Taisce and Anchor did a pretty good job of finishing off their first taste of goat's milk. That is what their mother left them before they got to it! Taisce even gets thorough by removing the dish from the holder! Anchor is now 5lbs 0.3oz, and Taisce is 3lbs 13.9oz at 23 days old.
The puppies playing with each other! Adorable!
This is a video of Taisce and Anchor playing with each other at 18 days old.
Puppies have grown so fast!
Anchor and Taisce are 18 days old. They have grown to almost 4lbs, their eyes are open and they are alerting to sounds. They play with each other and mouth at toys, and are fearless in their exploration. They've met lots of two legged friends and one canine friend (Sophie came to visit the other day). I spend way too much time watching them and cuddling with them. They wag their tails to greet you and lick your face and chew on your fingers. You can definitely feel their tiny sharp teeth just below the gums. They should appear any day now.
Anchor meeting Sophie
Taisce playing with the duck.
Anchor teething on my finger.
Anchor exploring outside the whelping box with Mr Giraffe.
Taisce tail and toes! So adorable!
Anchor posing for the camera
New beginnings
Nutella went into labour on Monday evening at 9:45pm when her water broke. Her first puppy was born at 5:30am, a little girl. Her second puppy was born at 7am, a little boy. She had lots of help and support. Canine and humans alike! Many thanks goes out to these people, as we couldn't have done it without you. Here are a few pictures in their first 24 hrs.
Echo being a labour coach.
One proud momma dog!
First born, little girl.
Little boy.
The little girl really likes to climb.
One week to go!
Nutella in her new whelping box!
Doppler of the puppy heartbeats
Here's a short video of one of Nutella's puppy's heartbeats.
42 Days Today!
Nutella is getting a bit of a belly as she hits 42 days. Three weeks from today is her due date! We're getting excited! She has been really snuggly and loves her belly rubbed. Here we are having some cuddle time.
Nutella is Pregnant!!
For those of you who have been waiting for this announcement, the day is finally here. Yes, Nutella is pregnant and expecting at least six puppies. Now to go into plan mode for things like whelping box and planning for that day. I have lots of helpers (of which I'm truly thankful for!).
Here is the ultrasound. See if you can see anything in the blurry imaging. We're so excited!
To find the perfect match!
After much heart searching and research, I have decided to breed Nutella with a wonderful Border Collie named Zayn. We introduced them several times before breeding them. One of their "dates" was sheep herding together! Perfect for two Border Collies! They were finally bred on February 24, 25 and 26th, making their litter due around April 27th, 2016.
Zayn was bred by Kinloch Sheepdogs in Wales, and imported to Canada by Paula Reardon. He comes from all working dogs, that also compete in sheep herding trials. Some of these dogs have reached the International level. Zayn has been introduced to sheep and is a natural. Nutella has been on sheep and has a strong herding drive. Nutella and Zayn complement each other in conformation and temperament. Zayn is an outgoing sweetheart and handsome too!
Nutella has been my dream girl, moulding herself into anything I introduce her to, whether it be flyball, agility, disc dog, scent detection, sheep herding, skijoring, kicksledding, Diabetes research or therapy dog work, she is willing and excels at it.
Both are vet checked and healthy. Zayn's DNA testing is "normal" and preliminary hip X-rays are "good".
We are looking forward to a future, healthy litter of Zayn and Nutella puppies. Those who will receive one of their puppies will have a wonderful package of potential!
Zayn's puppy picture.
Nutella's puppy picture.
