ATB: It's About Time!

Two Weeks Old

 

I can hear you, oh yes I can and you are saying "well, it's about time!"  And you're absolutely right, it is about time I focused my attention on sharing with you about the beautiful "Only Believe (all things are possible)" litter of Bullet and Thistle.  As I look at the clock I realize I am approaching my most creative time of day, or perhaps I should say most creative time of night.  It is also the time when I am most apt to fall asleep in the middle of writing resulting in my head hitting the keyboard or worse and horror of horrors it all gets published with nothing but zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz's across the page! Let's hope not.

The puppies are 2 weeks old today, born on our anniversary which is St. Patrick's Day, March 17th.  I will confess this has been the hardest litter by far to identify who is who but we are getting there. I have used our tried but true method of photo identification as well as washable markers but still cannot easily look at each pup and know for certain not only which one it is, but whether it's a male or a female! Although I think I'm gaining in the gender identification.  With there just being 4 boys they are fairly easy to keep track of, even if not by the actual litter nickname. Also, usually we name the pups as they arrive and have plenty of time in between puppies to record any unique markings. Not so with a C-section! I think the easiest way to play the name game is not to dwell on a particular litter theme at all but instead look at each puppy and see what the marking most resembles and figure it out that way. Alas! Weighing accurately has been a challenge but we are getting the job done and the average overall litter weight at 2 weeks old is 1 lb. 9 oz. which pleases me very much. Personally speaking I like to see an overall average weight gain of 1 lb or less per week for the first 6 weeks or so.

We have enjoyed sharing live viewing of the puppies via Skype and other means with the new puppy families.  I'm still not quite ready for a public channel which opens up the privacy of the whelping box to the outside world. But it's been fun to go live for an hour or two at a time and offer a glimpse into the "puppy cave."

We're under a self imposed quarantine from the time the pregnancy is confirmed and up until when we determine is a good time to plan visits for the pup's families. With the exception of family and a few close friends most visits are by appointment only.  It is not only upsetting to momma when there is unusual activity going on but also to the rest of the crew who always seem to understand and sense when there are pups on the ground. The primary reason for the self imposed quarantine however is for the well being of momma and her pups.  I have never been one to take a casual approach to going to dog shows when we have had pups and usually opt to remain right at home.  Recently there was an outbreak of Parvo with several dogs and young pups dying of it which was contracted at a New England dog show. I know one of the breeders effected.  People with very young pups are often anxious to show their new protégé off and understandably so but to me, it is not the risk. But I digress.

This past weekend we most certainly did open our gates, heart, and home for some very special puppy visits which also included two reunions.  Julie, Sassy, and Bullet traveled down from the Bangor area with my beautiful liver and white puppy from Hemi and Treasure, "Holly Beth."  She has been and will continue to be in the care of Julie while Thistle is here being a momma dog.  At 15 weeks I had wondered if Holly would remember me and she reassured me that she did by giving me a thorough face washing much to my delight!   Julie so greatly enjoyed an obviously happy reunion with Thistle. The feeling of happiness at being with each other was clearly a mutual one. Julie enjoyed spending time with Thistle and her puppies and even spent the night in the puppy cave with them at her request. 

Later on the afternoon of the next day our daughter and her family came up to continue a weekend long celebration of our oldest grandsons birthday.  It has just been 4 weeks since their beloved Brittany boy "Boomer" lost his battle with cancer of the mast cell tumor variety.  He'd been in their family for 9 wonderful years and was well loved by all especially the three young children who adored their best four legged friend.  The day of Boomers passing was also the day of confirming by xray that Thistle was carrying 10 - 12 puppies.  God works in mysterious ways as we had anticipated only 4- 6.   As the emptiness and sense of loss that comes when we lose a beloved family pet hit Maryann and her family very very hard. Especially her.  I was not surprised to learn they had decided they would like a puppy from the "Only Believe (all things are possible)" litter.  And yesterday my heart was full of joy and my eyes full of tears as one by one I watched their faces while observing Thistle and her puppies.

