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Presenting
Margo and Tucker's Litter
Whelped March 16, 2009
CH Calico
Ridge Red Letter Day x CH Brondiki Margo's Mystique CGC |
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We are very proud to announce a new Tamadyra litter. 9 puppies
were whelped one day before Margo's due date of St. Patrick's Day. All puppies are happy, healthy and thriving.
We are quite happy with the combination of Tucker and Margo and feel we are very lucky indeed.
As the days go by
I will be taking individual pictures of the puppies so that their growth can be monitored. We are going with an Irish theme
for the puppies' names as they grow in the next 8 weeks in our home making it easy to identify them.
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The puppies started arriving at 12:01 am and continued through the night with the final puppy coming at 7:20 am.
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The puppies immediately started nursing while Margo relaxed and waited patiently for the next arrival.
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Everyone was pretty exhausted after the whole ordeal including Bill and I. But our excitement of the occasion kept
us going and we now alternate taking naps like these two pups so that there is always someone watching over the litter.
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We had 9 puppies in all and Margo is proving to be a perfect mother just as she was with her previous litter. I am sure
she is glad to have all those puppies out of her tummy but now feeding them is an around the clock job.
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March 23, 2009 - One Week Old
We had a successful first week with the puppies finally gaining weight once Margo's milk came in. Margo spends most
of her time in the whelping box with the puppies and they nurse from her whenever they are hungry, which is about every hour.
They have almost doubled their birth weight and are fun to watch as they interact with Margo and each other.
At
this time, they cannot see or hear yet. They get around by sense of smell and always know when Margo is back in the whelping
box. In some of the following pictures, you may be able to see that their ears are completely closed. They will open in another
week or so along with the eyes. Also, the puppies are still sporting their fetal fur. This is the fur they develop before
they are born. This is not the color they are going to stay at. Soon their puppy fur will grow in and take over. That is when
we will have a good idea on what color they will be and what markings, if any, they will have. Right now all of the black
fur you see in the pictures will eventually disappear.
We gave our puppies temporary Irish names (for St. Patrick's
Day) to help in the identification and monitoring process. As Bill and I watch them, they are developing their own personalities
which makes it entertaining indeed. The puppies are listed according to birth order.
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Katie
Katie is our first-born. She arrived at 12:01 AM. She is a very pretty girl, never
being pushy and likes to cuddle with the others.
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Bobby
Blue
A typical boy, he does not like to get a bath from Margo and squirms like a worm. He also roams constantly
scoping out the entire whelping box from corner to corner.
AKA: The Traveler |
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Rosie
Rosie is our biggest girl. She is very sweet and laid back.
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Ian
Ian currently holds the
title of "biggest of the group". He likes the lower nipples so that he can just lay on his side and enjoy his meal
in relaxation. And he doesn't mind the little ones using him as a step ladder.
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Olive
Don't let her small size fool you. This little pip-squeak pushes her biggest of brothers right off of
their nipples and keeps them for herself.
AKA: The Princess; Weinenheimer.
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Nevin
After a good meal, Nevin will roll over on his back and fall asleep. He is a beautiful dark liver-nose who
likes to climb on "Mount Margo" and then roll down before reaching the summit.
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Danny
Boy
Danny Boy competes with his brothers to be the biggest of the boys. He does not like to toil
for his meal and will instead let the little ones do all the work while he just waits for the milk to let down.
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Pinkny
Pinkny joins Danny Boy and Ian as he rounds out the trio of the biggest boys. They are always competing in
weight as they take turns wearing the "heavy weight" crown. This quiet boy never complains and is always found cuddling
with his brothers and sisters.
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Newby
Last but not least is our little surprise. We thought Margo was done with her whelping and then all of a
sudden here comes out our little golden boy. He may be small but he is catching up fast never letting anything get in
his way. He worms his way through the mass of wiggling bodies as he searches for just the right nipple. Many times he
will lie on his back and work his way underneath Margo's body for the lower spigots. He is our other liver-nose.
AKA:
The Mechanic
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Relaxing
in the whelping box.
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Full
tummies and exhausted.
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Bobby
Blue, Newby and Olive nursing.
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Danny
Boy and Olive
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Newby
nursing
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March 30, 2009 - 2 Weeks Old
The
puppies are now 2 weeks old and what a difference a week makes. Their ears are no longer pinned back like little Vulcans and
are now flopped forward to make them look more like the cute puppies they are. But the biggest difference is they all now
have their eyes open. Katie was the first one to open her eyes and, oh, was she cute! Newby followed suit and by the
end of the week they all were open. This doesn't mean they can see yet. They still rely on their sense of smell to tell
if Margo is in the whelping box or not. The sense of hearing will come later the third week.
We are continuing
with our daily weigh-ins and all are adding several ounces per day. They are eliminating all on their own and that means
Margo is suppling them with plenty of nourishment through her milk supply. The puppies are quite mobile as they have
found their legs and now walk, although a little wobbly at times, all around the whelping box. No more commando crawl! They
are showing signs of play as they mouth each other and roll around in wrestling maneuvers.
Their black fetal fur
is slowly being replaced by their permanent coloring of shades of wheaten brown. When that is finished coming in, you shouldn't
see any black at all unless it is for markings such as a black muzzle, etc.
Bill and I have started the Bio-Sensor
techniques which introduces stress in small increments. The result of this activity provides the puppies faster recovery from
stress, an improved immune system, improved heart function and greatly improved social skills.
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Newby
peers out from under the pig rail. His eyes had just opened.
