We know that Stella will enjoy her new family and we'll have lots of opportunities to see her as she grows and develops.
Wishing everyone the very best <3
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| Catherine, Lauren holding Stella, and Anne. A lovely family! |
Friday, 6 April 2012
Stella Goes Home
Anne, Catherine and Lauren were excited to pick up their new addition just before Easter. It was a little bit tough for me as it always is when the last puppy goes to their new home. However, it's so rewarding when the match is perfect!!
We know that Stella will enjoy her new family and we'll have lots of opportunities to see her as she grows and develops.
Wishing everyone the very best <3
We know that Stella will enjoy her new family and we'll have lots of opportunities to see her as she grows and develops.
Wishing everyone the very best <3
Wednesday, 22 February 2012
Testing The Chompers
These babes now have their incisors in and letting everyone know it!
Stella got her front teeth in first with Costa only a few days back.
Nothing is safe - fingers, toys, their momma.... It's important for us to let the pups know that there are things they can chew on and things they can't. When they attempt to test their new chompers on me, I let out a high pitch 'YELP' which instantly stops the pup. I can then offer them the right things for the pups and we have been giving them bull sticks for the past couple of days.
Thanks Kim - you've saved my fingers.
Stella got her front teeth in first with Costa only a few days back.
Nothing is safe - fingers, toys, their momma.... It's important for us to let the pups know that there are things they can chew on and things they can't. When they attempt to test their new chompers on me, I let out a high pitch 'YELP' which instantly stops the pup. I can then offer them the right things for the pups and we have been giving them bull sticks for the past couple of days.
Thanks Kim - you've saved my fingers.
Monday, 20 February 2012
Two Tiny Terrors
It's amazing that two little creatures can rule the entire household.
I had setup the living room pen area like I have done with the other babies, but these two would have none of that! Instead they used their wiley ways to convince Daryl to give them the run of the entire upper floor and LOVED IT!
Indeed, these two already have discovered the way from their bedroom, down the hall, and into the living room. We've had to block all the ways to behind the furniture and Daryl loves to tip the toy box over for them to have lots of fun with multitude of toys.
They also discovered the grown-up bed and delight in lying on it. The big dogs, however, are less pleased...especially Cane and Ahi.
I had setup the living room pen area like I have done with the other babies, but these two would have none of that! Instead they used their wiley ways to convince Daryl to give them the run of the entire upper floor and LOVED IT!
Indeed, these two already have discovered the way from their bedroom, down the hall, and into the living room. We've had to block all the ways to behind the furniture and Daryl loves to tip the toy box over for them to have lots of fun with multitude of toys.
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| Stella OWNS the bed - thank you very much.... |
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| Costa is still not sure he's allowed...but sister's on it. |
Sunday, 19 February 2012
Getting Our Families Involved
Last week we had Stella's family learn how to bath and groom their girl and this weekend is was Costa's family's opportunity.
Mike and Kyla are looking forward to when they can bring Costa home. Kyla is a vet-tech but bathing a puppy this small was a pretty new experience. Thankfully Costa was much better behaved this week.
After his bath and blowdry, Kyle trimmed his nails and used the clippers on his foot pads. These pups have had their pedicure's every week since they were one week old so Costa was a very good boy. Very little fuss with the clippers.
A snuggle afterward is always a necessity. Well done Kyla!!
Mike and Kyla are looking forward to when they can bring Costa home. Kyla is a vet-tech but bathing a puppy this small was a pretty new experience. Thankfully Costa was much better behaved this week.
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| Bathed and using the chamois to absorb the water to dry Costa more quickly |
After his bath and blowdry, Kyle trimmed his nails and used the clippers on his foot pads. These pups have had their pedicure's every week since they were one week old so Costa was a very good boy. Very little fuss with the clippers.
A snuggle afterward is always a necessity. Well done Kyla!!
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| A proud momma |
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| And a very happy puppy |
Monday, 13 February 2012
First Bath
This was the weekend that I gave the new families the 'okay' to come meet their pups. On Saturday Kyla, Mike and Tabatha came to meet Costa. Everyone giggled over the 'mohawk' of hair Costa has developed between his eyes and down his muzzle. Kyla really loves his coloring while Mike appreciates Costa's quieter temperament in comparison to Lacey. Looks like a great fit for everyone!
Catherine, Ann & Lauren came on Sunday to meet their little girl and we're thrilled with this family matching as well. Lauren just had her birthday last week and turned 7 years old. Their little girl is going to be renamed 'Stella' an I think it fits this little girl very well. Lauren and Stella played very well together and Stella had no problems being picked up and carried here and there :-) We bought the tunnel out for Lauren and Stella to play with.
I mentioned that the pups needed a bath (Costa had a couple of bum washes before this) and the ladies were happy to watch, help and take pictures.
We started with Stella who was really good in the bath. After making sure the water was just the right temperature, Stella didn't fuss at all in front of her new family. We wrapped in a blanket then off to another room for blow drying. Again a very good girl as we brushed and fluffed.
