Welcome to The Puppy Papers 2006 - Rivermead Strawbery (Allie)

Follow this link to see all editions of "The Puppy Papers"

Here is where you will find the diary of events leading up to our latest litter and the progress of the resulting puppy.

Start at the bottom as the most recent entries are at the top. Go to the Start.

Puppy Weights

23 July 2006

Donna has updated us with a report on Penny, she loveingly calls her 'Little Savage': "The little savage is said with great fondness. The boys call her a little savage because of the way she growls and then jumps at them to chew fingers, toes, noses and anything else she can get in her mouth.I prefer to call her a little "jellyfish" because of the way she plasters herself over your face when you are laying down. I am used to puppies lying across the neck, but not our Penny , no she has to lay over your entire face and lick or chew your ear.

What a crazy puppy. She reminds me a lot of Mizzy when she was a puppy, stubborn, determined, mischievous but so loveable. I can't wait to begin training in classes with her, then you really see what they are made of.

I am expecting Penny to be a very quick learner and I am sure we will have some interesting training sessions. She is playing on all the agility equipment in the yard when it is set up and is showing a lot of interest when Mizzy and Molly are training. I am getting my Dad to make an A frame for Penny, about a foot off the ground and a slow incline. It will get her used to the commands and also the feel of it without causing any harm. Jumps and weave poles have to wait until she has finished growing . So for now we will continue to play and learn the names of the obstacles and as long as everything is just off the ground she will get the feel for everything in a safe manner.

Penny now weighs 9 pounds and is growing by leaps and bounds. She is all legs and ears. Her coat is starting to feather on the legs and her tail is beginning as well. I do have some pictures and will send them on as soon as the boys show me how to download them onto the computer.(Little steps at a time as we do not want to over tax Grandmas brain).

Penny is taking over everyone she meets and continues to do great here. She is an awesome little girl, and she is becoming the little lap dog that I wanted so badly, but even if she wasn't, sorry Alan, you are not getting her back. She is very much WANTED and loved in my house. Ta for now, and we'll make arrangements for a visit the first part of September sometime. Take care and I can't wait to see pictures of Iza's puppies. They sound adorable.

11 June 2006

Donna reports that "Penny made the trip home in excellent shape. She rode home in Kylar's arms and lap. Kylar (Donna's Grandson) is her buddy nd anytime she was a little confused she ran to him for comfort. Mizzy (one of Donna's pampered and much loved dogs) is fascinated with her and has not let her out of her sight. They had a small play this morning and Molly (Donna's other pampered and much loved dog) is trying to get her to play as well. No worries about them getting along, and Miss Penny seems to be able to handle her own. She had a quiet first night in her crate and was settled for the whole night. No problems at all and she seems to be in no distress with coming to a new home. No messes in the house, she seems to have a good understanding of this potty business being out side, so I don't expect this little one to have any problems at all. She is wonderful and has won our hearts, but then that was expected. I will keep you posted on her progress, but she is doing great. - Donna"

10 June 2006

Penny went to her new home in Spruce Grove with her new Mommy "Donna". I cried like a fool and Allan commented that I was in the wrong business if I cried every time I sold a puppy. I reminded him that breeding dogs is a hobby not a business. Revenue Canada defines a business as an operation with a reasonable expectation of a profit. 'Nuff said.

Donna will give Penny a great home. Penny will continue to be fed a raw diet and Donna likes her name ... so Penny Lane she will remain. Donna, her son and grandsons came to pick up Penny. They were thrilled with her. Penny got to business right away and stole the boy's socks and chewed fingers and licked a lot of noses. OK ... there were a few nibbles between the licks. Penny Lane especially gave Donna kisses and lots of neck cuddles.

Donna promised that they would come for a visit before the snow flies. Her grandsons need to teach her how to use her digital camera. Penny will have her own page on this web site as soon as we get settled from the move. Be sure to check back from time to time and see how Penny is doing in her new home with lots of new adventures.

8 June 2006

Penny can go up and down the stairs now. It is quite cute. She goes really fast down the stairs and sometimes her bottom teeters over her head for a moment and you're not sure if she will need rescuing or not ;)

Penny has been playing with Iza's pups thorugh the mesh of the playpen. You should hear the sounds of all the pups playing growling at each other.

Penny is defintely the sweetest pup we've produced. I am sure that Donna is going to love her to pieces. Penny leaves for her new home on Saturday the 10^th of June. We will miss her dearly ... I think I'll see if I can slip some "visitation" rules into the contract. Do you think Donna will notice? ;)

5 June 2006

Penny wwas de-wormed and had her microchip installed today. She also had her first shots (9 weeks)... I know she'll be 10 weeks tomorrow but they couldn't fit me in until today ;) Poor little Penny, she squeeled like a stuck pig. She had a rough time for about 4 hours after the shot. I would consider her sensitive to vaccination, so we really have to be dilligent in not over vaccinating. I'll give her some Thuja today as that should help her get through the rough parts.

Penny was so happy to see everyone and her tail wagged non-stop until the Vet gave her the vaccination and then a shot to numb the area that the micro-chip was to be implanted. She was not very happy at all and then the big needle for implanting the micro-chip was more than she could bear. The poor little girl practically crawled up me and wrapped herself around my neck. She wouldn't even look at Laurel and Laurel was the Vet who gave Allie the shot of Oxytocin that helped Penny be born. Laurel says that she gets that all the time and does not take it personally. Penny did give her usual loving welcome an older couple who had their dog in for a check-up.

I am happy to report that Penny is back to her old self this evening. Penny even spent a little time getting to know Iza's pups. Penny was very gentle and gave soft kisses. She is such a darling.

