Lucky Seven

Reacher passed the one-year mark the end of August, which according to some sources, makes him about seven in people years. Considering his behavior, I'd say that's about right.

Much like children of that age, Reacher knows the rules of the house, but doesn't always follow them. He understands who's boss (ME!) and he's willing to tow the mark when we're together. But he still isn't trustworthy enough to be left on his own. He works hard to please me ... except for the times when he doesn't. At one year of age -- or seven -- Reacher is still very much a work in progress.

He loves roughhousing like most seven-year-old boys. Vega is his top pick for wrestling and chasing, mostly because she's available. Frankly though, he's not choosey. He will jump and play with any canine at the dog park willing to indulge him.

He loves to run as much as any young boy with long legs and energy to burn. To Reacher, it really doesn't matter if he has a companion to race with or not. I often see him all by himself, sprinting past a window at full tilt as if he's heading for the finish line.

At home, he'll settle for sitting close since he's now too big to fit in my lap. He would hop into bed with me every night if I'd let him even though he has a perfectly cozy bed of his own.

You can count on seven-year-old boys to annouce with some regularity, "You're the best!" And I'm certain that's what Reacher would tell me too, if only he could talk.

Going Up



Panzer at 12 weeks old

I've witnessed many little miracles during my German Shepherd puppy experience, the most recent one being the rising of the ears. Unlike a Boxer's ears which fold over and hang down unless cropped, German Shepherd ears are naturally pointed and stand at attention. They start rising of their own accord beginning when the puppy is a couple of months old and are generally fully erect at about six months of age.

I'm not sure how the other seven puppies' ears are progressing, but Panzer's ears are on their way up, although the left one is currently listing to the right, a little like the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Hopefully, it will straighten out all by itself.

If not, there's a lot of advice out there on taping ears to help them stand. I've had some experience with that myself. I regret to admit it, but I had my first Boxer's ears cropped. It's a surgical procedure and much of the ear is actually trimmed away. Then after the ears heal, the taping begins. 

Striker had two white cones on the top of his head for longer than I like to remember. Every week or so, the tape was unwound so the ears could rest. I was vigilant and Striker never complained. After weeks of repeated taping, the cartilage hardened and his ears pointed heavenward - permanently.

Panzer's ears haven't reached their final destination yet, but they are headed in the right direction. I'm counting on Mother Nature to finish the job. She hasn't let me down yet. 

Almost Famous

Now that the puppies are a happy memory, things are getting back to normal around here. I'm sleeping at least 30 minutes longer in the mornings since I don't have to factor puppy feeding and clean-up into my AM routine. I must admit that's a little slice of heaven.

No puppies to care for means more time for Reacher, Vega and I to do what we like to do: go for a walk. We are walking again nearly every day, at least once. And we're back to any one of our favorite long routes -- around the lake, along the river or just through the neighborhood.

Cooler weather has opened up the whole day for getting outside with their leashes on. It's not necessary to plan on a crack of dawn or late evening walk or training session to avoid the blazing sun. Just about anytime works this time of year.

I didn't realize that we're back out and walking so much until so many people started commenting on it. Out of the blue, a woman at the grocery store asked me if I have a German Shepherd and a Boxer. When I said yes, she said she recognized me because she sees me out walking "all the time."

The vet tech who took care of us at our last appointment she said she often drives past Reacher, Vega and I as she comes or goes from her house. Turns out we're neighbors.

I seem to have gained a kind of celebrity status among the children at the neighborhood elementary school, too. There is a growing number who come up to me and say, "I saw you walking your dogs! They're big!"

I'm feeling practically famous. The lady with the big dogs. It's not a bad reputation to have.

10 Things I Learned About A Litter of Puppies

It's not easy to see, but at least parts of all eight puppies are there!

1. It didn't matter one bit that I knew nothing about birthin' puppies. Thanks to the power of Mother Nature, Vega birthed the litter of eight all by herself. I was more than happy to be her biggest cheerleader.

2. Putting Vega in the blue kiddie pool to birth those pups was a great idea. It was portable, easy to clean and just the right size.  Moving the pool into my bedroom when it all began at 2AM was an infinitely better solution for me than a sleeping bag in the garage.