PUPPY DEVELOPMENT
Well if you are following along with the required reading of "Art of Raising a Puppy" by Monks of New Skete you are aware that the pups are still in the "Neo-Natal" developmental period.  Although it does not appear that much is going on in the whelping box at this age of 2 weeks the fact of the matter is there is a lot happening there. Here is a glimpse of what has transpired:

From birth, puppies are able to use their sense of smell and touch, which helps them root about the nest to find their mother's nipples. The first milk the mother produces, called colostrum, is rich in antibodies that provide passive immunity and help protect the babies from disease during these early weeks.

Right now, Thistle's  puppies sleep nearly 90 percent of the time, spending their awake time nursing. All their energy is funneled into growing, and their birth weight has doubled at this point. At first, the neo natal pups aren't able to support their weight, and crawl about with paddling motions of their front legs. The limited locomotion provides the exercise that develops muscles and coordination, and soon the puppies are crawling over and around each other and their mother.  The bottom of our whelping box is lined with heavy indoor/outdoor industrial carpeting providing for a sure grip to help strengthen their little legs.  We have several of these pads which we switch out, disinfect and replace at regular intervals.

We are already seeing huge changes in the pups as the  second week of life begins.  Ears and eyes are beginning to open . This is a time of transition as darkness turns to light and silence turns into wondrous new sounds. These puppies are already standing and taking their first wobbly steps.  They mouth and crawl over each other with curiosity. Thistle keep a constant watch on them, making sure their little bodies as well as her 'nest' is spotless and clean.  She does not stay with them constantly however she's never far away. Thistle has several options to choose from in the puppy cave and is quite content with her living arrangement.

Daily I continue to observe, handle, and stimulate the pups.  I am a huge fan of the Bio-Sensor method of raising pups which Carmen Battaglia has written much about.  Also known as the SMART Puppy training method used in the military. The little exercises which are part of the program are started at birth or shortly afterwards.  At 7 weeks we will evaluate the litter using Volhardts Puppy Aptitude Tests which we have adapted to meet the needs of our hunting dog program. I also implement as part of the development of the pups Karen Pryor's "Clicker Training A Litter."  It's simply fun! At 4-5 weeks they'll be exposed to a frozen gamebird wing and weather permitting they will all be introduced to birds before the time they leave. 

The 'profile' of families waiting for a puppy from this litter is interesting to me.  The majority of families have owned a Brittany before and/or they currently own one.  5 families getting a puppy are already part of the ATB family.  9 of the families are experienced bird hunting families. 3 of the families are getting a puppy as a result of a personal referral.  Several pups from this litter are also going to help bring healing over the unexpected loss of a previous Brittany friend. Once again it is by the Grace of God that an entire litter is spoken for and is reserved for those who we believe to be the best possible fit for one of our pups.

Okay my vision is beginning to blur, something that happens a lot to me lately when I spend too much time at the computer. I do need to get my (sigh) bifocals fixed.  I tried the progressive lenses and hated them.  I have tried the reading glass switch to distance and driving glasses approach too but I lose too many pair of glasses. Anyway the fact of the matter is letter are beginning to blur into each other so it's time for a game of Candy Crush before calling it a day.

As I sit, I watch the puppies who are nursing at their mother's side.  I am thinking of how quickly they have already grown and that the reality is they will continue to develop and change each day from this point on. This is the neo-natal period approaching the transitional period. It is still a near reverent time in the wee hours of morning when one has the privilege to watch Thistle and her babies interact with love. She's a good mom. And I want to be sure to give these pups the best that I have to give them.  This time with  sense of urgency on my part as my total knee replacement surgery is quickly approaching. I know John is awesome with the pups and will be taught as I would teach them. But it is perhaps a bit selfish on my part to simply say my favorite part of being a breeder is the opportunity to pour my life into theirs for the first 8 weeks.  That and the intoxicating scent of 'puppy breath'.  

Time to call it a night.  I shall see you on Facebook for those who are there.  Last but not least please take a few moments to visit our new website at www.mainebrittanysitejas.com . I've even managed to embed this blog on one of the pages there! (Don't even ask me how as I don't know). 

Please also join us in congratulating Walter and Christine Longley of Merrymeeting Brittanys on the arrival of Brandy and Bullet's 7 beautiful puppies!! 