3 June 2006

Penny Lane will be 10 weeks old Tuesday: Debbie, Larry, Cindy, Esther and Allie all dropped in for a visit on Saturday morning. Larry was responsible for photos and was kind enough to share. This photo of Penny Lane really captures her personality.

Little Calamity Jane from Tara's last litter has come to stay for a few days. She was so happy to see us. I love it when the pups clearly remember us. Callie will be staying with us while her Mom and Dad find new jobs and a place to live in Red Deer.

23 May 2006

Penny is running up short flights of stairs now. She can handle three with no problem at all. She is a little intimidated by the longer flight of stairs down to our basement. Aurora had taught Penny the 'Arrr Arrrh' game. That is when they both open their mouths and pretend to bite at each other while making strange 'Arrr Arrrh' noises. It sounds a little strange when I try to explain it. I'll try to capture it on camera.

22 May 2006

Penny will be eight weeks old tomorrow. Iza's pups are one week old today. I can't believe that so much time has already passed. Penny is a spunky little girl who loves to play. We weighed her today and she is a very healthy 4 lbs 4.5 oz. Penny will only be with us for a few more weeks. We will be letting Donna pick Penny up the weekend of the 11^th of June. That way Penny is spared the chaos of the move to the acreage. When she comes back to visit we will be all settled in. Penny will be almost 11 weeks when she leaves to join Donna's family.

19 May 2006

Penny is the most vocal Cavalier I have ever met. She has a very wide range of sounds. At times she sounds like a cat and not a dog. She is learning to play gently and has developed into a real heartbreaker. Penny is climbing up the two back steps to get into the house all on her own now. She hasn't mastered the interior steps just yet. Those steps still tower over her. Give her a week or so and she'll be up those in a flash too. These pups, like children, grow up far too fast.

We have decided to place Penny in a home where she will get the opportunity to participate in agility. Penny will be placed on a co-ownership, much like the one in place for Iza. If she turns out as I expect her to she will be lovely. Donna, Penny's new human Mom has two dogs that are active in agility now. She is very excited about Penny joining her family.

We have decided to not show Penny. The white on her coat would be heavily penalized. Instead we will let her focus on Agility. We will make a determination, regarding breeding her, when she turns two and has passed all the health testing. If she is bred to the right wholecolour male with a strong wholecolour pedigree there is a very good chance that we can eliminate the white from the resulting pups.

15 May 2006

Penny will be seven weeks old tomorrow. She is growing like a weed and learning to play gently. She wasn't sure what was going on today as Iza gave birth to ""three little pups this morning. Penny fell in love with Cindy during their visit this morning. You can plainly see the love in Penny's eyes when she looks at Cindy in the photos below:

12 May 2006

Day 46 for Penny Lane: Penny turned six weeks old last Tuesday. Time sure flys! Penny is totally integrated into the older Cavalier Crew. She stays in her playpen until she has gone potty outside and then she plays with the adults until she tires out. Penny is learning to not bite; as the older Cavaliers gently correct her if she gets a little over exuberant. Penny is eating very well. She has three to four meals a day and is gaining weight again. I do have new photos, but I haven't had time to post them ... soon ... I promise

Iza is with us now and should have her puppies within a week. You can view Iza's very own edition of "The Puppy Papers"

2 May 2006

Day 36 for Penny Lane: Penny turns five weeks old today!

We found out last night that all the hoops have been successfully jumped through and that the acreage is ours. The water test has passed and we are signing documents at the bank today. We have arranged the closing date for the acreage for May 30th and the closing date for selling our house is June 15th. That gives us roughly two weeks to make the changes that are immediately required. We do need to put runs and dog doors in place before we move in. (See April 19th 2006 - below- for photos)This is probably the largest 'dog house' that we have or will ever buy.

1 May 2006

Day 35 for Penny Lane: Penny was playing with the adult Cavaliers for a while this morning. Penny has really attached herself to Aurora. Aurora is being a wonderful big sister. She is playing with Penny and keeping an eye on her. Aurora is never far away. Penny was looking for milk from Aurora. Aurora was not quite sure what was going on. When Penny tries to get milk from Tara. Tara warns Penny away. Tara is also teaching Penny to not chew on faces. Penny especially likes noses.

Penny fell asleep on Aurora this morning. It was so sweet to see them all curled up together. Penny did wake me up last night. She wasn't interested in food, but she was lonely. I patted her a little and gave her some more stuffies to cuddle with. She went back to sleep with no problem.

30 April 2006

Day 34 for Penny Lane: We decided today that as Allie is no longer interested in Mothering her pup that we would return Allie to Esther today. Esther has been very patient; it is really hard to be away from your pet for a prolonged period of time. Allie was very excited about going for a car ride. Allie always travels well in the car and made the trip to Edmonton with no stress at all. Allie was very excited to see Esther and went with Esther without a single look back. Esther reported that Allie didn't seem to miss Penny or to be looking for her at all. Esther had a harder time with Allie and Penny's separation than either Allie or Penny did.

29 April 2006

Day 33 for Penny Lane: Penny is doing well on the solid food. She is also a lot more active now. Tara, Tannus and Aurora are stepping in to help Penny learn the rules. Allie is becoming less and less interested in her pup. Allie is also not letting Penny nurse very long at all. Allie just sort of saunters away (as much as one can with a Pup attached to a nipple) until Penny drops off the nipple. I honestly do not blame Allie as Penny has really sharp little milk teeth.

