and plenty of fresh water are a must to produce milk to feed her babies. Nova made a quick recovery and had a good appetite soon after birth.ย 

Caring for the puppies

Before puppies are born, they receive immunity and everything they need to grow from the placenta. After birth, newborn puppies do not possess immunity. A motherโ€™s first milk,ย colostrum,ย is a protein-rich, nutritious, balanced, and protective food. The special milk providesย passive immunity,ย which can last several weeks and protect them from various infections and diseases. For this reason, in the first twelve hours after birth, the puppies must nurse frequently and build up theirย passive immunity.ย (Passive immunityย is short-term immunity that results from introducing antibodies from theย puppyโ€™s mother. Compare this withย active immunityย โ€“ย the immunity which results from the production of antibodies by theย immune systemย in response to the presence of an antigen.

Expert Nursers

Puppies are born with their eyes and ears sealed shut; they cannot see or hear. They must rely on โ€œsmellโ€ and โ€œtouchโ€ to find their mother. Born with a natural instinct to nurse, puppies become more proficient as the days pass. The puppies are now nursing experts! 

Nova is a dedicated mama. She has a smaller litter so she has lots of milk for her babies. All the puppies are gaining weight quickly. Good job Nova!

As you watch the video, listen to the cute little sounds the puppies make as they nurse โ€“ so precious’s

Keeping the puppies warm

Newborn puppies cannot regulate their body temperature, so they depend on their mother and littermates for warmth. For the first few days, Nova spent all her time in the whelping box, feeding and caring for her babies and keeping them warm. 

Now that the puppies are a bit older, Nova relaxes on the elevated bed outside the whelping box. She also spends some time downstairs with us or outside for a short break. It isn’t long before she wants to return to her babies.

 Neonatal Period

The puppies are in theย Neonatal Period,ย which lasts from day 0 to day 14. During this period, puppies spend their time eating and sleeping. On Tuesday, day 3, we began ENS exercises (Early Neurological Stimulation), which will continue until day 16. We perform ENS daily during our weigh-in time. Research shows that these tiny struggles and stresses in small doses are beneficial for puppies. The advantages of ENS include greater tolerance to stress, increased resistance to disease, a faster adrenal system, and a stronger heart rate and heartbeat. This is a gift that a breeder can only provide to their puppies during the 3 to 16-day window.

Puppies continue to receive lots of handling to become accustomed to the human touch. Part of the โ€œPuppy Culture Protocolsโ€ that we follow when raising our puppies is socialization.

ENS

ENS (Early Neurological Stimulation) begins on day 3 and continues through day 16.

Stresses below

  • touch each paw
  • hold upright for five seconds
  • hold with head down for five seconds
  • lay on back for five seconds
  • place on cold cloth for five seconds

Research shows that tiny struggles and stresses in small doses are beneficial to puppies and will help them grow into strong, healthy, well-adjusted adults.

Benefits include greater tolerance to stress, increased resistance to disease, a faster adrenal system, a stronger heart rate, and a stronger heartbeat.

ESI

A new addition to our program – ESI – Early Scent Introduction. Scent is how puppies perceive the world. These exercises are performed once a day from days 3 to 16. ESI exercises introduce puppies to new scents in a controlled manner. Itโ€™s important not to overdo these exercises, as they are effective because puppies of this age are highly sensitive to stimulation. Introducing natural scents early on can assist with:

  • Boosting brain development
  • Improved scenting ability in later life.
  • Boosts confidence and stability in adults.

Looking Back at week one

LOOKING AHEAD TO WEEK TWO

  • Much the same as week one โ€“ Eat, Sleep, Repeat!
  • Puppies will continue growing
  • Puppies still crawl; hind legs will become stronger
  • Eyes should begin to open towards the end of the week โ€“ so exciting !!!

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Piper’s Adorable Puppies are already Week One Old

One week old alreadyโ€ฆ.It is hard to believe that seven days have passed since Piperโ€™s babies arrived. We have had a busy week because raising newborn puppies is a 24/7 job. 

Whelping Day

It was a long night of Piper being restless. I drifted in and out of sleep, checking on Piper. When morning came, Piper went out for a potty break and rested calmly on the couch with me. She wanted outside again, but this time, she went under our deck stairs in the yard and wouldn’t come when called. I put my coat and boots on and headed out to coax her. But no luck, she refused to come out. I finally attached the leash to her collar and, with great effort on my part, pulled her out. 

