Secret X Jack Litter  -  Born October 9, 2012
                       Health Testing - Jack                                                    PEDIGREE                                              Health Testing - Secret

                                       

(Most recent pics just below, scroll down for earlier pictures.)
Okay, since so many of you have requested pictures of the parents and relatives of these pups, I have started a separate page for them.  (Click here for family pics)
December 2, 2012
As if feeding these pups thus far hasn't been challenging enough!!  I make such an attempt for organization and fairness for each pup to thrive...
                                 
Both saucers are placed before the pups simultaneously.  Typically, the pups divide, scatter, position, and eat.  But lately somebody is leading all the pups to one saucer first, telling them they have to eat all the food in that one saucer before they can move on to the next! 
   
   
  Come on!!!  Really?

December 1, 2012
The Girls
 
 
   
November 29, 2012
The Boys
 
   
   
November 25, 2012         
The Puppy Party
 
 
       
 
November 13, 2012
So they are five weeks old and getting more "rolly-polly" now.  Although they still fit okay in the whelping box, they are starting to form a second layer!  Check out the double decker on the left wall of the box!  Time for Puppy Playland!!!  
                              
November 7, 2012
So below, left, there are 13 pups on one saucer.         Below, right, 13 pups on 2 saucers. 
 

After a great meal...gruel is everywhere.  Remember when I said I sometimes go days without a shower?  Well now I sometimes take 2 or 3 showers per day.  Trying to stay clean is just impractical.
                                  
November 2, 2012  
One of the last times the pups got to nurse.  Secret had a Mother-daughter chat, it's time for gruel.
                           
   
          "Mom we are still really hungry."            "So you think we should start you on gruel?"
As I always say..."Gruel is grueling and very, very messy."
               
I usually start out working with 2 or 3 pups, then I pour more gruel into the saucer and begin to add more pups, one by one, to eat.  I swear I was only gone 30 seconds to get another pup, and Yellow Girl got impatient and thought she would just eat straight from the bowl!

October 30, 2012  Three-week birthday pic!  So here is the next week to compare.  Frankly, I think it looks like I just zoomed in closer. 
                            
Below...They are gaining weight and getting bigger, but I must say Mom is beginning to not have enough milk.  Bottle feeding is a necessity and they aren't really too fond of bottle!  Inappropriate sucking on each other has caused me to lose 5 pounds by jumping in and out of the whelping box to get the perp and then isolate them in lock-down (Rubber-maid bin).  Here is a picture of 6 of the bins, there are 10.  My little bedroom barely fits the whelping box, much less all the bins!  But here is where the pups go until they can re-enter the general population without sucking, usually after their next meal.

                    
                               
We are walking!!! And our eyes are opening!!
           
                    
               I love this stage...the metamorphosis from rat-like creatures to cute and cuddly!
October 23, 2012  Two-week birthday pic!  Okay, this is kind of fun.  So now you can guage how big the pups are getting each week. The whelping box the pups are in, measures 4' X 5' and I am trying to take a square picture of the whole box for easy comparison.  For any of you that might be game to wager a bet, guess what age they will no longer all fit into the box at the same time!
                                              

October 19, 2012  Just checking to see, if by any chance, they could all eat at once.  I knew better.  So back to (now), 3 shifts.  That means each feeding takes about 1 hour and a 1/2 by the time they all switch on and off Mom.
                            

Here they are in the whelping box for the first time without their mom.  They need to scoot for exercise so they will get strong.  
                  

October 9, 2012
  The big day, just getting started...                                               
                         


       "Okay, all hands on deck. We'll need anyone at the front desk that can come back and help!"
                       

Here they come!
   
 
A face only a mother can love!!!
                      

Thank heaven for Kevin! Don and Kevin are watching over the boys as they have their first meal at the veterinary hospital.  The girls are waiting for their turn under the heated air cover just beyond. 
                 
                    The Boys                                                                                          The Girls
                  
Not all the pups would fit on mom to nurse, so just to keep track of who had been fed, we decided to feed the boys first.  While they were enjoying their first meal, we tied the colored collars on the girls.


                          Our bucket of new babies on our way home...a very long day!
                   

September 11, 2012          Babies' first picture...


So this is the first picture of the pups.  Secret's reproductive vet counted pups on the ultrasound screen twice, reaching 9, then 10.  She finally said, "There are too many to get an accurate count.  Just plan on a huge litter!"  Yea!!!!  


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