Stella doesn't like to be cold so afterward she was wrapped in a big blankie to get nice and warm.
Costa's turn...except he had fallen asleep in Lauren's lap. He looked much too comfortable to move :-) I took advantage of that time to clip his nails.
After he woke up, we took him to the tub. We had to giggle as he raised a ruckus but it wasn't long before he settled and we were able to quickly bath him too! He did figure out that he can stand on his back legs and almost climb out of there though!
He was much better with the blow dryer and then we used the electric clippers to trim the hair in the pads.
After he was returned to the living room all dry, fluffed and clipped it was amazing to see how bright the white was against his shiny black coat. A very gorgeous boy!! Costa didn't get quite as chilled as Stella did, but he loved the snuggle in the big blankie too!
We clipped Stella's nails and used the electric clippers on her pads so both pups were completely groomed. Now we can take their 5 week pictures! Hope everyone has a Happy Valentines Day!
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| Lauren meeting her pup |
I mentioned that the pups needed a bath (Costa had a couple of bum washes before this) and the ladies were happy to watch, help and take pictures.
We started with Stella who was really good in the bath. After making sure the water was just the right temperature, Stella didn't fuss at all in front of her new family. We wrapped in a blanket then off to another room for blow drying. Again a very good girl as we brushed and fluffed.
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| "I can deal with this" |
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| Scrub the paws.... |
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| A very clean little girl |
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| Taking the blow dryer in stride |
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| Catherine with Stella |
Stella doesn't like to be cold so afterward she was wrapped in a big blankie to get nice and warm.
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| Sooooo comfortable! |
Costa's turn...except he had fallen asleep in Lauren's lap. He looked much too comfortable to move :-) I took advantage of that time to clip his nails.
After he woke up, we took him to the tub. We had to giggle as he raised a ruckus but it wasn't long before he settled and we were able to quickly bath him too! He did figure out that he can stand on his back legs and almost climb out of there though!
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| "BUT I'M NOT DIRTY!!" |
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| Resigned himself to the chore.... |
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| A little reassurance from Mom |
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| 'I can handle this...' |
After he was returned to the living room all dry, fluffed and clipped it was amazing to see how bright the white was against his shiny black coat. A very gorgeous boy!! Costa didn't get quite as chilled as Stella did, but he loved the snuggle in the big blankie too!
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| Nothing quite like a snuggle in the warm blankie |
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| 'Aahhhhh' |
They're taking over!!!
What a crazy week!! We've been so busy with family happenings, and big dog stuff and workload it seems like I just can't keep up :-) The quiet time I do have is spent snuggling babies and not typing.
We setup the living room play area on Feb 1st and the pups LOVE being with us in the living room every evening. Working out the webcam has been a small challenge this year....not sure why. I'm going to blame it on my old laptop...hint, hint Daryl.
The babes seem to have a lot of confidence as they happily have started to play 'run like h*ll' already. The big dogs have taken their presence into the living room in stride. With the exception of Cane and Ahi who do the typical young male thing by running away from any baby that gets close to them!! So funny to watch!!
Lacey plays hard for a good half hour while Costa plays for 10 - 15 minutes then heads to the crate for a short nap. Both are loving the new toys and it's not unusual to see then drag toys, much bigger than they are, around the room. Up on the dog bed, behind the couches, running into the kitchen, even chasing dogs down the hall. Standing on their back legs at batting at the big dogs seems to be a great new game. Can we say 'scoundrels"...?? They are having so much fun!
Keeping up to them is our biggest challenge. Especially as they seem to 'leak' every 15 minutes when they are playing so hard. The living room is covered with piddle pads in key locations to help make the 'to the paper' training easier. However we love it and it's so good for the the babes to strengthen their muscles as they run, climb and chase.
We setup the living room play area on Feb 1st and the pups LOVE being with us in the living room every evening. Working out the webcam has been a small challenge this year....not sure why. I'm going to blame it on my old laptop...hint, hint Daryl.
The babes seem to have a lot of confidence as they happily have started to play 'run like h*ll' already. The big dogs have taken their presence into the living room in stride. With the exception of Cane and Ahi who do the typical young male thing by running away from any baby that gets close to them!! So funny to watch!!
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| Picking out the favorites |
Keeping up to them is our biggest challenge. Especially as they seem to 'leak' every 15 minutes when they are playing so hard. The living room is covered with piddle pads in key locations to help make the 'to the paper' training easier. However we love it and it's so good for the the babes to strengthen their muscles as they run, climb and chase.
One Month Milestones
Where did that month go?!? It's so hard to believe our little one have changed so much in the past month. Raine has continued to be a fabulous momma, only leaving her babes long enough to run outside for a potty break.