Piper was now very dirty from digging, and I was exhausted. The plan was to put Piper in the whelping box while I recovered with my first cup of coffee. Then, I would take Piper in the shower to clean her off.  I had coffee with my daughter, and thirty minutes later, at 9:45 am, we headed upstairs to check on Piper.

Part-way up the stairs, my daughter said, โ€œI hear puppy squeaks; she has had a puppy.โ€ We quickly headed to the whelping room, discovering that Piper had delivered four puppies.  

We quickly acted, trying to replace the dirty vet bedding before another puppy arrived. Piper was a little protective of her new babies, so I decided to wait before checking them out. While Piper delivered the next puppy, I took the opportunity to check out her first four puppies. This is when I made a mistake. I had three brown puppies and must have looked at one puppy twice. I recorded four male puppies when, in fact, we had three males and one female. It wasnโ€™t until after I sent the announcement out and we put collars on the litter that we discovered my mistake. 

The rest of the whelp went on very smoothly. The fifth puppy arrived at 10:18 am and the sixth at 10:31. Piper then had a seventy-nine-minute whelping pause. This is a common occurrence in larger litters. It gives the mama a rest and a chance to care for her puppies. Piper delivered her last four puppies, the seventh and eighth, at 11:50, the ninth at 11:58 and the tenth at 12:24 pm. 

It is hard to say how long the whelp took because I didnโ€™t observe the first four puppiesโ€™ arrival. However, I do know that Piper did a fantastic job delivering her ten babies. She was so calm and delivered each puppy effortlessly and without a soundโ€”just like her Grandma, Ruska. Well done Piper!

Can you find all the puppies?

Six boys, Four girls

Caring for Piper

It is essential to care for our mamas so that they, in turn, can care for their babies. It starts with prenatal care, which includes feeding high-quality food and continues with postnatal care.

Special Treats

After whelping, our mamas don’t have a big appetite. We want to encourage them to eat to regain strength and care for their babies. 

Their first few meals are boiled chicken breast. We also made a special treat called Mother Pudding. It is full of protein and calcium to give her energy and help her regain her strength. All our mamas love this pudding and are willing to eat it even if they are not ready to eat anything else yet.

ะžั…ัƒ Momma

We start our mama dogs on a supplement called ะžั…ัƒ Momma, a postnatal Vitamin that supports lactation and recovery.  High-quality food and plenty of fresh water are a must to produce milk to feed her ten babies. Piper made a quick recovery and had a good appetite soon after birth. 

Caring for the puppies

Before puppies are born, they receive immunity and everything they need to grow from the placenta. After birth, newborn puppies do not possess immunity. A motherโ€™s first milk, colostrum, is a protein-rich, nutritious, balanced, and protective food. The special milk provides passive immunity, which can last several weeks and protect them from various infections and diseases. For this reason, in the first twelve hours after birth, the puppies must nurse frequently and build up their passive immunity. (Passive immunity is short-term immunity that results from introducing antibodies from the puppyโ€™s mother. Compare this with active immunity โ€“ the immunity which results from the production of antibodies by the immune system in response to the presence of an antigen

Expert Nursers

Puppies are born with their eyes and ears sealed shut; they cannot see or hear. They must rely on โ€œsmellโ€ and โ€œtouchโ€ to find their mother. Puppies are born with a natural instinct to nurse, but they become more proficient as the days pass. The puppies are now experts at nursing! As you watch the video below, listen to the cute little sounds the puppies make as they nurse โ€“ so precious’s

cute little puppy squeaks

Piper is a dedicated mama. She has a large litter of ten puppies and is doing an amazing job feeding them. For the first two weeks of their lives, we weigh them daily and keep records to track their progress. All the puppies are doing very well and gaining weight daily. Good job, Piper!

Keeping the puppies warm

Newborn puppies cannot regulate their own body temperature, so they depend on their mother and littermates for warmth. For the first few days, Piper spent all her time in the whelping box, feeding and caring for her babies and keeping them warm. 

The whelping room has an electric heater that keeps the temperature around 28 degrees. Under the whelping box, there is a large heating pad. This keeps the puppies warm when Piper is away. 

We gradually reduce the room temperature as the days pass. 

Now that the puppies are a little older, Piper will rest on the elevated bed outside the whelping box. She also spends some time downstairs with us for a little break. It is not long before she wants to head back to her babies.