3. Diarrhea after birthing eight puppies is to be expected from a mother dog beginning a day or two after the litter is born. I'm sure it's not a pleasant experience for the canine. And it's definitely not pleasant for the human doing the clean-up.

4. The weight gained during pregnancy practically falls off a mother dog. Just days after giving birth Vega was thinner than she was prior to becoming pregnant. From a human mother's point of view that just doesn't seem fair. But I guess nursing eight puppies will do that to a mom.

5. It's true. For the first few weeks after having the puppies, the mama dog does everything - feeding, cleaning, comforting -  so there's not much to do but enjoy those babies.

6. That clean-up I mentioned above, doesn't last. As the puppies grew Vega did a good job of cleaning the pool, but definitely not the stellar job she did at the beginning. I had to step in and clean up behind her (and the puppies) at least once a day. 

7. For Vega, nursing eight babies began to loose its allure starting when the puppies were about three weeks of age. I had to actively encourage her to stick with it. But I could feel her pain - literally. As the days went by, nursing time could best be described as a feeding frenzy similar to what's shown on Shark Week, complete with razor sharp puppy teeth. Ouch!

8. Puppies take to puppy food like ducks to water. They even dive right in, just like ducks do. And because the puppy chow should be blended into a gruel at the beginning, meal time is quite a messy operation.

9. To go along with the mess that puppy food on the paws, legs and belly creates, there's the mess that comes after since the mother dog no longer cleans the pool or whelping box once the puppies stop nursing. Eight puppies, eating three times a day .... well, you do the messy math.

10. All the reading about breeding, canine pregnancy, whelping and caring for a litter of puppies was nothing compared to going through it myself. The advice of friends is no preparation either. But I managed to learn as I went along. Bottom line, it's like the Nike slogan says, Just Do It.

And Then There Was One

Eight weeks and one day after they were born, all but one of Vega's puppies has left the nest -- or the pool, or the whelping box, or the garage -- depending on how you look at it.

The four girls went to homes that already have a dog or two in the family, so those puppies will have at least one other four-legged friend in the family to keep them company. And owner(s) who I hope will spoil them at least a little.

The little boy who is still at my house, of course has Mama Vega to keep him in line and Uncle Reacher who is already grooming him to be his partner in crime.

The other three males left for a police canine training school in South Carolina. This was a litter of working dogs, after all!

 So now it is much quieter at my house. The pool has been scrubbed and is about to be returned. The whelping box has been cleaned and disassembled. The surrounding fortress taken apart. The pans for the puppy food put back in the cabinet. 

The cedar shavings have been swept up. The play yard fence folded up and put away. And there is room once again in the garage to park the van. 



Am I sad the puppies are gone? Not as sad as I thought I would be eight weeks ago. Do I miss all those cute puppy faces and the sweet puppy breath? I've got hundreds of pictures and memories to last a lifetime. Am I happy I had this litter of eight? Yes!! It was an amazing experience. Did I learn a lot about dogs, Mother Nature, puppies and myself? Definitely. Was I good at this? Amazingly so. Is it an experience worth repeating? All I have to say about that is, it would be tough to top perfection.

 

 

All photos taken by Alex Benigno, www.AlexBenigno.com.

She's Back!

At only six weeks after her litter was born, Vega is looking good and obviously feeling good, too. She enjoys long walks again. And at home in the yard she's back to running and playing with the favorite Boxer in her life.

In the past few days, she's shown that once again she's able to leap tall landscape walls in a single bound then fearlessly sail off of them again on her quest to catch Reacher. And as you can see in the video, there's nothing quite like a good wrestling match between friends.

If Vega is feeling good. Reacher is feeling even better. He's finally got his girl back!  

 

 

Foiling The Escape Artists

The whelping box has become a fortress.

Keeping eight busy, inquisitive puppies all in one place for any length of time is no easy feat. They've been finding ways to escape whatever space they've occupied ever since they've been two weeks old. That's when I discovered the first explorer on the carpet in the bedroom, not in the blue kiddie pool where he belonged.

