Tuesday, January 15, 2013

The Puppies Are Here

Sorry for so long in getting this blog updated but we've been a little busy.  Last Thursday, January 10 was the birthday for the Rafe x Cali puppies - and they all expect you to remember them this time next year.  Cali started at 8 PM and finished up about 2 AM Friday morning.  Although the ultrasound told us to expect 8, Cali kept the real number to herself and finished up with 7 - who we will consider our "Lucky Seven"!  The final breakdown was 2 boys (1 black and 1 liver) and 5 girls (4 black and 1 liver).  All the puppies are incredibly robust and healthy.  When most of our puppies are born they weight approximately 11-13 ounces but the smallest of these bouncing babies weight 14.4 ounces and we had two that topped 1 pound each.  WOW - poor Cali.  No wonder she was as round as a beach ball.  I'll keep this post short for now because I'm sure you just want to see puppy pictures.  We have given them temporary puppy names; we HATE referring to them by their collar colors such as Blue Boy or Red Girl.  At least this way, they're starting life with a sense of identity.  LOL.  Since we drove all over creation to get Cali bred - to OH to pick her up then back to Indiana and the to Minnesota for the breeding, we decided to name them after some of the towns in our travels.  The boys are Marty (for our home of Martinsville) and Elmo (Lake Elmo, MN where daddy Rafe lives) and the girls are Laurel (Laurel, MD where Cali normally resides), Clair (we'd pick up and drop Cali of in St Clairsville, OH), Madison (WI - we traveled through on our way to MN), Indy (I think that one is fairly obvious <grin> annd Anna (for Annapolis, MD.  Annapolis wasn't really on our route but it is in Cali's home state of Maryland and it goes so well with Indy!) So without further ado, may we present The Puppies:


Anna

Clair


Elmo

Indy


Laurel

Madison


Marty

Thursday, January 10, 2013

D - Day?

Well it's time to restart the blog - I think we're within 24 hours of puppies.  Cali is feeling rather "broody" today.  She is very laid back and is doing her nesting thing this morning.  Her temperature has been down: 98.8, 99.1 and 98.9 the last three times we've taken it.  A normal temperature for a dog is about 101 and a sustained drop in temperature is a pretty good indicator puppies will make an appearance in about 24 hours. 



So today, I am home from work to keep an eye on things.  Cali has quite taken over Ava's crate (who has been in the front of the house because she's been in season and we've had to keep her away from Brighton who thinks all the girls in the house are part of his harem!)  I think she likes it because it's covered and makes it seem like her den.  She can enjoy it all she likes for now but once puppies come she'll be moved to the wading pool for the delivery.  We do have a nice whelping box Alan built but it's much easier to have her deliver the puppies in the pool.  It's plastic and easy to clean, low sides so easy to get to her and puppies and it's mobile.  I've been known to rotate it as needed to get the angle on things that a situation may require. 

The Maternity Ward (AKA as our dining room/kitchen area) is prepared.  The pool has been scrubbed clean and lined with newspapers and we have more newspapers ready to go as needed.  We have lots of clean towels ready to "catch" puppies and get them dry quickly.  We have a heat lamp ready to go in case things feel cool in the house (puppies can't sustain their own body heat for the first 10 of their lives on their own.  Normally, mom and siblings keep each other warm but since it's January, we'll supplement with a heat lamp as needed).  And of course lots of colored rickrack so I can "color code" the babies.  Since Dalmatians are born pure white (except for a patched puppy) we use the rickrack so we know who's who until their spots develop and we can more easily tell them apart.  I don't want to have to guess who is who; we weigh them daily so I want to know who is gaining weight and who may not be.  The rickrack allows us to know exactly which puppy is which and how they're progressing in their development. 


Now we just wait.  The rest of this is all up to Cali and the kids.  There probably won't be any more blog updates until after everyone is here but we'll be back then with news and photos of the new family. 


Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Tubby Time

It has been a VERY busy week for the kids - and us.  Trying to keep up with eleven of them takes more and more time.  They got a bath this weekend and Alan recorded it for posterity and we're just getting around to adding it to the blog.  But better late than never, so enjoy the puppies' tubby time.  Since Yaeger has been our poster child for everything so far, we'll start with him


Yaeger - Just Add Water


Yaeger - I am SO outta here!


Yaeger - I give.


Lindy tries Yaeger's move



Sikorsky - aww Mom, not the face


Yaeger - Clean between the toes

Monday, August 22, 2011

Week 6 Photos - The Girls Part II

And now for our lovely, liver ladies:


Allison - Front


Allison - Offside


Allison - Rear


Allison - Showside


Lindy - Front


Lindy - Offside


Lindy - Rear


Lindy Showside


Piper - Front


Piper - Offside


Piper - Rear


Piper - Showside

Week 6 Photos - The Girls Part I

And now for our two Black girls:


Amelia - Front


Amelia - Offside


Amelia - Rear


Amelia - Showside


Cessna - Front


Cessna - Offside


Cessna - Rear


Cessna - Showside

Week 6 Photos - The Boys Part II

And now for the second half of our handsome boys:


Sikorsky - Front


Sikorsky - Offside


Sikorsky - Rear


Sikorsky - Showside


Wiley - Front


Wiley - Offside


Wiley - Rear


Wiley - Showside


Yaeger - Front


Yaeger - Offside


 Yaeger - Rear



Yaeger - Showside

Week 6 Photos - The Boys Part I

This was a busy weekend for the kids.  They got baths and I'll have a post on that (with pictures) soon.  And then last night, we took "official" stacked photos.  They handled the process pretty well but do you know how LONG it takes to take photos of 11 puppies and then edit and get them ready to post.  They were pooped last night and so was I.  So take a look ... always open to comments and opinions.


Doolittle - Front


Doolittle - Offside


Doolittle - Rear


Doolittle - Showside


Orville - Front


Orville - Offside


Orville - Rear


Orville - Showside


Wilbur - Front


Wilbur - Offside

Wilbur - Rear


Wilbur - Showside