I have been busy teaching Topaz how to be a good mother and she is getting better. She is a young dog and just wants to be with me all the time.With new babies that does not work, so I spend a lot of time sitting with her and the babies and that works well.
I will not be writing here for a little while as my sister from California is visiting and we have lots of catching up to do. When I have the time I will write a little about the pups.
I wish that I had a pup for everyone on my list but mother nature had other ideas.
They are doing well, and growing like weeds. Eyes have just opened and they are trying to get on their feet. Going into the really cute stage. Will start them on mushy food so mom does get a little free time from them.
I will try to keep the pups progress updated whenever I get a few extra minutes.
Check back for new pictures soon.
It has been quite some time since I have written. Topaz was due mid to late February and I was beginning to worry about her, she was past her due date, yet all seemed to be fine and she was not in any stress. I started sleeping on the couch so I could hear her, but nothing happened. So I got out the baby monitor for my bedroom and set it up next to the puppy pen where Topaz sleeps at night. This way I could get some sleep and still wake up when I heard sounds down stairs. Every time I heard her I would get up and go check on her. Needless to say I was not getting the sleep that I needed. As we headed into March I was quite worried but she was not in distress at all. The pups just were not ready to come.
Finally the evening of March 5, Topaz still seemed fine, I put her to bed and at 11 pm heard a lot of digging and moving around. She was in labor, and now to just sit and wait and watch. Finally by 1 am I could see a little foot poking out. This pup was coming breech but we needed both feet to come. Just what I needed in the middle of the night. Fortunately I had recently read Myra Savant Harris's book on reproduction and the section on stuck pups. I put on a glove and went in to feel for the other foot. I could feel it and was able to pull it down some. Topaz was also pushing, finally both feet appeared, I was so relieved as I knew that the pup would come now. It was a larger pup and Topaz was really pushing, I had learned a method to help massage the birth canal to help move the pup down, it worked and shortly the pup arrived. The first one always seems to be the biggest and the hardest to deliver. Thankfully all was well. It was a little boy. Between 1 am and 3:30 am she delivered four more pups. Only one was a little large but had no trouble being born. Finally we were on our way. I would give Topaz a little vanilla ice cream between pups, the ice cream gives her some calcium which helps to keep the contractions going, also a little fluid for her and glucose for the pups.
A little after 3;30 all was well, Topaz was resting and the pups were trying to nurse.
Now the pups are a week and a half old and growing like weeds. A few more days the eyes and ears will open and they will become aware of the world. It is so wonderful to watch them when they first see and hear. I will post when that event occurs. Topaz is very young and not too sure about being a mom so I spend a lot of time sitting with her while she cares for the pups. She is learning but it is slow. I am tired but all so worth it.
TOPAZ AND PUPS, MARCH 6, 2019
FOUR GIRLS AND ONE BOY
It has been seven days since I have been on here, don't know where the time goes. I wish the weather was leaving here just as fast. I actually have to take Keeper by the rough and guide him out the door, he hates the cold so much. He has been house training so well but with it so cold the last trip out at night, he just stands and scratches at the door. Once this cold goes I can leave him out longer and he will not have an accident during the night. It is not all the time just when it is so cold. I usually leave them all out for about half an hour before bed and that works well for everyone. The last few days with the wind and the temperatures I have not been able to do that.
Topaz is taking her time and she seems to be following the book and hopefully she will follow it right through whelping. It would be nice for her to have a very easy whelping for her first litter. I believe that there are more than two pups, just from feeling and that would be a good thing. They may not be as large and that would be best. Very large first pups are hard for the girls to deliver. Fingers crossed this is not the case. Waiting is so hard and I feel like it has been a long time. Mother Nature knows what she is doing and I just need to be patient.
Will do a little brushing today, it is peaceful and takes my mind away from Topaz.
They are all shedding and have been for awhile. It is very unusual that the dogs start to shed in January. To me this has been an unusual winter and very long.