28 April 2006

Day 32 for Penny Lane: Penny is developing a lovely personality. She is very playful and play bows at Tara and Tannus and the humans in the house. Penny was outside in the warm sun for a while yesterday afternoon. She played on the grass and the stone patio. She has been on many different surfaces. One of the things they say to do to socialize a pup is use the "Rule of 7". The pups should be exposed to 7 different surfaces, 7 different looking people, etc. So far Penny Lane has played on: carpet, cloth pee pads, painted cement, laminate, vinyl, parquet, grass, paving stone, raw cement. She has been played with by: woman with long hair, a woman with short hair, a woman wearing glasses, a man with a beard (Jason's was kinda growing in this past weekend), a clean shaven man, a man with a moustache, a man in a ball cap.

25 April 2006

Day 29 for Penny Lane: Penny had her first exposure to solid food today. She played in it and licked it off of her feet, but that was about all. We started her with a chicken neck last night. She really tore into it and was able to get an amazing amount off of the bones. She wasn't as interested in the ground mixture we presented her with today. We will keep trying her every day and eventually she will get the idea.

24 April 2006

Day 28 for Penny Lane: Penny was outside on the grass and patio for a few minutes today. The sun was warm and she chewed at the blades of grass that tickled her feet. Penny is becoming more playful every day. Allie makes sure to spend time with Penny, just playing with her or cuddling with her.Allie is not warning off the other dogs anymore. She lets them come and kiss Penny and play with her under Allie's watchful gaze.

22 April 2006

Day 26 for Penny Lane: Penny moved from the Hot Box to the playpen today. Penny can climb out of the Hot Box now, so we will put it away for the next litter. Esther came to visit today. Allie was very glad to see her and was quite ready to return home with Esther. Allie showed off her baby and let Esther hold Penny today with no problems. We took lots of photos and will get them up on this page asap.

21 April 2006

Day 25 for Penny Lane: Penny is starting to interact more with Allie, the other Cavaliers and the people in the house. She is nibbling and mouthing more as her milk teeth have erupted. Penny is getting steadier on her feet every day. Penny's little growls are so cute. Allie makes a point of spending time with Penny playing. It is nice to see that Allie doesn't see her role as simply a caretaker.

19 April 2006

Day 23 for Penny Lane: We got the acreage! Yes, we found out late this afternoon that our offer on the acreage has been accepted. The photos below are of the new property. There is lots of room for Cavaliers to frolic. I suspect they will love the pond ... after all they are Spaniels. We need to do water tests before we let the dogs near the pond. I'd hate for them to get sick because of something in the water. As you can see there is lots of room for dog runs and a kennel. Unfortunately, we do not have an Internet connection today, so this page will not be uploaded until we do.

Jason and Alyson will be staying with us for the next two weeks. They make sure that Penny gets lots of interaction and playtime. I think that Jason is 'smitten' with Penny.

17 April 2006

Day 21 for Penny Lane: Penny is walking this morning! She is talking very wobbly steps, but steps they are! She is also becoming much more vocal. I can get her to growl by bugging her like siblings would; pulling her tail, rolling her onto her side, pulling her leg ... that sort of annoying type of thing that little brothers and sisters would do.

Penny's milk-teeth are coming in and she is mouthing fingers and blankets. It doesn't hurt ... yet, but her teeth are sharp like little needles.

We took a video of Allie and her 3 week old pup Penny Lane today. It is *really* big, but worth the time to download it. Penny is vocalizing and crawling all over her Momma. I have Penny in the "Hot Box" on my desk. Allie jumps into my lap and then into the "Hot Box" to tend to her baby. It actually works quite well and Allie is not worried about the other dogs because I am between them and Penny.

We sold our house last night! Whoo Hoo! Now we have to wait and see if our offer on the acreage gets accepted. We are looking at another couple of acreages today as a back-up plan if our first offer is not accepted. Keep your fingers crossed for us.

17 April 2006

Day 20 for Penny Lane: We have had quite the exciting Easter weekend. Allan was browsing, as he likes to do, and found an acreage property that would give us lots of room for the dogs, without annoying the neighbors. It is 3.31 acres. We put an offer in on it; after visiting the property three times in two days. We have put our house up for sale contingent on the acceptance of our offer on the acreage. So far, we have nine showings booked for today and will start taking offers at 8:00 tonight. Send positive thoughts our way.

This acreage has amazing potential for a whole wing built for the dogs. We could have a feeding room with multiple runs all open to their own (totally covered) sections. It would allow us to have a completely separate whelping room, large enough to house two Moms and their litters while keeping them totally separate if necessary. The dogs would have access to my office and still be able to go outside through doggy doors. It would be perfect. Alas ... if it is meant to happen then it will. I'll keep you posted.

Penny, Allie and all the Cavaliers are all holed up in the office while people are viewing our house. The dogs are starting to get used to people coming to our door, and do not make a fuss for long. Cavaliers expect that if people are coming to visit, they must obviously be coming to see them.

I've got Penny in the "hot box" sitting on the desk beside me. The heating pad is ensuring that she doesn't get chilled. Tara is very interested in this baby. Tara is 'talking' to me and saying that she knows there is a baby and she knows what that baby needs, therefore I should be letting her attend to the baby. Given how protective Allie has been, I think that is not going to happen anytime soon. I am told that often Cavalier Moms will share babies or end up with a communal arrangement when there are two litters that are born close together. I'd be very careful, because in some breeds the Alpha bitch will kill the other bitches pups.

16 April 2006

Day 19 for Penny Lane: Happy Easter Sunday! I'll be preparing Easter Dinner for the whole family today, so I am writing this in advance. I hope you all have a wonderful day celebrating with your family and friends.

