Play date!

PupDate

She looks sweet and innocent here, doesn't she?

Okay, here's the thing about Vixen... Lianne chose her name on the 2nd morning. Lianne tends to have a "my" puppy in each litter. : ) In this one, the light blue collar apparently became "hers" during whelping. They cuddled and snuggled and that is the pup that kept crawling into the crook of her arm on the vet office floor while we were waiting to see if Neat would have the last pup naturally.

So the name was chosen early, and not by me. However, I am beginning to think it may have been appropriate, in ways we didn't think of. All of the pups lose their rick rack collar occasionally. They just fall off here and there. You only hope that two pups don't lose them at the same time, till you can tell them apart. : ) Vixen, however, seems to lose hers ALL the time! What is it with the stripper puppy that always wants to be "naked"?

Thursday morning

Wow, we slept till 9AM! Now, part of that is we were up a little later last night, and the BC babies were sort of restless... I was up several times to get pups unstuck from behind Neat.

Neat, btw, is MUCH perkier than earlier in the week. Starting yesterday I saw a difference in her. She IS now cleaning up after pups (yeah!) and just has a better "look" in here eye. She had been looking fairly depressed. She had what I call her, "I hate my life" look before yesterday. And while she was perfectly fine to lay there and let pups nurse, she was definitely caring for them, but just seemed somewhat detached.

Lianne pointed out, not only did the poor girl go through a long, hard whelping, but then ended up with major surgery. And came home to care for 8 little heathens, still with after effect of anesthesia...

I also think she just "discovered" yesterday that there were puppies in the pen next to hers! She was trying to peer over the wall between she and Fada's pens. When she was out of her pen she went over to the front of Fada's and wagged and whined at the puppies.

I used the lid for my x-pen to make a taller divider between the pens now, so now chance of either girl hopping over. I'm happy to see my bright eyed little Neat back and appearing to enjoy motherhood more now!

Wed evening update

Blitzen topped 1 pound today! Just barely, but it makes her the special one. : )

They are getting more active day by day. At this stage that doesn't mean as much as you may think. They find themselves off somewhere without Mom, and scream and try to find her. I wouldn't say they are "up" on their feet, but they are doing a little bit more than a belly crawl these days. Can ALMOST see air under their little bellies though.

Wed afternoon

Blitzen

(and more on Picasa)

Neck markings - B&Ws

Neck markings - tris

Wed morning

Will load some more pics to Picasa later today.

Discovered something interesting last night... There is a night light on in the room, so when I get up to check on pups who are squealing I can see without turning on a lamp or overhead light. Or, the heat lamp (red) is all that is on. So very low light level and you can't really see color of pup collars. But I realized last night, I pretty much know who is who (whom? ) by their unique markings on the back of the head/neck. Tried to gt some photos earlier, will post later.

Time to shower, then HAVE to work today! Yesterday was visitors and playing for the most part.

More pics

on the Picasa site

more pics coming

I will post more pics of each pup on my picasa site, hopefully later this evening.

Rudolph, the red nosed reindeer

(red collar)

...and do you recall...

the most famous reindeer of all?

To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!

Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!"

and Blitzen!

(yellow collar)

on, Donder

on Cupid!

On, Comet!

(purple collar)

and Vixen!

(light blue collar)

now, Prancer

(white collar)

now, Dancer!

(green collar)

Now, Dasher!

(Rainbow collar)

More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,

And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name;

have a few now!

Tuesday morning

A view of my "office" area.

The night was not quite as peacful, since Neat's crew is getting more active and got themselves "lost" a few times overnight. They would start squealing and I'd get up and rescue them (put them back next to Mom and sibs).

May I point out the Podengo babies don't get lost, they can ALWAYS find Mom. Of course, maybe that is because they are getting so portly they just don't move far. : )

Promise to be better about updates today! I've fed the Mommas their breakfast and both are happily nursing. Will change bedding soon. A good time to handle each puppy, toss then around a bit, rough them up, etc. Pam and her son Drew are coming by today, will have Pam help me get some more pics of each pup, and I'll do more candids. Promise!

Monday evening

Okay, I'm bad, no more updates today... We've all had a quiet day, once I got the Pods back from the vet (dew claws). We needed a quiet, restful day.

Promise pics and more tomorrow!

Monday morning

What a wonderful way to start the week! There is just enough snow on the ground to be a pretty blanket, I had a wonderful Christmas; after all was said and done, and as restful a night as could be expected.

I am pretty bad about new babies. I sleep in the same room for at least a week to ten days. What that does is have me waking up every time someone squeaks. They are almost always okay, but every once in a while a pup is stuck under a mom and needs rescued. Okay, they would work it out on their own if I wasn't there, but I worry. It's what I do. : )

Fada and her little family are heading up to vet this morning. Drummer has rear dews that need to come off, so I'll have all off since we're going. (Podengo standard allows either way, and in case either ends up doing any coursing/field, it's a good idea)

I expect it to be a "catch up" day for Neat. She was pretty sleepy all day yesterday, from her ordeal and anesthesia. This is why I SO hate a c-section on first time moms. Experienced ones like Neat just sort of go into auto pilot, having "been there done that" before and still function as a mom while recovering.

