And a Video to Prove They Move...

Finally, Some Puppy Pictures!

It has been quite a while since I last posted. Sorry! Life has been busy, and next thing I know, it's almost July! Crazy.

The puppies are growing normally, and they are adorable!

They will turn 3 weeks old in a couple of days and they are now opening their eyes and starting to "walk" on their legs. ("Wobble" is probably a better word than "walk")

The puppies are very active - except when they sleep, which is almost always. So, on one of my daughter's "snuggle time" with the puppies, I tried to take some pictures withe their eyes open. Unfortunately, only the boys behaved. (If you want blurry, unfocused, and unrecognizable pictures, let me know. I have tons of them!)

So, here are the boys - Mr. Blue and Mr. Green. I promise to get the girls soon!!

Mr. Blue:

That's Miss Orange in the background...

Look! It's Miss Red and Miss Purple!

Mr. Green:

All Puppies Have Been Adopted!

It's always hard for me to tell people we don't have a puppy for them, but knowing the puppies we do have are all going to great families helps.

At this point, all of our Summer puppies have been adopted. I don't expect our next litter until late Fall or early Winter. Our next expected Mom will be Penelope, and I'll post more details when they are available.

Everyone who was on our current Interest List will be moved to a new list for the next litter. Again, there is no commitment, but I will reach out to people and see if they are interested at that time. If you find a wonderful fur-baby before then, I wish you all the best!

Thank you!

A Roller Coaster Day

The last time I went to Cedar Point, I was "talked into" riding some huge, gargantuan roller coaster. I knew in advance that I was not a strong candidate for "success." The ride was thrilling and exciting, and I was praying it would be over sooner or later - hopefully sooner! Then, my stomach reminded me of the greasy food I had for lunch before the coaster. Today was that kind of day.

Although dogs have been delivering puppies without people forever, we like to make sure someone is with the Mommy dog when they deliver. "Someone" usually means me. My wife calls me a "Canine Dula." I do tummy rubs, bathroom walks, and positive encouragement - when I'm not making myself more coffee.

For me, today started about 1:30 AM as Lady started whining and scratching. That means it's time to get off the couch, where I was sleeping so I could hear the dogs, and get to work!

Lady started having contractions and eventually delivered her first puppy about 5:30 AM. Her part of the process is quite strenuous, so puppies usually come every hour or so. By 10:30 we had five healthy puppies chirping away and trying to eat something while their mom was licking them clean, again, and again, and again....

By noon, with only five puppies born, we started to get nervous. Where was #6? Our Vet is closed from 12:00 to 1:30 daily, so I knew we were "on our own." Fortunately, my wife is a genius, so she helped calm me down and told me to take a break.

To make a long story somewhat shorter, puppy #6 was delivered about 1:00, but was unfortunately stillborn. Although Lady tried to "revive" it, we could tell the puppy wasn't going to make it....

It was very, very, very sad... I was happy my daughter wasn't home - it would have been so hard for her.

We didn't even expect the #6 puppy until last week's x-ray, and now we were suddenly feeling empty as we slid back to the number estimated from the ultrasound: five. We don't know what happened, or why, but the puppy was clearly not fully developed. Since Lady has a history of perfectly healthy puppies, and the other five are perfectly normal, we just assume "something" happened and Lady's body did what Nature does...

We feel so sorry for people on our list that have been hoping for a puppy, because now we have one less available. I will begin contacting people tomorrow (Wednesday) and see who is still ready to adopt a cute fur-ball. I should have it ironed out by this weekend.

We have 3 girls and 2 boys, which made my daughter very happy! She and my son "compete" over boys vs. girls.

I'll post more pictures and information over the next few days, but here are a few early pictures to whet your appetite.

Boys: Blue, Green

Girls: Red, Purple, Orange

A little blurry, but shows my hand as a size comparison for a newborn puppy

I think this is Miss Red, but it again shows how small they are

Three darker ones, and 2 lighter ones

Lady making sure her puppies are clean

She is a very protective and nurturing mom

Again, I'll have more pictures tomorrow.