We had the whole family over for Easter Dinner. It was great to have the kids with us. My Mom came in from Sylvan Lake with her new 6 month old Papillion pup Tigger. I meant to get photos but didn't. I'll have many more chances I'm sure.

15 April 2006

Day 18 for Penny Lane: Happy Easter/Oestara Weekend everyone! Please remember that chocolate and dogs do not mix. Dark chocolate is especially dangerous and a remarkedly small amount can kill a small dog quickly. So, keep all your easter eggs and goodies out of your pet's reach.

Penny Lane is working hard to get up on all four legs. She is so tubby that she gets up and then crabs sideways a couple of steps before tumbling over onto her side were she does a complete sideways summersault. She will get the hang of it soon enough and then we'll have a hard time keeping her where we put her.

Allie is doing much better about not barking at everything that moves outside. It seems to help if I catch her assessing something (before she launches into full attack mode) and explain in a calm voice what it is and that it is allowed to be there and that no barking is required. I sometimes pick her up and show her what it is, by peeking over the fence. SHe feels more secure in my arms and stays calmer when facing her 'demons' or whatever it is she thinks is going to 'get her.'

13 April 2006

Day 16 for Penny Lane: Penny was lying flat on her back with all four legs high in the air when I went to check on her this morning. What a silly goose! She snuggles with her stuffies and is usually laying on one or the other; much as she would lay on a sibling if she had one. She is a darling and has a mischievous personality already. Penny tries to focus on your face and turns her head trying to get the best angle. It is too cute for words.

Penny went outside to smell fresh air this morning for the very first time. She was wrapped very well in a warm blanket and kept close in my arms. Her little nose was going a mile a minute and she tried to crawl out of the blanket.

Penny had a very busy day with her Aunt Debbie, cousin Cindy and Allie's good friend Iza. Debbie took lots of photos and we will have them on the web site ASAP. Cindy was facinated by little Penny. Neither Debbie nor her daughter Cindy had seen puppies at two weeks old. Their last Cavalier, Penny, was up and running around the first time they saw her as a puppy.

More about this visit can be read on Iza's Puppy Papers. All the Cavaliers are sleeping now. They had a fun filled day of visits, pets and cuddles.

11 April 2006

Day 14 for Penny Lane: She is back to gaining weight well today. We moved Penny and Allie back downstairs to the Laundry Room. It is the warmest room in the house and the comings and goings of the other dogs do not seem to bother Allie as much down there. Allie has her own crate as well as the whelping pen Allan made. My puppy pads came last week and so Allan built a small frame to hold them. It works very well and is not as large as the whelping wading-pool.

Allie is sleeping in a crate in the office. The other dogs are also sleeping and we haven't had world war three ... yet. I am hoping that Allie gets over her hyper-protectiveness soon. I had her in the back yard yesterday and there were lots of people and dogs outside because it was such a nice warm evening. Allie would not stop barking. I finally traipsed through my very muddy garden, in my slippers, to get her because she will not come back nor pay any attention to my commands; she had herself so wound up that there is no calming her.

Wouldn't you know it; a very nice senior gentleman walking his dog comes to visit at just that moment. Well, Allie sees the dog and goes balistic. I have a struggling barking almost foaming at the mouth Cavalier in arms while this very nice gentleman would like to talk "dogs". I am red faced and mud covered as I explain that she is a Cavalier and that she is intent on protecting her pup ... from everything! I assure him that they are not all like this and in fact, neither is she ... normally.

Sigh ... I'm sure I will soon become known as the "Crazy Dog Lady." It is times like this, that I would love to live on a large country acreage with nobody to be bothered by the dogs barking.

We have had one successful "group potty" later this afternoon. I had to be out in the yard with them and kept myself between Allie and Aurora. Those two are definately vying for the position of "Alpha Bitch". What they obviously do not understand is that I, "The Crazy Dog Lady", already solidly hold that position and I am not ready to give it up.

10 April 2006

Day 13 for the pup: Penny didn't gain much weight from yesterday to today. I guess it must have taken a lot of energy to open her eyes. Yes! Allan called yesterday afternoon to announce that Penny's eyes were open. Allan was quite tickled that the first human face she saw was his.

I was in Calgary with my Mom and my sister Sharon. We were picking up a beautiful 6 month old Papillion pup. Tiger is a birthday gift to my Mom from us girls. He snuggled with Mom the whole trip home and she cuddled him and talked to him. Tiger also got to meet Sharon's Irish Wolfhound, Phaelan; through a chain link fence of course. We didn't want to traumatize the poor little boy.

6 April 2006

Day 9 for the pup: Penny is only .9 oz away from doubling her birth weight (20.3oz today). She weighs much more than pups in our past litters did at the same age; those pups usually doubled their weight by 7 to 9 days, but they were 11 days old before they weighed 20+ oz. Penny's eyes are not open yet, but we should be seeing them open between 11 and 13 days if she progresses as pups in our past litters have.

Penny is a real doll and has taken to laying on Allie's butt or her stuffed friends. Penny really likes to have her head propped up on something warm and snuggly. Her pink friend is a really soft pink pig that oinks at her. We took some great photos of Allie and Penny today. Hover your mouse over the photo and a caption will pop-up.

5 April 2006

Day 8 for the pup: Penny continues to grow and put on weight. Both Allie & Penny have a little diarhea yesterday and today. I'll be modifying Allie's meals by adding stewed pumpkin and a little pshylium (the same fibre stuff that is in Metamucil). Allie is not eating much but she is not totally off her meals.

I got up with the dogs at 5:00 am this morning. Allie needed to go outside. She is such a good girl to let me know. Althought, we are going to have to devise a method of reinforcing the doors so that they handle the dogs scratching at them without tearing the door apart.