Puppy Pics

 Neonatal Period

The puppies are in the Neonatal Period which is from day 0 to day 14. During this period, puppies spend their time eating and sleeping. On Monday, day 3, we began ENS exercises (Early Neurological Stimulation) which will continue through until day 16. We preform ENS daily during our weigh-in time. Research shows these tiny struggles and stresses in small doses are good for puppies. Research shows that benefits from ENS include greater tolerance to stress, greater resistance to disease, faster adrenal system, stronger heart rate and stronger heartbeat. This is a gift that a breeder can only give their puppies during the 3 to 16-day window.

Puppies continue to receive lots of handling to become accustomed to the human touch. Part of the โ€œPuppy Culture Protocolsโ€ that we follow when raising our puppies is socialization. I am blessed with a large family that love to hold our puppies. 

LOOKING AHEAD TO WEEK TWO

  • Much the same as week one โ€“ Eat, Sleep, Repeat!
  • Puppies will continue growing
  • Puppies still crawl; hind legs will become stronger
  • Eyes should begin to open towards the end the week โ€“ so exciting !!!
Posted on

Maui’s Sweet Babies Turn One Week Old

It is hard to believe that Maui’s puppies are already one week old. Maui and her babies are doing well and growing quickly. Maui is an amazing mama and takes wonderful care of her puppies. She spent the first few days in the whelping box and only left for potty breaks. After a few days, she started taking longer breaks away and even reprised her role as puppy nanny to Echo’s puppies when they started their outdoor playtime.

It was a long time coming. This will be the litter that I will remember for waiting and exercising my patience, Not only did we spend time, eleven months, waiting for Maui to go into heat but she also kept us waiting for her puppies to arrive. Now that it is over, this lovely litter of puppies was worth the wait!

Whelping Day

It is always a day that is full of anticipation and awe. Even though we had two whelps in less than a week, I never tire of the miracle of birth and the instincts God has given animals.

Maui’s labour started early Friday morning, May 9th. She was very clingy and spent her day by our side both inside and out trying to get comfortable and rest.. While I was tending our other two litters, Maui spent the evening with Tom resting on the couch. He informed me that he was sure she would have a puppy any minute because she was panting so much.

Time is Near

Tail Wrapped

When the time gets close for delivery, I wrap the mamaโ€™s tail with a compression wrap. This helps to keep her tail clean during whelping. 

We took Maui to the whelping box just after 11 pm when it was apparent that her time was getting close. She was very restless and nervous going in and out of the whelping box. I sat inside the whelping box with Maui while Tom sat outside the entrance. We tried to keep Maui calm and reassure her. After about 30 minutes of pushing, Maui’s first puppy arrived at midnight. It was a lovely red male weighing 325 grams.

Maui settled into caring for her new arrival and her labour continued more calmly. Over the next 90 minutes, Maui delivered four more puppies. She now had three boys and two girls.

Because I was only able to see five puppies on her last ultrasound, I was guessing that her labour was finished. So I told Tom to go to bed and I would stay up to care for Maui. As can happen in whelps, her labour took an hour’s pause as she relaxed and concentrated on caring for her babies. Then to my surprise, Maui delivered two more male puppies. One arrived at 2:37 and the last puppy arrived at 3:11.

Whelping Day

Clean Up Time

Next was cleaning time because as you can imagine, whelping is a messy job. I cleaned everything up and sanitized the whelping box. Now that everything was clean, it was time to take pictures before Mama and the babies settled back in the whelping box to nurse and sleep.

This was an early morning whelp so, as you can imagine, by the next evening we were all tired from lack of sleep.

Maui has had lots of practice in raising puppies because she helped our other girls with their puppies. She is already doing a great job with her babies. We are looking forward to watching Maui raise her puppies and seeing them grow!

Settling into a Routine

Neonatal Period

Newborn puppies are in the Neonatal Period. During this time, they spend their days eating and sleeping. Maui has done an amazing job caring for her new babies. I have been pleased at our daily weigh-in and Iโ€™m happy to say that they have all been gaining weight steadily.ย 

ENS

On Monday, day three we began our ENS exercises. These exercises are done daily from day 3 โ€“ day 16. Through ENS, we introduce little stresses to the puppies which has been proven to produce calmer puppies. It also produces greater tolerance to stress, greater disease resistance, a faster adrenal system, a stronger heart rate and stronger heartbeats. 

