New Brittany Pups - 10 Days Old

Molly & Scooby's beautiful 6 new Brittany puppies - all are doing well.

Spending time this evening with the puppies and Molly offered some of those wonderful, special and oh so intimate moments that are so rare and fleeting.  It wasn't planned but it was longed for in my heart.  Each litter is different and that's why I can take the time to find something unique about not only each litter we plan for, but with each Brittany itself - regardless of the age.  10 day old pups are no exception. 

Molly's day begins with John and ends with me.  Somewhere in the middle there are multiple visits, outings, snacks, belly rubs and special times in addition to making sure her incision stays dry, temperature remains normal, and appetite and thirst are also normal. Everything has gone perfect.  Her stitches will come out soon.  And Molly is a wonderful mother with an abundant supply of milk which only continues to increase. I have been asked by several people if having a c-section and a spay would effect her milk supply or her ability to nurse.  I'm sure it 'could' have, but it didn't.  I like to think good pre and post natal care added to an extremely healthy and well conditioned Brittany has a lot to do with it.  I think too that the constant supply of nursing mother's pudding that we feed her and the extra pedialyte has helped. All I know is I'm very happy to have my Miss Molly girl doing so well, being such a great mother, and enjoying her pups while spending time with us.  Talk about fair and balanced!

It's important to keep the tiny little toenails of Molly's pups short. They need to be trimmed at a minimum of once a week and often more frequently.  If allowed to grow they become razor sharp and will scratch the delicate skin surrounding a nursing mother's teats.  In Molly's case, where she had to be shaved prior to surgery, it is even more important.  We have discovered that kitten nail clippers work the best for the toenails of our young Brittany puppies.  I wait for them to nurse and then to fall asleep.  This is when they are least likely to be resistant.  Using one of our handmade crochet blankets I gently cradle the pupy in my arms and one foot at a time manipulate their toes so that I can gently make the clip.  Just like with adults it's important to watch how close you're cutting - there is not much (if any) 'quick' to see so cutting a little bit at a time works best.  The kitten clippers are so small and easy to use so that if the puppy decides to be a wiggly little doodle I can still keep a good, gentle hold on them.  This method of clipping a puppys toenails also falls right in line with introducing additional stimulation and a very small level of stress - although a sleeping puppy is not likely to be very stressed.

This took about an hour and a half, or exactly as long as American Idol was tonight. (I'd vote for Lauren.) The actual time to clip the nails of one puppy is not very long, and certainly not long enough to notice one pups's uniqueness.  If this were purely utilitarian I'd put one pup down and pick another one up just as quick as I could to get it over with. NOT quite. This is an important time to spend stroking each little baby, feeling their muscles, their joints, checking to see the healing results after dewclaw removal and tail docking, and above all to hold their teeny tiny sweet little faces right up next to mine.  Sometimes that will stimulate a puppy to open their mouth and begin to lick at my cheek - I will admit - here is when I get my first awesome 'hits' of PUPPY BREATH!!!! AHHH!! Nothing like it. They snuggle under my chin(s).  And the love affair, which so far is one sided, continues to blossom.  I can't explain it, but I really do feel something happening in those precious moments.  And it's really now or never that the all important human/animal bond will develop and grow.  It is between the mother dog and her babies but it most certainly includes their breeders. 

Tonight I noticed subtle changes.  Like how the pink skin on the muzzle area has changed to a beautiful soft, downy velvetlike feel as the first strands of hair begin to grow.  Like how the nose is beginning to take on a shape of it's own while the muzzle develops. The ears are losing their rubbery look, are flapping up and down.  Little tiny slits define where the eyes will open within a week or so.  Softness, gentleness, innosence, sweetness.  These pups are going to be very early walkers. And they are going to be all we could have ever hoped for and more.  One of the pups has one I call a 'liver kiss' on their muzzle. It is where the liver color on a liver/white Brittany dog looks like someone had put liver color lipstick (ugh) and kissed them on the lips!  Treasure sort of has that. But Timberdoodle, the grandsire - he had that.  And it's cute to see it on these pups.  They may be the first (and only) pups between Scooby and Molly but I recognize the family behind them.  I see many specific things including behavior that make me think of our Rosie who we named 'Ever Ready' for a reason, I notice the beauty of Sassy, and I see Molly's head and Scooby's head. Some of the pups will have a coat like Molly, and others will have a coat like Scooby. They are strong and active puppies, with a mission in life. I can remember when our first child, our son,  was placed into my arms shortly after birth and looking into that sweet beautiful face and feeling so much love. Not only did I feel the love but I recognized family in his little features. Not to equate the two births, for animals are not humans - but to try to explain this - as a breeder it's just so neat to me to be able to see the results of consistency, even in such early early days.  And I know without a doubt each of these pups will simply enhance what is present in their sire and dam, things that we have been blessed to know first hand.

Speaking of being blessed - we were very proud today to be asked to contribute our experiences as gundog breeders for a writer who is working on a piece about gundogs in Maine. I won't give it away until it's time for the publication though!

As I watch the moments ticking away it would seem that blogging at the stroke of midnight is becoming a habit for me.  But it's a good time to write. The house is somewhat quiet with exception of faithful snoring from afar.  And just because I'm up, there is usually a need to let the dogs out.  Speaking of other beautiful Brittanys (they ALL are you know) Pippin is huge.  It's like all of a sudden she has popped!  Pippin is also very uncomfortable and her mood has not improved a bit. Poor Pippin seems so indignant. 

Let's remember our friends and fellow Brittany breeders Paul and Dawn Hill tonight. Her lovely Morgen had 7 pups yesterday.  All are doing well but there are 2 puppies who Dawn is helping  out by supplementing them by bottle feeding.  Their weight is not where she would like it to be.  Thanks.

Take care and God bless - and by the way - it's now Thursday and this is the National Day of Prayer.  A good day to pray for this country, especially in light of all that is going on around the world tonight.  As always, John, Ann, and All things Brittany!!