I laid down for a nap with Allie, after letting everyone out in shifts ... Allie does not tolerate any other Cavaliers right now. Allie is very protective of her baby. Allie needs her people time as well. Allie cuddled with me and seemed to enjoy the company. She really is a very sweet dog.

Since Penny Lane is our first whole colour pup ... I was concerned about the amount of white that she has on her chest and toes. I was doing some reading and discovered that the Black & Tan colour pattern is identical in all dogs that exhibit the Black & Tan, no matter the breed. I expressed my concerns to my Breeder friends and the answers coming back from our Canine Repro & Puppy Care Yahoo list are quite encouraging. The breeders on the list are counseling to be patient and see if the white dissappears, as it often does. They also say that if she is strong in all other aspects af soundness and type then I should not remove her from a breeding program based solely on miss markings.

Penny Lane is the result of a breeding I wanted very badly and she is the only shot I have at this. This is a lot of pressure to put on the shoulders of a very small pup. I want to be sure that my passion for this breeding does not cloud my judgement when assessing her at eight weeks. The hardest thing to do with your breeding program is being 'brutal' and Spay/Neuter and place any pups that are not your absolute best to-date.

If truth be told ... I would keep every single pup we ever breed. Allan was only half joking when he was talking to our Real Estate Agent. Allan told him that we were looking for a large acreage so that we could "Run a Hundred Head ... of Cavalier." You should have seen the look on the Agent's face ;).

4 April 2006

Day 7 for the pup: Penny will be one week old by 7:00 pm tonight. She is growing steadily and always has a full tummy. Ally keeps her so clean that the first time I saw her poop was ... on me this morning ... when I weighed her.

As you can see from the photos below, Penny has good coloring on her topside. Her little nose is already black. It isn't like the Blenheims and Tricolours, wereby their noses start out pink. Then every day it looks like someone adds a small dot, with a fine point felt tip pen, until they fill in black.

Penny has a blaze of white on her chest and on the tips of both of her front paws. It is hard to say what it will look like when she is older. I often go back to baby pictures of dogs with tiny blazes and their puppy pictures look like very large blazes.

2 April 2006

Day 5 for the pup: Penny is growing like a weed. She has been putting on one ounce a day. She is not fat, but at this rate she will be. Allie is starting to want to spend some people time on her own. We've been leaving the TV on in the spare room. Perhaps hearing and seeing all the animals on the "Outdoor Life Network" will help the pup to learn not to bark at TV animals.

Little Callie from Tara's last litter has come to spend some time with us. She is a little sweety and is getting along very well with the other dogs. Callie learned how to 'Sit & Wait' today. She is a very quick learner; especially when there is food involved. Aurora won another point today at the final day of the Dog Show. That makes two ... only eight more to go!

1 April 2006

Day 4 for the pup: Penny has been quiet today. Allie has spent lots of time with her. Penny is trying to get up on all fours already. She is a feisty little girl. Allie had to be hand fed yesterday as she was not at all interested in food otherwise. We shared some cheese today.

Aurora earned her first point at the Red Deer & District Dog Show today. She was Best of Winners over a beautiful little puppy owned by Suzanne from Calgary. Suzanne's daughters handle their dogs and do a wonderful job of it. Mary (also from Calgary) has a lovely little girl who has won Best Of Breed both days so far. It was fun to see three tri-coloured Cavaliers in the ring today. There are usually more Blenheims than Tris. Mary's little girl made the cut in Group Friday. I love to see any Cavalier do well in Group.

31 March 2006

Day 3 for the pup: Penny had her dew claws removed today. She had dew claws on both front and both back feet. She was a little trooper and even slept on the way home from the Vet. I still have not gotten up the nerve to remove the dew claws myself. Perhaps next time.

Allie was quite restless last night. We moved Allie and Penny up to the spare room. We put the whelping box on top of the bed. That way Allie has a nice warm soft place to lay if she wants a few minutes of peace. I slept beside her across the end of the bed most of the night. Allie would alternate sleeping in the whelping box and then sleeping cuddled next to me. I think she needed a little Allie cuddle time.

This afternoon Esther and her daughter and Grandson come to visit. Allie was very glad to see Esther and gave her big cuddles and hugs. Esther took a couple photos of the new Mom and Baby. Allie cuddled and visited for a while then went back to check on her baby. Allie was perfectly happy to come out and visit. She would not let anyone get too close to her baby, so the photos were taken from the doorway.

30 March 2006

Day 2 for the pup: Allie ate all her dinner last night. I had to put it in the whelping box with her as she would not leave the box except to bark & warn the other dogs away from her baby. I was worried that Allie would not focus on the baby, as she is easily distracted. Silly me! ... Allie is borderline obsessed with Penny. She is doing a lovely job and Penny is growing very well. It is going to be a challenge to try to get Allie to not overfeed Penny. We do not want her to grow too quickly or she will not be able to support her weight when she is old enough to stand and walk around.

Penny's cord is drying up and almost ready to fall off. Her coat is sleek and glossy as you can see from the photos below. I will try to get some frontal photos of her today. We also have to get Aurora ready for her debut in the show ring tomorrow morning in Red Deer.

29 March 2006

Day 1 for the pup: Allie and pup are doing well this morning. Allie went outside while I weighed the pup. The pup is gaining steadily and has good muscle tone. The pup started off at 10.6 oz at birth; that is a larger than any of our previous puppies. The largest of whom was 8.9 oz at birth. Our pups are usually 3 or 4 days old before they weight in at 10 oz.

Allie drank all her water last night so I have refilled her dish and put food down for her. Allie is not very interested in food right now, but I'll leave it down for her for a while.