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Ian
(yellow) looks at the camera as he cuddles with Nevin (purple).
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Nevin
(purple), Pinkny (pink), and Danny Boy take a nap in a pile.
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Rosie
(red) takes a rest on Danny Boy. He doesn't mind!
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The
puppies know it's dinner time as soon as Margo steps into the whelping box.
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The
puppies mean business when it comes to chowing down.
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Katie
(orange) enjoys her meal while Olive (green) takes a break.
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Nevin
gets sprayed as the milk lets down.
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Rosie
is satisfied as she reclines with a very full tummy.
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Bobby
Blue finds just the right spot to nestle next to a tired Margo.
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April 6, 2009 - 3 Weeks Old
The
puppies are now 3 weeks old and we can notice changes in them as every day passes. They have mastered the art of getting around
and are no longer walking like drunken sailors. Their personalities are starting to emerge and play time is becoming one of
their favorite pass time activities. We have introduced toys that stimulate their senses of touch and hearing. During the
day, the puppies are exposed to all kinds of sounds such as the TV or the radio/CD player. They listen to anything from smooth
jazz to the sound tracks of Cirque De Soleil and The Phantom of the Opera (lots of variations of musical notes). The
TV produces variety from talk shows to the Saturday cartoons.
One of the neatest things is that they
have developed their recall. As Margo makes her way into the whelping box, I help her find a clear place to lay as I call
"Puppy, puppy puppy" and clap my hands at the same time. They all come running to me and I keep them busy while
Margo settles down. After she feeds them, the puppies find my lap to climb into to cuddle or wrestle with my fingers. They
just love human attention!
The biggest change is that now the puppies have been introduced to solid food.
This is a big step for them as Margo was their only supply of nourishment. It took some time getting the hang of using their
tongues to lap up the goat's milk. I think they got more on the outside of them instead of the inside but Margo was
more than happy to help clean them off. It only took a day of learning this new technique and we then added some very mushy
solid food (cereal) to the goat's milk. This seems to satisfy them more than Margo alone and is the very start of the
weaning process. We are not restricting Margo and she can still nurse them whenever she wants.
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The
puppies get their first taste of solid food in the form of liquid mush cereal.
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Mmmm...That's
good. Oh, you have some on your face. Let me get that for you.
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It
looks like Ian has more on his face than in his tummy.
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Nevin
finds comfort in that familar source of food after the hard job of learning to eat out of a dish.
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Pinkny
goes nose to nose with a littermate.
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Danny
Boy is curious about this "green dog".
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Olive
finds a comfy spot nestled against Margo's arm.
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Rosie
cuddles with Margo as she always does after a good meal.
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Katie
entertains by doing her best lion impersonation.
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A typical
boy, Ian sticks his tongue out for the camera.
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Bobby
Blue sits back and watches as play continues around the whelping box.
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Here
are our two liver-noses. Newby (light-liver-nosed) sleeps with Nevin (dark-liver-nosed). They are best buddies.
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April 13, 2009 - 4 Weeks Old
The
fourth week brought on the big move. Bill and I decided it was time to move the puppies out of the upstairs bedroom and down
into the dining room and family room where we could all relax together and also give the puppies more room. We moved our little-used
dining room table out and set up our x-pens to make a large romping area for the puppies to play in during the day. In
the family room we set up the whelping box but changed it into a sleeping and potty area. We noticed the puppies would
pick out certain places to go to the bathroom so we used the newpaper to get them used to going there instead of on the towels.
I apprectiated not having to constantly wash a load of towels every day!
When the puppies are in the play area,
they have now decided running is much more fun. Sometimes it sounds like a soccer game is going on in there as they run from
one side to the other in a group. I also introduced mushed dog kibble into their meal as they seem to need more than
baby rice cereal to fill their tummies. Margo still nurses them but I have to split them up into two groups as they have grown
much bigger and all 9 of them at once is too kaotic. While the first ones nurse, the others get a dish of warm goat's
milk to sustain them until they can have a turn with Margo.
When I sit in the play area, they all come running
to me and fight for a place on my lap. They love to be held and cuddled. Who can resist holding a cute little puppy? I can't
and could do it all day if I had the time. They have sharp little teeth and during play will pull on each other's ears
and tails. Ouch! They produce little growls and barks and have become quite vocal at times. But I do have to say that
they are very laid back and do not cry even if hungry. They are very patient and just wait until Margo or I come with their
food. I clang the middle of the food dish with my fingers as if it was the dinner bell and you should see how they
all perk up and come running, sometimes so fast that they end up right into the dish itself!
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We took
out the pig rails for more room and made a small sleeping area with a larger potty area in the whelping box.
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By creating
a large play area in our dining room, the puppies are always close by and are included in our every day lives.
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My lap
is barely big enough for 9 puppies all at once!
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Bobby
Blue, Nevin, Pinkny and Danny Boy are contempating their escape.
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Newby
chews on Margo's leg.
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Bobby
Blue takes a break from play.
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Olive
finds just the right spot nestled in the nook of Margo's leg.
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Katie
watches as her littermates wrestle nearby.
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Rosie
finds her favorite spot near Margo's head.
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Katie
(orange) and Rosie (red) engage in playful mouthing as Nevin (purple) watches the fun.
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Ian
looks over and decides to climb Margo's body.
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Pinkny
plays with the toy lamb.
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Danny
Boy reclines with a full tummy.
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Pinkny
(pink) and Nevin (purple) show their cereal covered noses.
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Is Nevin
as innocent as he looks?
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Nevin
tells his littermates that he can break them all out!
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