Socialization

We handle our puppies from birth for daily cuddles in addition to ENS. This is to make them comfortable with the human touch early in their life.

Puppies Returning to Whelping Box

Looking Back at Week One

Sleep, eat, and more sleep. Did you know that newborn puppies sleep more than 22 hours a day?

LOOKING AHEAD TO WEEK TWO

  • Much the same as week one โ€“ Eat, Sleep, Repeat!
  • Puppies will continue growing rapidly 
  • Puppies still crawl; hind legs will become stronger
  • Contunie ENS
  • Eyes should begin to open towards the end of the week โ€“ so exciting !!!

Posted on

Willow’s Puppies Turn One Week Old

I am a day late getting Willow’s puppies weekly post out because we were extra busy this weekend celebrating Mother’s Day. The week passes by quickly when raising puppies but, this last week was even more so because we not only had to look after newborn puppies but also had another whelp (Maui’s) on Friday!

Week One

One-week old puppy huddle

Whelping Day

It is a day that is full of anticipation and awe. I never tire of the miracle of birth and the instincts God has given animals. Willow started the day refusing to eat breakfast which is a sign that she is going into labour. As the rest of the day progressed it was apparent this was the day her puppies would arrive. She slept both inside and out and followed me everywhere. Early afternoon Willow became more restless so we decided to take her upstairs and spend time in the whelping room.

Tail Wrapped

When time gets close for delivery, I wrap the mama’s tail with compression wrap. This helps to keep her tail clean during whelping.

Finally, at 3:57 pm, Willow’s first puppy arrived into the world. It was a cream female and she quickly tended to her new baby. Following, over the next two and a half hours she delivered five more puppies at regular intervals. These puppies were also all girls. Wow, six girls in a row; were we going to get any boys? Forty-Five minutes later, Willow delivered her first boy followed by another boy just eleven minutes apart.

Willow then settled in to care for her eight newborns. Then, after a hour whelping pause, she deliveried her last puppy, a beautiful black male.

Next was cleaning time because as you can image, whelping is a messy job. I washed Willow with a warm wet cloth, then cleaned and sanitized the whelping box. Now that everything was clean, it was time to take a few pictures before Mama and babies settled back in the whelping box to nurse and sleep. I was thankful that we had an afternoon whelp because it makes it easier to function when you don’t lose a nights sleep๐Ÿ˜‚

Willow had a smooth whelp, delivering nine puppies in four and a half hours. Well done Willow!

Congratulations Willow and Brinkley on another gorgeous litter of puppies with a variety of colours of cream, apricot and black abstracts and stunning Blue and Chocolate Merles!

They produce amazing puppies because of Willow’s strict puppy rearing skills and Brinkley’s wonderful, calm, laidback disposition.

We are looking forward to seeing these puppies grow!

A gorgeous litter with a variety of colours and patterns

Settling into a Routine

Neonatal Period

Newborn puppies are in the Neonatal Period. During this time, they spend their days eating and sleeping. Willow has done an amazing job caring for her new babies. I have been pleased at our daily weigh-in’s and I’m happy to say that they have all been gaining weight steadily.

ENS

On Wednesday, day three we began our ENS exercises. These exercises are done daily from day 3 – day 16. Through ENS, we introduce little stresses to the puppies which has been proven to produce calmer puppies. It also produces greater tolerance to stress, greater resistance to disease, faster adrenal system, stronger heart rate and stronger heartbeats.

Socialization

Part of raising well-adjusted puppies is socialization. We handle our puppies from birth. When our mama’s are comfortable, we start to let others cuddle the puppies too. Having a large family with 12 grandchildren makes for a built in Puppy Party. Willow was tolerant with people holding her puppies so, they received lots of socialization this weekend. This is because my grandchildren are always excited and willing to help cuddle the puppies๐Ÿฅฐ.

Looking Back at Week One

`Sleep, eat, and more sleep. Newborn puppies sleep more than 22 hours a day!

Puppies Returning to Whelping Box

After the daily whelping box cleaning and disinfecting, we returned the puppies to their clean whelping box. Turn the sound up to hear their adorable puppy noisesโค๏ธ (6 girls returned first followed by 3 boys)

LOOKING AHEAD TO WEEK TWO

  • Much the same as week one โ€“ Eat, Sleep, Repeat!
  • Puppies will continue growing rapidly 
  • Puppies still crawl; hind legs will become stronger
  • Contunie ENS
  • Eyes should begin to open towards the end of the week โ€“ so exciting !!!
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The Long Awaited Whelping Day

Echo’s Due Date: April 9th

Echo’s due date was April 9th. When we started our morning, it was apparent that Echo was in early labor because she didn’t want to eat her breakfast. All she wanted was a quiet place away from the other dogs to rest.