Here are the promised photos of Mom & puppy. The pup is about 12 hours old when these were taken.

Allie is being a great Mom! Allan and I are quite impressed at how strong the instinct to Mother is. Allie is doing everything right. We are so proud of her!

Since Allie's registered name is "Rivermead Strawberry" I think I'll name her daughter "QuinnCarlin's Penny Lane". I'm thinking of the Beatles hits "Penny Lane" and "Strawberry Fields Forever."

28 March 2006

Day #64 after Ovulation: Allie starting bearing down this morning at 5 am. I was sure she was going to have the pup, so I woke Allan up. Then we waited ... and waited ...and waited.

Allie is still alternately nesting, panting and sleeping. She is not seeming to be making much progress. It is hard to keep her in the whelping box. Every sound that other dogs make takes her attention away from what she is doing. She is not showing any signs of distress. Allie is collecting stuffed animals in her crate. If I throw a stuffie for Tannus, Allie will zip out, catch it and add it to her stash. It is the funniest thing I've seen her do.

We took Allie into the Vet (Laurel Arvidson D.V.M.) for an internal exam at 2:30 this afternoon. The Vet could feel that the cervix is opening, but Allie did not bear down when the cervix was touched. If she was close to stage two she would have beared down at the touch to her cervix.

Allan needed to go to Sylvan Lake and figured that he would have a couple of hours. He really wants to be here for the birth of this puppy. He has waited at home all day yesterday and so far today. He missed Tara's last pups being born by about an hour.

Allie was in a crate with me and the other dogs in my office. She was resting comfortably. She started getting very restless so I took her outside to potty. She piddled and then started bearing down as if trying to poop. It looks like she is in second stage at this point. A little more panting and more vigorous nesting. Then I noticed that a sack is starting to show. No puppy just fluid sack. This was at 4:30. I put the other dogs into their room, got Allie to the whelping room and called Allan to come home. He was in Sylvan Lake; 20 minutes away.

Allan arrived home about 5:00, but Allie has had no progress with the sack. It is cold and hanging out her vagina; that cannot be comfortable. She licks and nips at it but it is not breaking. She is vigorously panting and nesting now. Allan took care of the other dogs and fed them their supper. Allie is still working hard at this point. No progress is visible. I am starting to get concerned. Allie is sleeping again with the sack hanging out the back of her. Tara tooks rests between pups, but not before the first one. We are keeping the other dogs well away from Allie so that she can concentrate.

By 5:30 I place a call to the Vet Clinic. It is now after hours so I get through to the answering service. Laurel calls me back. Since Allie is not distressed we decide to wait another 20 minutes and Laurel will call me back then.

Twenty minutes later we haven't made any more progress. The pup does not feel any further down the birth canal that it was an hour ago. The sack is not protruding any further either. We decide to meet at the Vet clinic in 25 minutes (6:30 pm).

Allie, Allan and I arrive at the clinic and wait outside for Laurel. Allie starts to bear down. She is in my lap and I get Allan to open the hot box and get some supplies out. We may be delivering this pup on my lap in the Buick. Laurel arrives and we bundle Allie up and get her into the clinic.

Laurel does an internal exam and says that she can feel the pup's head and a little foot. Laurel says that there is room for the pup to come through. At least the pup is pointed in the right direction and is not malpresenting. Allie is not in any distress but she has stopped all activity again and just wants to be in mine or Allan's lap. We decide to give her a shot of Oxytocin. Laurel administers the shot. Allie is a little trooper, she does not even flinch. Allan on the other hand has gone to get us coffee. Allan is a wonderful man, but he doesn't 'do' needles. ;)

After much persuation Laurel convinces me to leave Allie alone in the dark examining room. I put the Hot Box on the floor for her to whelp in.

It takes every ounce of self control to not run into that examining room, but to let Allie do this on her own. Allie is obviously getting distracted by us and is choosing attention and pats over birthing this puppy. Laurel explained that some bitches(female dogs) and queens (female cats) will stop labour completely if they feel threatened. It is a safety behaviour in the wild. Domesticated animals will often behave that way and stop labour because they are getting lots of attention.

When we check, 20 minutes later (6:40), Allie is in the hot Box and cleaning a beautiful Black & Tan girl. Allie has opened the sack, cleaned the pups face and is busy eating the placenta. Laurel checks Allie and I see to the pup. It feels a little cold and is still wet. I use bulb ear syringe to clear the pups mouth and nostrils. They are clear and it is beathing well. I clamp the cord. The pup does not have a cleft pallate. We always check for cleft pallates before we put a pup on mom's teat because the pup could asperate milk if it has that defect. The pup is a girl!!! Yes Morghanna, I'm sure this time and have independent corroberation. ;)

I then take the pup and rub its silky fur dry. It squeaks at the rough handling, but it is good to stimulate the pups when they are first born. The pup is so sweet and has the cutest wrinkly little nose. Allie jumps up onto the examining table to get to her pup. Allie obviously does not realize that she is not suppose to mountain climb after just giving birth. I hold the pup for Allie to smell (bottom first) and clean. She is a little too energetic and the pup sqeaks because Allie nibbled her ear.

We bundled Allie and her pup up for the trip home. They are now sleeping quietly in the whelping box in the furnace room. Allie is being very gentle with her and very protective. Allie curls ber body around her baby and puts herself between the pup and us. She will let us touch her and the pup, but she is obviously on guard.

I got right into the whelping box to help the pup latch onto Allie. Allie relaxed and laid with her head on my ankle while the pup nursed. I called Esther from the whelping box and she was thrilled that all went well with no need for a C-section.

