HAPPY BIRTH-DAY PUPPIES

Saturday Night

Well, what a night!

Poor Summer was incredibly restless and all through the night, she just couldn't sit or lie still. She went from being a little aloof to wanting to be very close to me, and each time I started to dose off, she appeared.

Summer, our Tibetan Terrier, at now 62 days pregnant (based on first mating), didn't seem to be in any pain, and when Rose (the stud, Claude's, owner) called at 4.30am, Summer was just restless but there were no advances on the birthing situation. Lots of tummy stroking was called for!


Sunday - D DAY

About 7amish (I think), Rose and I spoke again - still no advances. And Judy, Summer's 'BFF' who was to support me, was told of the same.

Personally, I'd started getting quite nervous on the Thursday evening but just coped and hopped for the best!

At 9.50am this morning, Summer let out a very human sounding "eeewwwww" shout and started straining. A couple more, and I rang Rose immediately to tell her of this advance...at last! I called Judy too.

So here we were moving onto Stage Two of whelping.

My friend, Judy, arrived just after 10am.

At 10.18am, there was a small gush of fluid, and we thought a puppy would follow soon.

Having not been able to get Rose earlier, I called her again and she reminded us to give Summer a caulophyllum pill now and every hour, until an hour after labour was complete ("tones up the uterus").

10.23am:    Summer gave another human sounding shout, had another very strong contraction (she'd been having quite a few smaller ones for the previous 30 minutes) and out popped a round sack. We thought it WAS a puppy for a little (terrifying) while, but it wasn't (see picture below)...

The amniotic sack

10.37am:  I took Summer for the toilet, still with sack protuding.

10.45 to 11.04: More contractions of varying sizes

11.10: A very strong contraction

11.12; Out pops PUPPY NUMBER 1

PUPPY 1:

Boy

242 grams

All over sable

11.35am:  Summer starts pushing and out pops PUPPY NUMBER 2

PUPPY 2:

Girl

282 grams

Black with little white paws and chest markings

11.47am: Summer starts pushing

11.49am: And out pops PUPPY NUMBER 3

PUPPY 3:

Boy

254 grams

White and black

Summer then relaxed and where as we were cleaning and sorting the puppies, we put them back with her to look after.

Rose arrived. Having rushed down from Northamptonshire.

12.30pm: Pushing again, out pops PUPPY NUMBER 4

PUPPY 4:

Boy

246 grams

White and sable

Summer's reaction after the fourth puppy was born, was of such relief, and she relaxed immediately.

We did hope for more, but four is actually a nice and copable number for Summer.

The four at present are fantastic. Both mum and pups are doing really really well.  Summer seems to be a very natural mum and it always amazes me how instinctive animals are.

So I am very very proud to announce that we now have FOUR beautiful, healthy pedigree Tibetan Terrier puppies!

Gorgeous!

The first three pups. The 'white' is still a bit bloody

Proud Mum, Summer

The two 'white and black/sable' pups, feeding

Well deserved rest for Summer - with the sable and the black/white pups

Number 3 (nicknamed 'Claude' like his dad), having a snuggle with mum

Tea time!

Mum is taken to the loo. Time to take some pics!

Where to Sleep...

Summer used to do this...

...curl up on "her" sofa...

...but now she can't bend in the middle so is trying to find a nice alternative...

...under the stairs with her head in the cupboard?...

...in the kitchen on the cold floor?...

...maybe in her whelping box?... (we hope!)

...or maybe BY her whelping box?... (more like it)

Three Weeks Pregnant (we hope)...

As of tomorrow (Monday 13 May), Summer will hopefully be three weeks pregnant.

Summer (taken 11 May 2013)

We are desperately looking for signs that she is definitely pregnant, but it's really difficult to tell!

She is very cuddly and cutchie, and is sitting on my lap quite a lot as well as giving us the 'sad eyes' more often...but is it that we're looking too hard for signs, or is she actually pregnant?

As of Tuesday last week, we started to take our Tibetan Terrier for walks where there were other dogs, and whilst the first walk is always unnerving, watching how male dogs respond to her, all seemed fine, so we're sure her season is over.

Summer seems to get a little tireder, although I do wonder if this is because she hasn't had quite such long walks due to her being in season. Or could this be another sign?

On Friday last week, Judy and I took Summer and Harris to Headley Heath, National Trust land close to Box Hill in the Surrey Hills (North Downs).  It is a dog walkers paradise, although we have to look out for the horses (but usually only a couple)!  The two TTs had a brilliant time, romping and chasing, and Harris played more rough and tumble (although he is very gentle) with Summer, which he hadn't done for the last month.  We saw about six other Tibetan Terriers, including a five month old puppy who definitely was top dog in his family (he was dragging his elderly owners and sat in the front seat of the car whilst one of the owners sat in the back - DO NOT recommend this..)!


Rosemary Leaf

From tomorrow, we will start our hopefully pregnant, Summer, on Rosemary Leaf tablets - just one a day.  Rose, Claude's owner, recommended it and gives it to her pregnant bitches (Pulis and Tibetan Terriers). Rosemary leaf helps the muscles during and after birth. It's the only pills / supplements I will give Summer, with the exception of some homoeopathic pills Rose gave me for during whelping.  The Rosemary leaf should be started from the third week of gestation (mating), until a week after whelping.  People seem to either think it's a wonderful product or totally useless - you decide!


Today (Sunday)

Locally every year is the Cowpie Country Show, run by the Surrey Young Farmers. My daughter and I took Summer and we wandered around the fields watching display shows and browsing through the stands. Whilst we've been many times over the last 20 years, I couldn't remember there being quite so many dogs there!

Usually this wouldn't be a problem, but having read THE BOOK OF THE BITCH by J M Evans & Kay White, which is a MUST read for ALL bitch owners, it mentions that during weeks 3 and 4 after mating, that these are "the most vital ones <weeks> for the prospective litter".  The book goes on say that the organs and limbs of the puppies are growing very quickly and are susceptible to various things including being stuck in a hot car, infection, poisons, medication etc.  It also suggests that from 3 and a half weeks to 5 weeks after mating, you should keep the dog away from shows and training groups where your bitch can pick up infections.

We're still half a week from this period, but I wish I'd thought more about our lovely day out!!

Summer and I love going to Agility Classes with Ann Cook in Reigate. We started Puppy Classes as soon as Summer had had her first jabs and worked through to Kennel Club Gold Level. Sadly, we attempted three times to pass the gold, but she just couldn't do it, so I say "she is trained to gold standard"!!  The first two times we took the test, she was brilliant until we got to "Relaxed isolation".  The little monkey just wanted to be where everybody else was, and started yapping followed by howling, whilst I was answering the test questions, talking louder and louder in the hope that the examiner wouldn't hear her!! No such luck... ha ha...  By the third attempt, we had perfected "relaxed isolation" and did this first. She was perfect! But passing was just not to be, and she decided she was not going to stop (Stop the Dog) when called...

I decided three attempts was quite enough for us both, and we joined the Agility Classes, which are very sociable and great fun for us both!