Raine continues to nurse her babes (not giving them much incentive to get serious with the solid foods yet..) and often are dragged out of the whelping box as Raine 'feeds then runs'...hehe. They certainly are enjoying playing with each other and are learning to 'run' after momma.
This is a good time to start with their crate training, so out with the whelping box and in with the biggest crate giving momma and babies lots of space still for snuggling while snacking.
This means it's time to spread more piddle pads down as they will be expanding their play area. We're thinking it's time to setup the living room play area too so they can join us in the evenings.
The pups are eager to see us and quickly come from their crate to see us. Personally, I think they figure that the toes are fingers are much more important than the snuggles as we can feel those baby molars sharp in Costa's mouth. Lacey loves to chew on the fingers but with less pain to us. Hmmm, time for some bull chews
Raine continues to nurse her babes (not giving them much incentive to get serious with the solid foods yet..) and often are dragged out of the whelping box as Raine 'feeds then runs'...hehe. They certainly are enjoying playing with each other and are learning to 'run' after momma.
This is a good time to start with their crate training, so out with the whelping box and in with the biggest crate giving momma and babies lots of space still for snuggling while snacking.
This means it's time to spread more piddle pads down as they will be expanding their play area. We're thinking it's time to setup the living room play area too so they can join us in the evenings.
The pups are eager to see us and quickly come from their crate to see us. Personally, I think they figure that the toes are fingers are much more important than the snuggles as we can feel those baby molars sharp in Costa's mouth. Lacey loves to chew on the fingers but with less pain to us. Hmmm, time for some bull chews
Tuesday, 7 February 2012
Nom...Nom...
We noticed that the babes were showing quite a bit of interest in their Momma's food so we thought we'd introduce solid foods on January 31st. (I know I'm late getting this posted :-)
We take powdered puppy formula and mix it with Wellness Pure Chicken, offering their first taste on a teaspoon and just a very small amount. I had help with their first meal. Kim and Kayleigh delighted in sharing this milestone with the babes.
The pups have still been spending much of their time sleeping with the odd playtime spurts. It was during a play session on Thursday that the pups started to vocalize their play with growling. Some of the first noises we've heard from them.
We'll continue to feed the babes, but with only two of them there is no competition for food so encouraging them to eat might require a bit of encouragement from Raine.
We take powdered puppy formula and mix it with Wellness Pure Chicken, offering their first taste on a teaspoon and just a very small amount. I had help with their first meal. Kim and Kayleigh delighted in sharing this milestone with the babes.
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| Costa getting his first tastes |
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| Lacey liked her first few bites much better |
We'll continue to feed the babes, but with only two of them there is no competition for food so encouraging them to eat might require a bit of encouragement from Raine.
Monday, 30 January 2012
"Testing, testing...."
What a difference a few days makes in the lives of a puppy. Costa and Lacey have gone from little creatures that sleep all the time and are totally dependent on their momma for warmth, food, and other basic needs to little dogs that are glad to see their world, are busy testing their legs (and boundaries) and voices.
On Jan 26th we noticed that one of the pups had crawled out of the warm nest (we still have the heater on) and used the piddle paper. By the end of the day, both pups were observed starting their cleanliness habits. Such smart babies!!! Raine still cleans them regularly but we're now changing the pad more than a few times a day.
They haven't explored their area outside of the whelping box yet which is just fine with us. Maybe it's partly because there is just two of them so they don't have to chase Mom all over to find food. However I have seen Lacey peeking over the lip to see where we have gone to. They certainly are stronger on their little legs as they no longer crawl, but 'walk' around their space...just a little wobbly...(smiles) They need to be stronger as Mom likes to perch herself on the narrow bed in the box leaving the pups trying to climb up as well.
Every evening I set aside some special time for snuggles which the pups love. I relax in their room on the floor, reading my book and a pup fast asleep in my arms or lying in my lap. The Neurological Stimulation training has done wonders as they both are so calm and quiet with us. Daryl is enjoying his snuggle time with them on the days he's home working in his office where the pups are located.
Lacey tends to interact more with Costa at this point rather than the other way around. Their play sessions full of growls and play fighting are short lived as they still need so much sleep. Lacey may seem like the instigator, but she's the one who decides that she's had enough when Costa get the best of her.
Lacey also seems interested in chewing her leg, my fingers, nose or whatever else she can put her mouth on. The 'milk teeth' don't erupt until around four weeks of age but I placed a hard rubber toy with the pups...just in case.
Raine is starting to want to spend a bit more time with us in the living room in the evenings, so it won't be long before I'll be setting up the baby playpen area out there. Our other dogs are certainly missing my interaction. Good thing they come to work with me!
I absolutely adore the personalities that we are starting to see on both of these babes. Hope the new families don't mind that we're turning these little ones into snugglers.
Lacey continues to have the greater weight gains as you can see in their weight chart.