Any Time Now!!

Lady's 6 puppies are due today... any... minute... now... If only she was acting like she was about to deliver!! Perhaps I "cursed" myself when I kept saying that Lady "always" delivers early...

I have had some questions regarding our interest list for Lady's puppies, so here is some more info:

• Our "List" is just an Interest List. It does NOT commit anyone to adopt one of our dogs, and I don't collect deposits until after the puppies are born.
• Once puppies are born, I contact people from the top of the list to see if they are still interested in adopting a puppy. There are a lot of options out there, and I never blame people for choosing another option. As our retired mail carrier used to say, "It's all good!"
• When people confirm they want to stay on the list, with plans to adopt, I request a $250 deposit which holds their position in the adoption process, and selection order.
• The remaining balance is due at, or before, final pickup - approximately 8 weeks after puppies are born. (Based upon personal finances, some people elect to pay earlier than final pick up.)
• Approximately 5-6 weeks after puppies are born, we will have a "selection day" and people will be able to come out and play with the available puppies and select which one will be a best fit for them. I help people select personalities, and my 11 year-old daughter (the Puppy Player) gives her own insight.
• After the puppies are Vet-checked and ready to go (approx 8 weeks), people come and pick up their "fur baby"

If you have any questions about this process, please let me know! I'm happy to answer questions, even if it means you may choose to look elsewhere. I'm here to help!

As of today, June 8, here is the current list of people on the Interest List. The name listed, is the first name of a/the primary contact person I've been in touch with. If you prefer to be listed differently, just let me know. I've put "**" next to people who have also previously adopted one of our puppies. Although almost everyone on this list is referred to us somehow, It's fun to see people coming back again. Thanks!

1. Janice
2. Derek
3. Clarence **
   
4. Stephanie
5. Jamie
6. Alisha
7. Alena
8. Keri
9. Alexandra ** (She has a wonderful story, which is why I added her after I had planned to freeze the list)

Thanks to all! I'll be in touch soon. Here are some recent pictures of Lady - and a goofy guy who looks more pregnant than she does!!

Lady loves belly rubs so much - one of us should have more discretion.

She also likes a little solitude

Enjoying the outside. Gives a little size and color perspective

Lady with a "stout" guy and Penny, our 24 pound poodle checking us out

When I got older, my hair turned gray - Lady's has turned, slightly, from a red/brown to a beautiful copper color. It is darker when her hair is longer.

Negotiating for more massages

She LOVES! to be with people - even when she's in the way. My daughter liked the distraction from doing dishes.

It's Official!! Six (Not 5) Puppies Due June 8... BUT...

We (Lady) had a very successful X-Ray yesterday which showed 6 healthy-sized puppies ready to meet the world very soon!! They are due on Monday June 8th, but Lady is known for delivering a day or two early.

Here's the "But..." part: We expect 6 puppies, and I have a current list of 8 people who have expressed interest in adopting one of those puppies. As a rule, I don't collect deposits from people until the puppies are born, but I am faithful to the order in which people expressed interest to me regarding the puppies.

Once the puppies are born, and I know how many boys/girls there are, I will contact people on the list and give them an option to place a deposit on one of the puppies. This list has been growing for about a month, so I can't guarantee everyone will still be looking to adopt a puppy, but I have to tell people we are probably fully adopted at this point. Sorry!

Assuming we will be able to meet face to face, I will invite people to our home in about 5 or 6 weeks, to meet the puppies and make a selection. The puppies will be ready to go to their new homes approximately 8 weeks after they are born.

From the day they are born, until the day they go home, I will frequently post updates, pictures, and videos of the puppies and their development. I post here, and at our Facebook group, so join us on Facebook if it is easier for you.

Stay Tuned!

Oh, and for the "sciency" people out there, I have pictures of the x-ray, but my kids think they look weird and "freaky" so I'm going to choose not to post them here. Again, sorry! : -)