Turns out that was just the first in a series of great escapes by one or another of this brother-sister team. And no matter how hard I've worked to fix each breach in security there's always at least one pup who finds an alternate way out.

After that first dive onto the carpet, I moved the puppies to the whelping box. It solved the problem until one Friday morning when I discovered six of them had squeezed through the space between the top and bottom doors of the box and were scrambling across the garage floor.

A quick fix with an old tabletop held in place by three ceramic planters solved that problem. But this is a determined bunch who always seems to be one paw ahead of me.
'
Recently, I decided to expand the puppy space for my energetic crew. I opened the doors of the whelping box and put one end of the play yard fence against one side of the opening. Then I made a half circle with the rest of the fence, placing the remaining end at the other side of the box. While it created a bigger puppy playground, it also created new opportunities for escape. 

In an amazing display of teamwork, eight puppies bounding against the fence were enough to scoot it out, out and away from the end of the box. And that resulted in a just-right space for the puppies to run through. I answered that escape by placing paint cans against the outside of the fence. It stopped the moving fence and foiled their puppy power.

The fix didn't last. Several brave souls learned to climb over the edge of the box taking the two-foot drop to the garage floor in stride. That's why at 10 pm last night I was answering their call of the wild by adding some height to the sides of the box. I stood a collection of one-time shelves on end and placed my kitchen chairs side by side with their backs to the box.

It's not a pretty solution, but for the last 24 hours not one of the eight has figured it out. For now at least, I'm smarter than a puppy!

Grown Up Pups

Lyra

In just five short weeks, these puppies have grown from eyes-closed, contented little creatures to four- and five-pound+ bundles of boundless energy. Miraculously, they've turned into real dogs. They're just smaller. They run, jump, climb, stand on their hind legs, chew, whine, bark and growl. They have sharp little teeth, eat puppy food and are getting along quite well without their mama, Vega.

In fact, they are getting ready to go to their forever homes very soon. Fortunately, all eight puppies are spoken for. And after their second deworming and first set of shots on Friday, some of them will be leaving as soon as next weekend.

I'm not sure I'm ready for them to go. Admittedly, they have become more and more work as the days have ticked past. They're demanding and boisterous. And even if they are fast asleep in a tangled heap, they erupt like an anthill as soon as I open the garage door. 

Panzer

Vega has given up both her nursing and clean-up responsibilities so I've had to take over. That means I've been blending puppy porridge, mopping spilled water and constantly sweeping up cedar shavings. And when I'm not handling those housekeeping chores, I'm often on the floor in the garage or the kitchen or even outside letting them crawl all over me and laughing at their funny puppy ways.

When they've all gone to their new homes, will I miss them? Definitely. Will I do it all over again some day? That remains to be seen.

There's A Swimming Pool In My Kitchen

Nursing in shifts.

The kiddie pool has been an invaluable piece of equipment during this puppy extravaganza. Vega's litter of eight was born in it and now it is the favorite spot - more accurately, the only spot - she will nurse her brood.

The pool has made many stops on this five-week journey beginning in the bedroom where the puppies were born. When Vega and the pups transitioned to the whelping box, the pool went with them.

Once the puppies began to exit the pool of their own accord, it moved from the box to the garage floor. But on Vega's cue, the puppies often moved back into the pool to nurse. 

Now that weaning is in full swing, the pool is the only place Vega will settle down. She also requires that I be within sight at all times. Which is why the pool has now become part of the kitchen decor.

At least in the kitchen, I can be productive - wiping the counter, tidying up, scrubbing a pan or emptying the dishwasher. And after the puppies have drunk their fill and leave a puddle on the kitchen floor, I'm right there to mop up.  

Uncle Reacher



On the outside looking in.

Reacher, who is accustomed to being in on all the action around here -- and creating most of it -- has been missing out since the puppies arrived on the scene in the wee hours of September 28. In fact, because he's such a bouncy Boxer he was banned from the puppies until recently.

For a couple of weeks, poor Reacher didn't really know what was going on upstairs nor was he allowed a peek at the new crew. But one day he managed to get up the steps undetected and was both surprised and amazed at what he found in the kiddie pool. Of course, Vega immediately herded him away from her little family so Reacher didn't have a chance for a thorough investigation.