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| "Do I look like the stuffy....?" |
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| "Must I do this....?" |
On Jan 26th we noticed that one of the pups had crawled out of the warm nest (we still have the heater on) and used the piddle paper. By the end of the day, both pups were observed starting their cleanliness habits. Such smart babies!!! Raine still cleans them regularly but we're now changing the pad more than a few times a day.
They haven't explored their area outside of the whelping box yet which is just fine with us. Maybe it's partly because there is just two of them so they don't have to chase Mom all over to find food. However I have seen Lacey peeking over the lip to see where we have gone to. They certainly are stronger on their little legs as they no longer crawl, but 'walk' around their space...just a little wobbly...(smiles) They need to be stronger as Mom likes to perch herself on the narrow bed in the box leaving the pups trying to climb up as well.
Every evening I set aside some special time for snuggles which the pups love. I relax in their room on the floor, reading my book and a pup fast asleep in my arms or lying in my lap. The Neurological Stimulation training has done wonders as they both are so calm and quiet with us. Daryl is enjoying his snuggle time with them on the days he's home working in his office where the pups are located.
Lacey tends to interact more with Costa at this point rather than the other way around. Their play sessions full of growls and play fighting are short lived as they still need so much sleep. Lacey may seem like the instigator, but she's the one who decides that she's had enough when Costa get the best of her.
Lacey also seems interested in chewing her leg, my fingers, nose or whatever else she can put her mouth on. The 'milk teeth' don't erupt until around four weeks of age but I placed a hard rubber toy with the pups...just in case.
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| Getting a little braver |
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| "Like this....? |
Raine is starting to want to spend a bit more time with us in the living room in the evenings, so it won't be long before I'll be setting up the baby playpen area out there. Our other dogs are certainly missing my interaction. Good thing they come to work with me!
I absolutely adore the personalities that we are starting to see on both of these babes. Hope the new families don't mind that we're turning these little ones into snugglers.
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| "My ball!!!" Yup, the same ball that is next to Costa. Size perspective....!! |
| Birth Wt | 3 weeks | % of Gain | |
| Costa | 257 | 1031 | 301% |
| Lacey | 196 | 862 | 340% |
Monday, 23 January 2012
The Transitional Stage
Now that Costa and Lacey have opened their eyes, their world is going to change. They'll become more aware of each other, their momma and us. Intentional interaction will start to begin. This is the beginning of the 'Transitional' stage which lasts from two to four weeks of age.
Their hearing and smell are still developing, as well as the eyes will improve to focus over the next few weeks. The pups have started supporting their weight and are trying to walk which is better described as 'rocking' to their next location. They'll soon start wagging their tails and testing their vocal skills. We can hardly wait!
Every Sunday we clip their nails and the pups are really good with the handling. They've been clipped twice already. Here also are their weights for their second week.
Costa may be the larger of the two, but Lacey continues to have the greater gain. I thought I'd go back and compare to Jenga's pups from last spring. At 2 1/2 weeks, Milo and Ahi weighed close to 800 grams, while Amiga weighed close to the 680 grams. These pups are a few days ahead of the last litter. A benefit of fewer siblings for sure. I look forward to watching these little ones continue to develop.
We'll be putting on the webcam in the evenings starting right away so you can share in the delight of these little ones. Find the live streaming at Ustream TV. See you soon!
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| Trying to capture these two together proved to be a true challenge |
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| Already these two are very aware of each other |
Every Sunday we clip their nails and the pups are really good with the handling. They've been clipped twice already. Here also are their weights for their second week.
| Date | Costa | Lacey | |||
| Weight | % of Gain | Weight | % of Gain | ||
| Jan-15 | 529 | 105.8% | 430 | 119.4% | |
| Jan-16 | 577 | 124.5% | 463 | 136.2% | |
| Jan-17 | 615 | 139.3% | 500 | 155.1% | |
| Jan-18 | 644 | 150.6% | 542 | 176.5% | |
| Jan-19 | 678 | 163.8% | 588 | 200.0% | |
| Jan-20 | 723 | 181.3% | 528 | 220.4% | |
| Jan-21 | 805 | 213.2% | 688 | 251.0% |
Costa may be the larger of the two, but Lacey continues to have the greater gain. I thought I'd go back and compare to Jenga's pups from last spring. At 2 1/2 weeks, Milo and Ahi weighed close to 800 grams, while Amiga weighed close to the 680 grams. These pups are a few days ahead of the last litter. A benefit of fewer siblings for sure. I look forward to watching these little ones continue to develop.
We'll be putting on the webcam in the evenings starting right away so you can share in the delight of these little ones. Find the live streaming at Ustream TV. See you soon!
The beginnings of training....
When we used to raise horses, I believed in the 'Imprint' method which means someone handles the foal before it stands and does several specific tasks to desensitize the foal for future training ease. Once the foal is desensitized, we then begin sensitizing. I've had wonderful success raising foals with this method.