Once the pups arrive I will be busy with them, handling them even before their eyes open and just enjoying the miracle of life. Puppies are so precious and you can just sit and watch them for hours. They need supplemental heat for the first two weeks as they don't regulate their body temperature. They get a lot of warmth from mom but we do run a heat lamp above the whelping pen to keep the room around 80 degrees. I also use a heating pad and they will search out the heat and pig pile on the pad. Instinct is an amazing thing.
Hopefully by Saturday I will have news of the pups arrival.
The dogs have been off the wall the past few days and I know it is cabin fever. Then again it could be the full moon that we have had for a few days. Maybe it affects them in some way I don't know about. Once the moon wanes we will see how the dogs are behaving. I know they need more exercise for sure. It has been snow covered here since before Thanksgiving and almost impossible for them to really run. They need to get out and just run for the fun of running.They need to do zoomies and burn off the energy that has built up through the winter. It will be awhile before we can get into the agility area and with the temperature at minus eight this morning it will be awhile before we have any significant melting. They got me up at 5:15 this morning and it must have been the light of the moon that woke them up so early. I am thinking that next summer I should enlarge the dog yard that is right off the house so when they play out there they will have more room to run.
They all went out first time this morning at 5:30 and within a few minutes Keeper was scratching at the back door. He gets such a sad look on his face when I make him go out into the cold. He will be nine years old in a few days and I can't say that I blame him in the least for hating the cold. I hate it too. They have so many feelings and expressions that we have. Dogs are a lot more intuitive and smarter than you think. They do think, sometimes you can just see them thinking and making choices.
Topaz is doing well, she is uncomfortable and her temperature is dropping. By Friday I will know more what her temperature is doing and hopefully will have the pups in a few days from then.She did not finish her dinner last night and I think just not feeling hungry and not enough room for a full meal. It is always so exciting to see new life and realize what an amazing event it is.
Think spring!!!!
Another weekend rolls around and I know all of you who work are happy for it. For the dogs and me it is just another day. The dogs especially who live in the now, they don't care about which day it is, yesterday they don't care about and tomorrow they don't think about. It is hard to live that way but I sure do try. They have had their morning treat and are now laying around the kitchen in their favorite spots. Every now and then they jump up and ask for breakfast, I tell them it is not time yet and they are good and go lie down. Sometimes Bonnie and Bling play for awhile, I know that Bling is going back into her puppy days by the way she rolls around on the floor with Bonnie. Yesterday she again chased her empty breakfast dish all over the floor, she makes me laugh. Walter is fascinated with my cat Girly and is getting better with her and she is much more brave as she will go right up to him, if he gets too rough she will let him know that behavior is not acceptable. I have finally found a treat that Bonnie loves, so now her training can continue in full force. Hot dogs and she gets so excited, the little tiny dog treats did nothing for her. Some of my dogs do not like hot dogs, the texture bothers them, they will chew like gum and then spit out. Bonnie will do anything for a piece of hot dog. I expect our training will move along quickly.
Now if I could get rid of all the snow they could start getting the exercise that they need. I have a huge fenced area with agility equipment and I am looking forward to setting it all up and getting the dogs out. We probably still have about ten inches of snow so I guess it will be awhile. In the meantime I need to set up the whelping area and pen for Topaz. I expect that we will have pups by the end of the month. She is looking like a stuffed sausage. It has been nineteen months since our last litter and I am really excited about the pups.I love raising and socializing the pups. I could sit and watch them all day. New life is so amazing, you can't help but believe in a greater good out there. I definitely will have photos when the pups arrive.
Well Rosie is letting me know that it is now time for their breakfast and if I don't get going they will all start complaining.
Guess that I need to end for now.