Once the puppies made the move to the garage, he was allowed in, but was mostly relegated to a rug so he continued to miss out on all the puppy fun. Even when he was allowed a peek, he could look but not touch.



One of Vega's puppies with Uncle Reacher.



The other day Reacher got his big chance and surprisingly behaved like the big boy he's growing up to be. While Reacher was behaving nicely on his rug one of the puppies came to check him out. Kind of a reverse investigation.

Reacher let the puppy sniff around and amazingly stayed put. That little girl liked what she found. And if she could talk, I think she'd call her new friend Uncle Reacher. 

Puppy Progress

Changes are coming fast and furious for my puppies these days. In just a week, this litter of eight has learned to climb over the door of the whelping box. It now remains open and the pups have no trouble going up and down the box's short step on their clumsy little legs. They can also climb up, over and back into the plastic kiddie pool they were born in. They've got sharp little teeth and pointy little toenails that have just received their first clipping.



Stand foot in one dish, eat out of the other.

But the biggest milestone of all is one Vega is celebrating. They have begun to eat puppy food! Or should I say, puppy porridge that I make with dry kibble and water. They had their first taste of it this morning and they lapped it up like eight little champs. That was after they walked through it and received a dripping wet coating of it on their paws and legs.

The puppy food means Vega's days of nursing are numbered. And if she could, I'm sure Vega would be counting them down. Right now, she has to be coaxed to nurse her crew. At night while I'm sleeping or if I'm away from the house, I seriously doubt she's doing her motherly duty.

Easy does it!

So, I sit with her and offer encouragement, but when she gets bit or scratched or pulled on too vigorously, she growls at the offending pup, stands up and simply walks out. It's as if she's saying, "I quit!"

It won't be long and she can quit completely. Vega seems anxious to get her old life back. She's enjoying a short daily walk with Reacher and is even starting to play and run with him a bit just like the "old days." He likes having his gal pal back, too.

Out With The Puppies!

Time flies when you're having fun with puppies. This litter is officially 23 days old today.

Two weeks ago, the first puppy opened his eyes and the rest were close behind. Last week, they were taking their first steps, although there was more wobbling than walking. Now, the puupies are walking with confidence. And even beginning to play with one another.

All eight of them had a big moment on Friday when they managed to escape from the box and headed out to explore the great big world of the garage. Today, it was on to the great outdoors.

It was a picture-perfect fall day. So Evan suggested taking them on their first trip to the yard. They weren't quite sure what to make of the mulch and the leaves and the pinestraw, but it didn't take them long to get in the swing of things. They're puppies after all. And that makes them ready for just about anything. 

 

 

Scrambled Puppies

 

This morning, I got up and got dressed as usual. I headed downstairs, turned on the lights, let Vega out of the garage and Reacher out of his crate. Then I fed the two dogs, took them outside and proceeded to make breakfast.

As I was about to begin eating, I heard the puppies yelping in the garage. Vega and Reacher both went down to check it out. When I got there, six puppies had squeezed through the gap between the top and bottom doors of the whelping box and were exploring the brand new world of the garage floor. The other two were on their way to join their brothers and sisters. 

To add to the fun, Vega was herding Reacher - who was fascinated by all the activity - away from her family while I tried to round up the puppies. Problem was I really had no place to put them where they would stay put. There were a few frantic moments as I contemplated my next move.

 

I checked the whelping box double doors. They were latched but somehow off kilter causing a bigger gap at one end than the other. I fixed that issue, but didn't completely trust the doors would stay that way. Looking around the garage, I noticed two tabletop halves to the drinking game corn hole (thanks, Charlie) and I propped those against the whelping box door. I held the tabletop pieces in place with three heavy ceramic planters.

As an added precaution, I arranged the Superyard XT Portable Playard I'm borrowing from a friend, around the end of the whelping box. Then I scooped up the puppies two by two and put them back in the box. Problem solved!!

That's one way to start the day. Scrambled puppies instead of breakfast.

What's In A Name?

Color-coded puppies.