Last year, Chris from Pixc Havanese told me how she had done a similar method for her pups. Intrigued, I searched for the article and have incorporated it into raising our pups as well. It's known as Neurological Stimulation and has been used by many successful breeders.I wanted to bring you into the world of this early training method.
I weigh the pups every day which them gets the pups used to some handling and exposes to some cooler temps as I take them from the nest. Then we subject the pups to a few seconds in each of the following:
I actually have expanded the stimuli to include turning on the electric clippers and 'petting' the pups with the clipper body to get them accustomed to the noise and vibration. Neither pup fusses when the electric clippers are rubbing them. I think they find the sound and sensation relaxing, similar to taking a very young human baby for a car ride to help them lull to sleep. I also will use use the electric blow dryer for a couple of seconds just to get them used to the warm air and noise.
I tried to shoot a short video of each pup separately to demonstrate the methods we use and how well the pups react but Lacey's video was too long to upload. Instead I have attached Costa's with hopes to reshoot Lacey's another day. Notice that Costa has his eyes open in this short clip.
Last year, Chris from Pixc Havanese told me how she had done a similar method for her pups. Intrigued, I searched for the article and have incorporated it into raising our pups as well. It's known as Neurological Stimulation and has been used by many successful breeders.I wanted to bring you into the world of this early training method.
I weigh the pups every day which them gets the pups used to some handling and exposes to some cooler temps as I take them from the nest. Then we subject the pups to a few seconds in each of the following:
- head held up with legs hanging down
- head down with legs higher
- lay on their back
- tickle each foot pad
- place on cool surface
I actually have expanded the stimuli to include turning on the electric clippers and 'petting' the pups with the clipper body to get them accustomed to the noise and vibration. Neither pup fusses when the electric clippers are rubbing them. I think they find the sound and sensation relaxing, similar to taking a very young human baby for a car ride to help them lull to sleep. I also will use use the electric blow dryer for a couple of seconds just to get them used to the warm air and noise.
I tried to shoot a short video of each pup separately to demonstrate the methods we use and how well the pups react but Lacey's video was too long to upload. Instead I have attached Costa's with hopes to reshoot Lacey's another day. Notice that Costa has his eyes open in this short clip.
A New World
As we neared our two week birthday, we have been watching closely to see when these pups would open their eyes. Sure enough on Saturday, little Lacey had opened her eyes.
I love that her little nose has gone black which will give her a stunning look as she gets older. She's definitely more than a 'handful'.
We haven't interfered with Raine or her pups much these past couple of weeks with the exception of the daily weighing and stimulation training. Things will start to change in the next few weeks as the pups leave the 'neo-natal' stage and enter the 'transitional' stage.
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| Lacey taking in all in... |
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| Waiting for Costa to check out his new world...but not yet... |
Sunday, 15 January 2012
Temporary Names
We give each litter a theme which helps us in grouping the litters by their registered names. It also assists us with temporary names as I like to refer to the pups by a name and not just 'boy 1' or 'girl 1'.
I try to make the themes something important to us such as an event that occured at the time of birth or significant before the birthing, or reflect something special such as a trip.This litter is named after the events that happened prior to the actual breeding.
I had written earlier about the selection of Itoh and snippets of our trip to the coast for the dog show so I'm going to continue with after the dog show. We actually have never traveled to the island together before and my previous trip to the island was with my parents close to 30 years prior. Daryl and I spent the next 5 days on the Vancouver Island...all by ourselves. It was interesting that there was only two pups born - one male and one female. Significant of the time that Daryl and I had alone.
I had lots of places I wanted to visit: Victoria and several places within the city, The Buchart Gardens, and the rest of the trip was open.
With an open agenda we walked along the bay, looked at the ships, enjoyed the period buildings and took in the tourist hotspots. Daryl likes to drive so we opted to head up the coast stopping at many small towns along the way where we'd get out, walk and take in the history.
We stopped at a small town called 'LadySmith' and went for a walk along the docks. Daryl was busy looking at the boats but a flash in the water caught my eye. I got down to water level and was amazed to find tiny jellyfish swimming in the water. Further investigation under the dock and I found anemones, crabs and lots more jellyfish.
I find sea life fascinating and this was one of my favorite stops.
Daryl and I continued up the coast stopping at every small town, getting out and walking along the shoreline. After our long walk at Nanimo we decided to make a trip across the island to the west side and Port Alberni to see my brother who recently moved there.
We spent the next several hours there, walking the coastline, seeing the last of the salmon who had recently swum upstream to spawn, appreciating the native influence and bringing home more than just memories.
So what does this all have to do with the theme? It was a special time for Daryl and I as we had the time to relax and absorb our surroundings as we both love the coastal waters.
We gave the male pup the temporary name of 'Costa' which is Spanish/Cuban for 'Coast'. Meaningful for us as we truly enjoyed our drive along the coastline and stopping to enjoy each and every little town along the way.
