New Name, Same Blog

If you've also been following Lauren's puppy blog, I recently changed the name to HillcroftCollies.blogspot.com (there's also a link to the right of these blog entries. I'd like to merge this blog with the other one, but don't think it's possible. I'm going to try again (if you have suggestion, please let me know) but if I can't merge the two, this blog will become inactive. I'll have all the updates and activities on one spot and won't be limited to just the antics of the puppies of Phoebe and Lauren--Ben, Sophie and Mosby have been feeling left out!

Moving Day

On Wednesday, I moved Phoebe and Dixie to the larger dog room. Not only does it have more floor space, it has two crates, a larger whelping box and a window. Before the move, anytime the door was open between the two rooms, Dixie would go in without hesitation and explore. Once moving day came and she saw her toys and "brother" leave the original whelping box, she wasn't so sure about leaving the familiar! She would come to the door, then run back to the box, come back out and go a little further into the new room, then run back to the old box. I let Dixie do this a few times then picked her up and put her into her new spot. She immediately went into a crate but since her mom wasn't with her, she worked up the courage to come out and start touring her new apartment. Once she found some new toys in the whelping box, she decided it was o.k.!

Exploring the new home before moving day:



Not so sure she wants to make the big move:


Phoebe checking out the view:


Dixie tries out the new digs:

C'mon, Mom, Let's Play!!

Dixie has become a playful puppy! Unfortunately, she doesn't have a companion her size to tussle with. She pestered her mom for quite a bit, and Phoebe finally relented. But, she's way too big! She ended up flipping Dixie across the whelping box, quickly ending the play session.

Home with Her New Family

Phoebe and her babies came home about 2:00 this afternoon. She was very slow in waking up--perhaps realizing the real work was just starting and trying to delay it as long as possible--but the vet staff allowed the pups to nurse and let the new family bond. What a difference when I went to pick them up! The one pup looked 24 hours older and definitely much fatter.
Since we've been home, Phoebe prefers her crate to being in the whelping box with the pups. As she has been so drowsy, I have let her be in the crate and I bring her the pups for nursing, plus I can carefully monitor her behavior with them. She has been a model mama, cleaning, washing faces and nuzzling.

The Good, the Bad and the Cute as Can Be!

Phoebe easily delivered the first puppy at 6:12, unfortunately she was stillborn. After that, Phoebe took a good nap then showed no inclination to deliver the rest of the litter. We were at the vet's shortly after 8:00 where an ultrasound showed at least one puppy with a good heartbeat. An x-ray showed three more pups waiting to be born. Phoebe had a calcium shot and a oxytocin which resulted in some contractions, but not enough to deliver the rest of the litter. She had a c-section by mid-morning. The first pup pulled was also stillborn, but the next two were healthy. The last one is a screamer! She has been most anxious for her mama to wake up so she can get her first meal. Both pups are little females, pretty and too cute already! I'm preparing the nursery (getting extra heat and cleaning up this morning's papers) and will go back to Leesburg shortly to pick up the new family.

Getting Closer

Phoebe's temperature took a big dip this afternoon and she had some restless periods where she was quite anxious. I think the puppies must be moving into position before labor starts as her figure has undergone some interesting shapes! Phoebe settled back down and was very interested in dinner, so I don't think the puppies will arrive tonight. I told her I don't do night whelpings, she has to wait at least until early morning! In anticipation of labor starting at any time, I trimmed her pantaloons and brushed more hair off her belly. Her belly is almost bald, another sign the pups will be here soon!

Almost There!

I don't think these puppies can get much bigger before Phoebe's belly just pops! She still has a hearty appetite but is now showing some interest in tearing up the papers in her whelping box. Her temperature has dipped just slightly, but we're still waiting for the big drop to let us know labor is about to start. She's not the grumpy diva of last summer, which is most appreciated, but still doesn't care for the cats to be around. Phoebe spends most of her time sleeping, or when she's outside, resting and waiting for me to take her back in--she always gets a cookie then so she manages a spring in her step. The rest of the time, she drags her back feet as she walks--I can hear her nails on the tile and know that Ellen would be telling me to "file those nails"!
Here's our chubby girl:

Poor, Pitiful Phoebe

This is how we spend lots of our time!


Phoebe likes to be in her crate, even though she has access to her whelping box and the rest of the room!

Miscount

I thought we'd be on puppy watch by now, but Phoebe was showing no signs of being close. I said to David, "wouldn't it be funny if I mis-counted her due date", then counted again--guess what! I miscounted!! Her first due date is not this week-end but next. I never have been good at math, but I've always been able to count up to nine (9 weeks gestation) before--I guess I was really hoping for St Patrick's Day puppies!

Blooming

Now that the pregnancy is official, Phoebe seems to be getting bigger by the minute. Maybe there are more than four puppies in there? At any rate, the pups seem to be quite active. We often find Phoebe staring at her stomach, perhaps wondering what is causing all the turmoil. She spends much time on her cot, with her sister Claire always by her side. Tonight, I spent lots of time with Phoebe after her supper as she seemed to need extra attention. She will always hog as much petting as she can, but tonight she wanted to cuddle and have her back and belly rubbed. Oh, how I remember those days!

Try, Try, Again

We are always optimistic with the girls, so when Phoebe came into season in January, we decided to try again to have a successful pregnancy. Ellen, our handler, suggested we breed Phoebe to CH Travler's Greased Lightning, a smooth tri-color. When we saw "Danny", we had to agree! He has a delightful personality with a beautiful head and wonderful movement.
We were not hopeful that the breeding was successful until the last week, when Phoebe suddenly started to look different. An ultrasound yesterday showed that Phoebe is pregnant, with at least four puppies! These puppies look much bigger than the poor singleton from last year and are certainly much more active. The first puppy on the ultrasound was moving its head and twitching its front feet, almost like it had hiccups!