As always take care and God bless you always. Thank you for your interest in our Brittanys!  John, Ann, and All Things Brittany

ATB: Birth Announcement

J & A's Brittany’s

Proudly Introduces

 “The ONLY BELIEVE (all things are possible)” litter!

 

SIRE: CH J & A's High Caliber Harris Special SH, CGC, FD – BULLET

DAM: GCH CH J & A's Sisters of the Heart JH – THISTLE

Bred by John & Ann Short, Julie M. Harris

Date of Birth: March 17, 2014

11 Beautiful White & Orange Brittany Puppies

 

The greatly anticipated litter of Bullet and Thistle's puppies is here! They are beautiful and perfect in every way with clear white and orange markings with near perfect white blazes coming down evenly across their muzzles. There are quite a few 'mustaches'! Their average litter weight is 9 oz. and each one has strong suckling instincts and already demonstrating agility and strength. Of course it is still very very early and the first 72 hours are so critical to their well being.

Thistle is doing absolutely awesome, not only as a first time mom, but after following a c-section yesterday. It was not an emergency situation at all. Her temperature had remained under 100 for over 36 hours and we felt that because she was getting so tired just from the earliest of stage 1 labor we did not want to let her 'ride it out'. A radio-graph at 8 weeks had revealed 10 – 12 puppies. We made an appointment and took her to our vet and the decision was made that before she became too exhausted, pup or no pups on the ground yet, it would be best to take the pups.

After arriving at the animal hospital the heartbeats of Bullet and Thistle's pups were counted via ultrasound to be sure they were not stressed in anyway. All was good and before we knew it, John and I were joining the professionals on the puppy catching and recovery team. We had observed and helped out recently with a c-section with vet friends of ours but it is very different when it's your own girl that is for sure!

So, John and I celebrated our anniversary together in the operating room, vigorously rubbing the “Only Believe” puppies, aspirating when needing, and keeping them all warm. One by one each puppy was taken and passed into the hands of an awaiting helper under the guidance of 2 vets there. We had brought our puppy basket and heating pad lined with the puppy blankets. This gave us an opportunity to brag about how spoiled our puppies all are to have such beautiful hand crochet blankets made my Julie. And Thistle was a trooper who soon was recovering with her puppies nursing away on that all important colostrum. Talk about beautiful.

Our anniversary dinner consisted of reheated Boiled Dinner (did I eat? I don't remember) which we picked away at while maintaining constant watch on Thistle and pups. And we spent the rest of the night lying together on the floor next to the whelping box, under the romantic glow of the heat-lamp.

Early in the morning we felt bonding between Thistle and pups was complete. She was cleaning and tending to them, licking and loving, nursing well and the cutest thing of all – talking to them. She doesn't know they can't hear her yet. And I am not going to tell her!

Whenever pups are born there is always the hope the mom is going to love on her pups from the start. It's very different when it is a natural whelping because mom usually is most attentive to each pup as they arrive, and the bonding is instantaneous. With a c-section other things come into play not the least of which is anesthesia and pain meds. John and I kept vigil aware the potential was there for rejection and the result of rearing the pups by hand. For several hours we stimulated the pups to eliminate and cleaned them as Thistle drifted in and out. We also took pups and put them on Thistle's teats in hopes the shot of oxytocin as well as the natural let down of milk would produce the life sustaining colostrum.

I thought maybe we needed to mirror as much as possible the one by one approach of introducing

Thistle to her pups. As John said, she had fallen asleep only to wake up with all these crawling puppies making demands on her. So one by one we watched as the love light went on for Thistle. She very thoroughly licked and cleaned each puppy, just sitting to study them. Although groggy and so exhausted, she soon embraced her new family fully. And we breathed a deep sigh of relief as we also witnessed the private, beautiful, near miraculous scene which was both seen with the eyes and felt by the heart. Every breeder understands how fragile and how precious those teeny lives are within the first few hours and days.  ANYTHING can happen despite our very best care. Regardless of our level of experience or lack thereof, we are deeply humbled by how much more we really do not know.