Allie would not take any food tonight, but she did drink lots of water. I weighed the pup while Allan let Allie outside to piddle. The pup is over 10 ounces and looks very healthy.

27 March 2006

Day #63 after Ovulation: (Evening) Allie is now nesting and panting quite energetically. She is now searching out dark hidey holes. Allan laid down with Allie, in her whelping box. He fell asleep and she jumped out and came and laid on my lap. We can feel the pup moving and all seems to be well there so far.

We let Allie out to potty this evening and she zoomed straight into the storage lean-to. This lean-to is large enough to fit a car in, however it is full of 'treasures' that are being stored. Allie disappeared behind the stuff and it took 15 minutes of me coaxing and Allan rearranging stuff to get to her. We both had visions of Allie dropping her pup in a far back corner that we couldn't get to. Allie is safely back inside. She is taking her time. She nests for a while ... pants for a while ... and sleeps for a while. It is a good thing that someone is getting some sleep.

26 March 2006

Day #62 after Ovulation: Allie is starting to show signs of early labour. She is panting but not yet nesting. She is sleeping in fits and starts; it seems that she cannot get comfortable. I called Esther to let her know that things seem to have started.

24 March 2006

Day #60 after Ovulation: We got the whelping box out for Allie to get used to.We put lots of towels in it for her to nest in. Allie does not like to jump out of it, so we put it into the Rec Room so that she could be in the same room as us and we could keep an eye on her.

Tara walked past the whelping box and stopped short ... looked at the whelping box ... and then looked at her belly with an expression on her face that clearly said, "Am I missing something here? I'm sure I didn't get any memo. I'm pretty sure that I'm not pregnant! I just checked." Allan and I laughed so hard it hurt. Tara has been the only bitch to be pregnant so far and this must have taken her by surprise.

23 March 2006

Day #59 after Ovulation: The tests are in and Allie is having our first 'singleton' litter. That's right a single little puppy. A really big single little pup if the X-rays are any indication. We'll have to watch Allie very closely as she starts her labour. Often a single pup does not trigger enough hormones for the bitch to truly start labour. A single large pup can also trigger uterine inertia. Lots to watch for that is sure.

We now have the puppy intensive care unit fully supplied and will be readying the 'hot box' tonight. Then we will just have to wait.

22 March 2006

Day #58 after Ovulation: Allie has been home with us since Sunday when Esther's son Chris braved the central Alberta roads and dropped her off to us. It always amazes me how well our dogs integrate back into the family pack. Allie is back into her routine and is doing very well. She is definitely pregnant as we can feel at least two pups; one in each of the two uterine horns. They are lively little ones and are moving down the horns into the birth position. Allie is stretching out like Tara does to help her pups to reposition themselves.

We have an appointment with the Vet tomorrow for Allie's pre-whelping check-up. We will x-ray to ensure we know how many pups to expect.

17 March 2006

Day #53 after Ovulation: Happy Saint Patrick's Day!!
We are picking Allie up from Edmonton tomorrow! We are expecting her to whelp her pups Monday 27 March. That will be the 63^rd day after ovulation. Esther reports that Allie is doing very well. We should have some new photos up on this site by the end of the weekend.

Tomorrow we will be picking up Allie and dropping off Iza and Brook. Iza and Brook have successfully "done the deed" and we will be expecting pups, no earlier than, the 16^th of May. You can follow the progress of Iza's pregnancy and the birth of her litter in Iza's very own edition of "The Puppy Papers"

18 Feb 2006

Day #26 after Ovulation: Esther sent a report on Allie today. Esther reports, "Allie is eating fine now, no more morning sickness. Her nipples are quite enlarged and she has a little tummy. She is back to normal with her potty routines". It sounds like Allie is right on schedule.

Aurora just came into heat two days ago. She skipped her last heat and she is not being bred this time. We plan to get her Canadian CKC Championship before breeding her. Aurora also needs her hips x-rayed and her heart & eyes tested before she can be bred.

12 Feb 2006

Day #20 after Ovulation: Allie spent her birthday playing with Esther's family in Hinton. She got to run and play in the yard. ... Allie not Esther!

Esther reported this morning "I THINK THAT SHE IS SHOWING SIGNS OF BEING PREGNANT. She is definitely quieter and sleeps more than usual. Her nipples are enlarged and her vulva is still enlarged. On the way home from Hinton she threw-up in the car. She has never been car sick before, so it could be morning sickness."

10 Feb 2006

Day #18 after Ovulation: Allie turns two years old today! Happy Birthday Allie!! We'll e-mail Esther to pass along Birthday wishes and to see how Allie is doing.

We've created a list of 'Signs of Canine Pregnancy'; things to look for that 'might' indicate that Allie is pregnant. Our list was compiled from information found on several Webweb sites, in books from our Recommended Reading List, as well as our personal experience.

28 Jan 2006

Day #5 after Ovulation: Allie is doing very well. She has returned to spend the next seven to eight weeks with Esther in Edmonton. Joan Brascombe has offered to drop in and check on Allie around 28 days to see if she can palpate puppies.

27 Jan 2006

Day #4 after Ovulation: Allan took Allie into Cedarwood Vet Clinic where Dr. Hubbard will perform a surgical artificial insemination using two straws of Tannus' semen, this morning. Tannus, Tara and Iza are all having their hips x-rayed for OFA today. Joan says it takes about 2 months to get the results back from OFA.

Aurora is not yet two years old, so we will wait until the fall to get her hips X-rayed; we'll have Allie's done at the same time. Aurora did get her booster shot of Parvo/Distemper today. Aurora had never been vaccinated and when we finally decided on a vaccination protocol so, she had some catching up to do.