After all my blogging about names for this litter of puppies, all my themes are out the window. If you recall, I had star names, German names, girls' names that ended in "a"/boys' names that ended in "o," names of characters from children's literature and names of cocktails. And those were just the ones I posted. I was all about a beer theme most recently.

For the first ten days or so, the litter was themeless and nameless simply because it was just too hard to tell the puppies apart. They were all about the same size and their coloring was basic black.

Last Tuesday it was decided the puppies were grown up enough for collars. They are color-coded like this: boys wearing red, blue, green and green/orange; girls wearing solid yellow, solid orange, yellow/orange and orange/green.

The boy that ended up with the red collar happens to be the chunkiest puppy and right away was dubbed Big Red. David decided he wants to be a GSD owner and named his pick Panzer after the German tank. Over the weekend, a couple came to choose a female and will likely call her Reina (pronounced rain-a), the Spanish word for queen. So, having a theme isn't really working out.

I still like many of the star names and am calling the little girl with the yellow collar Lyra because she looks most like her star-studded mother Vega. I named the two other females Lola and Zelda just because they're girls' names that end in "a" and I like them. For some reason - maybe because it was his birthday last week - I agreed to let David play my name game. He chose Bronson and Titan for the two remaining males.

As it turns out, there is no theme. But, to very loosely paraphrase Shakespeare: "A puppy by any name is still very sweet."

Family Dining

If you saw yesterday's video of the feeding frenzy you probably understand why Vega isn't thrilled to head for the whelping box every time the puppies are hungry. And if I'm home, that just seems to give her an excuse to delay the puppies' next meal.

I encourage her to go to the garage and take care of her babies. While she'll head out there, she usually gives the eight a quick look, maybe takes care of some housekeeping and heads back inside.

So, I often end up staying in the garage with her so I can be sure she's nursing the pups. She's got me trained: She'll stay if I do. Tonight that meant I had dinner in the garage, just like the puppies. Well, I did sit at a table -- a card table that is. It overlooked the whelping box.

To make the scene complete, Reacher was there, too. I sent him to "the place" (the most useful command in the world), a throw rug next to my reserved table. He wasn't too happy about it, but he stayed put.

All eight puppies at least, were thrilled with their reservation at the milk bar. 

So tonight, we all ate at Garage Chez Schuetz, where we dined like one big, happy family. 

 

 

 

Feeding Frenzy

All's quiet on the puppy front ... for the moment. Tummies are full, puppies are satisfied and taking a snooze. But it wasn't like that a few minutes ago.

When Vega came into the garage and stepped into the whelping box, all eight puppies woke up. They were ready to eat! Mama had a few messes to clean up first, but several eager beavers made a valiant effort to stand on their hind legs and grab on for a drink. A good idea, but not so easy when you're just over two weeks old.

Still, it was madness in the whelping box. All eight puppies were scurrying around as best they could trying to anticipate where Vega might land. In all the excitement, one little girl managed to hook her front paws over the box's lower Dutch door and tumble out onto the garage floor. Time to close the top door!

Finally, Vega laid down, stretched out and let the puppies go for it. You can see for yourself what happened once they got situated.

And in a few hours, it will start all over again.

Graduation: From The Pool To The Whelping Box

The puppies have made lots progress in just a couple of weeks. Their eyes are open, they're starting to walk and they're getting big! At this stage, they still mostly alternate sleeping with nursing but they are definitely more active when they are awake. In another week or so, I'm sure things will be getting wild in the whelping box.

Yes, they have graduated from the pool in the bedroom to the whelping box in the garage. Vega would prefer to be in the house with me, but she spends the nights with her puppies and nurses them every few hours during the day. Other than that, she's outa there!

A mother can only take so much of eight very demanding, vigorous nursers. Vega is tugged on, pawed at and fought over during every feeding. And if that's not enough, she is constantly cleaning up after them all. It's a vicious cycle.

When you think about it, it's pretty much the same for all mothers with new babies. I remember. So, I take her for walks, throw the ball and just let her hang out with me. She's grateful for the adult company now and then.

Top Dog

Top dog! 

Lately, I have been focusing on Vega and her puppies. But that doesn't mean I've forgotten about Reacher. He is the kind of dog who tends to make his presence known whether you want him to or not.