All things work together for good to those who love the Lord. That's not just a token phrase or a lucky charm. That's a promise, written in the Word of God. It's something to take hold of and embrace fully. My surgery was suppose to be scheduled today. And while I'm certainly not thankful for the flu I've had, I can truly read the writing on the wall. Everything happens for a reason is what the Scripture says. It's not karma, I do not embrace the concept of karma. I do embrace the reality of a faithful and loving God. And I would dare suspect if Thistle could tell me, she would say she does too.

Thank you as always for your interest in what we do. Take care and God bless. (If this sounds a bit disjointed, resembling rambling please consider I haven't slept too much in about 72 hours, but this too shall pass.) John, Ann, and All Things Brittany

PS There are pups available from this litter.

ATB: Thistle Update

The guys have the 'man cave' and we have the 'puppy cave'.  And that is where Thistle has been spending most of her time for the past week.  I on the other hand spent most of my time the past week sick in bed with an annoying flu which showed up just in time to interfere with plans to spend time with our friends visiting from CT. Not only that, but because of this bug, my much anticipated total knee replacement surgery had to be rescheduled. However, the good news is I am beginning to feel better, gaining strength and just in time because Thistle is very, very close to having her puppies!  John has been her constant companion and now that we are certain I am not going to be in the hospital I too am enjoying these days before the arrival of her precious cargo right by her side.

Thistle went for a radio graph (x-ray) on Tuesday. While we have been private concerning the actual number of skulls and spines clearly seen, suffice to say the early ultrasound confirming 4-6 little embryos with beating hearts was a very conservative number. In fact we have started to screen once again additional serious inquiries as there will be some availability of pups.

We began to take Thistle's temperature over a week ago and it has been quite consistent at 101 with an occasional drop to 100.2.  Every fraction of a degree matters at this point in time. It is the drop below 100 that remains there which indicates the onset of Early Stage One Labor. We started with one daily reading, then every 12 hours.  This morning when John came into the house after spending the night in the puppy cave with her he announced we have our first drop in temperature.  I took it a few hours later and indeed, she is under 100 but it very easily could go up again.  Even so, this is the time of final preparation.  But above all, this is the time for Thistle to be kept calm, quiet, and afforded every opportunity to sleep without interruption. Does it have to be that way?  Absolutely not for everyone. But for me, it absolutely must be this way. 

If there is one thing we do not take casually it is the responsibility of being a breeder and being true to our purpose driven program here.  And the motivation truly is all for the love of the dog, both given and received. I am convinced the calmer and more uneventful a breeding and a pregnancy can be, the quieter the atmosphere for the dam to be, and the more private the whelping itself the better off the pups and momma will be. It's not always been this way for us, simply due to work schedules, family location and where we have lived. But now, we have the puppy cave and that is all there is to it.

There is a CD playing the most relaxing instrumental music 24/7, the curtains are drawn, the fire is kept going in the little woodstove, and all the necessary supplies one could possibly need are on hand. There is freshly laundered linen, puppy blankets, quilts and of course Thistles very own favorite crate blanket from home. And her puppy blanket Julie made while waiting for the arrival of her birth.

The whelping box, freshly disinfected with lined with a brand new carpet sits in the corner, surrounded by the x-pen if needed. There's blankets and newspaper in the box for Thistle to feel free to rip, dig, rearrange, or plop down in the middle of to her heart's content. All of the newspaper and blankets are removed slowly once pups actually arrive but for the time being it fosters the strong nesting desire she has.

There's also a crate covered with a blanket, the door is left open for her to go in and lay down at will.  We have an orthopedic dog bed in front of the whelping box with all of her favorite toys and Thistle has her best toy of all here - her Bunny Bun!!! Julie actually has bought a Bunny-Bun for Thistle to keep here, and it is part of what says to Thistle, this is HER space.  Theres a linoleum covered floor so when whelping begins we're not worried about carpet or mess or anything and she will be kept contained in the whelping area. The cot is also right next to the whelping box and we will spend the first week right here by her side.

So there's a television, plenty of books, the radio, and the computer with Netflix, Skype, etc. There is also constant live feed on our surveillance camera and a monitor so we can remain in touch with each other as need be.