All the dogs are now home and resting comfortably. I am absolutely thrilled that Tara, Tannus and Iza all relaxed well for the x-rays of their hips. No sedative was required! Yeah! I hate giving them anything more than is absolutely necessary.

Tannus has dry eye and the vet thinks it might be thyroid related. They have sent blood off to be tested. The Vet gave us ointment to use twice a day. [UPDATE:] Tannus does not have any thyroid problems. All the tests came back clear.

26 Jan 2006

Day #8 of Allie's heat, Day #3 after Ovulation: Allie is doing very well. We figure that she ovulated on Tuesday. We had another test done yesterday and expect it to be over 4.0. We will know later today for sure. We expect we will be doing an insemination on Friday. After we get the results today, we will decide whether a second insemination would be prudent and plan from there.

Friday is going to be busy. Tara, Tannus, and Iza are getting their hips x-rayed for OFA. Aurora is getting a booster and Iza a brucellosis test in preparation for her breeding to Brooke.

We just heard from Dr. Hubbard. Allie's progesterone test came back 5.7. She definitely ovulated between Monday (3.2) and Wednesday(5.7). We will take her in to have a surgical insemination with two straws of Tannus' semen on Friday morning.

If all goes according to plan we can expect Allie to deliver her litter on 28th of March: 63 days after ovulation.

24 Jan 2006

Day #6 of Allie's heat, Day of Ovulation: The progesterone test came back 3.2. Dr. Hubbard said that he figured that Allie would ovulate today. That would make Friday the best day to perform the surgical insemination. We had planned on testing her again tomorrow to be sure.

When Aurora and I were out at handling class tonight Allan was watching the 'kids'. I missed some excitement as Tannus caught Allie and tied. Yes, this is the Tannus who was neutered in October. Yes, the same Tannus that assured me he was not at all interested in the goings on related to Allie.

Allan spent at least 15 minutes holding Allie & Tannus together, at the top of the basement stairs, until the tie was released. You need to know that Allan has only witnessed the breedings and has never been a willing participant (well at least as far as the dogs are concerned). He was not expecting this, and was taken completely by surprise with no support, moral or otherwise from me. Allan wants me to say that he can assure us that he will not be caught in this position again.

As you can see, Aurora and I returned to see two very satisfied Cavaliers and one very unsatisfied Allan. That said ... Allan did all the right things to protect the dogs and I am very proud of him.

Obviously Tannus would have been 'shooting blanks' and he is to be the Father of this litter (via AI), so there is no conflict there. The good thing is that he has always been really good at knowing when the girls ovulate. I'll have to tell Dr. Hubbard that his diagnosis of Allie ovulating today has been confirmed by Tannus. I think we can forgo the second progesterone test and go ahead with the AI on Friday.

23 Jan 2006

Day #5 of Allie's heat: We'll really know what day she is at when we get the results of the progesterone test that we had the Vet draw blood for today.

Let me back up a little... Allan and I drove to Edmonton and picked Allie up from Esther's house Sunday evening. Esther is taking wonderful care of Allie. Allie is looking very healthy and extremely happy with Esther. Allie slept quietly in the back seat of the Jeep (in harness and safety restraint of course) all the way home to Lacombe. She was thrilled to see Iza was also here and she recognized our other dogs right away. Allie takes no time at all to settle in when she comes for a visit.

Last night and this morning Allie and the girls were quite excited. There was a lot of posturing between Allie, Tara and Iza. Aurora let it be known that she would 'sit this one out.' Allie was pushing her tushie into the face of any dog who would let her get close ... male or female.

Tannus looked at me as if to say "I hope you do not expect 'Me' to do anything about that!", and then promptly relocated himself safely under my chair, peeking out at the girls from between my ankles. We had Tannus neutered a few months ago and we were wondering how he would react to a bitch in heat. Now we know!

By this afternoon, Allie was letting the girls mount her and flagging her tail to the side with no attempt to chase anyone away. This is generally a sign that she is ready to be bred. Dogs, unlike humans, breed ONLY to procreate. That is one reason that the males have such a good sense of smell. A whole male can usually tell when the female has ovulated. He will not breed her until her eggs are ripe.

In dogs, the egg is released at ovulation, but unlike other mammals dogs take 2 1/2 to 3 days for the egg to ripen. Then the egg is only open to fertilization for another 2 1/2 to 3 days (for a total of five days after ovulation).

Without a whole male to help us with this crucial timing we will have to use Progesterone testing. The Vet takes a blood sample, which is then prepared for the lab and usually sent out to be tested. In our case, the sample is sent to the Veterinary College in Saskatchewan for testing. We'll have the results at some point tomorrow. We are looking for a "four" using the scale that the Vet College uses. A "four" indicates that she has just ovulated. The Vet says that her progesterone levels will remain higher than a four for a while afterwards in order for her body to sustain the pregnancy.

I'll report back tomorrow as soon as we hear from the Vet.

20 Jan 2006

Day #2 of Allie's heat: Esther called today to say that she thinks Allie is in heat. It is time to get the whole puppy making machine into gear again! Wish us luck. Allie has not been bred before so she is considered a 'Maiden Bitch.' This means that we do not really know what to expect from her in terms of timing or how she will react to the whole process. Allie will turn two years old on 10 February 2006. So she will be two before her pups are born.

Allie will be bred using Tannus' frozen semen and a Surgical Artificial Insemination (AI) at the Vet's office. We are looking forward to seeing what her lines will bring to the QuinnCarlin line. You can view Allie's pedigree and Tannus' pedigree on the Our Cavaliers page.