However, even though he's way outnumbered these days - eight darling puppies and Mama Vega vs. "Mr. Personality Plus," Reacher has been enjoying special privileges these past couple of weeks. He has made a new high school friend who comes over in the afternoons to go for a walk. I don't know exactly what they do (translation: how Reacher behaves) or where they go, but when the two of them return, both have smiles on their faces.

I try to do my part as well. Reacher and I continue to visit the dog park where he hopes his Boxer girlfriend Tess will be, too. He also likes running with the rest of his dog buddies including Tyson - also a Boxer - and Roosevelt, Sammie, Henry, Harley, Chip and Gracie, to name just a few.  

And let's not forget training. We continue to practice and go to our lessons on Thursdays and Sundays. He's making steady progress, I might add. Good boy, Reacher!

There may be a total of 10 four-legged friends in the house right now, but Reacher was here first. In his mind, that makes him top dog.


 

Puppy Love

Eight puppies at seven days.

These litter of puppies is getting in the way of blogging. And cleaning. And cooking. And laundry. And most everything else in my life.

 

Since Vega is completely in charge of their care and feeding at this point, there's really nothing for me to do puppy-wise. Except enjoy them. 

 

For the first several days, the happy family was in my bedroom so I'd lie across the bed and just watch them sleep and nurse and squirm and scoot around. This happened even in the wee hours of the morning.

 

Then I decided I needed a full night's sleep, so I moved everyone to the garage. It's where I spend a lot of my waking hours, too. In fact, right now, my computer and I are inside the whelping box with Vega and her puppies. They are all bellied up to the bar and making those contented nursing noises. 

Upside down diner.

 

There is a lot of jockeying for position. Because unless Vega is lying just right, it's difficult for all eight to nurse at once. Usually two are awaiting a turn and they are not patient about it. But eventually, one of the nursing puppies peels off, passes out and another takes its place. Then everyone is satisfied.  

 

Puppies grow up and move on much faster than children. Which means our time together is rapidly ticking by. So, the cleaning can wait. The cooking can wait. The laundry can wait. Right now, I only have time for puppy love.

A Chorus Of Eight Puppies!!

The brand new, first two.

Vega's and Remy's puppies arrived on the scene early this morning, beginning about 2 AM, with the last arrival about six hours later. All eight puppies are healthy, nursing and boisterous!

In fact, squeaking is what woke me up at 2:11 this morning. I let Vega sleep next to the bed as usual, having been told she would start digging at the carpet, circling the room and generally letting me know she was about to deliver. But that's not what happened.

Vega was her usual chill self, even during labor and delivery. She was very calm and quiet about the whole thing. It was the first puppy that let me know the birthing had begun.

The plan was for Vega to have the puppies in the plastic pool or the elevator or the whelping box, but definitely not the bedroom floor. Oh well. I figured out "plan B" on the fly. I got the plastic pool from the garage, carried it upstairs and put it next to the bed. Fortunately, when I stepped in the pool with the puppy, Vega got in, too. And that's where the other seven were born.

Turns out it didn't matter that "I don't know nothin' 'bout birthin' puppies," because Vega knew just what to do. Instinct is a wonderful, powerful thing.

All eight are great!

I didn't have instinct going for me, but I did figure out when a puppy was about to be born because Vega would start panting hard, make a few quiet "burping" noises and tighten up her belly with each sound. I guess she was pushing. Then a sac with a puppy would slip out. Vega tore it open, chewed the cord, licked the puppy and cleaned it all up. She was quick, efficient and effective. In fact, she made the whole experience look like a walk in the park.

Each puppy found its way to a nipple and began nursing soon after it was born. Since Vega and the puppies were next to my bed I tried to at least doze off between births, but it was hard to do. Not because Vega was agitated or loud, it was the puppies that kept me awake. They are small, but amazingly noisy. And of course, the volume of the squeaking, squealing, yelping, whining and whimpering increased with the birth of each one. Instead of a litter of puppies, I have a chorus!