TODAY IS HER FIRST DUE DATE
When Thistle went for her ultrasound our vet suggested based on the size of the embryos and the date that her progesterone level surged and the numbers involved March 16 would be a good estimate for delivery.  And also based on the day she was actually bred, March 19 was what I had written down. One thing for certain: puppies cometh!

Today Thistle has the luxury of sleeping as long and as often as she wants and wherever. No other dogs are ever allowed to come out here until pups are here and much older.  I especially don't subscribe to the aunty/gramie theory of letting other bitches in and in reality feel it's just asking for trouble on multiple levels. Plenty of breeders I know have not had issues of any kind and it is admittedly so cute when you see pictures depicting it. But I have heard of bitches coming in and killing a litter of pups without a second thought, or perhaps mom initiated a bitch fight where she got hurt and nervous drying up all her milk. My thinking is king of simple but  if you put so much into your breeding program, the well being of that girl who is having puppies for you is the most important priority you have at the time - why compromise the integrity?

I am sitting watching Thistle bask in the sunlight peeking through a closed curtain, she is stretched out on the floor. There's a normal progression of labor and we have the benefit of having been through her grandmother and her mother's pregnancies so it is not quite as challenging as it can be with the first time mother. Most likely, as time goes on Thistle will continue to be more restless, pacing, feeling like she has to go to the bathroom. I am already noticing her digging at blankets but not in the frantic manner in which she will dig when there is a puppy ready to be born.  I offer a soft 'good girl' to her each time her eyes meet mine.  What she has to say with her eyes will indicate a lot as accurately reading her body will do as well.

Watching as these early signs of approaching labor increase I am once more amazed at the beauty, grace, and dignity of this particular circle of life.  I will not coddle her as one would a human daughter for she is never going to be more animalistic than she is right now. But she will know that all we are doing, have done, and will continue to do is because of our love and yes, our respect for her. Thistle feels, Thistle trusts, Thistle communicates with her eyes and her approach towards us during this time. And our communication back is equally as important. It cannot be masked with the emotions that run high in humans, or betrayed by an unusually high tone of voice, nor of sympathy extended in what we articulate. She's smart and brilliant and intelligent.  She deserves to be treated as the incredible animal that she is, the precious one of God's lesser creatures in which we have been given dominion over.  If Thistle can look towards us, and not see anxious expressions she will not feel our anxiety.  If  Thistle can hear a tone of calm assurance in our voices, and not hear rises and falls in the inflection the pitch, she will receive the message that all is well.  This is all new to her but it is to her benefit we understand what she is going through.

Each time this vigil of watching and waiting for the arrival of a precious new litter of pups arrives is as special to me as the very first time. Despite experience, yes DESPITE experience, I am always aware of the seriousness of the moment. More important, I am always aware of the enormous responsibility that accompanies each and every decision to breed. This girl that lays in front of me IS like a daughter to her Julie, and she is named for the deep friendship that the Lord blessed us with, "Sisters of the Heart". Julie, John, and I co-own the combination of both parents of these pups (sired by Bullet).  Thistle is the one who brought smiles and laughter to my friends heart the year after Jim lost his battle with cancer. I understand the void in her home is great right now despite that she is taking care of my own new puppy Holly.   Although more than an animal in that sense, she is highly prized, loved, and extremely valuable on many, many fronts. There's a lot wrapped up in this little girl that the eyes cannot see but the heart can feel.  So this is as if it's the first time. I sit and wait, I pray, I watch I listen. We are here, tucked away in our puppy cave together. And my eyes are lifted to heaven as I each across to gently lay a hand upon her laboring abdomen, full to overflowing with new life within.  Asking God who created her, and in Jesus Name, to be merciful, kind, gentle and swift with what is to come. Give us wisdom and give Thistle favor. I pray for an uneventful, wonderful and positive whelping with healthy thriving puppies who are already loved far than they can even know. One of these pups will bring healing as well to our daughter and her family who lost their Boomer to cancer.  Several of the pups will be in families who already are part of our ATB family. There are more families yet to come.  But I know that already, God is putting everything together.

Do I get scared? You betcha.  But you'll never hear it from me.  Please keep us all covered in prayer, thank you. Take care and God bless, John, Ann and All Things Brittany