The female was given the temporary name 'Lacey' in honor of our stop at LadySmith. Kim and Kayleigh encouraged the temp name Lacy as I said the name reminded me of the delicacy of the jellyfish, sea anemones and other water life at LadySmith.
We anticipate that the two families who will be adopting these very special pups will likely rename them, and that's okay. We have already narrowed our list of registrable names that will keep alive, for us, the Coastal Escape memories.
I try to make the themes something important to us such as an event that occured at the time of birth or significant before the birthing, or reflect something special such as a trip.This litter is named after the events that happened prior to the actual breeding.
I had written earlier about the selection of Itoh and snippets of our trip to the coast for the dog show so I'm going to continue with after the dog show. We actually have never traveled to the island together before and my previous trip to the island was with my parents close to 30 years prior. Daryl and I spent the next 5 days on the Vancouver Island...all by ourselves. It was interesting that there was only two pups born - one male and one female. Significant of the time that Daryl and I had alone.
I had lots of places I wanted to visit: Victoria and several places within the city, The Buchart Gardens, and the rest of the trip was open.
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| On the ferry to the island |
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| Going through the many islands along the way |
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| At the Buchard Gardens |
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| In the Japanese Garden |
With an open agenda we walked along the bay, looked at the ships, enjoyed the period buildings and took in the tourist hotspots. Daryl likes to drive so we opted to head up the coast stopping at many small towns along the way where we'd get out, walk and take in the history.
We stopped at a small town called 'LadySmith' and went for a walk along the docks. Daryl was busy looking at the boats but a flash in the water caught my eye. I got down to water level and was amazed to find tiny jellyfish swimming in the water. Further investigation under the dock and I found anemones, crabs and lots more jellyfish.
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| The jelly fish that first caught my eye |
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| The tiny crab looking for it's dinner |
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| More of the life under the dock |
I find sea life fascinating and this was one of my favorite stops.
Daryl and I continued up the coast stopping at every small town, getting out and walking along the shoreline. After our long walk at Nanimo we decided to make a trip across the island to the west side and Port Alberni to see my brother who recently moved there.
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| On our way to Port Alberni |
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| Trying to capture perspective |
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| Some of the carvings at the Port Alberni coast |
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| The famous 'Goats On A Roof' store & restaurant. Goats put away for the night. |
We spent the next several hours there, walking the coastline, seeing the last of the salmon who had recently swum upstream to spawn, appreciating the native influence and bringing home more than just memories.
So what does this all have to do with the theme? It was a special time for Daryl and I as we had the time to relax and absorb our surroundings as we both love the coastal waters.
We gave the male pup the temporary name of 'Costa' which is Spanish/Cuban for 'Coast'. Meaningful for us as we truly enjoyed our drive along the coastline and stopping to enjoy each and every little town along the way.
The female was given the temporary name 'Lacey' in honor of our stop at LadySmith. Kim and Kayleigh encouraged the temp name Lacy as I said the name reminded me of the delicacy of the jellyfish, sea anemones and other water life at LadySmith.
We anticipate that the two families who will be adopting these very special pups will likely rename them, and that's okay. We have already narrowed our list of registrable names that will keep alive, for us, the Coastal Escape memories.
Saturday, 14 January 2012
Our First Week
These little darlings are just about one week old already. It's amazing the changes that we've already seen.
When pups are first born and they are breathing and warm, their littles noses are bright pink indicating they are doing well. Their ears are sealed shut and the pups will remain deaf for about 14 days. The pups are also blind as their eyes are sealed closed. Their eyes generally open around 10 to 14 days and are a deep blue until they change to the final color.
Look closely at Costa's ear in the above picture and see how tightly sealed it is. Also his pink nose is just starting to show signs of some pigment coming in.
During the first two weeks the pups are unable to regulate their own temperature so we keep a heating pad on low temperature 24/7 and Raine leaves them only long enough to run outside for her potty break. For the first few days we keep a heating lamp on them as well as a cold puppy will rapidly fail.
Raine spends much of her waking time cleaning the pups. She cleans their fur which is the first sensations of being petted. Since the pups are unable to piddle or defecate on their own, they will fuss when uncomfortable. Raine licks them which assists them in go potty. She will do this for several weeks. When the pups are fed and comfortable they quietly sleep. At this age, the pups sleep close to 90% of the time. I must say that Raine is such a fantastic mom as we rarely hear any noises from the pups - a good indication that the pups needs are met.
The pups do have two of their senses which they use very efficiently. They are able to smell and can follow the scent to momma's milk. It's amazing when I handle them and their little noses are busy checking me out. We don't fuss with the pups much though as it upsets Raine.
The pups also use their sense of touch which helps them in locating mom and the food source. The pups crawl around with very limited motion but enough to provide exercise for the muscles to develop. These pups are already climbing all over their mother. If they are cool, they'll crawl to the heating pad or find momma; if they are warm they'll move off the heating pad for a bit.
The pups don't like to be weighed either as it tends to be too cool away from the nest. I heat the facecloth that I lay them on.
