INDIVIDUAL PICTURES

To show how each pup is looking. Next time we will take standing pictures. Each picture has name tag (next update will not be til Friday when pups go to visit the doggy chiropractor).

HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE!

The puppies are all excited about Easter.....and are wishing you a happy day!
First we have the two boys: Klondike and DiGiorno; then there is Rita and Edy, followed by Celeste and Marie with Sara and Ida at the end....
Next update will be Sunday.

WE HAVE A NEW "APARTMENT"

Aunt Beckie helped Momma Nancy change the living arrangements around today.  So now we have a new - much larger - pen...we are not yet taking advantage of the extra space, but as we grow we will like the room to roam around.  Momma Kirra says it is just fine with her and she has lots of room to spread out to feed us. Friday we will update the blog with some "special" pictures...stayed tuned.

HOME-COOKED MEAL!

Momma Nancy made us our first home-cooked meal today!   And, being true Dalmatians, we thoroughly enjoyed it, and no - we did NOT get all messy eating. Only one pup put a foot into the pan....

And then, dessert from Momma Kirra and NAPPY TIME!

Tomorrow is a big change day...moving out of the whelping box setup and into a regular puppy pen.  They will not like this change right away, but after they get used to all the room they will enjoy it more. Of course, this will mean more clean up "opportunities" for Momma Nancy <sigh>. First three weeks are the easiest since Kirra does most of the work; next five weeks I get to do it.

 Next update:  Friday  -- for some "special" pictures!!!!

WE NOW HAVE NAMES!

Now that we have more "distinctive" markings, and momma Nancy can tell us apart, we each have our litter name.  Eyes are all open and next up we watch to see who wakes up as our preliminary testing for hearing. This is especially hard with a litter that is being raised in the middle of the dining room with kitchen noises, TV noises and other dog noises.   But, as soon as they learn that my "puppy-puppy" sound means they are getting fed, they will respond promptly.  Next blog update (Tuesday) will show pix of them learning to eat from a pan....what fun that is!!!

SPOTS, SPOTS AND MORE SPOTS !!!

Two "progress reports" today: In addition to getting beautiful spotting patterns, almost everyone has their eyes open now (next blog update will show this) and.... believe it or not....the puppies now try to go from their sheepskin sleeping area onto the newspaper area to do their potty!  They can barely walk, but make the effort - I have helped them by changing the sheepskin to a thinner one, and by covering only the one side of their box. It is absolutely amazing to watch this, and as this week goes by they will get better and better at it. Dalmatians do like to be clean, and are one of the easiest breeds to housetrain.
Two appointments have been set up so far:  Doggy chiropractor is set for Friday, April 5th, and hearing testing is Saturday, April 13th. Still need to set up the microchip appointment.
Here are some "group" shots to show the spotting coming thru.  Some are more profusely marked than others, but it is normal to have their tummies a bit more spotted than their backs; and following in the pawprints of their daddy Chaucer, they have collections of spots on their shoulders and front assembly.

Next blog update will be Monday.

WEEK TWO!!!

Look how we have changed in just one week! Spots are popping out all over!!!  Weigh in today was right where they should be. Rule of thumb with puppies is that they double their birth weight the first week, and triple it the second week. And these puppies are almost all at that triple point, and some are over it.

Here are individual pix of the babies...boys, of course are blue (Klondike and then DiGiorno), and girls are pink. Have not totally decided on which girl is which, but first girl is Rita, followed by Edy. Still working on deciding which name best fits each of the other girls. 

Next update: Friday!

THE WEARIN' OF THE GREEN!!!!!

The pups are celebrating St. Patrick's day with wearing green.....

Next update:  Tuesday - which is 2nd week weight-in day!

THE THEME !!!!!!

Since these pups were the product of frozen semen, I have decided that the pups will all be named after FROZEN FOODS!
So --  we have Klondike and DiGiorno for the two boys....Klondike is the larger, lighter marked boy and DiGiorno is the darker of the two boys (Italian?)...
and  for the girls:  Rita (water ice), Celeste, Ida, Sara, Marie and Edy. Will wait on the girls for a week or so to decide which girl gets which name til I see more markings coming out and more personalities emerging.
In the meantime...here are some new pix taken this morning showing how the spots are beginning to emerge ...can see them best where there is less hair (on their tummies)....but soon the spots will be all the way thru on the white coat and they will look like REAL Dalmatian puppies!

NEXT UPDATE:  Sunday !!!!

ONE WEEK OLD !!!

Today is a day of both sad and good news.  I will begin with the sad...the littlest girl passed away Sunday afternoon.  No reason that I can see; I was home at the time and she had been fine; had gained weight that morning and was active; I had all the adults outside with me for grooming and play time (including Kirra) and when I came back in I fed Kirra her lunch (and she did not go into the box with the pups, but instead into her crate as she always does for meals) and when I checked on the pups the little girl was on her side not moving.  I did all the resuscitation "tricks" that I knew, including mouth to mouth, and nothing.  Kirra watched me and licked the pup and then I put the pup in another room.  Kirra and I sat and mourned for a while and she would check all the other pups and count them....it took til much later that evening when she stopped looking for the missing baby.

But on a brighter note: pups all got their first week weigh-in and their first manicure (which they did NOT appreciate). Weight gain is good on all.  A few doubled their birth weight and the others almost are at the double gain.  Did face shots - but forgive if not perfect. It is sorta difficult to hold and take the picture when you are all by yourself doing the photography!!!!  The first two are the two patched girls; second two are the two boys; and then the rest of the girls.

I Promise better pix next week when I have some helpers.

Next blog update will be Friday, 3/15  -- and I will then unveil the litter theme.