During the past few days when Echo was outside in our yard, she would go under our deck to dig. Digging is something mama dogs do when they are close to whelping. I wasn’t too worried because she would always come out when we called her.

When Echo went out in afternoon on the 9th, she went under the deck again but, this time didn’t want to come out. After much coaxing, I finally convinced her to come out. Echo would now need to be on a leash when we took her outside because I sure didn’t want her puppies born under there LOL!

It was now evening, and Echo spent the time with us on the couch as we watched some TV. As her labor progressed, she became more restless, and was panting more but, no puppies yet. At midnight, Echo and I went back to the Whelping Room, and I tried to get some rest while we waited for the puppies to arrive.

April 10th: Whelping Day

Echo spent the next four hours going in and out of her whelping box, pacing the room and taking multiple trips outside on a leash of course. I know from experience that a puppy can be delivered during potty breaks.

Finally, at 4:05 am, Echo’s first puppy arrived into the world. He was a beautiful black curly boy and she quickly tended to him. Echo is a third time mama and knows the ropes well. Her puppies started to come quickly and by 5:51 am, Echo had delivered a total of six puppies.

She then had a 90-minute whelping pause and settled in to care for her babies. At 7:21 the next puppy arrived followed another one at 8:19, 9:35 and the last one close behind at 9:40 am.

Echo did an amazing job delivering 10 puppies in 5-1/2 hours. A beautiful litter of 10 puppies. Well done Echo!

Next was cleaning time because as you can image, whelping is a messy job. I washed Echo with a warm wet cloth, then cleaned and sanitized the whelping box. Now that everything was clean, it was time to take a few pictures before Mama and babies settled back in the whelping box to nurse and sleep.

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Surprise, An Early Arrival

Ellie surprised us with a early whelp

Due Date Window

A dogs due date is an approximate date. When calculating a dogs due date , we count 63 days after mating. A dog can safely give birth between 58 and 65 days from mating. Ellie Surprised us yesterday by going into labor early on day 59.

Labor Begins

Ellie went into labor early in the morning. By noon we knew the time was close and took her to the whelping box, wrapped her tail and waited with her for the first puppy to arrive

Because whelping is a messy business we wrap Ellie’s tail to keep it clean
Ellie breaks the puppy’s sac
Ellie cleans her baby
We rub puppies with a towel to help dry them
Watch as a newborn puppy crawls to join his littermates to nurse
It is important to get newborn puppies nursing as soon as possible to get the important first milk called colostrum. This protein-rich special milk provides passive immunity to the newborn puppies. Passive immunity can last several weeks and protect them from various infections and diseases.

Adorable newborn faces

Ellie delivered her first puppy at 1:05 pm and the last puppy at 3:12 pm. The total whelping time was just over two hours. Ellie had six puppies in her litter – 4 boys, and 2 girls.

Left to Right: Female, Male, Female, Male, Male, Male

Ellie looks very tired after a job well done. It is a hard job whelping and Ellie will spend the next few days sleeping and caring for her babies.

Ellie & Brinkleys 2023 litter

May 15, 2023

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The Excitement of Whelping Day

The emotions of Whelping Day is always nervous excitement! You plan the breedings and then wait nine weeks for the puppies to arrive.

Breeding Plans

When female dogs live together, their heat cycles sync-up. This was the case with Ellie and Willow. To avoid raising two litters together, the plan was to breed Willow and Brinkley for a Christmas Litter, then six months later, breed Ellie on her next heat cycle for a spring litter. Raise ONE litter of puppies at a time. So, when the girls went into heat, we sent Brinkley away to stay with one of my son’s in Brooklin. After about 10 days, Brinkley changed locations and went to stay at another of my son’s house; this time in Claremont – half a kilometre away from our house.

What happened next?

I am reminded of those words written over 200 years ago by the Scottish poet Robert Burns “the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry”.

My plans for one litter went awry – Brinkley made his escape from my son’s house, crossed our main road and came back home to be with his sweet Ellie. The result – Two litters of puppies.