All their energy is spent on growing and in the first week, their birth weight should double. We use a digital kitchen scale and weigh them a couple of times a day for the first few days. Once we're sure that they're gaining weight well, we'll weigh them once a day - usually in the evenings. Here are their weights for this past week.
Are you surprised that Lacey is gaining better than her brother? We certainly were. These pictures were taken a couple of days ago while weighing the pups.
For the next week the pups will continue sleeping most of the time, eating and growing. I'll continue monitoring them and Raine (who is doing incredibly well by the way). I will also continue with the Neurological Stimulation that we are doing which I'll explain in more detail in another post.
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| Our very first picture taken while at the vet clinic and before momma came back for us |
When pups are first born and they are breathing and warm, their littles noses are bright pink indicating they are doing well. Their ears are sealed shut and the pups will remain deaf for about 14 days. The pups are also blind as their eyes are sealed closed. Their eyes generally open around 10 to 14 days and are a deep blue until they change to the final color.
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| 4 days old. (Click picture to enlarge) |
During the first two weeks the pups are unable to regulate their own temperature so we keep a heating pad on low temperature 24/7 and Raine leaves them only long enough to run outside for her potty break. For the first few days we keep a heating lamp on them as well as a cold puppy will rapidly fail.
Raine spends much of her waking time cleaning the pups. She cleans their fur which is the first sensations of being petted. Since the pups are unable to piddle or defecate on their own, they will fuss when uncomfortable. Raine licks them which assists them in go potty. She will do this for several weeks. When the pups are fed and comfortable they quietly sleep. At this age, the pups sleep close to 90% of the time. I must say that Raine is such a fantastic mom as we rarely hear any noises from the pups - a good indication that the pups needs are met.
The pups do have two of their senses which they use very efficiently. They are able to smell and can follow the scent to momma's milk. It's amazing when I handle them and their little noses are busy checking me out. We don't fuss with the pups much though as it upsets Raine.
The pups also use their sense of touch which helps them in locating mom and the food source. The pups crawl around with very limited motion but enough to provide exercise for the muscles to develop. These pups are already climbing all over their mother. If they are cool, they'll crawl to the heating pad or find momma; if they are warm they'll move off the heating pad for a bit.
The pups don't like to be weighed either as it tends to be too cool away from the nest. I heat the facecloth that I lay them on.
 |
| Costa being weighed |
 |
| Lacey being weighed |
| Date | Costa | Lacey | |||
| Weight | % of Gain | Weight | % of Gain | ||
| birth | 257 | - | 196 | ||
| Jan-08 10pm | 260 | 1.2% | 199 | 1.5% | |
| Jan-09 | 283 | 10.1% | 207 | 5.6% | |
| Jan-10 | 320 | 24.5% | 239 | 21.9% | |
| Jan-11 | 367 | 42.8% | 274 | 39.8% | |
| Jan-12 | 415 | 61.5% | 321 | 63.8% | |
| Jan-13 | 453 | 76.3% | 376 | 91.8% | |
| Jan-14 | 487 | 89.5% | 400 | 104.1% |
Are you surprised that Lacey is gaining better than her brother? We certainly were. These pictures were taken a couple of days ago while weighing the pups.
For the next week the pups will continue sleeping most of the time, eating and growing. I'll continue monitoring them and Raine (who is doing incredibly well by the way). I will also continue with the Neurological Stimulation that we are doing which I'll explain in more detail in another post.
Thursday, 12 January 2012
Safe Arrival
I have been diligently taking Raine's temperature twice a day watching for the 'drop' that indicates delivery usually within 24 hours. Nada!
Saturday morning I decided I should give her a bath and brushing since her due date was only a couple more days away. I figured it would make her feel good and then she would be clean for the following week should puppies arrive.
Well, Sunday morning Raine was quite unsettled (she still was sleeping on our bed...ahem) so I got up and took her out. Once back on the bed, she still wouldn't settle and then started digging. That woke me right up so I scooped her up and off to her whelping box we went. Once there she just gave me a funny look like 'what's the big deal...I'm fine'. However I wasn't to be swayed by those big brown eyes.
Sure enough, about 15 minutes later the contractions started. I had already made a call to Kim & Kayleigh who wanted to quietly observe in preparation for when they become mid-woofs themselves. "No hurry", I said. "We have a while before deliveries". Fifteen minutes later I called back. "Okay, I lied. First baby is on it's way".
Indeed the first sac had presented and Raine was slowly moving the baby down to position. Suddenly Raine stood up with another strong contraction and a second sac appeared. Now we have a problem. Two sacs and two pups trying to come at the same time.
Kim arrived within minutes and as I heard them enter the house, I bundled up Raine and told everyone we were off to the vet. It's common that momma's will stop labor contractions and thankfully Raine had.