Topaz
I have had Brooke since she was 8 weeks old and she is the most independent Sheltie that I have ever had. I kept thinking that as she got older she would lose some of her independence . If anything she became more and more determined to have her own way. No matter what I do it is how she wants it. Now at 9 years she is as stubborn as my 7 month old Bonnie. I think that Bonnie is just testing and she sees Brooke doing certain things then she is going to do it too. Brooke hates to go out in the weather, she hates to get her feet wet and like today with the snow I have to actually give her a little push to get her out. You would think when it was time to come in she would run right back in but no she has to play games. Every one will run to the door and come in. Brooke and Bonnie will stand at the door and just look at me . There are times that I have to go out and basically herd her in. She is barking and wagging her tail and thinks it is a great game. So Bonnie sees this and does the exact same thing. I have started using a treat to get them to come in and I hate doing that as they will get so used to it. Brooke has had basic obedience training and she knows what come means, but if she feels like playing catch me if you can she will do just that. The treats are working and I hope that I will be able to wean them off of them. The others know what is going on, especially Rosie, she does not miss a thing. I have to get every one else up stairs or they will all be looking for a treat. Rosie sneaks back down and the minute the treat hits the floor for Brooke, Rosie steals it. I put Rosie behind the gate, put the treat on the floor and Brooke comes in. So Brooke goes behind the gate. Brooke has taught Bonnie well, she is standing in the open door waiting for a treat to hit the floor, I put it down far from the door and she comes in. I have spent a lot of time training Bonnie as a young pup and am now getting back into it with her. She is not as independent as Brooke, she is just watching and doing what works to get a treat.
Shelties learn from each other and they often copy behaviors, good and bad. I know that Brooke will not change, she is 9 years old and very set in her ways. When she won't come in with the good weather I can just close the door and leave her out a lone for a bit. I can't do that in the winter. Thankfully, her son Walter does not have this independent streak.
I don't think I could take another one trying to rule the roost. He has a very good recall and has had several obedience classes. His come is awesome. Maybe he can teach his mom to be a little more obedient.I know she would just snarl at him and tell him to mind his business and he would respect that. When you live with a pack of dogs they do develop their own pecking order. Max, my 13 year old just has to lift a lip and no one bothers him. They all respect him, the next is Rosie, she knows she is special and she is top dog. She never lets you forget it.
I guess I need to get this day going, there are 8 inches of snow waiting for me. I am not thrilled, I would much rather brush dogs.
All for now, wishing you all a happy day.
Brooke at one year!
I will try this post one more time, there must be some problem with blogger as I typed it yesterday and lost it, I retyped it and posted it and then it disappeared again, after it showed in the blog. Not sure I can remember all that I wrote but I did talk about my seniors and how I have spoiled them.
Before I get into that I have to tell you how funny Bling was this morning. We were downstairs and I was making their breakfast. I have a gate between the kennel room where I make the food, because if I did not the seniors would be in there all over me.
So since they have learned to open the gate I use a bungee to keep it closed. The young ones are in their crates so not a problem. I looked over at the gate and there is Bling, her front feet on the bungee and it is sliding down the gate and she is sliding with it. She did it again, she finds the funniest things to do, she can really entertain herself.
Now back to my spoiled seniors. After they have their breakfast they go out to potty and then come back in and up into the kitchen while I have my breakfast. I usually have oatmeal with a banana, but I split the banana with them. They each get a chunk of it and they love it. I put aside some oatmeal to cool for them after I eat. After my breakfast they get really excited and start barking. I split up the extra oatmeal between all of them, they each get a small plate and are pretty good about not stealing each others. They eat their breakfast and dinner in their own dish and they respect each others dish, they do not try to steal food. Although Rosie will stand next to Max while he is still eating and when he is done she licks his dish hoping for a crumb.
They have been getting their oatmeal for awhile now and once the young ones are good at not stealing from each others dish I don't know if I can keep up this routine. That would be a lot of oatmeal to make each morning. Time will tell on that. Once the dogs have a routine it is really hard to change it. They are very routine oriented. When it gets to be about 4 pm they know it is time for dinner and they don't hesitate to let me know.
I understand routine, as I am a very routine person too. I would really miss my coffee hour in the morning, with my shelties, it gets my day off to a good start.
More snow coming and I am so ready for spring, I would be very happy if I did not have to run my snow blower again this year.
The dogs are ready for spring too, at minus two this morning they did not want to go out and it did feel so cold.
Hopefully this does post this time, I don' think I can rewrite again, the rewrites never come out the same.
Cookies Anyone??
