Not Yet

I've just realized I've been inconsiderate by not posting more about Diamond's progress. Because I'm here with her and know nothing is going on, it hasn't occurred to me that not everyone is so calm. Sorry.

Nothing's going on. Di is still incubating. Sunday will probably be the very earliest she'd go into labor and since she was bred several times over a week,it could be another week. I'm actually thinking Tuesday, for some reason, don't ask me why. Our weather is turning really cold... for this time of year... highs in the 40s, lows near or just below freezing for the next couple days. I'd just as soon she waited until after then. Cold puppies are crabby puppies and I really hate using a heating pad. But she's big. Pups haven't "dropped" yet, which is a little different with dogs than humans.

The canine uterus is "Y" shaped rather than one room like the human uterus. Pups are in both legs of the "Y." When whelping time gets close, they tend to bunch toward the opening. From the outside, the mom looks like she's swallowed a football sideways. I call it "pointing" and I have yet to meet a breeder who doesn't understand what I mean.

So end of lesson number 610 in Dog Breeding 101! Lesson 611 will be on common signs and symptoms of imminent whelping.

If the sun comes out tomorrow, I'll get another picture.

A More Pregnant Diamond

Here's Ms Di at 54 days into the pregnancy. She's REALLY gotten a belly on her. Actually seems to get bigger overnight EVERY night. Just about a week left to go, give or take a day. She spends a lot of time lying flat on her side, rather than on her belly, and is starting to get "clingy" (wanting to be with me ALL the time.) Going to move her into the whelping pen (in my bedroom) in the next couple of days so she'll be comfortable with her surroundings when the pups arrive. She's always had her pups in my bedroom BUT this time there is the added distraction of Owl... HE may end up moving in with Brogue, Emy and Cotton!

Speaking of Owl...

My friends, from Georgia, Liza and Bill, came up yesterday for a visit and met Owl. Liza fell in love big time! Of course, HE was absolutely charming... he always is... and went out of his way to snuggle (!) against her AND Bill. Liza said she's not coming to visit any more because I'm always introducing her to new kinds of dogs and she wants one of everything. Poor lady, when I met her almost 20 years ago, she was happily breeding JUST Labrador Retrievers. She wanted a Shar-Pei and bought a female from one of my first litters away from the Pacific NW... which got her into showing and breeding Shar-Pei. (This is a pup she has available RIGHT now...)



And then I showed her Labradoodles which she now breeds (along with Goldendoodles) rather than purebred Labs. Over the years I've gotten her to pick up a Chihuahua or two, a few Shih-Tzu and of course, some Poodles for her 'Doodle program. On her own... and against my advice... she got some Bichon and has a litter or two of them every year. She likes them. For me, they're Jack Russells with hair! Don't think she'll get a Deerhound... but you never know... there's a breeder who lives about 15 miles from her!

Owl

Owl and my Shar-Pei (who normally does NOT play with puppies)
and a couple of little Poodles show Owl the neat hole they found in the yard

Which One is the Holstein?

Lulu the Doodle and bovine friend

An Emy/Shadow Puppy

This is Stoney who lives in Tennessee, actually not too far from here. He is from Emy and Shadow. The top picture was in August, the bottom in Sptember. His folks report that he is right around 35 pounds (at 9 months) so he should mature around 40 pounds. Which was my original guess when I did the breeding and which I upsized once the pups started growing up. Stoney is great with dogs his own size or smaller, but a little timid around larger dogs. He also had a problem with "car anxiety" which his folks helped him work through and now he's up for rides anywhere! Stoney was the only blond in the litter and has matured to an off-white... or french vanilla!



And another country heard from
An email I received today:
Wed, 7 Oct 2009 1:18 AM
From "Lundeen" "lundeen@mabe-ethanol.com"
To mountainsummit@fastmail.fm
Subject Inquiry about Whoodles
How dare you take a fabulous dog as the Wheaten and make another breed out
of him..have you nothing better to do????

I never bother replying to this kind of stuff... usually the address given is fake. But I'll bet "lundeen@mabe-ethanol.com" would be very surprised to see his/her email posted here as well as in the "testimonials" on my website! I have nothing better to do.

Just Pix

A pregnant Diamond
Wanted everyone to see Di's little belly... which is coming along quite nicely now. She has a little over 2 weeks to go (9 weeks total gestation period) and is obviously incubating!



Cotton (on left) and Emy (on right)
The girls were clipped down to the nubbins in late August. If you're wondering why their faces look so different from each other, it's because I left hair on Em's ears, but took Cotton's down to the leather. When her hair grows out a little more, I'm going to clip her ears... JUST her ears... again. It gives her head the cutest look!

Reservation List Full

Actually, I should have posted that yesterday, but I had other things on my mind. Di is getting a nice little belly on her, so maybe she'll have more than her usual 6 pups. Everyone, PLEASE cross your fingers that no matter HOW many there are, she has more girls than boys AND we need a variety of colors! Nothing like putting your order in early!

Emy
Brogue "lives" with Di, Emy and Cotton and he is my barometer when it comes to them coming in season. This morning, when they went outside for the first time, he was interested in Em's rear and marked where she went to the pot. Now, this may be more information about dog breeding than you want, BUT that IS what this blog is basically about. I checked Emy's bottom myself and there are no physical signs... yet... but his nose has always been more accurate than my eyes. So it looks like things are moving right along! And the timing would be really, really good.