At the vet clinic, we were immediately ushered into a room where the on-call vet quickly visited. A short discussion, off to ultrasound and we knew that the pups were starting to go into distress by the slowing of the heartbeats. The decision was made for an emergency C-section.
The next couple of hours were long and hard on us. I truly can appreciate what a husband goes through in a similar case. We were kept informed that everything was going well as the waiting room starting filling up. We discussed what we thought we'd see when they finally would bring us the pups. I still believed there was one male and one female for sure. Kim guessed colors and thought how sweet it would be if there was a tan/champagne colored. I confidently said that would be the little girl, but the male would be black...after all, Itoh was black.
Finally around 11:15 am, two little pups were delivered to us while momma was still under the anesthetic. Our job was to care for the pups, keeping them from crawling out of their heated container and ensure they stay warm. Indeed, we had our champagne female and our black & white male. Kim was thrilled as the two pups matched her own two Havanese at home - even with the right color to the right sex.
These pups were hungry!! The male was vocal as he kept trying to find something (ANYTHING) to eat including his toes, his sister's ear...... We learned that it was the male pup that went into distress and tried to push past his sister. The c-section was the best and only choice.
Just about 12:30 pm the doctor was able to start checking the other patients that had come in and we heard that Raine was doing well. It would be a while before we'd see her tho. Kim and Kayleigh left for some lunch and coffee's since I couldn't (wouldn't) leave.
About 1:30 pm and Raine was brought into the examination room. A very groggy girl who immediately looked for her babies. We place the two babes into the bed with mom and within seconds they found what they were looking for.
When the doctor came back in about 15 minutes later, she was surprised and pleased that the family was doing so well. We needed to stay a bit longer to make sure that Raine came out of the anesthetic completely and then we could all go home.
By 3:00pm we were finally given the go ahead and we took our family back home - safe and sound.
Saturday morning I decided I should give her a bath and brushing since her due date was only a couple more days away. I figured it would make her feel good and then she would be clean for the following week should puppies arrive.
Well, Sunday morning Raine was quite unsettled (she still was sleeping on our bed...ahem) so I got up and took her out. Once back on the bed, she still wouldn't settle and then started digging. That woke me right up so I scooped her up and off to her whelping box we went. Once there she just gave me a funny look like 'what's the big deal...I'm fine'. However I wasn't to be swayed by those big brown eyes.
Sure enough, about 15 minutes later the contractions started. I had already made a call to Kim & Kayleigh who wanted to quietly observe in preparation for when they become mid-woofs themselves. "No hurry", I said. "We have a while before deliveries". Fifteen minutes later I called back. "Okay, I lied. First baby is on it's way".
Indeed the first sac had presented and Raine was slowly moving the baby down to position. Suddenly Raine stood up with another strong contraction and a second sac appeared. Now we have a problem. Two sacs and two pups trying to come at the same time.
Kim arrived within minutes and as I heard them enter the house, I bundled up Raine and told everyone we were off to the vet. It's common that momma's will stop labor contractions and thankfully Raine had.
At the vet clinic, we were immediately ushered into a room where the on-call vet quickly visited. A short discussion, off to ultrasound and we knew that the pups were starting to go into distress by the slowing of the heartbeats. The decision was made for an emergency C-section.
The next couple of hours were long and hard on us. I truly can appreciate what a husband goes through in a similar case. We were kept informed that everything was going well as the waiting room starting filling up. We discussed what we thought we'd see when they finally would bring us the pups. I still believed there was one male and one female for sure. Kim guessed colors and thought how sweet it would be if there was a tan/champagne colored. I confidently said that would be the little girl, but the male would be black...after all, Itoh was black.
Finally around 11:15 am, two little pups were delivered to us while momma was still under the anesthetic. Our job was to care for the pups, keeping them from crawling out of their heated container and ensure they stay warm. Indeed, we had our champagne female and our black & white male. Kim was thrilled as the two pups matched her own two Havanese at home - even with the right color to the right sex.
These pups were hungry!! The male was vocal as he kept trying to find something (ANYTHING) to eat including his toes, his sister's ear...... We learned that it was the male pup that went into distress and tried to push past his sister. The c-section was the best and only choice.
Just about 12:30 pm the doctor was able to start checking the other patients that had come in and we heard that Raine was doing well. It would be a while before we'd see her tho. Kim and Kayleigh left for some lunch and coffee's since I couldn't (wouldn't) leave.
About 1:30 pm and Raine was brought into the examination room. A very groggy girl who immediately looked for her babies. We place the two babes into the bed with mom and within seconds they found what they were looking for.
When the doctor came back in about 15 minutes later, she was surprised and pleased that the family was doing so well. We needed to stay a bit longer to make sure that Raine came out of the anesthetic completely and then we could all go home.
By 3:00pm we were finally given the go ahead and we took our family back home - safe and sound.
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| A perfect family settled in at home |
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| Catching up |
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| Irish Pied male - birth weight 257 grams |
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| Champagne female - birth weight 196 grams |
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