The Puppy Watch Continues

The whelping box

There's been a lot of action at the house this evening. And it hasn't been Vega delivering her puppies. It's been my friend Kyle delivering and assembling the whelping box. My friend Emily who stopped by to see my big mama. Evan who was here to check out the whelping box. Charlie who came to cut the grass but joined the fun in the garage when he was finished. Reacher who naturally tried to be the life of the party. And Vega who spent the whole time pacing and panting and really didn't care what the excitement was all about. Even though it was all about her.

Judging from her behavior, Vega's got to be very close to having her puppies. She has refused food and water all day long. She's been panting a lot and giving me the sad face. And right now she is on the family room couch just trying to get comfortable, I guess.

This is the first time she has ever jumped up on a piece of furniture. And of course, I'm feeling too sorry for her to put her back on the floor. I've also been worried that she might get dehydrated so I've even been trying to feed her ice cubes from the palm of my hand. 

It may be a very long night. I'm not sure how much sleep either of us are going to get. Especially if the puppies start arriving.

I'm afraid between Vega and I it's pretty much like the blind leading the blind. Yes, I've had babies. But I was in a hospital with a doctor, nurses and an entire medical staff at my disposal. In this situation, I feel more like Prissy in Gone With The Wind who uttered those famous words: "I don't know nothin' 'bout birthin' babies!"

In my case, "I don't know nothin' 'bout birthin' puppies!" But I know I'm about to learn.

Park It!

Q. What do you do when you have a VERY pregnant German Shepherd who doesn't want to be bothered AT ALL and a VERY exuberant, high-energy Boxer who might be a year old but is still a puppy through and through?

A. You take the crazy Boxer boy to the dog park in the hopes that it will wear him out for the evening.

Before Vega, Reacher and I would visit the dog park regularly. For the same reason. To wear the boy out. He would run, chase, be chased, jump, run, chase, be chased -- over and over again until he dropped. Which, of course, was the whole idea.

This evening, I decided if it worked before, it could work again.

Vega stayed home and enjoyed the peace and quiet while Reacher and I were away. And just in case Evan is reading this post, I want you to know that before I let him run wild, Reacher and I worked obedience. We practiced heeling -- changing pace, stopping, turning, etc. Reacher did quite well, I might add. On the leash, he is usually a model student. In the house and the yard, it's another story.

After our homework, I let Reacher cut loose at the dog park. He romped with a Terrier mix, two Lab puppies, a Goldendoodle, a couple of Huskies, a Basset Hound, a feisty Yorkshire Terrier and a Lab mix. At last, his tongue was hanging near the ground and he laid down to survey the scene. It was time to go.

Home again, he spent quite awhile splayed out on the kitchen floor. I had dinner. Both the dogs ate. I took them out. Vega relaxed. Reacher spent some time amusing himself with a tennis ball. But finally, he is spent. Hallelujah!

Right now, Vega is on the floor next to the bed. I am in the bed about to resume reading the newly released Lee Child novel featuring Reacher's namesake, Jack Reacher. As for the canine Reacher ... as you can see, he is in the bed, too. I know it's not a good idea. But at least Vega and I are happy.

Any Day Now

Saturday, September 29 is the day I have "PUPPIES!" written in red ink on the calendar hanging on my refrigerator.

But really, they could arrive any day. Nine weeks is about the gestation period for dogs. But depending on which "expert" you believe and which day you start counting, it could be anywhere from 58-68 days. Taking all that into consideration, I can definitely tell you the date is who knows?

I can tell you Vega looks very pregnant. I have actually seen a wave of puppy movement across her belly a few times and have felt a paw or head or butt moving around in there as well. 

She's acting very pregnant, too. Vega has almost quit sailing over the gates when they're up in the kitchen. And she's not interested in following me each time I go up and down the stairs either.

She is also favoring corners. Last evening, I couldn't find her. When I finally called her name she emerged from the corner of the living room where she was lying under the floor lamp. Before that she was behind a couple of chairs curled up between the wall and some cabinets.

Every time I take her outside, she wants to crawl way under the deck as close to the foundation as she can get. I'm keeping her on a leash to prevent that because I don't plan on crawling in after her with a flashlight to retrieve puppies.

I've been doing my best to keep Reacher away because he is driving Vega crazy. She is growling and nipping at him more and more frequently. To that I say, "You go girl!" He is driving me crazy, too.

