First vet visit -- tail dock and dew claw removal

The Goodies had their first vet visit for tail docking and dew claw removal with Dr. Terri Johnson. All seven are in good health -- good babies!

Puppy Photos -- more to come . . .

Weigh-ins!

The babies are gaining weight each day on their way to doubling their birth weight by Day 7.

They're here!

Zene welcomed seven beautiful babies into the world on October 27th, 2017! 

Three girls and four boys -- everyone is happy and healthy!  

Introducing The Goodies: 

Gerdie (F - Coral) - 10.9 oz

Granger (M - Blue/Turquoise) - 13.6 oz

Greer (F - Pink) - 13.4 oz

Garth (M - Green/Blue) - 12.8 oz

Gigi (F - Purple) - 11.9 oz

Griffen (M - Black) - 13.9 oz

Georgie (M - Lt Blue/Purple) - 13.0 oz

The pups were whelped between 3:15-9:15 AM, with a long break in-between the first two. When I called Mary (Teak's owner) midday to let her know the pups had arrived -- she told me she had a dream at 3:20 AM that woke her up and she was up all night thereafter. Goosebumps! 

More photos to come, the Puppy Cam won't be up and running until after the tails and dewclaws are done. Please be patient 😉

WhelpWise is here!

Today we received a very important package via Fed Ex -- our WhelpWise Service!

WhelpWise (http://whelpwise.com) is a monitoring service that leases a uterine contraction monitor and an ultrasound Doppler for use in your home during canine pregnancy.  The equipment hooks into  a regular phone line, and transfers information about labor to the whelping center where it is evaluated. WhelpWise is available to clients on service 24 hours a day and 7 days a week! Use of the whelping equipment begins 4-5 days before the expected due date. The WhelpWise service is ALWAYS offered in conjunction with your veterinarian.

We are excited to get Zene's first reading tonight...! 

Week Eight (Days 49-57) of Zene's pregnancy

The Goodies could be born at any time from now onwards, and we are prepared! Zene needs to avoid any rough and tumble play or stimulation which might lead to the onset of early labor, as ideally the pups should spend another week in the womb. Zene is doing some "nesting'"at this stage, and we can easily see and feel the puppies moving within her tummy when she's lying down.

Towards the end of week eight, Zene bitch will start producing colostrum, the forerunner to her nutrient-rich milk, and then the milk itself. Zene is hungry as can be and it is hard to not overfeed at this stage, it is not a good idea that she is overweight but we don't want her to be hungry. 

Training tips from The Naughty Dogge

Saying what we mean, and meaning what we say:

There are two parts to this:

First, we must be consistent in our requests. If you ask for a sit, then don't compromise. If you said his name, then expect an ear flick or a look. If we want to be valued in their lives, then our words must have value, for both us and them. Make sure that your requests are actually important enough so that you will follow through. And if it isn't important enough, we tend to call that nagging - and no one appreciates or needs that so don't do it. If it is not important enough to care, then don't say it at all.

And second, your spoken words need to be spoken in a manner that they feel what they mean. If you say 'good dog' would a non-English speaking person know that you were happy and proud? Your words need to have emotional value.

Our dogs might not understand English, but they do understand our Intent. They know if we want it, and if we believe it.

Monique Anstee

The Naughty Dogge

Victoria, BC

Zene at the Vet - Day 55

Zene has gained almost ten pounds -- average is 2 lbs for each puppy at full term. She should gain several more pounds before next weekend and her due date.

Zene waiting for her x-ray -- unfazed at the vet 😊

Make Your Life Easier -- start training from DAY ONE

Every puppy comes to their new home with an inherent desire to follow. They are always underfoot and look to you for guidance and entertainment. Then something happens...they turn 16 weeks and realize that they can be independent. 

If you do it right, teaching your new puppy to come back when called is the easiest skill to solidify. Your puppy is already showing you the desired behaviour. All you need to do is reward it, praise it, solidify it. By rewarding their desire to follow, you are creating a solid foundation on which to build your recall. If you wait until they are 16 weeks old, you will have to work exponentially harder to make recalls fun and rewarding. 

Make life easier for you and your new pup - start training from day one and always reward the behaviors you like.

Erinn Lee Dog Training

http://www.erinnlee.com

Day 55 is X-ray day! Take a peek at the upcoming Goodies!

X-rays are an invaluable resource when whelping a litter, a couple reasons "why" I do radiographs on pregnant dogs.

• X-rays are generally done after Day 50+ of gestation, otherwise the skeleton hasn't ossified (calcified) enough to count the babies. 
• You can usually count puppies readily on radiographs, again +/- one puppy. (Count skulls, not spines! Most people count BOTH). Even then, someone can be hiding behind another puppy or along mom's spine. This helps me plan for the whelp and know what to expect. 
• The other advantage is that the skulls can be compared in size to the width of the dam's pelvis (not usually an issue with Vizslas).

Drum roll...🥁 How many babies do you see? Don't forget to count the skulls and the spines!

View #1

View #2

Any guesses? The staff at Dill Veterinary Reproductive Services sees SEVEN babies. I have been looking at the x-rays for several hours (no joke) and I am thinking for sure 6 -- possibly 7. Exciting stuff!

Week Seven (Days 42-49) of Zene's pregnancy

Zene has begun some light shedding the hair on her belly in preparation for the birth, this is totally normal and no cause for alarm.

The puppies will continue to grow and develop, and now look almost completely fully formed.

Day 42 of Zene's pregnancy

Beautiful Zene and her baby bump 😍

Week Six (Days 35-42) of Zene's pregnancy

Zene has a noticeably larger tummy and her pregnancy is somewhat obvious to most people. Her tummy is growing on a daily basis, and her nipples have started to become larger. The puppies will begin to develop their markings and the skin pigmentation that will eventually determine their color and looks.

She has had an increase of her food (30%) and is enjoying a lunchtime meal. She gets coconut oil, olive oil, coconut kefir, organic cottage cheese and grey sea salt added to her food. Zene is currently on Petcurean NOW (Adult) which is turkey, salmon and duck, and rotating Darwin's Natural Selections raw (all proteins). 

Drum roll . . .

Today was ultrasound day -- good news -- we're expecting! Thank you Dr. Terri Johnson at Dill Veterinary Reproductive Services for confirming puppies are on the way -- due date approximately October 30, 2017.

Day 34 - Pregnancy Update

Some interresting factoids about the fetal development:

• Toes, whisker buds and claws begin development.
• Organ formation (organogenesis) ends.
• The fetuses now look like dogs, displaying head and trunk differentiation.
• Gender can be determined.
• Skin pigment begins to develop.
• May be able to hear fetal heartbeat with stethoscope.
• Bitch's nipples begin to darken and enlarge.

And, now you know!  ;)