Hopefully she is a little better today about clean up. These are the poopingest (sure it's a word, I'm an editor and I just said so! ) puppies I have ever seen! When we were at the vet yesterday Pam and Lianne were cleaning poop off of their blanket that was as long as the blasted pups are! And I will cut Neat a little slack for yesterday, but every time I was in the box with her my hand or foot landed on puppy poo. Always a special treat... So hopefully today Neat is a little more vigilant about clean up patrol. : )

I will get weights on all the little ones today and work out names for them all. Going to watch them, get a little bit of a read on their personalities. Yes, puppies can have personalities, even this soon. We have at least two girls that I think are trying to be the "Brook" of this litter. And Brook WAS like that, from early on. Anyone who followed the last litter knows what I mean by that. Anyone that doesn't, go back to 2007 and read. You'll soon get it.

Raising all of these girls will be interesting. I figure Neat and I coped with all those blasted boys, and Brook/Breaker (now little Meadow/Trudy was another story. What a little doll baby!) last time, certainly we can handle the girls. I had a litter of ALL boys (5) in PWDs many years ago. They were pure hell compared to litters with girls to temper the mix a little. Everything you expect of boys; rowdy, clumsy, messy, noisy... Okay, I am biased, my two human children were girls, and I have always been glad. Will girls being in this big a majority give me pushy, picking on each other and squabbling? ("she touched me", "she touched me first!") Stay tuned!

Have to run now and update the Podengo blog, feed girls and be ready when Andy comes over the puppy sit with Neat and her family while I run Fada and hers to the vet!

Sunday night

Feeling better

I came home and slept for 3 hours, feeling better now. Neat is pretty darn tired, but resting peacefully. Joanne's feeling is that with the pacing and fussing Neat did all day yesterday, she had pretty much worn herself out before labor even started. So by the time we were at 6 she was beat, after 7 just too tired to keep things moving.

Really up till #7 things went very smoothly here. Looking at the log, she had those first 4 in a hour! Took 40 minutes off till #5, a little over an hour and a half to #6.

Fada was EXHAUSTED by the time we left, my husband said. (I had him get up and come down to sit with Fada, Piper and Drummer) She was not only UP all night, but sitting vigil, very concerned over hearing babies cry that weren't hers. She kept checking on hers over and over again. Never to the point that I felt I needed to move her out of the room, but just watchful.

MANY thanks to my great whelping team! Rick, Michelle, Pam and Lianne were here all night. Cherry for a large portion of it. It was Michelle's first whelping, she may do this herself eventually and wanted experience. She was catching and shaking down pups like a pro by the time it was over! Pam, Rick and I have done countless whelpings together over the years. Our own and other folks girls. Nothing like working with friends you are familiar with, it is very comfortable. And it's so nice to have Lianne all grown up and helping out with both whelpings. Nothing like raising your own dog help. : )

Pam and Lianne went to the vet with me, which was really a good thing, as I all of the sudden found myself very lightheaded when they opened Neat up and had to leave the room and sit down. Never happened to me there before. I used to work there, have been in on numerous surgeries before. Lack of food and sleep, and stress I am sure, all contributed. Had to leave Lianne and Pam for the hand off of the pup as he came out. I was in phone contact with Linda at once we headed to the vet and she as as stressed as I was!

And I SO appreciate having a friend and vet that I can call at 6AM on Sunday morning and have her meet me within the hour. Times like this you REALLY want to have someone you know and trust, not the emergency service.

It was fun having Lianne read me all your comments through the night as we went through this, please check back in and I'll try to keep both girls' blogs updated as we go through the next couple of months!

Final tally

#1 pink - 13.4 oz.

#2 yellow - 14.5 oz (tri)

#3 lt blue - 11.2 oz.

#4 red - 13.2 oz. (tri)

#5 rainbow - 13.9 oz. (tri)

#6 purple - 12.7 oz.

#7 white - 9.7 oz. (tri)

#8 green - 9.2 oz.

#8

Here he is!

All done

I'm exhausted, this will be quick. Sorry to leave you all hanging. After #7 Neat was tired. Did an Oxytocin injection and didn't get any real contractions from it.

Here comes the part where you are very glad your vet is a friend. I called her at 6 AM and she met me at the clinic by 7. Neat had a c-section to deliver hte finaly boy. yes, final (as in, actually only 8) and BOY. He is black and white, lots of flash, doing fine. Smallest at 9.2 oz. A little slower to get started, but that's normal under the circumstances. We got him nursing before we left the clinic and now you can't pick him out from the rest. He's looking plump and he's active.

Neat is in with them, nursing and being wonderful. Though she is also tired. But I have two very contented Mommas.

Pics later. G'nite

Pics of #7

pup #7!

it's...... another girl! puppy #7 born at 3:37 white spots on head/back of neck which will disappear. probably tri. white front socks, white toes r rear, white foot l rear 9.7oz

the boy's butt :)

it's brown

Pics of #6

Pics of #5

2:40- #6

another one coming now!

1:30AM

Andy's gone for Steak'N Shake. Pam, Rick and Michelle walking Neat. I got the bedding all cleaned out, running 2nd load of laundry. These puppies are BIG and plump and active. Everyone has nursed. So far a good night.

Pup #5!

Puppy #5, it's another girl! 13.9oz. Two white spots on back of neck. Thin white blaze, full right front leg. Three white feet.

Colors

BTW - Yellow and Red (boy) are both tris.

Fada was anxious at first with the new puppy cries, but now, as the whelping goes on next door:

Pics of #4

pup #4!

It's a boy! (finally!)

13.2oz

Full white collar, white blaze, right front full arm, left foot, back knees are white

Pics of #1

Pics of #2