Preparing

With two litters due together we needed two spaces for our whelping boxes. We set Willow’s whelping box in my bedroom and Ellie’s Whelping Box in another bedroom we use as our walk-in closet. I prepared my whelping cart with all our supplies and made sure everything would be ready. My “Whelping Cart” is on wheels making it is easy to move between the two rooms.

Whelping cart ready and waiting

Whelping Day

Whelping Day is always so exciting and this was no exception. We had double the excitement and whelped two litter in under 17 hours.

Ellie’s Whelp

When due dates are getting close, we keep our expectant mamas in our room with the door closed. We have learnt over the year that sometimes mama’s want to go off on their own LOL! Thursday night, Willow slept in her whelping box in our bedroom and Ellie had a little bed beside my bed that she likes to sleep on. Ellie was restless throughout the night and in the morning, it was obvious she was in labour.

Mid-morning, I took Ellie up to her whelping room and Tom took over caring for our two grandchildren and the rest of our dogs. I didn’t have my daughter’s help as I usually do because she was at her teaching practicum placement – I would have to go solo. At 11:42 am, Ellie’s first puppy arrived – a girl weighing 391 grams. When Tom came to see the newborn puppy, he told me that he thought Willow was also in early labour. Oh well, nothing we could do but press on. Over the next few hours while I continued helping Ellie deliver her litter and in-between puppy births, I popped in my bedroom to check on Willow who was staying in her whelping box. Yes, she was in labour, and I think she was missing me – she dragged my jeans into the whelping box with her to lay her head on. Tom kept Willow company while Ellie whelped.

Ellie’s newborns nursing

Ellie’s puppies in the warming box while she delivers another puppy

Below is a video of Ellie giving birth. NOTE: May not be suitable for children to watch or if you are a little squeamish (Like one of my son’s LOL)

Ellie gives birth
Ellie cleans her newborn baby – notice her tail is wrapped with compression tape to help keep it clean

At 2:48 pm, Ellie delivered her last puppy – a girl weighing 441 grams. Ellie is such a calm dog, even when she is whelping. Her whelp went very smoothly and she delivered eight puppies in just over three hours. Ellie did amazing!

Pics of Ellie’s Whelp

Ellie and Brinkley’s Newborn Litter Huddle

Willow’s Whelp

Willow started labour when Ellie started delivering her puppies. I went back and forth in-between the two rooms checking on Willow and Tom kept Willow company when I wasn’t there. (Our grandchildren are now down for their naps) Willow dragged my jeans into her whelping box – I guess my “scent” was a comfort for her.

In-between the births of Ellie’s puppies, I went to check on Willow.

Willow continued to labour throughout the afternoon and evening, staying in her whelping box in our bedroom. Finally, just after midnight at 12:30 am, Willow’s first puppy arrived – a chocolate male weighing in at 393 grams.

I know I say it after every whelp, but it still holds true! I am so in awe at the instinct God has given animals. They just know what to do! The miracle of birth is so amazing, and I am moved each time I experience it.

Willow is protective of her newborn
Willow cleans her baby

After a puppy is born it is important to get them nursing. New puppies receive important antibodies in colostrum – their mother’s milk during the first few days of nursing. Just like humans, mama dogs produce a milky-textured substance called colostrum which contain the mother dogs antibodies that give puppies’ bodies the ability to fight off infections in the first weeks of their lives.

As the puppy nurses, you can observe Willow’s contractions

Willow is very protective of her babies and didn’t want me to handle them right away. Each mother is different, and we interact with the newborn puppies as our mama’s allow. After Willow’s second baby arrived and she was occupied with his care, I was able to look after the first puppy. We first make sure their nose and mouth are cleared of fluid then, dry them with a towel. This process makes them cry which is good to help get them exercising their lungs by taking deep breaths. Next is weigh in and observation.

Whelping can be messy business. Willow is white and gets very dirty throughout the whelping process. I opted to give her face a clean shave, making it easier to cleanup. Below are a couple videos of the birth of one of Willow’s puppies NOTE: May not be suitable for children to watch or if you are a little squeamish

Willow gives birth
Willow cleans her newborn puppy

At 4:15 am, Willow delivered her last puppy – A chocolate merle weighing 378 grams.

Willow feeding all her newborns

Willow’s whelp lasted just under four hours. She had nine puppies in total – five girls and four boys. Willow did an amazing job and deserves a good rest!

Willow and Brinkley’s Newborn Litter Huddle