Birthdays

Every pup here had a birthday this weekend... Peri's daughter is 2 weeks old and Emy's babies are 5 weeks. Seems like they all should be a lot older!

Emy has taken to leaving hers all day... she goes outside around noon and then makes a beeline for somewhere else in the house. And come 10, 11 every night, she goes out for the last time and then wants back in with the pups. Of course, they all rush her and suckle for a short while and want their faces (and butts) cleaned, but by the time all the other dogs have come back inside, the pups have sprawled out and are sound asleep... and Emy is sleeping too. IN the pen, but away from the kids.

Peri is also spending more time away from Esther, but only if she is outside. Once she comes back in the house, she wants in with that pup!

Esther's eyes are still tightly closed which has made me think that part of the problem the whole litter had was they came a little early. Remember when I took Peri in for her ultrasound? It was 5 weeks to the day from her first breeding date... she was bred two days in a row and that was all... and she was so small, I was fairly certain she was NOT pregnant. When the fetuses showed up on the ultrasound, surprising everyone, they were small. At that time, we talked about the possibility that the eggs had not been fertilized for some time... days... after the breeding(s.) The pups arrived at the time they would have if conception had been close to breeding, but the problems they exhibited could have been from prematurity. The eyes not open business could be more of the same... she is still playing catch up. On the other hand, she is sitting up AND trying to walk. Her mom has made the latter a little more difficult by pushing all the bedding into a corner, leaving Esther on a fairly slick... but cooler... surface.

The pups have gotten me well trained during this heat wave. Every morning they start out whining and every morning I wet a towel and put it in the pen. And all of us are happy the rest of the day... even though they seldom get on the towel except by accident. The heat is supposed to ease off soon... thanks to Beryl. Wonder if they are still going to demand their towel!