So for now, the watching and waiting continues. You'll be the first to know the puppies have arrived because they will be making their debut right here.

Puppy Preview Pictures

 

The three round shapes are sacs holding a puppy each.

Vega had her second ultrasound yesterday, thanks once again to Kathy, my fellow dog-owner-in-training and now Vega's personal ultrasound technologist. Kathy confirmed seven puppies and is fairly certain she saw number eight. Eight is the figure I've chosen to go with anyway.

These ultrasound images were quite clear even to me, who had quite a bit of trouble the first time around determining what was what in a sea of black, grey and white. I admit, the details are much harder to see here, so you'll just have to trust me when I tell you that I was able to clearly make out spines and rib cages myself. Kathy also pointed out legs, tails and bladders. And we could see those little hearts -- all four chambers -- beating!



The sideways "u" in the middle is a puppy butt & 2 legs.

Once again Vega was the model patient. She spread herself out on the floor of the exam room as if she was right at home. She didn't complain once about the cold, slippery gel, the poking and prodding or all the time we took oohing and aahing over all those puppies. And after Kathy got the views she wanted on one side, Vega allowed us to roll her over so Kathy could see what else she might find. That's when she confirmed puppy number seven and quite possibly the eighth.



 

The round spots: heart to the right, bladder to the left.

In about another 10 days, the entire litter -- all seven or eight of them -- will be making an up-close-and-personal appearance. Those pictures will be clearer than ever. And of course, you''ll be able to find them right here. 


1. 

A Hole Is A Hole Is A Nest?

Reacher's continuing excavation project.

Lately, Vega has taken an uncommon interest in Reacher's holes that dot our yard. She is sniffing each one and sticking her nose down the deeper cavities as far as it will go.

I hope she's not considering dropping her puppies in one of them. Reacher may be thinking the same thing. Perhaps that's why he has been enlarging the crater to the left (the photo really doesn't do it justice) to make plenty of room for one very pregnant German Sheperd and her soon-to-be litter of puppies. Since Vega has been ignoring Reacher lately, he may just be trying to win back her heart.

Whatever the two of them have in mind, going back to nature is definitely not going to work for me. I already have plans in the works for a custom-designed whelping box where Vega is supposed to have her puppies in style.

It will be 4'x8' with rails around the inside walls that will prevent mama from accidentally lying on top of her babies. The sides will be about 3' high and have a Dutch door that opens top and bottom. When the puppies are tiny, we'll leave the top open so Vega can easily step out. As the little guys grow, we can close the top to prevent them from escaping. The floor of the box will be tile for easy cleaning and there will be a space underneath so we can slide heating pads in. Think of it as radiant heating just like in the coolest bathrooms on HGTV. There's nothing too good for my girl and her babies.

A nest of dirt? Not when there's a designer labor and delivery suite being built just for Vega.

Little Mama Is Getting Bigger

Vega's middle is spreading.

Ten days ago, the ultrasound confirmed Vega is pregnant. But now her condition is obvious, even to the untrained eye. She's showing! Her belly is growing a little bit every day.

She's not as lively as she used to be and isn't so interested in taking a walk unless it's cool and we're not going far. Vega is definitely less and less interested in Reacher.

Of course, he doesn't get it. Being a dog, a boy and just a year old, he is clueless. He wants her to play with him and chase him around the bushes like she used to. He wants her to wrestle with him and even twist his collar until he hits the dirt. He wants her to play keep away with a ball or a bone. But she's having none of it.

He barks. He lunges. He paws at her. He barks some more. But Vega has put him on ignore. Occasionally she just loses patience and will give him a no-nonsense growl and a serious snap. Then he backs off. At least for a few minutes.

I think he is taking all his frustration out on things around the house. In typical Reacher fashion, he has destroyed a plant, removed even more pillows and cushions from chairs and beds, tries to chew up my shoes any chance he gets and is getting into anything else that's not nailed down.

There's about three weeks to go before we have puppies. Until then, Vega's belly will continue to grow. And Reacher, I'm afraid, will continue to get himself into bigger and bigger trouble.